Used van values are set to rise in the coming months due to a shortage of good quality retail stock, according to auction house BCA. Data from BCA suggests that used van prices will continue to rise despite age or mileage. on average van prices are up 43% compared to five years ago, despite being nearly a year older and having covered 9,000 more miles. In September van values were 23% higher than a year ago, BCA’s general manager for commercial vehicles, Duncan Ward, said: “The key factor driving the market is the supply of good retail quality stock or rather the lack of it and this means there is plenty of competition for the best examples reaching the market.”Demand has been right across the board, from older higher mileage vans through to younger ex-fleet and lease vehicles, while the few late-plate light commercials…
The dealer recruitment market is witnessing high demand for specialist skill sets, according to a special report in the October edition of Motor Trader. “The overwhelming demand in recruitment for us is in aftersales,” said Guy Liddall, managing director of Motor Trade Selection, the recruitment specialist. “We are under real pressure to find strong aftersales and service managers who can add to the bottom line while improving customer care, who can balance the needs of their business with the requirements of the manufacturer.” “This is normal for this point in the economic cycle, when there is a squeeze on new and used car margins dealers will naturally concentrate on the aftersales side of the business to find extra profit,” he said. Liddall said there is also significant demand for managers in used car departments. this has resulted in many applicants applying for one job…
Thursday, 21 November 2013 Car manufacturing in October rose by 17.4% to 160,854 units, the largest monthly increase to date in 2013. Year to date output is up 5.4% to 1,286,287 units, according to figures from the SMMT. Manufacturing for the home market rose 52.4%. Registrations in the UK have been stimulated over the past 12 months by competitive PCP deals and low interest rates. In the year to October sales were up 10.2%. Export growth was up 11.4%. Around 50% of UK car exports go to Europe. After months of decline, EU demand shows signs of improving, now recording two consecutive months of growth. “UK car manufacturing for the home market increased strongly in October raising the year’s performance 26.6% ahead of 2012,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes, over 15 brands build more than 50 models of vehicle which provides an abundance of choice…
Tuesday, 19 November 2013 New car sales in Europe showed signs of continuing recovery with October sales up 4.7% to 1,004,935 units. It has been the first time since September 2011 that demand for new cars rose in two consecutive months. compared to last year sales are still down 3.1% but in October Italy was the only country to see a decline in sales compared to Spain who saw a 34.4% increase caused by the governments scraping scheme. Mazda was the best performing brand in October, with growth of 57.1% followed by Lexus +27.2%, Jaguar +19.4%, Toyota +16.4 and Land Rover +15.1%. Brands under pressure for the month included Alfa Romeo, -34%, Lancia Chrysler -13.3%, Honda -6.2% and Citroen -4% Taken from Motor Trader News
Thursday, 14 November 2013 Saab Automobile Parts has rebranded as Orio in a move which sees it aim to broaden its business outside of the Saab marque. The Swedish state-owned aftersales business emerged after the collapse of Saab and operates 10 subsidiaries across Europe and the US. “The overall strategy, besides investing even more in serving Saab owners, is to widen the company’s customer base, parts product portfolio and offer logistics services as well as other services,” said Lennart Ståhl, CEO of Orio AB. “Of course we will continue to deliver Saab Genuine parts to all our customers and we are in the process of developing our offer of product widening towards new markets and customers.” Saab genuine parts will remain the core business of the rebranded operation but it plans to diversify into logistics, what it terms “technology services” and a wider parts portfolio….
Owners of ageing Lexus and Porsche models are more likely to use a franchised workshop for servicing than an independent garage, according to research by Warranty Direct. The analysis of more than 70,000 policies shows more than a fifth (22%) of motorists with 3-10 year old cars still use main dealer workshops, despite independents often offering lower charges. The study found that 58% owners of Lexus models aged up to 10 years old still use franchised dealers for services, while 54% of Porsche owners choose to do the same. Mercedes-Benz also rated highly in the survey with 49% of owners opting to use franchised dealers. In contrast just 10% of Fiat owners and 11% of Vauxhall owners do the same. “Our research shows that drivers do value and trust the work of the franchised network over the independent sector – if manufacturers simply re-engage…
BCA’s 2013 Used Car Market Report shows that used car sales hit 7.1 million units in 2012, outpacing new car sales by climbing 6.4% and returning to pre-recession levels. The report also reveals that the used car market reached a record value of £38.1 billion in 2012. outperforming the total new car market value by £5.8 billion. In particular sales of younger used cars (0-2 years) increased significantly, rising by 18.6% to 762,000 and reversing a three year trend of falling volumes in this age bracket. Authored by Professor Peter Cooke ,University of Buckingham Business School, Centre for Automotive Management, , the report says that lower inflation, lower fuel costs, rising employment and a more stable economy helped restore car buyers’ confidence somewhat in 2012. However, the long-term impact of the fall in new car sales during and immediately following the recession can still be seen,…
In 2012 Citizens Advice received more than 80,000 used car buying complaints, 73% of which were about faulty cars. To help address the problem, Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have teamed up to theme this year’s National Consumer Week (NCW) around buying a used car with the slogan ‘check it or regret it.’ Throughout November, TSI, CAB and participating organizations are going to hold a series of local events and media campaigns designed to enhance consumer awareness when it comes to buying used cars. The aim is to highlight ways consumers can check the condition of a car prior to purchase, hopefully avoiding future problems. In the pre-publicity TSI say that the key campaign message is: Buying a used car? Is it safe? Is it legal? Is it what it seems? Check it or regret it. TSI is advising consumers…
