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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...]
I have heard lots of sorry stories over the years about buyers who thought they had nabbed themselves a bargain but which later turned out to be a nightmare. We still hear on an almost daily basis in the trade of well intentioned husbands and partners who think it would be a great idea and a lovely surprise to buy their loved ones a lovely car only … [Read more...]
As usual the auctions are jam packed with buyers pushing prices into no man’s land, even though popular opinion says that this is not due to any pent up retail demand. It is far more likely that trade buyers are looking to restock for the new year and retail customers are looking at the extra choice to see if they can “bag a bargain” at … [Read more...]
Decembers’ new car registration figures are in so we can take a look at the final table for 2010. Who won the league? Who made it into Europe? Who got relegated? All will be revealed but firstly let’s take a look at the Car Makers Premier League for December 2010. This month’s Car Makers Premier League (based on the SMMT figures for UK new … [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...]
With every man and his dog predicting tough times in the trade next year and not to mention more bad weather in the short term at least, dealers are gearing up for the pre-new year sales in the hope that they at least get the year off to a flyer. Despite the gloom there are still buyers out there but they are being choosier than ever before and … [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...]
Finding the exact used car you are looking for has not been easy this year and those that have found the car they wanted had to pay a premium to get it. The trade buyers have been in the same boat and it doesn’t seem to matter how bad the economic news has been the values of certain models has remained high with motor traders shaking their heads … [Read more...]
Whilst talking to a sales manager incognito at a local main dealer earlier this week, I asked him how business was generally and about his fears for the coming months. “It is what it is” he replied somewhat dolefully, “we will just have to face whatever comes at us and deal with it”. Clearly customers who have become so much more … [Read more...]
The storm before the lull is how one of our car dealer colleagues describes what is happening at present. He suggests that the rise in showroom traffic and unseasonably high sales order take is basically down to squeezing the last bit of goodness from the success story of last two years. With all the offers about and the hype surrounding the VAT … [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...]
Whilst all and sundry are worrying and fretting about cost savings and cuts, we need to start looking at ways of making car buying and maintenance as cost effective as possible. Here are some simple tips and advice when considering where to go. Car dealers are battling hard for your business always make an offer whether it is to buy a car have a … [Read more...]
Let’s talk about “residual values”. Yes, we’re talking about the dreaded “D” word – depreciation. Once we know the picture regarding a prospective car’s future value (it’s our money after all!) then it may become an important part of the car buying decision process. Residual or future value is all about supply and demand, brand … [Read more...]
The car sales process has been developed over many years and evolves with each new generation of sales teams, new products coming to the market and the need to develop new income streams and profit centres. The fundamental process has remained the same, however, and is designed with only one objective: to separate you from your money (and, of … [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...]
What a load of cuts! We have been hearing about the cuts and austerity measures that are needed for some time now and, as the chancellor revealed, they will be deep and potentially fatal for many people. Lots of us will face major hardship and public sector workers will be hit hardest of all in terms of their job security. I don’t pretend to … [Read more...]
What is it about some car salespeople? Sometimes you wonder if they really get what car sales is really all about. They have fantastic training, are equipped with a sales process that is idiot proof and have some fantastic products which often sell themselves, yet still everyday up and down the country potential customers are made to feel like … [Read more...]
The last quarter of the year has always traditionally been the hardest in the world of car retailing. The job peaks in September then goes away for a little rest before coming out to play again in January. The truth is car dealers really ought to have made the profit they need to hit their budgets by now because if they haven’t, well they are … [Read more...]
Right now car buyers are in short supply in the showrooms of Great Britain and dealers have had to become very innovative in how they market their cars, but also how they incentivise their staff to work harder for that sale. Customers shouldn’t be surprised that they reside on someone’s database and they get harangued with a barrage of … [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...]
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