Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 120

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Issue 120 | March 2018 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £5

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Editorial HEAD OF EDITORIAL Rebecca Chaplin

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

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PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown

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FEATURES EDITOR Jack Evans

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SENIOR STAFF WRITER Darren Cassey

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STAFF WRITER Ryan Hirons

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MANAGING DIRECTOR BLACKBALL MEDIA Andy Entwistle andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy Contributors Felicity Bestwick, John Bowman, Jess Ernerth, Tristan Shale-Hester, Ted Welford, Adam Weller

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Welcome.

THE wonderful thing about employing apprentices is that you can send them off to do stupid tasks. In our office, there isn’t a lot of call for tartan paint or glass hammers, sadly, so I had to come up with something a little bit more original.

Ted Welford, our resident northerner and newest apprentice, is a bit of a supercar stalker and had been looking for an excuse to visit some of the most elite showrooms around. I said that was fine, but he needed to visit as many as he could in central London in a single day – and he had to do it on a Boris bike.

The Boris bike was disregarded, with Ted opting to take the tube or walk instead. A lot less amusing, but I think we dodged an extensive risk assessment by doing it his way.

The rest of the feature did remain as I envisaged, though, and you can read about Ted’s big day out – shopping like a millionaire but without the cash – from page 62.

Aside from my excitement about setting people silly challenges, this is a very important issue.

This edition marks 10 years since Car Dealer Magazine was launched, and although it’s not the biggest mag we’ve ever produced, we’ve still managed to pack it with more features than ever before (probably).

Turn to the Dashboard section and you’ll see we’ve been investigating what politicians have been driving around in, useful only really if you’re setting up shop in the Westminster area but a surprising read that should raise a few eyebrows nonetheless.

You’ll have seen in the national newspapers and online that the future of the physical dealership has been called into question this month, so we’ve contacted every manufacturer boss in the UK for their views and printed them on pages 20-23.

We’ve also been speaking to a man who’s been in the business for more than 50 years, the chairman of Harwoods, Guy Harwood. He’s a chap with some strong views about the economy and the industry.

Something that hasn’t been around for long at all, though, is Bitcoin. It’s the volatile ‘cryptocurrency’ that has seen investors buying Lamborghinis with computer code.

A couple of dealers in the UK are testing the water by letting customers use it to buy cars – we see how they’ve been getting on, and attempt to explain things for the uninitiated (us included), on page 14.

What else? Well, the list goes on, because we’ve also got the inside track on which cars from the Detroit Motor Show might make their way to UK dealerships, I’ve been speaking to some of the top British sportscar brands about why they’re seeing sales soar, and there’s a fantastic finance feature that you’ll find towards the back of the magazine.

The team have been behind the wheel of the Renault Megane R.S. that’s emblazoning the cover in a fiery shade of orange, the Infiniti QX50 and the Audi A7 Sportback.

Oh, and I almost forgot – on pages 30-32, I speak to James in an interview THAT WAS DEFINITELY HIS IDEA. It wasn’t really, I had to drag him by the ears to the Costa coffee shop in Gosport town centre to talk about this fantastic magazine and the funny-slash-disastrous things that have happened over the years.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the issue and let’s raise a glass to the next 10 years!

Cheers!

Rebecca Chaplin Head of Editorial CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

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Renault Megane R.S. A hot hatch needs to be sharp, nimble and fun to drive – is this a car that ticks all the boxes?

Two-page round-up of news from across the UK

ISSUE 120 I MARCH 2018

Dashboard.

The Big Story: Diesel hypocrisy Around the UK Getting a piece of Bitcoin action A Perfect Partnership Looking ahead to CDX The future of physical dealerships James Litton Ten years of Car Dealer Big Mike Finance

06 10 14 16 19 20 26 30 43 50

Features.

Supercar dealerships of London Guide to finance

Data File.

Car Dealer Club The Statistics Market Insight Auctions Taking Stock A Global View Real Deals

Forecourt.

Infiniti QX50 Audi A7 Sportback

56 58

Key Notes with Traka Long-termers James Baggott

62 70 84 86 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 98

Darren Cassey puts the new Audi A7 Sportback through its paces

Selected companies who can help you on the finance front

Our events...

As voted for by dealers, Car Dealer Power is unique. Details of our 2017 winners are online at bit.ly/ winners-2017 – and watch this space for news of the 2018 event!

The Car Dealer Used Car Awards, sponsored by Black Horse, celebrate the used car industry. Go online to bit.ly/UCA-winners to find out who won what in 2017.

The UK’s biggest automotive trade expo features the Live Stage, breakout sessions, workshops and much more.

Planning for our 2018 event is well under way – find out more on page 19.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

Dashboard.

THE BIG STORY

Hypocrites! The ministers still in thrall to diesel

A Car Dealer Magazine investigation has discovered that 58 per cent of cars used by ministers are still powered by diesel – despite the government’s ‘demonisation’ of the fuel

M

ore than half of the cars used by government ministers – including the prime minister Theresa May and the chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond – are diesels.

Despite the government’s increasingly antidiesel rhetoric, and just over a month before new road tax rules are set to penalise diesel drivers further, the government still has a fleet of luxury cars powered by the fuel.

A Freedom of Information investigation

by Car Dealer Magazine found that of the government’s pool of 84 ministerial vehicles, 49 are still diesel-powered.

They comprise 17 Jaguar XJ, 16 Toyota Avensis, eight Land Rover Discovery, six Ford Galaxy and two Jaguar F Pace models.

Six electric Nissan Leafs, 21 Ford Mondeo petrol hybrids and a hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai – leased last year – also form part of the fleet used by ministers. How often they are used and by whom wasn’t revealed, and research by the Car Dealer team could find hardly any pictures of ministers being driven in these alternatively fuelled cars.

Motoring journalist and TV presenter Quentin Willson said the figures were ‘shameful’.

He told Car Dealer: ‘When 49 out of the 84 cars used to chauffeur ministers are still dieselpowered, the government isn’t exactly practising what it preaches.

‘You can’t pontificate on diesel car pollution and then be driven home in one. And why, out of those 84 cars, are only six electric?’

Car Dealer Magazine founder James Baggott added: ‘When the government has waged a war on diesel car buyers, quite incorrectly so, it’s staggering to learn that 58 per cent of the fleet used by ministers – including the chancellor who has been leading the battle – are still 06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

diesel-powered. Perhaps the government’s fleet buyers know what we all do – that diesel is often the right choice for a lot of buyers.

‘These mixed messages are damaging the car industry, and educating car buyers about choosing the right fuel for them must be at the forefront of ministers’ minds instead.’

Car Dealer also asked the government for a breakdown of which cabinet members used what cars, but the request was denied for ‘security reasons’.

The government said: ‘We have decided not to disclose this information because it could be used, coupled with information already in the public domain, by someone intent on committing a crime or act of terrorism.’

Car manufacturers and dealers reacted with anger when the chancellor hiked road tax for all new diesel models in the Autumn Budget.

Instead of incentivising buyers to swap to more efficient and cleaner new diesels, the move effectively put buyers off changing – leaving many heavily polluting models still on the road.

Some manufacturers have launched diesel scrappage schemes, but there are calls from the industry for a wider, government-backed initiative to entice buyers of heavily polluting older diesel cars into cleaner, new alternatives.

We asked Mike Hawes, the chief executive of industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, for his comments.

In light of the government’s continued attacks on diesel and the harm it is doing to the industry we expected a strong response.

However, he simply said: ‘Government will have a set of policies around vehicle procurement that address environmental, industrial and security issues. Diesel vehicles continue to be a popular choice for many drivers thanks to their

Prime minister Theresa May

‘When 49 out of the 84 cars used to chauffeur ministers are still dieselpowered, the government isn’t exactly practising what it preaches. You can’t pontificate on diesel car pollution and then be driven home in one.’

Motoring journalist and TV presenter Quentin Willson

Jaguar XJ Sentinel · Theresa May is usually driven in a petrol-powered Jaguar XJ Sentinel, of which we believe the government owns five. · This luxury saloon has a 5.0-litre V8 engine and a number of special security modifications. · It has been fitted with an explosive-resistant steel plate, armoured windows with bullet-proof glass, a titanium-lined cabin, a self-contained oxygen supply and external tear gas dispensers. · Many details of the car’s specification are classified for security reasons, but the estimated cost of each is approximately £300,000.

Chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond

Home secretary Amber Rudd

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson

high performance, lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 levels.’

Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, was far more vocal. He told Car Dealer: ‘As if we needed it, this is conclusive proof that the government will talk the talk but not walk the walk on tackling the country’s toxic air.

‘The revelation that more than half the journeys taken by MPs are in diesel vehicles

is damning. The government is working hard to green-wash its reputation, not clean up our dirty air. If the environment secretary is serious about tackling this public health emergency, he would get polluting vehicles off the streets of our towns and cities and introduce a targeted diesel scrappage scheme. A good first step would be ditching the government’s own dirty diesel fleet.’

The government has committed to buying

more petrol, hybrid and electric models – and has said 25 per cent of cars in its fleet will be ultra-low emission by 2022.

In its response to Car Dealer, the government said: ‘The prime minister told Parliament in January 2017 that the Government Car Service is working to remove diesel vehicles from its fleet. These vehicles are being replaced as they become due for renewal with fit-forCarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

Dashboard.

Ministerial fleet

2

16

Nissan Leaf Electric

6

Ford Galaxy Petrol

Toyota Avensis* Diesel

Toyota Mirai Hydrogen

1

Ford Galaxy Diesel

6

Jaguar XJ Petrol

5

Jaguar F-Pace Diesel

2

Ford Mondeo Hybrid

Land Rover Discovery Diesel

8

PICTURES FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

21

* Ten Toyota Avensis models were due to be replaced in February.

Ten Honda CRV petrol models have been bought but are not yet in use.

Jaguar XJ Diesel

17

‘Perhaps the government’s fleet buyers know what we all do – that diesel is often the right choice for a lot of buyers.’

Car Dealer Magazine founder James Baggott purpose non-diesel alternatives that take into consideration operational requirements.’

The government said that 10 of the 16 diesel Toyota Avensis models listed in the Government Car Service were due for renewal in February. However, it didn’t reveal what models would replace them.

Not yet operational were 10 petrol-powered Honda CRVs, which haven’t been included in these figures.

AA president Edmund King added: ‘In recent months we have had anti-diesel rhetoric, targets for banning the sale of new diesels and diesel tax increases.

‘We have also seen a plethora of local 08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

authorities hiking parking charges for diesels.

‘There are probably good and valid reasons why more than half of the government fleet is diesel, just as there are good reasons, often based on previous government advice and tax incentives, as to why 43 per cent of drivers have diesels. The difference is that drivers don’t tell government what cars they should drive.

‘We are aware and totally understand why the prime minister and certain ministers have armoured, custom-built Jaguar XJ Sentinel supercharged 5.0-litre V8 models.

‘However, sometimes it appears that politicians follow the doctrine of ‘‘do as I say, not as I do’’.’ [CD]

Fact file • Ministerial cars are administered by the Department for Transport.

• They are driven by United Kingdom Special Forces close protection drivers and escorted by unmarked Range Rovers, close protection officers and police vehicles.

• As a general rule, large premium executive cars with petrol V8 engines seem to be the vehicle of choice for ministers.

• Only very occasionally are ministers seen in hybrids and EVs.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

HALEWOOD: Jaguar Land Rover is to cut production at its Halewood plant amid slowing demand caused

by Brexit uncertainty and concern over the future of diesel. In a statement, the company said it had delivered another record-breaking year in vehicle sales. ‘However, the automotive industry continues to face a range of challenges, which are adversely affecting consumer confidence. Ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit is being felt by customers at home and in Europe where, collectively, we sell approximately 45 per cent of total UK production.’ The company said concern around the future of petrol and diesel engines, and general global economic and political uncertainty, were also having an impact on car sales.

Production cut as demand slows down

WEST YORKSHIRE: JCT600’s Peugeot dealership in Sticker Lane, Bradford has re-opened following an extensive fourmonth redevelopment project to enhance the showroom and improve the customer experience. Peugeot Bradford has undergone a complete interior refurbishment to improve customers’ visits by incorporating the brand’s very latest retail concepts. Key features include a sixcar showroom with dedicated handover bay, upgraded hospitality areas and boutique-style furniture. ‘It’s really important to us that our customers enjoy visiting our dealerships and this means ensuring that their surroundings and the facilities available give them everything they might need,’ explained Mark Taylor, group property director.

JCT600 Peugeot dealership refurbished

What’s been hitting the headlines on the home front? Here’s a round-up of stories

DARLINGTON: The first European customer to take delivery of an all-new Nissan Leaf has done so at a dealership in County Durham, a matter of weeks after placing his order.

Leo Moran, below, aged 63 and from Hartlepool, picked up the keys to his black special-edition Leaf 2.Zero when he visited Bristol Street Motors Darlington. Moran is a retired police officer who served with the Cleveland force for 30 years. One of his duties was driving high-performance response vehicles. He first switched to electric motoring a year ago when he bought a previous-generation Nissan Leaf. ‘I’ve driven many cars of all shapes and sizes, and many performance cars, but I can say hand-on-heart the Leaf is the best car I’ve ever driven,’ he said.

‘Nissan Leaf is the best car I have ever driven’

NEWCASTLE: BCA Newcastle experienced record levels of trading in the first weeks of the new year. High levels of demand from buyers alongside the launch of a new sale programme set a new record at the centre, with more than 600 cars sold in a single week for the first time. The new Wednesday sale launched early in January meets growing demand from customers, and it has proved an instant hit with buyers. Featuring vehicles from BCA in association with Lex Autolease and UKCGR Premium, the sales are attracting record numbers of Live Online buyers as well as interest from local dealers, main agents and supermarkets.

What a week! BCA Newcastle hits new highs

News from around the UK

Dashboard.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

SOUTHAMPTON: Snows Group has opened a new dealership that will serve as a flagship site for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brands Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep.

The £2 million site in Third Avenue, Millbrook, will create up to 25 jobs including sales and administrative roles.

Group chairman Stephen Snow said: ‘Feedback from customers has been highly positive and we anticipate the FCA brand centre becoming a go-to destination for discerning motorists looking for the wow factor. Purchasing a new vehicle should be a pleasure and the new showroom environment has the senses tingling.’ This is the third Snows site representing Fiat and Abarth, alongside locations in Fareham and Newport, Isle of Wight.

New showroom ‘has the senses tingling’

STAFFORD: New Nissan dealership W R Davies has officially opened in a prime position in Stafford. Owner Jonathan Davies and dealer principal Alan Poole cut the ribbon at the £3 million Valley Drive showroom alongside Nissan Motor (GB) managing director Alex Smith. The new dealership encompasses Nissan’s luxurious new retail concept design, offering customers a comfortable and relaxing experience in welcoming and modern surroundings. Davies said: ‘I am delighted so many of our customers and friends were able to join us for our grand opening, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Alex Smith for taking time out of his very busy schedule to attend this landmark event.’

Welcoming and modern surroundings

SHROPSHIRE: Aston Barclay Prees Heath has made an impressive start to 2018 by breaking a 20-year-old company record. A recent Wednesday fleet sale, the inaugural sale for Santander, sold 290 units, the highest number sold in a single day at the site since Aston Barclay acquired Prees Heath Motor Auctions in 1998. Vendors involved included Alphabet, Zenith, LeasePlan and PSA Group. The record-breaking sale saw Santander and PSA stock achieve a 100 per cent conversion rate with used fleet prices averaging between 98 and 100 per cent of CAP. Martin Potter, Aston Barclay’s group operations director, said: ‘The weekly fleet sale at Prees has continued to grow in popularity with both vendors and buyers alike making it one of the most respected auction centres in the UK.’

Weekly fleet sale increasing in popularity

ASCOT: Mercedes-Benz of Ascot, which is owned by Vertu Motors plc, is welcoming an experienced motor retail professional as its new general manager. Neil Lines, 43, right, brings 23 years’ experience working specifically with premium German brands, and overseeing sites in locations such as Bournemouth and London, to his new role at the luxury car dealership.

Born in the UK, Neil spent most of his early life living in Germany, moving to the UK with his parents at the age of 17 and often relocating as his father was in the army. He currently lives in Camberley, Surrey, with his wife and four children, aged four to 17.

New general manager appointed

WEST LONDON: Chiswick Honda, part of the Norton Way Group, is aiming to improve its customers’ digital experiences with the installation of a new advanced dealer solution from AutosOnShow. The system uses advanced technology to provide consistent imagery that can be displayed on a website in minutes. Chiswick Honda is using the AutosOnShow DSLR turntable solution to capture HD images and videos to a consistent standard. Emma Norfolk, group marketing manager at Norton Way Motors Ltd, said: ‘The AutosOnShow system makes it easy for our team to capture and share a detailed video of our comprehensive range of used stock.’

Consistent imagery will help customer journey

WEST YORKSHIRE: Ringways Kia Leeds has moved to a standalone showroom. The dealership will be able to accommodate the all-new Stinger amongst other Kia models at the larger bespoke premises. Ringways’ Ford dealership has remained at Whitehall Road – the company’s HQ – and the company’s Kia service centre is still in Hales Road.

Stephen Russell, managing director of Ringways Kia, said before the change: ‘We are looking forward to our move to Crow Nest Lane. It will enable the dealership to provide a wider range of Kia models, as well as enhancing the already excellent customer experience at Ringways Kia.’

Standalone showroom for Kia models

Dashboard.

The best way to handle customer complaints.

Feedback: p44

GRAND CANYON TRAGEDY

Car salesman one of three killed in US ’copter crash

A

car salesman from West Sussex was one of three British tourists killed when a helicopter crashed in the Grand Canyon on February 10.

The names of the victims who died were released by police in America shortly after the incident. They were Stuart Hill, 30, his partner Becky Dobson, 27, and brother Jason Hill, 32.

Stuart Hill worked at Lookers Mercedes-Benz Brighton as a car salesman. David Currin, divisional sales director, Mercedes-Benz Kent and Sussex, said: ‘We are shocked and

APPOINTMENT

Ramirez takes top Nissan role

Stuart Hill, left, and his brother Jason

saddened to hear of the tragic death of our colleague Stuart Hill. He was very much part of the family here at Lookers Mercedes in Brighton and will be deeply missed for the energy and enthusiasm he brought with him, each and every day.

‘Stuart was very popular and well liked amongst his colleagues and his warm approach left a huge impression on everyone he met, whether it was his fellow team members or customers.’

Survivors Ellie Milward, 29, Jonathan Udall, 32, and Jennifer

Barham, 39, were airlifted to hospital in Las Vegas along with pilot Scott Booth, 42, according to local reports.

The group had gone away to celebrate Stuart Hill’s 30th birthday and had saved up for a year for the trip. In a statement paying tribute to the brothers, their grieving parents, the Rev David and Sandra Hill, said: ‘We have a large extended family and Jason and Stuart were always at the heart of it.

‘We always did things as a family and as parents we feel blessed to have had them in our lives.’

KEN Ramirez has been appointed senior vicepresident, sales and marketing, for Nissan in Europe.

He joins from Renault, where he most recently served as senior vice president, sales and marketing for the ‘G9’ group of European countries, overseeing commercial operations across 34 different markets. He has more than 26 years of experience in the automotive industry in Europe, the USA, Japan, Mexico and Latin America.

Ramirez joined the Renault-Nissan Alliance in 2002, holding various leadership roles at Nissan.

In 2013, he joined Renault as managing director of Renault UK and in 2016, he was appointed senior vice-president, sales and marketing, for Europe G9.

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Dashboard.

DIGITAL CURRENCIES

The dealers who are after a bit of the action in our brave new world

You guessed it, there’s yet another way in which the car-dealing landscape is changing. But only a handful of dealers seem to be getting involved with ‘crypto-currencies’. Ted Welford reports

C

ar dealers have really had to embrace the digital age in recent years, with web-based technology transforming the way we do business.

And now there are even digital currencies that buyers could use to pay for that hatchback on your forecourt that they’ve fallen in love with.

How could they do that? Probably by using Bitcoin, the ‘crypto-currency’ that’s grabbed more than its fair share of headlines lately.

It’s often described as ‘the big boy of blockchain technology’ – with blockchain being a clever and very high-tech new way of managing data and payment transfers. It’s not the easiest concept to grasp but a handful of car dealers around the UK have been getting involved.

With a black market behind it though, as well as values that can soar one day and hit rockbottom the next, you might think it’s a pretty risky way of letting people buy cars.

And you’d be absolutely correct. Yet for businesses willing to take that risk, there is (potentially) some serious money to be made.

The online currency has made some people rich very quickly and with minimal effort.

For those without a degree in computer programming (and that includes us), cryptocurrencies are effectively currencies made from data, which is ‘mined’ on the internet by computers in the blockchain solving algorithms.

The positive side is that it’s decentralised and limited – meaning only so many coins can be mined – and transactions take place on a peerto-peer basis rather than being controlled by a centralised institution.

It’s also worth mentioning that it’s made some people very poor. Although a few months ago, 14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Wisely Automotive added the word ‘Bitcoin’ to their ads to ‘test the water’ Bitcoin’s value was on the rise and making people a lot of money, values have since dropped.

However, you only need to flick through social media to see the money that has been made from it – with teenagers driving around in supercars and buying houses that those of us on normal salaries can only dream of.

While of course this social-media image is idealised, it’s hard to ignore what has actually become something of a phenomenon.

And with an increasing number of people signing up, Bitcoin has been too much for some dealers to ignore.

James Parsons, owner of Guildford-based SmartWay Cars Limited, believes he was the first used car dealer in the UK to accept Bitcoin when

selling a vehicle. The car in question was a 2006 Mercedes C-Class, purchased by a friend of his who was an avid fan of Bitcoin.

After the deal, Parsons certainly benefited as Bitcoin rose in value.

Unsurprisingly, Parsons was keen to make it known that he was the first dealer selling (and advertising) that he would accept Bitcoin.

‘At the end of the day it’s another way to set yourself apart from other dealers, and why wouldn’t you do that?’ he said.

‘Anything that opens up your garage to more people is something I’m willing to do. It gives us a bit of free advertising and without it, we wouldn’t be getting this attention.’

While the dealer has only actually sold one

A look back at 10 years of Car Dealer.

James Baggott interview, p30

‘It’s something you want to be first to the game with. This was the reason we decided to add the Bitcoin line to our ads.’

Arthur Kaminski

‘It’s a volatile currency, but that is the risk you take. It’s not for everyone. The problem with Bitcoin is that there are lots of loopholes.’

James Parsons

car so far with Bitcoin, Parsons said it generates inquiries over and above those he would normally receive. ‘I think the trick with Bitcoin is with high-end cars,’ he told us.

‘The opportunity for dealers who sell cars around the £100,000 mark is exceptional. It doesn’t really work on Vauxhall Corsas.’

Parsons knows the risks, though.

‘It’s a volatile currency, but that is the risk you take. It’s not for everyone. The problem with Bitcoin is that there are lots of loopholes.’

However, not every dealer using Bitcoin to sell cars feels the same way. At the time of writing, there were three other UK dealers accepting Bitcoin publicly as a payment.

Arthur Kaminski, director at Wisely Automotive, London, had only just started using the currency when we spoke to him. He, like Parsons at SmartWay Cars, saw the Bitcoin buzz as something he didn’t want to miss.

‘The way it strikes me is that it’s something you want to be first to the game with. This was the reason we decided to add the Bitcoin line to our ads – to test the water really,’ Kaminski told us. ‘We are always willing to try new things.’

SmartWay Cars was willing to try Bitcoin However, after a week of having the listing in their adverts, there had been no Bitcoin-related calls for Wisely.

‘The reality is that after a week, we have heard nothing about Bitcoin. It’s certainly not the response I thought we’d have from the listing.

‘The reality is that if, in another week, we haven’t heard anything, we will be removing the words from our adverts. We’re not a brilliant example as we have quite a niche stock list and deal with quite unusual cars, but it’s certainly not the response I was hoping for.’

The way of transferring Bitcoin into hard cash is time-consuming to say the least, with risky conversion methods, the leading one of which is probably BitPay. This was the conversion that Kaminski was going to use, but recognised the potential pitfalls.

‘The disadvantage is that while it might have a swish website, they are dealing with incredibly volatile numbers and there is a very real chance that on one of these transactions, you might not get the money for it. It’s all a bit risky.’

The currency recently suffered a blow with Lloyds Banking Group announcing that it was banning its customers from buying Bitcoin using credit cards. The group feared that the cryptocurrency’s plunging value could leave the bank in significant debt.

All things considered, it doesn’t seem surprising that Arthur at Wisely Automotive has stopped accepting it as a payment since we spoke to him. Undoubtedly, though, there is some serious money to be made from Bitcoin or one of the other emerging crypto-currencies.

It’s certainly a gamble, and one that many dealers are already monitoring closely.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

Dashboard.

The thought that brings a tear to my eye.

Big Mike: p43

Greenyer

NEW ROLES

A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

How you can turn that first dealership visit into a sale

S Michael Buxton: ‘Cox Automotive is a fantastic business’

Leadership team at Cox Automotive undergoes some major changes

C

ox Automotive has announced that its chief executive officer will be moving to a new role as chief operating officer for its international operations. On July 1, current CEO Michael Buxton will move to this new role and Martin Forbes will replace him in the UK. As chief operating officer international, Buxton will work alongside the president of Cox Automotive International and the original founder of Manheim UK, John Bailey, in a role that spans the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East.

Buxton has worked for Cox Automotive for 23 years and has held the title of CEO UK for four years, during which time he has led the organisation through a period of significant growth.

Buxton said: ‘Cox Automotive is a fantastic business and one that I am proud to work for. It is built on strong family values and our culture of customer first guides the way we work across our global operations. I am delighted to be stepping up into this international role.’

Forbes, managing director of Modix, incadea and Motors.co.uk, takes on an expanded role as chief operating officer of Cox Automotive UK, effective immediately, and will become UK CEO on July 1.

Forbes has been with Cox Automotive since 2015 where he has led the growth and development of the Modix, incadea, Motors.co.uk and Data Solutions businesses. He also has a wealth of specialist digital marketing expertise gained at the helm of two global media companies, as well as working as a director at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

etting the right price for the customer is, undoubtedly, essential in making a sale. But the right price for one customer may far exceed the budget of another – or may even not be high enough.

Understanding the customer and the priorities for their used car purchase is, therefore, crucial.

New research involving 2,000 used car buyers, commissioned by Raphael Finance at the start of 2018, provides some valuable insight into the budgets of used car buyers, as well as the deciding factors when it came to choosing their current used car.

According to the study, the £7,500-£10,001 price band is the most popular for used car buyers, with 17.4 per cent of the response base falling into this category.

However, 14.9 per cent paid between £5,001 and £7,500 and 10.7 per cent paid between £1,001 and £2,000.

Whilst common thinking might be that young drivers go for the lowest price, our research found that nearly a quarter (23.1 per cent) of 16- to 24-year-olds spent £4,000£5,000 on their used car.

But, for this age group, don’t forget the parental influence: 13.5 per cent said the purchase was paid for by someone else.

Cash is still king in the used car market, with over half (55.2 per cent) of respondents saying that was how they financed their most recent used car purchase. For nearly one in five (19.9 per cent), a combination of part-exchange and cash was chosen and 11 per cent made use of a finance deal in combination with part-ex.

Not surprisingly, price came out on top – at 40.9 per cent – as the deciding factor when choosing their last used car, although this was less important for men (39.3 per cent) than women (42.2 per cent). Model remains important, with 19.4 per cent saying this was the deciding factor.

Doing the right ‘fact-finding’ when the customer comes into the showroom all goes to help the sales pitch. Offering the right vehicles and in the right budget brackets is crucial.

