The AA has come to the rescue of used car dealers. The motoring body has relaunched Vehicle Inspections for dealers, offering pre-sale vehicle inspections that will help dealers stand out from the competition, protect them against new Consumer Rights legislation and increase profitability. By having their vehicle stock independently inspected by the AA, dealers will benefit from the trust … [Read more...]
Retail News
Trade is split over buying stock
A split between "two tribes" of trade buyers - those who buy almost entirely online and others who remain motor auction-based - is becoming increasingly apparent, says Glass's. The motor industry data market leader reports that there has been a noticeable hardening in the shape and attitude of both groups over the last year or so. Rupert Pontin, Head of Valuations, said, "To an extent, the … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 February
Businesses in Wales are worried about a digital skills shortage among their young workforce. A report for Capgemini shows 18% of businesses questioned said young people did not have the necessary digial skills for modern work, the worst of any group in the UK. … [Read more...]
Defender models soaring in value after production ends
Fans of the iconic Land Rover Defender who rushed to buy a piece of history are proving to have made a smart investment decision as prices soar. Automotive valuation specialists cap say good examples are demanding a huge premium over new list price. Commenting on the trend, John Watts, senior editor at Cap said: “We have already started to see an upward movement in trade values for Defender … [Read more...]
Personal loan rates threaten dealers’ offers
Dealers are facing a new threat to profit margins as research reveals the impact on specialist car finance take-up of aggressively low new High Street personal loan rates. The warning comes from new and used car online distance sales specialist Buyacar.co.uk, which generates consumer sales orders for major franchise dealers. Buyacar.co.uk has identified a marked slow-down in the take-up of … [Read more...]
Car sales stagnate in Wales
New car sales in Wales have stagnated. Figures from the SMMT yesterday show 5,591 new cars were registered last month compared to 5,566 in the first month of 2015, so they have increased by under half-percent. This contrasts with 2% and 3.59% rises in Scotland and England, while Northern Ireland saw a big 2.63% drop over the month. Overall the combined new registrations of 169,245 marked the … [Read more...]
City cars take a bashing when sold
Cap reveals that the city car sector was one of the main used car sectors under pressure through 2015. For those motorists who simply want to nip around town without the need to carry multiple passengers, city cars are often seen as a cost-effective alternative to their bigger, fuel-hungry counterparts, but this brings valuation problems. This resulted in a higher overall … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 February
Saab AB, the Swedish aerospace company that owns the Saab brand, will not allow its name or logo to be used on future models produced by National Electric Vehicle Sweden. NEVS, which bought the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile in 2012, has announced two big deals in the past few weeks to supply electric Saab 9-3-based sedans to two separate Chinese companies as part of China's push to make … [Read more...]
Car makers urge in-vote for EU membership
British automotive firms have spoken out about why remaining in Europe matters to their businesses in a series of case studies published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Entitled Voices on Europe, it features six companies from across a broad spectrum of the automotive sector, all driving technological innovation. They range from research and product testing houses to … [Read more...]
Manufacturer deposits for nearly new models
Motor manufacturers are being forced to introduce deposit contributions on some nearly new cars in order to create differentiation with the monthly rates now available on subsidised new vehicles. Glass's, the motor industry data market leader, said that the move had been made after some manufacturer dealer councils complained that it was difficult for them to make used car PCPs price … [Read more...]