I think I am right in saying that we should see the Sept car sales figures out sometime this week? With all the credit panic over banks failing and such it will be interesting to see what the sales figures are for cars during September.
Edited by Honestjohn on 06/10/2008 at 16:16
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Interesting to se who is going to play the registrations game.
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Talking to an acquaintance yesterday who works in Vauxhall dealership - what he was saying was that whilst footfall was down in his place, those that were coming were buying - he's saying it was pretty steady with low CO2 figs being turned over quickly.
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At an airfield new you...hundreds, nay thousands of cars with 58 reg's, maybe the buyers forgot to collect them..;) possibly be called ''management cars'' in 6 months time, they won't feature in the figures surely?
Retail wise 99% of the cars we deliver to dealerships as sold cars are as you would expect, economical low tax band cars, apart from rental and fleet stuff/storage transfers i've forgotten how to get a big load to fit on.
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Rumour has it that BMW, who were doing pretty well this year until they had a bad August, have had a dire Sept. If that's true then I bet they won't be alone.
I live in a pretty affulent Cheshire village and one thing I've noticed is that the older residents (I'm a relative youngster) who, of course, haven't got mortgages etc, and generally get a new car every 3 years, haven't bothered this year. As they get older many of them hardly drive now - I guess that must be repeated elsewhere so that's more customers disappearing that the industry has to cope with.
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>>Rumour has it that BMW, who were doing pretty well this year until they had a bad August, have had a dire Sept.
BMW was 24.1% down for September v. last year, but market share was 5.4% v. 5.6% for last September, so they pretty much followed the market average performance - 21% down.
Honda's market share on the other hand was 3.77% v. 4.92% in Sept last year. They registered 39.6% fewer cars. And while BMW has held it's year-to-date figure v. last year, Honda is 17% down year to date. Perhaps the thread on new Hondas looking expensive was on the right track.
As a repeat Honda buyer, I fear they have committed a classic marketing error - they have attempted to reposition towards younger, more status/fashion conscious buyers but they have lost more of their old market than they have gained of the new. Status conscious buyers will prefer Audi/BMW, and either take reliability for granted or don't worry about it at all. Meanwhile the reliability and utility seekers are presented with a Civic with poor access and visibility at 20% higher price than the previous model, an overstyled CRV with thirsty petrol engines or expensive diesel options, and an Accord range with no hatchback. Add a drop in consumer confidence and there's nowhere for them to go. Perhaps Kia, who have significantly outperformed the market in September and are 18% up year to date, has been a beneficiary?
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Perhaps Kia who have significantly outperformed the market in September and are 18% up year to date has been a beneficiary?
Thats right Manatee they have, my dad a Toyota driver and very nearly a Honda driver bought a kia instead and it's better built, better value and it's too much of a step into the future (ok very conservative styling!). The point is that Honda very much took themselves out of their traditional market with the current Civic, for one it's not well build and the styling is just to futuristic. If they'd bought over the version they sell in the USA it would have sold much better especially the 2dr coupe (that's one nice look'in car).
Most manufactures only have themselves to blame for poor sales with poor customer service, old products, bad deisgn or not offering anything unique. I'm in the market for a new car, I'd buy one tomorrow if someone sold what I wanted, good leg room, clutch rest, cruise control, under 121 co2 and under 8k new.
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>> BMW was 24.1% down for September
That's not as bad as I was led to believe, although it's worse than MB and a lot worse than Audi. BMW higher sales volume mean they were down by a chunky number of cars - a lot of value; approx 6000 cars at, say, £20K each is £120M. BMW's "efficient dynamics" is supposed to be a big advantage to them.
Honda's market share on the other hand was 3.77% v. 4.92% in Sept last year. They registered 39.6% fewer cars.
I would image that's largely due to current Jazz being very much in its run out phase.
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I work in Auto Manufacturing, and I can say that sales are bleak, most car plants in the UK and probably Europe are on a three day week, November, December, and January are not the best months at the best of times so expect more dismal sales figures .
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Got held up in a traffic queue outside a Peugeot dealer in Ipswich last week, stationary for a good few minutes. My eyes wandered over to the rather large number of vehicles on the forecourt, all with the hatchbacks open to attract the punters.
Then I looked at the expressions on the car salesmen and they did not look happy at all. By the look of it, I reckon the last car they sold was last Easter.........!! Poor chaps, make ny heart bleed......not.
Still, anybody looking for a bargain and are a good negotiator could have cut a good deal there for sure. Even more so now....nearing the end of the month.
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In this economic climate the businesses (of any sort) who will be least affected are those with some form of USP. Sadly it's difficult nowadays to think of any outstanding reason to choose a Peugeot.
