Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 25

CarDealer.

Issue 25 | April 2010 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £3.50

[ SALES FIGURES: February’s registrations: p57 ]

Driving the future of the motor trade

eMPOWerIng deaLerS YOUR CHANCE TO TELL YOUR MANUFACTURER WHAT YOU REALLY THINK PLUS: Help us find the best suppliers to do business with

WIN

£2,400

of prizes in an Aston Dcluding three dayBs9 for !

Aston Martin Rapide Full road test of the Brit four-door supercar, plus the star cars from the Geneva Motor Show Audi A1

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Lexus CT200h

Ford Focus

Porsche 918

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start Issue 25 | April 2010

WhY is it when the waiter comes over halfway through a meal and asks if everything is okay, we just say ‘oh yes, thank you’? even when the food resembles a Big Mac that’s been through a dishwasher, reheated and slapped on your plate with a rotten cockle accompaniment, most of us still nod our appreciation and give the thumbs up when asked. That’s because it’s hard to confront someone face-to-face – telling them you’re not happy is never easy, because more often than not it’s just not worth the hassle.

But saying something can often make things better, help businesses improve and even get direct results – like a burger that resembles the picture on the menu for a start! But I’m willing to bet that when you go to a restaurant and they leave one of those feedback cards for you to fill in, you’re much more likely to give your opinion – especially when it tempts you with some vouchers for doing so.

It helps that these things are anonymous – at least those who served you won’t read it – but also you know that if you make the effort to fill them in, that feedback will be passed down and acted upon.

Think of Car dealer Power as that restaurant feedback card. Our survey is your chance to give the manufacturers you represent and the suppliers you do business with the most honest feedback possible. Why so honest?

Well, we’re not asking for your details – the only thing we want to know is your mobile number so we can call you and let you know if you’ve won one of the prizes.

We decided to launch Car dealer Power because we wanted to let YOU have a say on your car manufacturer and suppliers. We’ll be printing a special results issue in a few months detailing the best and worst car makers to represent and highlighting the best suppliers to do business with. It’ll make very interesting reading.

The easiest way to fill out the survey is by logging on to CarDealerPower.com which will direct you straight to the questions. I hope you can take the time to fill in the survey – it should take two minutes and your answers could help change the way you do business every day for the better.

SHOW TIME! ThIS month’s issue is packed with new cars and road tests to keep you entertained. Our deputy editor

three things not to Miss...

Car Dealer power Free advertising

aston Martin rapide

Have your say on your car manufacturer and suppliers in our special survey. [p40]

It might have family buyers in mind, but new supercar still packs a mighty punch. [p30]

want to get your stock on a new sales portal for free? this website can help [p22]

richard aucock was pounding the halls of the geneva motor show in the first week of March to bring you news of the cars you’ll be selling soon. The green theme continued with a host of hybrids making their debuts – some from unlikely manufacturers.

I’ve been out and about driving some new metal too. hyundai’s ix35 was shockingly impressive and a dramatic leap forward for the firm while Chevrolet’s Spark city car was also an interesting drive. But don’t fear, there’s some lust-worthy metal too – notably the aston Martin rapide. I’m still a little undecided on the looks, but by all accounts it’s as impressive as you’d expect! and don’t forget, if you’re an aston Martin fan you could have one on your drive for three days simply by filling in Car dealer Power! Turn to page 40 for more.

James Baggott, Editor

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The end is nigh

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Price-drop car auction

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Back to black

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Hyundai chief’s fears

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Geneva Motor Show

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On The Spot

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Big Mike

Issue 25 | April 2010

Scrap scheme enters final days New website’s clever concept Pendragon returns to profit

Plus Chevrolet’s Twitter plans All the new car launches

Dealer faces our questions how our man got his revenge...

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Finance

‘Why should a bunch of journalists decide who is the best car manufacturer to represent?

The answer is they shouldn’t – that’s why Car Dealer Power puts YOU in the driving seat and you could win three days in an Aston Martin DB9 just for taking part.’ [ Car Dealer Power: Pages 40-43 ]

Focus on luxury saloon deals

forecourt

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Chevrolet Spark

26

Hyundai ix35

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Kia Venga

30

Aston Martin Rapide

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Cult Car

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Sales Legend

City car with hollywood credentials Ford Kuga better watch out Mini MPV with seven year warranty The four-door Brit supercar is here The amazing Mercedes CLK GTR how Audi’s A3 rewrote the rulebook

features 22

MakeandModel.co.uk

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CAR DEALER POWER!

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Webzation

Advertising portal that’s free to use Your chance to have your say

how firm’s tools can help your site

45 47 49 51 52 55 56 58

Right Click Dot Com Online Auctions Trader Directory Suppliers Guide HPI Valuations Sub Prime Time

Reach more buyers

...sell more cars

with classified listings that reach 2million web visitors per month on great websites such as www.carpages.co.uk and www.channel4.com/4car with Smart Banners on the web that include your actual cars for sale on Banners and Skyscrapers

contact info@skupenet.com or 0208 610 6103 to include your vehicles today

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Scrappage scheme: The end is upon us

Last orders as BIS hands out the dregs of £400m funds The scrappage scheme ‘Exit Phase’ has started with 37 car brands each handed an allocation of the remaining funds. The managed run-down of the scrappage fund is being instigated to ensure closingstage dramas are minimised.

Car Dealer was exclusively briefed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Exit Phase plans two days before it was announced, but sworn to secrecy.

A senior spokesperson told us the idea behind the announcement was to ensure the scheme did not descend into chaos as customers fought for the remaining funds.

Experience from the rundown of other country’s schemes means BIS was keen to avoid queues, fights and rows at car dealers! Furthermore, the managed rundown will also ensure the risk of scrappage funds going unclaimed is minimised.

Each maker has been given its own secret allocation of scrappage orders,

Feedback

The end is nigh for the scrap scheme in the UK based on private retail sales between May-December 2009. This is classified info at source, but BIS admitted how car brands communicate this to the public is up to them.

‘Some will keep it to themselves; others may run a countdown-style ticker on their website,’ said a spokesperson.

The allocation isn’t ALL of the remaining funds, though. BIS has kept a further amount aside, and will dish this out some time in March – possibly around the time you’re reading this – according to pure popularity. It means that some car brands may get an

extra serving of scrappage funds, over and above their allocation.

For this reason, car dealers of brands proving popular under scrappage will be encouraged to keep waiting lists should the funds run out.

Car Dealer Magazine has seen evidence that buyers are already responding: the curve of scrappage orders is starting to rise again, with this upward trajectory expected to continue until the scrappage pot runs dry. The closing date is March 31.

Midnight, to be exact.

For the latest on the end of the scheme see CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘End of scrap is not the end of the world’ THE end of the scrappage scheme doesn’t have to mean the end of the world, car dealers have told us.

We’ve been out on the road in Darlington, County Durham, quizzing dealerships about the end of the scheme and were surprised at just how positive traders were.

On the day the last of the scheme’s funds were doled out to manufacturers, sales staff told Car Dealer they were positive about life after the initiative.

Dealers said buyer confidence was increasing and the outlook isn’t all ‘doom and gloom’.

Laurie Lowe, group marketing executive at RMB Toyota, said: ‘It will be a shame when the scheme ends as it has brought us incremental business. However, consumer confidence is now starting to return so I think we will still see sales volumes increase further.’

And with new ‘swappage’ schemes being introduced, Sherwoods Vauxhall and SG Petch Hyundai didn’t expect to see any decrease in new car sales.

Evans Halshaw Nissan was brazen – franchise manager Gina May said they’d ‘adapt to any challenges thrown at them after the scrappage scheme ends’.

Lookers Volkswagen has had trouble keeping up with their scrappage scheme orders, but a sales representative said he was confident sales ‘wouldn’t decrease when the scheme ends’.

