Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 110

CDX17: YOUR HOUR-BY-HOUR GUIDE TO HUGE AUTOMOTIVE EXPO

Issue 110 | May 2017 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £3.50

THE FAST SHOW WHY FERRARI IS STILL OUT IN FRONT AFTER 70 YEARS OF SUPERCARS

FAREWELL, EDD MIKE BREWER: YES, I’M GUTTED – BUT I’VE GOT A NEW TELLY HUSBAND

TOP ADVICE JOINING US IN THE MOTOR TRADE? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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IGNITION.

EDITORIAL HEAD OF NEWS AND FEATURES Rebecca Chaplin

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

NEWS EDITOR Jack Evans

jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober

SENIOR STAFF WRITER Andrew Evans

andrew@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @snavEwerdnA

STAFF WRITER Laura Thomson

laura@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @lauramayrafiki

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Jon Hickey

j.hickey@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealerjon

ACCOUNT MANAGER Michelle Searle

michelle@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealermich

SUITS CEO, BAIZE GROUP James Baggott james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

MANAGING DIRECTOR BLACKBALL MEDIA Andy Entwistle andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy Contributors John Bowman, Jess Ernerth, Jonny Fleetwood, Jack Healy, Chris Jervis, Tristan Shale-Hester, Jon Reay

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temperature is hotting WELCOME. THE up and the sun is shining.

Is there a better excuse than that to drag your Ferrari out of the garage and take it for a drive?

That’s not a luxury that most of us mere mortals can enjoy, but our writer Darren Cassey was lucky enough to go to Italy recently to try the GTC4Lusso T. 2017 is a special year for the supercar brand, which is celebrating an anniversary even more significant than the Queen’s Blue Sapphire Jubilee – it’s 70 years since the first car to bear Ferrari’s Prancing Horse emblem left Maranello.

We’ve compiled a special feature celebrating what has been referred to as the ultimate supercar brand, and we’d be hard pushed to argue otherwise. With sales to put the rest of the sector to shame, it’s certainly doing well for itself.

As you will have seen, we decided to go with the phrase ‘The Fast Show’ on the cover, but there were many more Ferrari-related gags that didn’t make it into this issue, some of which I wanted to share with you.

Some of my favourites were ‘it’s bolog-mazing’ and ‘parmesan-sational’ from news editor Jack. Or how about ‘Daytona make them like that any more’ from writer James Fossdyke?

It’s been a significant time in the history of car sales over the past few weeks. March was the biggest sales month since records began, and we’ve got all of the details on pages 72-73, but we also sadly lost an incredible car dealer – Sir Arnold Clark.

There’s more to read on those topics later on in the issue, plus a Wheeler Dealers update from our Used Car Awards host Mike Brewer, information on how to submit your thoughts for Car Dealer Power, and our reviews of the newest cars that are heading to your showrooms.

That’s not all ! This issue is the first to feature our new series, ‘So You Wanna Be A Car Dealer?’

This will be running throughout the year, covering

different topics on how to set up and run a car dealership, with new ideas from businesses across the country.

It’s a busy old time, as I’m sure you can imagine, at Car Dealer Towers. This will be the last issue of the magazine that you’ll receive before CDX17. (A few lucky readers might get Issue 111 the day before, but only if you’re very good!)

The finishing touches are being put to our plans for the day as I write this and you’ll have spotted a special six-page guide to CDX included with this edition of the magazine.

What’s more, if you turn to page 16, you’ll be able to find out all about the day’s programme of workshops.

If you were at the event last year, or you still have your copy of Issue 100, you’ll remember what was on offer at CDX16. This year will blow that out of the water. With 20 workshops to attend, on an incredible range of topics, I don’t envy you when you try to decide which to go for !

The range of businesses taking space in the huge expo halls will no doubt stun you too.

I’ve been reading the list of suppliers in attendance – and the offers they’ll have for you on the day – and this year already looks likely to top CDX16!

CDX will also include the Discovery Zone, where you’ll be able to find out all about new and exciting innovations, and the Car Dealer Theatre, where Andy Entwistle will be putting on a one-man performance of Hamlet*.

That’s not to mention 13 sessions on the Car Dealer Live Stage and three breakout sessions. Read on for more details.

I hope you enjoy the issue and I’ll see you on May 23, if not before…

Rebecca Chaplin Head of News and Features *This might not be strictly true CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

JOURNEY

MANAGE YOUR

CONSUMER digital

to

physical

engage

convert

transact

Contact us to discuss how we can help you manage your consumer’s journey 0845 226 0503 info@ivendi.com www.ivendi.com/CD 04 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Join Car Dealer Club by visiting CarDealerClub.com Members get free legal advice worth £195 for a £39.99 subscription

48

INSIDE. ISSUE 110 I MAY 2017

Dashboard

06 Mike and Edd’s partnership ends 12 Around the UK 14 CDX: Looking ahead to May 23 16 So You Wanna Be A Car Dealer? 21 Rebecca Chaplin 25 Car Dealer Power latest 30 March – a record sales month 31 Around the World 35 Finance 36 Big Mike 41 Feedback

A new addition to the Land Rover line-up – but is it as versatile and capable as the manufacturer claims?

08 21

12 Industry mourns ‘a giant of the business world’

‘‘

End of the road for Wheeler Dealers partnership

Kia Picanto Suzuki Swift

Why can’t job interviewees supply the right answers to simple questions?

Start of a great series of features for motor trade newbies

Forecourt

25

Rebecca Chaplin

Mazda CX-5 Land Rover Discovery

Feature Data File

The Statistics Market Insight Taking Stock Auctions Key Notes with Traka

76

Suppliers Guide Long-termers Real Deals returns, with a car Andy Entwistle once longed to own

50

Ferrari special

Car Dealer Club

James Baggott

42 44 46 48

70 72 75 77 78 83 84 87 90

OUR EVENTS...

As voted for by dealers, Car Dealer Power is unique. Turn to page 30 for news of the 2017 awards – and find out who won in 2016 by going online to bit.ly/CDP2016

The Car Dealer Used Car Awards, sponsored by Black Horse, celebrate the used car industry.

This year’s event will take place on November 27, 2017.

The UK’s biggest and best automotive trade expo will take place on May 23.

Turn to pages 16-19 for the lowdown – and check out the six-page guide free in the bag with this issue of the mag!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

FEEDBACK. Your comments via email to dave@blackballmedia.co.uk

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Forum CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

I’ve come back to a whole new ball game AM I alone in thinking the Consumer Rights Act is completely unfair and exceptions should be made with respect to the car trade? I originally ran a successful dealership for 20 years and retired in 2010. I started back up in 2015 on a smaller scale (I stock around 50 cars) and don’t think I can handle this any more.

I took back not a single car in my previous 20 years. I am in my second year of trading and have come back to a different ball game, having taken back five cars. The finance companies don’t take our side at all, and when it’s a finance sale, the customer actually has six months to reject it.

One customer is currently in the process of rejecting a Ford Kuga because of a DPF fault four months after buying it. Meanwhile, he’s driving around in it, having done 3,000 miles and taking his kids to school in a car he claims isn’t safe.

I’ve offered to fix the problem but he has never contacted us; he went direct to the finance firm and they have taken his word for it that we refused to help. I’ve also said I refuse to take the car back, to be told they don’t need my agreement, they will drop the car off at my premises and pursue me for the cost.

The car sold for £9,500 in December. I’m having to buy it back for over £9,000 despite it dropping in the book and them now going for around £7,000. It’s also had an additional owner and gone up in mileage.

I also have no doubt he is abusing the car knowing it isn’t his any more. How can he still be allowed to use it after telling the finance company he wants to reject it?

I’m seriously ready to pack it in. Unlike in my younger years, I find myself thinking that I’m in a position in life where I simply don’t need this.

John I think that since buyers are now more inclined to act on their legal rights, then vendors should also be ready to act on theirs. Finance companies seem to be getting a lot of stick recently as regards just falling over with customers’ complaints on what are, let’s face it, old cars.

Having owned new cars, I would say anything over three years old IS an old car. I agree that

Tweets of the month Look at what we found in our archive on #ThrowbackThursday: 1975 #Renault #Alpine #A110!

Glyn Hopkin Group @GlynHopkinGroup Our Peugeot Northampton dealership are rolling out the red carpet for their VIP event!

BristolStreetMotors @BristolStMotors The #McLaren 720S adventures continue.

The car is on show at the Bangkok Motor Show.

McLaren Automotive @McLarenAuto 06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Picture of the month How many motoring journalists does it take to push a reluctant Mazda MX-5 into a parking space at Car Dealer Towers? Well, of the six pictured here, only four are putting their backs into it ! The car is nicknamed ‘Pato’ and belongs to Car Dealer staff writer Andrew Evans.

Andrew isn’t in the picture as he has had a spell away from the office recently, and indeed, will soon be leaving us for pastures new. His car was being moved so we could get organised for a photoshoot involving some other vehicles – and we’re pleased to report that after a little TLC, it’s firing on all cylinders again. with the law as it stands at the moment it does seem very odd... as if expecting cars to be ‘as new’ until the day they are scrapped, which as an old git, seems to be penalising the motor trade.

Do remember though that the Consumer Rights Act 2015 does treat cars uniquely in some respects. We (car dealers) are, in the main, a very fair bunch and a soft touch... I mean that without a chuckle. We should be more hard-nosed. tradex I’ve had a couple of niggly bits in the last month or so. One with Close, one with First Response and both have been totally on my side and understood matters.

The Close incident involved an interior handle that had fallen off after five-and-a-half months and the customer wanted me to pay! Close told them to stop being ridiculous.

The First Response one was an intermittent engine light. The customer booked it in with me twice to diagnose, but failed to turn up on each occasion, drove the car for another three months then rang the finance company to complain further. They agreed to have it looked at and no fault was found at all.

SC, Derby

I’m behind with my accounts

Running a one-man show is hard, as most of you know. There’s so much to do – buying, collecting, prepping, selling, aftersales and buying all over again. One thing I didn’t envisage was accounts.

I’m falling way behind, just quickly jotting down the sold price in a book. I’m sticking sales invoices and receipts in separate files but there’s no writing. Paying for labour and some parts by cash and never claiming it back out of a business account, I’m probably owed £7-8k from the past eight months. I still don’t know what a stockbook is and would welcome any tips on how to keep on top of accounts.

Allstars I would get some advice as soon as possible.

You should have an accountant by now – maybe ask their advice on getting hold of a part-time bookkeeper if you’re that far behind.

I do mine daily so there is only a small handful of invoices to deal with. My bank account is on an app, so any monies going out I can record daily.

At the end of the month, I am not scratching my head as to why I took a few quid out here and there. Sometimes we are all guilty of being busy fools, ie spending all the time saving money here and there and then having to give it all away to an accountant as we didn’t do the basics ourselves.

I’ve been there and done that. justina3 Keep a stock book as you buy (think this is a legal requirement actually), then enter the selling price for vehicles as you sell them and work out VAT owing. I keep a separate spreadsheet of all expenses and give these to my accountant annually. I’d estimate I spend around 45 minutes a week entering data into respective sheets, so extremely manageable.

SC, Derby

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

DASHBOARD. NISSAN

Tony and Anne are truly loyal!

A RETIRED couple from Preston have been dubbed Nissan’s most loyal customers — after collecting their 50th Nissan from their favourite dealership.

Tony and Anne Adkinson have been buying cars from Fred Coupe Nissan, on Chorley Road, Walton-leDale, since it opened as a Datsun dealership in 1974.

Looking for reliability, and impressed that Datsun cars came with an abundance of standard features, the couple bought a 120Y. Over the years they’ve returned time and time again to upgrade their vehicles.

When Datsun became Nissan, the Adkinsons continued to show loyalty.

Mr Adkinson said: ‘I can remember all the models we have owned over the years but not how many of each one — we both drive and up until we retired we would replace one of our cars every year. Today, we have the Note for running around and small journeys, and the Qashqai for longer trips.

‘We cannot fault Fred Coupe Nissan, everyone is so fantastic here.’

Their latest purchase is a Nissan Qashqai, a car celebrating its own milestone — its 10th anniversary.

ACCOLADE

Design award for Mazda’s MX-5 RF THE all-new Mazda MX-5 RF has won the ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best’ title at the 2017 Red Dot product design awards, adding to the already illustrious awards tally of Mazda’s range of cars.

The Retractable Fastback duplicates the success of its convertible sibling, which took away the same award in 2015.

08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Death of Sir Arnold Clark, the UK’s first billionaire car dealer

Tributes paid to ‘inspirational business leader and influential public figure’

M

otoring tycoon Sir Arnold Clark has died aged 89. The billionaire, who founded his Arnold Clark car dealership business in Glasgow in 1954, died on April 10 surrounded by his family.

He was knighted in 2004 for services to the motor industry and last year became Britain’s first billionaire car dealer, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. He was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Car Dealer Used Car Awards in 2015.

A family statement said: ‘Sir Arnold Clark passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and a great friend and employer to many. He was an inspiration and the family will continue to carry on his vision. He will be greatly missed.

‘We wish to thank all those who have sent messages of condolence and appreciate your kind support.’

Sir Arnold founded his company after leaving the RAF in 1954.

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

He is said to have used his demob money to buy a Morris Ten Four for £70, before restoring it and selling it on for a profit.

He soon opened the first Arnold Clark showroom in Glasgow’s Park Road, going on to establish hire car schemes, repair centres, franchises and a car finance and insurance business over subsequent decades.

Sir Arnold opened his first site in England with a retail centre in Liverpool in 1994.

Adding to his knighthood, awarded by the Queen, and numerous business honours, Sir Arnold collected an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow in 2005.

A statement from the Arnold Clark Group described the founder as a ‘truly inspirational business leader and influential public figure’.

It added: ‘His unsurpassed work

ethic and strong family values led him to build a market-leading automotive retailer that continues to go from strength to strength.

‘Sir Arnold’s entrepreneurial ideals continue to be at the heart of the business. His personal philosophies will continue to inspire everybody who works in the business, and will be the cornerstone of its future growth and continuing success.’

Paul Cooney, chief executive of the charity Kiltwalk, which has been sponsored by Arnold Clark, said: ‘Scotland has lost one of its greatest business figures and someone who embodied the ethos that business success should be used as a force for good in society.

‘Sir Arnold Clark and the organisation he built have been enormously supportive of Kiltwalk and the growth of the charity has been due in no small measure to the kindness and enthusiasm which they have shown towards us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.’

‘An incredible success in a highly competitive industry’ TRIBUTES were paid to Sir Arnold Clark, right, after his death on April 10.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘Sir Arnold was a giant of the business world, a Glasgow boy who was an incredible success in one of the most competitive of industries. There must

be few people who haven’t bought a car from Arnold Clark.’

Bridget McConnell, chief executive of Glasgow Life, the cultural arm of the city council, said: ‘Sir Arnold was a true friend of Glasgow and an enthusiastic contributor to our cultural life.’

More value now comes as standard Respond better to the way that car buyers are searching, viewing and buying vehicles with 100 images, live chat, reviews, part-ex enquiries, disposal tools and call tracking, all now included as standard.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

DASHBOARD.

Automotive industry ‘must be at heart of Brexit talks’ No deal is not an option and the government has to deliver, says SMMT

T

he Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has renewed its call for the automotive industry to be at the heart of negotiations, as the government triggered Article 50, formally starting the process to withdraw Britain from the EU. Industry experts say we are now facing perhaps the most significant threat to the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector in a generation.

The sector employs more than 800,000 people across the country, including manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and the aftermarket, contributing £18.9bn to the economy.

And the biggest market – by far – is Europe. Total automotive trade with the EU is worth more than £42bn – nearly seven times the value of our next biggest trade partner, the US.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘Triggering Article 50 has started a race against time to secure a deal that safeguards the future of the UK automotive industry.

‘Government has committed to creating and supporting the right conditions for our industry to be successful. That means certainty in our relationship with our biggest market, tariff-free and open borders so products, parts and investment can flow freely, and continued influence

over the regulations that govern the vehicles we build and drive.

‘We will continue to work with the government and our European counterparts, but no deal is not an option. Now is the time for the government to deliver.’

No deal at the end of the two-year negotiation period would mean the adoption of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, seen as the worst possible outcome for UK Automotive.

Current WTO tariffs are 10 per cent for cars and between 2.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent for parts.

The SMMT has calculated that a 10 per cent tariff would add £1.8bn to the cost of fully assembled cars exported from the UK and £2.7bn to those imported from the EU – which would add about £1,500 to the cost of every one sold in the UK.

AGREEMENT

New Star Media in portals deal NEW Star Media has secured a high-value contract with Audi and Volkswagen.

The Surrey-based company has designed, built and is hosting used car portals for the brands’ operations in the Middle East region, covering Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Engineered to offer a cutting-edge customer experience, each website will be multi-lingual, multicurrency and IP region specific and will feature details of more than 107,000 vehicles.

Feefo review integration, image enhancement and SEO will also be provided by New Star Media. Meanwhile, a suite of reporting tools will make it easy for the manufacturers to accurately manage the sales activities of dealer groups in the region.

www.desperateseller.co.uk | www.facebook.com/desperateseller.co.uk | twitter.com/despseller

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

DASHBOARD.

Farewell, my old China!

Mike and Edd part company Edd China, the ‘grease junkie’ on hit TV show Wheeler Dealers, is moving on to pastures new. Rebecca Chaplin reports

C

ar Dealer Magazine’s Used Car Awards host Mike Brewer – also presenter of the hit show Wheeler Dealers – has expressed sadness over the departure of his TV co-host Edd China.

Wheeler Dealers’ resident ‘grease junkie’ China has decided to move on from the programme which made him a telly favourite, and the show has announced his replacement – Ant Anstead, who found fame on the Channel 4 programme For The Love Of Cars.

Speaking to Car Dealer, Brewer said: ‘I’m obviously upset and gutted that Edd’s decided to leave the programme because we’ve got a very strong relationship and a close bond after 13 years and 135 cars.

‘I respect his decision – Edd wants to move on to other things and I completely get that – but obviously he’s been a part of my life and has been for ever so it’s a bit of a shock that he’s decided to leave the show.’

China’s boots will be huge ones to fill, but it seems viewers’ response to Anstead’s appointment has been positive, and Brewer is feeling the love too.

‘I’ve got a new co-host, Ant Anstead – the new mechanic in my workshop – and he’s brilliant. He’s a very accomplished car builder and a good friend of mine, and we have a great working relationship already.’

Brewer added: ‘I’ve sort of lost one television husband and got married to a new one that I’m excited about.’

Wheeler Dealers began back in 2003 and since then, Mike and Edd have bought, fixed and sold 135 cars. The pair had their good times and occasional bad times as Brewer sometimes arrived in the workshop with a car in a far worse state than China would have liked, but is that 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Edd and Mike, right, and Edd’s replacement, Ant Anstead, below

what eventually tipped him over the edge?

It seems not. The production of the show has transferred to Velocity for the next series, and China revealed in a Facebook video that he was unhappy with the compromises it asked for.

‘Unfortunately, on Velocity’s first attempt at producing the show, they found Wheeler Dealers

too difficult to make, at least in its current format,’ said China.

‘In particular, the detailed and in-depth coverage of my fixes in the workshop, what I consider to be the backbone and USP of the programme, are something Velocity feel should be reduced. The workshop jobs are certainly the hardest part of the show to make and reducing their substance and role in the show will save the production team considerable time, effort and therefore money.

‘However, this new direction is not something I am comfortable with as I feel the corners I was being asked to cut compromised the quality of my work and would erode my integrity as well as that of the show. I have come to the conclusion that my only option is to let Velocity get on with it, without me.’

As well as presenting For The Love Of Cars, Anstead previously hosted Building Cars

AA President Edmund King calls for targeted diesel scrappage scheme. bit.ly/diesel-110

EDD’S TOP WHEELER DEALER MOMENTS Mike Put On The Edge Of His Seat As Edd Drives A Classic Lamborghini Through the Dolomites Brewer bought a 1972 Lamborghini Urraco for the show’s 10th series, and after it was renovated, China took him to the Dolomites mountain range in northern Italy. Brewer was rather unsettled by the affair as China didn’t hold back on the twisty roads.

Edd stitches Mike up with 100-year-old Cadillac After flying all the way from California and with next to no sleep, China showed Brewer a 1916 Cadillac that was up for sale for £50,000. Half-built and with the engine disassembled, Brewer wasn’t convinced – but China bought it anyway, and then entered the pair into a 9,000-mile rally. Oh dear…

100th car for 100th show From the show’s 11th series, Brewer and China took control of a Darracq Type L for the London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run. Amphicar stretches its legs on the Thames After hours in the workshop, China and Brewer took the Amphicar – named ‘Profit’ – out on to the Thames. The ’60s production car was bought by the duo for £30,600 before being restored and sold on for a tiny profit. Shame it had to be towed back to shore.

Live for BBC2, and has his own car company called Evanta. The team would build cars with inspiration from classic sports cars but to the customer’s specification.

He’s become a staple in the motoring TV community, and had this to say about the move: ‘As the first, original format for fans interested in fixing cars, it’s fair to say most TV motoring shows trace their heritage back to Wheeler Dealers.

‘Edd China told me he’d made the decision to leave Wheeler Dealers. For me, Wheeler Dealers is the great grandfather of car restoration shows and, alongside millions of people all over the world, I grew up watching and learning from both Mike and Edd,’ said Anstead.

‘They’ve both become really close friends of mine over the past couple of years, so when Discovery phoned me up and asked if I wanted to present the show alongside Mike, I didn’t hesitate – I said yes straight away.

Edd and Mike share a joke in the workshop but the dynamic duo have parted company . . .

‘I’m really honoured that they would choose me for this role. It’s a real privilege.’

Anstead had a message to Brewer too: ‘Mike, I’m going to keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to see the first wreck that you roll into the workshop and say, do your worst!’

Robert Scanlon of Discovery Communications said: ‘First, the Discovery family wants to thank Edd China for the care, dedication and effort he’s given to Wheeler Dealers for more than a decade.

While we’ll miss his signature orange gloves, we know that anything they touch will turn to automotive gold.

‘We’re committed to making Wheeler Dealers the best automotive series on TV, and feel Ant brings the in-depth knowledge our viewers crave and has a unique style our viewers will love.

‘He, Mike Brewer and the production team are laser-focused on delivering the best car projects and best episodes possible.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

COVENTRY: The London Taxi Company has opened a new £300m car plant – the first to be dedicated to producing electric vehicles. The site in Ansty, Coventry, is the first vehicle manufacturing facility to be built in Britain for more than a decade. In 2013, the London Taxi Company faced administration before China’s Zhejing Geely Holding Group stepped in to rescue the firm. More than 1,000 jobs, including 200 engineers and 30 apprenticeships, have been created by the opening of the plant.

New £300m car plant will make EVs

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED: Automotive industry charity Ben has been given a new Land Cruiser by Toyota.

The 4×4 was donated to Ben’s Birch Hill Care Centre in Berwick-upon-Tweed and has proved to be a lifeline for residents and staff. Zara Ross, chief executive at Ben, said: ‘It’s fantastic that our Birch Hill Care Centre has received a gift which has been of so much practical value to our staff and residents. The 4×4 has given the centre a lifeline in the winter weather conditions we have been experiencing. It has allowed us to ensure the smooth and safe running of the centre.’

Toyota’s gift to automotive charity Ben

What’s been hitting the headlines on the home front? Here’s a round-up of stories CO. DURHAM: The latest addition to the fastgrowing Mitsubishi UK dealer network has opened its doors in County Durham. Croxdale Mitsubishi, located on the A167 around four miles outside the city centre, features a spacious seven-car showroom together with a 400 square metre, state-of-theart workshop that houses eight bays, an MOT bay and diagnostic lane. An experienced team of eight is managing the site. Kevin Parkinson, managing director, said: ‘Mitsubishi has a fantastic reputation for producing quality vehicles, and it’s something we’re very excited to be a part of.’

New Mitsubishi dealership joins network

WORKSOP: A new Motordepot branch will be opening soon in Worksop, Notts. The site on Retford Road will consist of a sales showroom, extensive external display areas and a state-of-the-art service centre. More than 200 vehicles will be available on site with a choice of a further 2,000 vehicles online. Motordepot Worksop will be the sixth branch in the company’s growing portfolio as it seeks to offer its innovative car-buying experience to an even greater audience. Managing director Steve Butterley said: ‘It’s all about making sure our customers are provided with the best buying experience possible.’

‘Best buying experience’ at new Motordepot

STOCKTON-ON-TEES: An apprenticeship has steered a young Middlesbrough man on the road to fulltime employment within the busy parts department at Jennings Ford, part of the multi-award-winning Jennings Motor Group. Twenty-year-old Ryan Bracey is the motor dealer group’s latest apprentice who has secured full-time employment, after successfully completing a three-year apprenticeship parts advisor programme at the company’s Yarm Road dealership in Stockton. Ryan said: ‘I am delighted to have secured full-time employment and look forward to a long and successful career with Jennings Ford.’

Apprentice Ryan delighted to get a job

News from around the UK DASHBOARD.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

SOMERSET: Proving the all-new Nissan Micra is both for the young and the young-at-heart, a Chard man has snapped up a top-of-the-range model — at the age of 91. Morris Braddick, a former night shift manager at an engineering firm, was one of the first to put in an order for the all-new Nissan Micra, deciding to buy after seeing just one picture at Wellington Motors.

His Micra is a Tekna grade in Energy Orange, and he’s chosen to add an exterior pack of black trim to give it a sportier edge. Morris has been buying cars from the dealership on Summerfield Way in the town, for 11 years and from the same salesman, Stephen Warwick.

Morris, 91, delighted by his new Micra

ST ATHAN: Aston Martin recently hosted a special ceremony that launched Phase II of the redevelopment of MOD St Athan. The site in South Wales will become the British luxury carmaker’s second UK manufacturing plant. The former military site was formally transferred from the Ministry of Defence to Aston Martin by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon at a ceremony also including Aston Martin President and CEO Dr Andy Palmer, and Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns. St Athan is on target to begin production of the company’s new SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, in 2019.

New site handed over to Aston Martin

CHELTENHAM: HR Owen VIP Services acted as chauffeur to VIPs and stars of the racing world at the Cheltenham Festival recently. More than 100 VIPs were chauffeured on each day of the festival in a fleet of Bentleys and Maseratis, including the new Maserati Levante, the all-new diesel Bentley Bentayga and the luxurious Mulsanne and Flying Spur saloons. The new Bentayga and Levante SUVs were very much at home on the private gravel track that runs between the Ellenborough Park Hotel and the racecourse.

HR Owen VIP Services busy at the races

KENT: Mazda’s Customer Relations Centre is celebrating its first anniversary of operations. Housed within the manufacturer’s UK headquarters building in Dartford, the 20-strong team deal with all types of contact with Mazda owners and potential purchasers.

Andrew Beale, Mazda UK customer service operations manager, said: ‘One year in, we’ve seen superb results.

Under the previous outsourced structure the average amount of calls resolved first-time was 35 per cent, now that has almost doubled to 68 per cent, while we now open emails within a day on average rather than four days with the old set-up.’

Amazing result from customer care team

BEDFORD: BCA has announced that it is undertaking a major expansion to its operation in Bedford. The works will include new valet, appraisal and vehicle imaging services on a 10-acre site adjacent to the existing remarketing centre, alongside a new training facility.

The build, by Wildgoose Construction, is scheduled for completion in September 2017. Around 300 jobs will be created during the building programme, which involves the construction of a de-fleet and vehicle storage compound and new valet, appraisal and vehicle imaging facilities.