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ive just left the car trade after 4 years to go back into IT. Car sales were on the floor. Im glad im not working there now.
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. Sadly it's difficult nowadays to think of any outstandingreason to choose a Peugeot.
I don't know. 18 months in with my 407 coupe. Lovely car, great ride and not a thing gone wrong.
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Yes, you have a point! If you want a coupe, a 406 or 407 will look good and be a lot cheaper than German equivalents.
I was thinking of the bread-and-butter models: in the 1990s the 205 and 306 were best in their classes. Sadly, nowadays a Peugeot seldom wins a group test in the motoring magazines, and they aren't partiocularly cheap.
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Our local Citroen dealer has taken to parking a few cars and a bored salesman in the local garden centre car park - apparently they have to park them in peoples way now to get any attention! Sad to see.
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Sept sales figures now out on SMMT website
Total Sales: 330,295 (Sept 2007 - 419,290) - down 21.23%
"Diesel volumes fell (down 15.4%), but their market share rose from 39.4% a year ago to 42.8%."
"Only the mini segment posted growth in September, thanks to smart, Hyundai?s i10 and Vauxhall?s Agila. Large cars, in general, saw sharper sales falls then small cars - although both Audi and Jaguar bucked the trend and saw volumes rise in September."
Renault had very poor sales - 10,454 units, as opposed to 21,236 last September, down 50.77%, and were outsold not only by Ford, Vauxhall, VW, and Peugeot, but also by Toyota, Honda, Nissan (!), Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Citroen.
Top 10 sellers:
1. 15,647 - CORSA
2. 13,316 - FIESTA
3. 12,965 - ASTRA
4. 12,683 - FOCUS
5. 10,048 - GOLF
6. 8,417 - 207
7. 7,116 - MINI
8. 7,027 - 3 SERIES
9. 6,341 - MONDEO
10. 6,138 - POLO
Edited by Honestjohn on 06/10/2008 at 16:15
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Audi may claim to have sold more but to who? A visit to my local dealer last week saw me looking at a large number of cars (20 or so) with "NEW" on the reg plates.
I don't know if they are new or pre reg, but I've never seen that in an Audi dealership before.
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I think you'll find that after this week, its going to be a lot harder to get a loan on a car........
Expect firesales this November....
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I'm holding out for September 2009.
It is going to get a LOT worse..
By then home repossessions will be hitting the news.. and unemployment over 2.5 million and a third emergency rescue package will have come and failed..
FTSE sub 3500 by then...says my charts.
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I'm holding out for September 2010.
Unemployment will be at 30 million+ and I'll be doing a roaring trade bartering with my stockpile of luxury toilet roll! ;)
Seriously madf, how can you be sure the bottom hasn't yet been hit or that there isn't much further for it to go?
We haven't even seen any major car companies go bust yet, and if that started happening (which it will if sales don't pick up soon) then 2009 could be way too early to start thinking about profiting on others misery with the car market?
I'd love to see those charts...
Edited by TheOilBurner on 06/10/2008 at 16:06
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Weird how Fiat and Citroën aren't doing so well with a good range of cheap, small cars and Volvo with slow selling smaller models and a heavy reliance on the old and thirsty XC90 in their sales figures are seeing sales grow?
Good old MG hitting back with an astounding 800% increase in sales!!! They must be the envy of every other manufacturer now...
Shame it's only up from 1 to 9 cars though...
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Fiat havent dropped in line with the rest of the industry though. They are pretty much on par with last year. Citroen, Renault and Peugeot seem to be suffering quite heavy sales deficits. Renault have dropped 20% a year for the last 2-3 years so its no surprise they have dropped considerably so far!!
As for MG and 800%!! Wonder what it will be next month when at least 400 customers are taking delivery of their LE500 over next 8-10 weeks!
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Out of the total sales how many are "really sales" at or near list price or how many are dumped at up to 50% as"daily rental fleets".
Then take away the Pre Reg cars that will sit for the next 3 months (until the VAT is due!)
21% fall might be the version through coloured spectacles - the truth might be a lot worse.
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Quote:..""Weird how Fiat and Citroën aren't doing so well""
Styling could be the problem. I can't think of any Fiats or Citroens that look good except for the Fiat Punto.
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As the recession deepens, money becomes tighter and unemployment rises, motoring is going to take a hit. Isn't it likely that multi car familes are going to get rid of the second car, third car or whatever ?
We need to replace both our cars, which are over 10 years old, but are thinking that we'll have to try and get by with one car, although that will be difficult at times.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 06/10/2008 at 17:57
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