John Slavin

Your comments posted online at CarDealerMag.co.uk – add yours now to be included And from the Twitterverse: Follow the editor on Twitter @CarDealerEd to join the coversation

Bangers, Twitter and electric cars Twitter is giving car firms a headache

Link: http://is.gd/9wR6O I find this a really interesting and relevant article!

Brown raises some very valid points. Indeed there are huge potentials in social media marketing for dealers to capitalise on but how do they effectively do it? If a dealership is unable to measure how effectively they are attracting the right traffic to their website instead of their competitors then how are they going to manage targeting customers researching and looking for cars in online social communities?

Tina de Souza, via CarDealerMag.co.uk I agree with Tina. Get the basics right first. Leads before Tweets! And track what people are saying about you online… and respond/add to. But they must have a website that looks good and is doing the business underneath. For example, I got an automatic email reply from a leading independent garage recently to

say ‘this will be replied to within seven days’. Another told me that they were too busy.

Steph Savill, via CarDealerMag.co.uk

Perhaps if you plaster them in racing stripes, alloys and a big bore exhaust, or maybe not.

@LifestyleEurope, via Twitter

Hyundai banger race video

EVs. They’re useless where I live. Eight miles over a pass to the nearest roundabout. Need more power, and greater range. @Dear_Blank, via Twitter

Link: http://is.gd/9wRQY TO be fair, the reason a modern car suffers more damage on the banger racing track is because it designed to absorb energy in an impact by deforming, hopefully leaving the passenger compartment intact.

Safer for road use, but on the track it can be one shunt and it’s buggered!

secretelephant, via CarDealerMag.co.uk

Are there any cool electric cars?

Cool electric car? Twizy - can’t wait for it to come here. @ukmotortalk, via Twitter One of these EVs will end up cool. I think the Twizy will really work in London. @sam_burnett, via Twitter

It will be a huge headache. Worst thing TFL did was give into the lobby on hybrid discount. Now all low CO2 cars want some. @SurreySteve, via Twitter So you take the £5k, buy an electric car, sell it immediately, buy a mk1 Honda Insight and keep the change! @onthesidewalls, via Twitter

General comments

Got the mags today, good work, £17 is great value. A must have for all dealers.

@internetcarlot, via Twitter

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Website’s unique approach to selling Price-drop auction sees your cars get cheaper every day to entice buyers into action NeW website UKcarexchange.com promises dealers higher returns for their unwanted part exchange stock – and listing on the site is completely free!

The website utilises a unique ‘price-drop auction’ approach and the concept here is simple: Cars are listed for 14 days and every 24 hours the price drops by a pre-set amount. The idea is that buyers are then tempted into snapping up cars sooner to avoid being beaten by a rival bidder.

Until a car is purchased, the dealer’s details are hidden, allowing the same cars to be advertised through other channels.

Sellers have the option to show their stock only to registered trade buyers, or to both traders and consumers.

The service provided by UK Car exchange has been devised to complement current dealer sales and marketing activities, and will help them achieve higher returns on their unwanted stock.

Dealers are able to list an unlimited number of cars on the site, for free – a fee is only payable when a car sells. And if a car is sold from your forecourt, it is simply removed from the website without a cancellation fee being incurred.

UK Car exchange managing director Tony hinkley said: ‘We are really excited to bring

Hill this innovative new concept to the UK motor trade. Car dealers can now access a brand new national market, at no cost until a car is successfully sold, in addition to continuing to market their stock through traditional methods.

‘This is particularly good news for those without forecourts and those that struggle to sell on cars which are approaching over-age.

Dealers can also purchase vehicles through the site to replenish their stock.

‘We’ve already signed up a wide range of customers, from major dealer groups to single-site independent traders, and we’re looking forward to even more dealers joining us and taking advantage of the service.’

Available seven days a week, UK Car exchange’s UK-based operations team is ready to discuss conditions of sale with dealers, including how to register as an approved seller. More details on how to get started are available at ukcarexchange.com or by calling 0845 519 1499.

Plug-in Grant will lop £5k off Happy birthday the price of electric vehicles IF SCRAPPAGE was the buzzword of the car industry in the past 12 months, ‘plug in grant’ will be the phrase of 2011. Government officials have revealed details of a green car policy aimed at tempting buyers into electric cars which will be rolled out in January.

The £5,000 discount is to be offered to buyers of eligible electric cars, such as the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and will even extend to plug-in hybrids like the Toyota Prius too.

The government’s help to charge interest in electric vehicles doesn’t stop there though – a host of recharging hubs are also due to spring up around the country that will let drivers of these cars top up when needed. The first three regions to get the recharging hubs include London, Milton Keynes and the North East. In those areas some 11,000 plug-in points will be put in place over three years in a scheme that’s costing £450m.

So what’s the deal with the plug-in grant? Well, it will provide up to 25 per cent towards the cost of a new green motor, capped at £5,000. It will be offered to retail buyers only at the moment and cars must pass a certain criteria laid down by the government to qualify.

for websites firm MOTOrIng website pioneer really good domains is celebrating its 10th birthday in 2010. The groundbreaking firm today boasts a large and diverse portfolio of motoring websites – and boss dave Timmis says there’s much more to come, too.

‘We continue the work of re-developing several of our motoring websites,’ he revealed. This is being done with the aim of strengthening their position as the ‘leading websites in their sectors’.

Timmis added: ‘We have come a very long way in a short period of time. Looking back, it’s hard to think that when we started out, advertising on the internet was not the norm. ‘now, with the very best motoring portals in the country across an array of different niche markets, really good domains owns the most popular and effective websites within a highly competitive and developed market.’

Net gains

Being open and honest online can endear you to customers

f

ollowing on from last month’s column outlining the treatment of web customers as opposed to ‘walk-in’ customers, I wanted to put some more ‘meat on the bones’ with regard to the changes in web consumer behaviour that are becoming apparent.

Some of you may have noticed the customers you are speaking to have mentioned in passing that they have been to just one or two dealers prior to contacting you. although primarily this will be because they have done most of their research online, this also means there is a limited window of opportunity for dealers and manufacturers to influence customer buying decisions. It therefore stands to reason that having the ability to connect ‘If you ask for too with the customer during the research period and much too soon, provide them with the tools why should the they need is of increasing customer tell importance.

I recently assisted my you? There is no mother with the purchase of a new vehicle by showing her trust or rapport the relevant manufacturer established at sites she was interested this point.’ in. She was only after an electronic brochure initially, but one Japanese maker refused to provide any information without first demanding quite a lot of personal data. My mother wasn’t comfortable with this, and as a result moved away from that site.

Their mistake? asking for personal data too early. If you ask for too much too soon, why should the customer tell you?

There is no trust or rapport established at this point – and we all know how important first impressions are...

One way that this rapport can be established via your website is by providing interactive content that allows the customer to find what they want easily. Some dealers offer consumer reports on the new or used car – a great way of demonstrating to the customer that you are willing to open your stock up to independent scrutiny or review.

The main point to stress here is that all of the independent research shows that there is a growing number of customers that won’t stand for this – we may be a nation of bad complainers but it is easy to vote with your feet online – if a website doesn’t provide the customer with the information they want, then they will just click in the little ‘x’ in the top corner of the browser and close it down. So be open, transparent and honest online – it will draw more customers to your offers....

Who is Martin Hill?

Martin is commercial director at Codeweavers.

Learn more about how he can help you at Codeweavers.net or call 0870 443 0888.

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dashboard JCT600 acquires three more dealers

JCT600 has expanded once more with the acquisition of three Audi dealerships for an undisclosed sum.

The Boston Audi, Lincoln Audi and Grimsby Audi dealerships, together employing 155 staff, were operated by Bramall and Jones Ltd, a company owned by Tony Bramall and Peter Jones.

Chief executive John Tordoff, above, said: ‘This latest acquisition provides us with another fantastic opportunity.’

Marshall snaps up more showrooms MARShALL Motor Group has confirmed it is the new owner of Leicestershire’s Francis Group of dealers.

The group brings further honda, SeAT and Suzuki franchises to Marshall, across three locations throughout Leicestershire.