In fact, and as we know, this is more important than ever, because most used car buyers have done their research online before getting anywhere near a dealer’s forecourt.

Indeed, recent research from enquiryMAX reported a 14 per cent increase in people buying on their first visit to a dealership. This seems to suggest that once the homework has been done and the dealership chosen, there is a great opportunity to make a sale at first visit – providing the right vehicles are on offer and there is a range of financing choices.

‘The £7,500 to £10,001 price band is the most popular.’

Martin Forbes: ‘Very excited’ He said: ‘I am very excited to be leading Cox Automotive in the UK through its next chapter; delivering a complete, committed and connected service to our customers.’

Forbes will immerse himself in the Manheim and NextGear Capital businesses over the next six months, and continue to lead the Modix, incadea and Motors.co.uk businesses, transitioning to the role of UK CEO from July 1.

At Manheim, Peter Bell takes on the role of managing director from Tim Hudson who has made the decision to leave the business. Bell is an accomplished business leader, with extensive operational, commercial and customer delivery experience in the financial services and automotive sectors.

He joins Cox Automotive from Jaguar Land Rover where he held the role of global financial services director.

Prior to this, he was chief operating officer at Volkswagen Financial Services.

Bell is due to join Manheim on March 19.

Darren Greenyer is deputy head of lending at Raphael Finance.

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CDX UNVEILS

VIP tickets with the Midas touch

VIP TICKET DAYS 1 & 2

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

CDX 2018

May 21 and 22, 2018, Manchester Central

IT’S TIME TO NOMINATE

We’re on the lookout for four fab unsung heroes

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

C

DX is the perfect place to celebrate everything that is great about car dealerships the length and breadth of the UK. One thing that a dealership would be nothing without is its people.

Now is the time when we’re asking for your nominations for unsung heroes you work with.

Last year we handed over our first ever Woman of the Year award with the prize being presented to Beth Constantine of Allams Skoda.

We were able to surprise Constantine with the gong at the event at Silverstone last May. Her colleagues called her an inspiration and told us that she had turned their business around in the five years she had worked there.

Not only that, but she joined our Women in the Motor Industry panel.

At the time, she told Car Dealer: ‘I am totally overwhelmed at being recognised and nominated and then going on to win this new award.

‘I will share this award with my staff at Allams Skoda, as they help and encourage me as much as I help and encourage them.’

It’s time for us to ask for your nominations for the people in your dealership who have made a difference but never look for recognition or praise.

Rebecca Chaplin hands over the 2017 Woman of the Year Award to Beth Constantine The four categories are: Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, the Longest Service Award and Trainee of the Year.

We were so impressed with the calibre of entrants and kind words from those who put forward nominations last year, that we wanted to find out about more people – of both genders – who make a difference every day in your business

and never ask for anything in return. To nominate someone. all you need to do is head to the form on the Car Dealer Magazine website.

It’s as simple as telling us who they are, what you’re nominating them for and why you think they deserve to win.

Our winners will be invited to accept their awards on stage at CDX on Tuesday, May 22.

SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS

Popular session can boost business – get great advice and grab a gong!

Scott Sinclair of Google addresses last year’s CDX social media session

DON’T miss out on a Social Media Award in 2018 – make sure your accounts are submitted! Email the Car Dealer team and we’ll make sure you’re included in our research.

The Social Media breakout session will take place on day one of CDX, Monday May 21.

Social media still plays a crucial role for car dealerships, but in very different ways. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all platform.

For that reason, we’ll be digging deeper into how you can use social media to increase sales

and your reach within the community in this year’s breakout session. We’ll have on hand experts to offer their advice on different ways that you can use social media to better your business depending on your goals.

Again, we’ll be looking at how you use social media across the internet and how that relates to your overall brand. While we’ll be announcing the full list of influential dealers in the breakout session, we’ll be handing over the awards on the Live Stage and chatting to our winners.

In association with

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

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SURVEY REACTION

‘Half of car dealerships could be gone by 2025’ – but do UK manufacturer bosses agree?

It’s a startling assertion – and one that certainly got the industry talking. Can the physical dealership survive and thrive in future?

U

K automotive executives expect that almost half of all car dealerships will disappear in less than a decade. A shocking statement, perhaps, but that was the conclusion of KPMG’s 2018 Global Automotive Executive Survey.

The exercise found that 75 per cent of UK automotive executives think that 20-50 per cent of the bricks-and-mortar retailers currently operational will no longer exist by 2025.

Although the shift to completing a purchase online hasn’t been huge (so far), the UK has already seen car brands such as Hyundai, Peugeot, Smart and Mitsubishi adopt ways to make it possible.

Even when the purchase is not completed online, retailers have seen more consumers arriving in store already having decided on the car they want to purchase because they have carried out extensive online research.

KPMG surveyed 907 automotive executives, occupying leading positions such as CEO, president and chairman.

According to the respondents, the surviving dealerships will be those with strong servicing or used car facilities.

Many automotive companies have already started capitalising on the opportunities available to them by providing digital services, as well as selling cars – which is why 75 per cent of UK automotive executives also think data is going to be key for the future business models of automotive companies, as the shift towards autonomous vehicles accelerates.

Car Dealer asked every manufacturer selling cars in the UK what they predict for the future of the physical dealership, and this is what those who responded had to say.

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Phil Webb Head of car, Honda UK

A

t Honda, we think there is a future for physical car dealerships and we do not believe that over half will close by 2025. The majority of customers want to touch, experience and test-drive our product prior to purchase.

Buying a car is the second biggest purchase a customer is ever going to make – they want to make sure they are buying the right thing. And that means trying before buying at a dealership.

Moreover, the aftersales side of the business will need to go on – think of all the customers with repairs, servicing, modification and maintenance requirements.

Finally, online communications channels have been significantly improved in recent years, meaning customers are far more informed and aware when buying a Honda.

There’s nothing like the physical to help make the final decision to buy.

As powertrains change, and move further towards electrification and hybrid technology, dealers will have to be set up differently, especially in their aftersales departments.

However, it is worth highlighting that this will be over a longer period of time as petrol and diesel powertrains will remain on the roads for many years to come.

Jeremy Thomson MD, Mazda Motors UK

M

azda UK fundamentally disagrees with the prediction, although we note the actual

survey data range is a very broad 20-50 per cent.

We believe that the significant majority of dealerships, certainly those who understand customer needs and have a great reputation, will still be around in seven years’ time – BUT they may be configured differently and the composition of solus, independent groups and PLCs will continue to evolve.

The need for convenience and choice will remain, especially in aftersales where the requirement for servicing isn’t going to go away and arguably it becomes even more technically challenging, meaning traditional franchised dealerships will potentially increase their share of service, warranty and repair work.

There may be fewer showrooms, or – more likely – a wider variation in how they are configured and what meets a manufacturer’s standards: anything from one- or two-car boutiques attached perhaps to a small workshop, through to major experiential brand centres.

Our own research shows just how important proximity to a dealer is in terms of local market penetration, and also the importance consumers continue to attach to strong local relationships and access to after-sale services.

Future proofing starts with the right manufacturer relationships – true partnerships and with a strong and differentiated product cycle plan in both technology and design. Consumers will become more brand-promiscuous so traditional mass-market manufacturer reliance on loyalty will become more difficult.

Those partnerships should be allowed to test new ways of engaging with consumers, with a

Farewell to our Suzuki Swift

Long-termers, p95-97

‘All of our learnings suggest consumers want the transparency, no haggling and convenience that is synonymous with greater digitalisation.’

Tony Whitehorn win-win philosophy. Our extensive investment in the Mazda MyWay concept in London and its evolution into the wider network is a good example of this. Network partners should explore out-reach; taking the brand to consumers at their convenience whether that is online or in person, even 24/7. Excellence at customer satisfaction will be an increasing differentiator as online reviews grow exponentially and ‘reputation’ becomes a major catalyst (or inhibitor) of conquest opportunities. Fix your process, staffing and quality issues urgently. Recognise that relationships with customers are not just about renewal; they require extensive and imaginative engagement throughout the ownership period.

Tony Whitehorn President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK

I

think the industry will continue with a ‘clicks and bricks’ strategy. Hyundai has been at the vanguard of the evolution of car retail since 2014, launching Rockar Hyundai in Bluewater

and Stratford and in developing our own online purchase system – Click to Buy – which we launched in early 2017. All of our learnings suggest consumers want the transparency, no haggling and convenience that is synonymous with greater digitalisation but they also still want a physical relationship with a dealership – this means that the traditional dealership model will need to change and change it will.

Dealers need to embrace the digital environment and digital retailing, they need to become more transparent, they will need to re-evaluate staff training processes and to renew remuneration methods.

Dan Balmer President, Aston Martin, UK and South Africa

T

hat typical touchpoint, that relationship, that experience of a car, is still a vital part of the sales process. What we have seen is that more research and more information is available online for people to make an informed decision, so

they’re pretty much decided on the brand when they go into a showroom.

A lot of our effort is focused on helping them make that decision via digital platforms, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll see a change to our current dealer network or structure.

I’m aware of the trends in the wider industry – but the luxury market is still at one-to-one touchpoints, be that via our dealer network or via our events and presence in the marketplace.

Being in the same place as our customers is very important to our marketing plan, so with those things combined, we are satisfied with that strategy, but we’re aware of the wider macro trends that are happening in the mass market.

Dale Wyatt Director of automobile, Suzuki GB

I

have no doubt that physical dealerships will continue to play an important role in the future. Customers want to talk to humans and see and feel our products. Looking forward, we CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

Dashboard.

will need to deliver branded solutions allowing customers to access our brand in the way that they choose. Our dealer network will remain our core route to market and our dealers are the physical embodiment of our brand.

Dealerships need to be customer-centric and digitally on point. Dealers that can deliver a seamless customer experience both online and offline will prosper.

Alison Jones Director, Volkswagen UK

W

e have 190 retailers in the UK and have no plans to amend that figure up or down.

Bek Hassan Managing director, DS Automobiles UK

F

or DS Automobiles, as an emerging brand in its own right, we have great confidence in the future of physical car dealerships that is borne out by the fact that we are currently creating a circa 60-strong brand-new DS network across the UK – with a DS Urban Store in Westfield London, and DS Stores and DS Salons in key city locations.

To support this, we understand that customer requirements now also need a wider portfolio of mobility services and DS outlets will provide DS Service and DS Valet for vehicle delivery, DS Assistance, DS Rent and DS Club Privilège, which all come within our ‘Only You, my DS Experience’ programme.

We are taking this further, to offer customers the choice to go to DS or to ask DS to come to them, tailoring everything we do to ‘the individual’, to create for them ‘unique customer experiences’ … and by reaching customers through their choice of channel.

Electrified versions of DS vehicles will make up 35 per cent of sales in 2025, and we will have the second generation of DS vehicles all available with electrified versions.

These new products will be across multiple segments of the market and span a wide position in the market, so the opportunity is to find and attract a new portfolio of premium-minded customers to the DS brand.

DS dealers have trained DS expert advisors who have a portfolio of sales tools, best among which is DS Virtual Vision. Equipped with a 3D virtual-reality headset, customers will be able to configure all DS products including every available DS in real-life scale and using all the personalisation possibilities available. Customers 22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

can enjoy a dynamic, interactive and captivating experience and no doubt get a thrill when they find themselves on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, face-to-face with their chosen new DS.

Paul Philpott

important, as it’ll be a place where consumers can go and speak face-to-face to an expert about what car is right for them. That kind of advice is hard to find and digest online.

Ultimately, if manufacturers and dealers continue to improve and enhance the service customers experience, then the new car showroom is a long way from dead.

President and CEO, Kia Motors UK

T

he end of the new car dealership has been predicted for probably the last 30 years but hasn’t happened yet – and there is no reason to think it will occur in the next 30. Undoubtedly, purchasing patterns are changing and it is clear that customers do most of their research online – but the demise of the new car showroom is not close – in our view.

Remote purchasing is advantageous when the ticket-price is relatively low or if the desired item is seen as ‘white-goods’ such as washing machines or refrigerators. Certainly rapidturnover shopping in areas such as fashion will increasingly move to online.

But when was the last time someone bought a house in a purely remote, online manner?

Big-ticket items such as cars still hold a slightly different place in the customer’s psyche. There remains a clear desire to see and touch the product before purchase and the personal relationship involved in owning a new car requires more of a face-to-face interaction than buying a camera or even a television.

But that doesn’t mean manufacturers or dealers should be complacent.

We have seen ‘comparison’ visits to dealerships drop away to almost zero and online research increase dramatically. Dealers must have attractive and responsive websites and social media presences. We must ensure we can provide potential customers with what they want to know when they want to know it and it must be a part of the entire ownership experience that delivers an enjoyable, pleasant and engaging introduction to the brand.

Dealers and manufacturers have to continue to place a major focus on ensuring the inshowroom journey meets the highest standards of customer satisfaction. It has always been the case that customers have the ultimate sanction and can easily walk away if they do not feel welcome, valued and attended to so ensuring that every step of the purchase and ownership timespan is engaging and has real benefit is absolutely essential.

Finally, as automotive technology continues to develop and vehicle options diversify – with autonomous cars, multiple hybrid powertrains, considerably smarter in-car technology and connectivity – the dealership will become more

Jon Wakefield Managing director, Volvo Car UK

A

lthough we are continuously exploring new ways of retailing our products, with the internet becoming increasingly important, the physical retailer will play a vital role in our business and the customer experience for the foreseeable future.

Anyone in doubt should look at the significant investment we are currently committing to updating our retailer network through the Volvo Retail Experience and Volvo Personal Service programmes. These projects see each of our retailers receive a major design upgrade with clean, Scandinavian design at its heart, as well as a streamlining of aftersales functions to deliver a more efficient, personal service to our customers.

Equally, while Volvo is pioneering the concept of subscribing online to a car through the new Care by Volvo scheme, the retailer will remain integral to this process. Subscribers will require car delivery, concierge services, the use of another Volvo car for up to 14 days per year, and of course servicing and maintenance – all of which will be facilitated by the physical retailer.

In a rapidly changing marketplace, our business is becoming more transactional than ever. In this context, we would encourage our retailers to explore and exploit all potential revenue streams.

Retailers must adopt a singular passion for, and focus on, the brand they represent at each location. The customer experience is at the heart of everything we do, and as the physical interface, our retailers are critical to the success of this philosophy.

Bek Hassan Managing director, Citroën UK

I

covered this off during our National Dealer Conference recently, when I said that I see no significant change in our distribution process for the foreseeable future. Ninety-seven per cent of our volume goes through our dealer network and we see that continuing. The methods of

‘We see more and more dealerships offering the option of home or work-based test drives.’

Lance Bradley

distribution could change but fundamentally all those volumes will continue to go through our dealer network. We see our dealer partners as an integral part of our future success.

At our National Dealer Conference, we talked about ever-changing customer needs. That means our dealer partners need to be flexible and able to respond to the demands of the customer. Specifically for Citroën dealers, that means they need to ensure that they tap in to the new product opportunity in the important SUV segments which are opening up to us with the launch of new C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross towards the end of the year. Many dealers have already moved to better management of customer relationships with a long-term approach to their specific needs. This means the reallocation of resource, reducing the number of sales people and introducing a team of CRM specialists. In addition to this, staff retention is still an issue for the industry so we encourage our dealer partners to address this through improved recruitment, training and recognition programmes.

Lance Bradley Managing director, Mitsubishi Motors UK

A

t Mitsubishi we feel that the most important thing is to put the customer at the centre of what we do. When we look at the future of car retailing, therefore, it is with this firmly in mind.

There are aspects of the current dealership experience that customers really like, and aspects that they don’t like. This is set against

the backdrop in other areas of retailing of a trend towards more purchasing online and more shopping at ‘destination’ shopping centres.

We see a continued customer requirement for physical car dealerships, but they’re likely to be different from what is currently the norm. We envisage a ‘hub and spoke’ set-up, with a full-size dealership at its heart, offering every facility, with smaller stores in surrounding towns with technology-led experiences for customers.

We see increased use of the internet, with more and more customers using this platform to buy online, but with the option of visiting a dealership or local store to experience the cars themselves, and to talk to product experts in person. We also see more and more dealerships offering the option of home or workbased test drives.

Remote diagnosis of any technical issues with the car will become more common, but there will still be a need for servicing and diagnostic facilities at a dealership. These will need to be provided for customers in a way that is convenient for them. This is likely to include carrying out such work when the customer does not need their car, including collecting and delivering it from their home or workplace.

The key thing for dealers is to clearly understand where they can add value in this supply chain. It isn’t just about price – if it were, then everyone would be buying the cheapest car possible and getting it serviced with the cheapest local mechanic. We believe that customers are willing to pay for quality products and services.

Dealers currently add value by having properly trained, helpful staff who are able to help customers through whatever transaction they

are undertaking. This will become even more important in the future.

Embracing the changing marketplace, and having a clear understanding of where they can add value to the customer experience, will be the key to future success.

Kevin Davidson Retailer development director, BMW UK

T

here will always be a role for the retailer in the sales process and they will always need premises from which to operate their sales, service and parts businesses. The retail model has changed over the years. For example, we were one of the first carmakers to offer online selling, but not everyone wants to buy a car like that. How retailers interact will be key to their survival and being adaptable and offering many ways to sell, service or just answer queries from prospective customers will be what matters in the future.

Automotive retailers have always needed to understand their customer requirements and that has never changed. They are constantly evolving to meet those requirements, whether that be opening on a Sunday, offering later servicing slots, home collection and drop back, 48-hour test drives, in-retailer product genii to offer unpressured guidance or to simply learn how something on the car they’ve already bought works. All these initiatives and more are aimed at being more customer-centric and fitting in with people’s busy lives.

Being flexible and creative will help a long way to future-proofing any car retailer business. [CD] CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

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James Litton

MINI ROLE

TRADER TALES

New burger tech? I’m lovin’ it – but we need to catch up

T DAVID George has been appointed the new director for Mini UK. He succeeds Chris Brownridge who moves into the role of sales director, BMW UK and will oversee BMW brand sales in BMW Group’s fourth largest market.

George joins Mini UK from his previous role as sales director

at Mercedes-Benz UK. He brings substantial experience gained across sales, marketing and aftersales from a career in the automotive industry which started at Volkswagen Group in 2000.

George said: ‘I’m looking forward to working with the Mini team to further enhance the brand’s appeal.’

TESTING TIMES

Car production and investment decline as uncertainty continues

C

ar production fell last year after a drop in domestic demand, while investment by auto companies was more than half a billion pounds lower than in 2016, it has been revealed.

Despite the decline, 1.67 million cars were built in this country – and that was still the second highest figure since the turn of the century, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Domestic demand for UK-produced new cars was down by almost 10 per cent last year amid falling economic confidence and ‘confusion’ over the government’s policy on diesel cars, the trade body reported. Exports fell by 1.1 per cent, but overseas demand continued to dominate production, accounting for 80 per cent of all UK car output.

The EU remained the UK’s biggest trading partner, with more than half of exports heading there, while there were big increases in the numbers of cars sent to countries such as Japan (25 per cent), China (19 per cent), Canada (19 per cent) and the United States (seven per cent).

The production figure is around 130,000 below the forecast last year from the SMMT, which urged the government 26 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

to give some ‘clarity’ on the transitional arrangements for Brexit. Investment by the car industry fell by a third last year to £1.1 billion, down from £1.66 billion in 2016 and well down on the average for the past few years.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the investment fall was ‘significant’, adding: ‘A drop of that magnitude is a concern. People are waiting as long as they can for increased certainty.’

Andy Barratt, chairman of Ford of Britain, said the car giant had invested considerable amounts of money in its engine plants at Dagenham in Essex and Bridgend in South Wales, with both sites supplying the global market.

He predicted ‘stability’ for Bridgend, even though unions have expressed fears that jobs could be lost there.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said: ‘These figures really ought to ring alarm bells right across government.

‘Our world-class car manufacturing sector is at risk – and much of the blame for this lies at the government’s door.’

A government spokesman said: ‘The UK’s automotive industry remains a great British success story.’

here is one institution that has an almost omnipresent existence from your childhood until your later years.

I am not talking about HMRC or your doctor, I am in fact talking about McDonald’s.

A Happy Meal is as great a reward as any young child can expect to receive, a Big Mac is absolutely the best antidote to a stinking hangover in your twenties, and the cycle starts all over again as a parent.

Lately there has been a revolutionary addition to their retail landscape: self-service stands. If you have yet to visit the golden arches of late, you will find posts at the entrance with dual-sided iPad-style screens ready to take your order.

There is one traditional retail assistant but that is it – all focus has moved to self-service. Same revenue, much less operating cost. To further enhance the experience, McDonald’s has installed seating zones with iPads for the kids and areas to which the waiters will bring your lunch.

The self-service software is a joy. What McDonald’s has been able to do is to retain the positive elements of both its offer and experience, but to integrate a digital solution which is perfect for today’s consumer.

All of which begs the question, where is the motor industry going wrong? McDonald’s, like most car manufacturers, functions using a franchised operator model.

The company has been able to overcome consumer attitudes to fast food in the ways that we must overcome attitudes to traditional fuel technology and emissions. McDonald’s has been able to integrate an efficient digital solution to the most basic of transactional processes yet manufacturer attempts to do so are muddy and complex.

The simple answer is consistency and the challenge is one faced by retailers and manufacturers alike.

The German brands (and more recently JLR) lead the automotive industry in network CI consistency yet the shopping experience could be defined as pizza in one location and a Big Mac in another. I went to a McDonald’s in rural France last year with my son; it was exactly, and I mean exactly, the same as my local restaurant.

Digital car or parts sales will never fully replace the need for a physical showroom, but there is a fundamental lack of cohesion from both manufacturers and retailers in their online and physical shopping strategies.

Retailers need not fear online customers and manufacturers must reward retailers for embracing them.

It appears to me that McDonald’s asks its networks to do something and they trust in Ronald to deliver the profitability to pay for it.

‘McDonald’s have overcome consumer attitudes to fast food.’

James Litton is general manager – director of Volvo Cars Poole. He always has something to say about the industry he loves.

A horse man first, a car man second but a businessman overall.

Guy Harwood interview, p36

COLLAPSE

VERTU

Jobs axe falls as Big Cars Ltd calls in administration team

E

ssex-based used car dealer Big Cars Ltd has gone into administration with 52 employees losing their jobs.

On January 29, the business, which operated used vehicle dealerships in Witham and Chelmsford in Essex, and Sudbury in Suffolk, said it had ceased trading. Four days later, employees were told their positions had been made redundant as the company was unable to pay them.

Speaking with Car Dealer Magazine, administrators Grant Thornton confirmed it was true.

A spokesperson released a statement that read: ‘I can confirm that Trevor O’Sullivan and Daniel Smith, both of Grant Thornton UK LLP, were appointed joint administrators of Big Cars Ltd. on February 2, 2018.

‘All vehicles have been removed by the finance companies that provided funding to the business, which was secured on these vehicles.

‘The administrators are currently in discussions with interested parties about the sale of some assets and are

by REBECCA CHAPLIN @believebecca

identifying remaining value in the company for creditors.’

When Big Cars Ltd ceased trading, owner Adam Stott issued a statement to Car Dealer Magazine, saying: ‘Due to unsustainable trading conditions, Big Cars Ltd took the difficult and unavoidable decision to cease trading on January 29. Our immediate priority is to secure the best possible outcome for customers and creditors.

‘Over the past nine years, Big Cars had achieved rapid growth and built up one of the UK’s largest corporate profiles on social media but major changes within the motor retail market in respect of finance and stock provision during 2017 impacted significantly on the business.

‘All vehicles have been removed by the finance companies that provided funding to the business.’

Grant Thornton statement

Mark is made premium boss

‘We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to customers, employees, suppliers and other affected parties for the uncertainty during this time, which we deeply regret. We are working tirelessly on reaching a solution.’

Stott was just 25 when he decided to set up on his own after working as a car dealer for a franchised dealership. As of January 27, the Big Cars Ltd website was also closed.

It was subsequently reinstated, explaining that the business had closed. When rumours began that the business was in trouble, customers trying to get answers about their cars and finance found the dealerships they visited were closed and no-one was answering the phones.

A customer told Car Dealer that she had been to visit one of their sites but it was locked up. She said one member of staff came out and said there would be someone at the dealership on January 29.

Other local dealers said that retailprepared stock from the dealerships had been seen going through auctions in the area since before Christmas.

Stott runs a YouTube business channel, where he publishes videos with his help and advice for businesses, and has interviewed celebrities including 50 Cent and Al Pacino. He posted a video entitled ‘Wastage In Your Business’ recently, but it has now been removed.

MARK Gibbings has joined Vertu Motors to oversee its premium MercedesBenz dealerships.

The 41-year-old, pictured, has been made market area director for Vertu Mercedes-Benz Reading, Slough and Ascot. In his new position, he will be responsible for driving performance and ensuring that the best possible customer experience is delivered.

Initially a parts adviser, Gibbings brings more than 20 years’ experience to his new position. Until recently, he oversaw multiple Mercedes Benz sites, managing more than 200 colleagues and a multi-million-pound turnover. He said: ‘Vertu is a very forward-thinking company with great values and I saw this opportunity as one I couldn’t refuse.’

Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, said: ‘Mark is a welcome addition to the team. I am confident that he will do an excellent job.’

Adam Stott

National Audit Office to probe ‘£2.4bn Motability Operations stockpile’ MOTABILITY Operations has built up a £2.4 billion cash stockpile while paying its chief executive £1.7 million a year, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

But the organisation, paid by the government to supply vehicles to disabled drivers, hit back, saying the Mail had ‘totally misunderstood’ its financial circumstances.

Nevertheless, work and pensions secretary Esther McVey has asked

the National Audit Office to look into its finances and pay policy.

Claimants receiving Motability aid from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can have their £58-per-week payments go straight from the government to Motability Operations, which then provides them with a car with insurance, tax, servicing and breakdown cover.

Around £2 billion a year is paid directly from the DWP to Motability

Operations, the Daily Mail reported, with the company having built up a ‘cash stockpile’ of £2.4 billion. It also said the salary of Motability Operations’ chief executive, Mike Betts, was £1.7 million.

But in a statement, Motability Operations said: ‘The Daily Mail has totally misunderstood what this £2.4 billion of reserves represents.

‘It is not held as cash but is used to buy cars for disabled people.

‘This reduces the amount of borrowing required. It also underpins the scheme’s financial stability, protecting it from the business risks it faces, particularly in relation to used car values.’

It added: ‘The current chief executive of Motability Operations, Mike Betts, has been in place since 2003 and has been instrumental in ensuring the company is able to operate successfully and effectively.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

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Why Audi’s new A7 has a lot to live up to.

First drive: p58

COMMITMENT

Motor Ombudsman gains silver Investors in People standard

T

he Motor Ombudsman, the automotive dispute resolution provider, has achieved the prestigious Investors in People Silver standard, demonstrating its commitment to realising the potential of its staff. The new status puts The Motor Ombudsman in the top 13 per cent of Investors in Peopleaccredited businesses in the UK. Investors in People is the UK’s leading accreditation for business improvement through people management.

The Motor Ombudsman previously held the bronze standard

which it gained under its Motor Codes guise in 2015.

In order to reach silver status, The Motor Ombudsman had to meet a number of stringent requirements.

The comprehensive assessment process included staff anonymously completing an online questionnaire, in which they were asked to evaluate the company in a variety of areas.

Bill Fennell, left, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: ‘People are the most important

part of our business. We are very proud that our commitment to the development of our staff has been recognised with this very special accolade, and we couldn’t have achieved it without the exceptional efforts of our team.’

