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A new year and a brand new competition. It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the … [Read more...]
With used cars likely to be in short supply this year and prices rising as a result, dealers could well be looking at a return to the days of buy backs and self registrations to generate used car stock. The last time we were at this stage it nearly caused the whole business to go into meltdown, and who can forget the fields full of brand new cars … [Read more...]
There is a genuine feeling among some dealers that bullish estimates from manufacturers about the size of the new car market in 2011 will ultimately be made up of too many forced registrations. One of the good things that came from the initial downturn was the realisation that having fields full of unsold cars was not really the answer and … [Read more...]
Well there is only one thing to say about the current climate, buy used! I’m not sure this will be the long term view but with VAT on new cars a cost manufacturers simply have to pass on, they are more likely to be flexible and take a smaller profit on a used car which is not vatable but of which the extra VAT will cost them only £25 for every … [Read more...]
December has always been the month of culmination; a years' worth of work all down to the wire. The Car of the Year tag is over used and, although the end of the year isn't far away, I've decided on our very own – Best BOTW. I had no idea that two years down the line I'd still be writing MTI's BOTW but it's proven to be a good read and I've … [Read more...]
The competition for car servicing business is a battle that looks set to continue for quite some time yet. Repairers like Kwik-Fit and Halfords are striving to present car drivers with a real choice when considering their options at service time. However it looks as if franchised dealers are finally facing up to the battle. Having taken … [Read more...]
Understanding your market is perhaps more important than ever and the ability to match cars with customers has never taken on such significance. As dealers begin to comprehend that they cannot quickly and easily provide the exact model with the exact spec for every customer, they need to understand the need to be more creative and “switched on” … [Read more...]
Its Snow joke this week in the motor trade, a sprinkling of the white stuff and the tumbleweed flows through showrooms which are already seasonally down on traffic. One positive however is that it gives sales teams the opportunity to re-group and identify where there next customers might be coming from, and this very much maximises all areas of … [Read more...]
It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the year unfolds and which high achievers will … [Read more...]
The dynamics in the car showroom have changed beyond all recognition in recent years and despite the likes of Which? and the Daily Mail still believing and reporting that the car trade is full of spivs and ankle tappers (still baffles me that one) trust me it is not like that anymore. Of course there are still sales techniques and closing … [Read more...]
Marketing cars has taken on a whole new impetus in the last few years. The speed of that change has surprised many car dealers to the extent that they are confused about just how far they need to go to make it financially viable. For example, we are told by all the marketers that a classified car ad with 3 images is almost 10 times more likely … [Read more...]
Let’s face it, few dealers have ever admitted to business being brisk – a ‘cup half empty’ mentality pervades the industry and always has done. Given the knocking the industry has taken over the years (block exemption, emissions-based company car taxation and showroom tax to name just a few) it is hardly surprising that many dealer … [Read more...]
Despite the threat of a double dip recession, many of our sources are reporting unseasonably good showroom footfall and fairly strong demand. The rental companies are selling plenty of cars to the network and the auctions appear to be bustling with buyers. Of course this does not apply to everyone and I’m sure there will be many scratching their … [Read more...]
The economies in China and India are the shining lights amid global economic darkness and companies have embraced the stunning growth happening there. None more so than car companies and at the pinnacle of this growth are the German car makers, especially VW. We have seen here, amidst the doom and gloom and without the security blanket of … [Read more...]
It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the year unfolds and which high achievers will … [Read more...]
Names reveal a lot about ones age and background. Take girl’s names: Chelsea and Chardonnay come from a different time zone to Irene and Constance, and quite possibly a different social stratum. The same is true with car names. Since the dawn of the automotive age, there have been many examples of ill-judged car model names that are funny, … [Read more...]
If you’re one of those people who profess to only buying Japanese, think again if you drive a Nissan because your car is French! The landscape of modern-day motor vehicle manufacturing has changed substantially over the last few years with many manufacturer marques becoming just brand names for the big conglomerates. For example did you … [Read more...]
At a time when customer service is critical it appears that maybe some dealers do not understand that this means good service. Thousands of pounds have been invested in putting a process in place by car manufacturers with various incentives, staff training and coaching yet still according to surveys (which 2010 in this instance) car dealers are … [Read more...]
There can be no argument that Japanese manufacturers, along with quite a few other manufacturers it has to be said, have taken a bit of a hammering in the UK during and post the credit crunch and subsequent recession. Almost to a man they have lost market share and seen the number of new cars registered each month drastically … [Read more...]
It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be crowned champion? Who will drop out of the top 20 as the year unfolds and which high achievers will … [Read more...]
BMW 1 Series Review The BMW 1 series has been around since 2004 and comes in four different body styles; 3 and 5 door hatchback, coupe and convertible. In this article we will be concentrating on the hatchback version. The BMW 1 Series was shares many elements with its big brother the larger 3 Series and the model was originally conceived to … [Read more...]
Jittery car dealers are predicting worse than expected new car registration figures for September, with some calling the market as much as 20% down on September last year. September 2009 was 11.4% up on the same month in 2008 with 367,929 units being registered but let’s not forget that this figure was boosted by scrappage registrations and … [Read more...]
The VW Polo has always been a popular car but it is now more popular than ever. Car buyers looking to downsize and economise have moved over to the Polo not only because of the well known VW build quality but also because it is a very economical car to own and run. In the latest car registration figures for August 2010 the Polo joined its big … [Read more...]
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