Pendragon returns to profit thanks to scrap Dealer giant is back in the black, but there are plans to close more dealers PeNDRAGON has posted a return to annual profit in 2009 thanks largely to the scrappage scheme.

Chief executive Trevor Finn said cost control and used car sales boosted the company, which trades in the UK as evans halshaw, Stratsone and Chatfields.

Interestingly, he forecast an improved performance for 2010 – a year many fear could be very difficult.

This prediction from such a top industry figure is a welcome boost to the car industry.

‘While we anticipate our market will remain difficult in 2010, we are well positioned to focus on the profit opportunities that will drive our core business forward,’ he told the New York Times.

Pendragon made an underlying pretax profit of £10.1m compared to a loss of £33.6m the year before.

‘The group has successfully dealt with the most challenging market

Pendragon owns Stratstone and Evans Halshaw

Nine showrooms facing the axe DESPITE this positive news it has also been revealed Pendragon is planning to axe 190 jobs this year as it moves to close nine showrooms.

The Mirror reported the group – which trades in the UK as Evans Halshaw, Stratsone and Chatfields – plans to close conditions experienced since the nineties,’ added Finn.

‘We acted swiftly to implement significant cost saving and debt reduction actions. During 2009 we concluded a successful refinancing

PRODUCTS

the showrooms this year as it continues to look at ways to control costs.

Which ones are under threat remains unclear, but the news will come as a hammer blow to staff. Last year Pendragon closed 26 showrooms resulting in 879 people losing their jobs. to secure the long-term future of the group. Consequently, we are now in sound shape and have returned to profitability.’ Pendragon sells around one in 20 new cars in the UK.

Share Watch, p12

...reviews by James Baggott

Bentley unveils new range of gifts Bentley Boutique BenTLeY opened its first ever ‘Boutique’ at this year’s geneva Motor Show which stocked gadgets and gifts for the discerning motorist. The marque has clubbed together with a number of top designers to produce the range of luxury goods and, quite predictably, the price tags aren’t for the faint hearted!

Zai for Bentley Skis IT dOeSn’T matter what colour your american express card is, even the seriously wealthy will think twice about a set of skis costing £5,900! Ok, so they aren’t any old skis – these are limited to just 250 pairs and are made from a unique carbon fibre composite material, but they’re still rather pricey! Oh, you do get ski poles too – but, for that sort of money, you’d probably expect that…

Estede Eyewear If you’re driving around in an azure, you need the ultimate pair of shades to match your drop top, quarter-of-a-million pound motor. These estede sunglasses should do the trick. The austrian eyewear manufacturer has collaborated with Bentley’s Crewe design team to produce these shades which are made from the very best materials – silver palladium, 18

carat gold and platinum to be precise. The last has never been used for eyewear before – and when you clock the £10k price tag you realise why… Just hope you don’t sit on them!

Tibaldi for Bentley If YOU drive a Bentley you wouldn’t be seen dead with a Biro. Oh no, darling, that just wouldn’t do. What you need is a writing implement that’s been designed to the same exacting standards as your car – which is where these Tibaldi pens come in. The Bentley range is made up of three special editions. The Mulsanne (from around £3,400) is the flagship and celebrates the new Bentley. It’s limited to 90 pieces in fountain or roller ball and even comes in light, medium or dark veneers to match your new motor’s interior! The range starts from around £450.

Avon ZZ3s The avon ZZ3’s are the manufacturer’s ultra-high performance tyre and have been designed for those that need wet and dry road-holding with predictable handling. But the really clever bit is the oddly-named ‘rim flange’ – this isn’t as dodgy as it sounds, but is in fact a rubber lip that protrudes from the rim protecting alloys from kerbing.

The tyres come in sizes from 16-inch to 19-inch, speed ratings W and Y and have been made with european roads in mind. We’ve fitted them to a ford focus and although a little louder than the outgoing set they’re particularly grippy. Turn in to corners have a lot more feel and they cope very well in the wet too, adding a noticeable amount of grip. But the real plus point is the price – they’re just £240 for a set!

Details: 01225 703101

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dashboard Chevrolet plans to use Twitter to market Spark

Chevrolet chief CHEVROLET will use Twitter and Facebook Mark Terry to promote its new Spark city car to younger thinks the new car buyers.

Spark will The car manufacturer is planning a social attract media marketing drive as it aims to attract younger younger buyers to the brand. The Spark – an buyers into urban city car with youthful looks – is key dealers to driving new customers through Chevrolet dealers’ doors. And vital to that will be the use of social media to push the car in front of those that use these sites.

UK managing director Mark Terry told Car Dealer: ‘We’ll be using social media to get the Spark message to the right people. I don’t understand these methods as well as I should, but we’ve got teams working on pushing the Spark out via these new and exciting channels.’

One way the manufacturer will do this is through the Facebook group ‘I own a Matiz and am under 50’ which currently has 400 members.

Terry sees the Spark – which starred in the Transformers 2 movie – as a car for a relatively affluent, post-graduate buyer. The range starts at £6,945 and features 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre engines with insurance groups as low as one. Terry hopes between 7-8,000 will find homes in 2010, meaning it’ll play a large part in his forecasts of in the region of 20,000 units for this year. [JB] Spark road test, p24

Share watch

Hyundai UK chief’s fears for 2010 sales hYUNDAI UK chief Tony Whitehorn decided to show his after-scrap hand before other car firms because of fears for the 2010 market.

The pragmatic managing director of hyundai UK told Car Dealer he’s worried a combination of the end of scrappage, the election and tax rises could hit car sales in the second half of the year.

The firm – which has been battling Ford as the number one seller under scrappage – was one of the first to reveal post-scrap offers.

Most makers have remained tight-lipped about after scrap deals, but not only has hyundai announced them but it’s already got them running.

‘The thinking was to get our happy Returns and Trade and Upgrade offers out there as soon as possible,’ said Whitehorn. ‘Scrappage is coming to an end and we need to capitalise on the end of the scheme. That means leveraging sales out of it and adding additionally to it with offers.

Why boss decided to show after-scrap hand early and his hopes for new ix35 ‘We came out with them early because I honestly think the second half of 2010 could be very tough. Many are predicting a market of 1.8m registrations but I think it’s going to be more like 1.6m.

‘We’re not out of the woods yet.’

Whitehorn was speaking to Car Dealer at the launch of the C-segment ix35 SUV in Rome – a car he said his dealer network is very much

looking forward to getting its hands on.

‘The ix35 is priced to compete with a Focus but offers so much more,’ he said.

‘When you look at the fuel economy, the practicality and the tax implications of the SUV it’s a very nice surprise.

New products like the ix35 will play an important part in keeping sales positive as the year progresses.’ [JB]

ix35 road test, p26

...in association with ASE-global.com

Stock prices starting to stabilise T

his year has continued to be significantly more stable for the listed motor retail stocks as we move through february with all of the companies priced within 10 per cent of their opening values. The record 2009 trading performance has been priced into all of the stocks, with the market currently very concerned over fears of a double-dip recession and what happens after the scrappage stimulus comes to an end.

In their review of the automotive sector, broker Panmure gordon provided a positive general outlook, looking past the expected challenges in 2010 to see value for longer term investors. This is based on there being significant pent-up demand in the market when we reach 2011, subject to the manufacturer’s pricing behaviour.

Vertu remained a favoured stock based on their cash resources leaving them in a strong position to consolidate as opportunities arise. This results in Panmure re-iterating their ‘buy’ rating with a target

‘The record 2009 trading performance has been priced into all of the stocks, with the market currently very concerned over fears of a double-dip recession.’ price premium of 50 per cent over current prices.

Inchcape was also given a positive review with a wide geographic spread and cash resources to invest in opportunities as they arise. In spite of this the target price was downgraded to 32 pence, providing a potential upside of 30 per cent.

Lookers also maintained its ‘buy’ recommendation on the back of its cost-cutting efforts and strong aftersales business, albeit with a reduced target price

of 70p. These three stocks are therefore expected to provide significant positive growth and enhanced shareholder value.