Paul Devoy, chief executive officer of Investors in People, said: ‘We would like to congratulate The Motor Ombudsman on gaining the Silver standard. It demonstrates that the organisation is a great place to work and that it goes above and beyond to ensure that staff are effectively managed and trained. It equally acknowledges the dedication of everyone who works for the body.’ l The Motor Ombudsman has developed a range of online training courses in association with the CTSI. Full story, p79

FIGURES

Used cars still rising in value USED car values are continuing to increase in the UK, achieving an average of £12,775 in January.

On a like-for-like basis – stripping out the impact of changes in the mix of cars being sold – this equates to a six per cent increase on January 2017, according to the latest Auto Trader data.

The Auto Trader Retail Price Index combines and analyses data from around 500,000 trade used car listings every day, as well as additional dealer forecourt and website data, ensuring the index is an accurate reflection of the live retail market. On average, a second-hand diesel cost £14,405 in January, which was a £777 increase on the same period in 2017.

On a like-for-like basis, this represents three per cent year-on-year growth.

Alice, Moneypenny Receptionist.

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ANNIVERSARY

I really don’t want to do whatever you do, don’t After refusing to take part in an interview to mark this, the tenth-anniversary edition of Car Dealer, founder James Baggott left us no option but to make some secret notes during a chat with him recently.

Rebecca Chaplin explains

C

ar Dealer Magazine has been heading to the printer – almost on time – for 10 years this month. That’s a lot of paper, a lot of words and a lot of miles travelled in the name of automotive journalism.

I’ve only been involved for a handful of issues out of the 120 editions produced, so thought it was worth sitting down with the man who’s been present for every single one.

I say ‘present’ but getting an interview with my boss and the founder of Car Dealer Magazine James Baggott – a man whose office is less than 10 metres from my desk – has been almost impossible.

It’s not like I’m asking for a pay rise for once, but it would probably have been easier to set up a meeting through his press office for an interview at the Geneva Motor Show next month rather than approach him in Gosport.

I had thought we could compile a nice retrospective, a look back at the funny times and the occasions when things went completely and utterly wrong, but the longer he spends on ‘business’ and ‘work’, the more inclined I am to ask him the difficult questions he loves asking other people.

As a man with many opinions, who enjoys putting other people on the spot, you’d probably be surprised to find out that being interviewed himself is not something he likes – at all.

To be fair to him, in the 10 years since he started the magazine, he’s gone completely grey and he was probably worried I’d ask him about personal matters such as that.

In the end, I teamed up with a few colleagues, suggested a low-key trip to our nearest Costa after work one afternoon and we all made a few surreptitious notes on our phones while James went on a bit of a trip down Memory Lane. The result? A strictly unofficial look back at 10 years of Car Dealer...

30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Q&A

A lot must have changed in the past 10 years.

Was it a good time to launch a magazine?

In 2008, the industry was in a weird place. The Lehman Brothers scandal had just happened and we were in a recession, so we were in a really difficult place. After the massive highs of the 2006 sales, the car industry was falling. When you launch a business in a recession, though, you learn lessons that stand you in good stead.

In need of a haircut in 2009 (could be 2010..)

When you went out pitching the magazine in the early days, people must have thought you were mad...

There was a little bit of scepticism that I, an unknown person from Gosport, could take on some very established titles. I had a bit of a vision, I wanted to do a magazine that was different and catered for people in the industry who liked cars. That’s why we always put a car on the cover.

It must have worked if we’re here 10 years later...

People always ask me why Car Dealer is a success and I say it’s because we gave car dealers a car magazine that they don’t have to pay for. It turns up on their desk every month yet it’s got interesting stuff about cars, the industry and how to improve their business.

Do you think that you could be successful as a car dealer?

I think I’d make a terrible car dealer because I like hoarding cars much more than I like selling them. I like the idea of buying them, and I like the idea of looking at them, but I don’t like parting with them – and as part of a car dealer’s business, you do have to sell your cars!

Do you think you’ve learned enough over the years to run one, though?

Absolutely not. Whenever I go into a car dealership, I always wonder what they do with their time when they’re not selling cars. Knowing my brother, who was a used car dealer, it can be quite a lonely existence if you are just a one-man band. In a big, busy car dealership, I think I’d quite enjoy it… probably just for one week’s work experience though.

Wintry weather on the first Bangers4Ben What about the first issue, do you still like what you did 10 years later?

It’s funny, whenever I think about the first magazine, I always think about First Response Finance because I remember going for that first meeting with their boss at the time, Don Brough, who went on to have a column in the magazine called ‘Sub Prime Time’.

I had to get up really early to meet him in Nottingham and I left home at about 5am.

I pulled out of my road in front of the only other car around – and to avoid slowing it down, I got up to speed pretty quickly. I was maybe doing closer to 40mph than the 30mph limit – sue me – and it turned out it was a police car I’d pulled out in front of. I immediately jumped out of my car, admitted I’d gone a little bit too fast and apologised. The officer breathalysed me and

Can we sack an employee who is always late?

Ask Lawgistics, p84-85

It was silver, James!

this (and publish it) A spot of monkeying around in the office

Auctioning off 100 cars for our 100th issue

An interesting array of cars including this Caterham 160 helped RTOTY 2014 get off the ground

The boatyard home we left in 2013

everything was fine. At first, he told me he was going to give me a ticket, but let me off. At the time, I thought ‘this is a sign’.

the others had bought before we met. The front page of The Sun that morning read ‘don’t drive anywhere’, or something like that, because there was snow chaos on the roads.

Regardless, we drove 400 miles to Newcastle that day and gate-crashed a wedding.

The trip paved the way for a charity event that has now raised a quarter of a million pounds. I’m very proud of that.

So, did you have a good meeting?

I did. I had a very good meeting with Don and he backed me there and then.

Did you tell him that sob story about almost getting a ticket?

I didn’t, but he backed us and First Response has been in every single issue since. That’s 10 years and they’ve never missed an issue. That means a hell of a lot.

What’s been your favourite issue?

My favourite issue was the 100th. Particularly because we sold 100 cars in 100 minutes, built a

car in 100 hours and traded up in 100 days.

It was full of great features, designed beautifully and the fact it had some gold on the cover made it even better.

Gold or silver?

One of the above colours on the cover.

What about your favourite feature of all time?

I quite liked the first Bangers4Ben, that was quite good, because my mate Dan and I came up with the idea when we were quite drunk in a pub. It was just after Christmas and we were thinking about how we’d have to go back to work soon, so decided to plan a little holiday. In the end it was Dan, Dunc who eventually worked on the magazine, my little brother Wills and I, and we bought a car each for £250 and no-one knew what

Was that the time you were banned from Best Western hotels?

No, and I don’t think we were actually banned…

We stayed in one of their hotels when we were doing Road Test of the Year. Dunc and I were sharing one room while Dan and Wills shared another. We were all quite drunk and the other pair said to us CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

Dashboard.

The line-up of cars for our first-ever Road Test of the Year

‘come and see our room, it’s amazing!’ We went in there and it was really neat and tidy. There were comfy chairs and a huge TV screen. We thought it was brilliant. We had a cup of tea and popped the TV on but then there was a knock on the door and the manager said ‘come on, get out.’

I couldn’t understand and he said ‘well, it’s not your room’ to which I replied: ‘I know it’s not, it’s theirs!’ I completely believed it was their room but it turned out it was actually the nicest suite in the hotel – not booked to us – but someone had left the door slightly ajar.

It was acceptable in the noughties

With Jonny Reay on a Bangers4Ben trip

Far and away the best car James has driven

A B4B car gets some emergency repairs

What was your favourite RTOTY then?

It has to be the first one because we used it as… …a holiday?

Yes, a holiday. We’d managed to blag a static home to stay in. We had an Aston Martin DBS, a Mitsubishi Evo 10 and a Caterham R500. This terrible little static caravan was in South Wales, and we went down to the club house where there was this really obnoxious, loud and horribly rich person there who just bought us loads of drinks.

There seems to be a theme here of rubbish accommodation and getting very drunk?

It’s been a successful combination.

Is there a car that’s really stood out over the years?

The Ferrari 458 – that’s why I bought one. I drove it on a Road Test of the Year and it was by far and away the best car I’ve ever driven. If that was a 10 out of 10, the next best car was a seven. When I drove it, that’s what I felt.

Do you still think that?

There’s not much that matches it. A McLaren comes close, but I still wouldn’t buy one. It’s just not got the whole package that a Ferrari has.

An important one: Have you made up with Vauxhall?

I have made up with Vauxhall. I’ve had a longrunning feud as many readers of the magazine will know, but I always said that I stuck to my guns on that one because I wrote a column that they didn’t agree with. I was just stating facts 32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘I think the electrification of the car industry is going to cause some serious issues for a lot of people.’ and opinion. Back then it was about claims that their then MD made about beating Ford in the sales charts. Well, I wrote a piece that said they’ve never done that and I don’t think they ever will.

That was my opinion in 2013 and I stand by it.

In 2013? This feud has lasted five years?

Yep – but I said all they had to do was pick up the phone and offer us an interview with their MD. I would have printed it in the next issue. But yes, they have picked up the phone now and I’ve been in to meet them. It was a cordial and polite meeting on both sides.

How do you think the next 10 years will go for the industry?

We’re in a very difficult place and entering

a period of massive change. I think the electrification of the car industry is going to cause some serious issues for a lot of people. I think the investment that’s going to be needed from car makers is too big and the cost of the cars will be too high for a lot of people.

Autonomous cars are a long way off. We’ve got some levels of autonomy at the moment but I don’t think we’re going to get more than that for a long period of time.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see full autonomy until 2040 or beyond.

There is a massive amount of work that needs to be done to get those cars working on every road in the world, even the ones that aren’t classed as roads, before a car is fully autonomous and can think like a human. [CD]

Beyond finance “I’m more like a consultant, taking time to understand the dealership so that we can add real value to their business.”

Watch Aimee's video to see how: blackhorse.co.uk/beyondfinance

Aimee Winder Account Manager North East Region

A better way of doing business CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

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MOTOR SHOW NEWS

Detroit winners.. but will we see them over here?

Rebecca Chaplin reports from Motor City on the concepts, updates and other automotive developments that may well influence the way we do things in the UK this year

W

hile the American market is starkly different from that of the UK and Europe, there were a few gems on the stands that we either know will filter down to us eventually or we’ve got our fingers crossed the sales predictions add up to bring even a few over the pond.

The North American International Auto Show, also known as the Detroit Motor Show or NAIAS, plays host to a lot of huge trucks and SUVs. The halls are dominated by the big three – Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

While they fought it out to produce the next best pick-up, there were a handful of cars a little more suited to UK roads on offer – and we can definitely get excited about those.

Ford Edge ST, above, and right, the all new Mustang Bullitt

34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Ford is on the performance product offensive It would be fair to say that Ford really brought it to the Detroit show. While other stands had one or two things to announce, Ford kept the big news coming.

It didn’t just announce one new Mustang, it had two. At the Ford conference, before the show had officially opened, the brand wowed the crowds with a recreation of the Bullitt Mustang. It comes with a retuned version of the 5.0-litre V8, a fat exhaust and some distinctive styling features.

It was at the end of the first press day that Ford had another surprise announcement, namely the Mustang Shelby GT500 with over 700hp – more than any Mustang yet. It looks unlikely that we’ll get this in the UK, though.

An even less tangible reveal from Ford was that of the Mach 1, a teaser of the all-electric performance SUV that will be joining the range

in 2020. Currently, we know nothing more than what was hinted at in the teaser trailer, featuring a Ford Explorer and a Mustang.

The performance aspect of Ford is filtering further through the range, with the Edge getting some ST treatment.

It gets more power, but also improved handling and suspension – as put to the test by executive vice-president of product development and purchasing Hau Thai-Tang in the presentation video. It’s not currently on the cards that we’ll get this in the UK, but we will get a milder ST-Line variant.

And finally, Ford released a new Ranger for the US market. It’s ‘built tough’ and, again, unfortunately we won’t get this. However, that’s only because the current UK Ranger is still relatively new to the market, selling well and the engine wouldn’t suit buyers here.

Revealed: Your worst nightmares.

So you wanna be a car dealer?, p48

Nissan’s Xmotion concept

Nissan showed a new rugged concept for the US market Nissan has released yet another concept, with a very similar design style to what we saw in Tokyo last year but with a new name and a stance more suited to the US. It’s called the Xmotion (pronounced Cross Motion) and Nissan claims it’s ‘a potentially groundbreaking compact SUV’.

It again hints at what could be a future Nissan product, and although we’d expect the manufacturer would tone down some of the styling, it does show Nissan is committed to its intelligent mobility technology and bringing it to the mainstream.

Mercedes have managed to keep the G-Wagen the same You heard it right, the G-Class is back and Mercedes has done an incredible job by keeping the car true to its design while completely updating it. Performance on- and off-road is said to have been improved, while every technological element has been updated too.

Those in the market for one will have to wait until 2019 and fork out a mammoth £140,000 for the performance G63 model.

Mercedes G-Class, a blend of old and new

Infiniti’s Q Inspiration concept

Infiniti has inspired us a little bit more with its Q concept Although Infiniti has brought a few Euro-centric models to our shores, its focus has always been more on the American and Asian markets. That’s meant we’ve always had cars that do work in the UK, but the design language hasn’t necessarily appealed that much to British buyers.

The Q Inspiration concept, shown for the first time in Detroit, did get journalists excited, though. The design hints at a sleek and sophisticated car with a panoramic roof and stylish cream leather interior.

It’s more about what you can’t see than what you can There were some obvious gaps in the stands at the Detroit Motor Show, and even though the event is held in Motor City, some manufacturers clearly decided that attending the show just wasn’t really worth it for them.

Ford, FCA and GM showed their dominance with stands the size of small shopping malls but apart from those few major highlights, there was not a lot to see with quite a few gaps on the hall floors. There were a lot of trucks, however, with some visitors calling it ‘the next big CV show’.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

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INTERVIEW

‘I’m a horse man first and a car man second, but I’m a businessman overall’ Electric cars, Europe, the rise of the internet and the demonisation of diesel – Tristan Shale-Hester meets an industry stalwart not afraid to express an opinion or three . . .

G

Guy Harwood has seen a lot of changes during his 50-plus years in the motor industry

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

uy Harwood is a veteran of the car sales industry. Having been in the business for more than 50 years, he has gained an immeasurable wealth of experience, meaning he is able to deliver a unique insight into what opportunities and challenges dealers face today.

Meeting him at his office in Pulborough, West Sussex, we learned that Harwood’s father, Wally, started his career as an apprentice to a wheelwright in a workshop. He founded Harwoods Group in 1931 and it had two garages before the start of the Second World War. During the war, the car business in the UK came to a halt as factories were needed to produce munitions. Once peace had been reestablished, Harwood senior revamped his two garages and resumed operations.

Fast-forward to 1965 and the younger Harwood had started helping his father in the world of business. Having sold an engineering company he had owned since before the war, Harwood senior planned to redevelop Harwoods Group, while his son intended to go and fulfil his dream of becoming a racehorse trainer.

However, the elder Harwood sadly lost his life to cancer, so his heir stepped up to take over as chairman of Harwoods Group. This didn’t stop him from becoming a racehorse trainer though – he achieved his ambition and became renowned for his success in the field, not least for training the legendary thoroughbred Dancing Brave.

Harwood retired from training racehorses in 1992, when the recession hit Harwoods Group adversely. He decided to hire a new chief executive and take a more active role in the business himself.

BCA reporting strong demand for luxury and super cars.

Auctions, p90

‘More and more, manufacturers want beautiful buildings and better facilities to sell their cars.’

Harwoods’ Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Basingstoke, above, and the firm’s Bentley showroom in Pulborough, West Sussex

At this point, Harwoods Group held franchises for Land Rover, Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. It eventually gave up Rolls-Royce, taking on Audi in 2000 and Aston Martin in 2002.

Over the course of its history to this day, Harwoods has never been involved in a major takeover – it has grown by simply adding one or two dealerships at a time to its portfolio.

Today, Harwoods has 12 franchised dealerships – six Jaguar Land Rover, three Audi, two Bentley and one Aston Martin. It also has a franchise of MAN lorry repair bodyshops and operates two branches of the Volkswagen parts specialist TPS on an agency basis.

We asked Harwood what he feels has changed the most over his time in the industry. He believes one of these factors is the way that dealers present themselves and which markets different brands try to get into.

‘More and more, manufacturers want beautiful buildings and better facilities to sell their cars,’ he said. ‘Franchises such as Audi have developed huge ranges with 40-odd models.

‘Land Rover has developed quite substantially and Jaguar is trying to break into that Audi, Mercedes and BMW market. We’ve seen that type of change where franchises have grown.’

The other big change Harwood has seen during his time in the industry is the emergence of the internet.

‘The internet is the major change over the last 10 years in our industry,’ he said. ‘Nearly all of the used cars that we sell are viewed by the customer on the web before they come to see us.

‘They’ll search what we’ve got, pick out the cars they want to see, check our prices, and then come and buy from us. In the old days, they probably made four or five visits to the showroom, but now they probably only make two because they’ve already researched what they want.

‘The important thing from our point of view is that we have a good website, we have a good offering and that we react quickly to the customer’s inquiry.’

Harwood then moved on to the topic of the future of motoring, sharing his opinions on the big issues facing dealers at the moment, starting

with the demonisation of diesel. ‘For one reason or another, the government thinks it’s clever to vilify diesel,’ he said. ‘Diesel is the best engine – it’s powerful, economical and doesn’t emit anything like the amount of toxic emissions that it’s accused of emitting.

‘The government isn’t doing the industry any favours and they’re not doing JLR any favours because JLR recently set up a big new factory to build diesel engines. There are a lot of people employed in the industry and the government should learn their facts.

‘A lot of customers are coming in and saying “What should we do?” Without a doubt, they should continue to buy diesel engines if they cover big mileages. It’s sheer ignorance and it’s appalling, but it’s typical government – they’re a very poor selection of people.’

While he feels that plug-in hybrids are a good option for motorists who cover small mileages, Harwood believes that the movement towards alternatively-fuelled vehicles is too forced.

‘The move towards hybrids and EVs is not natural,’ he said. ‘It’s expensive at the moment, it’s not desperately practical and it’s not what the manufacturers are set up to do.

‘Undoubtedly, if you’ve got Dyson putting £2 billion into electric cars, and you’ve got Google, Amazon, Apple and all the rest of them putting money into electric cars and driverless cars, the time is going to come when they’re going to produce something which is super-dynamic no doubt, and that will be the answer to the longterm future. Maybe by 2030 or 2040, we shall see hugely economic, well-priced vehicles on the road, but at the moment, we’re not.’

As Harwood had mentioned driverless cars, we asked him if he felt they were a threat to the sports cars he sells from marques such as Aston Martin.

‘It’s all down to the person,’ he said. ‘If I’m driving to work and I can work like I’m on a train, then a driverless car would be a huge advantage. I imagine the big problem with a driverless car is if you enjoy driving or if you’re in a hurry.

‘If you don’t want to sit in queues all your life then it’s rather like sat nav – if CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

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you follow it religiously, it doesn’t always take you the shortest way. I think the practicality and safety factor of driverless cars is a long way away.

We all know that people do ridiculously stupid things, and we react quickly to avoid an accident.

‘Will a driverless car react quickly enough to somebody that cuts into your lane?’

As Harwoods Group has been involved with several different brands over the years, we asked Harwood which models he thinks have stood out in that time. ‘I don’t have favourite cars,’ he said.

‘I never had favourite horses when I was training them, other than Dancing Brave perhaps.

‘I think the Range Rover is an outstandingly good car, though. The 4.4-litre diesel engine absolutely suits the car down to the ground.

‘I also think the Bentley Bentayga is a stunning car – beautiful to drive both on and off-road.

However, I’m a horse man first and a car man second, but I’m a businessman overall.’

By this point, Harwood had mentioned his career as a racehorse trainer multiple times, so we asked whether he had been able to transfer anything from his career in the sport to the car sales industry.

‘It’s hugely important to have a good feel for a horse and to run a profitable business,’ said Harwood. ‘With cars, understanding your business and making a profit is key.

‘It’s all about having a good cash flow.

‘If you don’t do that, you run into financial troubles. It’s about running a good business, watching your costs and making sure you can afford to do what you’re doing and that you’re charging for the service you’re providing.’

With the business now being the topic of discussion, the topic of Brexit cropped up. We asked Harwood if Britain’s exit from the EU will present opportunities, difficulties or both.

‘I think without any doubt it’s going to do both,’ he said. ‘Initially, it’ll produce a lot of complexities and difficulties. I don’t see why this country wants to be tied to Europe, which I would say is almost inflammable.

‘It’s a ridiculous concept trying to tie all the countries into one – one Euro, one size fits all. It doesn’t fit all. I don’t see the Euro lasting. I think sooner or later it will explode. Why would we want to be around when that happens?

‘The fact that we’re not allowed to make our own trading arrangements with other countries, we can only do it through Europe, seems to me to be totally ridiculous.

‘We joined Europe as a trading nation, but we allowed the politicians to turn it into a political arena as well as a trading arena, and I think that was a huge mistake.

‘I think in the long run this country will be better off out of Europe, but it will be difficult in the short run.

‘We have our own manufacturing industry in the UK. If you put sanctions on to a country, they make their own goods. So the UK will go back to manufacturing, which is a good thing.

‘Theoretically, we won’t be able to sell as many cars in Europe, but Europe want to sell their cars here. We’re one of the biggest markets in the world for BMW, Audi and Mercedes, so why wouldn’t we be able to sell our cars to them if they want to sell their cars to us?’ [CD]

‘I think the Range Rover is an outstandingly good car.

The 4.4-litre diesel engine absolutely suits the car down to the ground. I also think the Bentley Bentayga is a stunning car – beautiful to drive both on and off-road.’

Guy Harwood

Harwoods’ Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Basingstoke

38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Behind the scenes REBECCA CHAPLIN

Blackball Media’s head of editorial is never afraid to tell it like it is

Yes, the used car market may be thriving, but can everyone survive?

F

or years, we were talking about whether the bubble would ever burst for the new car market.

Now the used car market is getting its time to shine, but no-one seems to be talking about whether this is just another scenario that can only last so long.

We’ve been reporting doom and gloom as far as new cars are concerned, and it’s pretty unfair on what seems to be a fairly buoyant market. New cars are still selling well, just not as well as last year, while used car dealers are enjoying some of the best months on record.

Speaking to these used car dealers, the last couple of months have been stronger than the year before. A few have even told me this is their best month of trading ever.

At the top end of the market, buying used cars that are well specified and will attract customers from far and wide still seems to be reasonably accessible.

However, if you’re a franchised dealer and your new car sales are slowing, surely you’d hold onto some of those nicer partexchanges to boost your bottom line, rather than remarket them?

It doesn’t seem we’re at that stage yet. January is known for being a busy time at the auctions, with dealers eager to recover after a slow Christmas, and prices often soar to match.

However, this year has been unprecedented at BCA, with the auction house reporting that the second week of January saw more cars than ever before make their way across the floor.

As consumers shy away from new cars, worried about whether they can trust what they’re buying, the future of various technologies and the economy, it’s an ideal result for the used car market – but with prices booming will everyone be able to survive?

According to dealers, if you know what you want and how much you want to pay then the guides and data don’t matter – it’s all about knowing what you can make from the sale. Solid advice that we hear time and time again.

At the sharp end of the market, where small cars with small price tags are the bread and butter, we’re hearing that getting hold of stock at a reasonable price is a difficult task at the moment though.

Take a look at our forum and you’ll see that while success is the theme of the month, those who aren’t feeling the love from customers are reporting that sales have completely dried up.

In fairness, I can’t dismiss the new car market too much either. The sales figures we’re seeing are nothing to be embarrassed about and show that there is still confidence in new cars – but there’s no denying that a six per cent drop this month shows a decent chunk of would-be car buyers are acting cautiously or turning to used.

There are two ways I see this going, and unfortunately neither of them is particularly positive for the used market in the end.

Although it feels like we’re heading back towards some sort of equilibrium, at a time when the government zigs when you expect it to zag, is stability ever really here?

We could see months of growth in the used car market, with stable growth in new as the economy recovers.

But when push comes to shove, and with many manufacturing and head office jobs at risk, the government will always put the growth of new first.

The other option? As more car dealerships flock to used as a reliable income, it’ll push those small businesses even further out of the market.

Let’s not forget that while incentives on the physical cars are few and far between, those with workshops and service centres can add value in other ways.

Now that’s not to say that the used market will disintegrate, far from it, but I think caution is needed.

We’ve been talking for a while about what will be the next big financial storm from the ambulance chasers since PPI too, thinking PCP would hit new car dealers.

The latest campaign to emerge though?

Used car claims, with firms jumping on the bandwagon with car buyers who found that the ‘one careful previous owner’ of their cars was actually a fleet company or a taxi driver.

I’m not saying it’s the end of the world, or that these campaign groups will even register with most people, but whenever times are good, it does seem that someone is waiting in the wings and trying to take it away.

For what feels like years, we’ve been talking about uncertainty and asking the questions which never seem to be answered.

Without being too negative at a time where we want confidence in consumers, I’d say we need to call for retailer caution too.

‘January is known for being a busy time at the auctions, with dealers eager to recover after Christmas.’

Rebecca Chaplin is head of editorial at Blackball Media and presents news programmes and features on its online video channel Trade Plates TV. CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

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Big Mike Our man on the inside shares his thoughts on the car business

It’s a thought that brings a tear to my eye – can the backstreet lot survive?

I

don’t know if any of you share my concerns, but I have a distinct fear that the seismic shift towards electric vehicles could well sound the death knell for the traditional secondhand backstreet used car lot.

A lot of you, of course, work for franchises or larger used car sales groups, and for you guys, the evolution of the car into what is, essentially, a glorified domestic appliance probably won’t affect your bread and butter (albeit to turn the white bread into hipster-friendly grey multigrain), though the added cost of training, infrastructure and special tools is bound to have a whack-a-mole effect on your margins.

For the likes of me, though, it could well be what leads me into retirement. And if you’re younger than I am, then I genuinely feel for you, as you may well need to retrain and your life may be more boring as a result.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against electric vehicles per se.

Indeed, I once owned one, albeit a converted milk float that I bought to support our local Britain in Bloom committee to drive around the village watering the hanging baskets.

However, like all technological advancements, the electric car poses a threat to those of us who only really know our way around old-school tech and don’t have the inclination – or moreover the cash – to go out and learn.

If you think this is a rather extreme reaction, ask yourself this: When was the last time you went into a typewriter shop or a video rental store?

There used to be one of each at the top of my street, but not any more.

Those businesses didn’t survive, not because they weren’t prepared to evolve, but simply because they couldn’t.

The cost of moving into new technology that was being fiercely marketed by the companies that innovated it was prohibitive, so instead, they just watched their revenues drop and their overheads increase until the whole situation became unsustainable.

They were good, honest business people who became victims of the industry in which they specialised diversifying to a point whereby they were no longer needed. And that, my friends, is what concerns me…

I predict that, two decades from now, the traditional used car lot will have packed up its bunting and disappeared, taking with it years of tradition and some of the country’s most

wonderful characters. Unless you’re prepared to furnish your car lot with fast chargers, pick up a replacement EV battery or two with your Halfords trade card and convince the average Joe that the 100-mile-per-charge well-used Nissan Leaf on your ‘car of the week’ podium is a practical alternative to the future’s 600-mile-a-pop sports saloon, you’re fighting a losing battle.

As the car industry changes and we move further and further towards electric power, buying habits will change, too. The vast majority of new cars will be leased, or at least their batteries will, so the whole ownership experience will change.