Major expansion at Bedford auction site

CDX17.

Register for your free tickets at CarDealerExpo.co.uk

Just over a month to go: So what will YOU do at CDX17?

It’s just over a month to CDX17 and we’ve got an absolutely jampacked schedule for you!

Workshops will range from how to maximise profit from your part-exchanges to improving your e-commerce offerings, and will be taking place in four specialist forums throughout the day.

Discussion panels on the future of digital dealerships and breakout sessions, including Women In The Motoring Industry and the Social Media 200 Awards, are also being held at the Silverstone venue.

In addition, a host of suppliers with a vast range of products and services will be there to help you turn a profit. As well as special day-only offers there’ll also be innovations either fresh to market or in the early stages of adoption.

CDX17 is free to attend for car dealers – go to CarDealerExpo. co.uk to register.

AUTO TRADER

Find out at CDX17 what it takes to be a really successful car dealer

W

hat makes a really successful dealer? Just what is it that makes them win? You can find out the answers from Nick King, insight director at Auto Trader, if you attend his workshop at CDX17.

King is an expert in digital media and marketing, with decades of experience and know-how behind him.

In demand globally, he regularly runs masterclasses and webinars, speaks at conferences and makes short films in which he evangelises about data, insight and marketing.

As part of the GardX-sponsored Future Forum, he’ll be offering insights into how things have changed and how so many of us are now ‘nomophobic’ – afraid of not having a signal or wi-fi access on our phones.

‘We’re all addicted,’ he said. ‘If we can’t get access it drives us nuts. We’re also incredibly impatient, ridiculously impatient, to the extent that you have 0.2 of a second for something to load on a mobile phone before I go “Bored!

Next!” which is a finger click. And if that is what we expect then that is therefore what our consumers expect too.’

Stressing the overarching importance of the digital forecourt, he said: ‘Most successful

dealers today have a retailer mindset and the less successful ones are stuck as a dealer.

‘The retailer mindset accepts that the power has shifted from the dealer to retailer because the world has changed – they accept it. They accept that we’ve gone from a low-tech world to a high-tech world.

‘Also, sadly, profit margins have shrunk and they’ve accepted it, but what they’ve done is find new ways to increase revenue, so even though profit margins are shrinking they’re shifting more stock.’

King added: ‘What sets the best in class apart is that they take bigger leaps rather than just tinkering.’

Dealers will also be reminded how important the actual buying experience is and how much they can learn from retailers.

‘Successful retailers have embraced this idea that it’s about a fantastic experience.

‘They focus on the customer, they embrace digital and they challenge their staff to react to this new world, to treat people amazingly,’ said King. ‘CDX is a great event,’ he added. ‘It’s a must-attend for car dealers because you’ll learn a lot, you’ll see a lot, you’ll network and you’ll go away taking insights that you haven’t thought of before.’

All aboard The Alpine Special for this year’s Bangers4Ben! THE hills are alive with the sound of . . .

Bangers4Ben! Well, they certainly will be in October when our annual rally in aid of the automotive charity is held.

2017 marks the ninth year that we’ve organised this fun event and we’ve gone all out to make it a truly spectacular occasion. We’re delighted to announce that the theme for this year’s fundraiser is – drum roll, please – The Alpine Special and you’ll be able to sign up at CDX17.

For those who don’t know what Bangers4Ben is – and just where have you been, hmmm? – it’s a fantastic opportunity for you to have fun while 16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

raising money for a very worthy cause.

Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to drive a car to the Swiss Alps and back.

Sounds quite straightforward when put like that, but the journey will be filled with adventure and fun, because your car can’t cost you more than £750 and you’ll have ‘prettied’ it up so it stands out. Of course, there’s no guarantee that a car costing less than £750 will last the journey, but that’s all part of the fun.

However, you won’t have to worry about ending

up stranded in the middle of nowhere, because our good friends at the AA will be providing full support.

Last year’s B4B raised a recordbreaking £56,448 to help not-forprofit organisation Ben, which partners with the automotive industry to provide life-changing support, and we’re looking to you to help smash that amount.

Taking place from October 7 to 10, it’s a challenge like no other and one that takes in the best elements from previous B4Bs. En route, you’ll

Silverstone, Tuesday, May 23, 2017 WOMEN IN THE MOTOR INDUSTRY

CDK Global is our proud supporter

Nick King

be putting your banger through its paces along the Furka Pass, San Bernardino Pass, Klausen Pass and Stelvio Pass. Places will be available to book exclusively at CDX and are limited to just 50 on a first-come, first-served basis.

The entrance fee is £500 (plus VAT), which covers your ferry travel, hotel room (for two people), evening meals and breakfasts!

Then all you need to do is find yourself a sub-£750 banger and dress it up how you like – preferably with an alpine bias and, of course, keeping it road legal. Once the bangers are back in Blighty, they’ll be auctioned off for Ben.

WITMI is bigger and better for CDX17!

THIS year, WITMI will be sponsored by CDK With the ever-growing popularity of our Women Global, which creates digital solutions for In The Motor Industry breakout session, this automotive retailers. Neil Packham, president of year’s panel is bigger than ever. The session is CDK’s international division, explained why CDK open to all and gives attendees the opportunity Global wanted to sponsor this breakout session. to discuss how we address gender inequality ‘CDK Global is a business where diversity and to celebrate some of those women who matters. When it comes to careers, we know have had strong and successful careers. how important diverse backgrounds, ideas We’re delighted to confirm that WITMI will be and experiences are for delivering world-class sponsored by CDK Global. service to our clients. Our differences are our strengths. Therefore, CDK is committed to Julia Muir: Muir, who has more than 25 empowering each and every individual to create years’ experience in automotive retailing and an inclusive and socially reflective organisation. manufacturing, founded The 30% Club – a group ‘CDK is proud to be sponsoring Women In of CEOs and MDs who campaign to close the The Motor Industry. It is a natural progression gender gap in the industry. for us and another way to demonstrate our commitment to supporting women in their Melody Munday: Munday appeared on ITV’s careers in the automotive industry.

Deals, Wheels and Steals after setting ® ‘We aim to help our female up her own car dealership. She will employees reach their fullest be answering questions on her potential through internal career and sharing her ideas initiatives, including staffon the changing attitudes to led support networks and women in our industry. engagement champions.

‘The company also has a Julia Greenhough: Women in the Motor Industry Greenhough worked across a global resource group called Empower, which focuses on number of senior roles in high engaging, supporting and street retail before joining Ford providing tools for women to Retail three years ago. Previously advance their careers.’ with brands such as Virgin Records, He added: ‘The support doesn’t stop Safeway, BHS, Cargo and Argos, she there, with other sub-groups globally, including has had responsibility for buying and marketing Women of India, Women in Technology and across a wide spectrum of product areas.

Women in Finance.

‘In the wider industry, we are a proud Anita Fox: Fox, automotive client partner for sponsor of Chicktech, and we have also been Facebook and Instagram, will be talking about a proud partner and sponsor of the General her career, having also worked for Jaguar Land Motors Women’s Retail Network and Women’s Rover and Volvo.

Automotive Association International for the past 15 years.’

Le Etta Pearce: Auto Trader sales and service director Pearce has been with the company for more than two years but has also gained a lot of experience around the industry, having previously worked for Manheim and Ford.

THE #B4B17 ITINERARY Day 1: 380 miles, 6hr 30min: Calais to Colmar Day 2: 299 miles, 6hr 45min: The Furka Pass and

San Bernardino Pass to Davos Day 3: 277 miles, 5hr 30min: Davos to the

Klausen Pass and Stelvio Day 4: 429 miles, 6hr 30min: Colmar to Calais It’s going to be all kinds of alpine amazing! So, what are you waiting for? Make sure you join us on this thrill-tastic adventure in aid of Ben.

Gemma Heathcote: GardX marketing manager Heathcote started there as a graduate and will be sharing her story about how she ended up working with the motor trade and whether it was what she expected it to be.

Bron Burrell: When Burrell drove her Austin Maxi from London to Mexico, she was just 25 years old. That was in 1970 and now, almost five decades on, she’s preparing to race the car, dubbed ‘Puff the Magic Wagon’, again.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

CDX17.

Register for your free tickets at CarDealerExpo.co.uk

An array of great workshops RAC CUSTOMER SERVICE FORUM

IVENDI FINANCE FORUM

10.45am

10.45am

Andrew McMillan

Nona Bowkis, legal adviser, Lawgistics

Being chosen: How to create distinct customer experiences and engage employees to ensure you are always the first choice No matter how big or small your dealership is – or what your role is – customer engagement can be tricky to get right. McMillan will be giving top tips to ensure positive customer activity.

The legal obligations of dealers: Thirty days to reject, deposits, right to repair and ADR: It has been more than 18 months since the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations 2015 were implemented. Get to grips with the regulations and gain top tips on how to ensure you comply.

12pm

12pm

Dealing with customer reviews and how to manage your online reputation: Reviews can produce an average sales uplift of up to 18 per cent, according to Reevoo. It’s essential that dealers engage with online reviews and consumer feedback but also understand how to deal with reviews that are not positive.

Motor finance and its role in online retailing: iVendi will be talking about the latest developments in the finance sector, including the convergence of finance and vehicle retailing. It will also be offering guidance on how to sell used vehicles even more effectively online using a finance-led approach and examining manufacturer-led finance initiatives.

1pm

1pm

RAC – Adam O’Neill, dealer marketing manager

Steve Settle, automotive consultant How to keep customers on side: How do you get customers to be promoters of your business? Settle, ex-customer service director for Toyota UK, looks at how to focus on the things that are really important. Make sure you get the basics right and find out how to keep your customers onside, even in difficult circumstances.

2pm

Jimi Matthews, director of business development at Perfect Placement Hiring a winner: How do you successfully recruit staff that not only add value to your business but can enhance your customer satisfaction and retention? With so much riding on customer satisfaction, getting the best staff to manage customer reaction begins with the initial hire.

Perfect Placement will be giving top tips and advice.

James Tew, CEO, iVendi

Julian Wheway, product director, Cox Automotive Maximising the value from your part-exchanges: If you can get partexchange right, it’s an opportunity to increase your profit. You will be guided through the latest online and offline routes you can exploit to maximise the opportunities presented and find out what is the best route for different types of vehicles.

2pm

David Backshall, commercial director, Divido An outside-the-box look at how finance in areas can increase sales and revenue: How are consumers’ finance purchasing habits affected by technology? While some dealers are starting to offer finance to cover large service bills, you can increase sales and customer service through finance in parts of your business you may not have considered.

3.15pm

3.15pm

Keeping on the right side of trading standards: Advice and help in understanding the law and regulations: From the team behind the newly launched Business Companion Service, Pasek answers questions on consumer rights, distance selling, warranties, offering credit, and how dealers can protect not just their customers but also themselves.

Compliance: Don’t let it hold your business back: The FCA is watching the industry closely. Golder will explain how you can ensure that you aren’t the dealer that loses its consumer credit permission and can no longer offer finance. Understand more about FCA obligations and how to ensure that your team complies.

Nikki Pasek, commercial director, Chartered Trading Standards Institute

18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

David Golder, managing director, Consumer Credit Centre

Silverstone, Tuesday, May 23, 2017 Four fascinating forums will be taking place at CDX – check out below what’s happing in them and plan your day. We’ve put together an impressive line-up of speakers who will be able to help your business grow.

GFORCES TECH FORUM

GARDX FUTURE FORUM

10.45am

10.45am

Tim Smith, group strategy director, GForces

Lee Manning, founder, Armchair Marketing

Why digital will inherit the earth – The future of automotive retail: More of the car-buying journey takes place online than ever before.

What does that mean for the future of the vehicle retail industry? Is it something being embraced by manufacturers and retailers together?

This workshop will reveal what lies ahead.

Google advertising for normal people: With 97 per cent of automotive consumer journeys now beginning online, it’s safe to say that Google takes one of the top spots when it comes to search activity. You may think you have your online strategy right, but there is so much hidden opportunity available that most dealerships are simply unaware of.

12pm

12pm

Anita Fox, Facebook How to use Facebook to increase sales and footfall for your business: Tips and advice on how dealers can utilise Facebook to drive increased footfall into their showrooms. With Facebook having more than 36m users in the UK, Fox will be providing insights and examples on how to deliver real results into your business.

Victor Coutin, head of GardX Ad-Vantage, and Devin Daly, CEO of SpinCar USA E-commerce and implementing traditional best practice into the automotive industry: Our sector tends to lag behind other e-commerce websites – but why should a customer spending £30k on a car have a better online experience when buying a £200 pair of sunglasses?

Witness industry best practice and build upon the fundamentals.

1pm

1pm

How to make the most of YouTube advertising: Smart dealers are expanding their presence beyond the obvious. Sinclair will take you through how dealers are using YouTube and show the type of customer that uses YouTube, what kind of content is seeing results and how you can utilise YouTube to advertise the right kind of stock.

Live chat: The battle to get online browsers to choose your forecourt: Consumers now do most of their decision-making by the time they walk on to the forecourt. This session looks at how 24/7 live chat can be utilised to ensure you are engaging with customers even when your dealership is closed.

2pm

2pm

Mobile connectivity, conversion and business intelligence: How to make it count: Today’s consumer is not only connected, they’re also affecting your business at multiple touchpoints via platforms that never sleep and constantly evolve. Here, dealers can find out how to speak to customers wherever they are and engage at each decision point.

Best practice to achieve sucessful sales of add-ons: With vehicle margins being eroded more and more in today’s marketplace, do your sales teams really maximise every opportunity to increase profit while enhancing customer satisfaction? By using a disciplined sales process, you can increase profit while enhancing customer satisfaction.

3.15pm

3.15pm

Scott Sinclair, industry manager, Google

Paul Hilton, retail sales director, and Ben Green, business intelligence director, GForces

Tim Smith, group strategy director, Paul Hilton, retail sales director, and Ben Green, business intelligence director, GForces GForces Customer Q&A: Our final session of the day will be a comprehensive Q&A session covering everything automotive. This fluid, open forum will allow us to review the topics we’ve explored throughout the day, as well as open the floor to our CDX audience for an exciting exchange of ideas as we discuss the future of our industry.

Andy Soloman, founder and CEO, Yomdel

Amanda Massey, head of sales, and Richard Gonzalez, deputy head of sales, GardX

Nick King, insight director, Auto Trader Stock-turn secrets: How to thrive in a competitive marketplace: King will be presenting the results from a new study into how today’s most successful dealers are thriving in a market that is more complex and competitive than ever before. He will reveal their approach and strategies, which drive sales, improve stock turn and maximise profits.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

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DASHBOARD.

Here’s our guide to everything you need to know In a great new series exclusive to Car Dealer Magazine, Dan Read looks at what it takes to become a successful car dealer – a career path that, despite all the pitfalls and potential problems, seems to be appealing to more people than ever . . .

PART 1: HOMEWORK

H

ow do I become a car dealer? It’s a question we’re asked a lot, and our forum is buzzing with people who want to give it a go. Maybe you’ve sold a few cars on the side, or made a tidy profit when selling your own motor. But there’s a world of difference between a bloke who’s just sold his car, and a proper trader making a living in the car biz.

So what does it take? What are the risks?

How do you actually do it? These are the big

questions, and over the next 12 months or so we’ll be answering them – and many more – as thoroughly as we can. In fact, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from finding your first forecourt to nailing your first sale, and way more beyond that.

Think of these guides as the Car Dealer Bible.

Have faith, stick with us, and with a bit of luck you’ll see the light. Or rather, the money. First up, let’s deal with some real basics, starting with the most common questions of all…

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

DASHBOARD. PART 1: HOMEWORK

Should I sell from home or find a forecourt?

This is probably the biggest decision you’ll make when starting out, and it’s the one people ask most often. Put simply: yes, you can sell cars from home, but for it to be completely above-board there are certain things you should do.

Firstly, you’ll need planning permission to use a domestic property for commercial purposes, and local councils aren’t known for their generosity towards car traders.

You’ll also have to pay business rates on the portion of the property you use, and you’ll need space to park your stock. But the legal practicalities aren’t the only consideration…

‘Selling cars on my driveway got out of hand,’ says Mathew Clarke of SuperMini UK. Just 18 months ago he was trading from home, and now runs a successful second-hand showroom in Nottingham. ‘I had people coming round my house at 10 o’clock at night,’ he says, ‘looking at cars with torches and sitting in my dining room doing deals. One month I sold 11 cars from home and that was the final straw – at the very minimum I needed a proper place to store the cars.’

Of course, finding premises and taking on overheads can be financially daunting when you’re just starting out.

But, says Clarke, it’s a risk worth taking if you’re serious about selling. ‘I had people turn up at my house, expecting a forecourt, then looking a bit worried and walking away,’ he says. ‘Working from a unit looks far more professional and gives people the reassurance that you want to do things right.’

You’ll also be taken more seriously by other businesses and providers. For example, if you plan to offer finance, most providers won’t go near home traders.

How big should I be?

What should I sell?

Start small, but not too small. Selling a few cars on the side could help you raise the capital you need to go further, but as we’ve just discussed, it can be tricky if you don’t have the proper facilities. It’s a chicken-andegg situation and it’s different for everyone – some will work their backsides off in two jobs to raise funds, some will sell an internal organ. Like any business, look at it rationally, don’t over-commit and remember that every kidney has its price.

The main start-up cost – and the biggest barrier for many people – is stock. As a brand-new forecourt trader, it’s likely you’ll stock somewhere around 10 to 15 cars at a time. Any less and you might struggle to meet your fixed costs, which we’ll investigate shortly. With that level of stock, and given an average cost of £5,000 per car, you’re looking at an initial investment of £50,000 to £75,000. If you don’t have that sort of cash in your trousers, you could apply for a special ‘stocking loan’, but we’ll discuss that in coming months.

It helps if you know your way around a certain model, brand or type of car, but be careful – it’s vital to look at what will actually sell, whether it’s a specific model, category or price-point.

‘Look and study what others are selling,’ says Umesh Samani of Specialist Cars in Stoke-on-Trent.

‘You may decide that locally, most dealers just sell average, run-of-the-mill hatchbacks so there could be a gap for people carriers or sports cars.’

So sussing out the local competition is important – some people will only travel so far for a car – but it’s only part of the story. With sites like AutoTrader and eBay, you’ll be listing your cars for sale nationally, competing with dealers all over the country, so it’s important to get the bigger picture.

‘You could look for a niche market and capitalise on it,’ says Samani.

‘You could specialise in one model, or in one genre such as estate cars, then build a national reputation around your expertise.

But you have to consider whether you can actually buy them in sufficient numbers.’

Having a forte has other advantages.

Back to Mathew Clarke: ‘You get to know what specs sell, and if there are any common problems, so you know what to avoid when buying stock. Not only does that reduce the chance of comebacks, but people trust that you know what you’re talking about.’

‘Working from a unit looks far more professional and gives people the reassurance that you want to do things right.’

MATHEW CLARKE OF SUPERMINI UK 22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Do I have to register with anyone?

Enough of all that. Let’s talk numbers…

Yes and no. No official licence is required and there’s no industry regulator, but in order to trade properly, there are five things you’ll have to do.

1. Apply for planning permission from the local authority, even if operating from a commercial property.

2. Register as a public limited company with Companies House online, and find yourself a good accountant.

3. Get VAT registered with HMRC if you expect to turnover £85,000 or more annually, which you probably will.

4. Your sales are subject to the new Consumer Rights Act. Search for it online and brush up on the used car section.

5. If offering finance, you’ll need to register with the Financial Conduct Authority.

You should also think about joining the Independent Garage Association, the trade body for any garage business that retails to customers but isn’t a franchise. The majority of its members are servicing and repair places rather than car dealers, but don’t let that put you off.

‘There are deals on insurance and credit card payment providers,’ says Terry Gibson, head of IGA member services, ‘but the big things we offer are help with running a business and legal support.’

Membership is around £600 a year, which could pay for itself quite quickly if you make the most of the help available.

There’s no simple answer to this, and what you make depends on all sorts of things. We asked several dealers about their typical costs, and how they factor into each sale. Using their sums and averaging the results, here’s how your typical monthly costs might break down – assuming you’re a sole trader with a small-ish forecourt selling 10 cars a month.

Fixed monthly costs (approximate) Rent & business rates Electricity, gas, water Phone & internet Insurance Trade plates, fuel, logistics Basic wage for one person Accounting, books, admin Total

include advertising, servicing and inspections, MOTs, valeting, warranties and the real stinger, VAT. Using the following example, let’s see how they break down per car.

£1,000 £150 £50 £350 £350 £800 £100 £2,800

That’s £280 for each of the 10 cars you sell.

But the costs don’t stop there. Other big bills

Costs per sale (approximate) Price paid Sold for Gross profit

£3,000 £5,000 £2,000

VAT @ 20% on gross profit HPI check MOT Service, inspection, repairs Full valet Advertising (4 weeks) Warranty Rent, bills, insurance etc. (see table on the left)

£400 £30 £50 £400 £80 £160 £200

Net profit per car

£400

£280

Based on shifting those 10 cars a month, that’s a net profit of £4,000, or £48,000 per year.

But remember you’ll have to re-invest a lot of this in new stock, and so far you’ve only paid yourself a basic salary, so you’ll probably take dividends on top. You may also have loan repayments, which add to the fixed monthly costs you face.

Surely I can make more than that…

Absolutely. This is only a guide. Rental costs vary. Bills vary. And every car is different: some will need less prep than others; a few will go wrong but most of them won’t. If you’ve bought wisely there’s often a much greater margin to be NEXT had, especially if you’re a canny salesman, in which case it’s highly likely MONTH you’ll sell far more than 10 cars a month. The more cars you sell, the more 10 COMMON you spread the costs, and the more money you’ll make. What’s clear is MISTAKES AND that there’s no one way of doing things. There are, however, certain golden HOW TO AVOID rules that will make life easier for you, as we’ll find out next time…

THEM CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

24 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

DASHBOARD.

Sweaty palms, nervous laughter and awkward silences... what fun!

I

nterviews are awkward. The main issue is the stress and pressure of travelling to somewhere you’ve never visited before – potentially for the first and last time if you’re not offered the job you’re after.

I’ve only ever really been on the candidate side of a job interview, until this week.

Having said that, I’ve sat on the sidelines of interviews during which other people have been asking questions – my role has been to observe and help pass judgment.

I’ve also interviewed plenty of Car Dealer readers and other people from the automotive industry who want to tell me about what they do for features in the magazine.

However, I’ve realised this week that there is not much that’s more painful or awkward than one-onone interviews with people who want to work for you.

Particularly people who aren’t very good.

There’s always someone holding far too many examples of their work and, before you know it, you’re trying to shake their hand, resulting in a tricky exchange as they struggle to hang on to several sheets of A4 and free some sweaty fingers.

It’s also difficult pretending that you’re not sure who they are (and vice versa) although it’s almost certain both parties have done some extensive Googling, not to mention a bit of social media research.

I usually forget this aspect so when an eager candidate asks, ‘how is your new car coming along?’ or ‘did Neil the cat ever finish his dinner?’ it can throw me off a little.

Why didn’t I think about trawling their Instagram or Facebook accounts for personal snippets? Maybe then I would have known that they’re a complete weirdo and probably wouldn’t have invited them in.

Then there are the difficult questions, the ones you know you have to ask but you’ve already sussed out by the time you get to them, that the chances of an answer that makes sense is slim. They’re the questions which, if your candidate is really good, they’ll have thought ahead and prepared answers for, but if they’re not so good, you’ll be greeted by awkward silences and nervous laughs.

Then there are the simple questions to which people just can’t seem to supply the right answers.

Inquiries such as: ‘Do you understand this critical part of the job that you’ve applied for?’ or: ‘It says in the advert that you’ll need to be able to do something specific, can you do this?’

Rebecca

I know a candidate thinks they’re taking a chance and would be good at the job, but really they’re just wasting my time when the answer to either of those questions starts with a long pause followed by the word ‘no’.

But the worst of all awkward interview situations is when they don’t take a breath for air, want to answer your questions before you’ve finished them and always remember something-else-that-I-really-want-to-tell-you.

Moments like that leave me thinking that it’s great that they’re keen and excited about the job, but that I wish I could work out exactly what it is they’re trying to get at.

Do I think I could handle talking to you like this every day? No, sorry, probably not.

Recruiting is a long, draining and slow process at the best of times. There are usually far more people who think they are genuinely talented, than those who actually are.

The only positive way to look at it is this: At least the

Chaplin ‘Do I think I could THE VIEW FROM BEHIND THE SCENES

handle talking to you like this every day? No.’ candidates who make you wonder why you came into the office that morning also make the good guys stand out.

I’m a terrible judge of character on email, I’ve discovered, because all the people I was convinced would be great were not right and those wildcards turned out to be fantastic.

There are those moments when you ask the awkward questions, and almost want to put your hands up to your face and peer through your fingers as you expectantly prepare for the person sat opposite you to start contorting their face with desperate answers, but you are pleasantly surprised.

‘This person has done their research and knows how to do this job,’ you think to yourself, jumping with joy inside and almost welling up with emotion. Occasionally, they give you an answer that’s cleverer than the one you’d been hoping for.

‘This is incredible, they’d be fantastic for the company,’ you imagine yourself telling your boss. More than likely, that’s unfortunately not the case most of the time.

At the end of the day, recruitment can frequently be painful, occasionally rewarding, but whatever happens, I’m not offering a job to someone more talented than me!

Who is Rebecca Chaplin?

Rebecca is head of news and features at Blackball Media and presents news programmes and features on its online video channel Trade Plates TV. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25

DASHBOARD.

The person selling the car is in control all the time, says firm’s founder

D

ealerTrade is launching a new online auction website, where sellers can enjoy free listings to remarket cars.

The company has already shaken up the trade-to-trade industry, where currently any dealer can sell a car to another trader for free via its website.

Now it’s introducing this new platform exclusively for franchised dealers, fleet companies and car supermarkets to sell cars to all dealers across the sector.

The new service will go live in early May, DealerTrade’s founder, Dean Miles, explained.

‘Franchised dealers, fleet companies and car supermarkets are the three categories that will be able to sell via DealerTrade Auction,’ said Miles. ‘It’s going to be 100 per cent

free for people who fit into those categories to sell on the site, and we’re the only people in the whole of the motor trade doing that.

‘Not only have we revolutionised the trade-to-trade platform by providing it free of charge, we’re now going after the auction business as well with a free-to-sell offering.’

The website could well prove

attractive with no seller’s fees at all.

Miles continued: ‘We’ve partnered with Independent Motor Auctions for all its experience in the auction business. Their expertise is helping us to build this online auction. It’s extremely simple for users to upload a car, and several large, recognisable names from the motor trade have committed to use the service.

‘Vendors will upload cars themselves, the vehicle stays on their premises and the winning bidder then pays the vendor. This means the person selling the car is in control the whole time. We will simply charge a nominal buyer’s fee.’

Our picture shows DealerTrade founder Dean Miles, left, with Justin Lane, managing director of Independent Motor Auctions.

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IVENDI

Firm’s new base in Colwyn Bay IVENDI has moved its Welsh head office to new premises in Colwyn Bay, with four times the space of its previous building in Abergele.

The online motor finance specialist’s client services, finance, internal sales, account management and marketing teams are all based in Wales and the number of people working there has grown significantly in the past year, with more people currently being recruited.