Pendragon did not fair as well in the Panmure review, having their rating kept at ‘hold’ and the target price slashed from a 50 per cent premium to their current trading level. Concerns remain regarding the above average levels of debt Pendragon holds.

Over the next month we will enter the 2009 reporting season for some of the listed stocks. While the results are expected to be positive, following on from strong pre-close trading statements, the market priced this in during the autumn and will pay greater attention to any indication given to 2010 trading forecasts. On the back of the poor results in January, partially as a result of the difficult weather conditions, this could lead to short-term price falls.

If you have any questions about the above, please contact me on 0161 493 1930.

Mike Jones, ASE director

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w e t f

YourCarLoan

- Easy to integrate into your existing web stock module - Calculations available from many of the UK’s leading finance companies - HP, Motor loan, Lease Purchase and PCP quotations based on your chosen sell out price - Proposal forms for all customer types which integrate into your preferred lenders systems - Lucro – Part of the service that gives you access to our unique multi-lender point of sale system - Pre-built solutions from both Codeweavers and our media partners

w: www.codeweavers.net/yourcarloan e: enquiries@codeweavers.net t: 0870 443 0888 f: 0870 443 0889 CarDealerIss25.indd 13

5/3/10 10:12:12

geneva show Chevrolet dealers to sell Corvettes!

CORVETTE is coming to the UK Chevrolet car dealer network.

GM chief Bob Lutz made the announcement at the show. Previously, Corvettes were distributed by Dutch importer Kroymans. Last year though, the firm went bust and this led GM to give the Corvette distribution contract back to Chevrolet.

It means Corvettes will now start being sold in Chevrolet car dealers!

It is not yet known how these arrangements will work – discussions are under way right now with the retail network about how to handle the exciting new supercar.

But you can be sure Chevrolet will be making the most of it, given the marketing potential!

AUDI will continue its remarkable expansion into new sectors with the premium supermini A1. Shown at Geneva for the first time in production form, the firm is gearing up for a huge launch later in the year.

It even wheeled out Justin Timberlake to kick off the big show launch proceedings!

Based on the VW Polo platform, the new A1 has desires on taking a big slice of MINI market share.

Prices will start around £13k and it will go on sale in the last quarter of 2010. A big pre-order website is already live and running, with Audi also hooking into the social media side for the new A1, too.

No engine will average less than 55.4mpg, and there will be a 72.4mpg diesel model too. We’d expect this to emit less than 100g/km CO2, but Audi isn’t confirming this.

Audi RS5 and A1 muscle in The engines are all-turbo petrol and diesel, and include a 1.2-litre turbo entry unit. Bespoke options will be the name of the game for the A1. Extra spec spend tempters will include a BOSE stereo with LED-lit woofers, while contrasting A, B and C-pillars enable lots of individuality (and hark back to the original concept car).

Also on show is the new superperformance version of the A5 – the RS5. Using a 4.2-litre V8 from the old RS4, producing 450bhp, it is already

on sale in UK dealers: deliveries will begin in October. For £57,480 on the road, it makes an intriguing alternative to a BMW M3. Question is, will Audi later be able to offer a Sportback four-door version, too?

Elsewhere, there was the supersexy R8 Spyder, on sale in the UK now.

And there was a hybrid version of the new A8. With a 2.0-litre TFSI engine mated to a 45bhp electric motor, it can average 45.5mpg and emits just 144g/km CO2. Really, really impressive!

Terry on Twitter, p12 Spark road test, p24

Ferrari shows off 599 with KERS!

FERRARI is going green with a dramatic-looking version of the 599 V12.

The Italian brand has shown off a concept HYKERS version of its 599 GTB Fiorano.

As the name suggests, it incorporates a petrolelectric hybrid drivetrain that sounds a bit like the set-up in a Toyota Prius.

Taking technology from the F1 racetrack, the KERS hybrid system works as a generator during braking – with this extra power being used during acceleration to make the HY-KERS even faster!

Stay up to date every day at CarDealerMag.co.uk

CT200h will be a ‘best seller’ LEXUS is setting its sights on 30-year-old professionals as key targets for its new hybrid CT 200h.

Chief engineer Osuma Sadakata told Car Dealer development studies have specifically targeted such buyers. They are younger than the Lexus norm and this will mean a much wider customer pool for the brand’s car dealers to draw from when the hybrid car goes on sale early next year.

As the firm’s first premium compact five-door hatchback, it is new territory for Lexus development engineers, said Sadakata. There has been much more emphasis on sportiness in the

engineering process – with Audi’s A3 being the benchmark rival.

The sector’s first all-hybrid model, it will cost around £21-£22k, suggest insiders.

Furthermore, it WILL boast a CO2 figure BELOW 100g/km.

This not only means it is congestion charge exempt, but it will also get free road tax.

Lexus says it should quickly become a strong seller.

Depending on how quickly production ramps up, the firm says it will be its UK best seller within three years – but probably much more quickly.

New Mervia moving Vauxhall upmarket VAUXHALL is taking the Meriva people carrier upmarket and turning it into a genuine compact MPV. With the new range, Vauxhall’s Meriva is growing in profile, performance and, inevitably, price: the range now starts at £15,495.

Key draws are the ‘Flexspace’ rear-hinged back doors. Revealing the car at Geneva, a spokesman told us these open a full 84 degrees – ‘this will help us market the Meriva to young families’.

‘The old model tended to be bought by older buyers,’ they added. ‘We’re aiming to lower the average buyer age with this one, and will be using a ‘young’ focus to our marketing campaign to do this.’

Explaining, he added, why most of the initial press shots feature, well, young families!

It’s based on a new platform that’s a mix of Zafira, Astra and Corsa. Much longer than before (230mm, we’re told), this allows the five regular seats to be converted into a four-seat mode with far more leg and elbowroom.

Vauxhall has sold around 110,000 Merivas since 2003.

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...Richard Aucock reports

Next Ford Focus unveiled, and there’ll be hot one too Ford confirms a hot variant of new Focus FORD showed off one of the most important new car ranges at Geneva – the new Focus. It was unveiled at Detroit, to underline its world car status, but was making its European debut here.

Alongside the five-door hatchback we’ve already seen, Ford also revealed a five-door estate. It looked as sharp-suited as the hatchback we’ve already seen. We reckon it should be production-ready by the end of the year and would bet on a Paris Motor Show launch debut.

Ford also confirmed there will be a hot version of the next Focus. ST or RS? Nothing more was being said, but the fact we’re to get one at all is good enough

Honda hoping to find homes for 3,000 CR-Zs a year HONDA is planning to sell around 3,000 CR-Zs a year in the UK and will use it to up the sporting cool of hybrid.

By next year, the firm will be offering four hybrid models, with the CR-Z being the racy coupe figurehead of the line-up.

This is why handling has been prioritised during the design of it: the chief engineer revealed the starting point for the entire design of the car was the driving position. Which, for the record, is spot-on.

It’s also why the car does not emit less than 117g/ km CO2. A spokesman said handling and driver fun was the priority rather than a really low CO2 figure.

Getting under 120g/km was a target achieved – the company didn’t intend to go further.

Prices were also announced at the show: It’ll start at £16,999.

Ford’s next best-seller: The new Focus news for us right now!

A new model car dealers will be able to sell right away is the new C-Max range, finally available in Grand C-Max form. This seven-seat

variant sits alongside the coupe-look five-seat version and has sliding rear doors.

The C-Max has swoopier styling that is in keeping with the two-pronged

approach of the S-Max and Galaxy. If Ford is anywhere near as successful with these cars as with the larger ones, Renault and Vauxhall had better watch out.

Ford is showing a load of new engines too – a pretty confusing line-up that dealers will have to concentrate on if they’re to communicate them to customers. These include 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbo petrol units.