People will no longer own cars, nor will they want to. I can’t ever see me having a £995 Tesla on the forecourt, somehow, as it will either not have been allowed to depreciate that far, or it’ll be long recycled before it even gets there, having been melted down into mobile phone batteries and flogged off to Nokia cell-by-cell before it reaches the end of its first decade.

When the first commercially-viable hybrid and electric cars came in 20 years ago, I genuinely thought they were a passing fad.

I was working for a Citroen dealership at the time, and I just couldn’t see buyers embracing such technology when they struggled with something as relatively straightforward as fluid-filled suspension.

Citroen, today, is one of the manufacturers making bold strides in EV technology though, having abandoned hydraulic weirdness in favour of emissions-free propulsion systems, along with most of the rest of the industry. Indeed, consumers seem to quite like the idea, drawn in by the smoke and mirrors (mostly smoke) generated by the electricity industry, which is set to benefit from EVs far more than any of the major car makers.

Yes, I’m a grumpy old cynic, but my idea of charging is taking a deposit on a used but still useful car, not plugging a glorified hairdryer into the mains overnight and hoping it has enough juice in the tank to get me to work in the morning.

Plus, I love a big old V8 or V6 luxury barge, and when they die, so will the love of motoring for me.

And as someone who has loved owning, driving and, ultimately, selling cars for all of my adult life, I’m afraid that thought brings a tear to my eye…

‘I can’t ever see me having a £995 Tesla on the forecourt as it will not have been allowed to depreciate that far.’

Who is Big Mike? Well, that would be telling. What we can say is he’s had more than 40 years in the car trade so has probably forgotten more about it than we‘re likely to know.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

Feedback.

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

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

The best way to handle LAST year, we had a couple of situations where a client bought a car and called on the way home or once home to ask/complain about certain little things like blowers not working – or the heated windscreen or rear wipers etc. These small things, funnily enough, all turned out to be OK once they spent the day getting used to the car/controls etc. It was a relief as these cars had very little profit in them as it was!

It got me wondering though – what do you guys do if people call with complaints? Ones that live too far away to bring the car back for you to check yourselves? Things like a knocking noise or a rattle or miscellaneous mechanical flaws?

Jimbo They are second-hand cars. No matter how hard you try, things will go wrong. I stick to what I know so when it goes wrong it’s rare that I don’t know what it is. justina3 Try and prep as well as you can and then have a standard procedure in place for complaints.

As for control issues, they can easily be overcome by doing a thorough handover explaining the controls, switches and buttons on collection and doing a quick demonstration.

If nothing else, it makes the customer feel like you care and helps with recommendations to their friends rather than just throwing the keys at them and getting a squiggle on the V5. grant8064 There will always be comebacks. You have to keep the customer tame because of their rights (in particular the first 30 days).

We always ask them to bring the car back so we can sort it out for them. Once, we got a customer to bring back a VW Sharan. The guy had to do about a 200-mile round trip.

We offered to get it repaired at his local garage. He came back with a huge estimate (turbo-related issue) so we got him to bring it back. We put him in a hire car which was more

Picture of the month AFTER having featured in the picture of the month slot quite a few times over the last few issues, Blackball Media managing director Andy Entwistle politely requested a break for March. And who are we to argue? He is Car Dealer mag top brass, after all. The search then began for someone else to include – and that honour, as you can see, has fallen to our chief sub-editor John Bowman. A stickler for good grammar and spelling when it comes to all things Car Dealer, John is shown doing his best Worzel Gummidge impression after we received a lovely hamper of goodies from some important visitors recently. (Thank you very much, Volvo!) economical for us than getting his local garage to repair it and we paid the bill. We put the car into our local VW specialist – they cleaned the turbo and put it back together. Perfect! We got it fixed at a fraction of the price including car-hire costs for a week. Always try to help as long as they don’t take the Michael...

A&S Good advice. I think a good PDI is very useful.

Was just thinking if someone drove home 100200+ miles and says something’s not right, then you’re at their mercy and whatever local garage they take it to. Possibly ending up with a massive quote from them and too far to get the car back.

If a long-distance customer takes a faulty car to their local garage, you can never be quite sure the quote is legit and just for the issue they have stated. Are you within your rights to decline their garage quote and insist they bring it back to be assessed by your trusted garage?

Jimbo Your purchase receipt should state the vehicle should be returned in the event of a CRA claim.

The customer should sign to agree.

Lawgistics purchase receipts state clearly the buyer confirms they understand it is their

responsibility to return it in the event of a CRA claim irrespective of distance.

Arfur Dealy I do my own receipts. Years of experience have taught me how best to cover myself. On one occasion, a judge picked up on my receipts, and asked the claimant: ‘Why are you bringing a claim when you quite clearly have read the contract, signed the contract, and produced it in evidence, yet not followed the terms of the contract?’ have a word with the wife

The trouble with toilets We have had a bad smell in our ‘facilities’ and found a soiled nappy stuffed behind the back of the toilet! We can only guess it was some lovely school teachers who bought a Grand Scenic. They had a tribe and baby with them and used the toilet. ‘Staff use only’ sign up now! tradex When we moved premises recently, we found a soiled pair of Y-fronts stuffed down the back of the cistern. Obviously from somebody who had ‘touched cloth’ and didn’t want to continue wearing them!

Stalker

Is it worth punting a nice Cat D that’s landed in my lap?

I DON’T make a habit of actively buying writeoffs, but an ’07 Focus diesel hatch has landed in my lap on a Cat D. I’m tempted to get rid but it’s a nice enough old thing – a Ghia, with history, and in black. Is it worth ‘punting’ and what about price?

met If it’s a nice enough car, then just retail it as usual, but make sure the buyer is aware that it

44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

has been accident-repaired. Cat D could be as simple as a cracked bumper ! Not necessarily a bad car at all. As for price on an ’07, it’s not going to make a massive difference – maybe £300 less than a normal one.

Max Branning I’d be retailing that all day long. Two-thirds of book retail. Advertise it very clearly with Cat D in the title, description, invoice etc. and wait for

the phone calls. It’ll be gone by the weekend! grant8064 Give it a full PDI, try and see why it was Cat D, maybe phone the owner. Put a full MOT on it, advertise it as ‘HPI shows Cat D insurance claim some time in its past’, don’t underprice it and the phone will ring. Not being derogatory but there is a bum for every seat! have a word with the wife

More and more of our readers are joining the debate – and it couldn’t be

On Twitter: Follow @CarDealerMag

Forum: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

customer complaints Top tweets Our #MercedesBenzofLeeds team caused a stir when they took a trio of the highest spec Mercedes models, including the stunning AMG GT R, on a tour of Leeds city centre as part of a live product experience. Well done to the team and thanks to everyone who came along!

Stratstone Mercedes @StratstoneMerc Sign up to receive regular health and wellbeing tips from Ben! Get all the tools you need to stay healthy and happy: ben.org.uk/signup @BenSupport4Auto After years of white dominating the market, black has returned to the top spot as the most

popular vehicle colour in our auctions in 2017.

Manheim UK @ManheimUK Dear motorcyclists of the Chichester Bypass, kindly stop undertaking me when I’m about to pull out on to a roundabout. It’s both dangerous and discourteous. This is Britain, we do not queue jump. #thinkcarthinkdriver Tristan Shale-Hester @tristan_shale Truly astonishing things happening at @astonmartin. Sales up 56 per cent, £250 million a year in new investment, more high-quality jobs being created.

Daniel Hannan @DanielJHannan

FEEDBACK

Were phone calls part of a ploy to get me to offer a discount?

SO I get a call on a car on Friday afternoon that up to that point I had had little interest in.

It was from a nice chap who asked all the right questions, asked about the price and arranged an appointment for Sunday. All good so far.

On Saturday, I get two more telephone calls on the same car but from different punters.

This time, complete and utter space cadets who gave me all the usual BS and then made ridiculous bids.

The first guy is due to arrive at 2pm on the Sunday. I get a text off him to confirm he is still coming – all good. Then I receive two further calls similar to Saturday – loads of nonsense and crazy offers.

The guy turns up just before 2, goes for a test-drive and comes back happy but then starts haggling despite agreeing the price on Friday. He then starts to labour on about timewasters and how can I be bothered to deal with messers when he is here to buy the car. Anyway I do end up doing it for a slightly better price and he buys it.

It was only afterwards I started to wonder – was it all a ploy to get me to discount the car?

Maybe I am just being paranoid or has anyone else experienced anything similar?

SuperLease We get it all time. The usual one is, ‘‘what’s your best price?’’ After half an hour

negotiating the price, the punter buggers off to think about it. The following day, you get another punter whose offer is always below the one you negotiated the day before. Of course, they could be related... whitestone679231 I wouldn’t worry about it if you’re happy with the deal. Your first profit is always the best profit and all that.

NOACROSS Wouldn’t worry about tactics as at the end of the day, if you get back what you’re looking for then that’s all that matters. Sure, I’ve let cars go a little cheaper than I would normally but don’t beat yourself up about it. At the end of the day, if you turn a nice profit in a short time it’s a winner. Anything and everything else is just a bonus.

Earunder

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is now available at Hawkins Mitsubishi Penryn! Our demonstrators are ready to go in white, red and black and available from £21,275.

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This is serious, we have a mole that’s infiltrated our business... ...and it’s making our little bit of site lawn look like the Somme. We don’t have much, but like to keep it tidy. This mole is the Pat Tate of his manor.

Have tried mole traps but he is too clever; sound post (gives off a tone) but our mole must be deaf; chilli powder but our mole must like a hot Mexican and a Phall curry; cinnamon but he loves that. A customer suggested that we put petrol down the freshest hole in the hope that the smell puts the little beggar off. We looked at professional help, but got quoted £110! Any country bods here with any advice? tradex Eucalyptus oil! Yep, you heard it right, pour a generous slash down a hole and if they are anything like ours they will disappear.

Screenman Had this problem at home, the solution was a mole man – trapped one day, collected two days later – on two occasions success, cost £50. Money well spent...

Trident

We often get calls on cars that we have taken a deposit from, the caller is so obviously the customer who dropped the deposit, with a handkerchief over the mouthpiece like something from an episode of Ironside, asking: ‘Is the car sold, are you sure, really sure?’

Usually the same type who swop the battery over on the px. tradex

easier to get involved! Sign up to our forum at CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

The publisher reserves the right to edit submissions.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 45

Dashboard.

Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

It’s time for some tough questions.

Key Notes with Traka: p94

SWEDEN

VOLVO Cars’ engine factory in Skövde has become the company’s first climate-neutral manufacturing plant, having switched to renewable heating at the start of the year. Skövde is the first plant in Volvo Cars’ global manufacturing network to reach this status, which marks a significant step towards the company’s vision of having climate-neutral global manufacturing operations by 2025.

CANADA

CANADIANS bought a total of 2,038,798 cars, trucks and SUVs last year – more than any other year in the country’s history. Ford was the number-one seller overall, with a total of 308,474 units shifted (up 1.6 per cent) but hot on its heels was General Motors (302,826 units, up 13.3 per cent).

Industry observers predict GM will take top spot in 2018 as the firm is planning a number of product launches over the next 12 months.

BOTSWANA

A 39-YEAR-OLD car dealer from Gaborone has divorced his wife in favour of a £1,800 sex doll. After sleeping with it, Paellas Mohule reportedly divorced his wife and the mother of his four children. He prefers it partly because he says real women ‘were just after his money and had diseases’. Mohule has pledged to keep supporting his family financially.

CHINA

A FLAGSHIP Aston Martin dealership will open in the central city of Wuhan later this year. The premises will welcome customers to browse a state-ofthe-art display of Aston Martin’s product range and make use of a new service workshop. With excellent transport links, Wuhan sits equidistant between Beijing and Guangzhou, and has been projected to be China’s third largest city economy by 2025. Aston Martin president and CEO Andy Palmer travelled to Wuhan recently to sign the contract for the new dealership with president of Aston Martin China, Michael Peng.

THAILAND

MAZDA has opened a new engine-machining facility at its powertrain plant in Thailand’s Chonburi Province. Mazda President and CEO Masamichi Kogai said the new facility would play an essential role in the manufacturer’s operations in the country. ‘Strengthening our production framework for engines will help us get cars to customers without delay,’ he added.

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46 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

Dashboard.

Part 11: Revealed: Your worst nightmares !

From terrible test drives to deals going pear-shaped, even the best car dealers get it wrong sometimes… Dan Read explains.

T

promised to keep everyone’s identity a secret. We wouldn’t want any angry punters on our hands after all! Read on... and count yourself lucky if you have escaped incidents similar to these.

1. TWISTED FIRESTARTER

4. SKID MARKS

his month, we asked 13 dealers (it seemed like an appropriate number) to share their unluckiest experiences. The stories are absolutely true, although we

We once rented premises in south London from a guy who’d been there many years selling motorhomes. One day we arrived to find that most of our stock had been scratched and needed repainting.

We then got a call from an Irishman, apologising for doing it. He said he did it to get our attention, as he wanted to contact the previous occupier (our landlord) in order to get a refund for a motorhome he’d bought two years before. He said that if the landlord did not comply, he would burn down the whole building, including the rented flats above.

So we contacted the landlord, who was on safari in Africa. ‘I remember those guys,’ he said. ‘Find out what name I should put on the banker’s draft.’ Later, the Irish guy brings in the motorhome, collects the banker’s draft, shakes hands and goes away.

Shortly after, we got out of south London.

2. WHITER SHADE OF PALE

Recently, I had a customer drive 50 miles to look at a white Clio. More than 20 minutes went by and they looked a little confused, so I asked if everything was okay. The response?

They loved the car but couldn’t live with the colour, which they were hoping would be a ‘darker shade of white...’

3. SOFTLY SPRUNG

The other day, a 20-stone woman came in for a test drive in a Micra. She squeezed herself into the driver’s seat while her six-stone husband jumped in the passenger side and I got in the back. She drove it dreadfully, complaining that she was struggling to reach the pedals, but eventually we got back to base. At that point, the husband said he thought something was wrong with the suspension, as it seemed to list to the driver’s side. What was I supposed to say?

48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

My worst test drive was with a Subaru anorak, who would only buy if he could test the car ‘properly’. Sure, I said. Five minutes later we’re doing 130 mph with me screaming.

Still, at least he bought the car, while I bought some new pants.

5. AT THE SHARP END

Back in the 90s, I was taking a customer for a test drive in a Mazda RX-7 on the A49 in Warrington, when he stopped, pulled a knife to my throat and told me to get out. Which I did.

6. DING DONG

I remember returning to the dealership after a test drive in a Clio RS200. The customer was struggling to get it in reverse, finally found it, or so he thought, then lurched forwards and smashed into the back of our dent repairer’s van.

Worst of all, the dent man was actually in the back of his van at the time, sorting out his tools.

7. FARE PLAY

When I was working for a Seat main dealer, a well-dressed man came in and asked to test drive an Ibiza. He asked if we could go to the next town, 15 miles away, to show his wife as the car was for her. ‘No problem,’ I said, and off we

went. When we arrived in the town, we pulled up outside a parade of shops where he jumped out and said he’d just go and get her. I sat there for about 20 minutes, before coming to the conclusion that he’d used me as a free taxi.

8. FARE PLAY (AGAIN)

It’s 1982. I’m a 19-year-old trainee salesman at a large north London dealership and I go out for my very first test drive with a customer. He drives about five miles away, pulls over and parks up. ‘Mmm, very nice,’ he said, stroking the steering wheel of the Mini Metro. And with that, he jumped out of the car and walked off, never to be seen again. My manager properly laid into me when I got back.

9. NOSE JOB

Not long ago, I purchased a nice little Toyota Yaris from a lovely old lady who’d owned the car from new. She was very prim and proper and a delight to deal with. My thoughts changed, however, upon discovering a selection of dried bogies neatly stuck to the front of the driver’s seat, some of them quite impressive. It wasn’t just one or two; it was a whole army. I just can’t picture this dear old lady with her finger up to her knuckle, fishing them out.

10. VA VA VOOM

I remember one guy who came to view a really peachy, low-mileage Clio 182. He turned up in a battered old MX-5, a really hateful thing with rotten sills, rotten arches and what sounded like a valve out. He then proceeded to tell me all the faults of a Renault – French wiring, French brakes, French engine. ‘Well then, this one’s probably

IN ASSOCI ATION WITH

not for you,’ I said. When he asked why, I said: ‘Well, because unfortunately the rest of the car is French, too.’ He looked like a little schoolboy.

11. MISTAKEN IDENTITY

This guy comes to view a new-ish Merc C-Class, and has an older model (in toilet-brick blue) for p/x. So I give him a price and he says he’ll think it over. Several days later I’m outside when an older C-Class, in the same toilet-brick blue, pulls up and parks in the same space as before.

I catch the guy on his way in, write down the deal for him again, and say we just need a £100 deposit. He looks at it and says no problem, he’ll even pay the full balance now. At which point I hand over the deal to my salesman. The next day when I go in, our sales guy says, ‘The guy with the C-Class – was he a good friend of yours?’

It turns out it was actually a different bloke, with an even older C-Class in the same toiletbrick blue, worth about £3,000 less.

I’d given him the deal of the century.

Then all of a sudden, in came seven – yes, seven – warranty claims, including a £1,000 bill on a £1,600 Beetle. Usually I don’t get seven claims a year! Next I sold my oldest car in stock and made about £2.50. A customer was due to collect a car they’d bought the week before, so I decided to smash it into the shutter door (£200 damage).

Caught a cold. Put on weight. Drank too much beer and wine. Is it the weekend yet?

13. CLUTCHING AT STRAWS

When I worked at a Land Rover dealership, I inherited a deal from a chap who’d left. The car was a factory order and took three months to

?

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arrive. When the day came, we arranged to drop the car off to the customers, a husband and wife. While I was doing the paperwork with the husband, my colleague went through the controls of the car with his wife.

He mentioned the stop/start feature, at which point she asked for more detail. ‘The engine will start almost instantly when you touch the clutch pedal,’ my colleague said.

‘But why has my car got a clutch pedal?’ she replied. ‘I ordered an automatic!’ We loaned her an auto while we sourced the correct model, and I even managed to sell the manual car to her brother. All’s well that ends well!

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12. A WEEK FROM HELL

I love my job. Can’t beat it. But last week it took its pound of flesh. At first, all seemed hunky dory.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

Finance.

ALPHERA FINANCIAL SERVICES

Supercar specialist’s growth speeds up with £3.5m boost A lphera Financial Services is helping to accelerate the growth of Cheshire-based Vanrooyen Group with strategic investment support. In addition to supplying end-user car finance, BMW Group’s award-winning independent financial division is providing the elite prestige supercar specialist with mortgages and loans to fulfil its ambitious business plan.

Following a £3.5 million cash injection from Alphera, Vanrooyen has been able to build on its operations, taking a shareholding in vehicle funding specialist MVP Solutions and opening a showroom in Chester capable of housing 150 cars.

Vanrooyen now expects to increase its number of sites to seven and annual turnover to £50m – up from three and £14m respectively in 2017.

Alphera has supported Vanrooyen’s growth since the dealer group’s inception in 2012.

Steve Hibbert, chairman of the Vanrooyen Group, said: ‘Alphera has been very supportive in our expansion. We see them as our ‘‘partner in profit’’ and much more than just a finance company.

‘With its consultative approach and market expertise, Alphera has

A McLaren 675LT Spider at Vanrooyen’s new showroom in Chester been integral to our continued growth.’ Spencer Halil, director of Alphera Financial Services, said: ‘We’ve become trusted partners with Vanrooyen over the last five years because they do things the right way – growing a healthy business by investing in the right people and processes. We encourage all of our partners to approach us with their plans for the future as we’re ready to support their ambitions.’

As part of its consultative approach for dealer partners in 2018, Alphera is looking at ways to improve finance expertise in the motor retail sector, and has plans for the rollout of an innovative F&I accreditation initiative later this year. As the BMW Group’s multi-marque finance company, Alphera says it draws on the strength of its parent company while providing true independent support and financial services to its retail partners.

Motor retailers lost £400 on average in December THE average UK motor retailer made a loss of £400 in December – in stark contrast to a profit of £17,000 for the same month in 2016, according to the latest figures from ASE. The profitability experts said the deterioration in performance was driven by lower vehicle sales profits and decreased Car overhead Dealer Advertabsorption Horizontal 2.pdf 2 C

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resulting from lower aftersales gross profits and higher overheads.

Back-end bonus levels were down year on year as expected.

Some franchises were enabling the early recognition of these bonuses throughout the year and there was a natural impact of the lower level of new vehicle 01/03/2017 13:37:03 volumes compared

with 2016. This combined to move December from a bumper profit month to just below break-even. But ASE said there were optimistic signs for 2018, with early results showing the new vehicle market down less than feared for January, coming in at close to the predicted volume reduction percentage for the year.

LAUNCH

Millions racked up in proposals by new website

JANUARY 15 saw the launch of findandfundmycar.com – with the service going from a standing start to more than a million searches in its first two weeks.

A total of £5.78 million in finance proposals has been created, driven through dealers on the site.

Phil Morgan, pictured above, head of findandfundmycar.com, said: ‘We are delighted with the impact achieved by findandfundmycar.com in its first two weeks and the growing level of dealer involvement and support.

‘There can be no question that the highimpact marketing and its engaging soundtrack, based upon Madness’s ‘‘Driving In My Car’’ hit, have helped the brand break through, creating high levels of consumer awareness and recall.’

The first-phase TV advert that aired in the first two weeks was seen by around 25 million people.

Morgan added that although building awareness was crucial, action would be the most important metric over time.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Time is money BEN GARSIDE

A monthly look at the world of automotive finance and marketing

Ignore GDPR at your peril – if you get a complaint it could cost you dearly

S

o does GDPR affect small- to medium-sized companies?

The only answer is YES. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is for every company that uses or processes data. And no, just because we are leaving the EU doesn’t mean that you can ignore it.

Currently, the UK has the Data Protection Act 1998, which was passed following the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive, but this will be superseded by GDPR. It introduces tougher fines for non-compliance and breaches, as well as giving people (not just customers) more say over what companies can do with their data.

I see this as an evolution of the Data Protection Act and it should be deemed as such. It will be a lot of work for some companies but it should be seen as a good thing to implement for your customers.

With regards to the tougher fines there’s a new Data Protection Bill being put forward by the UK government. This replicates the requirements under GDPR for the long term, and once the bill is passed it will help to clarify the regulations for protecting data when the UK leaves the European Union, by creating a British version of GDPR. Just like GDPR, it sets out sanctions for non-compliant organisations, and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will be able to issue fines of up to £17 million, or four per cent of global turnover, whichever is higher, as opposed to €20 million and four per cent of turnover under GDPR while we are in the European Union.

Small businesses and organisations in the UK have until May 25, 2018 before the law actually applies to them. While I am neither a

compliance team member nor a regulatory boffin, I do spend a lot of time reading articles, regulatory drafts and information. I’ve also attended a lot of webinars that give me advice on anything that may affect First Response Finance. We have a very effective compliance team here but I know that I need the awareness.

I’ve learnt a lot recently and I’m still digesting GDPR, as well as the new e-Privacy Regulation drafts that have recently been released, and I’d advise that you do the same and turn this advice into output quickly. There’s a lot to take in and get your head around but it’s worthwhile.

You will need to act now and also involve others, aligning all departments to get this right. GDPR touches most departments from HR, training, IT and marketing to sales, account management and customer services, so you will need to get complete buy-in from around your business.

Even as a small business you’ll need to work on a data audit and map all the data you hold. Even if you haven’t got multiple departments, you may have multiple sources, multiple storage locations, multiple types of data capture and multiple companies that you send data to. By mapping out all of this data and documenting it you will have started the process.

The ICO is a risk-based regulator, but if you get a complaint you’ll need to be able to show why you do what you do with your data and what your policies and procedures are. This needs to include what you hold, why you hold it and what gives you the right to use it.

There’s a lot more to do, so make sure you get advice from a specialist third party.

‘There’s a lot to take in and get your head around but it’s worthwhile.’

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

Turn over the page for more finance stories

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

Dealfinder.

Finance.

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO . . .

SUPERMINIS

Audi A1

Mini Seven THE British-built Mini is one of the UK’s best-selling superminis, and the manufacturer is also prone to a special edition or two.

The Seven is one of its latest editions, harking back to the original Austin Mini Seven.

As standard the Mini Seven comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, half-leather trim, Bluetooth and a wave of badges reminding you that you’re sitting in something a bit different to the normal model. The engine here is the 134bhp 1.5-litre engine.

Mini is offering customers a deposit contribution of £500, to which they add £2,549. Over the three-year contract, the customer will make 35 monthly payments of £275.33, totalling £12,185.55. If they choose to buy their Mini Seven, they must then make a final payment of £7,514.70, bringing the overall sum to £19,700.25, as opposed to the £19,175 on-the-road price tag.

AUDI’S A1 has been around for some time now and remains a popular choice with style-conscious supermini buyers.

The mid-range Sport Nav trim is our choice here and standard kit includes satellite navigation, rear parking sensors, cruise control, a DAB radio with Bluetooth and 16-inch alloy wheels. The engine is the sportier 123bhp 1.4-litre TFSI petrol unit.

Audi is currently giving customers a £900 deposit contribution, with the customer having to add £2,000 to this. Over a three-year contract, the customer will make 35 monthly payments of £246.69, after which they will have stumped up £10,634.15.

If they decide to buy their A1 outright, they will have to make a final payment of £8,902.45, as well as Audi’s £10 option-topurchase fee. It brings the total payable by the customer to £19,546.60, against the car’s on-the-road price of £18,275.

APPOINTMENT

David looks to build on momentum as new MD of Moneyway division S ecure Trust Bank has made David Mercer the managing director of its Moneyway motor finance division.

Mercer, pictured, has more than 35 years’ experience in the motor industry and will build the brand in the near-prime and prime lending space, as the company continues to reposition itself in the motor finance market. He has joined it from NextGear Capital – the stock funding arm of Cox Automotive – where he was managing director for four years and led its expansion to become a leader in the UK and Irish markets.

He began his career at Arthur Andersen, before joining Ford Credit and Manheim Europe.

Over the past 12 months, Secure Trust’s motor finance business has shifted its focus from sub-

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

prime lending and is starting to see significant growth in its lower-risk lending products.

It reported a 26 per cent increase in motor lending balances from £205.6 million to £258.4 million in the 12 months to June 30, 2017.

Mercer said: ‘The motor finance division continues to be a core element of Secure Trust Bank’s growth strategy, so it is an exciting time to be on board. Uncertainties in the market have shifted our focus away from writing new subprime loans in order to guarantee the long-term security of the business. We are now committed to writing higher volumes of lower-risk business,

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and as a result, the proportion of our lending in the near-prime space is growing significantly.

‘There is a fantastic opportunity for us to build on this momentum and we are already looking at long-term investment to develop our offer and attract new customer segments through new technology and product development. Secure Trust Bank has a very strong capital base, which puts us in a great position for future growth and innovation, which will also benefit our partners in the long term. I’m really looking forward to using my experience to take the business into a new phase of growth and development.’

Car Dealer Advert Column.pdf 3 04/01/2017 10:42:23

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DS 3 THE DS brand split from Citroen in 2015 so the French manufacturer could create a more premium marque.

The DS 3 we’ve chosen is the Connect Chic trim level with a 108bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Its star feature is its ability to make contactless payments using the key. It also comes with 17inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, satellite navigation, automatic air conditioning plus Mirror Link and Apple CarPlay.

DS is currently offering a £950 deposit contribution, with the customer making a £2,200 deposit then 36 monthly payments of £245.96. By the end, the customer will have paid £11,054.56.

They can then choose whether or not to make a final payment of £6,465 to buy their DS 3. This brings the total amount payable by the customer to £17,519.56 – making it cheaper on finance, as the on-theroad price is £17,545.