Richard Tavernor, chief operating officer at iVendi, said: ‘The move is indicative of the way that iVendi has been growing, with a dramatic increase in headcount. The new premises are much more modern and spacious, and should provide sufficient room for our growth aspirations over the next couple of years.’

Kay, Moneypenny Receptionist.

New online auction site on the way from DealerTrade

JLR’s award for mental health care Whole work-based experience for employees is really important to us, says senior manager

J

aguar Land Rover has been given an award in recognition of its commitment to a mentally healthy workplace.

The Coventry-based manufacturer was presented with its trophy by Mind at a ceremony at The Soho Hotel in London hosted by TV presenter, author and Mind ambassador Anna Williamson. It marked the mental health charity’s inaugural Workplace Wellbeing Index Awards.

A total of 29 employers took part in the Workplace Wellbeing Index, with the results coming from a survey of 15,022 employees.

JLR was the only vehicle manufacturer to take part, making it something of a pioneer within the sector. Roughly 520 employees in its manufacturing engineering section were involved.

Mind praised JLR for achieving change, with its citation stating: ‘Your organisation has started the journey to better mental health at work by developing and implementing initiatives which promote positive mental health for staff.’

Senior manager Matt Taylor, who received the trophy, told Car Dealer Magazine: ‘We’re really pleased to win the award. It’s recognition of the type of work we’ve started around wellbeing

and gives a good levelling point to gauge our improvement in future years. It’s really important for us that it isn’t a one-off and that it’s part of our overall onward development of our wellbeing strategy for our teams.’

He said JLR was keen to support its workers, adding: ‘The whole work-based experience for our employees is really important to us. Taking care of people just makes business sense.

‘It’s the right thing to do. Within Jaguar Land Rover we have very good, strong occupational

health teams, supplemented with an employee assistance programme.’

Highlighting what ‘a galvanising experience’ taking part in the Mind survey last October had been for JLR, Taylor said it had helped take some of the stigma out of mental health issues, getting people to talk about them. The company will now look at incorporating what was achieved within its overall wellbeing strategy.

Emma Mamo, head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said: ‘In the past few years, we’ve seen employers make great strides when it comes to tackling stress and supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff, including those with a diagnosed mental health problem.

‘We’re delighted to recognise and celebrate employers making mental health a priority for their organisations through our Workplace Wellbeing Index.

‘In our first year, we’ve seen good practice right across the board.’

In our picture, senior JLR manager Matt Taylor, centre, receives the trophy from awards host Anna Williamson and Mind chief executive Paul Farmer.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

DASHBOARD. APPOINTMENT

New director at PSA Group UK

Changes to VED rules could give used car dealers the upper hand. bit.ly/VED-110

World’s best Renault dealers honoured, with six from UK

PSA Group UK has appointed David March as director of UK franchising, network development and quality.

He moves from the Peugeot Citroën Retail Group where his previous role was also director of network development and quality.

March, above, brings considerable experience of the franchised dealer, national sales and fleet sectors. Whilst training to be an accountant, he began his career with a family-owned dealer group before joining Peugeot in 1995.

He takes up the new role at an exciting time for the PSA Group, new owners of Vauxhall and Opel, formerly the European arm of General Motors. The new Peugeot 3008 SUV was recently voted European Car of the Year 2017.

The new Citroën C3 has recently gone on sale, while DS Automobiles unveiled the DS7 Crossback at Geneva.

March said: ‘This is a great opportunity to bring my knowledge of the Peugeot and Citroën networks to this new job. I am looking forward to helping guide the Citroën, DS and Peugeot networks as they adapt to new challenges.’

he best Renault dealers in the world were honoured at a ceremony in Paris recently – and six of the 106 winning dealerships were UK-based.

Bagot Road Motors on Jersey; Gravells in Kidwelly; Renault Manchester; Shelbourne Motors in Portadown; TC Autos in Omagh and Renault Wirral were selected, having exceeded expectations in every area of their business. Key criteria upon which the dealerships were judged included sales performance; customer service; compliance with brand identity standards; and profitability.

Thierry Koskas, executive vice president for sales and marketing at

PARTNERSHIP

...meanwhile, Mini acknowledges its best performers, too

Mitsubishi backs Scottish rugby MITSUBISHI Motors in the UK has become an official partner of Scottish Rugby.

The partnership will kick off in May and see the Japanese car giant put its support behind youth rugby in Scotland as the title sponsor of the Schools & Youth Conference – as well as backing all levels of the game from grassroots through to professional teams and the elite squad.

28 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘It is fantastic to see a number of our UK dealers recognised globally’

T

MINI has recognised its retail talent at the company’s 2017 awards – with a dealership in Staffordshire delighted to take top honours.

The 2017 Mini Retailer Awards recognised the exceptional results from the hard-working teams and individuals throughout the brand’s 141-outlet UK retail network.

Mini Sytner Tamworth took home the top ‘Retailer of The Year’ accolade after a year in which the team demonstrated industry-leading competence across 10 separate areas including new car sales; used car sales;

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

Groupe Renault, said to the winners at the Dealer of the Year Awards: ‘Groupe Renault achieved excellent sales results last year thanks to the performance of its teams, especially that of the sales network. I would like to congratulate you for your daily work, always looking to improve customer satisfaction.’

Paul Flanagan, managing director of Groupe Renault UK, said: ‘In the UK, we have experienced major growth over the past five years and our dealer network is at the heart of it.

profitability; customer satisfaction and more. The team at Sytner Tamworth were the first in the world to adopt Mini’s new corporate brand identity.

Other categories and winners included Cooper Norwich for aftersales performance, Harry Fairbairn Giffnock for used car sales and Prentice Portadown for delivering excellent customer service.

Rybrook Shrewsbury excelled in two categories, taking both the financial services and manager of the year awards. Speaking at the awards, Chris Brownridge, director, Mini

‘It is fantastic to see a number of our UK dealers being recognised globally by Groupe Renault – the winning dealers should be extremely proud of themselves.’

The Dealer of the Year Awards come at a time when Groupe Renault UK dealerships are exceptionally busy.

In 2016 the all-new Mégane and all-new Scénic were launched across the network and Renault UK recorded a five-year high in sales with 85,102 Renault cars being sold and Dacia achieving its best year since launching in the UK with 26,499 sales last year.

Globally, Groupe Renault has a sales network of 12,700 outlets spread across five regions.

UK, said: ‘In 2016, Mini UK’s retailer network delivered the company’s best annual performance since the brand was launched in 2001. I’m delighted to celebrate the achievements of our dedicated retail teams and congratulate our deserving winners.’

Nigel Hurley, group managing director for BMW and Mini, Sytner, added: ‘It was a very proud moment for the entire Sytner team when Tamworth was awarded the coveted Mini Retailer of the Year award.’

All winners are listed online at bit.ly/Mini-110

Ask Auto Trader

Have a question, or a suggestion for next month’s topic?

I’d love to hear from you: marc.thornborough@ autotrader.co.uk

Auto Trader Click Awards 2017 The 29th June will mark a very important milestone for us at Auto Trader, as we’ll be hosting our 10th annual Click Awards. Since 2007 we’ve been celebrating our industry’s very best digital dealers, right across the independent, franchise and supermarket sectors.

We’ve seen some big changes over the last decade. What we thought was innovative 10 years ago is now common place, as today’s successful dealers embrace the power of digital to build customer trust, drive efficiencies and to sell more cars, more quickly. Well-presented imagery, Live Chat and data management solutions are now standard practise for the evolutionary minded dealer. That’s why this year’s independent judging panel will be looking for something truly special to stand out from the crowd.

At this year’s Awards, which will once again take place at the iconic Banking Hall, in the City of London, we’ll be presenting six award categories that represent all aspects of modern automotive retail.

What are the award categories?

We’ve introduced two brand new selfnomination categories which will recognise those dealers and individuals that are true innovators and are working hard to push our industry forward.

The first is Best Transformation of the Year.

It’s targeted at dealers of all sizes that have made a single or companywide initiative which has helped their business meet the challenges of today’s fast evolving market.

This is a broad category that isn’t limited to just digital. Today’s successful dealers have had to adapt many aspects of their business to grow alongside the market, which might include progressing their company culture to be more customer focused, changing the way they recruit colleagues, or perhaps improving their ‘in-dealership’ experience. If you’ve taken an important step to evolve your business in response to the changes in the market, than this award category is definitely for you.

Our second self-nomination category is Digital Innovator of the Year. This award is aimed at individuals and/or teams that are leading from the front; those that saw a genuine business challenge or an objective within their organisation and answered it with a creative digital solution. This might include launching a new marketing campaign to drive traffic to your website, adopting social media to engage with your customers, or simply introducing a data solution to manage stock.

If this is you, or a team within your dealership, this award has your name on it.

If that doesn’t sound like you, then don’t worry as we have four other award categories that qualifying dealers are entered into automatically. The top 50 franchised groups, as well as the top 20 performing independent and top 10 performing supermarkets on Auto Trader will be entered into the Best Digital Customer Experience and Digital Retailer of the Year award categories. And regardless of size, if you advertise on Auto Trader then you’ll be automatically entered into the Data Driven Retailer of the Year and Best Performing Dealer on Auto Trader awards.

What will the judges be looking for?

I know what you’re thinking; that we’re just going to reward the dealers with the biggest profits, but that’s really not the case. Today’s market is a tough one, and to succeed dealers needs to be brave and take a more revolutionary approach to their business. And that’s exactly what we want to celebrate with our new self-nomination categories. For both awards our independent judges will be looking for evidence of you being bold, and the positive results its had on your business.

So paint the picture for them; what was it like before and after?

Why should you enter?

Because we’re the UK and Ireland’s largest digital automotive marketplace, attracting close to 60 million cross platform visits each month. A winner’s logo in your dealership or on your site represents a standard of true excellence that is recognised by the trade and consumers alike. In today’s competitive market, just think how effective that could be in standing out from the crowd.

If that’s not enough, you’ll have the chance to join us at our awards ceremony on the 29th June. The day will start at 11:30am, with the opportunity to network before the Awards formally start at 12pm, at which point you’ll hear the latest industry trends from our Insight Director, Nick King. The Awards will be presented following a three-course lunch, after which the award-winning broadcaster, Steph McGovern, will share her experiences and unique insight as one of the BBC’s leading business and economic reporters.

So, are you one of today’s true innovators?

Then tell us about it. You can enter each of the self-nomination categories by visiting www.autotraderclickawards.co.uk/, where you’ll have until 5th May 2017 to tell us what makes you a truly revolutionary dealer.

For the latest news, views and insight for the automotive retail community, follow @ATInsight on Twitter and LinkedIn CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

SURVEY.

Make sure you get your votes in soon for Car Dealer Power Dealers decide which manufacturers and suppliers should receive top awards – and which of them should shape up

T

he clock is ticking towards our Car Dealer Power survey deadline as we give dealers the perfect opportunity to have their say about the suppliers and manufacturers they work with.

Why perfect? That’s because it’s done anonymously, so there can be absolutely no worry of reprisals. And your opinions really do count, because we make sure they reach the people who need to see them.

All you have to do is give marks out of 10 and honest views in our straightforward, no-nonsense Q&A survey, now online at CarDealerPower.com.

We want you to tell us which manufacturers and suppliers are the absolute best and how good they are at helping you.

But we’re also just as keen to know which are the ones that aren’t so good!

Your votes and views will be carefully collated to provide the list of winners as well as a wartsand-all picture of the companies that simply aren’t up to scratch.

The findings will be shared, so it’s entirely feasible that manufacturers and suppliers will

change how they do things because of YOU! We really want you to shoot from the hip – that’s why we’re giving you the full protection of anonymity. We’ll let the suppliers and agencies know what we found but we won’t under any circumstances tell them who told us. You have our absolute word on that. The magazine team will only be looking at the answers provided – we can’t emphasise that enough.

If you’re a supplier to the motor trade, you can get your customers to nominate you, which means that with enough support you could be taking home one of our prestigious gongs.

Once everything has been decided, we’ll be holding our swish awards night at the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

The Car Dealer Power Awards have grown over the years to become a hugely important fixture on the automotive industry’s calendar, so don’t delay, get involved today!

Head over to CarDealerPower.com and fill in the questionnaire. It won’t take long and we look forward to receiving your responses!

The closing date for nominations is June 1, 2017.

That’s not as far off as it might sound, so make sure you take part in our survey soon and that you get others to take part, too!

GO ONLINE TO CARDEALERPOWER.COM

TAKE PART ONLINE TODAY! GO TO CARDEALERPOWER.COM

30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Car dealer fined for offering to supply a dangerous vehicle. bit.ly/fined-110

Mazda 11,178

AUCTION

Beatle Porsche fetches £37,500

MG 749

Seat 11,200

Infiniti 985

Ford 71,837

Didn’t we do well? Looking back on a marvellous March Many manufacturers notched up strong figures in a record-breaking month

M

arch 2017 was the biggest sales month for new cars since records began, with an incredible 562,337 cars registered. That figure is more than double January and February’s sales figures combined and represents yearon-year growth of 8.4 per cent.

January to March 2017 was a record-breaking quarter too, with an incredible 820,016 new cars registered and the market up 6.2 per cent.

As usual, you’ll find all of the details on new car sales a little later on in the magazine (pages 72-73), but here are some of the car manufacturers that did particularly well!

Ford is always top dog, but this month it broke all previous records, with total vehicle sales reaching 92,467 and 71,837 cars registered in March. The brand’s car sales were up 19 per cent, compared with the same

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

month in 2016. The Ford Fiesta has been the UK best-seller for eight years and it is maintaining that position by a significant margin with 25,428 sales and a 4.6 per cent market share in March, 9,383 sales ahead of its nearest competitor. Fiesta was also flying high with 12,930 registrations.

Seat’s new car registrations reached unprecedented heights in March and the first quarter of the year.

The Spanish brand saw 11,200 new cars registered in March in the UK, an increase of 29.1 per cent on the same month in 2016.

The results complete a hat-trick of record performances for Seat in the first three months of the year, taking the brand’s UK total to 16,782 for the

quarter. The year-on-year increase of 25.3 per cent is the best for any brand in the British market outside the premium segment.

MG was celebrating a 30 per cent increase in sales this March compared with the same month in 2016. So far this year the brand has registered 1,065 cars and 749 of those took place in plate-change month.

Infiniti had a stunning increase in sales, with new registrations up 151 per cent in March. A total of 985 cars drove out of dealerships, demonstrating that the brand has a strong sales momentum.

Mazda achieved a record March of retail sales in the UK. With a figure of 7,556, March 2017 eclipsed the previous record of 7,496 achieved in March 2010.

Total registrations – including for fleet – were 11,178 for the first platechange month this year.

A PORSCHE 928 S owned by George Harrison has fetched £37,500 at auction – nearly twice the estimate.

The rare 4.7-litre supercar, which had black stitching as opposed to the usual red or cream, was bought by the ex-Beatle new in August 1980 from Maltin Car Concessionaires in Henleyon-Thames – the Oxfordshire town where he lived – and he sold it in February 1984.

It was subsequently bought in 2003 by Raj Sedha, of Leeds, pictured above, who didn’t realise its significance at first and was going to break it up for spares until his wife spotted the late Harrison’s name in the paperwork. It went under the hammer at Omega Auctions in Warrington, which had put a £20,000 estimate on it.

MOTORING

Research reveals costs for workers THE average worker spends nearly a fifth of their wages on essential motoring costs, including car finance, fuel and insurance, to enable them to drive to and from work, according to new research by an online parking marketplace.

YourParkingSpace.co.uk’s findings reveal that UK workers who travel to work by car now spend approximately 19.5 per cent of their salary on their vehicle, with some £362 of the average monthly takehome pay being swallowed up by car-related expenses.

The biggest outlay is on car finance. It also emerged that workers who have to factor in daily parking expenses on top of motoring costs could find their commute costing as much as £465 a month.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

DASHBOARD. CRIME

Vandals ‘might force us to close’

Bluewater shoppers get early preview of Volvo’s XC60 SUV. bit.ly/early-110

OBE for Jennings boss Nas Khan is ‘tremendous honour’ ‘The day was very exciting and it was great meeting other award recipients’

T

A CAR dealership in Nottinghamshire has been vandalised with 35 cars and three camper vans destroyed.

The victim was Lowdham Cars, on Lowdham Road, Gunthorpe, where the perpetrators smashed every windscreen and all of the lights on the vehicles.

The business has only been open for a year-anda-half, and with thousands of pounds worth of damage caused, owner Melanie Hibbitt thinks this could force them to close. Hibbitt told the Nottingham Post: ‘They’ve thrown slabs through the backs of the windows and smashed all the lights.

‘One of them had a sledgehammer. It could close us down to be honest. We’re a new business.

‘It’s just unbelievable. You just try to earn a living and be right. We can’t think of anyone at all [we may have upset]. We have had nothing but good reviews. If anyone comes back with a problem, we fix it.’

CCTV has been released showing two vandals breaking into the forecourt.

Anyone with information can contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 and mention incident no. 22 of April 3.

WMS GROUP

Corporate account manager taken on LEADING warranty provider the WMS Group has announced the appointment of Ashley Higgins, a former sales development manager for EMaC. Higgins is the latest recruit to the group’s corporate division and as corporate account manager, will help drive its growth and development across new and existing accounts in the north-west and north Wales.

32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

he boss of north-east based Jennings Motor Group has received an OBE from the Prince of Wales.

Pakistan-born Nas Khan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his charity work and contribution to the economy. Khan, the owner and MD of Jennings group, said: ‘It’s a tremendous honour to receive such an award – I am very humbled and extremely honoured.

‘The day was very exciting and it was great meeting other award recipients at the ceremony. I was also thrilled that members of my family were able to share such a momentous occasion with me, given the support they have given over the years.’

As an individual, Khan has always supported both local and national charities, but the most poignant and challenging came about in 2010, when he wanted to help save and rebuild lives of people in Pakistan, following devastating floods. An appeal was set up through his own registered charity, The Emaan Foundation.

Raising £120,000 not only provided essential life-saving aid in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but it also financed the construction of a new village. A total of 60 new homes were built for people in the village of Rahim Yar Khan, with livestock and fresh water also being provided.

On completion of the village, which has officially been named ‘The Emaan Village’ after the charity, Khan launched a second appeal with the aim of building a health centre for the village community and surrounding areas.

To date, over £20,000 has been raised.

A proud moment as Nas Khan receives his honour from the Prince of Wales Khan’s career with Jennings began at the age of 23 when he was appointed as a sales executive at the group’s Ford dealership in Yarm Road, Stockton, Teesside. The next decade saw a number of promotions to business manager, assistant sales manager and group sales/marketing manager.

He has been involved in three successful management buyouts, the first of which resulted in another promotion to sales and marketing director, prior to taking over as managing director and later becoming sole proprietor of the company.

As managing director of Jennings

Motor Group, Khan is responsible for 524 members of staff across the company’s Ford, Kia, Mazda, Seat and Mitsubishi branches located from Tyneside to Teesside, in addition to recently adding Harley-Davidson dealerships in Leeds and Gateshead, as well as a Subway store in Stockton to the business portfolio.

In addition to being awarded an OBE, Khan has been the recipient of Ford Motor Company’s ‘Salute to Dealers’ global award, as well as being named Teesside Business Executive of the Year at the prestigious North East Business Awards.

Another year of support for vital air ambulance service JENNINGS Motor Group has pledged its support to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) for a second consecutive year. The dealer group pledges its support to a specific charity on an annual basis.

The decision to support the GNAAS for another year came as a result of a unanimous vote by the group’s 524 members of staff, who were given the opportunity to take part in an online

vote to decide which charity they wanted to back during 2017.

Jennings Motor Group’s managing director, Nas Khan OBE, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the GNAAS for another year.

‘They are an exceptional team of dedicated professionals and it came as no surprise when staff wanted to back the charity for another 12 months.’

To mark the announcement, Khan

and his PA, Bev Stephenson, paid a visit to Durham Tees Valley Airport where they met dedicated members of the emergency medical team, as well as the charity’s mascot, Miles the Bear.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service provides air ambulance services across the north of England, including the north-east, north Yorkshire and Cumbria.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

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DASHBOARD.

Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

THAILAND

GERMANY

PORSCHE has announced that all 21,000 of its employees in Germany will be awarded a bonus of up to €9,111. The hefty figure, a reference to the manufacturer’s iconic 911 sports car, works out at around £7,900 each. The bonus is being awarded after Porsche enjoyed a record year in 2016. The company recorded a revenue figure of €22.3bn (£19.3bn) – a four per cent increase over 2015.

AMERICA

TESLA’S push to sell its all-electric vehicles directly to the public in the state of Utah suffered a setback recently when the state Supreme Court upheld a decision by local licensing officials to deny the automaker permission to do that. Tesla markets its cars directly to customers rather than using independent dealerships, something the manufacturer believes is essential to its business.

SOUTH AFRICA

AN armed gang kidnapped two employees of a Maserati dealership in Bryanston, north of Johannesburg, and stole a white Levante. The two members of staff, employed as drivers, were refuelling the car when the gang pounced, making off with the car with the dealership pair inside. The duo were freed but the crooks vanished with the £54k SUV.

GERMAN car maker Audi has named the company Meister Technik as its new importer for Thailand, and aims to sell 600 cars a year in the south-east Asian country from now on. Last year, Audi AG announced that it wanted to pitch for a new importer who shared its ambitions to grow the business after talks with its previous Thai partner did not bear fruit, The Nation news website reported.

Audi wants more dealers in the capital, Bangkok, and also a showroom presence in each region of the country – north, northeast, east and south.

AUSTRALIA

THE supercar market in Australia ‘has never been as good as it is now’ according to Ferrari’s Australasia CEO, Herbert Appleroth.

Talking to the news.com.au website, he said: ‘We have seen 48 per cent growth in the last financial year. There are people who have worked hard and think ‘‘I want to treat myself’’. They also see cars like ours as an investment because they appreciate in value.’

www.desperateseller.co.uk | www.facebook.com/desperateseller.co.uk | twitter.com/despseller

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

FINANCE. Lots of offers to tempt potential Renault customers RENAULT is helping customers to save money this month with the gift of a complimentary threeyear/30,000-mile Renault Service Plan – saving up to £459 – as well as a threeyear zero per cent APR Selections PCP offer.

The free Renault Service Plan is available to customers of the new Clio, Captur, Kadjar and all-new Mégane, all-new Mégane Sport Tourer, all-new Scénic and all-new Grand Scénic purchased using Renault Finance (HP and PCP) before May 15 at any of the French manufacturer’s official nationwide UK dealerships.

The service plan offer is in addition to any of Renault’s latest finance customer deals. Just one of these latest offers is the three-year zero per cent APR Selections PCP

finance package available on new Clio, Captur, Kadjar and all-new Mégane, all-new Mégane Sport Tourer, all-new Scénic and all-new Grand Scénic.

For example, the new Clio with a refreshed exterior and enhanced interior and equipment can be driven away from £129 per month on the three-year zero per cent APR PCP Selections package.

The offer on the Play 1.2 16V 75

version also includes a manufacturer deposit contribution of £1,500.

In addition to this, Renault is offering insurance from £99 for customers buying a New Clio or Captur using Renault Finance before June 30.

Cash buyers also benefit from the limited-time offers.

Notably, there are sizeable savings across the innovative, rear-engined, rearwheel-drive Renault Twingo range, with prices starting from £8,325 for the Expression SCe 70 – representing a saving of £1,550 on the normal list price up to savings of £2,420 on the Dynamique S TCe 90 Auto, which is now available from £11,695.

A number of offers are available on the Renault Zoe, too.

Transparency and choice thanks to website widget New product from iVendi works well on smartphones and tablets

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second-generation plug-in ‘website widget’ being launched by iVendi allows dealers to add key motor finance tools to their website without having to do much in the way of development work.

It provides a finance calculator alongside a comparator view of different finance products and a finance qualification pre-checker – giving customers instant, at-a-glance information in a manner that offers transparency and choice.

Tracey Green, vice-president of product at iVendi, said the widget had been created for dealers who want to move quickly to meet growing demand for Car online finance.2.pdf 2 Dealermotor Advert Horizontal C

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‘The widget can be adopted in a matter of hours from the moment we receive the green light,’ she said.

‘It provides a range of essential online tools, enabling customers to quickly gain an overview of the dealer’s finance products to vary deposits and terms to find the deal that works best for them, and then to check for the likelihood of approval.

‘All of this works with almost any panel of lenders and will appeal to all types of dealership.’

Although it can be installed quickly and easily, the website widget can be immediately brand- and colourmatched to the dealer’s own existing website design and configured with various 13:37:03 options, including sliders or 01/03/2017

drop-downs to adjust values. Green added: ‘We have been trying the product out with a number of dealers and it fits very well into their existing site layout in a seamless and usable manner. Because it was designed ‘‘mobile first’’, it works brilliantly on smartphones and tablets as well as on laptops and desktop PCs.’ The online infrastructure that the website widget creates is also very Financial Conduct Authority-friendly, says iVendi. It provides comprehensive product information and videos, asks key suitability questions and creates an auditable customer journey that could be provided as evidence by the dealer in the event of an investigation by the FCA.

STARTLINE

Dealflo ‘will save a small forest of trees’ AN e-agreement system being adopted by Startline Motor Finance will speed up in-showroom motor finance deals and save a ‘small forest of paper’, it says.

The Dealflo technology allows all relevant paperwork for a motor finance proposal to be ‘signed’ by the customer online at the dealership and then immediately returned, making the whole process simpler and faster.

CEO Paul Burgess explained: ‘The old system would mean us e-mailing paperwork to the dealer, who would then print it out for a traditional ‘‘wet’’ customer signature, which would have to be scanned and returned or sent back to us as a hard copy.

‘Now, it is just a matter of a few clicks and returning the document online ‘‘signed’’ by the customer using industryacknowledged standards for authentication. It very much brings the process into the 21st century.

‘Also, with each proposal unavoidably running to something like 20 to 25 pages in total and multiple copies sometimes being printed, the savings in paperwork easily account for a small forest of trees.’

Burgess said that the e-signature technology was part of an ongoing investment programme designed to make motor finance easier and faster for its dealers and customers.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Has email marketing had its day? Not at all – and here’s why I

was on a train the other day and overheard what appeared to be quite senior professionals discussing marketing communications – in particular, email marketing.

They were saying that with so many other ways to reach customers, such as Facebook, Twitter, SMS, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc, it is no longer worth sending marketing emails out to people.

So, I thought I’d investigate this area as a communications tool and give you all some truths behind the world of email marketing.

My findings show that we send approximately 74 trillion emails every year and that this figure just keeps growing.

According to the Communicator Email Benchmark Report

Ben

Garside

TIME IS ‘Mass sending to everyone on your email MONEY database will not work’ for 2016, we sent 28 per cent more emails in 2016 than in 2015. In my opinion this is massive, especially considering that in the professional world we keep stating that this is a dying medium to market in.

I can’t remember where I read it, but a year or so ago I read that 90 per cent of adults use email daily, and according to my mail account, 33 per cent of my email receivers open email using an iOS mail client.

For me, being an Apple user, I could be opening mail on my MacBook, iPhone or iPad. This would mean that when we are using email marketing we are still just a touch away from being seen and we are more likely to get to our intended target instantly.

These days, we all walk around with our smartphones constantly (and, if like me, other technology as well) so

mobile email marketing is a really proficient area.