The 1.6 offers either 150bhp or 180bhp, while the 2.0 has 203bhp: they’re serious motors, alright. A more powerful version of that 2.0-litre is surely intended for the new hot Focus: and with promised CO2 reductions of 20 per cent, it should be far more economical. New TDCi diesel engines are coming, with both the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre updated. These, again, will soon be coming to Ford’s C-sector cars.

Porsche 918 concept steals the show

PORSCHE has given us a genuine show surprise with the 918 Spyder – a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid supercar!

Currently it’s a concept, but it’s still good enough for a lap time of the Nurburgring in less than 7 minutes 30 seconds.

It can also, though not at the same time, run for up to 16 miles on electric power alone – and thus emit no CO2.

That will officially equate to 94mpg and CO2 emissions of less than 70g/km. Not only that, it also genuinely looks a million dollars, and still uses a race-derived 500bhp 3.4-litre V8 for performance power.

Twin electric motors – one front, one rear – add a further 218bhp. Add the two together and you get to 60mph in ‘under’ 3.2 seconds.

But that’s a concept – back to ‘reality’ is the launch of the all-new Cayenne SUV. This is longer and lower than before, with more interior space, and also has a trick eight-speed automatic gearbox. Lighter and nearly 25 per cent more economical, there is also now a supercharged petrol V6 hybrid version. This emits 193g/km and does 34mpg.

Micra gets a supercharger!

NISSAN is making the next Micra a genuine world car, building it in four plants and selling it in 160 countries.

This is why the replacement for the current-shape Micra has not set any new design standards.

Nissan is instead seeking dependability, low running costs and cost-effective manufacturing for the new Micra. This will keep prices low and help it stand out in a competitive sector.

Similar in styling and size to the current car, the all-new one uses Nissan’s new ‘Vplatform’, that’s lightweight and simple to build.

It will be powered by a

Nissan’s new Mirca

brand-new three-cylinder 1.2litre petrol engine, emitting a low 115g/km.

Even better, though, is the 1.2-litre supercharged petrol that will follow later. With stop-start added on, this 98bhp version will emit just 95g/km; almost unheard of for a non-hybrid petrol car.

Light weight is the key, as the new Micra weighs less than 1,000kg.

It comes with a five-speed manual or CVT auto.

Dealers will be able to promote real-world features, such as a class-beating turning circle. There is also a snazzy parking space measurement gadget, that measures bays and offers guidance depending on the driver’s parking skills – ‘amateur’, ‘normal’ or ‘expert’.

There are big car options too, including a glass roof, Nissan Connect touch-screen sat nav and a full complement of airbags and ESP. Elsewhere on the stand, there was the global unveil of the Juke. Car Dealer has covered the full sp of this brilliant-looking new supermini-crossover before: suffice to say, it looks even better in the metal!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15 CarDealerIss25.indd 15

5/3/10 10:12:20

You could be laughing all the way to the bank!

FREE WARRANTIES –the innovative solution from the WMS GROUP, many dealers still provide their own guarantee on used vehicles that fall outside of the manufacturer’s warranty period. This can be in written form or just agreed at point of sale with the customer and the promise of a 1, 3 or 6 month guarantee. This is often given with the immortal line – “any problems – just bring the vehicle back and we’ll fix it “, and usually delivered with fingers firmly crossed behind their backs. I agree that this does sound a bit open ended and can get you reaching for your cheque book at any time. The following question also comes to mind – WHEN WILL YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN KEEP THE PROFIT GENERATED FROM EACH DEAL? Unless X RAY vision is now taught at sales training school, I am sure that we would all agree that any vehicle can develop a fault at any time. “WMS products definitely provide a great opportunity to secure the deal.” Conrad Gamble – Premia Solutions – Warwick.

A dealer group recently approached me because they wanted to measure the cost of after sales repairs on their business and quickly reached the conclusion that a third party warranty in Black and White with clear parameters held distinct advantages and sell-up opportunities over vague promises delivered at point of sale. If we take the sale of goods act requirements apart, it does not affect customers’ statutory rights and a good quality warranty will form an attractive part of the complete package for customers in their ultimate purchase decision and help to promote treating customers fairly.

“The FREE WARRANTY option from WMS has certainly increased up sell penetration.” – Martin Smith – The Harratts Group, West Yorkshire. When the customer has a good reason to buy an extended warranty to protect their vehicle against unexpected repair bills it’s a win win situation. So with one of our top warranties in place, it’s more likely that if there is a sudden unforeseen mechanical failure, that you will be reaching for the paying in book to deposit your profit and not waiting for another invoice from your workshop. “Our customers like a genuine offer and the FREE Warranty cover from WMS has helped to increase customer uptake.” – Bob Waite, White Swan Car Centre, Eastbourne.

If you would like to see how FREE WARRANTIES from WMS can help your business and see why we are all laughing – contact us for more information

0844 477 4909 sales@warrantymanagementservices.co.uk

www.wmswarranty.co.uk

For more information please contact WMS Business Development Director, Eric Stone on 07789 682502 CarDealerIss25.indd 16

5/3/10 10:12:21

Peering into the lives of the motor trade...

ON THE SPOT

Name: James Litton Age: 31 Works for: Managing director of The Internet Car Lot Ltd

What do you hate? The lack of a fixed regular income.

How is the business made up? We operate a low-cost model which utilises our website marketed through online channels, a storage facility and a small office.

Owned by? My family. and I pushed us off a roundabout!

First job? I worked for the Seward group in Bournemouth on my university placement. I stayed with them for five years.

What made you get into the car trade? My parents had a garage in Yeovil and I used to love the smell of oil and the buzz and friendliness of the place.

What was the first car you ever sold? A Rover 216 Cabriolet.

We broke down on test drive as the battery terminal came off, the lady steered while the gent

What’s your best ever deal?

When I worked for the Wood Group (BMW) there were a couple of tasty numbers, but it would be crass to say how much!

How many cars do you sell a month? Between 15-20.

What do you love about your job? The flexibility and the knowledge that I have ultimate control of all things except the market!

Who do you look up to? I feel real affinity with Barack Obama.

I have always operated a little unconventionally but believed strongly in what I do.

Best sales tip? The power of ‘no’. So many salespeople are scared of confrontation but ‘no’ What is the biggest threat does not need to be confrontational when utilised the right way. facing car dealers? Themselves.

So many dealers preach about customer retention but their own What car would you buy operational procedures do little for £30,000 and why – and to encourage loyalty. it can’t be one you sell! A decent BMW X5. I still love the brand and cars but sadly do not What’s the first record you have the capital to operate with bought? Michael Jackson – Bad. that kind of stock.

What is the most expensive thing you’ve bought after What car would you buy if your house? I have been on money were no object and some pretty wild holidays! why? Ferrari California. I love the heritage and the design of Have you any ambitions? To all of their cars. develop a franchised side of the What would be your best tip business. for someone starting out in Finally what’s your motto in the motor trade? Find a good life and business? Live by the company to work for. You can sword, die by the sword. A little get into some bad habits if you dramatic I know but I think it work for one of the many poor shows belief and commitment. dealers.

Want to face the Car Dealer questions? It’s not as bad as it sounds. Email james@blackballmedia.co.uk for details

@

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big mike H Getting my own back ere’s a little tip for anyone involved with large dealer groups – look after your staff, for those that you upset along the way may well, one day, bite you on the bottom.

I know, for back in the days when I had a waistline below 40-inches, I worked for many years within a number of franchises, and once did some bottom biting myself.

My roles included some of the seemingly most impossible jobs you could imagine. I worked for a British Leyland dealership at the time they decided to sell the Rover 2000 and Triumph 2000 under the same roof (try explaining that one to your customers). I was still there five years later for the launch of the joyously wonderful Allegro, and in the mid-1970s, having tired of Morris Marina warranty claims, I did a stint as dealer principal for a Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo group at a time when Lancia Beta engines were falling off their rotten mountings before they reached the showroom, and most Alfasuds needed major structural welding to squeeze through their first MoTs. A glutton for punishment? Yes, that’s me. But as well as being punished, I can dish it out just as well. Some 20 years of peddling rubbish cars to unsuspecting punters brought out an inner streak of mischievousness that you’d be wise to take on board. Never mess with Big Mike, or any other staff member with a chip on his shoulder…

In the late Eighties, I finally tired of working for the Fiat dealership, and broke out on my own. Big Mike’s Motors was formed from that date, and secondhand cars became my passion. I have to confess, I find them a lot more interesting than new ones.