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Smartphones’ popularity to access websites grows as tablets see a decline

Consumer car finance volumes stay stable in 2017

THE importance of maximising the usability of dealer websites on smartphones has been underlined by new figures from iVendi.

While the number of used car buyers using a laptop to access websites is almost unchanged from a year ago, the latest figures show there has been a swing from tablets to smartphones.

At the start of 2017, smartphones accounted for 66 per cent of site visits and tablets for 10 per cent, but this has now shifted to 69 per cent and seven per cent respectively. The figures are taken from visits to dealer websites that use iVendi online motor retail technology.

James Tew, CEO at iVendi, said: ‘This is very much about the increase in popularity of larger-screen smartphones and especially the iPhone X and other Plus models, which are having a measurable impact. For this reason, tablets are falling away.

‘The fact is that in 2018 the mobile is the online retail tool of choice, and that applies as much to cars as it does to books, clothing or any other purchase.’

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NEW figures released in February by the Finance & Leasing Association show that new business volumes in the point-ofsale consumer car finance market in 2017 were at a similar level to 2016, while the value of new business went up by six per cent over the same period.

New business in December 2017 fell by two per cent by value and five per cent by volume compared with the same month in 2016.

Geraldine Kilkelly, head of research and chief economist at the FLA, said: ‘New business volumes in the POS consumer car finance market reached 2.3 million in 2017 – a similar level to 2016.

The market expects broadly stable new business volumes in 2018.’

She added that trends were likely to be affected by the pattern of demand over the same period last year.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Engine

The Megane R.S. uses a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine which produces 276bhp.

Renault Megane R.S. Jack Evans delivers his verdict on the latest version of one of the most iconic of all hot hatches

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Renault Megane R.S. Price: TBC Engine: 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 276bhp Torque: 390Nm Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 5.6 seconds MPG: 40.3 Emissions (g/km): 158g/km TARGET BUYERS: Those who want a sharphandling, agile hot hatch.

THE RIVALS: Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30N, Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Gearbox

Power is sent through either a dual-clutch automatic or sixspeed manual.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Involving drive.

2. Sharp handling.

3. Decent interior materials.

Chassis

Two chassis options are available – Sport and Cup – with the former the best roadgoing choice.

DEAL CLINCHER: The Megane R.S. is still likely to be a solid choice for driving enthusiasts.

What is it?

The Megane R.S. has been one of the best-known hot hatches in the segment for some time now, and here we find ourselves in the latest generation. With its predecessors regarded as some of the finest-handling hatches of all time, the new Megane R.S. has a lot to live up to.

Renault hopes this version will be the best yet.

What’s new?

There’s quite a lot going on beneath the Megane’s muscular styling. We’ve now got four-wheel steering, a powerful turbocharged engine and – enthusiasts rejoice – the choice of either a dualclutch automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

Renault says this latest R.S. features more motorsport influences than ever before. Engineers from the firm’s F1 team even helped develop its engine, ensuring that it is as responsive as possible – despite being turbocharged.

54 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

The exterior has also been beefed up, as have the chassis and brakes. All in all, it’s designed to be the most involving Megane R.S. yet. There’s the choice of either Sport or Cup chassis too, with the former more road-ready and the latter aimed at those who want to use their Megane on track.

What’s under the bonnet?

The new Megane R.S. is powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine – the same as the one you’ll find in the Alpine A110 sports car. Here, it produces 276bhp and 390Nm. The car now features all-wheel steering – a first for the hot-hatch segment. At speeds of up to 37mph, both the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, affording the car better high-speed stability.

At low speed, they move in opposite directions, and this means the car can turn more sharply than with a conventional set-up.

What’s it like to drive?

A hot hatch needs to be sharp, nimble and, most of all, fun to drive. In most respects, the Megane R.S. ticks those boxes.

The 1.8-litre engine feels punchy at low speeds yet has a willingness to be revved out too. It sounds characterful enough as well, though only when switched into all-out ‘Race’ driving mode.

In regular modes, it’s pretty muted. The handling is sharp, with perhaps a little too much artificial weight added in racier modes, but the four-wheel steering does make the car very agile in the bends – and it’ll happily begin to rotate on a lifted throttle, but it never becomes scary or difficult to drive.

There are some niggles, however – the gearshift paddles are mounted a tad too high on the steering wheel, while the brake pedal lacks a degree of bite under the first few inches of travel.

‘The 1.8-litre unit is responsive and pulls hard throughout the rev range.’

Interview

Jack chatted to Sebastian Henry, engine and gearbox engineer for the Renault Megane R.S. What do you think is the key part of the new Megane R.S.?

The key parts are the chassis and the gearbox. For the chassis, we managed to do something very efficient – it’s matched perfectly to the engine and the gearbox. We worked a lot on the tuning of the automatic gearbox to make it as sporty as possible. We also made sure that it was reliable, which is why we tested it in extreme conditions – both extreme cold and extreme heat.

Where did you test the car?

We took it to Sweden, in -30 degrees and then we also went to the south of Spain, testing it on the faster roads there in much higher temperatures.

Was it important to make sure that the car operates correctly in those conditions?

Yes, it needs to operate perfectly in all the conditions that our customers will be experiencing. We tested the manual gearbox on rally-type roads, as well as during higher speeds on the circuit. All the cars have been heavily developed on the Nurburgring – they’ve done an awful lot of laps!

Why do manufacturers still want to test on the Nurburgring?

It’s a benchmark. It’s always been in the DNA of Renaultsport to test there, and it’s important for us to get feedback from the professional racing drivers who drive the car around the Nurburgring in order to get the vehicle’s tuning just right.

How does it look?

Despite being based on a rather run-of-the-mill hatchback, the R.S. manages to look impressive in the metal. The arches have been fleshed out at both the front and rear, while small touches such as air vents just behind the front wheels and a large hexagonal exhaust surround help differentiate the R.S. from the regular Megane.

What’s it like inside?

Those seeking a flamboyant, over-the-top interior may have to look in other directions than the Renault Megane R.S. For the most part, though, it’s a pleasant place to be – the sports seats are hugely comfortable, while the seating position itself is spot-on.

What’s the spec like?

The Megane R.S. benefits from quite a lot of standard equipment. Central to the cabin’s design

is a large 8.7-inch infotainment screen, which houses satellite navigation and media functions.

One of its cleverest features is the R.S. Monitor.

This allows drivers to connect a dash cam or smartphone to the system and film their laps on track. Then, the car’s in-board telemetrics can overlay details such as speed and G-reading on to the footage, which can then be uploaded to the internet.

What do we think?

The Megane R.S. is a bit of a mixed bag. The engine, chassis and ride are all impressive.

The 1.8-litre unit is responsive and pulls hard throughout the rev range, while the Sport chassis is just well-judged enough for the road.

However, a few niggles such as the slightly fiddly infotainment system and oddly-placed gearshift paddles do bring things down. That said, the Megane R.S. is still a huge amount of fun to drive.

Tell us a little bit about Renault Formula One driver Niko Hulkenburg’s involvement with the car.

He gave us a lot of feedback – both about the manual and the automatic gearboxes, as well as the Sport and Cup chassis. He was very impressed by the four-wheel-steering – he said he wished the system was in F1 !

Did you speak to owners of the previousgeneration Megane R.S. about what they’d like to see on the new car?

Yes, of course. We go on test sessions during the weekend, and we have the feedback from all our customers about what they like. We know exactly what they like, and also what they’d like to have in the new Megane R.S. We put everything together to make sure the car was as good as possible.

We took a lot of things into account when developing this latest Renault R.S. car.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Infiniti QX50

Appearance The QX50 has a welcome and genuinely different design.

James Baggott travelled to America to drive an all-new mid-sized SUV which has well-established German rivals in its sights

THE KNOWLEDGE Model as tested: Infiniti QX50 Price: £35,000 (estimate) Engine: 2.0-litre VC-Turbo petrol Power: 268bhp Torque: 380Nm Max speed: 143mph 0-60mph: 6.3 seconds MPG: TBC Emissions (g/km): N/A TARGET BUYERS: SUV buyers looking for a viable alternative to German offerings.

THE RIVALS: BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Clever technology.

2. Punchy new petrol engine.

3. Comfortable.

DEAL CLINCHER: It’s not the same car your customers’ neighbours are driving.

What is it?

You’d be forgiven for not knowing that much about Infiniti. Launched in the UK less than 10 years ago, the Japanese luxury brand is still attempting to establish itself as an alternative to the German trio.

This is the firm’s latest attempt to change that – a mid-size SUV that aims to tempt buyers away from the likes of a BMW X3 or Audi Q5.

With the QX50’s host of smart technology, a distinctive design and a bafflingly clever new engine, Infiniti is hoping it will rapidly become the brand’s best-selling car worldwide.

What’s new?

Built on a brand-new platform, the QX50 debuts a number of world-first gadgets. These include dynamic noise-cancelling technology in the engine, seats which have been designed in conjunction with Nasa and a petrol engine that 56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Smooth

A new chassis and ground-up design have resulted in a quiet and comfortable ride.

promises to offer sports levels of performance, but with the economy of a diesel.

What’s under the bonnet?

That clever new VC-Turbo engine is a worldfirst variable compression ratio engine. For the non-technically minded, that means it offers the power of a 2.0-litre turbo petrol with the torque and efficiency of a four-cylinder diesel. Currently there are no plans to offer a diesel engine.

On our early pre-production drive in America, Infiniti wouldn’t reveal how efficient its new engine is. No UK fuel economy figures or emissions details were released as it has yet to be type-approved for Europe. With this in mind, we’ll take the brand’s claims with a pinch of salt.

What we do know is the 2.0-litre engine produces 268bhp and 380Nm of torque. A petrol BMW X3 20i offers 184bhp and 290Nm, so it seems the QX50 has quite the upper hand.

What’s it like to drive?

This clever new engine generates impressive, usable performance. It’ll hit 60mph in 6.3 seconds – and will go on to a top speed of 143mph. The noise it makes while doing so is an acquired taste.

Much of it is synthetically generated and it teeters on the edge of deeply satisfying and incredibly annoying.

There’s also a CVT automatic gearbox, which is fine at sedate speeds but becomes irritatingly audible in the higher rev ranges.

Sadly, Infiniti is persisting with its drive-by-wire steering, which came in for much criticism on its Q50 saloon and is little better here.

The QX50’s new chassis and ground-up design has certainly resulted in a pleasing ride, however.

It soaked up the worst that America’s crevicelike roads threw at it, and thanks to a dynamic noise-cancelling engine mount – which works to stop noise entering the cabin – it’s calm inside

‘People are buying us because they find something different.’

Acceleration It’ll hit 60mph in 6.3 seconds – a whole two seconds faster than the equivalent BMW.

too. What’s more, it can even drive itself – up to a point. Hit the car’s ProPilot button and it’ll steer for you (but you’ll need to keep a hand on the wheel), speeding up and slowing down with traffic.

And there’s a Forward Collision Warning system, which bounces radar around and under cars in front to spot traffic slowing down before you do.

Infiniti says it can even detect a slowing motorbike hidden in front of an HGV.

How does it look?

Looks-wise, it’s certainly a break from the status quo. While BMW’s X3 has been labelled ‘boring’ and Audi’s Q5 ‘generic’, the QX50 has a welcome and genuinely different design.

What’s also pleasing is the fact that the frankly quite hard-on-the-eye look of Infiniti SUVs of the past has been toned down.

What’s it like inside?

Inside is where the QX50 really shines. Handstitched leather panels, alcantara and a swooping dash give it a luxury feel, and although some of the switchgear is obviously borrowed from the Renault Nissan Alliance, it’s far better packaged than early Infiniti models.

What’s the spec like?

The QX50 is a while off arriving on our shores so, as such, Infiniti is remaining tightlipped about specification and pricing.

Executives did tell us that it would undercut BMW and Audi

‘We’re in the UK for as long as it makes sense’ INFINITI is committed to the UK and will not be retreating any time soon – despite only clocking up 3,500 sales in 2017.

The Japanese brand’s global product marketing director, Nicolas Tschann, insists the manufacturer is pleased with its performance in the UK and is aiming for ‘sustainable growth’. He said: ‘We’ve got to grow, but at the same time we haven’t overinvested in a network. We have 12 dealers, competitors have got 200, 250 – so we are 20 times smaller than our competitors in terms of the number of sales.

‘The pressure to grow is there because it’s there for every brand.

‘But right now we need to sustain the business, get it right, get the right cars in.

Brand image is going Nicolas Tschann to be a key factor.’

When asked about how serious the manufacturer was about the UK market, Tschann became very animated.

‘How many millions do you think we’ve put into the business? You know we’ve poured in millions,’ he said. ‘There is no decision to exit the UK. We’re in it for as long as it makes sense to invest in the UK.’ Tschann believes that Infiniti’s unique design and the new technology it is bringing to the market will be the key to attracting more British buyers.

‘People are buying us because they find something different in terms of the execution, in terms of the design language,’ he said. ‘We’re not sold for brand, we’re sold for design first. That’s something we’re pretty proud about.’

rivals, and it’s likely much of the new technology will be included as standard. The QX50 is slated to arrive either late this year or very early in 2019.

What do we think?

Infiniti believes the QX50 is the best car it’s ever made – and we’d find it hard to argue with that.

The clever new VC-Turbo engine is impressive, the ride quality and interior finish excellent and we even like the looks. Quite how Brits will react to a petrol-powered SUV with no diesel option remains to be seen, though, and its success will hinge on just how much it undercuts established German rivals.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Audi A7 Sportback

Semiautonomous

The new A7 gets advanced cruise control that maintains the driver’s distance from the car in front and even keeps them in their lane.

In its previous guise, it’s a car that enjoyed considerable success. Can this latest version keep the good times going? Darren Cassey reports

THE KNOWLEDGE Model as tested: Audi A7

Sportback 55 TFSI S line Price: £58,040 Engine: 3.0-litre V6 petrol Power: 335bhp Torque: 500Nm Max speed: 155mph 0-60mph: 5.1 seconds MPG: 40 Emissions (g/km): 161 TARGET BUYERS: Those looking for an executive-class car that’s a great long-distance cruiser with sporty styling.

THE RIVALS: BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz CLS KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Stylish, premium interior.

2. Impressive safety technology.

3. Sporty looks.

DEAL CLINCHER: High-tech interior and a quiet cabin make for a capable and comfortable cruiser.

Steering

The rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the fronts at lower speeds to improve agility, and turn in the same direction at higher speeds.

What is it?

Audi has overhauled its executive-class five-door coupe for 2018, giving it a refreshed look both inside and out, plenty of technology, and the promise of improved driving dynamics.

With the A7 Sportback, the German carmaker is hoping to take the flashy design of a coupe, and marry it to the comfort of an executive saloon and the practicality of an estate. With the old model it was incredibly successful in doing this, so the new one has a lot to live up to.

What’s new?

Audi says that the ‘rakish silhouette’ is just about all that’s carried over from the previousgeneration A7 Sportback. Engineers have worked to reduce rolling road noise, there are fewer vibrations throughout the body, and acoustic glass helps to keep the cabin ever quieter. Coupled with ride-improving air suspension, it all makes the A7 58 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

an excellent long-distance cruiser. Electrification has also made its way to the new A7 Sportback, with a mild hybrid set-up included on both diesel and petrol variants.

Other new features include a suite of driver assistance aids, such as a semi-autonomous cruise control system and parking pilot, which lets the driver leave the parking to the car’s computers.

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s a choice of two engines, one petrol and one diesel, and both three litres in size. They’re denoted using Audi’s new naming structure, with the diesel badged as 50 TDI and the more powerful petrol known as 55 TFSI. Audi reckons about 80 per cent of sales will be diesel, but in our limited time with the 50 model, we found it to be noisier and less refined than you’d expect.

Much more A7-like is the 55 TFSI petrol. There are no economy figures for the diesel just yet,

but they’ll be considerably better than the official 40mpg the petrol achieves. However, for such a large vehicle that’s not too bad, and with 335bhp it’s surprisingly sprightly, too – the 0-60mph dash takes just over five seconds.

What’s it like to drive?

The ideal driving scenario for the A7 Sportback is out on the open road, with the cruise control set to 70mph as the miles roll by. Particularly in petrol guise, it’s quiet and serene, and the ride is generally exquisite. Opt for the sport suspension and you do sacrifice some quality – the ideal option is the adaptive air suspension.

That’s not to say the A7 isn’t fun on a back road. Our test route took in winding mountain passes and it performed admirably, helped by the all-wheel steering, which makes the rear wheels turn the opposite way to the fronts at lower speeds to improve agility, and in the same

‘The ideal driving scenario for the A7 Sportback is out on the open road.’

Lights

The front and rear lights use LEDs, which use less energy and can be manipulated so drivers can keep full beam on without dazzling fellow road users.

Interview

Frank Rimili, exterior designer for the A7 Sportback, chatted to Darren Cassey What was the process for designing the new car?

We had a competition internally, in which different design teams submitted sketches and concepts of what the new A7 could look like. These concepts had central themes to them, and when we won, these themes continued to the final design phase.

So, for example, the long thin strip of light at the rear was one feature of my team’s submission. Throughout the process, we tweak and tailor the design until we end up with a final look.

Can other departments have a big impact on the design?

We stay true to our central theme but yes, sometimes you’ll submit a design and an engineer might say, ‘that looks great but there’s no room under the bonnet for the engine’ so we have to make changes.

The finished product is a collaboration with engineers and the guys in the aerodynamics department.

How does your team approach the design of RS models, which have a different, more aggressive look?

When we have specialist models, we look at ways to make them different. With the RS cars, that usually means more prominent air intakes at the front, and tweaking spoilers and splitters to deliver the look that customers want. We also have specialist teams, for example wheel specialists and lighting specialists, who help with the other finishing touches.

direction at high speeds for better stability. In corners, the improvements over the old model are like night and day.

How does it look?

To us, the previous model looked more athletic than this new version, which replaces the old angular design with a softer approach. The result is a slightly frumpier appearance.

One big advancement is the lighting signature, though. There’s LED technology both front and rear, giving the car a seriously modern look and ‘welcome home’ animations that add character.

What’s it like inside?

One criticism that’s often levelled at Audi is that its interiors feel largely the same whether you’re in an A3 hatchback, A8 saloon or R8 supercar. However, the new-generation cabin debuted in the A8 and continued here in the A7

feels futuristic and a big step forward.

A larger wheelbase means there’s more cabin space too, while a pair of large central touchscreens declutter the dashboard.

However, with almost all functions taken away from physical buttons, it can be a bit of a faff trying to navigate even basic menus such as climate controls and radio.

What’s the spec like?

There are two trim levels at launch – Sport and S line. The former is distinguished by LED front and rear lights, 19-inch alloy wheels and twinleather upholstered seats, while S-line models get HD Matrix LED headlights, 20-inch alloys, sports suspension and an S line-specific body kit.

Features common to both trims include Audi’s digital instrument binnacle called Virtual Cockpit, wireless smartphone charging, and driver aids such as front collision warning and automatic

parking. Pricing for 50 TDI diesel models has yet to be confirmed, but 55 TFSI petrols start at £55,140 in Sport trim and £58,040 for S-line models.

What do the press think?

Auto Express said: ‘The A7 Sportback’s distinctive look is the perfect antidote for those fed-up with the conservative design of Audi’s saloon line-up.’

Top Gear commented: ‘The most amazing part of the new Audi A7 Sportback is that you can actually tell it’s new.’

What do we think?

Previous A7 owners won’t take long to get used to the general driving experience – this car is quiet, comfortable and spacious. However, where the German carmaker has really moved the game on is the interior and handling. The cabin feels futuristic, while the cornering ability is seriously impressive for a vehicle of this size.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

THE KNOWLEDGE

Toyota Yaris GRMN

Model (as tested): Toyota Yaris GRMN Price: £26,295 Engine: 1.8-litre petrol supercharged Power: 209bhp Torque: 250Nm Max speed: 143mph 0-60mph: 6.2 seconds MPG: 37.7 Emissions (g/km): 170

Ryan Hirons gets behind the wheel of a limited-edition small car with big personality What is it?

Gazoo Racing is Toyota’s motorsport arm – and it’s also responsible for some high-performance versions of the Japanese manufacturer’s vehicles. The Yaris GRMN is the first to make it to our shores. The initials stand for Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring, and refer to the brand’s success in the VLN Endurance Series. Just 400 examples will be available in Europe.

What’s new?

Visual changes include the addition of aggressive-looking bodywork, a centre-mounted exhaust, 17-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and an eye-catching decal set.

Underneath the fairly recognisable body is a completely different animal to anything else in the Yaris

range, though. From the 1.8-litre supercharged engine to the Torsen differential, modified suspension and larger brakes, there’s no shortage of things to talk about.

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Yaris GRMN is a 1.8-litre supercharged four-cylinder petrol engine, a modified version of the unit found in the current Lotus Elise. This is paired to a six-speed manual gearbox.

What’s it like to drive?

The Yaris GRMN’s wild looks and raspy exhaust note don’t match the driving experience entirely, but it’s still an extremely capable and quick machine. Thanks to the addition of a Torsen differential and Sachs performance suspension, the front-

wheel-drive hatch remains well balanced through corners and is actually pretty easy to drive fast.

What’s the spec like?

Standard equipment on GRMN models includes bucket seats, an all-black interior with leather trim, an information display in the gauge cluster, aluminum sports pedals, a GR-badged starter button, dual-zone climate control, and an infotainment display taken from the current Yaris range.

What do we think?

The Yaris GRMN is a fantastic and very capable performance machine with an endless ability to put a smile on your face. Compare it with rivals such as the Fiesta ST and Polo GTI though, and it’s too pricey.

TARGET BUYERS: Petrolheads looking for big thrills in a little package.

THE RIVALS: Ford Fiesta ST, Volkswagen Polo GTI, Vauxhall Corsa VXR. KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Limited-edition exclusivity.

2. Track-capable with nothing more than a tyre change.

3. Maintains Yaris practicality despite performance increase.

C DEAL CLINCHER: GRMN has turned an otherwiseM pedestrian vehicle into a genuine performance monster. Y CM

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60 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

N O D N LO G N I L L A C

as we supercar dealers in London y an m as sit Vi : ple sim s The plan wa going – so ugh idea of where we were ro a d ha e W y. da e ... on in could entice Ted Welford tells all pr ap r ale De r Ca ? to t ge how many did we

W

e were living the dream – supercar shopping in London with a £1 million budget. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a pipe dream really, as we didn’t actually have the cash to hand. Still, we were embarking on a day of exploring the capital’s finest supercar and classic car dealerships, so there was plenty to be cheerful about.

It began so well, with a list of businesses as long as our arm to send emails off to. Our messages read something along the lines of: ‘We’re pesky journalists doing a cool feature. Will you let us look at the millions of pounds-worth of cars in your showroom please?’ A good two-thirds of dealers shoved the emails straight into their trash folders, but a pleasant few did reply.

With a plan set, all seemed to be going smoothly. That was until it came to 5pm on the Friday before our trip to The Smoke the following Monday. A delightful missive came through from a dealer group’s head of PR kindly letting us know that we couldn’t visit any of its five dealerships – even though the arrangements had all been put in place. Damn! We still had a very impressive itinerary lined up, though.

Monday morning came and the idea was simple – visit as many classic, prestige and supercar dealers in central(ish) London as possible. Unlike some of the clients of the dealerships we would visit, we did not arrive in London in a chauffeur-driven, long-wheelbase Range Rover, but instead the 7.13am train from

Portsmouth to Waterloo. Not the most glamorous start to proceedings, we’ll admit.

Getting off the train in London, we were straight on to a packed commuter Tube.

Few things are worse than having to push people out of the way just to be able to get on a train, but hey, that’s life in London.

Luckily, Green Park station isn’t too far from Waterloo, and what’s even better is that the Audi City London showroom is perfectly positioned just over the road from the exit to the station.

An extremely brief visit to the dealership showed just how important branding is to centrally placed dealers. The two-storey showroom only houses five cars, with the rest of the space being dedicated to merchandise.

A Solar Orange Audi R8 fantastically placed for busy commuters, shoppers and tourists passing by grabbed our attention in particular.

A quick walk across London’s glamorous Berkeley Square and we were at Porsche Centre Mayfair. It’s just on the corner of Mount Street – a road where you’d be lucky to find a bottle of water for less than a tenner, and no, we’re not joking.

The friendly receptionists at the dealership seemed delighted to let us have a look around the already-busy showroom – bearing in mind it was 9.30am at this point. A few photos in the bag and we were on our way to our next stop just around the corner – JD Classics Mayfair in one of the most exclusive parts of the area: Mount Row. As we gawped through the perfectly polished glass window, we couldn’t fail to see the Aston Martin Vulcan at the front of the showroom.

‘As we gawped through the perfectly polished glass window, we couldn’t fail to see the Aston Martin Vulcan.’

62 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Fiskens

Graeme Hunt Ltd

HAMME

Girardo and Co

A buzz of the door and we were allowed in to see some of the most expensive cars in London.

The simple ‘If you have to ask how much it is, you can’t afford it’ rule very much applies here, as there isn’t a price in sight. You just know that seven-figure sums are more common than anything else. Unfortunately, an early morning conference call prevented us from meeting anyone, but the staff were still happy to let us drool at their incredible showroom display.

Half an hour later we were on our way to the next stop – Stratstone Aston Martin Mayfair,

Overfinch London

Stratstone Aston Martin Mayfair

ST JOHN’S WOOD

SOHO

KENSINGTON JD Classics Mayfair

WESTMINSTER RSMITH

LONDON FULHAM

Porsche Centre Mayfair

B AT T E R S E A

McLaren London

Joe Macari Performance Cars

Audi City London

handily positioned in Park Lane in probably one of the best locations for any UK car dealer.

The Aston Martin dealership is the brand’s flagship UK showroom, and despite half the premises currently being closed for

refurbishment, the staff were very keen to show us around.

A sales representative explained that the store was key to brand awareness as ‘99 per cent of people who come in have no intention of buying a car’ – rather, it is a warm welcome to the Aston Martin brand. The dealership was previously run by Aston Martin itself, but has been taken over

by Stratstone as the manufacturer has now opened its own ‘boutique’ store in Dover Street.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

Feature.

The cars are always under the spotlight at Fiskens, with the dealership also pictured on p3

Customers were already in the Audi showroom by 9am on a Monday

Fiskens sales specialist Rory Henderson

Overfinch marketing manager Ian Wallace extends a supercar welcome to our Ted

Mirror, mirror, on the Aston Martin wall...

64 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Porsches lined up in Mayfair

By the time you’re reading this, a new section of the showroom will have opened for used cars. Well, we say ‘section’, but the size of the showroom will have doubled!

Handily, the staff at Aston Martin directed us to our next dealer: Overfinch London in St John’s Wood – about a 10-minute bus journey away.

Overfinch is probably the best-known tuner of Range Rovers and Land Rovers now, having been around since 1975.

Its showroom is a stone’s throw from the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground and is full of some of the most expensively modified Range Rover models in existence, all the way up to a limitededition Supersports that’s specced up to £210,000.

Some are more tasteful than others...

Overfinch is used to seeing celebrities walk through the doors, and as marketing manager Ian Wallace told us, footballers frequently call in.

You can see why, as the sky’s the limit, and any level of customisation seems possible. Wallace explained: ‘We are not focused on price but on quality and perfection and creating bespoke motor vehicles.’ And in this wealthy part of London, the showroom has a prime position for customers with VERY deep pockets.

W

ith a couple of hours to spare in our schedule, we tried to book another visit in. After a quick look at the list of dealerships that had already declined to welcome us, we headed down to Knightsbridge and dropped in at McLaren London.