According to the 2016 Consumer Adoption & Usage Study by Adestra, which quizzed 1,200 people in America, 86 per cent of people use their phones to check personal email and 34 per cent use them for business email, and it seems reasonable to assume that those figures are reflected over here. Not for nothing did Adestra’s vice-president of marketing insights, Ryan Phelan, say: ‘Email’s premature death has been hyped ad nauseum.

‘This study puts it to rest once and for all, or at least until the Zombie Apocalypse. Right now, that’s about the only thing that can kill it.’

Email isn’t leaving us anytime soon and in most circumstances is still growing, so if you’re looking at your email return on investment and thinking ‘it doesn’t work

Turn over page for more finance stories for me’, you need to examine how you are doing email marketing and get back to remembering that this is not a scattergun approach; mass sending to everyone on your email database will not work.

We have all done this in the past when trying to get something out quickly, but far too many businesses ‘send to all’ on every email, rather than segmenting the database down and targeting certain people for specific products and services. All this does is make people unsubscribe from your mailing lists.

Email is still one of the most measurable mediums, so use it wisely. There are many free tools on the market that allow you to manage data, segment it, easily create and send beautiful HTML emails, and see reports on the success of your campaign just by using tracking codes in analytics. Long live email marketing!

Who is Ben Garside?

Ben is marketing manager for First Response Finance. Call him on 07817 518739 or email ben.garside@frfl.co.uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

DEALFINDER.

FINANCE. YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO . . . ELECTRIC VEHICLES BMW i3 AFTER its update midway through last year, the BMW i3 has been made to go further than before on a single charge. BMW Centres can offer the i3 for £250 per month on a 48-month agreement on receipt of a customer deposit of £5,833.21. The car is eligible for the government plug-in car grant and BMW contributes a further £2,200 towards the deposit.

Having taken ownership, the customer pays 47 monthly instalments of £250 and at the end of the agreement the total amount paid will have been £17,583.21. If the customer chooses to hold on to the vehicle, they will be required to make a £9,549.78 final payment, which takes the total paid to £27,132.99.

That’s £1,437.01 above the on-the-road price. The 8,000-mile per annum agreement is on a fixed 1.3 per cent interest rate with 1.3 per cent APR.

NISSAN LEAF AS THE UK’s electric charging network expands, the appeal of cars such as the Nissan Leaf is growing. Nissan dealerships can offer the Leaf in top-spec Tekna trim with 30kW power unit for £181 per month on a 37-month contract that also includes the government’s EV grant and a Nissan deposit contribution.

With a £5,500 deposit, the £4,500 grant and the £5,000 deposit contribution, the customer pays 36 monthly sums of £181 for the rest of the agreement.

After the three years, the customer will have paid £12,016, and if they choose to keep the Leaf, they will be required to make a final payment of £13,564. The total the customer will eventually pay is £25,580, which is £2,210 less than the cash price. This car comes with 5.99 per cent APR and 5.99 per cent interest over an 8,000mile per annum contract.

Mitsubishi reveals new offers across most of its range Comprehensive five-year warranty package available too

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itsubishi Motors in the UK has

by DAVE BROWN announced its latest offers. @CarDealerDave The brand is offering zero per cent APR HP and 5.9 per cent APR representative PCP finance packages across the a customer deposit of £5,215 and final payment majority of its range, the latter including deposit of £5,700 on a three-year zero per cent APR PCP contributions of up to £2,500 and neither finance offer. Additionally, this new offer includes a £500 solution requiring a customer deposit. deposit contribution.

There is now a £2,500 deposit contribution Also coming with a £2,500 deposit contribution when customers buy the recently revised when bought through the 5.9 per cent APR Mitsubishi ASX via the 5.9 per cent APR representative PCP offer is the Mitsubishi representative PCP offer – the highest that the Outlander PHEV – the UK’s best-selling plugcompact SUV has ever been available with. in hybrid electric vehicle, which is capable of Adding to the model’s appeal and making it 166mpg and emits only 41g/km CO2. more accessible than ever, the Mitsubishi ASX The versatile diesel version of the Mitsubishi Dealer Advert Horizontal 01/03/2017 2 is nowCar also available for £1491.pdf per 1month after13:36:04 Outlander (pictured) also comes with a £2,500

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deposit contribution on the same PCP deal.

The award-winning Mitsubishi L200 pick-up and iconic Mitsubishi Shogun both come with a £2,000 deposit contribution on the 5.9 per cent APR representative PCP offer.

Completing the attractive offers, the chic and well-equipped Mitsubishi Mirage Juro supermini can be enjoyed for a low monthly cost through a zero per cent APR PCP offer.

Whichever offer customers choose, they will also benefit from the comprehensive five-year warranty package with which every Mitsubishi comes as standard.

All the offers run until June 28, 2017.

There is no cash alternative to the finance deposit contributions.

Car Dealer Advert Column.pdf 1 28/02/2017 12:08:26

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

TESLA MODEL X AS ELECTRIC vehicles become more popular, Tesla has already entered the premium market, and with the Model X it’s ventured into the SUV sector. Tesla centres can offer the Model X in 75D base spec for £640.25 per month on a 48-month contract. Following a customer deposit of £19,220, they pay 48 monthly instalments of £640.25.

At the end of the contract, the customer will have paid £49,952, and if they choose to keep the vehicle they need to pay the £38,070 optional purchase fee. This would take the final cost to £88,022, taking into account the government’s £4,500 electric vehicle allowance, which is £11,142 more than the OTR price.

On a 10,000-mile per annum agreement, the contract is on a 5.9 per cent fixed rate of interest and 5.9 per cent APR. Thanks to its extensive range and forward-looking nature, the Model X looks set to play a big part in our electric future.

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MotoNovo Finance is ranked among the best places to work in the UK MOTONOVO Finance has been recognised for the third successive year in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For list.

In this year’s survey, it was the UK’s 12th best mid-sized organisation to work for.

Rapid growth in headcount and business plus a multi-million-pound investment in an all-new state-of the-art headquarters building in Cardiff have been major projects in the expansion of MotoNovo Finance over the past 12 months.

Despite these major changes, the wider ‘Team MotoNovo’ continues to view the business as a great place to work, and with the extra space and facilities for its team, the business is keen to rise higher in the overall rankings in the year ahead.

Group CEO Mark Standish said: ‘Recognition in these prestigious awards for a third consecutive year is very gratifying, especially since it comes from team member feedback and against the backdrop of a major change project. These are exciting times for all of us in MotoNovo and we can all look forward with real optimism.’

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NEXTGEAR Capital has provided finance for vehicles worth more than £1bn since the company was launched in 2014.

David Mercer, managing director of the Chester-based firm, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the growth we’ve enabled among our 1,200-plus strong dealer base.

‘Reaching this milestone in wholesale vehicle funding means our dealers have not had to outlay the sum of £1bn of their own capital on stock, freeing it up to help enhance their businesses in other ways. Our business has seen exceptional growth, progressing from funding just over 9,500 vehicles in 2014 worth a total of £63m to 2017, where we expect to fund more than 100,000 vehicles.’

The company provides stocking plans as a complementary or replacement funding source to more than 1,200 dealers.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39

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Any questions, call 020 3327 2240 or email mike@tootle.co.uk 40 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

BIG MIKE.

All Big Mike’s columns are on our website. Enjoy them here bit.ly/bigmike

You win some, you lose some... it’s all part of the thrill of the chase I

n many ways, a trip down to the car auction has lost some of its sense of adventure.

These days, the big auction houses all have processes in place to ensure that the majority of their stock is saleable, with guarantees in place for buyers.

This is great news for customer protection, and has led to an increase in private punters buying from auction with confidence. But for the likes of me, it has put the bigger auctions out of reach. These days, I favour sourcing cars locally, buying privately for the right car, or occasionally bidding away on auction websites if the right car comes along at the right price.

But I do still, occasionally, pop down to my local independent auction. There are some real bargains there on the right day, and because the place still exists as the very gutter of the car sales industry, prices are normally rock bottom – often for a reason.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world, though, and this was brought home to me just the other week. I was top bidder on a Peugeot 206. Not a car I’m a big fan of if I’m totally honest, but they’re generally pretty easy to sell and clean up quite nicely. For all their electrical faults and horrible driving position, these old Peugeots have great paint quality, and respond well to a bit of elbow grease and some tyre gloop, making them easy forecourt fodder for young drivers.

This example looked right. A bright metallic blue, GLX spec, with a fold-back canvas sunroof, it had all the hallmarks of becoming quite cool student wheels. There are a lot of universities round my way, and at £895 I could see it flying off the forecourt by the weekend, so when the hammer came down on my bid – the only bid – at £125, I thought I’d be in for a quick payday.

But it wasn’t to be. The mistake I’d made was to be an irregular auction goer, as I found out to my detriment when I went to the key office to collect my new steed. The problems became apparent as soon as I got in the car. It started first turn of the key, but none of the dashboard warning lights came on. Indeed, the instrument pack appeared to have been disconnected, as there was no rev counter, speedometer or fuel gauge reading, either.

I put the 206 into first gear, lifted the clutch and was greeted by a sound akin to someone rending metal.

There was a high-pitched metallic screech and a faint burning smell. This baffled me a little, as the 206 had driven into the hall without making any horrific noises. I’d have noticed that, surely?

Big Mike OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SPILLS THE BEANS ON THE CAR BUSINESS...

I put the lever into second, and the 206 pulled forwards, obviously with little enthusiasm, but certainly in such a manner that it could have been driven slowly through the block. Third and fourth, though, greeted me with the same metallic clatter of self-destruction, while fifth gear didn’t appear to be there at all. The gearbox, I deduced (being a regular Sherlock Holmes) was beyond repair. And in a car at this price level, it really wasn’t worth the effort.

In desperation, then, I did the only thing possible in the circumstances. The Peugeot wasn’t going to drive me the 12 miles home, so I stuck it in second, drove it round the block and back in to the entry office, where I was greeted with a wry smile by the car jockey.

‘It’s back again, then,’ he observed, as I limped into the holding area and went to fill out the entry paperwork.

I was, apparently, the fourth person to trundle round

‘The problems became apparent as soon as I got in the car . . .’ the block in the ailing Pug and stick it back through the block in the following week’s sale. With no fuel gauge, I surmised that this situation would remain the status quo until the 206 sipped its last few drops of fuel, leaving one unlucky punter with a recovery job on their hands as well.

Amazingly, that wasn’t the case, and the following week the car was sold to a fellow trader, who had seen it do the rounds before and had just taken a really shabby 206 with a working gearbox and instrument pack in partexchange. In that context, and with the mechanical skills, it was probably a job worth doing, and I hope he turned a profit.

Alas, I didn’t.

This time round, it went for a paltry £100, and after my 15 per cent entry fee, I came out of the deal 40 quid down.

On the plus side, as I had no Peugeot to drive home in, I found a gem of a Fiat Panda for sale in a private driveway around the corner while walking to the bus stop, handed over £500 for it and sold it for £995 the following week. That’s the nature of this game – you win some, you lose some, and sometimes it’s the thrill of the chase that’s all the fun.

Who is Big Mike?

Well, that would be telling. What we do know is he’s had more than 40 years in the car trade and picked up some incredible tales along the way.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

FORECOURT. Kia UK president and CEO Paul Philpott chats to James Baggott about the brand’s refreshed baby of the range Picanto has usually been a car bought by older people – will that change with this model?

We’ve had a lot of success selling Picanto to buyers as a second car in a household. I think new Picanto will appeal to a different customer base too, though. We will continue to do well with older customers – right now they’re probably more cash-rich than anyone – but I think second car buyers and young couples will make up the majority of buyers. Those young couples are a big market in southern Europe for Picanto, but in the UK they are mainly focused on getting on the housing market, so I think our core target audience will be pretty similar to what it is now.

But in its first full year it will continue to be our second best-selling model behind Sportage.

It’s a well-known product.

What about in terms of the overall sales chart – where do you want to be?

We’ve always had this goal of 100,000 sales in the UK and to do it in a way that’s profitable for us, profitable for the dealers and sustainable.

You can buy business if you want to. We’re knocking on that door now, so we’ll be 90k something this year.

Probably we’ll get to 100,000 in

2019, that’ll be the year I think that we’ll break through, but we’ve built it gradually off the back of expanding the dealer network, expanding their capacity, their investment and their profitability.

What does your sales mix look like?

We’ve got a nice solid mix of pretty well 50 per cent fleet, 50 per cent retail. We’re now in

What are your sales goals for this new model?

In terms of volume objectives, we’re looking for something like a 10 per cent volume growth.

We’ve been selling between 30,000 and 40,000 of the current model for the last few years.

The segment’s declining very slightly and I think we’ll see something of a decline this year.

More space

Luggage capacity is up 25 per cent to 255 litres.

Kia Picanto

Ride quality

Improved suspension soaks up bumps better.

James Baggott puts the new Picanto to the test and assesses whether younger buyers What is it?

You may think the Kia Picanto is the car most likely to be driven by your granny, and you’d be right. But now the manufacturer is looking to ditch that blue-rinse image and target a younger age group with its suitably spiced-up city car.

Designed to attract youthful buyers, the refreshed model teams sporty looks with a more focused driving style to woo young professionals to part with their cash. But are the tweaks enough for Kia to achieve its aims?

What’s under the bonnet?

Three engine options will be offered when the Picanto goes on sale on May 1: a 1.0-litre, 67bhp, 89g/km, three-cylinder; a 1.2-litre, 84bhp, 42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

104g/km four-cylinder; and a 1.0-litre turbocharged, 100bhp version of the threecylinder. Sadly we didn’t get the chance to try the latter – that one will be arriving later – but with a promise of 60mph in 10 seconds, it should be a riot. Both the 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre are punchy little units and more than adequately powered to push the Picanto along with little drama. Our pick – but only just – would be the 1.2-litre, which hits 60mph in 12 seconds, tops out at 107mph and returns 61.4mpg. It’s mildly spicier than the entry-level option and just a tad more fun. Manual and automatic options are available across the range.

What’s the spec like?

As this was an early test of a left-hand-drive model, sadly there were few details as to what options will feature on UK models. The Kia UK boss explained each market is given a menu to pick from and said his team is currently refining what they’ll take. We do know that this will follow the conventional Kia strategy of 1, 2 and 3 levels of specification and that the GT-Line, driven here, will slot between 2 and 3. In the GT-Line model we tried at the Spanish launch, a seven-inch media screen, wireless charging for mobiles, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay all featured. There was a heated steering

THE KNOWLEDGE

most segments, although there are a couple of obvious exceptions that still represent good opportunities for further volume growth. We’re not going to stop just because we get to that magic sixfigure number I’ve mentioned, but we’ll do it in a way that has to be sustained. The good thing is, more and more people are becoming aware of Kia – the more you put on the road, the more people talk about it and the more people are interested in it, so there’s no reason that should stop.

Where do you want to see the gaps filled in your range in the next few years?

I think the obvious gap right now, where there’s a growing trend towards a segment in the market, would be the smaller SUV. We’ll have our first sports car at the end of the year.

We’ve got A, B, C, D, we’ve got wagon, we’ve got a great range of SUVs and that’s where it’s at. But then there’s that market where Juke, Mokka and Captur are booming. That’s a segment that we should be in.

What about yourself, are you staying in this role in the UK? I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’ve been at Kia longer than I was at Toyota or Ford. There’s a great opportunity for this brand and it’s exciting, it’s fun and we’ve got a great bunch of dealers. I’ve just turned 50, I’ve got at least another 10 years in me and I’m motivated by what I do.

Model: Kia Picanto GT-Line Price: £13,000 (est) Engine tested: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder Power (bhp): 84 Torque (Nm): 122 Max speed (mph): 107 0-60mph: 12 seconds MPG: 61.4 Emissions (g/km): 104 TARGET BUYERS: Women looking for a second car for commuting.

THE RIVALS: Fiat Panda, Volkswagen Up, Toyota Aygo.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Plenty of new technology.

2. Refreshed, sporty design.

3. Increased luggage space.

DEAL CLINCHER: It’ll be packed with kit and has a seven-year warranty.

‘There’s a great opportunity for this brand. It’s exciting, it’s fun and we’ve got a great bunch of dealers.’

New look

Smart new looks have increased kerb appeal.

will be tempted to get behind the wheel wheel and heated seats, climate control and electric windows and mirrors. Buyers will have to wait a while to find out exactly what’s on offer in the UK, though.

What’s it like to drive?

It’s behind the wheel where the Picanto will divide opinion. Older buyers looking for a relaxed and comfortable ride will notice the improved suspension and the capable way it deals with nasty, pot-holed road surfaces. However, the sprightly engines, quicker turn-in and faster steering may make them feel a little too hurried.

It’s these very characteristics that Kia is hoping younger buyers will appreciate. The juxtaposition of characteristics is a trait of a car designed for

a global market, where different markets want different things. In the UK you may be more likely to find a Picanto in the bridge club car park, but in southern Europe it’ll be left abandoned outside nightclubs while its owners party the night away. Overall, there’s a noticeable improvement in both ride and handling, largely thanks to reduced weight and a stiffer body, but whether that’s suitable for you will depend on your driving style.

What do the press think?

Autocar says: ‘For a younger audience than me, looking for a car they can afford, insure and still use, and also desire a bit, as well as very easily

park and quietly enjoy driving, the Picanto GT Line looks like just the ticket.’

What do we think?

The improvements Kia has made to the third-generation Picanto have sharpened up its looks and driving dynamics. In titanium silver or shiny red it’s striking to look at too and will likely attract those younger buyers who demand cool technology, such as Apple CarPlay. However, whether these tweaks come at the expense of putting off the stalwart Picanto buyer – buyers who’d sooner learn Russian than work out what torque vectoring is – remains to be seen.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

FORECOURT. Dale Wyatt, director of automobiles at Suzuki GB, tells Simon Davis that potential Swift buyers will be pleasantly surprised What does the new Swift mean for Suzuki?

It means continuity. Swift is the soul of the business, the brand that helped change us – it’s the brand that most reflects our DNA. So, we’re on third-generation Swift and this car is even more swift, so, lower, wider, shorter and more fun to drive. Swift is a car designed for the driver. We take care of the passengers, but it’s driver first.

That’s what Swift’s about. Swift’s about that gokart DNA that makes Suzuki special.

In terms of sales, what are you hoping to achieve, do you think?

Well, the business plan is to sell 15,000. The BHAG, or big hairy audacious goal, is 20,000 cars.

So, I look at the top-20 B-segment cars and I see that Fabia and Ibiza are selling 20,000 cars and, whilst I respect those cars, I think this car is at least as good as those cars which will be selling 20,000 cars in the UK.

What do you think is going to pull buyers away from rivals and towards the Suzuki Swift?

I think it’s the driveability of the car. It’s got a great engine; the 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine is a really good engine. The car is dynamically set up for Europe and we know the old car converted really well. So, 78 per cent of people who take a test drive in the old car go on to buy it. We think this car is more dynamic and better set up. If we can get people in the car, I think they’ll enjoy the experience and be pleasantly surprised at what a great little car it is.

models, all selling circa 10,000 units a year, which is good news. We haven’t got channel balance, we’ve got a big retailing balance. The UK market is 50 per cent retail, 50 per cent fleet, and we’re not very good at the dealer fleet element.

We’re not really interested in the vanity fleet.

There’s a big public sector opportunity, a big local business opportunity and a big contract leasing opportunity and we need to get better, so if we

What challenges does Suzuki face in the future?

We’ve got to get our business in balance. We’ve got good product balance and we’ve now got four

Respectable rear space

Although the Swift is shorter than its predecessor, headroom in the back seats is still generous.

Suzuki Swift Simon Davis had the chance to put the refreshed and revised supermini to the test What is it?

Suzuki is hoping that its new third-generation Swift will be something of a giant-slayer. With it, the Japanese firm is looking to break into the top10 portion of the B-segment market, and has the likes of the Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 firmly in its sights. To give the refreshed and revised supermini a fighting chance, Suzuki has really gone to town. The 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine that first appeared in the Baleno and S-Cross is available for the first time, standard equipment levels have been improved and the Swift has lost 120kg in bodyweight.

What’s under the bonnet?

Suzuki offers the Swift with a choice of two petrol 44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

engines. The first is the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Boosterjet unit that has appeared in the likes of the Baleno and S-Cross and was fitted to our test car. In standard guise, it produces 110bhp and 170Nm of torque, and is capable of shifting the Suzuki from 0-60mph in a not-so-swift 10.4 seconds when paired with a manual transmission.

What’s the spec like?

Unfortunately, Suzuki has yet to announce the official prices for the new Swift range, which does make gauging it in terms of value for money a tad difficult.

Trim levels follow the typical Suzuki format

– there’s the entry-level SZ3, followed by the SZ-T and the top-of-the-line SZ5. Base-spec cars benefit from standard equipment such as Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, daytime running lights, air conditioning and privacy glass, while SZ-T models add a rear-view camera, front fog lamps, 16-inch alloys and a smartphone link audio display.

Suzuki is predicting that this midlevel model will be the most popular Swift variant in the UK. Top-spec SZ5 models gain satellite navigation, automatic air conditioning, LED headlights, rear electric windows, adaptive cruise control and dual sensor brake support.

THE KNOWLEDGE

can get that part of our business squared off and we can get the market shares in the dealer fleet as we do in the retail, we can go on to great things.

How are you planning on approaching those challenges?

We’ve just appointed a new fleet manager, a guy called Graeme Jenkins. He’s a very experienced

guy and they’ve given him the budget and the resource to build his teams, and we’re going to get the infrastructure right and then we’re going to go out and conquer the world, that’s the plan.

How have dealers reacted to the Swift so far?

They haven’t seen it. We’ll have a big dealer event in June, so you’re in a privileged position, you’ve seen it.

But they’re really excited about it. Swift is historically our biggest selling car. We’ve got more than 35,000 existing owners and a great opportunity, because we can a sell a lot of PCPs and do a lot of finance business to put purchasers of the new car on the same monthly payments as they’re currently paying for the old car. Dealers are very excited about it.

Model: Suzuki Swift SZ5 Price: TBA Engine tested: 1.0 Boosterjet SHVS Power (bhp): 110 Torque (Nm): 170 Max speed (mph): 121 0-60mph: 10.4 seconds MPG: 65.7 Emissions (g/km): 97 TARGET BUYERS: Urban dwellers in need of a small, yet practical, car.

THE RIVALS: Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20, Citroen C3.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Solid build quality.

2. Well-equipped.

3. Economical engines.

Solid build quality

The Swift is expected to remain an affordable car, but there has been no compromise on build quality.

New looks

DEAL CLINCHER: The new Suzuki Swift is a no-nonsense, dependable supermini that is well-equipped and won’t cost the Earth to run.

‘Swift is a car designed for the driver. We take care of the passengers, but it’s driver first.’

The Swift is still recognisable but the redesign has given it a new direction in the Suzuki range.

across the Channel in France What’s it like to drive?

While the Swift is by no means a hugely powerful car, thanks to its small size and the fact that it weighs just 840kg, on a windy road it feels like a little go-kart. The steering is light and allows you to point the Swift where you want with ease, while the notchy five-speed manual has a purposeful feel to it.

There is a fair amount of body roll through the corners, but as far as grip is concerned, the Swift feels planted.

Rough surfaces – which were fairly few and far between on the French roads we tested it on – can cause it to bounce around a bit, however, so it will be interesting to see how it copes on bumpy British tarmac.

What do the press think?

Auto Express said: ‘The Suzuki Swift is an easy enough car to like, with smart design that builds on the cute looks of its predecessors, and some excellent efficiency figures. But its interior finish is no better than the class average, the ride is brittle and the infotainment system is clunky and slow to respond.’ The Daily Record said: ‘The new Suzuki Swift is just as attractive as its predecessor and comes with loads of extra systems and driver aids that cannot fail to please.’

Car Magazine said: ‘There was never much wrong with the way the old Swift drove. But this one has taken a significant leap in a number of areas.’

What we think?

Suzuki can consider the new Swift a job well done. It’s certainly not the most exciting car on the market, or the most luxurious, but there was something rather charming about its unpretentious, no-nonsense manner. The only things that remains to be seen now is how well it deals with British roads, and whether Suzuki can get it right as far as pricing is concerned. If it does well on both fronts, the Swift is shaping up to be quite a success. Can it do well enough to break into the B-segment top 10? Only time will tell, but we wouldn’t bet against it doing so.

Watch this space.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 45

FORECOURT.

Mazda CX-5

Mazda UK managing director Jeremy Thomson talks about what the future holds for the brand

What are your hopes for the new CX-5?

We certainly want to build on the foundations of the existing model, which has been a bit of a transformation for the Mazda brand because it’s a car that started life in 2012 with dealers taking very, very healthy margins from it. It’s a very strong competitor in its segment.

How do you see Mazda’s market share growing?

It’s less likely that we’ll do any significant numbers of higher-cost fleet sectors, like major daily rental, but we’ll emphasise the important retail and core fleet user-chooser segments.

Who do you see as Mazda’s key competitors?

In 15 years the brand has moved to a nearpremium position. So maybe now we’re competing with VW, maybe Volvo, Lexus, Honda and others, but we don’t go out of our way to focus on any one manufacturer’s strategy.

Will alternatively fuelled vehicles play a role in Mazda’s future?

We’ve said that by 2019 we’ll have an EV in the range globally and we’re looking at whether by 2021 we could have a PHEV solution as well. I think we’ll be very, very strong in the market of alternative fuels at a point at which they have maximum voltage – if you’ll forgive the pun.

What would you say is the weak point in Mazda’s presence in the UK? Our scale is always a factor and the opportunity to sell ever greater volumes is always going to be limited by our production capacity, but that’s also a blessing because carrying production capacity into, for example, recessions or financial crises is a very damaging and dangerous thing.

Do you want to increase your number of dealers?

I think it’s important to balance the footprint

of your network to your sales aspirations. We reduced the network from 165 dealers to 130 in the financial crisis of 2008 to 2012, and that was deliberate to maximise the number of sales per outlet. We could increase dealers and overnight increase volume, but it might not be to the benefit of the health of the network overall.

Are there any open points you’d like to plug?

At the moment, 10. Some of them are long term and hard to fix, which are the high-cost metro locations, the City of London being the clear one, and then for others we have appointments coming in the next few months.

What challenges does the brand face this year?

I think current discussions around diesel will affect all manufacturers. We need to be very responsive and receptive to customer, and indeed legislative, movement in that area.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mazda CX-5 Sport Nav Price as tested: £31,395 Engine: 2.2-litre turbodiesel Power (bhp): 173 Torque (Nm): 420 Max speed (mph): 130 0-60mph: 8.8 seconds MPG (combined): 52.3 Emissions (g/km): 142

... and James Fossdyke finds one of the best SUVs just got better What is it?

Every body panel is new, but the Japanese brand freely admits the design is more about progressing the look that went before, rather than a total reinvention.

wheels. However, range-topping Sport Nav models add to this with a head-up display, powered tailgate and a reversing camera, among other goodies, but they do command a £3,000 premium.

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s a choice of three engines – one 2.0-litre petrol and two 2.2-litre diesels.

What’s it like to drive?

The CX-5 was always great to drive and the new model is no different, but the G-Vectoring Control system does make a difference for keen drivers. You can feel the car scrub speed very slightly as you pitch it into a corner, but the front tyres bite well and you’ll have to push really

What’s the spec like?

The new CX-5 costs £23,695, and that gets you get two-zone climate control, satellite navigation and alloy 46 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

hard before they’ll wash out into safe but disappointing understeer.

What do the press think?

What Car? said: ‘As an all-round package, the new CX-5 makes a very compelling case for itself.’