I’m one of those geeks who adores nothing better than a folder full of service history, sucking air through my teeth as I look at bills for mechanical repairs that were greater than I paid for the car in the first place, and neatly putting them all into order in little plastic wallets while I eat my breakfast.

It was never really my intention to start out on my own – I had a mortgage, an estranged wife, two kids and a girlfriend in those days, and a secure income was kind of essential. But I despised my regional manager so passionately I couldn’t work for him any longer, so on the day I handed in my notice I decided to go out with a bang.

That bang was to place the order for our new customer demo cars just before we parted our ways. In 1987, your average Fiat showroom

was evil... but fun!

The moral of this story? Treat your staff well or they’ll one day choose your demonstrator fleet... badly

‘On the day I handed in my notice I decided to go out with a bang.’ would have had perhaps a Panda, a couple of Unos and maybe a Regatta Weekend (remember those?) to demonstrate, but not mine. Because the day I handed in my notice, I ordered five base model Fiat Cromas in a delightfully revolting shade of light brown, somewhere between the colours of a hearing aid and a caravan carpet.

Needless to say, the boss was fuming. Not only did he not have any saleable cars to demonstrate, but he also had five completely unsaleable (and quite expensive) ones on his books.

I had quite a chuckle when, a whole three years later, my newly second-wife took her Panda in for a service, and was given one of the still unsold Cromas as a

courtesy car…

Of course, I wouldn’t stoop so low today. This was, after all, a purely personal vendetta, and one which I realise was a little bit silly (though it was bloody funny at the time). But the moral here is that your sales staff are actually your best assets if you’re at the top level within a large dealer group. Look after them, and they’ll look after you, and more importantly your customers.

And that means they’ll keep coming back, for the aftersales service as well as the buying and selling side.

For me, that’s great news, as a few years down the line it’ll give me another service history to read as I tuck into my cornflakes. Told you I was a geek…

Who is Big Mike? Well, that would be telling. What we do know is he’s had 30 years in the car trade and picked up some seriously funny tales along the way.

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k Our 2010 New Years Resolution is to charge you for RESULTS ONLY

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Email: trade@motoring.co.uk Download our brochure: www.motoring.co.uk/brochure CarDealerIss25.indd 19

5/3/10 10:12:27

finance

Deal finder LUXURY CARS

R

ich people don’t need finance, goes the argument. Those in the market for megamoney motors probably have enough cash to buy them outright anyway, surely? Well, the luxury car sector is a bit different. These are cars that the rich get driven in, rather than drive themselves. Chances are, a Mercedes S-Class will have been bought either as a chauffeur’s tool in trade, or by a retiring businessmen splashing

BMW 7 Series Car Dealer is impressed with the BMW 7 Series. While we’re expecting great things from the new Jaguar XJ – more on that soon – for now, the big BMW is the sportiest exec you can buy. The 730d diesel is also sublime, and that’s despite its uncanny ability to sip fuel.

Just to make it even more tempting, BMW is throwing in a £5k ‘complementary upgrade’.

Basically, it’s an invitation for buyers to indulge in the options list, up to a £5k max, for some ‘child in a sweetshop’ options-grabbing.

More relevant to the expected buyer profile will be its contract hire deal, though. BMW Select can offer those such as chauffeurs and

businesses seeking a new limo for the chief exec an exceedingly affordable route. Put down a £2,091 deposit, and the 730d is available for £639 a month. Keep the mileage down and they’ll escape the 19.15p per mile excess charge, making it a very accessible route indeed to board-level motoring.

Model: 730d SE Price: £55,260 Engine: 3.0 diesel, 245bhp 0-60: 7.2secs Max: 153mph MPG: 41.5mpg CO2: 178g/km

Mercedes S-Class The mighty S-Class sets the luxury car benchmark.

For many, it’s the only choice going. Even the thrill of the new Jaguar XJ may not be sufficient to tempt some people out of their Benzes. Not that this is stopping Mercedes making it even more of a temptation.

The Mercedes Agility PCP scheme, for example, has a pretty sharp APR rate of 3.9 per cent.

That’s great from the off – before you even note the surprisingly realistic £6,999 deposit demand on the fine S 350 CDI BlueEfficiency variant. How so low? Well, because Mercedes dealers will throw in £4,337 towards that deposit, too.

This will get the car buyer a £57k motor for

£649 a month, over three years. Sure, there is a £26,300 final payment at the end – big money in anyone’s book – but it’s still going to be a Mercedes S-Class at the end of it, too. Thus, either eminently keep-able or deliciously retailable to a car dealer taking it in part-exchange against another…

Model: S 350 CDI BlueEfficiency Price: £57,103 Engine: 3.0 V6 CDI, 235bhp 0-60: 7.8s Max: 155mph MPG: 37.2 CO2: 199g/km

VW Phaeton Volkswagen makes luxury cars too, you know.

The big Phaeton is discretion personified, and sells in tiny numbers, but that still doesn’t stop the car brand offering a quite amazing deal. Check this one out: not only does it already cost less than the other too here, Volkswagen will throw in a further £5,570 discount, taking the list price down to £39,995.

Then, through Volkswagen Solutions, the rest can be financed on a three-year PCP. APR rate?

That grabs headlines right away. It’s just 1.1 per cent. This means the Phaeton will cost any buyer a meagre £509 a month. For a huge luxury car that’s absolutely jam-packed with equipment,

it’s quite something.

The final payment is also pretty sharp, at £10,817. Okay, that reflects the steep depreciation of the Phaeton, but the VW financiers nevertheless do all they can to offset it for car buyers. The only pain could be the £11,942 deposit. Oh, and the people asking why they didn’t get an S-Class.

Model: 3.0 V6 TDI SWB Price: £39,995 Engine: 3.0 V6 TDI, 240bhp 0-60: 8.3s Max speed: 147mph MPG: 31.4 CO2: 239g/km

Valuing Service – Valuing You! ervice – Valuing You!

the first choice for First theResponse UK’s smallFinance to medium is the sized first dealer choicemarket. for the UK’s small to medium sized dealer market.

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk CarDealerIss25.indd 20

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!

...in association with out on their first ‘own’ car in years. This is where finance comes in.

And this is where luxury carmakers respond, with the sort of deals that will have you salivating.

An S-Class, a BMW 7 Series, even a VW Phaeton: all are fine cars, real luxo indulgences. But thanks to some sharp work by carmaker finance teams, all three are an indulgence that’s attainable.

Read on, to find out just how attainable…

Finance news

Car Dealer rounds up the latest stories from the world of car finance

Ford Retail gets Approved status FORD Retail has gained SAF Approved status and is now able to display the acclaimed FLA kitemark flag.

It is a key achievement for the SAF Approved scheme, as Ford Retail is one of the UK’s biggest car dealer groups.

Alan Maloney, head of finance at Ford Retail, said: ‘I am delighted that all of our 42 UK dealerships, and Ford Retail as a group, are now SAF Approved.

‘Providing our specialist business managers with training in complex aspects of business such as motor finance ensures they have the competence and skills to provide the best finance advice to our customers.

‘It’s important that our franchised dealerships help raise our customers’ awareness of the financial products available to them and the FLA’s SAF Approved initiative has helped us to achieve this goal.’

Great news for the 250,000 people who will visit Ford dealerships this year, said FLA head of motor finance Paul Harrison, adding: ‘There are now 7,725 individuals registered for the online competence test, across more than 700 motor finance providers and retailers.

‘The addition of Ford Retail means that seven of the UK’s top 20 dealer groups are now SAF Approved.’