Its showroom is handily positioned next to probably one of the busiest junctions in the capital. It even has a mock-up Formula 1 car on its wall and its own viewing gallery for passing trade, although the F1 car looked a bit neglected and was covered in layers of dust.

We wouldn’t fancy paying the valeter fees to get someone up a ladder, though.

Because we hadn’t arranged our visit beforehand, we were made to feel like tourists in the aforementioned viewing gallery. Not that that was a bad thing, as the showroom was full of the Woking-based manufacturer’s latest models – including a 675LT Spider and a 570GT. By the time we left, the heavens had just started to open. And while we could have easily taken a taxi to our next stop, it’s sometimes just as quick to walk around London as it is to go by road. A stroll through Kensington isn’t exactly arduous, after all. Next on our list was Fiskens,

An Aston Martin at JD Classics – if only the number plate said ‘4 ME’...

located on a quiet mews not too far from the Natural History Museum.

The fact that a Ferrari 288 GTO was casually parked in a garage just opposite yet had nothing to do with the dealership gave an indication of this area’s wealth. ‘The owner drives a different supercar to work every day,’ someone at Fiskens told us. As you do.

It was one of the most discreetly branded dealers that we visited, with a simple logo giving little away about the business. However, a quick knock on the door let us in instantly to what can only be described as a treasure trove.

Fiskens faced a problem a few years ago. It wanted to expand, but what do you do when you’re sandwiched between buildings?

The answer is you dig down. And that was exactly what Fiskens did.

Now it features two floors of some of the finest and most exclusive cars ever made.

This includes a Squire – a make we’d never heard of. And we could perhaps be forgiven when you realise the manufacturer only produced seven cars. A stunning spiral staircase leads you down to the lower floor, where a perfectly clean mirror reflected the beauty of the cars beneath.

We spoke with sales specialist Rory Henderson, who explained that Queen’s Gate Place Mews wasn’t an unusual address for a garage, as it used to be a bustling place for such establishments.

He told us: ‘The history of the mews is brilliant, as classic cars have been a big part of Queen’s Gate Place Mews for years and years and it’s nice to still have a showroom where the classic car business started.’ Henderson also spoke of the privacy that goes into some of the deals, which is unsurprising considering the incredible value of some of the cars they deal with.

Fifty to sixty per cent of the vehicles are sold discreetly and under the radar. ‘At the end of the day, it is the customer’s preference, and for some cars it works better if they sell that way,’ he said.

Our next walk was to Graeme Hunt Ltd, which lies even further into Kensington. It certainly didn’t look as far away on Apple Maps as it did once we’d started our stroll, but by this time we’d already notched up 25,000 steps and it’s safe to say our legs were tiring.

This was another garage squeezed into a quaint mews street – one of those roads where you automatically assume that you’ve taken a wrong turn. It’s certainly cosy, with as many cars packed into a showroom as you could possibly fit. Hunt previously worked for many years at the famous Jack Barclay Bentley dealership in

‘Fifty to sixty per cent of the vehicles are sold discreetly and under the radar.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 65

Feature.

Mayfair before setting up on his own 11 years ago.

Unsurprisingly, Bentleys appear prominently in the showroom, which is one of just a handful of mews dealerships that still exist in the capital.

It is also now central London’s largest sole classic car dealership in terms of physical cars for sale, and it’s certainly got a layout like a rabbit warren, with little rooms all over the place.

Hunt’s wife Bettina, a director at the firm, described it as an ‘Aladdin’s cave’, and said that the size of the showroom limited the cars it could sell. For example, because of the size of Bentleys and Range Rovers – a large proportion of everything that Graeme Hunt sells – it means these vehicles can’t fit in the showroom front of the dealership.

She also explained that the current economic uncertainty around Brexit was impacting on the dealership, with the low value of the pound restricting sales and people becoming reluctant to invest in high-value cars.

Bettina did say, though, that the market was just picking up, which will be good news for Graeme Hunt and classic and prestige dealers around the country.

We then had a big trek to Fulham for our next appointment, at Girardo and Co. It is by far the newest dealership we visited, having only been established by Max Girardo in 2016.

Girardo was previously head auctioneer at RM Auctions, which then became RM Sotheby’s. The company was started with the help of Max Willis and Cat Bunch, two of Girardo’s colleagues at the renowned auction house.

The dealership was the most unusually placed one we visited. As we walked down the Fulham side street, the only clue was a white garage door with the letter ‘G’ above.

By now we were a bit weary and didn’t put two and two together to realise that the G stood for ‘Girardo and Co’. So, not wanting to ring the door for the wrong company, we carried on a bit further down the street before realising that the white door must be on the right lines.

A quick call to Cat revealed that we were actually in the correct place. Next thing we know, a small white door within a garage door opened to reveal a stunning courtyard leading to a showroom front. All very secretive, but an understandable level of privacy and discretion.

It was the most incredibly well-hidden dealership we’ve been to – only visible from surrounding flats and houses whose occupants can see over the high walls.

The dealership seemed to be doing exceptionally well, with a Lancia Stratos, Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari 275 GTB all on

display. It was certainly great to see a team so ambitious and making a success of things in such a fragile economic climate.

L

ast, but definitely not least on our tour, was Joe Macari Performance Cars in Earlsfield – meaning a trip over the river was in order. Joe Macari is probably one of the most recognisable supercar dealers in London – not only because of the name but also the sheer size of the place. By the time we got to the site by the side of the busy A218 it was already dark, meaning the size of the floodlit building looked even more imposing. Think of it as the size of a leading Audi dealership (other brands are available) and you’re halfway there.

A press of the buzzer and someone who was probably about 25 metres away from the entrance door did the same to let us in. No questions were asked, as the dealership is accustomed to people mooching round its pristine showroom and taking pictures to put on social media – after all, a social media presence is hugely important for dealers, particularly on this scale.

With cars ranging from ’50s classics such as the Mercedes 300 SL all the way up to the latest sports cars, such as the Ferrari F12 TDF, there really was everything. Despite having 50 cars in the showroom, there is still plenty of room inside and it even has its own diner upstairs.

We spoke with sales executive Franco Granell, who explained that the current enormous building had been there for just three years.

Roughly 200 cars are sold through the dealership annually – impressive when you consider the value of most of the metal it shifts.

There is also an equally impressive service centre around the corner, which we left to see, and just as the rollers were closing for the day we were able to sneak a peek at a McLaren P1 GTR and a Ferrari F50. Sublime!

But just as we thought that was the end of the day, we got a sharp reminder of how useless public transport can be. With three cancelled trains and jumping between London’s stations like a politician dodging questions, we eventually landed on a train back to Portsmouth Harbour – where, for the next two hours, we had the joy of some drunks and commuters arguing.

Firmly back to reality. We can’t imagine most supercar buyers sitting on a train, no matter what the circumstances, but something needed to bring us back down to earth. After all, you can’t be in the presence of millions of pounds-worth of cars every day. Unless you work for one of these dealers of course.

‘A small white door opened to reveal a stunning courtyard. All very secretive, but an understandable level of privacy.’

66 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Three Mercedes 300 SLs in a row at Joe Macari

Packing them in at Graeme Hunt Ltd

Joe Macari even has its own diner upstairs

McLaren London sits in the heart of busy Knightsbridge

The supercar market is enjoying a boom time – find out more Girardo and Co has a library as well as a stunning range of classic cars CarDealerMag.co.uk | 67

Feature.

THE ONLY WAY IS UP IN SUPERCAR SECTOR Sports car and supercar brands are on a product offensive, climbing the sales charts in what is supposed to be a difficult market. Rebecca Chaplin spoke to those at the top to find out what they’re doing right

T

he automotive industry is in decline, no-one wants to part with their hard-earned cash and buyers are unwilling to invest in new technology – that’s what we keep hearing, anyway.

And it’d probably be a fair assumption if you took a glance at the SMMT figures we ran in last month’s magazine, because you’d have seen there was a lot of red on the table.

However, it you take a closer look, there were a few who seemed to buck the trend.

There were some brands that really turned their fortunes around in 2017. For starters, Seat had a fantastic year and proved that great product at the right price can help any brand buck the trend. It saw new car registrations grow by 18.3 per cent, from 47,456 to 56,130 units.

The German premium brands saw small increases over 2017, despite the bad press.

Suzuki and Toyota also managed to increase their total sales figures, while Infiniti’s new car registrations grew by 22 per cent.

At the top end of the market, it seems that

more people are looking to splash a lot of cash on a car. McLaren was one of the brands to benefit from this and saw the biggest improvement yearon-year compared with all other brands, with a 3,050 per cent increase. Okay – we’re still dealing with incredibly small numbers here, but in 2016 in the UK the British manufacturer only sold 18 cars and last year it sold 567 here.

Although it’s not listed in the SMMT’s figures, Lamborghini saw 353 cars sold in the UK last year, making it the brand’s third largest market.

At a time where we’re hearing of a lack of consumer confidence, it appears those at the top still have money to spend.

For McLaren, these sales represent a decent chunk of the brand’s global market too, with 3,304 cars sold around the world last year.

David Gilbert, managing director at McLaren Automotive Europe, told Car Dealer Magazine: ‘McLaren’s record UK sales in 2017 are a combination of a very strong product range with industry-leading levels of customer service and very high residual values, reaching 62 per cent for the McLaren 570S Spider after 36 months

and 30,000 miles. Our product offering has also expanded with the award-winning McLaren 720S from the second-generation Super Series and the McLaren 570S Spider from the Sports Series range.’ Notable increases were also seen from other premium, luxury and performance brands.

Maserati sales climbed by 18.54 per cent to 1,701 cars and Abarth saw a healthy growth of around 500 more car sales than in 2016 – up 12 per cent. It’d be fair to say that those people looking for something a bit different, something that will stand out from the crowd, are willing to spend their money on the right product.

When it comes to all-round growth, one manufacturer appears to be on the offensive. Not only did it report 62 per cent growth in the UK in 2017, selling almost 600 cars more than the previous year in this region alone, it sold more than 5,000 globally – up 58 per cent.

While production is slowing at other UK plants amid Brexit fears, this brand is building a mammoth plant in Wales to cope with a new product – the DBX – and has just invested £620 million in a new design lab in China.

‘What we’re seeing is a great reaction to our new range of products – they’re very competitive, they’re stunning to look at and stunning to drive.’

Dan Balmer, regional president for Aston Martin UK & South Africa

68 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

UK NEW CAR SALES FOR 2017

McLaren

Maserati

Aston Martin

+3,050%

+18.5%

+62.4%

567

It is, of course, Aston Martin – another British sports car brand that’s seen a resurgence in its new car sales thanks to some fantastic products.

Dan Balmer, regional president for Aston Martin UK and South Africa, told us: ‘We’re on an aggressive growth curve anyway. We have our biggest investment in Aston Martin’s history on new products and we’re now second car in to a seven-car plan – what we call our second-century plan, which sees us back in a sustainable business mode for the next century, as we term it.

‘What we’re seeing is a great reaction to our new range of products – they’re very competitive, they’re stunning to look at and stunning to drive.’

For Aston Martin’s dealers, it’s now three years since the brand brought in significant changes, which Balmer explained have put it in a fairly stable position now.

‘We’ve had quite a significant change and expansion. We’ve bought and are now renovating St Athan from an RAF base into a production facility, which is online from 2019 and first cars into market from 2020. That’s for our new SUV – another part of that expansion story.

1,701

‘Producing our cars in the UK is a staple for us really. It’s something which our overseas customers expect from us and our UK customers as well. The people who will be building DBX in St Athan, South Wales, are already employed now in Gaydon to continue to grow that workforce.

‘They’ll have a two- to three-year training programme to learn how to build our cars to the standard that we expect and then they’ll hit the ground running when DBX starts. It’s all part of the preparation and we’re very proud to be manufacturing in the UK.’ While Aston Martin is confident in the home market for manufacturing and sales, it’s fair to say its customers also feel the same way. As Balmer points out: ‘UK growth forecasts, GDP-wise, have been revised from expectations. I don’t subscribe to the theory that it is all doom and gloom, and we’re not seeing that at all in the marketplace.’

Echoing the theme we’re seeing across the market, it appears once again that customers are looking for the right purchase.

‘It’s more about the confidence they have at the moment to make a luxury purchase,’ said Balmer.

1,471

‘I think the combination of our new technology, powertrains and delivering the expectation of an Aston Martin, which is a beautiful car, is a sort of combination that people are starting to warm up to now. We’re not seeing a downturn, but we are reading a certain nervousness in the marketplace.

‘If we look at our special operations for example, the collector market – people who want something very extraordinary that’s going to mature and appreciate in price – is very buoyant.

‘We’ve seen that with our Zagato DB4 continuation project, Vulcan before that and Valkyrie as well. We’ve done very well in our collection special vehicles, which we’ve had quite a few of recently. That has a halo effect because that brings people into the dealerships who otherwise wouldn’t have bought an Aston Martin in the past and they’re bringing a new flavour or new crowd of their friends coming to see them, a good roll-on effect for us.

‘So it’s not just core products being replaced – our special products delivered a really strong confidence boost to the business as well.’ [CD]

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 69

Focus on.

Finance

Opening the door to more deals and bigger profits Choosing the right finance partner is vital if you’re planning to make the most of all business opportunities

T

ake a look at the Car Dealer Magazine online forum and there are a few topics of discussion that crop up time and again.

Awkward customers, auction prices, legal issues and even mischievous moles ... all human life is there. Another favourite topic of debate is finance. Many dealers use the forum to seek advice and guidance on one of the most complex aspects of running a modern motor dealership.

Now, we fully understand that it might be tempting for some dealers to decide not to go down the road of offering finance at all.

After all, there are many banks and loan companies all capable of dealing with your customers – and if they are happy to meet their needs, why would you put yourself to the trouble?

The answer is three-fold. First of all, your customers will no doubt appreciate the fact that they are able to arrange finance on your premises if they want to. Secondly, being able to offer finance will unquestionably help you seal more deals – especially important in times of uncertainty, such as those we seem to be experiencing at the moment.

And thirdly, a dealership can of course boost its own bottom line with the support and help of finance houses who are experts when it comes to facilitating a deal, assessing risk and achieving the best outcomes for you and your customers.

Of course, there are certain regulatory hoops you will need to jump through if finance is to become part of your proposition, but the selected

by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

companies we feature on the following pages will be only too pleased to help you in that area.

On the page opposite, we have Connected Car Finance, who successfully launched towards the end of last year. The company, part of DSG Financial Services, is helping used car dealerships with a fresh approach that helps them manage their responsibilities and simplifies the customer journey. In short, it is taking all the hassle out of the finance process and enabling dealers to do what they do best – sell cars.

Next up is Startline Motor Finance – a firm that describes itself as a different kind of lender.

As you will read, using a clever combination of technology, financial acumen and human skills, it can frequently approve applicants who have previously been declined.

Findandfundmycar.com appears on pages 74-75.

A relative new kid on the block, the service launched in the middle of January and it is already proving incredibly popular (as we report on p50). They’re happy to let some of their business partners do the talking – with one dealer describing findandfundmycar.com as ‘a refreshing approach to car buying and selling’.

Last but by no means least, NextGear Capital tell us what they can offer. Part of Cox Automotive, it’s an organisation that thrives on innovation and has recently enhanced its StockMaster on-the-go platform to offer greater efficiency and accessibility for dealers. It’s a very clever tool that provides dealers with a best-in-class system for stock funding management.

FEATURED SUPPLIERS Connected Car Finance

Startline Motor Finance

findandfundmycar.com

NextGear Capital

Why the last couple of months have been so exciting.

Add agility and flexibility to your lending panel.

The home of feelgood car buying and selling is now live.

A first for stock funding management in the UK.

P71

P73

P74

P77

70 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

Finance

An alternative way to offer finance that’s beginning to pick up speed!

CONNECTED CAR FINANCE

W: connectedcarfinance.co.uk T: 0161 406 3942

I

t’s been an exciting couple of months for Connected Car Finance, whose mission is to give used car dealers an alternative way to offer finance. Having successfully launched on December 1, 2017, Connected have been busy helping new clients, who in turn have been able to help used car buyers.

There is a very real problem in the world of used car dealers – they are currently confused by new finance legislation, and afraid of making honest mistakes and getting punished.

As a result, some used car dealers are opting not to offer finance. Unable to offer customers the flexible finance deals they need, these dealerships are losing valuable business.

However, Connected Car Finance is a new business which is already helping used car dealerships with a fresh approach that helps them manage their increased responsibility and simplifies the customer journey.

Made possible by new technology, the brand provides a slick, streamlined, but most importantly straightforward, finance offering.

Connected Car Finance is taking all the hassle out of the process to allow dealers to get on with what they do best – selling cars.

‘We focus on providing positive customer outcomes,’ explained Richard Hoggart, CEO of Connected Car Finance’s parent group DSG Financial Services. ‘Our group has a long history of helping car dealerships, but the world has moved on. What makes the Connected Car Finance offering unique is its ability to simplify a complex process. We jump through all the hoops for dealers, using our fintech strength to provide finance options that are transparent, compliant, affordable and flexible.

‘We are passionate about supporting used car dealers through our fast and efficient technology.

It’s what drives us to keep improving and finding new and innovative ways to help.’

DSG is so confident in its offering that it created the Connected Car Finance brand from scratch, specifically to help the used car market.

Laura Barker, head of development at Connected Car Finance: ‘Our idea works because it is simple’ Built on research, insight and understanding, Connected Car Finance was designed to keep things simple for dealers. Connecting them with a range of flexible finance options, it allows dealers to sell, and customers to buy, in complete confidence.

Laura Barker, head of development for Connected Car Finance, added: ‘Our idea works because it is simple. No other lender is out there offering the different products, at the different levels of risk, that we do. This means we can help dealers to offer finance without them having to worry about the Financial Conduct Authority.’

‘We are passionate about supporting used car dealers through our fast and efficient technology. It’s what drives us to keep improving and finding new and innovative ways to help.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 71

72 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

Finance

Startline: Greater flexibility from a different kind of lender STARTLINE

W: startlinemotorfinance.com E: enquiries@startlinemotorfinance.com

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tartline is a different kind of lender.

Many forward-thinking dealer groups place Startline alongside established prime providers to add agility and flexibility to their lending panel.

Using a unique mix of technology, financial acumen and human skills, it can often approve applicants who have been previously declined, while still offering sensible rates and highly attractive terms.

Startline describes itself as a ‘flexible lender’ because it offers service standards and products comparable to a conventional prime lender but with a less binary approach.

Why is this important for dealers? Well, the company’s research shows that almost 20 per cent of all used car customers fall into the near-prime category, underlining the need to meet their specific needs.

CEO Paul Burgess explained: ‘Without Startline, dealers are potentially passing one in five customers straight from prime to subprime lenders – and this drop is vertiginous with the APR rate rising by perhaps as much as double figures.

‘Our approach instead is to take a closer look at the circumstances of the person making the finance application, often entering into a dialogue with them and the dealer. The thinking is that if we are able to gain an understanding of that person’s overall financial position, then we can potentially work to arrive at an affordable solution that meets their needs.

‘There are all kinds of ways in which the factors traditionally used to credit-score people no longer apply to many who are actually solid applicants. These include the decline in home ownership, the rise in contract and temporary working, and a host of other general changes to overall economic circumstances – many of which are becoming increasingly relevant in 2018.

‘All of these would place them outside of the scope of a prime lender but, in many dealerships, the only other solution is a sub-prime offering.

Instead, Startline’s flexible finance products provide further options.’

During 2017 there had been a 25 per cent increase in dealers utilising Startline’s offering, Paul said, underlining the rising demand in the market for this kind of lending.

He added: ‘Our growth indicates a realisation among dealers that this large group of near-prime motor finance customers requires – and deserves – a more specific approach.’

‘Without Startline, dealers are potentially passing one in five customers straight from prime to subprime lenders.’

CEO Paul Burgess

Startline advantages • Your customer, your rate – our highly competitive terms mean you can offer the customer equally competitive APR rates • Fast decisions, fast payouts – with responses while the customer is still in the showroom • Direct access to underwriting staff – getting the best outcome for the customer may involve dialogue and we are always available to talk • Technology and people – we work hard to find and employ the best of both in order to deliver people-based finance that really works

About Startline Motor Finance Headquartered in Glasgow, Startline Motor Finance is run by a highly experienced motor finance team and has a sales presence throughout the whole of the UK. More details at startlinemotorfinance.com or email enquiries@startlinemotorfinance.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

the home of feel good e v li w o n is g in ll se d n a g in y car bu 19% † In the first two weeks post launch findandfundmycar.com boasted an average finance payout of £7,247* with an average finance commission per payout of £688!* Our average full page advert views have also increased by 554%** in the first month alone!

74 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

cash

22% † not set

59% †

of our customers search by finance

g in y sa re a rs le a e d r u o t a h w ’s here “I feel findandfundmycar.com is a refreshing and responsible approach to car buying and selling. It secures the fairest deal for customers funding a car and I have saved customers money as a result. This is unlike finance brokers that attempt to capture finance transactions from advertising sources, and don’t always offer competitive rates as they are working for commission from the finance providers.”

Mark Beddows, Beddows Motor Company, Northamptonshire

“We sold our first car from findandfundmycar.com, and the customer said the website was simple to navigate, which helped them find a perfect little VW Polo!”

David Cook, Johnston Motors, Stirling

“Very impressed with findandfundmycar.com - easy to watch advert, nice facebook page and easy finance quotes.”

Chris Marshall, Marshall Motors of Eston, Middlesbrough

to be part of the revolution, visit findandfundmycar.com/for-dealers *figures taken from MotoNovo Dashboard **figure calculated from iVendi platform report

†

figures taken from Google Analytics

MotoNovo Finance, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited (London Branch). Registered in England (Branch Reg. No: BR010027) at Austin Friars House, 2-6 Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2HD. FirstRand Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the South African Reserve Bank. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. FirstRand Bank Limited (London Branch) is a branch of FirstRand Bank Limited, a public limited company registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission in South Africa (Reg. No. 1929/001225/06) Head office: 4 Merchant Place, Corner Fredman Drive and Rivonia Road, Sandton 2196, South Africa.

powered by

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

Smarter Stocking.

Buy the stock you want from the source you choose with a NextGear Capital Stocking Plan. Whether from auction, trade or a part exchange, we will fund 100% of the vehicle value plus auction and delivery fees*.

It’s all about freeing up the cash you need to help transform your sales and maximise your profit.

To stock up the smart way visit nextgearcapital.co.uk

108361 110118

*100% of hammer price plus auction and delivery fees (auction purchases), or lower of CAP clean/invoice price (trade vehicles), + VAT funded on LCVs and qualifying vehicles up to the value of £45,000.

NextGear Capital UK Limited, NextGear House, Kingsfield Court, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9RE. Registered in England and Wales number 08696123. Stocking Plan is subject to status, terms and conditions.

76 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

Finance

Have you mastered your stock?

A first for stock funding management in the UK NEXTGEAR CAPITAL

W: nextgearcapital.co.uk/stockmaster2

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extGear Capital, the industry’s leading provider of stocking plans, has further advanced its StockMaster on-thego platform to offer greater efficiency and accessibility for dealers.

Combining innovation and digital technology, StockMaster provides dealers with a best-inclass system for stock funding management and is the first of its kind to be available on mobile, tablet and desktop.

With new and enhanced functionality, dealers can now use the StockMaster platform to load trade-sourced vehicles or part-exchanges, as well as settle vehicles from their plan at the touch of a button, without the need to be sitting at a desktop computer.

In addition, the StockMaster platform offers digital integration with auction centres across the UK, allowing dealers to view and fund pending vehicles won at participating auctions all in one place, anywhere, anytime. · To find out how StockMaster can help your dealership run more efficiently, visit nextgearcapital.co.uk/stockmaster2 [CD]

With StockMaster, dealers can...

• View and fund pending vehicles won at participating auctions • Load trade-sourced vehicles or part-exchanges • See their available balance and stocking limit • Search for existing vehicles on their stocking plan • Settle vehicles at the touch of a button

‘We thrive on innovation, and we are proud to be the first to offer a system which dealers can not only access from anywhere, at any time, but one which allows them to manage their stocking plan at their fingertips. We are simplifying stocking plan management and making it easier than ever. It will undoubtedly change the way stock management is managed by dealerships.’

Liam Quegan, MD at NextGear Capital

NextGear Capital is part of Cox Automotive CarDealerMag.co.uk | 77

Live Chat - 24/7 “Join the dealers who are making it easier for customers to connect in 2018�

New for 2018

FACEBOOK MESSENGER

Say YES to Live Chat for your dealership in 2018!

Detailed Analytics 24/7 Coverage Multi Department Automotive Specialists

Call 02382 350130 Visit www.visitor.chat Email sales@visitor.chat 78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Focus on.

The Motor Ombudsman

Stay on the right side of the law THE MOTOR OMBUDSMAN

T

raining is an essential tool to keep your business and staff up to date with the latest consumer legislation governing the work and service you provide to customers.

To better equip you and your teams with the right knowledge to act in compliance with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) legislation and the Consumer Rights Act, The Motor Ombudsman has developed a range of online training courses in partnership with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).

They provide an overview of the implications of the legislation, what the key terminology really means, plus case study examples and details of what you need to do to comply with the legislation.

Taking around 45 minutes to complete, each module can be started and stopped at any

E: business@tmo-uk.org

time. What’s more, the courses earn Continual Professional Development (CPD) points and a certificate from The Motor Ombudsman.

As an organisation, we are seeing a greater volume of contacts from consumers and dealers on the subject of distance sales.

An example of this is where a car has been sold exclusively online or been bought over the phone without a customer ever having visited the showroom in person during the transaction.

What constitutes a distance contract can be confusing, and if it is not fully understood, this can lead to disputes arising.

T: 0207 344 1651

Therefore, to help any garage, dealership and used car outlet improve their understanding of their obligations under the Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges Regulations 2013, we will shortly be adding a new online course on distance sales to our training portfolio for those looking to learn more about it.

For more information on The Motor Ombudsman’s suite of online courses which are available to both Motor Ombudsman-accredited and non-accredited businesses, call 0207 344 1651 or email business@tmo-uk.org

‘We are seeing a greater volume of contacts from consumers and dealers on the subject of distance sales.’

ADR, Consumer Rights?

A minefield?

Do you and your staff understand important laws affecting your business and how you deal with customers?

The Motor Ombudsman has developed engaging and great value online training modules which can be completed by any business to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

Developed in partnership with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Each course takes just 45 minutes to complete

CO S O MI ONNG

It can be started and stopped to fit around your workload

It contributes towards Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points And costs just £35+VAT per person*

Register your interest now for our new Distance Sales course and save 10% by quoting DIST18

To enrol or find out more about any of our training courses,

call 0207 344 1651 or email business@tmo-uk.org *Only £25+VAT per course per person for Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 79

Advertising Feature

SELL CARS FASTER.

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

Modix explains how the right images could increase intent to buy by over 40%.

No matter what product you’re looking to purchase, the ability to view it in as much detail as possible is important, and this is no exception within the automotive industry. Over time we have seen an increase in the role that imagery plays in the consumers’ decision to buy, with 63%* stating that the pictures used to showcase a product are more important than its description.

Supporting this shift in preference is the ever-present increase in mobile technology; many of us are now on the go 24/7, so it will come as no surprise that consumers are conducting research on their handheld devices to find the answers they require. In reality, we are now seeing around 84%^ of consumers using their mobiles to carry out research during their car-buying journey, with 45%† of these completing this process in under three weeks.

Our Imagery Solutions 80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Within the consumer’s research, a dealership’s website is heavily relied on to find the information they require, and for some this is where they complete their journey.

Digital retailing is a reality.

