Well it’s time for me to announce my top ten cars of the decade. I have tried to minimise the number of very expensive cars in this list, mainly because normal people like me can’t afford them. Some do have to get in the list though, I have allowed for cost to act as a pro and con when weighing up the cars position in the chart. 10. Rolls Royce Phantom – When Rolls Royce was taken over by Ze Germans, I though ‘oh no it can’t be true’. I never considered it would be a marriage made in heaven. The Rolls has kept its feel of total luxury and with it comes total quality. A blend of German efficiency and British brilliance, that has produced the best luxury car ever. 09. BMW Mini – The original Mini is a cult British classic and…
The whispers coming from within the car trade are not good for the coming year. Analysts expect tough trading times in 2010. With a majority of dealers thinking 2011 will be the turn around in fortunes. This mean the consumer should be buying more car for their money in 2010. The only drawback for the consumer is the lack of lending by the finance houses. So if you are a cash buyer 2010 should be a good time to buy.
The Good Garage Scheme, a self regulatory body for independent garages, claims ‘top marques’ are increasingly looking to independent garages and workshops to carry out work. It seems the recession is hitting the high rollers too. With signs still bleak of a winter recovery, everyone is tightening their belts. This will come as another blow to main dealers who are relying heavily on servicing revenues to help prop them up.
The scrappage scheme will be extended to another 100,000 vehicles; the scheme has been changed slightly. It now includes funds for vans eight years and older, instead of the original ten year and over scheme. The new extension was announced by Lord Mandelson at the Labour conference right here in sunny Brighton.
Many dealers are calling for the extension of the scrappage scheme, as they fear that sales will fall off when it ends. Managing director Tony Whitehorn of Hyundai UK speaking to Motor Trader said “The money is two-thirds gone and at the current rate it will be gone by the end of October. If it comes to a sudden halt we will see car sales across the industry fall off a cliff. We need the government to start thinking now about what comes next,” said Mr Whitehorn. “The industry needs a soft landing, hopefully that will be through some sort of extension of the current scheme and then a gradual tapering off. The scheme has to end at some point, we all understand that, but it needs to be a gradual landing.” While Whitehorn admits that his company has been one of the biggest…
Ford has called for a continuation of the scrappage scheme beyond the £330m funding limit imposed by the government. Speaking exclusively to Motor Trader, Ford of Britain managing director Nigel Sharpe said the following: Sorn vehicles Sharp said Ford would like to see some form of continuation and it would also like Sorn vehicles to be included in the scheme. Sharp said any additional help now would ease the pain of what looks set to be an equally tough 2010. “Next year we’ll potentially have a market without scrappage, a VAT increase, probably an environment where interest rates will track upwards and the cumulative effect of the pound being worth 25 per cent less than it was 18 months ago coming through in greater prices. Scrappage extension “Add all those things together and you could see a reduced level of demand so an extension…
According to BCA used car values rose in April to make it six months out six, this is quite incredible and in my 14 years in the industry I have never seen this happen before. In fact after speaking to a personal friend of mine who happens to be a dealer too, he seems to think that he has never seen such oddness in 40 years, yes he is getting on a bit, but I’m sure he can remember that far back. Well what does this mean for you the buyer? It means that you should be happy, as although you’re house isn’t going up in value, the car is………weird. Basically if you want to change you’re car it’s a good time too, with so many deals on new or nearly new and values on older models high, it means the gap between you…
Birmingham based van manufacturer will receive a £5m bridging loan so Russian owners Gaz can compete a sale. The company run in to trouble late last year and have been looking to sell since, LDV halted production in December 2008. Webster a Malaysian vehicle manufacturer is the likely buyer. Webster will have a tough job on their hands, LDV have consistently made poor quality vans and only the Maxus breaking the mould, the Transit is a far superior van it beats the Maxus comfortably in most areas.