Volvo’s new deal

HPI helping dealers

VOLVO will source its wholesale and retail finance from Santander as it transfers from Ford Credit.

The tender was awarded late last year and the transfer from Ford Credit is now complete.

Why Santander? An ability to provide a range of cost control and competitive finance offers, reckons Volvo. This will be used both across the dealer network and throughout the broader Volvo business.

It’s going to result in cost savings for all concerned – not least car dealers. The network is already seeing reduced stocking costs and is providing a range of more competitive finance options for its customers under the Volvo Car Financial Services brand.

David Browning, Volvo Car UK’s finance manager, said: ‘The provision of a dedicated Santander field force will provide further support to dealers.’

HPI reports it is helping out troubled car dealers abandoned by automotive finance companies. The firm reveals its pledge as smaller car dealers report growing problems in sourcing finance.

‘A large number of dealers have been left out on a limb as a result of decisions by finance companies to pull out of the market,’ said HPI. To the rescue is its HPI Finance Gateway product – one targeted at small and independent car dealers, adds director Daniel Burgess.

‘HPI Finance Gateway is free to dealers, helps secure car sales and boosts profits, while ensuring the customer gets the finance package that is right for them. We have made car finance a simple and transparent process that allows dealers to maximise profits from point-of-sale finance deals.’

So simple, it even incorporates into the HPI VRM look-up system, and seven day HPI Driveaway too.

Bridford funds £25m of deals in ’09 BRIDFORD Financial Solutions says 2009 was its best year yet with car dealers sourcing a £25m bounty.

Funding provided to dealers and groups was a record for the group, says owner Tim Marlow. It’s also a big increase on lending from the previous year – and that is DESPITE the recession and much-publicised credit crunch. Great news for dealers, says Marlow, in acknowledgement of an HPI report detailing smaller dealers’ problems in sourcing finance (see story, above right).

‘Despite reports that smaller dealers are struggling to fund sales as finance companies abandon the market, Bridford is going from

strength to strength, offering excellent levels of commissions on rates as low 5.95 per cent APR. This, along with us providing bespoke, tailored finance packages and excellent customer service, is why so many dealers choose to work with us.’

Include Premiership footballers in that lot too, he adds: ‘We’re the company of choice for a large number of footballers, several multimillionaires and a couple of lottery winners.’

This year is looking just as good too: ‘We have already made excellent progress so far in 2010 and hope to be able to announce some new contracts and initiatives very shortly.’

Tel: 0844 8730819 Tel: 0844 8730819 Web: www.frfl.co.ukWeb: www.frfl.co.uk CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21 CarDealerIss25.indd 21

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Feature

Free & Easy new sales portal

By RICHARD AUCOCK

Want to cut marketing costs for your cars? Well, it doesn’t get any cheaper than this!

Sales portal MakeandModel.co.uk is currently completely free to use and it’s simple too

A

sk any car enthusiast what they did in their lunch hour, and chances are a big proportion will say ‘searching on aye-enn-other.com for used cars’. Let’s face it – we ALL do it. Call it window-shopping for car geeks – and it’s why car-buying portals are among the biggest websites in the country.

But the vast majority of them are just that.

Car buying portals, first and foremost. Their roots are in the trade, in the commercial world, and they’re geared up for that. Look that. ‘Feel’ that. They force enthusiasts to excuse a tradefocused visual experience in the search for the

car of their virtual dreams, rather than work with them to enhance the experience.

Which is where Ian Griffiths and Makeand model.co.uk come in. Here is the country’s first car-buying site for petrolheads – one that does everything the established players do, and more, but has the look of a high-end online motoring magazine that you can’t help but fail to be impressed with.

What gave him the idea? ‘My partner and I used to work in London, and spent rather a lot of time searching car buying websites in our breaks,’ he somewhat unsurprisingly reveals.

‘We’re petrolheads, so were always looking for the flashiest cars on the market.

‘Increasingly though, we were becoming frustrated with the sort of sites we had to use.

In our eyes, they weren’t really providing the best of services for people such as us.’ Which is why, about a year ago, a career change saw Griffiths contact a web developer, to see what they could do…

‘We were interested to see if we could come up with something that worked for people such as us,’ he said. What they came up with is, well, in the process of being launched right now.

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Welcome to Makeandmodel.co.uk...

On first glance, it is one of the slickest-looking car buying websites out there. It indeed could be a premium motoring title or prestige dealer, so clean are the graphics and so web-friendly are the features. It’s deceptively simple, and focuses immediately on quick car searches.

In seconds, you can have called up the Porsche 911 Turbo of your dreams. Or the Aston Martin Vanquish of your dreams. Or… well, you get the idea. Simple pull-down bars mean the route to the cars is as direct as possible – presenting you, in every instance, with a standardised layout to continue the professional feel.

This was intentional, explains Griffiths: ‘We use CAP to provide spec info on all the car listings: this, incidentally, means entering a single car is simply a matter of inputting registration, mileage and price. CAP fills in everything else – which means every ad has full performance, specification, economy and dimensions data.

‘At the end we have a “free text” box, where advertisers can type all the specific information they wish. We kept this at the back of the advert, to make it as standardised as possible – this helps the buyer and means nobody gets lost.’

Griffiths also points to the user-friendly image browser. We like that a lot.

‘We are in the process of finalising our bulk uploads, that can take .csv files for upload via ftp server,’ he adds. ‘A lot of Top 100 car dealers

‘We want to keep it free for as long as possible.

It will always be free for buyers, but we will not charge the trade a single penny at least until July.’ have shown interest in this.’

Once there, Makeandmodel.co.uk hooks into social networking techniques to enhance the process further. ‘It is NOT social networking for cars though,’ Griffiths is keen to point out. ‘This has been proven not to work. Instead, we take techniques which work well on Facebook and Twitter, and incorporate them into our site.’

This includes a virtually instant direct messaging service, so conversations can be struck up between vendor and potential buyer, without the tricky phone calls or ignored emails.

‘These are stored, Facebook style, in the vendor’s account – it highlights any unread messages, and also “threads” conversations so dialogue about a particular car can be started. This is already proving popular,’ he says.

Griffiths will also exploit the power of Twitter and, when the site is fully launched, has plenty more trick features up his sleeve to really maximise value for car dealers.

Not that anyone can argue about the value it offers right now, mind! Currently, the site is FREE to advertise on – both for private buyers and car dealers. ‘We want to keep it free to the trade for as long as possible. It will always be free for buyers, but we will not charge the trade a single penny at least until July.

‘If we can gain the critical mass and find a revenue stream before then, it will remain free forever.’ Griffiths says his idea is not to make money from car dealers, but to use the back-end functionality of the site to generate revenue.

That will, he adds, NOT involve flooding the site with advertising, either! ‘We will always continue our clean, crisp look,’ he promises.

Car Dealer Magazine likes this idea – particularly as there are some real innovations on the landing page. Take the ability to ‘theme’ it, for example: have the background of your favourite supercar sitting there, and change it when you get bored of it. It’s super-easy to search fast, too, and the interaction with Facebook and Twitter means it’s even simpler to share these finds with your mates.

Perfect lunchtime browsing for car nuts, in fact. ‘It’s just the sort of site we’d like to have used,’ adds Griffiths. THIS is why you should be interested: see, his former job gave him the ability to buy cars such as these… given that it’s free, can you really afford not to have your stock in front of buyers such as him? Find out more by emailing trade@makeandmodel.co.uk. [CD]

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[Forecourt]

It was one of the cheeky brothers in Transformers 2, now dealers hope new Spark will ignite interest

C

ity cars for the past five years have been where it’s all been happening. exploding fuel prices, a desire to be more eco friendly and the credit crunch have all played a huge part in focussing the spotlight on the babies in carmakers’ ranges.