Taking all of these elements into consideration, it’s clear that your website needs to highlight all of your vehicles in the best way possible – by showcasing the highest quality imagery. Giving people the ability to view a car as if they were in the showroom increases their understanding of the vehicle, and also improves its appeal. Interactive imagery allows users to discover more with ease, and the more intuitive and mobile-friendly these

Modix 360°

Modix ImagePro

The easiest way to take and present high-quality 360° images and video on your website that is proven to increase leads and sell cars faster.

A full range of professional imagery solutions to deliver the industry’s most effective way to showcase vehicles.

360° images are proven to sell cars faster and reduce days in stock As many as 23%^ of people say they will now buy their next car completely online, without ever visiting the dealership.

Advertising Feature

help sell cars faster as it’s proven to increase the time spent on vehicle web pages by up to 56%†, the intent to buy by up to 42%†, and reduce the number of days the vehicles remain in stock. elements are, the easier it becomes to sell cars online.

When we think about informative and interactive content, we commonly associate this with 360° imagery, which has the ability to improve the experience for both the website user and the dealership.

By capturing interior and exterior imagery within a few minutes, it enables dealers to obtain engaging content for their websites as well as ensuring that the consumers can view their chosen model in as much detail as possible. This method will

Another important factor that highquality imagery can impact on is the perceived customer service and levels of trust for a dealership.

Showcasing exactly what vehicles you have in stock, as well as sharing images of your dealership can help to build trust with your audience – it provides a relatable piece of

information. When a consumer visits your dealership they expect to see the same products you have been promoting online, which increases their trust in you and more importantly their willingness to purchase.

At Modix, we are specialists in imagery solutions, which we believe is a critical step towards a digital retailing future.

Our team of experts are able to implement interactive solutions that allow you to sell cars faster. From Modix 360° to Modix ImagePro or Modix ImageEnhance, we have a solution that will suit your individual needs.

Intent to buy increases by up to 42%

*MDG Advertising. ^Weve Primary Automotive Research 2017. †GardX 2017

Modix ImageEnhance

Quality Assurance

Contact us

A quick and easy way to provide quality and consistency to your images with dropped-in backgrounds and professional re-touching.

An effective way to ensure that all of your vehicle photography is produced and displayed online to the highest standards.

0333 444 0351 modix.co.uk CarDealerMag.co.uk | 81

Focus on.

Click Dealer

Theory of 24/7 online selling made reality CLICK DEALER

E: cardealermag@clickdealer.co.uk W: clickdealer.co.uk

A

ccording to Click Dealer’s latest study, a colossal 74 per cent of consumers conduct their vehicle buying research online – with an average of 11 hours spent trawling the web per person. If so many people are using the internet as their first port of call, surely dealers have an opportunity to capitalise on this online journey?

Click Dealer’s research shows that 64 per cent of lead enquiries are ‘lost’ due to a lack of contact or stock not being available – not to mention the fact that a dealer’s average response time to an inquiry is a huge six hours!

This is in part due to peak dealer website traffic being between 6pm and 9pm, meaning there is no-one present in the office to answer out-ofhours inquiries. But with the average wait time before consumers search for another vehicle being just 60 minutes, dealers need to find a way to get back to their leads promptly.

When these statistics are combined, they make a strong case for dealerships to open their businesses up to e-commerce, as the tide is beginning to turn. Millennials who have grown up with online transactions are now in the prime of their lives and fast becoming the most soughtafter customers.

For more than two years, Click Dealer has worked meticulously to create a low-risk, costeffective method for dealers to sell vehicles online, automate their out-of-hours inquiry management and keep up with consumer-driven demand in an ever more digitised world.

ClickEngage is the UK’s first fully integrated online automotive retailing solution for used vehicle dealerships. Integrating with a dealership’s website and DMS, ClickEngage gives dealers the power to sell their vehicles online and consumers the option to build their own deal, including PEX Valuation, Finance Quotes and

‘We’re the only ones who’ve fully figured it out in terms of producing a truly end-to-end system, and we’re incredibly excited about that.’

Click Dealer MD Gerry Moxham 82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Payment Gateways – anytime, anywhere.

Click Dealer’s ground-breaking platform was soft-launched to its current dealerships in November and already has 50 live accounts, with a pipeline of 200 by the end of Q2.

ClickEngage helps dealerships to improve lead management. Portal and website inquiries drop straight into the system meaning no double data entry. These inquiries are then automatically replied to, sending the consumer an SMS or email link so consumers can build their own deal.

With ClickEngage, consumers can receive an instant finance decision through Codeweavers’ software integration from a variety of lenders, giving them the ultimate flexibility when customising their own deal, as well as shortening the sales timeline significantly.

Shaun Harris, Codeweavers’ sales director, notes: ‘When Click Dealer approached us about their all-new ClickEngage product, we were delighted to be offered the opportunity to support this forwardthinking and innovative solution.

‘The user journey is very easy to navigate which made it easy for us to implement the full finance journey into ClickEngage.

‘We look forward to seeing how dealers and consumers utilise ClickEngage and how we can support Click Dealer in the future to continually enhance the solution.’

Click Dealer managing director Gerry Moxham said: ‘We flew under the radar on purpose, because we were confident that what we’d created would be the standout automotive retail solution in the marketplace.

‘The interesting thing is, every single person from within the industry who has tested or had a demo of ClickEngage says that we’re the only ones who’ve fully figured it out in terms of producing a truly end-to-end system, and we’re incredibly excited about that.’

• To register your interest in ClickEngage and receive priority on-boarding, email cardealermag@clickdealer.co.uk, call us on 01782 454354 or visit our website www.clickdealer.co.uk

THE SCIENCE OF SELLING ONLINE 24/7 AUTOMATED ENQUIRY RESPONSES SIMPLE CONSUMER DEAL STACKING MULTI-LENDER FINANCE QUOTES WITH INSTANT DECISIONS ONLINE RESERVATION PAYMENTS MANAGE YOUR DEALERSHIP WITH ONE SYSTEM

POWERED BY CLICK DEALER

For more information or a free no obligation demo call or email Click Dealer on:

t: 01782 454 354

e: cardealermag@clickdealer.co.uk w: www.clickdealer.co.uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83

Data File.

Ask Lawgistics .com

Car Dealer Club lawyers at Lawgistics answer dealers’ legal questions. Join for £49.99 a year to get advice like this when you need it

Watch out! There are pitfalls to installing surveillance cameras

Q A

Am I allowed to fit surveillance cameras at my workplace to monitor what my employees are doing?

You are certainly allowed to fit surveillance cameras at the workplace if you tell your employees that they are there and let them know the purpose of them being there. Problems can and do arise with covert surveillance, of which more in a moment.

The principle of having surveillance in the workplace needs to be that of a deterrent to employees and not a tool to ‘catch’ employees and obtain evidence to use against them.

It is also very important to have a proper need or purpose to the surveillance.

For example, you might have recently had a number of thefts that you need to get to the bottom of; or you might want to monitor staff productivity. You should also be able to confirm

JOIN CAR DEALER CLUB AND GET ALL THESE BENEFITS WORTH £1,000s FOR JUST £49.99 84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

that there isn’t any other proportionate way to investigate what you need to. Being able to justify the above criteria will mean the use of surveillance is likely to be OK in your workplace.

Having covert surveillance, however, simply isn’t worth doing. In a recent European court case, it has been found to breach people’s rights to privacy – obviously they are unaware of the cameras’ existence.

If you have obtained evidence of a theft, for example, from a covert camera, the footage is likely to be inadmissible in a court and you wouldn’t be able to use it in disciplinary hearings.

This would therefore defeat the point of having covert surveillance in the first place.

If you are going to introduce any sort of surveillance into your workplace, you should have a policy to go alongside this so you can’t be caught out by any of these issues.

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.

We suggest you obtain advice on having one of these drafted. You should also think carefully about the data protection side of obtaining footage and how this is securely stored and used.

Are you able to store it on a secure database that only certain people can access? Do you have consent to store this data?

There will be GDPR implications that will need to be considered from May this year.

On a similar topic, businesses should also consider the use of monitoring web usage and have an information technology or computer policy in place to advise employees exactly what you monitor and how you do this.

This will overcome the issues associated with monitoring web usage while at work.

Buy and sell trade stock quickly and profitably Cartotrade.com is the new online trade-to-trade platform set up by the ex-management team of Autotrade-mail. Cartotrade’s focus is on the integrity, security and accessibility of stock complemented by a simple yet innovative platform that allows its members to buy and sell trade stock quickly and profitably. To see the benefits, Car Dealer Club members can have an extended, no-obligation, four-week free trial*. If, after the free trial, a Car Dealer Club member wishes to subscribe, they then get their next month completely free, without contracts and never a price increase. * Subject to vetting

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.

She’s always late – can we sack her?

Q A

We have an employee who is repeatedly late. Can we sack her?

HP, Dagenham Persistent lateness relates to conduct and is a potentially fair reason for dismissal.

For the dismissal to be fair, the employee needs to be put on notice of unacceptable lateness and must be given an opportunity to improve. This means that a fair and reasonable disciplinary process needs to be followed. Informal conversations would not be sufficient. In the first instance, a warning should be issued, escalating to a final written warning and the final sanction of dismissal if things don’t improve.

Of course, if your employee has not accumulated two years of continuous service, she will not be able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal, except in some limited circumstances.

Dismissal may also be deemed as an act of discrimination if your employee has one of the nine protected characteristics and dismissal relates to one or more of them: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage or civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; or sexual orientation.

Your employee may, for example, have pregnancy-related morning sickness, which would cause late arrivals. Dismissal in these circumstances may be automatically unfair and discriminatory, and the employee may issue an employment tribunal claim regardless of the length of service.

WANT TO UPGRADE?

WHY I LOVE LAWGISTICS

‘Lawgistics gives me peace of mind so I can focus on my day-to-day job’ PEACE of mind is the one thing Jason Shingler appreciates in his dealings with Lawgistics – and the legal experts came to his aid when he encountered a tricky customer recently.

Shingler is the owner of Northampton-based J A M Vehicle Solutions and his firm specialises in used cars valued between £2,000 and £7,000. It also has a commercial sector, with stock ranging from Luton vans to sidetippers, and sells new vans too.

Shingler told us: ‘Legalities change fairly regularly, particularly as a small, independent motor trader.

‘It’s difficult to keep up, so using Lawgistics frees up time. Yes, we think we know most of the law, but small things always change, so having Lawgistics there by your side makes things so much easier, and allows you to speak to customers with confidence.’

While the dealer has

rarely had to use Lawgistics, Shingler told us it was particularly useful in a case involving a customer who had bought a Seat Alhambra that was nearing the end of its six-month warranty.

‘They hadn’t notified us of any issues with the car in that time, and then produced a bill for three repairs they had priced up,’ recalls Shingler. ‘One of these was general wear and tear, while another was a hefty vehicle repair, but they were all estimates.

‘They didn’t give us a chance to look at the vehicle, so we got Lawgistics involved.

It issued a frank letter back to the customer and that was the last we heard of them.’

Shingler added: ‘Lawgistics gives me peace of mind to actually get on with my dayto-day job which is selling cars more effectively. It’s one thing reading law, but understanding law is another thing, and that’s exactly where Lawgistics helps me.’

Discount on software and free health check app from Dragon2000

Get 10 per cent off App Creatives’ development costs for your exclusive app

Book an appointment with Paragon Car Finance and get £50*

Dragon2000’s dealer management system is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products on the market. The software can help manage supplier and customer details, help you keep on top of your costs, and ensure that your business is running as smoothly and as profitably as possible. Car Dealer Club members are eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their first year of a Dragon2000 software subscription – and they get the free Vehicle Health Check app too.

Want to create your own mobile app but don’t know where to start? Then work with the app development company that has created Car Dealer Magazine’s successful apps.

App Creatives is behind the highly esteemed Car Dealer iPhone and iPad apps. It’s an expert in app design and development, and the good news for Car Dealer Club members is that they get an exclusive 10 per cent discount on App Creatives’ services, including creating an app that’s perfectly tailored to your requirements by the firm’s experts.

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.

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.

There really is a package for everyone with Lawgistics.

EASY STEPS TO JOIN 1. GO TO CARDEALERCLUB.COM 2. HIT SUBSCRIBE 3. FILL OUT YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS ON PAYPAL AND HIT SUBMIT 4. WAIT FOR YOUR CAR DEALER CLUB PACK TO ARRIVE IN THE POST OR PHONE 023 9252 2434 AND SPEAK TO ONE OF THE CAR DEALER TEAM

* Terms, conditions and eligibility rules apply. Visit cardealerclub.com/#benefits for more details.

Dragon2000 CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

Data file.

Thestatistics

| SMMT SALES DATA | TAKING STOCK |

SMMT sales data Jan/year to date

5

MONTHLY FIGURES

January blues for new car market with diesel registrations down 25% N

ew car registrations in the UK fell by 6.3 per cent in January, according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The first month of 2018 saw 163,615 new cars being sold, a significant decrease compared to the 174,564 shifted in January 2017. The drop was seen across the industry, with registrations by business, private and fleet buyers falling by 29.7 per cent, 9.5 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively.

The SUV segment was the only one to see growth, with demand increasing by 6.6 per cent, meaning that these cars accounted for 20.2 per cent of all new car registrations last month.

The registration of petrol and alternatively-fuelled vehicles went up by 8.5 per cent and 23.9 per cent respectively, but the sale of diesel cars declined by 25.6 per cent, which the SMMT blamed on confusion over government policy causing buyers to hesitate.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: ‘The ongoing and substantial decline in new diesel car registrations is concerning, particularly

since the evidence indicates consumers and businesses are not switching into alternative technologies, but keeping their older cars running.

‘Given fleet renewal is the fastest way to improve air quality and reduce CO2, we need government policy to encourage take up of the latest advanced low-emission diesels as, for many drivers, they remain the right choice economically and environmentally.’

Sue Robinson, pictured above, director of the National Franchised Dealers’ Association (NFDA), said: ‘The new car market continues to perform in line with expectations, down 6.3 per

cent in January. The sector performed extremely well in last year’s first quarter thanks to a number of factors including the new vehicle excise duty which came into force in April which explains this correction in the market.

‘The increase in petrol sales indicates that many motorists are switching fuel type from diesel to petrol, although depending on the type of driver, a Euro 6 modern diesel may still represent the most efficient option.

‘Going forward, it is critical that consumers are supported by consistent, clear information to help them make informed purchasing decisions.’

The Ford Fiesta was the bestselling new car in January, shifting an impressive 8,335 units.

Second was the VW Golf (4,310), third was the Ford Focus (4,105) and fourth and fifth places went to the Nissan Qashqai (3,851) and Vauxhall Mokka X (3,767) respectively. In sixth spot was the Mercedes-Benz A Class (3,358); seventh was the Kia Sportage (2,622); eighth was the Vauxhall Corsa (2,587); ninth was the Ford Kuga (2,580) and tenth was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2,478).

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in January MG

+131%

Porsche +44% Mini +26% Abarth

+25%

Mitsubishi +17%

5

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in January Jeep

-67%

DS

-56%

Lotus -52% Infiniti

-48%

Aston Martin -47%

Manufacturers doing their best to kick-start the market as the year begins MANY manufacturers tried to get sales for 2018 off to a good start by offering a variety of special deals, according to James Hind, founder and CEO of independent car buying site Carwow.

Hind said: ‘There’s no doubt – the industry is working hard. Manufacturers have looked to jump-start sales in 2018 through a series of limited-time offers. Kia, Seat, Volkswagen and 86 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Honda all had very attractive January-only offers in an attempt to stimulate a very tough market.

These incentives are no surprise given the general retail slowdown, which has also seen an oversupply of stock on some forecourts right now.

‘However, while the industry is pulling out all the stops – and we may see incentives like this ultimately lift the market as the quarter

progresses – it’s clear the industry continues to be hindered by lack of clarity on diesel and the delay in implementing the electric car charging infrastructure promised in the budget.

‘However, it is noticeable that there has been a shift towards petrol models away from diesel, as government policies continue to fuel doubt in the market.’

Abarth

Smart

+25% January 2018 Marque Abarth

2018

January 2017

% market share

279

-20%

2017

Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

0.17

223

0.13

% change 25.11

2018 279

% market share

2017

% market share

% change

0.17

223

0.13

25.11

Alfa Romeo

277

0.17

284

0.16

-2.46

277

0.17

284

0.16

-2.46

Aston Martin

100

0.06

189

0.11

-47.09

100

0.06

189

0.11

-47.09

11,806

7.22

11,676

6.69

1.11

11,806

7.22

11,676

6.69

1.11

138

0.08

163

0.09

-15.34

138

0.08

163

0.09

-15.34

9,000

5.50

8,489

4.86

6.02

9,000

5.50

8,489

4.86

6.02

1

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

1

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

3,488

2.13

3,250

1.86

7.32

3,488

2.13

3,250

1.86

7.32

2,121

1.30

1,994

1.14

6.37

2,121

1.30

1,994

1.14

6.37

Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet Citroen Dacia DS

290

0.18

659

0.38

-55.99

290

0.18

659

0.38

-55.99

Fiat

1,714

1.05

3,221

1.85

-46.79

1,714

1.05

3,221

1.85

-46.79

19,654

12.01

22,778

13.05

-13.71

19,654

12.01

22,778

13.05

-13.71

Honda

4,282

2.62

4,010

2.30

6.78

4,282

2.62

4,010

2.30

6.78

Hyundai

6,429

3.93

6,387

3.66

0.66

6,429

3.93

6,387

3.66

0.66

Infiniti

94

0.06

182

0.10

-48.35

94

0.06

182

0.10

-48.35

Jaguar

2,174

1.33

2,694

1.54

-19.30

2,174

1.33

2,694

1.54

-19.30

Ford

235

0.14

728

0.42

-67.72

235

0.14

728

0.42

-67.72

Kia

7,582

4.63

7,661

4.39

-1.03

7,582

4.63

7,661

4.39

-1.03

Land Rover

5,660

3.46

5,427

3.11

4.29

5,660

3.46

5,427

3.11

4.29

887

0.54

800

0.46

10.88

887

0.54

800

0.46

10.88

Jeep

Lexus Lotus Maserati Mazda

12

0.01

25

0.01

-52.00

12

0.01

25

0.01

-52.00

110

0.07

165

0.09

-33.33

110

0.07

165

0.09

-33.33

2,861

1.75

2,827

1.62

1.20

2,861

1.75

2,827

1.62

1.20

53

0.03

49

0.03

8.16

53

0.03

49

0.03

8.16

11,891

7.27

13,048

7.47

-8.87

11,891

7.27

13,048

7.47

-8.87

MG

475

0.29

205

0.12

131.71

475

0.29

205

0.12

131.71

Mini

2,871

1.75

2,280

1.31

25.92

2,871

1.75

2,280

1.31

25.92

Mitsubishi

1,555

0.95

1,329

0.76

17.01

1,555

0.95

1,329

0.76

17.01

Nissan

7,917

4.84

11,378

6.52

-30.42

7,917

4.84

11,378

6.52

-30.42

Peugeot

5,276

3.22

5,952

3.41

-11.36

5,276

3.22

5,952

3.41

-11.36

Porsche

994

0.61

687

0.39

44.69

994

0.61

687

0.39

44.69

Renault

3,747

2.29

4,020

2.30

-6.79

3,747

2.29

4,020

2.30

-6.79

Seat

4,203

2.57

3,854

2.21

9.06

4,203

2.57

3,854

2.21

9.06

Skoda

5,473

3.35

5,431

3.11

0.77

5,473

3.35

5,431

3.11

0.77

smart

601

0.37

751

0.43

-19.97

601

0.37

751

0.43

-19.97

SsangYong

187

0.11

298

0.17

-37.25

187

0.11

298

0.17

-37.25

Subaru

155

0.09

178

0.10

-12.92

155

0.09

178

0.10

-12.92

Suzuki

3,305

2.02

3,762

2.16

-12.15

3,305

2.02

3,762

2.16

-12.15

McLaren Mercedes-Benz

7,975

4.87

7,436

4.26

7.25

7,975

4.87

7,436

4.26

7.25

Vauxhall

12,652

7.73

13,870

7.95

-8.78

12,652

7.73

13,870

7.95

-8.78

Volkswagen

12,579

7.69

12,967

7.43

-2.99

12,579

7.69

12,967

7.43

-2.99

Volvo

2,270

1.39

2,795

1.60

-18.78

2,270

1.39

2,795

1.60

-18.78

38

0.02

52

0.03

-26.92

38

0.02

52

0.03

-26.92

204

0.12

390

0.22

-47.69

204

0.12

390

0.22

-47.69

-6.27

163,615

Toyota

Other British Other Imports Total

163,615

174,564

174,564

-6.27 Figures supplied by SMMT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

SUCCESS HAPPENS WHEN YOUR STAFF ARE ENGAGED BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE

MANCHESTER MAY 2018

www.cardealerexpo.co.uk

VISIT THE EMPLOYMENT ZONE perfectplacement.co.uk 88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

01603 701077

Market Insight.

...in association with ASE-global.com

Job losses have been announced at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant

Why 2018 is set to be a very difficult year for the industry Investors are predicting that dealer profits will fall as the new car sales boom ends, says Mike Jones

I

t was a difficult start to the year for UK motor retail share prices, with the majority falling significantly. Hedge funds began to circle, shorting the stocks, amid fears of significant falls in performance as a result of difficult economic conditions and reduced profitability.

Vertu issued a profit warning of behindexpectation results for their year-end to February, with the softening new car market primarily to blame. Marshall issued a pre-close trading statement which was slightly more buoyant, with results likely to be better than expected, albeit with caution over 2018’s performance.

In transactional activity, Penske-owned Sytner bought used car business The Car People and Cambria added four new premium franchise dealerships to its locations.

Share price performance January saw UK motor retail share prices fall at the start of what is expected to be a very difficult year for the industry. The FTSE moved back slightly but not as much as the majority of the listed UK dealer groups which may be an indicator of a tough 2018.

Hedge funds are circling the stocks, as they look to short them and make a profit out of declining prices. It is widely believed among investors that the boom in new car sales we’ve seen for the last five years or so will be coming to an abrupt end with dealer profits suffering.

UK car production fell for the first time since 2009 and this will not be helped by PSA plans to rationalise their Vauxhall operation in Ellesmere Port by making cuts to the workforce.

Share price movement from Jan 2 to Jan 31, 2018

Share price movement from Jan 3 to Dec 29, 2017

Pendragon

79.6%

91.2%

Vertu

88.6%

116.1%

Lookers

89.0%

87.8%

Inchcape

92.6%

111.5%

Cambria

104.9%

101.7%

Caffyns

102.4%

79.0%

Marshall

91.0%

121.4%

Investment by manufacturers in the UK also slumped by a third, further indicating that the UK market is going to contract.

In the wider economy, 2018 is expected to be challenging, although consumer and business confidence was strong in early January.

The last three months of 2017 were much more robust than expected in terms of GDP growth and generally the economy has weathered the postBrexit vote storm well.

Financial performance Vertu issued a trading update ahead of their February year-end. There was a downgrade in profit expectations because of the tough new car market with sales down 15.7 per cent.

Used sales also declined five per cent although the high-margin aftersales business stayed strong, growing at 3.7 per cent.

Management commented that there is an

ongoing programme of operational performance improvement in their dealerships to combat the profit pressure and cost increases being felt.

Despite the below-expectation performance, Vertu pointed out that their balance sheet was ‘very robust’ with significant property investment and low levels of debt.

The statement said that its share buyback scheme will continue and will possibly be extended whilst there will continue to be access to significant capital to fund further expansion.

We also saw Marshall Motor Holdings issue a pre-close statement and notice of results which were ahead of expectations.

Despite margin pressure and a decline in the fleet business, the group outperformed the SMMT market data. Used performance was solid and aftersales was stable meaning bottom-line profit is expected to be ahead of predictions.

The group’s financial position is also much stronger as opening net debt of £101 million has all but been wiped out by the sale of Marshall Leasing Limited.

Transaction activity The biggest transaction in January was Sytner’s purchase of The Car People. The Penske-owned group added four sites to its portfolio and continued its strategy of growing its used car business following the 2017 acquisition of Car Shop. The Car People sell approximately 18,000 vehicles a year. Cambria opened a Lamborghini, a McLaren and two Bentley dealerships to expand their portfolio of premium brands.

Mike Jones is chairman of dealer profitability specialist ASE plc. You can read his column here every month.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89

Auctions.

Time is money when it comes to voice communications.

A Global View with CDK Global: p92

Healthy demand for Henstock luxury and supercars Adding clarity and value to REMARKETING

AUCTION STATIONS

appraisals and valuations

B

CA has been experiencing strong demand for luxury and supercars in the UK. Sales of high-value vehicles often substantially outperformed guide price expectations during 2017.

BCA sold a range of vehicles for more than £100,000 last year – with models involved including the Audi R8 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Bentley Mulsanne and Rolls-Royce Wraith.

BCA found that around 65 per cent of these high-value cars were purchased by Live Online bidders, with the rest being brought by in-lane buyers. Sold price outperformed price guide expectations by up to 18 per cent. The highest price achieved by BCA last year was for a 2009-registered Lamborghini Murcielago Superveloce that realised £245,000. Second highest was a 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Saloon that sold for £210,000.

Stuart Pearson, managing director for UK remarketing at BCA, said: ‘The luxury and supercar sectors require specialist remarketing techniques and a wellinformed buyer base, who are prepared to invest the often-significant sums these vehicles command.

‘BCA stages regular Top Car sales at

W Blackbushe and Nottingham which attract large crowds of buyers thanks to targeted pre-sale marketing campaigns and online promotion via our dedicated Showroom page at bca.co.uk.

‘This data showed BCA experienced high demand across these high-value sectors with exceptional interest for some of the rarer supercars that attracted buyers from all over the UK and Europe.

‘It also underlines that there is plenty of confidence from our buyers to purchase these ‘‘top-end’’ vehicles.

‘Our approach blends physical and online audiences to provide the strongest possible audience for any sale.’

BCA’s Top Car sales exclusively feature prestige, luxury, sporting exotica and executive cars.

Manheim celebrating a trio of renewals MANHEIM, part of the Cox Automotive group of companies, is celebrating a trio of customer renewals that will bring over 4,000 vehicles to auction in 2018.

Sandown Motors, which represents Mercedes-Benz and Smart, has signed a new 12-month contract to put 2,500 vehicles under the hammer at Manheim Wimbledon during year. Inad addition, Car dealer newthe strip 11-17 Yorkshire-based Harratts Motor Group

has signed up with Manheim and Seller Advance until 2020 in a deal worth 1,100 units each year. The Harratts stock will be handled by Manheim Knottingley.

Meanwhile, Riverside Motor Group, which has dealerships in Doncaster, Scarborough and Hull, will continue its partnership with Manheim and Seller Advance for 2018, selling 5/12/17 10:43 Page 750 1 cars at Manheim’s Leeds centre.

The Fleet Auction Group Professional Vehicle Auctions for Professional Vendors & Buyers

ith the marketplace experiencing record levels of volume early in January, the used car sector certainly started the year strongly, with competitive bidding across the board from high-value prestige stock to older, higher-mileage budget vehicles.

Trading was not adversely affected by outbreaks of wintry weather, with buyers switching to our Live Online platform if travel was difficult.

Despite the sharp rise in volumes, supply and demand was well balanced and buyer activity was strong and confident. And there will be no let-up in the wholesale markets as the March plate-change period inevitably sees volumes rise substantially and stock levels traditionally remain high until at least early May. From the dealer’s perspective, now is a great time to appraise any over-age stock and get it sold, clearing the decks as it were. Vehicles that are in poorer condition, lower spec or higher mileage must be valued to sell in line with market sentiment.