What do we think?

The CX-5 remains one of the best C-segment SUVs and the updated model will only strengthen Mazda’s position. It isn’t a vast improvement, but then it didn’t really need to be.

Updated looks and a more premium cabin will do the job nicely.

TARGET BUYERS: People looking for a fun-todrive crossover with a premium feel but a mainstream price.

THE RIVALS: Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Drives brilliantly.

2. Diesels are punchy and efficient.

3. Interior feels classier than that of rivals.

DEAL CLINCHER: Looks great, feels great, drives well and has bags of space.

What more do you need?

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

FORECOURT.

Land Rover Discovery

High-quality interior

Land Rover has continued to produce a car with excellent premium quality.

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover’s UK MD, tells Jack Evans that luxury, capability and versatility are all key for the brand How does the new Discovery fit into Land Rover’s line-up?

We’ve got the three pillars for Land Rover.

We’ve got the out-and-out utility, which is what Defender sat under and what it will continue to sit under when it is replaced.

Then there’s the dual-purpose pillar which is where Discovery sits, and we’ve got Range Rover which is overtly luxurious. That’s how we sorted out the brand positioning.

Discovery draws on elements from the luxury side of things, but the underpinning of it is always capability and versatility.

If you think about Discovery, that’s what it was always based on. It’s a car that can take seven people up the side of a mountain comfortably.

It balances versatility, capability and luxury together.

How important is off-road capability?

It really is, and it’s key to the authenticity of the brand. It’s also there for when you need it. I was skiing in the alps this winter, and the weather was atrocious. The people I was there with took their own cars, and none of them could get out of the chalet – but I didn’t have to change anything about the car and I was able to easily get away. That’s what it’s all about – the capability is there when you need it. People are buying that reassurance.

Given that this off-road technology is now

more hidden, is the process of you selling a car changing with each new vehicle that comes along? In short, are you selling a Discovery differently to how you were 10 years ago?

In general terms, yes, we are selling cars very differently. The difference is the role digital plays in the whole buying journey.

People walk into the showrooms and they’ve already got a list of one or two vehicles they’re looking at, and they’re pretty well advised on those models. They’re only going to showrooms to purchase. We’re creating a lot more material to support the versatility and capability story. Digital has allowed us to embed videos and create YouTube films to demonstrate just what the car can do. We’re also refining the entire handover process to customers.

With so much new technology in cars, it takes a long time for consumers to get to know and understand them. We’re now not just doing a handover in the showroom, but looking at a second and maybe even a third handover to help familiarise customers with a car’s functionality. We’re also offering those who are new to the brand an off-road driving experience. It’s about saying ‘we told you it’s a capable car, now experience it for yourself’.

that we send to customers for the time between ordering a vehicle and taking delivery of it.

This helps introduce them to a range of things, including the design story of Land Rover and the production process that their car is undergoing. We’re building that into the training for our sales team, because we’re learning that we need to educate them, and they need to know a lot more than they have ever had to before.

Are dealers given the opportunity to see how the cars handle off-road for themselves too?

Yes, we did a launch training programme for the entire UK retail team where they tested the car back-to-back with the competition. It’s not there to knock the competition, but they need to try out competitor cars and arrive at their own conclusions.

Are dealers being trained differently as well?

Yes, and we’re offering a lot of tools to help do that. We’re introducing a thing called order tracker, which is a suite of communications

Jack took up the opportunity to put the new car through its paces at Eastnor Castle, What is it?

As far as new cars go, this is pretty momentous.

The previous-generation Discovery was around for seven years, and was one of Land Rover’s most popular models of all time. With its space, safety and peerless off-road ability, it wasn’t hard to see why so many people chose one.

Now there’s a new one. Though powered by the same 3.0-litre diesel V6, it’s lighter and more efficient than ever. Still offering seven seats, it’s just as practical as before and even better off road – which should make it an incredibly popular car with a wide range of buyers.

What’s under the bonnet?

Our test car came fitted with a 3.0-litre 48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

turbocharged diesel engine, producing 254bhp and an impressive 600Nm of torque. It’s the same engine that featured in the old Discovery, but because the new car has been on a bit of a diet – it’s 250kg lighter in fact – it’s more efficient. Land Rover claims you’ll get 39.2mpg, although you’ll likely see a slightly lower figure.

Engine response is good, and the whole car whisks forward effortlessly quickly.

There’s little engine noise transferred to the cabin too, which makes it a far more relaxing car to drive.

A 237bhp 2.0-litre ‘Ingenium’ diesel is also included in the range, and this will be the best bet

for those looking for higher economy figures – the claimed consumption figure is 44.8mpg.

What’s the spec like?

With prices starting from £43,495, the Discovery isn’t a cheap car to begin with – and that’s before you’ve even gone near the options list. Our car, in HSE Luxury specification, came with 21-inch alloy wheels, electronic air suspension and cost £75,570.

Other options included a television (an £880 option) and head-up display – again, a pricey extra at £1,035. You do get a large amount of standard equipment – especially on high-end specifications – but the Discovery is

Good practicality

Space and usability remain strong.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Land Rover Discovery Price as tested: £75,570 Engine tested: 3.0-litre

turbocharged diesel Power (bhp): 254 Torque (Nm): 600 Max speed (mph): 130 0-60mph: 7.7 seconds MPG: 39.2 Emissions (g/km): 189 TARGET BUYERS: Families and those who want security in all conditions.

THE RIVALS: Volvo XC90, Mercedes GLS, Audi Q7.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Unparalleled off-roading ability.

2. Clever interior.

3. Premium image.

DEAL CLINCHER: The Discovery is an all-roader that’s hard to beat.

Smooth ride

Despite the body roll you’d expect, the Discovery’s ride is reasonable.

‘Discovery draws on elements from the luxury side of things, but the underpinning is always capability and versatility.’

Herefordshire... but what did he think? a fair bit more expensive than you (and your customers) may expect.

What’s it like to drive?

Thanks to that lower weight, the Discovery certainly steers and handles more keenly than its predecessor. It feels lighter on its feet than the outgoing model, while the V6’s silky response perfectly suits the character of the car. There’s a small amount of body roll still, though this is to be expected given the Discovery’s height.

Off road, the Discovery completely surpasses expectations. We tested the car at Land Rover’s off-road facility at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, and not once did it fail to deal with the stickiest of situations. Deep water, thick

mud and steep inclines were dispatched without a moment’s notice, despite it wearing road tyres.

If you’re looking for a car capable of handling all conditions, then the Discovery is ideal.

The Sun said: ‘The new generation is every bit as capable in the mucky stuff [as its predecessors], but they’ve also created a beautiful space inside.

This Disco can dance to any tune.’

What do the press think?

Autocar’s reviewer said: ‘From the outside, I really thought they’d screwed it up. And I do think Discovery 3 and 4 will become standout classics in future. But make no mistake: this is one of the world’s most capable cars.’ Auto Express commented: ‘Regardless of where you stand on the looks, it’s impossible to ignore the new Land Rover Discovery’s enormous breadth of talents.’

What do we think?

The Discovery really is all cars to all people. It’s practical, sturdily built and well-finished both inside and out. It also has the underlying off-road capability that you’d expect to find in a Land Rover – something proved to us on some difficult terrains. It’s expensive, there’s no doubt about that, but for those who want a peerless all-rounder, then the Discovery is ideal.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

FEATURE.

70 YEARS OF HORSE POWER It’s a landmark year for the iconic Italian brand Ferrari, and celebrations are well under way, helped by record levels of interest and booming sales around the globe. Rebecca Chaplin reports.

Enzo Ferrari, below, was the man who started it all

S

tanding in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, it’s clear how the dreams of one man can have such a huge effect on an entire industry, not to mention fashion, design and the success of so many.

Centre stage within the building might be a showcase of the Formula One World Championship winning cars, but on the top floor behind a glass wall is the preserved office of the man who started it all – Enzo Ferrari. Made of heavy oak with a leather insert and a dinner plate-sized ash tray on top, his desk is simple and lacks the flashy touches the brand is known for.

It’s 70 years since the first car to bear Ferrari’s name was fired up – on March 12, 1947. That car was the Ferrari 125 S and the first to sport the Prancing Horse badge. Its 12-cylinder engine was in an unbodied steel rolling chassis when it 50 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

roared to life for the first time. It was the start of a remarkable story, as Ferrari would become one of the most renowned car brands and racing teams in the world.

Two months later, on May 11, 1947, the car made its track debut at the Piacenza Circuit.

Enzo Ferrari dubbed this maiden outing as ‘a promising failure’ after the car was forced to pull up with a fuel pump problem while leading the race. It was a short-lived hitch as just nine days later, on May 20, Franco Cortese drove the 125 S to victory in the Rome Grand Prix, completing the 40 laps of the circuit and the 85 miles of the race at an average speed of 55mph.

This year Ferrari is celebrating the momentous milestone with a series of events, most notably the birth of the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, a droptop special edition of the wild supercar.

”

The most important victory is the victory which is yet to arrive.

Enzo Ferrari

More new Ferrari action will reach dealers this year, with the release of the GTC4Lusso T – a V8-powered and turbocharged version of the standard V12 car released at the end of last year – and the 812 Superfast, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Superfast by name and super fast by nature, this will be the most powerful Ferrari to ever roll out of the factory in Maranello and it will reach 60mph before you can even think about counting to three.

The brand is still basking in the success of 2016 too, thanks to the huge demand for the 488, despite its turbocharged engine which could have sent purists into a spin. Its looks, power delivery and the overall experience of the machine won over hearts around the globe.

Seven decades may have passed but the ethos of the company and its determination to

produce perfection when it comes to engines has remained strong.

Ironically, Enzo famously said ‘what’s behind you doesn’t matter’. A great way to think when it comes to racing but not something Ferrari has stood by in business, it would seem. It would be fair to say these are mantras that Enzo lived and died by though, continuously moving the company forward.

The legendary quotes of the father of Ferrari read like the pages of a self-help book.

Comments such as ‘the most important victory is the victory which is yet to arrive’, ‘no one remembers who took second place and that will never be me’ or one which is emphatically true: ‘Death will destroy my body but my creatures will keep on living after.’

While he was profound, he was also steadfast

in his belief that his machines were the greatest on road or track. It’s a message he was able to pass on to his employees and, without doubt, embed into the minds of consumers.

‘Everyone dreams of driving a Ferrari, it was my intent from the start,’ he once said. It’s a sentiment which has surely made selling them easier over the years.

Speaking with Tom Jaconelli of supercar dealers Romans International, demand far exceeds production for Ferrari, ensuring they are always highly sought after. ‘A lot of the time it comes down to numbers.

‘I know there are a lot of other brands that do limited numbers but that’s because they can’t sell enough. Ferrari could sell so many more of their cars than they do,’ he said.

Romans International has been CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

FEATURE.

selling Ferraris since the day the dealership opened and it’s the number-one brand.

‘I think there’s an extra emotion. When you sit in a Ferrari, as soon as you sit behind the wheel you get the smell of the leather. There’s a feeling that you get with a Ferrari that you don’t get when you sit in a McLaren so much, you don’t get it with other brands,’ explained Jaconelli.

‘It’s the history of the brand, the quality of the material that’s inside it. It’s the racing pedigree and so much that goes with it. It’s far and away the ultimate supercar brand.

‘The history does play a part. The history is well documented and the brand is so powerful.

When you see historic auctions and the values, Ferrari always comes top of that and people like the fact that if they’re buying a £300,000 to £400,000 car, or whatever it may be, that historically they’ve seen values go up.’

Although used models have continued to increase in value, so have new models, including the exceptional LaFerrari weighing in at approximately £1.15m to buy – not taking into account those who would pay over list to get hold of one quickly.

It’s a great example of how Ferrari has continued to lap up the adoration of the rich and famous, as celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay, Chris Evans and Jay Kay sport the car in their collections – further reinforcing the dream that a Ferrari is the ultimate plaything of the stars.

Enzo Ferrari might have claimed that everyone dreams of owning a Ferrari, but in reality getting a customer to purchase a Prancing Horse can be a more difficult process – sometimes.

‘It can be easy; it can be a long process. It really varies from customer to customer. You get some people who buy it quite impulsively and you get some people who have done months of research to find the right car,’ Jaconelli tells me.

‘Some people are quite fastidious and will spend a long time picking around the car to make sure it’s the exact, right article. You’ll get other people that don’t even know what they want until they walk in the showroom, then they have a look around and say, ‘‘I want that’’.’

It appears that it’s a great time to be a supercar

The 125 S was the car that started it all

Working on the V12 engine for the 125 S

Old and new: The 125 S with the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, the 70th anniversary special edition specialist, particularly when it comes to this marque. ‘The 458 Speciale is in really high demand at the moment,’ he continued. ‘We’ve sold three in the last four days. For a £350,000 car those are pretty high numbers!’

With the 458 known for being the final naturally-aspirated mid-engine V8 Ferrari, demand for these cars is expected to rise.

‘People are seeing the 458 and comparing it with a Porsche GT3 RS, of which they’re bringing out a second generation, and they’re comparing it with McLaren’s 675LT or 720S, which is almost a better car. Yes, they’ll bring out a 488 lightweight version, but it’ll never be naturally aspirated.

The Speciale is the last in a line, which means it should hold its money a lot better, so it’s quite a safe investment. And it’s an amazing car!

‘We’re finding a lot of people are falling out of love with McLarens, so Ferrari is the go-to brand.’

If it’s not a 458 Speciale, then what is it that supercar buyers are looking for in a Ferrari at the moment?

‘I wouldn’t say it’s down to the model, it’s very much down to having the right example,’

Jaconelli explained. ‘If you have the colour, spec and price and if you’ve got everything going for that particular car, it’ll sell fast. You could have a Ferrari California with loads of spec and if you’ve priced it right, it’s going to fly out of the door. Californias are always popular. It’s the same with the 458, maybe less so with the FF and F12.

They’re probably slightly harder to sell.’

And the man who started it all continues to be prominent in the success story of Ferrari, as the car that bears his name continues to rise in price.

‘An Enzo is a fantastic investment. In the last two months they’ve risen in value again. There’s only 399 of those, which is rarer than a LaFerrari, and with Enzo Ferrari’s name as the model it was always going to be very important.

‘It’s a very iconic style. LaFerrari will be a good investment in the long term too, but they’re already quite highly priced.’

They’re certainly good investments for buyers, but all of these cars have been fantastic investments for the brand. Its celebrations at the moment are not limited to the very special anniversary, but also a steady increase in revenues

FERRARI THROUGH THE DECADES

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ferrari road car, so to celebrate, we’ve collected our favourite Prancing Horse from each decade . . .

52 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

166 Inter The 166 Inter was a proper grand tourer, and featured a 2.0-litre V12 that produced between 109bhp and 138bhp – not bad for a car that first debuted at the 1949 Paris Motor Show.

250 GT California Spyder The 250 GT California Spyder was available in long- and short-wheelbase configurations. It was powered by the same V12 that was used in the 250 Tour de France racing car.

250 GTO The 250 GTO is nothing short of legendary. A mere 39 examples were built between 1962 and 1964 to make the car eligible for the FIA’s Group 3 Grand Touring Car category.

Berlinetta Boxer The Berlinetta Boxer was a series of cars produced from 1973 to 1984, which includes the 365 GT4 BB, the BB 512 and the BB 512i. It was the first Ferrari-badged road car with a mid-engine layout.

The GTC4Lusso T – a V8-powered and turbocharged version of the original V12 car – will be arriving with UK dealers soon from Maranello, below left

over the past five years. In 2016, it shipped 8,014 cars. These might be small numbers in the automotive sector, but for a supercar brand that’s a large figure and more than double what Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini or McLaren could claim last year. That has then resulted in net revenues of €3,105m and net profit of €400m (£339m).

If you wanted to start an argument about which is the biggest supercar brand after hearing those figures but you’re still not convinced, Ferrari has more than 19 per cent of the market share around the globe. In the UK alone, Ferrari sales were up 9.6 per cent to 769 cars sold for the 12

months until December 31, 2016. Ferrari is not a brand prepared to rest on its laurels though.

From its latest annual statement, revealed in March, the business comes across as acutely aware of where it needs to adapt its business model further in order to secure future success.

It has acknowledged that to continue on this wave of growth, major investment will need to be made in certain areas. Meeting international regulatory and safety requirements for the different regions and investment to facilitate sales globally are both key factors for the company.

It is undeniable that the spirit of Enzo Ferrari

remains in the business, even now he is gone.

It was clearly reflected in the closing statement to the report from Ferrari’s chairman and chief executive Sergio Marchionne: ‘Innovation in product development is in our blood and we will continue to push boundaries.

‘This is why we are now working hard on bringing hybrid technology to our product range in the coming years. But rest assured, we will introduce new technology in the “Ferrari way”, so that it serves to enhance the driving emotion we are known for.’

Here’s to the next 70 years, Ferrari!

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Honourable mention

F40 To some, the F40 is the definitive Ferrari. It was coveted the world over. When it was released in 1987, it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive road car Ferrari had ever produced.

F355 To some, the Ferrari F355 is one of the prettiest road cars the manufacturer has ever produced, replacing the 348. It was released in 1994, and was available as a coupe, targa or convertible.

Enzo When it was released in 2002, the Enzo represented the pinnacle of what Ferrari could achieve at the time. It featured bags of F1 tech, such as its carbon-fibre body and F1-style transmission.

LaFerrari Just as the Enzo was the Ferrari of its decade, the LaFerrari is the definitive model of the 2010s – hence its name. It is the first Ferrari road car to feature hybrid technology.

458 Speciale The Ferrari 458 Speciale gets a special mention here because it sadly represents the final mid-engine Ferrari to feature a naturally aspirated V8 engine.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

FEATURE. FIRSTDRIVE

FERRARI GTC4LUSSO T It’s a car that Ferrari says redefines the concept of GT, delivering maximum performance and extreme driving freedom. But what did our writer Darren Cassey make of it?

Handling

Incredible cornering performance for a 1.8-tonne GT car.

What is it?

Call this the entry-level version of the GTC4Lusso and you’ll upset some very proud Italian engineers. Ferrari’s shooting brake might now come with the brand’s turbocharged V8 – hence the ‘T’ in the name – and circa £30,000 lopped off the asking price, but there’s a lot more to it than simply offering an alternative to the naturally aspirated V12.

We’re assured that so much love and attention goes into everything the Italian carmaker does that it considers this a wholly different car – the ‘sixth product’ in its line-up, to be precise.

The engine, which we’re familiar with from the 488 GTB supercar, has been given new pistons and a new intercooler design, while the exhaust system has been reworked to reduce pressure.

On the face of it, the smaller engine is better suited than the V12 to GT car duties because it’ll go about 30 per cent longer between fuel stops.

What’s under the bonnet?

Lift the imposing bonnet and a 3.9-litre V8 can be seen tucked deep within the engine bay – behind the front axle to aid weight distribution. It almost looks a little lost in a bay designed to hold the 6.3-litre V12, but it certainly doesn’t lack theatre.

54 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Futuristic design

Ultra-modern styling gives the car amazing road presence.

Performance is suitably ballistic. Considering the GTC4Lusso T is designed with long-distance cruising in mind, with 602bhp and 760Nm of torque – less power than the V12, but more torque – there’s more than enough performance to pin you to the back of your seat. It feels a little perverse talking about fuel economy, but in this segment, miles per gallon is just as relevant as miles per hour. Official figures of 24mpg and 265g/km are impressive.

What’s the spec like?

The GTC4Lusso T might cost a tank of fuel under £200,000, but when you look at the performance figures compared with the £30,000-dearer V12 version, it does start to look like good value.

Admittedly, though, the T makes more sense in other European countries where the lower emissions allow for huge tax breaks.

However, compared to rivals it’s by far the pricier option. Its closest rival is the MercedesAMG S 65 at £188,550, while the Bentley Continental GT Supersports starts at a little over £177,000. The Porsche Panamera Turbo seems like a bargain with a start price just below £100,000. None have the allure of a Ferrari badge though, nor can they handle a back road so impressively. However, all three do a slightly better job at serenely munching the miles.

What’s it like to drive?

Thumb the wheel-mounted on/off button and the

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Ferrari GTC4Lusso T Base price: £199,285 Engine tested: 3.9-litre V8 Power (bhp): 602 Torque (Nm): 760 Max speed (mph): 199 0-60mph: 3.3 seconds MPG: 24 Emissions (g/km): 265 TARGET BUYERS: Ferrari is targeting a slightly younger market than is traditional for the brand – 30- to 45-year-olds.

THE RIVALS: Porsche Panamera Turbo, Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin Rapide S. KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Ferrari performance in a practical cruiser.

2. V8 version goes 30 per cent further than a V12 on a tank.

3. Equally at home on a track or driving to it.

DEAL CLINCHER: Easily works as an only car.

Updated tech

New infotainment system is quick and well designed – it’s like using a tablet.

engine barks into life with a flurry of revs. The throttle pedal takes a moment to get used to as there are a few inches of travel before anything happens, but once you’re on the move the engine’s responsiveness is otherworldly. There’s no such thing as turbo lag here.

You’ll also need a moment to adjust to the size of the GTC4Lusso, but once you find a fun road, it seems to shrink around you. The four-wheel steering makes the car super-agile and the hyper-alert steering wheel helps the car tackle twisting Tarmac in a way that belies its 1.8-tonne heft.

The engine doesn’t quite sing like Ferraris of old, but there’s a deep, gravelly tone

that gives the car an aggressive, purposeful demeanour. In Ferrari’s 488 GTB supercar, the power delivery feels like a drop kick to the back, but here that monstrous torque comes in with a surge. That’s because Ferrari manages the boost levels so that they increase as revs rise.

‘It’s relaxing and practical for weekends away but sharp and agile enough for your favourite back roads.’

What do the press think?

Car Magazine called the Lusso T ‘arguably a better car than the V12’ while Top Gear said: ‘It genuinely feels closer to a sports car for four than an eager GT.’ What we think?

In the GTC4Lusso T, Ferrari could easily have suffered at the hands of contradiction. It’s relaxing and practical for weekends away, but sharp and agile enough for your favourite backroads – not usually comfortable bedfellows.

If money’s no object, spending an extra £30k on the V12 seems like a no-brainer. But if running costs are important, fear not – the GTC4Lusso T could hardly be considered a lesser car. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

The monthly magazine for garage professionals For advertising and subscription inquiries contact Jon Hickey Sales manager j.hickey@blackballmedia.co.uk Tom Adams Account manager tom.adams@blackballmedia.co.uk

Or call 023 9252 2434

@_WorkshopMag

56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

@workshopmag

workshopmagazine.co.uk

FOCUS ON.

Carcodeal

Unique idea and an excellent team make life easier for you CARCODEAL

C

W: carcodeal.com

arcodeal is an online platform that connects more than 200 used car dealers with sellers to provide instant online quotes.

Owned and run by brothers Iman and Ali Samizadeh, Carcodeal launched at Web Summit Dublin in November 2015 to provide a comparison platform where private sellers can compare instant cash and part-exchange offers they receive for their car directly from car dealers.

For consumers it can be a long and convoluted process to sell their car. Advertising a vehicle online, in traditional newspaper supplements or in dedicated car magazines can consume a considerable amount of time. Knowing exactly how to describe it, getting the right images and even knowing how much their car is worth in the current marketplace makes life stressful and it is difficult to predict how quickly it will actually sell.

With Carcodeal, sellers simply enter their town or postcode, registration number and mileage, along with how far they are prepared to travel. There are no fees for the seller, there is no need to provide personal details, images or any additional information, and they will receive instant bids which remain valid for 72 hours. Sellers can review dealers’ profiles, cash and part-exchange offers instantly.

When dealers sign up they gain access to an online control panel to bid on specific makes and models of used cars.

Dealers can customise their vehicle wishlists further by age, MOT status, service history and mileage.

They receive email and text message notifications when the system automatically bids for a car.

Dr. Iman Samizadeh, Carcodeal co-founder

and CEO, said: ‘Carcodeal is here to completely overhaul and radically improve both the private seller and car trader user-experience. It not only cuts out the middlemen, but raises the car-selling bar by firmly moving away from hidden fees and often unfairly-low vehicle valuations. And it’s both equitable and fair for all users.’

Most car-buying sites are managed by intermediaries, who have to factor in their own profit when they sell a car on to a dealer or through an auction. Through Carcodeal, the seller deals directly with the motor dealer, saving one or more layers of commission, and returning a better deal for both parties.

Dealers can bid instantly on vehicles when they are listed, or choose a time to suit them.

Cash and part-exchange deals can be offered and

there is no geographical limit on how you choose to grow your stock. The offer provided by the dealer will be valid if only the seller has provided accurate details of their vehicle, and offers can be amended if the dealer discovers something about the car that wasn’t provided by the seller during the vehicle inspection.

Samizadeh adds: ‘We estimate an optimistic gross margin over the industry average. We will be successful because of the unique idea and the excellent team we have assembled, as well as the drive and determination of the owners.

‘Our future sits within dominating used car market sales by providing a service to both vehicle traders and private car sellers who are not internet-savvy, or who want to move from traditional methods of selling vehicles online.

‘Carcodeal will be expanded to motorbikes and commercial vehicles in the coming years, and provide a service to other highdemand markets such as the US, Germany and the Netherlands.’

‘Carcodeal is here to completely overhaul and radically improve both the private seller and car trader userexperience.’

Dr. Iman Samizadeh, Carcodeal co-founder and CEO

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Plan Insurance Brokers

Are you overpaying for your motor trade insurance?

PLAN INSURANCE BROKERS

W: planinsurance.co.uk T: 0333 003 0609

M

otor trade insurance has never been a fascinating subject, but it is an area of considerable expense, and one which many car dealers perhaps do not devote sufficient time to. Car dealers’ reluctance to consider changing insurance provider at renewal time could be costing them thousands of pounds.

Voted Trade Insurance Supplier of the Year by Car Dealer Magazine’s readership at the 2016 Car Dealer Power Awards, Plan Insurance Brokers are well-placed to offer advice. Managing director Ryan Georgiades says: ‘I’m always surprised when I chat to dealers about how long it’s been since many of them obtained alternative quotes. We remarket all of our clients’ renewals every year to ensure they receive competitive premiums as part of our bespoke service.

‘For us, it comes down to doing the basics really well. It’s about providing appropriate cover, great-value rates and fantastic service – get those three things right and people tend to migrate towards you.

‘We arrange high-quality cover with leading insurers. Brands do matter with insurance; unfamiliar names don’t inspire confidence.’

Established in 1989, Plan Insurance Brokers is a multiple award-winning family business.

Started by Peter Georgiades and his eldest son Scott, they were joined by the middle son Ryan in 2000 when they moved from arranging general insurance towards specialising in commercial motor product lines such as the motor trade.

Grant, the youngest son, joined the firm in 2006, bringing expertise in online marketing, and the company has continued to evolve and grow.

‘What we are keen to do more than ever is let people know that there are significant benefits to tendering your insurance renewal,’ says Ryan.

‘Even for smaller firms, the cost savings can reach the thousands. Hopefully people will give us a try and be really impressed.’

Ryan accepts that insurance is not usually top of most businesses’ priority lists. Despite representing a significant overhead and being of vital importance when things go wrong, insurance can receive the bare minimum amount of attention. Often there is an inclination for car dealers to stick with what or who they know.

That loyalty or laziness (depending on your stance) might end up costing them dearly.

58 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

A team from Plan Insurance Brokers cooked up an entry for Bangers4Ben last year ‘When you think about the kind of money businesses are paying for their premiums, it’s time well spent.

‘I think car dealers probably do prefer a personal relationship and do want to pick up a phone rather than do everything online. We can come and visit the premises and make ourselves available in person at industry events such as CDX and Bangers4Ben. ‘But for those who simply want to go digital, we can provide that service as well.

The Plan Insurance team were at CDX ‘It may well be that their current insurer offers last year – and will be this year, too the best rate but I believe every relationship ‘There’s also probably a perception that it’s needs some checks and balances, and a great deal of aggravation to change provider opportunities should be investigated.’

– which in our opinion, it’s not.’ he says. ‘We Ultimately, in a competitive marketplace have streamlined processes and our IT is second it comes down to value. The ability to save to none in the market place. So we can make it car dealers and traders money without as painless a process as possible while doing a compromising on cover or service is what makes really good job of finding our customers Plan market leaders. a competitive, highly tailored and Visit Plan on stand 219 at CDX17 SEE US comprehensive policy that will provide to discuss your requirements and pick ON STAND all the cover they currently have – and up a goodie bag. Sales manager Daniel maybe highlight some areas they don’t.

Severin will also be presenting an ‘If you have the information to hand, entertaining YouTube-based theatre we can offer a full indication of what session on ‘The Motor Trade’s Greatest our rate would be in about 20 minutes.

Insurance Fails’. Come along and make It’s a pretty slick process that can even sure your policy covers you against the be done online via our quote form. calamities on show.

219

Protection you need for the risks you face

It pays to have a plan

SEE US ON STAND

219

Great value rates from leading insurers Advice based on over 25 years of Motor Trade expertise Gold Standard Service rated by Feefo

Keeping your business motoring

planinsurance.co.uk

0333 003 0609

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

FOCUS ON.

GardX

Go for a Spin with GardX and get on the road to success GARDX

W: gardx.co.uk

T: 01243 376426

T

ypically known for its award-winning paint protection product, GardX continues to prove that there is more to them than meets the eye with the announcement of an exclusive distribution partnership with US-based company SpinCar. Adding to the company’s ever-expanding product portfolio, the SpinCar deal signals a leap into the digital world of motor retailing.

Car Dealer recently travelled to the company’s HQ to catch up with managing director Victor Coutin and get the low-down on the launch of this exciting new product. Coutin told us: ‘Having been involved with automotive retailing for over 40 years, it is fair to say I’ve witnessed significant change over the years. In today’s marketplace consumer buying habits have taken a seismic shift towards online retailing, not just for vehicles but all products. Creating a positive online purchasing experience is now of paramount importance. Motor retailers can learn a lot from traditional e-commerce websites to boost conversion rates and further engage their website visitors. Why should a customer have a more positive experience when buying a £300 watch over a £30,000 vehicle?’

He added: ‘Consumers want a seamless carbuying experience that includes the purchase decision, finance and insurance with both consumers and dealers motivated to speed up the transaction.

‘Nearly all vehicle purchasers browse online to gather the information they need to make a choice. Of these, many will still want to take a test drive, but increasingly, others would like an online “buy now” button coupled with a no-pressure vehicle purchasing experience.

‘To facilitate change, dealers need to invest in data management and customer care technologies that make the buying transaction faster, more efficient, less pressured and more pleasing to consumers. They must also improve their online capabilities like all other retailers so that the distinction between bricks-and-mortar and the web diminishes greatly.

‘Direct connection to the consumer is a must60 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘In today’s marketplace consumer buying habits have taken a seismic shift towards online retailing, not just for vehicles but all products.’

Victor Coutin win battleground for any brand in a fiercely competitive and sophisticated market. The digital landscape is increasingly integrated, easy to use and powerful. In a few years, every interaction between a consumer and its product in the real world could extend in the digital world.

‘Obviously as the internet gains even more ground as a shopping channel, dealers will still want to use test drives as a way to get face-toface with consumers, sell add-on F&I products and close a sale. The lack of a robust dealership network will, for the foreseeable future, be a competitive disadvantage for any vehicle manufacturer.’

The GardX brand is synonymous with providing world-class products and solutions to the industry, whether paint and fabric protection products, niche insurance products or aftermarket

product opportunities. The AD-Vantage SpinCar system builds on this ethos and is clear testimony that GardX understands the changing landscape of the automotive sector and the challenges it faces.

Coutin said: ‘We spent significant time looking for the right partner to begin our journey into the digital sector and last year came across SpinCar. After considerable market research, it was evident that SpinCar were the leading supplier of 360 technology for the automotive sector and were a truly dynamic business. We saw a lot of

similarities between SpinCar and ourselves and it was an easy decision for us to partner with them and bring their exciting platform into the UK and all of our other international markets.’

In less than three years, SpinCar have enjoyed phenomenal success in the US auto sector with over 2,000 dealers and four major US OEMs using their Spin system. The Spin technology was first launched in the e-commerce sector working with prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Nike. The knowledge gained in e-commerce retailing coupled with shifting consumer car

buying habits meant that the timing was right to launch into the automotive sector. Leveraging on fundamental e-commerce best practices, the SpinCar technology creates an interactive, 360 view meaning a customer can look all the way around the exterior and interior of a vehicle. They can zoom and pan and click on ‘hotspots’ to learn more. All of these features deliver a more positive online experience for the consumer.

For the dealer, this positive experience results in an average increase in time spent on a vehicle display page (VDP) of 56 per cent and an average increase in website lead submissions of 42 per cent which obviously increases vehicle sales.

GardX have a dedicated customer success team to monitor its dealers’ results and to ensure that quality is maintained when launching a new business on the SpinCar platform.

Coutin added: ‘We have built the GardX business by providing professional account management and delivering what we promise.

We call it the ‘‘GardX promise’’. It is only natural that we offer the same level of account management with this new product, ensuring our dealers always have the support they need. After all, any supplier can deliver a product but the key is maintaining sales or positive results of the product over the long term.’

GardX see the landscape of the auto sector changing significantly over the next few years and the company believes platforms such as SpinCar are essential to any modern, forward-thinking retailer. Keen to display the product to the UK auto industry, GardX have placed great emphasis on showcasing SpinCar at CDX17.

A dedicated, exclusive area solely for SpinCar together with their new, Virtual Reality software feature is planned. Workshops carried out by Victor (Billy) Coutin (head of business) and Devin Daly (CEO of SpinCar USA) are scheduled during the day. GardX are also excited to announce that Michael Ashton, a senior manager for Volkswagen USA, will be holding a Q and A session highlighting the success VW USA have enjoyed with SpinCar in the States.

GardX see CDX as a fantastic opportunity to get the message out there and display this revolutionary new product. There’s no doubt that in 2017 GardX will be going places, so why not jump on and go for a Spin?

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

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RAC

Sales through RAC Dealer Network up by 10 per cent so far in 2017 RAC

T: 0330 100 3807 W: rac.co.uk/getapproved

A

s the main headline on this page proclaims, sales of used cars through the RAC Dealer Network are up 10 per cent by volume so far this year.

The 1,100 dealers in the network have formal links with the RAC at various levels – from comprehensive and innovative used car propositions through to simply offering RAC warranty products. Sean Kent, RAC account director, said: ‘The used car market has had a generally strong start to the year but, even allowing for this, the performance across the RAC Dealer Network has been impressive.

‘Our proposition is based on offering used vehicles of the highest quality available, backed by a very strong support package and underlined by the credibility of the RAC brand.

‘The feedback that we hear indicates that there is an increasing appetite in the marketplace for

this approach – and the success our dealers are currently seeing proves this.’

The RAC works with two main levels of independent dealer, providing a product range to fit almost every car retailer.

RAC dealers supply a minimum mandatory three months of warranty and 12 months of breakdown cover, while RAC Approved Dealers have exclusive agreements to take part in the comprehensive RAC BuySure initiative.

RAC BuySure provides used car buyers with a nationwide scheme that sets very high standards commensurate with the RAC brand. The initiative sees dealers commit to an 82-point RAC Approved preparation standard on every vehicle, a vehicle data check, and a minimum of three months of RAC Warranty cover. In support of this, the RAC provides 12 months’ RAC breakdown cover and enrolment for the customer to RAC Accident Care.

Is the customer right at the heart of YOUR business?

DEALERS who place the customer at the heart of their business are being sought to help power further growth of the RAC Dealer Network.

Last year, the network – which is now larger than many manufacturer-approved used car programmes – grew from fewer than 1,000 to more than 1,150 dealers and saw 170,000 vehicle sales.

Sean Kent, RAC account director, said: ‘There is potential to grow the network further still, but it will only happen if we can recruit the right dealers. Our approach with the RAC Dealer Network has always been to put quality first.’

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY • 75.8 per cent of people who bought a vehicle from the RAC Dealer Network in the past 12 months did so because of their confidence in the RAC brand.

• 79.9 per cent of buyers felt more confident about their vehicle purchase because it came with RAC BuySure.

• Our overall Net Promoter Score – an industry-standard tool used to gauge customer relationships – is an impressive 70.4 for the past 12 months.

Series of regional summer dealer events announced PLANS for a series of regional summer events for the RAC Dealer Network have been announced.

They are designed to help create an increased sense of community among dealers who are part of the network and will be based on local sporting events such as cricket matches and horse racing.

Sean Kent, RAC account director, said: ‘We

spend a long time choosing the dealers with whom we want to work, and would like them to increasingly feel part of the RAC brand and the network rather than just a supplier of our products.

‘To do this, we’ll be going around the country this summer holding events, keeping them

informed on the latest developments and sharing some valuable market insights, before spending some time just socialising with them.

‘The idea is to make the whole thing fun as well as valuable from a business point of view.

‘We hope to be able to announce further details very soon.’

n Do you want to find out more about the RAC Dealer Network? For further details call 0330 100 3807, e-mail dealernetwork@rac.co.uk or visit rac.co.uk/getapproved 62 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

EIGHT MILLION OPPORTUNITIES Becoming an RAC Approved Dealer gives you access to over eight million members, across the UK. With the support of one of the UK’s most respected motoring brands, you’re perfectly placed to drive more customers to your dealership, and grow your business. Ready to get started?

Call us today and benefit from RAC Approved status.

0330 100 3807

Call: Email: dealernetwork@rac.co.uk Visit: rac.co.uk/getapproved

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

FOCUS ON.

CarGurus

How to win customers with transparency CARGURUS

W: cargurus.co.uk

W

hen Imperial Car Supermarkets, a car supermarket business with six sites covering the south of England and the East Midlands, signed up for CarGurus, it was not only to expand its marketing reach to more shoppers, but also to leverage the platform’s transparency model.

CarGurus uses data analytics to help customers identify great car deals and connect them with top-rated dealers. Recognising that transparency is a prerequisite for today’s consumer, Neil Smith, operations director at Imperial, worked with CarGurus to give prospecting customers access to as much detail as possible.

This venture has paid off in spades. ‘Our cost per lead and cost per acquisition were up to two to three times better with CarGurus,’ Smith commented. ‘It’s definitely worth trying.’

The modern shopper’s journey starts with transparency Today, nearly 90 per cent of car buyers start the shopping journey online. Not only do they research the type and specification of vehicle but they also look for the price they should expect to pay and reviews of the dealership they’d be buying from. In fact, on average, shoppers only visit 1.4 physical dealerships between starting the car-buying process and purchasing a car.

They will have done most of their research in front of their computer or on their mobile device.

Therefore, more often than not, when they’ve contacted a dealer, they’ll have narrowed their search considerably.

‘Consumers today expect a level of transparency when they approach a purchase online, especially a large purchase like a car,’ says Henry Spitzer, a director at CarGurus. ‘The good news for dealers is that a more informed shopper

T: 0800 808 5557

is typically a more confident buyer. Transparency is certainly a win for consumers, but it’s also a win for dealers.’

So it makes a lot of sense that CarGurus’ transparent approach attracts this modern, digital shopper in droves. The site has grown 242 per cent in monthly unique users in the year since it launched in the UK. CarGurus uses algorithms to help distill the myriad of information on specs, price and dealership reputation down to clear, actionable insights.

The site analyses hundreds of thousands of UK car listings daily, taking into account detailed vehicle specs, history and location to determine a market value for each car called the Instant Market Value (IMV).

The IMV coupled with dealership reputation scores (pulled from user reviews) are then used to rank and rate stock, from great deals to poor deals, so that users have a clear view of the market and can make smart, more informed, buying decisions.

So how can dealers embrace the transparency concept and make it work for their business?

Many dealers already know that by offering consumers detailed, accurate vehicle descriptions and high-quality images they will attract more online leads from qualified customers.

Think about it from the consumer’s point of view: when hunting for a vehicle in the classifieds, you’re more likely to be attracted to one which has a surplus of relevant, well-framed photographs and highly-detailed descriptions than you will be if the advertisement has poor or absent photography and a short or barely legible slug of supporting information.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that this is an area where providing access to clear, accurate information has significant business impact.

Transparency doesn’t mean you need to be the cheapest deal in town But what about price transparency? At first, dealers may baulk at this concept. Pricing strategy is critical to the used car industry and therefore any threat to margin is looked on suspiciously.

So the question is often asked: If your dealership’s prices are higher than a rival’s and this is exposed, is the only competitive option to reduce price? Is transparency therefore just encouraging a race to the bottom?

Not at all, according to CarGurus. Spitzer says it’s more a race to the mean, meaning you and the customer can win: ‘Because CarGurus ranks cars in order of value, not price like other third party sites, we provide a fair playing field for dealers by directing shoppers to the most relevant results – rather than simply giving priority to the cheapest car.’ In fact, data from CarGurus shows that the majority of leads from its site are generated from deals rated fair, good or great – clear evidence that you do not have to be the cheapest deal in town.

Additionally, to help dealers get to this ‘mean’, CarGurus has built in a dashboard pricing tool to help dealers assess how their stock stacks up in the local market, and how slight adjustments can help improve deal ratings and page rankings in search results.

‘What we’ve seen is it is sometimes only a matter of taking, for example, £50 off your car to change its rating from a good deal to a great deal, therefore boosting your page ranking and visibility. And it works both ways: the pricing tool can reveal that increasing your price slightly makes no difference to your deal rating, therefore allowing you to maximise your margins without risking loss of leads.’

In the case of Imperial, the dealership has

242% GROWTH

YEAR-ON-YEAR IN UNIQUE MONTHLY USERS

WE ARE THE LARGEST AND FASTEST-GROWING CAR SHOPPING WEBSITE IN THE U.S...AND WE ARE ON OUR WAY IN THE UK!

1.4 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS

64 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

made intentional efforts to price to the market, which in turn has rewarded them with a consistent and positive ranking on CarGurus’ site.

Dealer ratings and reviews are just as important as price Of course, price is not everything. Consumers also want to know that they are buying from a reputable dealer. In fact, consumers view good customer service and a positive buying experience just as highly as price. Many will research the dealer online and seek advice from friends and members of their family.

This is why CarGurus incorporates dealer reputation scores into its ranking algorithm. This helps reward dealers who deliver great service to their customers and gradually weeds out dealers with ‘too good to be true’ pricing. Recognising the importance of reviews and committing to strong customer service principles and staff training goes a long way. Most positive reviews on CarGurus speak to friendly, honest service.

At Imperial Car Supermarkets, the company's adoption of transparency on CarGurus has led to a dramatic improvement in cost per lead, conversion rates, close rates and website traffic.

Imperial have also found that the customers they find through CarGurus are more qualified and less likely to haggle.

This signals that customers who’ve enjoyed a transparent shopping journey are more inclined to trust that they are getting a fair deal; negotiation becomes unnecessary in the process.

As such, Imperial Car Supermarkets is winning more business from car shoppers throughout the UK. The learning is clear: Transparency creates a win-win scenario for customers and dealers, and the dealers who embrace this new philosophy will be the most successful.

‘Transparency creates a win-win scenario for customers and dealers.’

UK No. 1 IN ENGAGEMENT WITH 15.2 AVERAGE VIEWS PER VISIT

STOCK FROM OVER

5,000 DEALERS

FASTEST

GROWING SITE IN TERMS OF DURATION PER VISIT CarDealerMag.co.uk | 65

FOCUS ON.

MotorCheck

Trade-only car history check that’s ace for independents!

MOTORCHECK

L

W: motorcheck.co.uk

ook up the word provenance in any dictionary and you’ll come across a definition along these lines: ‘a record of ownership, used as a guide to authenticity or quality’.

Nowhere is the all-important ‘p’ word more important than the motor trade, where, as we all know, looks can be deceiving and unpleasant surprises are all too common.

Checking the history of every vehicle you buy has become second nature for most dealers, but perhaps there are occasions when time is short, you’re happy to trust your instincts, or you feel you’d simply like to save a few quid.

The risk then, of course, is that you could be left with a lemon or write-off; perhaps even a car with adjusted mileage or outstanding finance against it or worse…

It’s time to consign those issues to the past. A new arrival in the provenance checking world can

66 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

T: 0330 331 0150

deliver all the data you could need about any car you’re thinking of buying, quickly, accurately – and perhaps most importantly, cheaply.

The company we’re talking about is MotorCheck, a ‘trade-only’ car history check service that’s exclusively for the UK motor trade.

The company was co-founded by Shane

Teskey, an expert in automotive data with a huge amount of experience in the industry. He and his founding team have already conquered the Irish market with MotorCheck.ie and Teskey believes that UK car dealers are crying out for some healthy competition here.

‘We have only been active in the UK for five

months now and we’re absolutely thrilled at just how positively the service has been received,’ he says. ‘The months of tireless research and development undertaken by our UK team prior to launch meant that we were a little later arriving than originally intended, but it’s this attention to detail that’s making all the difference now.’

Indeed, the company is fast developing a reputation for having a keen understanding of the provenance market and delivering a quality service that gives the car dealer access to this vital information quickly and affordably.

Everyone who works at MotorCheck is highly experienced in the industry and the technologies the company employs as it goes about its business.

Nihal Collins, MotorCheck’s sales director, is a familiar face to UK dealers. She has worked in the provenance sector for 10 years and is excited about the cost savings that MotorCheck is generating for its clients.

‘The systems we’ve developed to generate and deliver a car history check are built on the most modern and efficient technologies available today,’ says Collins. ‘This means that we’re able to deliver savings of up to 40 per cent along with one of the most comprehensive checks available in the market.’

Price is certainly one of MotorCheck’s major attractions. Enquiries on the service start at an incredibly low £2.50 per check, without any fixed minimum commitments.

Lower tariffs are available for larger users and MotorCheck offers one of the fastest sign-up processes for a trade provenance service.

‘It takes less than five minutes to open an account and start running checks,’ says Collins.

‘Users then have the option of staying on a no-obligation ‘‘pay as you go’’ basis or moving onto one of our competitive monthly plans.

‘We’re very flexible in that regard.’

One of the most detailed checks available After price, MotorCheck’s users are astonished with the detail and usability of the history checks. According to Teskey, ‘the usability and

‘We have only been active in the UK for five months and we’re absolutely thrilled at just how positively the service has been received.’

Shane Teskey

detail of our service is something we’ve worked extremely hard on. It’s a very nice modern website, not the standard boring reports that dealers have had to put up with in the past.’

There’s no doubt that the detail offered in a MotorCheck report is impressive! As part of their check, MotorCheck returns all of the MOT information as well as the current MOT and tax status for a vehicle by default.

They are also able to show you the current status of the manufacturer’s warranty for the vehicle, so you’ll know if it has any outstanding cover left on it from the manufacturer.

Common queries such as insurance write-offs, stolen cars and plate changes are all answered and dealers can retrieve a range of used car valuations too, which includes data from Glass’s Guide with cash offers also available.

Every check comes with a detailed mileage history for the vehicle you’re checking too.

It doesn’t cost anything extra and with MotorCheck’s 500+ million mileage readings, the coverage is over double that of other providers.

Mileage investigation services are offered directly from the check where previous owners, service histories and other records can be validated and confirmed.

Of course, MotorCheck will inform you if the car has an active finance agreement in place and the excellent MotorCheck support team will even verify this for you directly with the reporting bank

too, if it’s required. A quick glance at the check will allow you to see how many previous owners the vehicles has had and how long each of them owned it for, as well as what cherished plate transfers the car may have had in the past.

No unnecessary charges or licence fees Another feature of the MotorCheck business model is the company’s no-nonsense approach to hidden charges or licence fees.

‘We’ve introduced some clever moneysaving innovations on MotorCheck that our customers love. For example, we don’t charge for duplicate checks.

‘If you’re sitting in a garage and your colleague has checked a car, and you type in the same registration number, MotorCheck will bring up an alert saying you’ve already run the check on this car in the past three months, do you want to use the previous check or run a fresh one?

‘That alone can save a garage 30 per cent on their car history check bill. It’s just one of the many simple ways in which we help our customers to save money.’

MotorCheck offers you highly detailed automotive data via a transparent service on a user-friendly website, all run by a team with vast experience in the industry. So, the next time you find yourself in need of information about a vehicle’s history, you know where to go. Sign up today at MotorCheck.co.uk.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 67

FOCUS ON.

Calltracks

Stop dropping those leads!

CALLTRACKS

C

alltracks was founded a decade ago by Stuart Buckley, who was, at the time, running a company that sold private registration plates. Frustrated at not knowing which of the many adverts he was placing turned to calls – and which of those were turning to sales – he set about building his own solution to increase visibility.

In the early days of call tracking, dealers would simply put different numbers in adverts to give them an idea of how many calls they were getting from each of the individual sources. However, thanks to Buckley and Calltracks, the technology has come a long way since then!

Buckley, founder and CEO of Calltracks, comments: ‘A lot of the time we are seen as a call recording platform and that’s far from the truth! Calltracks is a product that allows you to understand where your leads are coming from.’

At the simplest level, it doesn’t seem too far removed from the original premise of having a different phone number for each publication, but these days the number is unique to the customer rather than the place they saw the advert.

Buckley says: ‘We have a product called dynamic numbering. If you go on to Google and search for a BMW 3 Series, you click into the dealer’s website, have a look around, look at finance, part-ex value, a few different models and at the point you’re ready to enquire about that car you call one of our dynamic numbers.

‘As the number is dynamic to the individual – every visitor that hits the website gets their own number for the time they’re in the website – we know everything about what that person has looked at. We can see where they’ve come from, what page they landed, what they looked at and we can see what they’re looking at when they’re calling the dealership.’

It’s a powerful tool for both the consumer and the

68 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

W: calltracks.com T: 0330 012 5000 ‘The dealers get a chance to get back in touch and sell that car. It makes a huge difference.’

Stuart Buckley, founder and CEO of Calltracks dealer. As the dealer can see what the customer is looking at by the time they’re speaking to them, they don’t have to start guessing exactly which vehicle in stock the query covers, while the customer is immediately into a conversation with someone who knows what it is they want.

Clients now include some of the largest dealer groups in the UK, including Pendragon, Lookers and Vertu, while Citygate – Calltracks’ first ever customer – still retains the company’s services.

Buckley continues: ‘Ten years ago when we were doing this, we were going to dealer groups and showing them call recordings. They thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, but what they were doing was clicking randomly down the list of calls because there was no visibility other than it came from the website.

‘Calltracks are now able to identify potential calls that are really ‘‘bad calls’’ previously only found by listening to hundreds of calls which we all know just won’t happen.

‘We know the customer is calling whilst looking at a new or used car, we know if the call is potentially a bad call and a lost lead. Having

the ability to be notified of these calls in real time directly to a sales manager, means the dealers get a chance to get back in touch and sell that car. It makes a huge difference.’

Industry research indicates that around half of all calls to a dealership go unanswered and half of those answered don’t have the quality of answer that the customer would necessarily like.

With dealerships spending a lot of money to generate enquiries, the notion that three out of every four are lost before any action can be taken ought to be chastening.

Buckley says: ‘At CDX17, we’re looking at launching a new product that, once a phone call ends, passes information to a relevant person.

Calls coming to dealerships normally go as far as being passed through to another department and the customer gives up as the phone keeps ringing without being answered, or the salesperson informs the customer that the particular car has been sold – when there may be another 15 cars just like it in the dealer group.

‘So what we’re trying to do is take this wealth of online data and package it really simply for the guys on site. When a call comes in, hits reception and doesn’t make it through to sales, we’ll have identified it’s a car enquiry and we pass it, a call recording and a visitor history log, straight through to the sales team. They can understand what’s gone on and call them back.

‘With all of this information to hand, it’s almost like the person selling the car has been with the customer throughout the journey.’

Call Tracking and Analytics Manage the process to convert more phone calls to sales Visit us at stand 308 in Hall Three

Solutions for SMBs through to Global Enterprises

Call today 0330 012 5000

|

calltracks.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 69

DASHBOARD. FEATURE.

Ask Lawgistics .com

Car Dealer Club lawyers at Lawgistics answer dealers’ legal questions. Join for £39.99 a year to get advice like this when you need it

Autofill and the importance of disclaimers Q A

Am I liable for incorrect information when my online advert uses autofill?

The answer to this question would be dependent on the way that the vehicle was described within the advertisement. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that ‘goods are to be as described,’ meaning that the goods being sold should match the description given via the advertisement.

If the advertisement clearly shows a disclaimer stating that the advert is generic and that features mentioned in the description may not be included – or that there may be other features added on by previous owners – then there would be a defence against your liability of advertising incorrect information.

This disclaimer must also be reasonably close to the description of the vehicle and on the same web page (not a click away). If you fail to conform to this, then the answer would simply be yes, you are liable for false advertisement and for selling goods that are not as they have been described.

JOIN CAR DEALER CLUB AND GET ALL THESE BENEFITS WORTH £1,000s FOR JUST £39.99 70 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

If you, as a trader, are to sell a vehicle using autofill to create the description of that vehicle, you would have to ensure that you have included the disclaimer in the advertisement in case of any possible differences within the car.

This is vital when creating autofill descriptions due to the fact that there could be numerous changes and differences with the vehicle in question, compared with the standard setting on autofill.

To prevent any further possible complications with the sale of the vehicle and post-sale, we would suggest scrutiny of the advert and the declaration of any differences between the wording in the advertisement and the real specification.

Prior to purchase, you should fill in a predelivery inspection sheet and make sure that the consumer inspects the car thoroughly to prevent any further complications post-sale involving the Consumer Rights Act – for either

A free telephone consultation and other great benefits, too n A free telephone consultation worth £100. n Lawgistics’ Basic package worth £95. n Twenty-five per cent off the ‘pay-on-use’ legal helpline and casework service. n Up to 25 per cent off any stationery or warranty products. n Upgrade the Basic package and receive £100 off the Small Business package or £250 off the Professional package.

the goods not being of satisfactory quality or not being as described.

If then the consumer does not find any problems with the car, Section 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 suggests that they should not have any strong claim to reject the vehicle and claim a full refund due to it not being as described – as the advertisement would have suggested they inspect the vehicle thoroughly and state any problems that they have before the purchase is made.

If then the consumer finds something wrong with the vehicle that has been sold relating to the issue of it not being as described in the advertisement, you should have no issues with being held liable for any ‘misdescription’.

This is providing you have made it clear on that advertisement that it is an autofill description and advised the consumer to check the details of the advert and to then inspect the car fully before the purchase is made.

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Exclusive five per cent discount on your tailormade trade insurance At Unicom, we’ve been safeguarding our clients with the best protection policies for more than 20 years – so, no matter what role your business plays in the motor trade, we can have you covered for every possible risk. From road risks to legal cover, your motor trade insurance can be tailored to suit your individual needs. It’s our job to make sure that you get the best price for the cover that you want.