BCA’s Dealer Pro tool can help in this respect, bringing clarity and objectivity to the appraisal and valuation process. Dealer Pro also improves the customer’s experience, increasing confidence with a professional appraisal process that they can see and understand, and giving credibility to the part-exchange value they are quoted.

Incoming part-exchange vehicles can be processed fluidly, and allocated to retail or trade as appropriate.

It also integrates with other dealer systems, such as lead management and provenance systems, to improve overall dealer efficiency, and enables all data captured to be used in any sales channel. All stock appraised on the system can be revalued at the press of a button, using real-time, condition-adjusted market values based on industryleading data. When market conditions are changing, it is always better to be ‘in the know’, rather than hoping for the best!

Simon Henstock is BCA UK’s chief operating officer for remarketing. Visit bca.co.uk or call 0845 600 6644.

Excellent variety of weekly stock from premium sources Regular Top Car Sales, Motorcycles & Motorhomes Fixed cost buyers premium User friendly website & stock locator. On-line bidding Fleet Car Sales every Tuesday at 1pm & Thursday at 10am Van sales every Wednesday at 10:30am Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles fortnightly, Wednesdays at 10am Truck, Trailer & Plant fortnightly, Wednesdays at 12noon Collection of vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Purpose built 12 acre auction complex Enclosed and heated auction halls and viewing area The UK’s finest auction restaurant Central UK location

www.fleetauctiongroup.com 90 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Call 01530 833535 or go online for account application NAMA Vehicle Grading

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

High levels of demand made January an exceptional month The used car sector certainly started the year strongly, with competitive bidding across the board, says Stuart Pearson, managing director of BCA’s UK remarketing operation

O

ur Pulse Report shows that average used car values returned to more typical levels in January, following on from the seasonally-affected values for December.

The headline figure of £9,298 was on a par with values seen in October and November, but the real story of the month focused on the sold volumes we achieved, which reached record levels. Buyer demand proved exceptional throughout the month.

In the second week of January, buyer demand rose significantly with the previous weekly sales record being smashed by more than 10 per cent as BCA sold 25,500 vehicles.

Several centres around our 24-strong UK network reported record trading.

Year-on-year, the headline value figure was up by £679, equivalent to a 7.8 per cent improvement – reflecting both the richer mix of cars available at BCA over the past 12 months and the substantial levels of demand experienced this January.

The used car sector certainly started the year strongly, with competitive bidding across the board from high-value prestige stock to older, higher-mileage budget vehicles.

The weather had no impact on trading, with buyers switching to our Live Online platform if travel was difficult. Despite the sharp rise in volumes, supply and demand was well balanced and buyer activity was strong and confident.

That said, competition for the buyers’ wallet remains intense and BCA is launching a number of digital initiatives and service enhancements that will firmly put the customer at the heart of our business activities over the coming months. BCA expects to see strong demand over the next few weeks as we approach the March plate change with a healthy sales programme in place to support this.

Average values remain at near-record levels in

Average value of used car in fleet and lease sector

£10,513

the fleet and lease sector, with the January figure of £10,513 representing a small decline of £91 (0.8 per cent) against December. Retained value against original MRP (Manufacturer’s Retail Price) improved slightly to 42.09 per cent in January.

Year-on-year values were up by £350 (3.4 per cent), as average mileage continued to reduce.

Average dealer part-exchange values slipped by just £70 (1.5 per cent) in January to £4,703.

Values have remained relatively stable since rising sharply in September of last year and reflect the quality of the business BCA has won and retained in this sector.

Year-on-year values were ahead by £208, equivalent to a 4.6 per cent uplift. Values for nearly-new vehicle values rose to their highest point since December 2016, up by £647 to £19,680.

Model mix has a significant effect in this very low-volume sector, with brand-specific winners and losers emerging.

Average dealer part- exchange values:

£4,703

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 91

A Global View.

...in association with

Time is money when it comes to voice communications David Green, CDK Global vice-president for sales and marketing, says a dealership’s phone system should be integrated with its DMS

D

ealerships across the country are missing out on potential new leads and revenuegenerating opportunities because they are missing calls. Around 16 per cent of calls go unanswered at a typical dealership¹, and only half are logged into the Dealer Management System (DMS).

Considering 45 per cent of calls are from new customers¹, missing calls can lead to a poor first impression, and dealers could potentially be wasting opportunities to generate new leads.

Considering that more than half of consumers visit two to four dealerships before they make a purchase² it is vital that dealerships make a strong first impression. Every aspect of a dealership’s customer service process should therefore be reviewed and streamlined to ensure that leads are not lost due to an unanswered call.

This is achievable through a DMS-integrated voice communications system which logs all customer calls so even if a call is missed, dealership employees can return it as soon as possible.

Managing data Irrespective of where they are in the sales cycle, information from all calls should be logged and kept updated for each customer. Having an integrated phone system means that customer information can be displayed when the customer calls, enabling access to data in five seconds, instead of the 45 seconds it usually takes.

This software helps your staff to provide a high level of customer service whenever they

Dealerships can explore new ways to improve the customer experience by monitoring calls and improving call handling receive a call, without customers having to repeat information at every touchpoint, as it is instantly displayed. With fully-integrated phone systems, such as CDK Global’s ’Voice Connect’, dealerships can work more efficiently.

The system allows the call handler to accurately provide information to the customer, using the Presence and Chat collaboration tool, which shows staff availability in real time.

By intelligently routing calls across sites and departments, time is saved for all parties.

Call quality Once an integrated phone system is in place,

dealerships can explore new ways to improve the customer experience by monitoring calls and improving call handling.

Areas for dealers to look at include customer service processes, follow-up call procedures, dealing with customer inquiries, and time taken to turn inquiries into orders. Cloud-based systems, such as CDK Global’s Voice Connect, provide automotive retailers with visibility of customer calls and interactions and the necessary tools to monitor and measure call performance.

This helps ensure that sales opportunities are maximised and that dealers and customers aren’t missing out on a great customer experience.

‘The majority of our inquiries reach us by phone. Responding effectively to our customers requires a joined-up approach, linking all our calls to customer records. We know which campaigns are working, which fall short and we can monitor and coach our team for top performance to fix issues before they become problems.’

Adam Denslow, IT and facilities manager, Breeze Volkswagen David Green joined CDK Global in September 2013 as vice-president of sales for automotive retail international (ARI). He is responsible for sales strategy and execution and works closely with general managers and sales directors around the world to help direct and focus CDK Global’s sales efforts.

References:

¹ Marchex, Inc. Study: ‘Auto Dealerships Failing to Capture Customers Over the Phone, New Marchex Data Shows,’ 23 Sept 2014. Online at: bit.ly/Marchex-study ² Service 360 Report

92 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Real Deals.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The Z car that took the badge into the 21st century ADAM WELLER finds a fine example of a Nissan 350Z for sale – and it’s his idea of the perfect sportscar recipe !

A

t the end of the 1990s, Nissan’s iconic Z badge wasn’t in the best condition.

The 300ZX had come to the end of a 17-year run that had included two very different generations. The latter of the two, known as the Z32, was a departure from the light, compact sports coupe that the Z badge had represented up to that point. It was heavy, cumbersome and substantially larger than any of its predecessors.

The final 300ZX came off the production line in 2000, and then we waited with bated breath as the concepts for the new Nissan Z were shown off at various motor shows. Things looked promising.

And, mercifully, as the 350Z rolled off the production line in 2002 and made its way to showrooms, there were plenty of approving nods.

With all the power of the 300ZX, but with a lighter frame and superior handling, the 350Z was the breath of fresh air that Nissan’s iconic line of sports coupes needed.

The car has a very low centre of gravity, and near-perfect weight distribution. That allows for a driving experience where the feedback is almost constant, and you are always in control.

With an incredibly stiff chassis, the precise, well-weighted steering is truly addictive.

The 350Z is also gifted with a very good Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), which does a great job of keeping you on the tarmac, without

curtailing your fun to an annoying degree.

The 350Z is a very advanced car, and even though everything is done in the most efficient way that Nissan could muster back in 2002, it doesn’t lose the most critical ingredient for this type of car – driving pleasure.

Yes, the throttle is fly-by-wire, but it still has a great, weighty quality to it. Everything does.

The gear change is near-visceral; all pedals are wonderfully weighted, with a feel that’s physical without being needlessly demanding.

Driving the 350Z is like being in a fight that you know you can’t lose – there’s an element of battle, but it’s always fun. 0-60 comes in less than six seconds, and the car will hit 155mph. These are the kind of figures that make the 350Z one of the quickest sub-£6k purchases on the market.

With 276bhp on tap through the rear wheels, combined with all of the above, the 350Z is a perfect sportscar recipe, done in a distinctly Japanese style. The 350Z is a sportscar boiled down to its essence.

While the 300ZX tried to do too much, the 350Z does nothing it does not need to do. The styling is refined and to the point, and you’d struggle to find any real fault with the interior.

While sporadic criticism of the engine note from the 3.5-litre V6 under the bonnet has been heard, this writer believes it is one of the 350Z’s best features. The sound of an angry, naturally-aspirated V6 is one to

savour, and one that will make any tunnel sound like the lair of Lucifer himself.

The car you see on this page is a 54-plate with 79,000 miles on the clock, for sale at K-Carz in Hampton, Peterborough. The car has passed through the hands of only one previous owner, and features heated leather seats in addition to the standard creature comforts, which include 18inch alloys and a six-CD autochanger, for those of you who still believe in physical copies!

The 350Z seems to have been a well-built, reliable model over its lifetime, and thus, there don’t appear to be many problems that have cropped up, though there are good guides out there if you do notice anything untoward.

Look out for tyre-wear issues, which may signal a snag with the wheel alignment. A clicking sound at low speeds might mean the rear drive shafts need a look.

At 79,000 miles, this car isn’t the newest 350Z on the market, but it’s certainly the freshest you can buy for less than £6,000 (£5,795 to be precise).

The new Japanese sports coupe heartthrob is the Toyota GT86. You’d be very lucky to find one of those for less than £11,000; in fact, the cheapest one on the market at the time of writing has covered just 1,000 miles less than this 350Z, and would cost you £10,785. With over 70bhp more than the GT86, and the advantage of a 3.5-Litre V6 over a 2.0-litre four-pot, we’d go for the 350Z every time.

The 350Z is a sportscar boiled down to its essence, says Adam Weller CarDealerMag.co.uk | 93

Key Notes.

...in association with Traka

It’s time for tough questions Government’s demonisation of diesel means we need to consider the alternatives now, says Paul Smith

T

here’s no doubt that the Government is trying to alter the behaviour of UK car buyers. Changes to the tax regime around diesel-powered cars – covered extensively in this publication and elsewhere – have made it pretty clear that the era of diesel drivers being patted on the back with purchase tax concessions and lower fuel levies is over.

If Westminster really were trying to reduce the levels of damaging pollutants in our atmosphere, however, it would not be killing the market for new diesel cars, which, if well-maintained and built to the latest standards, have very similar emission levels to those of new petrol vehicles.

No, if you really want to tackle the NOx particulate levels which have been blamed for causing cancer and heart disease, you’ve got to get old diesel vehicles – those more than eight years of age – off the road.

A new diesel scrappage scheme akin to the one that ended in 2010 – financed by the government and automakers – would be a better way forward.

The 2010 initiative offered new car buyers a £2,000 discount if they scrapped a car older than 10 years of age. This scheme was acclaimed as a success that also generated upwards of 350,000 new car sales at the time.

It would be a win-win too in the current climate – potentially boosting sales in the flagging new car market and helping to lift sales of lesspolluting new petrol and diesel vehicles as well as alternatively-fuelled cars.

In the meantime, because we are stuck with the impact of the government’s huge tax grab, is it time to look more seriously at hybrids and AFVs?

True, that depends on whether your OEMs have a solid enough range of vehicles to offer at the right price – and most do not yet.

But for those dealers who are now preparing for AFV sales, what factors should inform their plans at this stage? Much of the spade work right now must be linked to sizing the potential market and working out what it means for aftersales revenue.

The extent to which car buyers will move from petrol/diesel to hybrid rather than move straight to an all-electric car, is a question that will hit the industry hard within the next five years.

It’s the choice we all face in our next-butone new car purchase.

Research by the Boston Consulting Group predicts that the tipping point for EVs is ‘in sight’. In short: If the future is EV, where does that leave other AFVs? There is a question mark over whether the next generation of car buyers – the fabled ‘millennials’ – will drive rapid EV adoption.

We already know they are likely to be early adopters of smartphone-controlled ‘mobility as

a service’ offerings. And there is no doubt that the switch to EV brings with it the threat of ‘disintermediation’ as OEMs potentially sell more of these cars direct online and certainly provide cloud-based software updates direct to customers as software-as-a-service.

This trend towards ‘servitisation’ is happening in all markets but new car sales by dealers seems particularly vulnerable to its impact.

Dealerships may find the profitable servicing arm of their businesses undermined by electric cars unless they can grab a piece of that servitisation revolution.

Retraining and re-educating staff for electric car sales and servicing will be necessary over the next few years, and the cost this incurs will come at a time when new car sales could be relatively flat. But what other services can dealerships offer the next generation of smartphone-wielding drivers?

So, 2018 is a good year to ask some tougher, longer-term questions like: Where will the business be in five years’ time?

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 94 | CarDealerMag.co.uk traka-auto 1-6pg.indd 1

15/12/2016 09:56

Long-termers.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Volvo V90 Cross Country In a last hurrah, we head to the snow-covered French Alps for some fun in the white stuff.

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

F

acing a descent from a French ski resort after freshly fallen snow had covered the mountain pass, I must admit I was a little worried about how our V90 Cross Country would cope.

OK, so it might have a clever four-wheel-drive system, but after a mix-up over winter tyre sizes at the dealer had left me running on summer rubber, the realisation that I’d have to tackle roads covered in more than 20cm of the white stuff was a little daunting to say the least.

I need not have worried.

Once the steep, slippery incline out of the underground car park had been dispatched with ease by the smart 4x4 system, I felt freshly confident in the Volvo’s ability to get us out of the mountains safely.

It found traction in places I didn’t think it would, and with the 4x4 mode engaged and its speed limited to 40kph, it safely ploughed its way through the snow-covered switchbacks.

The trip to Flaine, in the French Alps, was to be the Volvo’s swansong.

A strict 8,000-mile limit had been imposed on my long-term loan and I’d planned my time with the car to ensure I had 1,500 miles banked to end our time together on a high.

The huge boot easily swallowed three adults’ luggage with ease, plus enough food and, ahem, beer to last seven days. Before we went, Snows Volvo in Winchester was called upon to fit some roof bars and a ski rack – or the ‘whistler’, as the technician named it.

He wasn’t wrong about that. The noise the rack made with my snowboard clamped to it was pretty deafening. It got a bit better when I turned the board upside-down to improve the aerodynamics, but it still needed to be drowned out with some Best of ’90s playlists.

The whopping mileage gave me plenty of time to enjoy the charms that have made looking after this Volvo one of the most enjoyable long-termers I’ve had. The seats are superbly comfortable and the driving position perfectly set up to keep you cosseted for huge journeys such as these.

Sadly, I lost faith in the built-in sat-nav long ago and have since resorted to using either Google

A trip to Flaine in the French Alps was James’s last major journey in the Volvo V90 Cross Country

A mix-up left James without winter tyres – but the summer rubber coped well in the snow

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Volvo V90 D4 AWD Cross Country Price: £46,755 Engine: 2.0-litre turbo diesel Power: 190bhp Torque: 400Nm Max speed: 130mph 0-60mph: 8.5 seconds MPG (combined): 54.3 Emissions: 138g/km Mileage to date: 8,107 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: Reflecting on my time with one of the best long-termers I’ve ever driven.

Maps or Apple Maps via CarPlay. The latter is not without its challenges, but it worked perfectly on the journey to and from France.

It’s annoying that a car as advanced as this has such a backward sat-nav system and it’s something that urgently needs improvement.

That said, on the whole, the multimedia system is excellent. The large touchscreen controls are simple to understand and use, and

I love the 360-degree parking cameras and the car’s ability to park itself, should you be feeling particularly lazy.

The Volvo On Call App, which lets me pre-heat the car in the mornings, has been getting a lot of use, and the fact it also gives you information about the car and its location is useful.

I used it recently when returning from the States from a business trip to check that the valet parking company had returned my car.

It told me exactly where it was in Heathrow and the fact the driver even had his window down. With Volvo, Big Brother is always watching.

I’ll be sad to see the Volvo go. It’s been a brilliant family car, carried huge loads on holidays and to the tip, transported many people in comfort, and with neat touches such as the builtin booster seats in the back that pop up when needed, its clever design has always impressed.

My one word of caution would be on the engine. The 2.0-litre is a little underpowered and when fully laden returns a shade over 30mpg.

That’s really quite disappointing and proof this large estate needs a little more oomph under the bonnet.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 95

Long-termers.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Suzuki Swift Manoeuvrability, efficiency and great visibility... three reasons why we’re sorry to see KR17 ZKC go.

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

S

ix months ago, we were handed the keys to a brand-new Suzuki Swift.

Upon its arrival, the one thing that struck many of us in the office was its characterful nature — both in looks and driving experience. Now, as we say goodbye, I’m glad to say that positive introduction was a sign of things to come during KR17 ZKC’s tenure with us.

OK, so it wasn’t the perfect machine. The 1.2-litre Dualjet mild hybrid engine can’t exactly be described as perky — developing a feeble 89bhp and 120Nm of torque from its four cylinders — and the standard infotainment system was nothing short of terrible (fortunately, Android Auto was included).

Oh, and if I had to be really picky, the little wing mirror decals looked tacky.

For its main purpose though, a little city runabout, there’s nothing wrong with the Swift.

What the engine lacks in power, it more than makes up for in efficiency, averaging around 55mpg during its time with us. Plus, thanks to the all-wheel-drive setup, it proved easily manoeuvrable – aided by great visibility.

It’s proven to be one of the most practical machines on our fleet over the past few months, serving as a bit of a workhorse.

The best bit? It was also a lot of fun behind the wheel, thanks to being pretty light – a mere 980kg – as well as having cracking driving dynamics.

If you really work the engine, there’s a lot of joy to be had on B-roads, even when driven back-toback with the original, more powerful Swift Sport.

No major reliability concerns cropped up during our time with KR17 ZKC, either. Aside from a routine oil service mid-way through our ownership, nothing came up and we had no reason to take it in for work.

Sure, you may not expect much to go wrong in such a short spell of ‘ownership’ but it bodes well for the model going forward nonetheless.

If you’re in the market for a little city car, one capable enough of tackling the occasional crosscountry journey too, the Swift should absolutely be on your shopping list. If we were buying one, we’d probably go with the 1.0-litre turbocharged Boosterjet petrol engine just for a little more punch, but there’s no going wrong with the 96 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

This is a car our team of writers found enjoyable to drive, thanks to its cracking driving dynamics

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Suzuki Swift 1.2 SZ5 SHVS Dualjet 4WD Price: £16,149 Engine: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol Power: 89bhp Torque: 120Nm Top speed: 106mph 0-60: 12.4 seconds MPG: 62.8 Emissions: 101g/km Mileage : 10,550

A routine service and a spot of shopping . . .

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT Realising just how much fun we had been having with this little city runabout.

1.2-litre naturally aspirated option either. It’s a fond farewell to KR17 ZKC from us, and we’ll now be impatiently waiting to have a go in the upcoming Sport to see what that lightweight little machine can really do.

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Subaru Outback

Fiat Tipo

Mileage: 1,265

Mileage: 6,610

When it comes to practicality, quite possibly the most sensible offering in the Subaru family is the Outback, and the 2.0-litre Boxer diesel version has just joined the fleet. Full report next month.

Mia has been getting to grips with the abundance of clever technology in the car she has christened ‘Ted’ – and she is loving the touchscreen in particular which is well-positioned and easy to use.

Mazda MX-5 RF Our MX-5 has been deployed as something of a family vehicle since the start of the new year.

by RYAN HIRONS @RyHirons

I

t’s been a busy spell for VN66 ZHZ, as it’s covered plenty of ground over the chilly winter months.

Our MX-5 RF was deployed as a grand tourer in mid-February carrying yours truly from Car Dealer’s Gosport HQ all the way home to Hull for a family birthday — a 268-mile journey — while hauling plenty of presents and luggage.

It may not quite match a luxury diesel saloon for comfort and efficiency over long distances, but it dealt with the cross-country voyage back and forth with no problem at all.

Once you get used to the noticeable wind noise and frequent salt-storms from lorries on a gritted M1, it’s actually a fairly pleasant cruiser.

The real test during my visit to my home town, though, was day-to-day usage up in Hull.

It’s fair to say that the south coast has a slightly nicer climate than the north-east. When I’m down in Gosport, my time with the MX-5 is mostly limited to personal use and the occasional passenger run. Back home for a few days and it was a different story, though.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle for our MX-5 came in the form of my youngest sister. The suggestion of a McDonald’s trip to my three-yearold sibling while on babysitting duty was met with excitement from her end, and the concerns of putting a child seat into a two-seater sports

Ryan’s three-year-old sister was all smiles on a trip to McDonald’s in our long-term MX-5 RF

car from mine. Fortunately, VN66 ZHZ proved more than capable. Isofix mounting points made fitment easy, and thanks to a weight sensor on the passenger side, there was no hassle in turning off the airbag — the car did it on my behalf.

One thing that I found though is that folding metal roofs terrify my sister.

After putting the top down, she was insistent to the point of tantrum that it didn’t go back up – based on the mechanism’s noise. Thank Mazda for heated seats and climate control then, which made the trip bearable despite being roofless in near-freezing temperatures.

The freedom of seeing the sky around her also kept my youngest sibling happy — always a

positive when you’re transporting a toddler who’s impatient for some McNuggets.

Another positive of the trip home? Realising just how good Machine Grey Metallic looks on other Mazda models. Parking our RF next to the family’s identically-coloured 6 saloon (above) brought home just how good the shade is.

Fast forward a few weeks, and our long-termer had an appointment with Perry’s Mazda in Portsmouth. I’m pleased to report, however, that this was just for a routine service — one it was perhaps a little overdue.

It came through with flying colours and aside from the standard checks and fluid changes, the only concern was the rear tyres, having run relatively low on tread — perhaps more a side-effect of being in the hands of motoring journalists for almost a year rather than a problem with the car.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Volkswagen Amarok

Seat Leon Cupra 300

Mileage: 2,297

Mileage: 5,895

Jack Evans has been on a trip to see family and friends in Dorset and south Wales – and he’s been making the most of the truck’s practical side, helping out with furniture transportation duties.

Dave’s had a trouble-free spell driving KU67 TNX recently, and the multiple window repairs needed in the run-up to Christmas are just a memory now, thank goodness.

Model: Price: Engine: Power: Torque: Top speed: 0-60mph: MPG: Emissions: Mileage to date:

Mazda MX-5 RF £27,165 2.0-litre petrol 158bhp 200Nm 134mph 7.2 seconds 40.9 161 g/km 17,742

THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: A trip to Hull and back that was child’s play.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 97

The last word JA M E S B AG G OT T

Against our better judgment, we give our CEO the final say each month

A story to make you think twice about going for that quick drink after work

O

ver the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time with traffic police officers battling the scourge of drivers who get behind the wheel after a drink.

Over the years, campaigns and clampdowns have made drink-driving about as socially acceptable as marrying your dog – and rightly so. However, after joining officers on the streets in an unmarked police car on the look-out for repeat offenders, I realised the number of motorists who’ll play Russian roulette behind the wheel is still too great.

For a feature for one of our outlets, I spent the evening in the run-up to Christmas in the passenger seat of an unmarked BMW 3 Series, seeing how cops like PC Rob Lewis catch these blatant law breakers. In a candid interview, he told me the many telltale signs he’d look for when spotting law-breakers who’ve got behind the wheel after too many beers. Steamed-up windscreens, a driver’s window down in the depths of winter, weaving in and out of lanes and breaking – or not breaking – the speed limits were all prime giveaways, he said.

I wrote a piece about how the cops spot a drink-driver and was worried I was giving too much away to help offenders. Not true, said another cop, PC Chris Powling.

‘No matter what, an impaired driver – be that through drink or drugs – will give themselves away,’ he told me. ‘Publish the article because it will serve only to highlight the fact we’re out there looking for these law breakers every time we’re on shift.’

During our time in the unmarked car, we caught one van driver who was twice the legal limit. He’d had an argument with his girlfriend and decided to get behind the wheel after drinking half a bottle of vodka. He was soon carted away in a police van and two weeks later handed an 18-month disqualification and £230 fine by magistrates.

My night on the beat with the traffic cops – and cases like that – gave me a fascinating insight into the work they do to keep our roads safe. What amazed me most was their compassion, their professionalism and the fact they used common sense to police the roads. Speeding drivers were treated sensibly, only pulled over when they really took liberties – not when driving at speeds you and I would drive at every time we took to the motorways.

Just a few weeks later, I witnessed the true horror of the work these traffic cops have to deal with on a daily basis. Nearing the end of a 12-hour drive back from the French Alps, I was approaching Portsmouth when I witnessed a horrendous car crash.

A Vauxhall Astra, entering the A3(M) from a slip road, turned hard right into the central reservation, spinning across all three lanes before digging into the gravel and barrel-rolling four times in the air, some eight foot above the ground. It eventually landed on its roof, on top of some Armco at the side of the motorway.

It was just after midnight and there were few cars around. We pulled over and while my passenger called the emergency services, I approached the car with trepidation. From what I’d just witnessed, the chances of anyone climbing out alive were slim.

I gingerly tapped on the window, but in the dark could see nothing inside. I reached for my phone and its torch function and slowly raised it to the glass. There, from deep in the passenger footwell, an arm reached out towards me. A dazed and seriously confused driver was trying to climb out.

I asked if he was OK and if there was anyone else in the car – but he couldn’t muster a reply, only able to shake his head in shock. I attempted to open the crushed driver’s door, but the contorted metal wouldn’t give. I tried the rear door and after a couple of hefty pulls, it sprung open and I pulled the driver out.

As he climbed out into my arms I asked him again if anyone else was inside. ‘She might have been in there with me,’ he said.

‘I don’t know.’ Considering the number of times the car had spun in the air, and the darkness, I couldn’t be sure if I’d seen anyone else thrown clear. Amazingly, the driver didn’t have a scratch on him. I put my arms around him, wrapped him in a blanket and offered some reassurance.

Five police cars, three fire engines and two ambulances were soon on the scene – I recognised the officers from the drink-drive attachments I’d been on a few weeks before and was relieved they’d turned up so fast.

While chatting to the driver I could smell the booze. The cops could smell it too. He was breathalysed and blew three times the limit. At this point, my concern turned to anger. He’d walked away from a huge accident that only a few seconds later would have wiped us out. My rage burned deep into the night.

The temptation to drink and drive is very real indeed. How often after a busy shift do you ask your colleagues to join you for a ‘quick one’ in the pub? But that’s where the danger lies. I’ve seen first-hand the devastation those seemingly innocent drinks can cause.

It’s made me think twice – and by telling you this story I’m hoping that maybe, just maybe, it’ll make you think twice too.

‘I’ve seen first hand the devastation seemingly innocent drinks can cause.’

James Baggott is 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.

98 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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0115 946 6370 enquiries@frfl.co.uk www.firstesponsefinance.co.uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 99

£inance your forecourt

Partner Finance provides you with additional funding to improve your cash-flow, allowing you to buy the stock you need, when you need it. And we’ll work in partnership with you every step of the way to help you keep your business on the move.

Also if we can assist with your part exchanges including; valuation, funding or disposal through a branded Partner Finance sale then we’d love to hear from you.

Visit bca.co.uk/forecourtfinance to see how we can help support your business.

100 | CarDealerMag.co.uk