Take a seat

Q A

What is the new law on car seats?

Children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm (4ft 5in), whichever comes first.

But safety experts recommend the use of child car seats for all children under 150cm (4ft 11in).

For children weighing more than 36kg (5st 10lb) but who are under 150cm (4ft 11in), it is advised to go by height.

Remember, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that any child travelling in their car is properly secured in a suitable car seat, as required by the law.

Under new regulations, which came into force on March 1, only children taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg can travel in a car on a backless booster cushion.

This is because in the event of a collision a backless car seat offers much less protection than a car seat.

It’s because of this lower level of protection that booster seats aren’t recommended by experts.

Once a child is either 135cm in height or 12 years old, they must then use an adult seatbelt, according to the new rules.

WHY I JOINED CAR DEALER CLUB

It’s great to know that Lawgistics have got my back in the event of an issue BRUCE Pemberton is the owner of Pemberton Company in Fleet, Hampshire. A few years ago, he was struggling to find anyone with enough knowledge of motor trade law to help him in situations that required legal expertise.

Fortunately, someone told him about Lawgistics. He phoned them up and, deciding he liked the sound of what they had to offer, became a member. This eventually proved to be a very prudent decision.

‘I once sold a car shortly before the automatic gearbox went,’ says Pemberton. ‘I went to the customer’s house, collected the car, gave them a loan car, got the car all sorted, dropped it back to their house but the customer was still unhappy.

‘She wanted compensation, so I just said: ‘‘You’re going to have to talk to Lawgistics about this because I want to buy the car back off you and I need to know what I need to offer you.’’ I put it in their hands.

‘On Lawgistics’ advice, I made an offer, but the woman didn’t actually take it up. The car was pretty cheap and I would have had to give her most of her money back. She’d had it for four months and had done 3,000 or 4,000 miles, so obviously I wasn’t going to give her a full refund.

‘She elected to keep hold of the car because she realised that if I gave her the money back, she wouldn’t be able to get something similar for a similar sum.

‘Nothing I could say would placate her. With those sort of people, you need somebody who knows the law to help.’

More than a year later, Pemberton finds that the knowledge that Lawgistics have his back gives him great peace of mind.

‘I feel very confident that if I did have an issue, they would deal with it and the outcome would benefit me,’ he said.

‘If I have to take a hit, I have to take a hit, but at least I know I’m doing the right thing. It’s all about peace of mind.’

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At Paragon Car Finance, we’re so confident we can better the deals and improve the service other lenders offer that we want to give £50* to all eligible Car Dealer Club members who book an appointment with us to see how Paragon Car Finance could help you and your customers get a better deal.

Book your £50* appointment now by calling us on 0345 149 7777.

WANT TO UPGRADE? LAWGISTICS’ Basic membership – which you receive as a member of Car Dealer Club – is a cracking deal, but what if you need something that has extra clout? Larger dealer groups or a dealer embroiled in a big legal battle may require some more firepower, and the good news is that club members get discounts on Lawgistics’ other packages. You’ll receive a £100 discount off the Small Business package (normally £695) – perfect for sole traders, a partnership or a small dealer group – and £250 off the Professional package (normally £1,295). This is ideal for franchises, a dealer group or a car supermarket and covers all relevant legal areas and documentation.

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* Terms, conditions and eligibility rules apply. Visit cardealerclub.com/#benefits for more details.

Dragon2000 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 71

DATA FILE.

Thestatistics

n

SMMT Sales Data

n

Taking Stock

Biggest month for new car registrations since records began Combination of 17-plate and VED changes make it a bumper March

T

he UK’s new car market grew by 8.4 per cent in March, making it the biggest month since records began, according to figures from the SMMT. The record performance came as buyers seized the chance to buy cars before the new vehicle excise duty (VED) rates came into force.

Under a new system introduced on April 1, all new cars, except for those with zero emissions, are subject to an annual flat-rate charge.

A total of 562,337 new cars were registered in March, more than double the number for the first two months of the year combined. A total of 820,016 new cars were driven off forecourts in the first quarter of 2017, up 6.2 per cent on the same period in 2016 and setting a new record for the quarter.

Analysis of the statistics shows that consumers are increasingly looking to invest in the latest low-emission technology, with March seeing a 31 per cent surge in registrations of alternatively-fuelled vehicles.

Petrol cars experienced a notable uplift too, growing 13.2 per cent, while

demand for diesels also increased compared to the previous year, with nearly a quarter of a million buyers choosing them.

Fleets and businesses were the big contributors to market growth in March, with registrations up 12.6 per cent and 11.9 per cent respectively, though demand from private buyers also grew, with registrations climbing 4.4 per cent to reverse the decline in demand during the previous month.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘These record figures are undoubtedly boosted by consumers and businesses reacting to new VED changes, pulling forward purchases into March, especially those ultra low-emission vehicles that will no longer benefit from a zero-rate fee.

‘This bumper performance probably means we will see a slowdown in April, exacerbated by the fact there are fewer selling days this year given Easter timing. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, we still expect the market to cool only slightly given broader political uncertainties as there are still attractive deals on offer.’

Ian Gilmartin, head of retail and wholesale at Barclays, hailed the March figures as ‘spectacular,’ adding: ‘We have to look at the results in context, and there is no doubt that March’s sales have been driven by savvy buyers getting their purchases in before the tax changes were introduced at the start of April. However, that shouldn’t take the shine off the numbers, as getting March right goes a long way to ensuring a successful year.

‘In light of recent speculation over potential future charges for diesel use, it’s worth noting that diesel models did see some growth in March, albeit at a much lower rate than petrol and alternatively-fuelled vehicles. It will be interesting to monitor how this pattern develops over the next few months.’

A much-needed boost, yes, but what’s in store now?

SOME industry observers sounded a note of caution, despite the record sales figures announced by the SMMT. Julian Rance, director at Paragon Car Finance, said: ‘The bulk of growth, 12.6 per cent, has come from increased fleet registrations, compared to 4.4 per cent growth in private registrations. This would indicate that much of the increase in registrations 72 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

has been driven by increased flows of pre-registration vehicles from manufacturers. Manufacturers have been keen to boost March sales and counteract some of the negative impact on sales created by a weak pound.’

Paul Kaye, sales and marketing director at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: ‘The demand for new cars in March was given a much-

needed boost following a quiet February. Despite growth picking back up, rising inflation and the impact on consumer spending could produce headwinds on new car growth.

‘Dealers need to ensure they’re aware of current trends, as 40 per cent of dealers see consumer behaviour changes as one of the greatest threats to their business in the coming months.’

SMMT sales data Mar/year to date

5

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in March

Infiniti +151% Aston Martin +128% Maserati +100% Jaguar +69% Abarth +32%

5

(excluding Chevrolet...)

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in March DS -35% Jeep -30% Mitsubishi -21% Honda -11% Vauxhall -10%

PEUGEOT -5%

FORD +19% March 2017

Marque

2017

Abarth Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet Citroen Dacia DS Fiat Ford Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Lotus Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz MG MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Peugeot Porsche Renault SEAT Skoda smart SsangYong Subaru Suzuki Toyota Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo Other British Other Imports Total

948 1,239 425 30,867 358 34,873 18 12,977 5,773 2,183 12,930 71,837 11,635 18,460 985 9,571 1,807 18,801 22,534 2,888 39 429 11,178 74 35,690 749 12,942 3,421 36,939 19,168 2,848 19,014 11,200 13,655 2,172 956 706 8,602 24,508 46,564 39,485 9,710 106 1,073 562,337

% market share 0.17 0.22 0.08 5.49 0.06 6.20 0.00 2.31 1.03 0.39 2.30 12.77 2.07 3.28 0.18 1.70 0.32 3.34 4.01 0.51 0.01 0.08 1.99 0.01 6.35 0.13 2.30 0.61 6.57 3.41 0.51 3.38 1.99 2.43 0.39 0.17 0.13 1.53 4.36 8.28 7.02 1.73 0.02 0.19

March 2016

2016

714 1,139 186 30,483 290 32,470 2 13,734 5,274 3,388 13,190 60,349 13,139 16,802 392 5,659 2,597 16,207 18,234 3,104 32 214 11,499 0 30,243 576 12,526 4,340 28,489 20,209 2,293 17,866 8,677 12,527 1,900 970 704 7,943 21,481 51,902 38,694 7,488 106 675 518,707

% market share 0.14 0.22 0.04 5.88 0.06 6.26 0.00 2.65 1.02 0.65 2.54 11.63 2.53 3.24 0.08 1.09 0.50 3.12 3.52 0.60 0.01 0.04 2.22 0.00 5.83 0.11 2.41 0.84 5.49 3.90 0.44 3.44 1.67 2.42 0.37 0.19 0.14 1.53 4.14 10.01 7.46 1.44 0.02 0.13

% change 32.77 8.78 128.49 1.26 23.45 7.40 800.00 -5.51 9.46 -35.57 -1.97 19.04 -11.45 9.87 151.28 69.13 -30.42 16.01 23.58 -6.96 21.88 100.47 -2.79 0.00 18.01 30.03 3.32 -21.18 29.66 -5.15 24.20 6.43 29.08 9.00 14.32 -1.44 0.28 8.30 14.09 -10.28 2.04 29.67 0.00 58.96 8.41

2017 1,301 1,719 645 47,780 581 49,481 18 18,347 8,206 3,211 17,577 104,524 17,771 27,856 1,285 13,134 2,762 29,705 29,739 3,894 88 640 15,169 137 54,837 1,065 17,267 5,104 53,350 28,393 3,737 25,126 16,782 22,322 3,217 1,359 932 13,951 35,039 66,733 59,778 13,582 175 1,697 820,016

Year-to-date (YTD) % market share 0.16 0.21 0.08 5.83 0.07 6.03 0.00 2.24 1.00 0.39 2.14 12.75 2.17 3.40 0.16 1.60 0.34 3.62 3.63 0.47 0.01 0.08 1.85 0.02 6.69 0.13 2.11 0.62 6.51 3.46 0.46 3.06 2.05 2.72 0.39 0.17 0.11 1.70 4.27 8.14 7.29 1.66 0.02 0.21

2016

1,027 1,608 274 47,380 458 46,495 3 21,354 7,453 5,284 18,665 93,897 19,709 25,368 524 8,680 3,746 24,162 24,118 4,337 87 327 17,191 0 47,239 992 16,178 6,585 43,843 30,991 3,326 23,959 13,390 20,422 2,837 1,383 985 11,545 30,788 75,032 57,443 11,508 169 1,018 771,780

% market share 0.13 0.21 0.04 6.14 0.06 6.02 0.00 2.77 0.97 0.68 2.42 12.17 2.55 3.29 0.07 1.12 0.49 3.13 3.12 0.56 0.01 0.04 2.23 0.00 6.12 0.13 2.10 0.85 5.68 4.02 0.43 3.10 1.73 2.65 0.37 0.18 0.13 1.50 3.99 9.72 7.44 1.49 0.02 0.13

% change 26.68 6.90 135.40 0.84 26.86 6.42 500.00 -14.08 10.10 -39.23 -5.83 11.32 -9.83 9.81 145.23 51.31 -26.27 22.94 23.31 -10.21 1.15 95.72 -11.76 0.00 16.08 7.36 6.73 -22.49 21.68 -8.38 12.36 4.87 25.33 9.30 13.39 -1.74 -5.38 20.84 13.81 -11.06 4.06 18.02 3.55 66.70 6.25

Figures supplied by SMMT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

Open for business.

Open.

Integrated.

Customisable. incadea.dms is new to the UK and we’re open for business.

An open-platform DMS that will facilitate third-party integration. We’re already live in the UK, and globally have over 3,500 dealerships and 95,000 users on our platform – it’s that reach that has made us Microsoft’s biggest Global Dynamics Partner.

Before you make a decision on your future DMS strategy, why not talk to us and discover how an open approach can benefit your business?

Find out why we’re different at incadea.co.uk

74 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Powered by

MARKET INSIGHT.

..in association with ASE-global.com

Motor shares continue impressive recovery But another record March isn’t necessarily down to VED changes, says Adam Cottam

A

s another month passes by, so does another record for UK registrations, with the SMMT confirming that more than half a million vehicles were registered during 2017’s first quarter – a 6.2 per cent increase on last year’s first quarter – while an 8.4 per cent increase was seen in March alone.

This made it the biggest month since records began. And in a month where we saw Theresa May finally invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and the last March Budget, the share prices of listed UK motor retailers continued to rise as several of them posted extremely healthy yearend results. We saw little transactional activity aside from the potentially landscape-changing PSA capture of GM’s European operations.

It will be very interesting to see the impact this will have in the long term on the Vauxhall and PSA networks in the UK. In March, share prices continued to recover, and many had got back to the levels seen before the post-Brexit slump. Inchcape, Lookers and Marshall all benefited from very strong final results, and the rest were also buoyed by the anticipation of yet another record March.

The FTSE 100 also continued to climb, and while the renewed economic optimism we have seen in the back half of last year is still present, there is a worry that growth in the UK economy is slowing as inflationary pressures caused by a weak pound begin to trickle through.

For motor retail, inflationary pressures are already beginning to show, as the manufacturers come out of their hedged positions, with increases in some model prices now visible.

Economists expect wider UK inflation to increase to three per cent as we move through to the second half of the year which, if not accompanied by an unlikely equivalent growth in wage packets, will have a negative impact on household spending power, hurting the motor industry.

Although registrations do not necessarily equate to profit – and even sales in the case of pre-registrations – the data is usually a decent barometer of the marketplace. Although many are commenting that the figures are because of VED changes pulling forward vehicle sales into March, based on the conversations we are having with operators we don’t think the consumer has been aware of the changes, and therefore we think this influence is negligible.

Share price movement from January 3 to March 31, 2017

Share price movement from January 3 to February 28, 2017

Pendragon

112.0%

108.8%

Vertu

112.6%

109.8%

Lookers

109.4%

105.1%

Inchcape

119.9%

106.9%

Cambria

120.0%

108.3%

Caffyns

96.2%

96.2%

Marshall

123.2%

119.6%

We do expect the market to soften, however, putting further emphasis on used and aftersales performance on dealerships across the UK as we move through 2017.

Financial performance Inchcape, Lookers and Marshall released final results, while at the start of the month Vertu published a pre-close statement for the 12 months to February 2017.

Globally, Inchcape’s revenues were up 14 per cent overall, although these were influenced by the weakened pound in the second half of the financial year. Using constant currency, however, showed growth was still a healthy 7.6 per cent.

The UK broke through the £3bn mark for turnover for the first time, representing an 11.2 per cent growth on last year.

Trading profit of £63.5m was attributable to the UK, helped largely by the increase in used volumes (up 15 per cent) in tandem with expanding margins.

Lookers’ revenue reached £4.3bn to the end of December 2016, an increase of 17 per cent yearon-year. Pre-tax profit increased from £62.8m to £91.8m, although this did include the exceptional profit of £28m from the sale of its parts operation.

It was also a significant year in the history of Marshall Motor Holdings, following its addition of the Ridgeway business in the second quarter.

In addition, we saw numbers including the first full 12 months of the SG Smith Group acquisition the year before, and the results reflected the effect of this, along with seven months of Ridgeway, as revenue was up 54.1 per cent. Like-for-like revenue growth was up 10.7 per cent underpinned by solid organic growth in all business segments.

Vertu released its pre-close statement for the 12 months to February 28, with the final results due on May 10. Group revenue growth of 16.6 per cent, 4.8 per cent like-for-like, was reportedly driven by robust performance in used and service.

Used volumes were up 13.1 per cent, 7.8 per cent like-for-like. Vertu’s performance in used was highlighted by an increase of revenue for 23 per cent, six per cent like-for-like.

In fact, 38 per cent of group gross profit came from the aftersales performance, further demonstrating how key this area is for the business. New has seen a softening in volume, but margins were maintained through robust price discipline. Looking at operating expenses, a ratio of 9.7 per cent relative to revenue was maintained compared with previous years.

Who is Adam Cottam?

Adam is corporate finance executive at dealer profitability specialist ASE plc. You can read his column here every month.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

REAL DEALS.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Something a bit special – and probably a very worthwhile investment ANDY ENTWISTLE kicks off the first in a new series of Real Deals features with a car he was keen on in his youth

T

o celebrate the return of Real Deals to Car Dealer Magazine’s hallowed pages, we’ve been on the hunt for something a little special. We wanted something that would appeal to everyone. Something we would all love to have in our garage. Yes, there are a plethora of Ferraris out there, but let’s be honest, they can be a little, well, in your face. Not that this month’s Real Deal won’t get you noticed, but it’s likely to provoke a rather different type of hand gesture than your everyday supercar.

Launched towards the end of Mk3 production, the RS Turbo finally arrived in October, 1984.

With 132bhp, the RS Turbo was by some margin the most powerful Escort that Ford had ever sold. As a teenager growing up in the midto late 80s, the RS Turbo was without doubt the car that we all wanted.

With a 0-60 time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 122mph, the car was seriously quick for its time and all from a 1597CC turbocharged fourpot engine. The RS Turbo was also the first ever front-wheel-drive car to get a limited-slip diff.

What may surprise you is that Ford only ever produced 5,000 of the Mk3, all in white (actually, one was officially produced in black, especially for Princess Diana) and they were only ever sold in a handful of European countries.

This makes an original, legitimate Escort Mk3 Turbo a very rare car. I say legitimate as many Series 3 Escorts have been modified to look, sound and go like Turbos (in fact many of the Mk3 Turbos were also modified) and in no way was this ever a good thing.

A quick bit of investigation with ‘How many left?’ suggests there are fewer than 200 of these on the road now, with another 900 or so on SORN.

This might well be the most expensive Escort out there

76 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

These days, the RS Turbo is unlikely to keep up with a modern TDI in a straight drag race – however, it’s no slouch and still possesses the great handling characteristics of the Mk3 Escort when it comes to chuckability !

This particular car can be found at Harrogate Specialists Lawton Brook.

Subject to a full bare-metal restoration and having covered only 26,000 miles since new, it also has all the desirable extras of the period.

Tilt and slide sunroof, check. Factory-fit spotlights, check. Three-spoke steering wheel, white dials, Recaro seats and huge (for the time) 15-inch wheels. Check, check, check.

At nearly £30k, this might well be the most expensive Escort out there, however with its provenance, low mileage and immaculate condition, we can’t help but think that it still could make a very worthwhile investment.

Fast Fords have always been good investments and just recently they seem to be having a bit of a renaissance. Here at Blackball Towers we’re already having a whip-round to see if we can afford to buy it!

TAKING STOCK. Remarketing specialist BCA analyses its latest Pulse report to give its thoughts on matters that dealers need to consider in the months ahead

March notches up the highest headline figure since reports began Auction halls are seeing a continued richer mix, but market dynamics are set to change, writes Simon Henstock, BCA’s chief operating officer for UK remarketing

A

verage values continued to rise in March thanks to steady demand from professional buyers and improved conversion rates. The headline average value reached a record figure for the second month running and there were average value improvements across the board.

Year-on-year, average values rose by nearly 13 per cent as we offered a richer mix of stock with a lower age and mileage profile.

Average values for fleet and lease stock rose to the highest point on record, while price performance for dealer part-exchange vehicles and nearly-new vehicles improved over the month.

March recorded the highest headline figure since Pulse began reporting in 2005, although values rose only marginally by £28 to £8,850. Year-on-year values were up by 12.9 per cent (£1,012), with average age and mileage falling by four months and 3,000 miles respectively.

We are experiencing a continued richer mix of stock in the auction halls, which is helping to keep average values firm. Buyer demand was significant in March and conversion rates rose as a result.

Reflecting seasonal patterns, we saw greater volumes from dealer part-exchange sources and expect this uplift to continue in the weeks ahead.

However, as volumes remain high and with Easter imminent at the time of writing, we should expect to see the dynamics in the market change quite noticeably over the coming weeks.

Easter is typically seen as a watershed in the marketplace, and, while demand remains strong,

it has waned from the peak we experienced in March. In a more crowded marketplace, buyers will focus on the ready-to-retail cars and that is the benchmark that will see the best returns.

This means not just retail-standard presentation and condition but also ensuring vehicles are offered for sale with V5, MOT, service history, spare keys, locking wheel nuts, sat-nav discs and any other items that make the car complete.

Vehicles in poorer condition need to be realistically priced to generate interest in a crowded marketplace. It is important to appraise and value vehicles accurately, and it would not be a surprise to see some pressure on average values in the short term.

Average values in the fleet and lease sector

Average values in fleet and lease sector

£10,455

rose to a new record high, rising by £276 (2.7 per cent) to £10,455.

Retained value against original manufacturer’s retail price improved by a point to 43.4 per cent, while year-on-year values were up significantly, rising by £714 (7.3 per cent), as both age and mileage continue to decline.

Dealer part-exchange values rose by just £26 to £4,594 in March, maintaining a price performance that has been relatively stable over the past 12 months.

Year-on-year values were ahead by £212 (4.8 per cent), with average age and mileage little changed over the period.

After two months of falling values, average nearly-new values improved by £767 to £18,194 in March, with model mix having a significant effect in this low-volume sector.

Average nearly-new values:

£18,194

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 77

AUCTIONS.

BCA wheels deal

Henstock

BCA has acquired 75 per cent of Supreme Wheels Direct Ltd, specialists in alloy wheel refurbishment, for an undisclosed sum.

Supreme launched in 2010, employs 45 staff and is based in Milton Keynes.

Over the last seven years, it has invested heavily in both research and development and the facilities required to refurbish large volumes of alloy wheels to a high enough standard to satisfy manufacturers.

The acquisition will allow BCA and Supreme to work closely together.

Avril Palmer-Baunack, executive chairman of BCA, right, said: ‘The acquisition of Supreme represents an important investment in technical expertise that allows us to control the quality and effectiveness of the refurbishment of vehicles under our control.’

AUCTION STATIONS

Less down-time, thanks to digital developments

M

Haydock site’s award from car-hire company Manheim facility praised by Enterprise Rent-A-Car

M

anheim Haydock has won the prestigious ‘Auction of the Year’ honour from Enterprise Rent-A-Car at its newly-launched supplier and partner awards, following outstanding performance delivered throughout 2016.

Chris Ratcliffe, corporate remarketing manager, UK and Ireland at Enterprise Holdings, said: ‘Manheim Haydock stood out in terms of its overall performance – ranking highly for sales performance, speed of collections and conversion rates throughout 2016. It has a positive ‘‘can-do’’ culture that delivers exceptional customer service to its buyers.

‘The presentation of vehicles, sales day administration and communication before, during and post-sale has been exceptional.

‘For the second year running, Manheim Haydock has significantly grown its sales

volumes from Enterprise and has shown that it is capable of delivering larger sales.’

Tim Hudson, managing director of Inventory Solutions at Cox Automotive UK, which includes Manheim, said: ‘I am incredibly proud of the entire team at our Haydock auction centre, from those running the highly efficient administration behind the scenes to those on the rostrum.

‘It is a real honour to be recognised not only for our operational excellence, but also our culture of customer service, which is unrivalled in our industry.

‘We have invested in our facilities to present vehicles in the best possible way and make our processes more efficient, but the success of our partnerships with companies like Enterprise is also a result of having the best team members in the business, who deliver fantastic service and performance for our clients every day.’

ost markets experience seasonality and the used car sector traditionally has experienced busy spring and autumn periods, separated by a slowdown in the summer. But in this age of digital innovation and online trading, does it really matter what time of year it is?

The registration plate changes in March and September traditionally stimulate new sales and plenty of part-exchange stock will reach the remarketing sector. There will also be an influx of stock from fleets, contract hire and leasing sources.

Any uplift in volume has the potential to change the balance in the marketplace and can impact on values as buyers simply have more choice. However, generally, we expect to see rising demand at these times in the used car sector, which tends to see a peak in interest from motorists looking to change or upgrade their vehicles.

Easter can be a watershed for the used sector, however, as potential retail buyers may start to focus on funding the summer holiday rather than changing the car.

There is usually an element of seasonality attached to the sales of convertibles, which tend to do better in the spring and summer months, and 4x4s, SUVs and off-road vehicles which typically climb when the weather is worsening.

The broader seasonal patterns – busy early in the year, slower post-Easter and into the summer, then picking up again in the early autumn – are a little less defined than they once were. Thanks to the effect of digital platforms, the used car trade rarely has any down-time these days and with increasing volumes of business being conducted over the internet you can technically buy a ‘virtual’ used car at any time of the day or night, 365 days a year.

Whatever the market conditions, to source good-quality stock quickly and efficiently, simply log on to BCA Auction View and enter your search criteria.

With over 25,000 vehicles typically on sale it’s the UK’s biggest vehicle marketplace.

Who is Simon Henstock? ‚

He is BCA UK s chief operating officer for remarketing. Visit bca.co.uk or call 0845 600 6644.

ROCKINGHAM AUTOMOTIVE DEFLEET & REMARKETING CENTRE VEHICLE REMARKETING SERVICES 1. Logistics Our dedicated collection team are experienced in all forms of vehicle movement from doorstep inspection/ collection featuring detailed damage costings supported by digital images signed by the customer to the more standard movement of single or multi vehicle transporter load. With six strategically positioned UK wide drop off locations we have the ability to cover the England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland regions for all aspects of recovery.

2. Inspection On arrival all vehicles are inspected to the NAMA grading standard, the standard you can trust. This nationally defined scheme will enable the best possible prices to be achieved.

Vehicles of specific grades will attract certain buyer groups therefore ensuring that vendors obtain the best audience both physically and online. The transparent grading of used vehicles within the industry has encouraged growth in the online buying practices of major motor retailers at all specialist corporate fleet sale events.

3. Presentation Every vehicle is presented to a retail clean standard to ensure the best possible financial return is achieved. This small investment is an essential ingredient to the overall result for the corporate vendor. The vehicle presentation takes place immediately prior to digital imagery of vehicles which are then uploaded to website and smartphone applications for marketing purposes.

78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

3 UK wide inspection and collection service at competitive pricing 3 Strategically positioned central hub to provide nationwide single centre sale events 3 Every vehicle presented to a retail clean standard 3 Expert refurbishment programme tailored to your needs 3 300 acres of secure hard standing vehicle storage

N OW EVERY T U ESD AT 9.4AY 5

3 Established auction programme to suit both corporate and dealer group part exchange 3 State of the art Online Centre to offer vehicles 24/7 direct to marketplace 3 Asset Recovery System – digital platform to track, recover and remarket the asset 3 Fleet Management Department – Experienced, knowledgeable and dependable

For further information please contact Michael Tomalin 07808 791210 or email mt@cityauctiongroup.com

Rockingham Speedway, Mitchell Road, Corby NN17 5AF

www.cityauctiongroup.com

Cox Automotive helps dealers get the edge with new Stock Insight tool. bit.ly/cox-110

Debut HR Owen sale at BCA Blackbushe is a big success Conversion and price performance figures were ‘exceptionally strong’

APPOINTMENT

Fiona will help firm lead way in technology

T

he debut sale by HR Owen of high-end luxury vehicles at BCA Blackbushe was a great success, attracting a large crowd of buyers both in the auction lanes and online to bid competitively and enthusiastically.

With an extensive selection of vehicles on offer, the event saw 19 high-value cars sold, for a 79 per cent conversion that realised 101 per cent of CAP Clean. BCA Live Online buyers were particularly active with 125 logging on throughout the sale.

The HR Owen sales will take place on alternate Wednesdays at Blackbushe as part of the regular Top Car event. Around 20 high-value vehicles will be on offer in each sale, all prepared to retail standard.

BCA’s major account manager, Suzanne Spencer, said: ‘We were delighted with the result of this debut sale at Blackbushe for HR Owen, a brand synonymous with luxury, prestige and performance vehicles.

‘A large crowd of buyers supported the event, both bidding in the hall

The cars looked exceptional, said Mark Rose, HR Owen’s head buyer and via BCA Live Online, and the conversion and price performance figures were exceptionally strong.’

Mark Rose, HR Owen’s head buyer, added: ‘The pre-sale preparation and presentation by BCA was first-class and the cars looked exceptional when they were offered for sale.

‘The buying power supporting the event was notable, with confident bidding across the board up to and

including cars valued in excess of six figures. We have had an exceptional result in this first sale and look forward to building on this with BCA going forward.’

HR Owen is one of the world’s largest retailers of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti cars.

The company is headquartered in London and operates 14 sales and 17 aftersales sites across 11 brands.

Manheim agrees two-year deal with Heritage Automotive MANHEIM has signed a new two-year deal with Heritage Automotive, which will see around 3,000 part-exchange vehicles offered through Manheim’s Bristol auction centre every year.

The company holds franchises for Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen – for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles – across 11 sites in the southwest.

Cook, used car director Car Darren dealer new strip ad 3/16 at Heritage Automotive, said: ‘We

pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service and experiences through our dedicated and qualified staff, and we are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with Manheim, which has similar values.’

Manheim’s Bristol auction centre offers more than 75,000 quality used cars every year from its purpose-built, three-lane, site. Page 1 26/9/16 29-acre 14:32 Tim Hudson, managing director

THE FLEET AUCTION GROUP - THE UK’S

N1 O

TRADE ONLY AUCTION

of Inventory Solutions at Cox Automotive UK, which includes Manheim, said: ‘We have made a huge investment in the Manheim Bristol auction centre in the past year. Our new inspection system and 360-degree imagery booths present every vehicle in the best possible way and our team members work hard to deliver the greatest performance and service for our customers.’

BCA has supported its digital ambitions with the appointment of Fiona Hall, above, as its new head of online products.

Hall joins the business from Waitrose where she was online grocery proposition manager.

She will be responsible for developing BCA’s content management systems, Auction View, PEEP and BCA Live Online.

Duncan Gray, group chief information officer at BCA, said: ‘BCA has put digital services at the heart of its plans. It is important that we support this growth with the best talent. Fiona brings a wealth of experience and a real passion for the power of digital platforms.’

The company has seen a 25 per cent increase in online sales over the last 12 months and recently reported a leap in mobile usage.

Hall said: ‘We aim to lead the industry in new technology and I’m looking forward to playing my part in this transformation.’

Purpose built 12 acre auction complex Central UK location Fixed cost buyers premium Fleet Car Sales every Monday & Thursday at 10am Collection of vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Excellent variety of weekly stock from premium sources Regular Top Car Sales. Vans, Truck & Plant every week Enclosed and heated auction halls and viewing area All new website & stock locator. On-line bidding The UK’s finest auction restaurant Call for account application

The Fleet Auction Group Ltd., Stephenson Industrial Estate, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3HG Telephone: 01530 833535 Email: info@fleetauctiongroup.com www.fleetauctiongroup.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 79

80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

RECRUITMENT.

New people director is welcomed to CarShop

JENNINGS FORD

Experienced Fiona Cottle was stand-out candidate, says CEO

C

arShop has announced the appointment of new people director Fiona Cottle.

She joins the used car retailer from global fashion chain Primark, in a bid to assist CarShop in leading the evolution of the automotive marketplace.

Bringing more than 25 years of human resources experience, Cottle, right, joined Primark straight out of university and has spearheaded the retailer’s UK and international growth from a people perspective.

She said: ‘After meeting with CarShop CEO Jonathan Dunkley, I was captured by his vision for the future of the business, as well as his ambitious growth plans. I was presented with a great opportunity to use my experience to facilitate the growth of a medium-sized customer-centric business, and that was a huge pull. I was also able to easily draw similarities between challenges facing this industry and ones I tackled in my

previous role, and that grabbed my attention.

‘Shortly after I was approached for the role, I conducted a mystery shop at one of the CarShop stores and was instantly impressed by the operation and people.’

Dunkley said: ‘We have an extremely ambitious growth strategy, something we’re fully aware can only be driven by people. Our existing people team have done tremendous work in establishing CarShop as one of the best employers in the industry, but it’s essential that we take our strategy to the next level as we strive to be a world-class retailer.

‘Fiona’s background perfectly complements the role and the objectives set out for the growth of the business.

‘Throughout the recruitment process, Fiona was a stand-out candidate and made it abundantly clear that she can help shape our business for the future. Myself and the entire team are delighted Fiona has joined us.’

Paul joins bodyshop team JENNINGS Ford, part of the Jennings Motor Group, has strengthened its aftersales team with the appointment of a new panel repair technician.

Paul Blackburn, 48, from Ovingham in Northumberland, is the latest member to join the bodyshop team at the group’s Eslington Park dealership in Gateshead.

In his new role, the time-served panel repair technician, who has more than 29 years’ experience in the industry, will work as part of a nine-strong team, where he will be responsible for assessing damage to vehicles, removing and repairing damaged panels and completing reports of work carried out.

Available on iPad FREE app download free subscription interactive content Powered by

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The way we buy, choose and use technology is changing tips for Choosing your software provider

1

As the next era of finance technology becomes available, being stuck in a long-term contract that means you can’t use it, is not what any progressive dealer wants.

82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk www.codeweavers.net

2

We see the confidence of companies such as Netflix, which offers a simple monthly billing period that can be ended at any time, as a guiding pioneer.

contactus@codeweavers.net

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A one size fits all approach is not enough. The approach must be fresh, exciting and personalised and ensures you are at the forefront of the industry.

0800 021 0888

KEY NOTES

..in association with Traka

Data is a gift for dealers

Information can be turned into value-added services to build loyalty, says Paul Smith

W

e all know that more and more elements of the buying cycle happen away from the dealership these days – predominantly in the comfort of customers’ living rooms in front of a laptop.

So how can dealer managers entice more prospective and existing customers to come into their local dealership and, perhaps more importantly, how do they improve the customer experience when they are there?

Most of us today, if we are working full-time or nearly full-time, are time-poor. We need things done quickly and we need to be kept informed of progress if we are waiting for a service or product to be delivered.

Technology enables us to track everything in near real-time – from the parcels we are awaiting to the (hopefully) winning bid on that gadget we found on eBay. Our tolerance for surprises, and for waiting without explanation, is diminishing.

That would explain why many of the major franchise dealerships are investing significantly in improving the ‘waiting room’ customer experience. It is worth looking at how the servicing experience could be improved for customers by taking our cue from the largest BMW dealer in Germany which has deployed RFID technology to track cars that arrive at the facility for servicing.

Up to 400 cars pass through this Munich servicing facility each day, attended to by 130 mechanics. With so many cars moving through, the dealership was looking for an easier way to track vehicles as they are serviced. So, systems integrator Dimension Data installed RFID readers at 70 locations throughout the dealership.

Upon arriving at the dealership, each car is given an RFID-enabled tag, which is hung from the car’s rear view mirror.

Customers in the waiting room can view a dedicated information screen, much like you might see at Argos, only this one tells you which servicing stage your car is at and what time it will be ready for collection. You can even view progress from a mobile app on your smartphone if you’ve chosen to nip back to the office rather than wait. This innovation has gone down very well with time-pressed customers. Could a scaleddown version of this sort of system by seen in BMW dealerships in the UK any time soon?

In the UK, we are already seeing big investments by prestige groups and manufacturers to entice people back into these brand-spanking new and beautiful buildings. The new dual JLR ‘Arch’ dealerships which have been rolled out over the last two years point the way in terms of providing drive-in or valet-supported servicing, combined with plush waiting facilities.

So, gone is the need to drop your car in an overcrowded forecourt before trying to find the service desk to drop off your keys. The aim is to take the strain out of the drop-off and pick-up processes, while also keeping you informed every step of the way through the servicing process. The JLR Arch dealership refit does not come cheap at £80-170 per square foot, but one

of the potential upsides for joint dealerships is the ability to sell Jaguars to existing Land Rover customers and vice versa.

Improving customer experience and engagement no longer only belongs inside the confines of a dealership. The Smart Driver Club On-Board Diagnostics connected app is just one data-driven way of adding value.

The Smart Driver Club is happy to allow you to white-label their mobile app-based service which gives vehicle usage information to your customers via an app on their mobile phone.

They can set it up to tell them how many miles they are doing in an average month; when their next service is due; and gather information about which maintenance warnings they need to pay attention to.

Because this information can also be available to a dealership, your dealership could be phoning up its customers to book in maintenance and servicing work, based on real diagnostics information about what needs to be done.

This information equals power for the customer but could also deliver extra servicing revenue for you.

By discussing this OBD data, a potential dealercustomer trust issue also evaporates. No longer will customers feel press-ganged into potentially unnecessary servicing. The Smart Driver Club app will confirm to them that the work that the dealer is recommending is indeed required.

As the ‘internet of things’ penetrates deeper into the automotive world, we are likely to see much more car usage and maintenance data at our fingertips. It will then be in the dealers’ gift to turn this data flow into value-added services – commanding greater customer loyalty and thereby safeguarding your current, as well as your future, customer base.

Who is Paul Smith?

Paul Smith heads Traka Automotive, part of the ASSA Abloy Group brand Traka. ASSA Abloy bought the electronic key management software provider eTag Solutions, which was founded by him. Traka is a leader in intelligent access control, key management control solutions and keyless electronic lockers.

Keys can make you money…

Find out how at www.traka-automotive.com The only viable key management solution for automotive Email automotive@traka.com or call 0845 225 2910

traka-auto 1-6pg.indd 1

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83 15/12/2016 09:56

DATA FILE.

James Litton

TRADER TALES

Action required in face of digital disruption

A

t the end of 2015, I wrote a piece about Carwow and the disruptive impact it was having in franchised car showrooms across the country.

James Hind, one of the company’s joint founders and possibly most visible executives, was recently omitted from an industry-recognised list of movers and shakers containing board-level types from highranking dealer groups and manufacturers.

I imagine that those who still deny Carwow and their ilk pose a threat to traditional retail business models, also attribute warm winters and dry summers to fortunate weather patterns.

BMW’s recent climbdown over allowing dealers to engage with Carwow should be the smoking gun required for the deniers to look long and hard at their businesses.

However, as I mentioned in my earlier piece, all is not lost in the fight against digital platforms.

A recent report by the consultancy firm McKinsey & Company cited business culture as being the strongest weapon in the defence against digital disruption.

McKinsey believes there are three integral elements of successful business culture.

Firstly, McKinsey believes a business should be creative and empowering. An ability to react quickly without fear is exactly what many digital disruptors can do, so why should we be any different? My concern is that too many managers feel the need to micromanage their employees. I, too, fight this shortcoming on an almost hourly basis. We should trust those around us to deliver solutions that are both clever and timely.

The next core element is that a business must operate without silos and have free and collaborative interdepartmental relationships. This is a big issue in the world of motor retail. How many service, parts and sales departments would be described as harmonious? Even head-office functions such as accounts and HR are often remote, not just operationally but physically.

The last function should be easy but is often hard to obtain: expertise. Finding talented individuals in every area of our industry is becoming more and more difficult.

The dilemma is this: often the employees with the most expertise can be those with the least co-operative mindsets and the ones least likely to engage in creative thinking.

As experienced staff leave, they are often replaced with people who are more progressive and dynamic yet lack expertise. Developing robust strategies to solve some of the issues outlined takes time to both create and implement, but one thing is clear: doing nothing is no answer at all.

‘Finding talented individuals is becoming more difficult.’

Who is James Litton?

James is general manager – director of Volvo Cars Poole. He always has something to say about the industry he loves.

84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Fruity fracas ended our supply of snacks

A

t the last dealership I worked at, the bosses of the company did their best to look after the team with regular treats. There would be the occasional KFC order for lunch, and cakes supplied on Friday afternoons.

Another little perk (they all seemed to be food-based!) was that a basket of fruit arrived every Monday morning.

Although it looked lovely, not that many of us were healthy eaters really – we were the type who would prefer a Greggs steak slice to a bunch of grapes.

As a result – and this is all very childish – some of the items ended up being used in little pranks.

These might involve banana skins on the floor; grapes left on people’s chairs... that kind of thing. One colleague of mine was even in the habit of using a couple of satsumas and a banana to make rude fruity displays.

These would be left on showroom desks which could be quite embarrassing – and not that professional really – if we went to our workstation to discuss a deal on a car with a customer.

After a particularly silly spell of juvenile gags, we were all warned that if the misbehaviour didn’t stop, the supply of snacks would dry up.

Now we weren’t that bothered about the fruit but we didn’t want to lose our pastries and fried chicken so we mended our ways for a bit. That was until one particular incident on a Friday afternoon a couple of years ago.

It all began when I decided that I would in fact have a tangerine from the fruit basket. Trouble was, I was sitting nowhere near it, so asked a colleague to gently lob it across the showroom to me.

This he did, or at least tried to, but he misfired, the fruit landed on the desk of the guy who sat next to me at the time – and knocked over his cup of tea.

Said colleague was not happy about this so chucked it back – but it was then returned with a kiwi fruit and banana thrown in (quite literally) for good measure.

Before you could say ‘apples and pears’ a full-scale fruit fight was in full flow. And, you guessed it, in walked the DP at the precise moment a bunch of grapes was flying through the air. That was the end of the Monday fruit basket – not to mention the cakes and KFCs. It was all a ‘grape’ shame – and my fault really. Sad face.

‘I asked a colleague to gently lob a tangerine across the office to me.’

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86 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

LONG-TERMERS. LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Audi A6 We pick up the keys to a new 17-plate Audi A6 Avant with some long trips planned for it.

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

P

icking up a new car is always a special occasion – especially when it’s one of the first to feature a new numberplate designation. So when I arrived at Portsmouth Audi to collect the replacement for ‘my’ outgoing Q7 to see a new 17-plate model hiding under a sheet, the palpitation was even greater than normal.

After seven months with the brilliant SUV, Audi reclaimed its 4x4 and offered to replace it with something a little different. Under the satin sheet in the Portsmouth showroom was the gloriously mean-looking Audi A6 Avant you see before you.

I’d let one of my colleagues loose on the brand’s configurator, so wasn’t quite sure what to expect when salesman Jason Havelock whipped the cover off – but my word, was I in for a treat.

Fortunately, Havelock didn’t make me wait long. After a quick introduction he asked if I was ready to meet my new car, and with that pulled the covers back to reveal the monster in all her glory. KX17 YVY is the first Audi A6 the dealership has seen in the striking Gotland Green shade you see here.

Teamed with the Lunar silver leather interior, Black Edition wheels and darkened windows, the A6 Avant looks positively menacing.

Under the bonnet it features exactly the same diesel unit that the outgoing Q7 had – a 3.0-litre TDI 268bhp lump. That means it’s good for 60mph in 5.5 seconds – half a second quicker than the heavier Q7.

Top speed is limited to 155mph, while it should return 53.3mpg on the combined cycle.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the unit compares to the SUV’s lump, especially its thirst for annoyingly frequent top-ups of AdBlue.

Costing £49,440 without extras, we soon increased the price with a few ticks in the option boxes. A head-up display (£1,240), LED headlights (£945) and adaptive air suspension (£2,000), were all added, as was a panoramic sunroof (£1,300) and heated front and rear seats (£340). Total extras and delivery fees pushed the price of our car up to £63,045.

Salesman Havelock was impressed with our picks and confirmed that the air suspension was a must-have. And he’s right – the ride on the A6 is positively plush, soaking up bumps with ease

James receives the keys to the menacing-looking Audi A6 Avant from salesman Jason Havelock

and floating you along on a wave of comfort.

I’ve already tackled a number of long trips and its relaxed nature on the road has certainly impressed. What will take more getting used to, though, is the lane assist steering. It tugs at you if you stray out of your lane and on most roads can even keep you in the right place by steering for you. It’s a little disconcerting at first, but as the miles increase I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

The clever steering works well with the radar cruise control too, which can speed up and down while keeping you a safe distance from the car in front. It’s another piece of tech that will take some time to settle into, but a useful addition nonetheless.

Sadly, the multimedia system is the older style compared with that which featured on the newer Q7. This model A6 is due to be replaced soon and still features the slightly dated MMI system.

There’s no digital dashboard option either, something I got rather used to on the off-roader.

In the few miles that I’ve managed to get under my belt in the A6 so far, I certainly haven’t noticed any less space. The boot is cavernous, offering 565 litres with the seats up, or 1,680 with them down.

That’s more than enough to swallow my horsesized Doberman when heading out for walks.

Over the next few weeks I’ve got some huge trips planned for the A6 – including one last jaunt to the Alps for some end-of-season snow.

I’m sure we’ll soon see if KX17 YVY can really live up to the legacy of its talented predecessor.

The Doberman-sized boot is a boon

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Audi A6 Avant Black Edition S tronic Price: £63,045 (with options) Engine: 3.0-litre, TDI Power: 268bhp Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 5.5 seconds Emissions: 138g/km MPG (combined): 53.3 Mileage this month: 645 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Picking up the keys – and looking forward to another week on the piste.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

LONG-TERMERS. LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Mitsubishi Mirage Juro It’s been with us for a few months now, but this well-equipped little car is off to pastures new

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

A

fter spending several months in the custody of the Car Dealer team, the time was approaching to say goodbye to our long-term Mitsubishi Mirage Juro, and it was decided that a spring-clean was in order before the car was picked up.

We headed for the local car wash (as you can see from the pictures!) to make sure it was gleaming for the journey to the manufacturer’s UK head office in Gloucestershire.

So what conclusions did we reach after our time with WR66 RKJ? Well, in a nutshell, the Mirage Juro is a capable little car from a manufacturer known above all else for reliability. If you’re out and about (especially in rural areas) and see an oldish pickup or 4x4 rumbling towards you along a narrow lane, check out the badge and you may well find it’s a Mitsubishi Shogun or an L200.

This is a manufacturer that builds vehicles that go on and on and on – and although those bigger models are the ones it is best known for, it deserves credit for bringing a clever little city car to market. Mitsubishi is fond of saying the Mirage Juro is as comfortable on city streets as it is on motorways. It’s a claim it is fully entitled to make – and we should know, having enjoyed trips of varying lengths in it over the past few months.

A quick recap of its main features, then. Firstly, it’s one of the lightest, most aerodynamic and most efficient petrol-powered hatchbacks you can buy. The Mirage Juro has emissions of 100g/km of CO2 across the range, while a combined fuel efficiency of 65.7mpg means you get more miles for your money.

The engine itself is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit, with Auto Stop and Go as standard. Both manual and automatic transmissions produce 79bhp, with 106Nm of torque, and a top speed of 112mph.

The body of the car may be lightweight, but it is strong, with Mitsubishi’s RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) safety body design. As standard, the Mirage Juro comes with six airbags, ABS, active stability and traction control, brake assist, hill start assist, emergency stop system (ESS), child-proof rear door locks, engine immobiliser and daytime running lights.

88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Before we said farewell to WR66 RKJ, a little TLC was in order to get the car looking good

The interior is simple and clean, with plenty of space for taller drivers and passengers, while a CD player and FM/AM radio come as standard, as do heated front seats, cruise control and audio controls on the steering wheel. Additionally, its useful 175-litre boot is sure to come in handy.

Our model had keyless entry and start, with no need to remove the key from your pocket or bag as you approach – simply press a little button below the door handle and Bob’s your uncle.

The Mirage Juro isn’t a big seller compared with rivals in the supermini sector but we think it’s a small car with a big personality and well worth a look. Farewell WR66 RKJ, you’ll be missed!

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Price: Engine: Power: Max speed: 0-60mph: Emissions: MPG (combined): Mileage:

Mitsubishi Mirage Juro £12,499 1.2-litre, petrol automatic 79bhp, 106Nm 112mph 11.5 seconds 100g/km 65.7 5,400

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Getting the car looking spick and span ready for its trip back to Mitsubishi HQ.

REST OF THE FLEET

Lexus NX300h

Skoda Superb

Mileage: 5,093

Mileage: 10,843

It may be a hybrid and a tax-saving dream, but when we tested it for real-world fuel economy, even around town and driving more on electric power, the car reported no more than 34mpg.

An artic threw up what must have been a rock.

Cost to Joe Public of windscreen replacement?

More than £1,000 because of removing and recalibrating various sensors in the screen. Ouch!

Seat Ibiza Cupra The little pocket rocket has been a dark horse, providing lots of thrills as well as everyday practicality

by JACK EVANS @jackrober

I

t’s with a heavy heart that I’ve handed over the keys to our long-term Cupra. Over the six months it’s been with us, it’s proved to be an absolute riot – a dab hand at long-distance motorway slogs as it is at B-road blasts.

As you can guess, I’ve rather enjoyed running this car. But rather than diving into the positives, let’s have a look at what wasn’t so great about the Cupra. First off, it doesn’t make quite the racket you’d expect it to. Even in Sport mode there’s just not the amount of noise that you’d want – especially from a 1.8-litre motor.

My colleagues have told me that the Ibiza makes a nice enough sound on the outside, but this isn’t translated to the interior. It’s a shame.

The interior plastics aren’t quite as nice as you’d want in a car of this price, either. They’re just a touch scratchy in places, but then again you have to remember that this is based on a city car – top-level executive it ain’t.

In truth though, I find it hard to speak negatively about this car. It has spades of character, and this is down to its sheer performance at all times.

Yes, many will argue that a Fiesta ST is only a small amount more expensive but a league ahead in terms of dynamics, but I find it to be an unfair comparison. Having driven both cars extensively, I can honestly say that if I had to choose between

the Ford and the Seat I’d grab the keys to the Cupra each and every time.

Over time it has just got better and better, dealing with sprints to the airport just as easily as trips to the shop. It’s a versatile little car, and one that I’ll miss greatly.

However, it has been replaced by one of Seat’s latest models – the Ateca. Sure, it’s a lot larger and more grown-up than the Cupra, but even if it captures just a tiny bit of the Ibiza’s character, then it’ll be a winner. Fickle? Moi?

Volvo S90

Citroen C3

Mazda MX-5 RF

Mileage: 4,310

Mileage: 5,004

Mileage: 4,464

The fact the Volvo On Call phone app talks to your diary and knows where you’ll be going makes programming the sat nav child’s play – and you can do it from the comfort of your home, too.

This supermini is a new addition to the fleet – so new, in fact, that we haven’t had a chance to try it out properly yet, but we can’t wait to and will be bringing you a welcome report next month.

Not satisfied with just bending James Fossdyke’s spine, he reports that the ‘excruciating’ retractable fastback has also taken to squeezing his suitcases with its less-than-capacious boot.

Seat’s hot hatch wins hands down over its Fiesta ST rival in Jack’s books and will be much missed

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Seat Ibiza Cupra Price: £18,900 Engine: 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 268bhp, 320Nm Max speed: 146mph 0-60mph: 6.7 seconds Emissions: 145g/km MPG (combined): 45.6 Mileage: 11,550 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Trying and failing to really find something negative to say about the supermini.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

BAGGOTT.

Have you got our FREE iPad app? Download it here bit.ly/CDMiPad

Technology’s fine, but I don’t want my car to crash while I snooze

T

he human brain and its ability to concoct better, cooler and smarter things than ever before never ceases to amaze me. The fact some people aren’t simply content with sitting back and reading the paper with a cup of tea, and instead spend their waking hours perfecting, refining and improving even the simplest of everyday objects, always staggers me.

The internet, for example, came from a human brain. Space travel? Someone thought of that. A camera that takes images of the world and puts them on a piece of paper – yep, a human nailed that. A small piece of plastic you stick in your eye to make you see properly? Another human. Even brain surgery came out of a human brain.

Every year the innovation continues: Time Magazine named a levitating light bulb, a folding bicycle helmet and Apple’s wireless headphone Airpods among 25 of its best inventions of 2016. Ok, so they might not quite rival the might of the internet, or penicillin, as milestone steps forward for humanity but they show the power of our desire to constantly invent is very much alive and strong.

Closer to home, the constant march of improvement is never more so apparent than in cars. Every new model claims to be better than the last, boasting new technology and gadgets that will make our lives more comfortable. Every new car launch I attend starts with a product specialist standing in front of very many PowerPoint slides, all of which explain how the new car is better than the old one. This is usually closely followed by said person explaining why all the new technology makes it even better than before.

Now, I love new ideas. I lap up new technology and new fads like the perfect consumer. Apple Watch? Yes please.

3D TV? Yep. Virtual reality? I’ll take it. But this all comes with a caveat: It has to work – and it has to work perfectly.

Unfortunately in the automotive world, those great ideas don’t always meet that stringent criteria.

Let’s take voice control. I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at the number of times I’ve sat shouting at my car, as if it were a badly behaved dog, asking it to do something very simple indeed. Usually something which my finger could achieve with less of an increase in blood pressure and in half the time than it takes to tell an illiterate robot to do it for me. If anyone can convince me voice control is anything other than a gimmick, then I’m all ears.

Self parking? Pointless. If you can’t park your car, don’t get in it. It’s never as quick or as smooth as it should be, it fails to spot spaces you know you could get in, and feels

Who is James Baggott?

about as natural as swimming with your clothes on. Even tech as simple as automatic windscreen wipers doesn’t work quite as well as it should. Ok, some might find it’s quite nice not to have to think about turning them on – but they’re probably the same people who forget to put shoes on before leaving the house. Flow chart: Is it raining? Yes: Turn them on. No: Turn them off. Simple.

It’s the same with automatic headlights. The newest systems can ‘blank’ out the car in front or oncoming traffic and still illuminate the road in front of you, but then throw in a bend or some other road users and it gets itself tied up in a flashing mess. What’s wrong with turning lights on and off yourself? I mean, honestly, how lazy do you have to be to want that to be done for you?

Ok, I get that I’m starting to sound old-fashioned now – and that’s not my point. I want change, I want improvements,

James Baggott ‘Self parking? Pointless.

AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGMENT, WE GIVE OUR CEO THE LAST WORD EACH MONTH

If you can’t park your car, don’t get in it.’

I just want them to be well thought through and work perfectly. We’re at a pivotal point in the car world right now where boffins and bosses are attempting to convince us that very soon our cars will be able to take over and drive for us, completely autonomously.

And I’ve got big issues with that – especially when the semi-autonomous functions on most modern cars just don’t work perfectly. Take automatic lane control, the pre-cursor to autonomous steering. On my new long-term Audi A6 it works brilliantly 95 per cent of the time, but throw in some unusual road markings or repairs and it thinks you’ve strayed from your lane and attempts to fight back. Forgive me, but I simply don’t want autonomous tech to work ‘95 per cent of the time’. If I’ve decided to take a little nap in the back of my 2020 executive saloon while it pilots me down the M4, the last thing I need is some dodgy road repair to cause my car to give up and hurtle into the central reservation.

We need to be able to trust technology as breakthrough as this and trust it implicitly – and that job starts now.

Car companies should be perfecting the little things – little things like auto wipers, lane assist and voice control – if they ever want consumers to trust the big tech, like being driven to work while they sleep.

He’s the founder of Car Dealer Magazine and chief executive officer of parent company @BaizeGroup, an automotive services provider. He now spends most of his time on Twitter @CarDealerEd and annoying the rest of us.

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