Throw in the cash conscious buyers the scrappage scheme funnelled into dealers and city cars became the bread and butter of most showrooms’ daily business. But Chevrolet has set the stakes even higher for its Spark – not only is it charged with notching up sales from price-fixated buyers, but the manufacturer also hopes it’ll attract younger buyers into Chevrolet’s 93 UK retailers.

At first glance it certainly looks like it has the right credentials. That all important price starts with a six – and under the last of the scrappage deals, the network will be knocking them out for under £5k. That puts it in direct competition with hyundai’s extremely competent i10, right at the sharp end of the list prices.

But remember the Spark has an ace up it’s sleeve – it’s got big screen pedigree. You may recognise it as one of the annoying twins from Transformers 2, although it’s unlikely it was the Spark viewers were lusting after the most. That accolade went to the bright yellow Camaro – but nevertheless, some big screen product placement in a hollywood blockbuster will do the city car no harm at all.

There’s little doubt it’s been styled to attract more youthful buyers. Chunky bumpers, a cheeky ‘grin’ and smart headlights really make it stand out on the road. The back end isn’t as dramatic, but it’s tidy enough not to offend and the colour schemes are loud enough to match their target buyers’ taste in music.

Under the bonnet customers have the option of a 1.0-litre unit offering 68bhp or a larger 81bhp 1.2-litre petrol. Performance differences between the two aren’t dramatic – the former will hit 60mph in 15.3 seconds, the larger unit in

Dash looks child toy basic; but Spark looks good outside; and is good fun to drive 12.1 seconds. But surprisingly it’s the baby of the duo that’s the better car to drive.

Both engines are a little unrefined with engine noise intruding at higher revs, but the 1.0-litre is peppy and good fun to keep on the boil. There’s little low down grunt, but keep it singing and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Those diminutive engine proportions do wonders for fuel economy and emissions. The 1.0-litre returns 55.4mpg emitting just 119g/ km and the 1.2-litre the same 119g/km while managing identical 55.4mpg. With no plans for a diesel – ruled out because of costs – these are likely to be as good as it gets.

The Spark certainly handles well and has been set up satisfactorily for UK roads. Our test route incorporated some badly potholed surfaces in Northamptonshire and it coped admirably considering its size and dimensions. Steering is accurate and not badly weighted, but can lack a little feel at times.

Other complaints? Well, the gear stick is

I SELL THEM Mark Terry Managing director, Chevrolet UK We’LL be using social media to get the Spark message to the right people. I don’t understand these methods as well as I should but we’ve got teams work-

ing on pushing the Spark out via these new and exciting streams.

We’re looking to attract younger buyers, but that doesn’t mean the car won’t appeal to the older generations too. We’ve found you can do it that way round, but not the other.

positioned a little too far back and it’s not the most precise shift. And you can tell where costs have been cut inside as the plastics are on the cheap side in the base model and a bit tacky in higher spec colour-coded models. Plus, we really couldn’t get on with the dash that seems to have been modelled on a child’s flight simulator toy.

But with that being said, it’s comfortable for a budget car, has a reasonable amount of room inside and a number of handy extras included.

As standard on the Spark + model, buyers will get air conditioning, electric front windows and central locking, along with a USB compatible four-speaker stereo. And that’s for £6,945.

Another bonus is that it’s got five doors, but has been styled to look like a three-door. This will appeal to the younger audience while not putting off older family buyers.

Chevrolet plans to retail the Spark alongside Matiz, a car it’ll ultimately replace, until the second quarter of this year. Unfortunately, with scrappage coming to an end this month, it won’t be able to capitalise on many sales under the scheme. But with funky looks, a bargain price tag and an all-important hollywood connection, maybe the 8,000 units the marque plans to sell in 2010 isn’t such an ambitious target after all. [JB]

Chevrolet Spark Price: £6,945 Engine: 1.0-litre petrol Power: 68bhp, 92nm 0-60mph: 15.3s Max: 96mph

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[Forecourt]

Take the badges off it and you’d think new SUV was screwed together by the Germans. Yes, really.

C

an you hear that gentle breeze? Well get used to it – that’s the sound of the winds of change and they’re blowing around the car industry.

One thing’s for sure, the old guard better watch out because the Koreans are coming – and this time they’re got the products to match their ambition.

Not content with cleaning up under the scrappage scheme, the Korean pairing of Kia and hyundai are on the offensive with a huge number of new car launches planned for the next 18 months. And this, the ix35, is the latest.

A direct rival to the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai, the ix35 is a soft-roader with huge kerb-side appeal.

The most obvious thing that strikes you about the new vehicle is its looks – this is actually a goodlooking car, which has a distinctly premium feel to it.

Dramatic angular headlights, a ‘smiling’ front grille and swooping lines that flow to the back, give the ix35 a bold look.

Inside it’s equally impressive, the dash is well thought out and made from decent materials. hide the badge on the steering wheel and you could well be in an SUV from a premium marque. Taking centre stage is a touch-screen sat nav system that’s easy to operate and looks superb. It’s spacious inside too and extremely comfortable.

Under the bonnet from the March 22 launch will be a choice of two engines, both mated to four-wheel drive. A 2.0-litre petrol unit that produces 161bhp and a 2.0-litre diesel – which hyundai believes will take 95 per cent of sales. The latter produces 138bhp and is available in two or four-wheel-drive.

Both units were impressive on the road – the diesel was especially good at motorway cruising speeds. For a tall car it handles well with decent feedback from the steering and impressive grip levels.

Problems? Well, we did find the diesel clatter a little intrusive at lower revs and at dead ahead on the motorway the steering felt a little detached. But really, these are minor quibbles.

Where the ix35 really impresses is in the emissions and economy stakes – the diesel two-wheel drive model emits just 149g/km, which is around the same as a 2.0-litre Ford Focus, and returns 51.4mpg. That, for an SUV, is impressive and will make the hyundai appeal to a large number of user-chooser company car drivers.

That’s even before you factor in the price – the ix35 starts from an incredible £16,495 for the entry-level style. To put that in perspective, that’s an SUV for less than a base Focus, and as standard buyers will get 17-inch alloy wheels, eSP, air conditioning, Bluetooth, heated front AND rear seats, electric heated door mirrors, leather steering wheel and gearknob, reverse parking sensors and a trip computer. Impressive. Add another grand and buyers can opt for the diesel.

Later in the year two new engines will join the ix35 line-up – a 1.6-litre CDI petrol unit and a 1.7-litre CRDi diesel as well as a six-speed auto.

The ix35 really is a dramatic leap forward for hyundai. Taking the brand upmarket, but with a price tag that the marque’s buyers have become used to, life after scrappage might not be as hard as some dealers feared it would. [JB]

Hyundai’s ix35 looks great, is spacious inside and drives well for an SUV

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Hyundai ix35 Price: £16,495 Engine: 2.0-litre diesel Power: 138bhp, 320nm 0-60mph: 9.4s Max: 113mph MPG: 51.2 (comb’d)

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[Forecourt]

Korean manufacturer is pushing into mini-MPV territory with its fresh-faced Venga

K

Venga has smart styling; clean and crisp interior and a perky diesel powerplant

ia’s remarkable expansion continues apace.

It’s already sorted for competitive models in sectors such as the city car and family car classes. The new Sportage takes the challenge to popular cars in the compact SUV sector, and the latest Sorento offers luxury SUV motoring without the luxury SUV price tag.

Now, it’s turning to other growing sectors within the market. Such as the mini-MPV sector. Just a few years ago, this was characterised by the Renault Modus, the first-gen Vauxhall Meriva, and… that’s about it. But in recent years, more makers have joined the party – and, crucially, car buyers have cottoned on to the value they offer, too.

For family hatchback money, such cars come with super-flexible practicality and, usually, a damn sight more equipment than a comparable family hatchback. They make genuine entry-level people carriers: which is why Kia has decided to enter with the Venga.

The Venga is one of a series of all new Kias that are successfully transforming perceptions of the brand from budget offering to genuine mainstream contender. It is powered by a modest selection of small petrol and diesel engines with automatic gearbox and stop-start options on some models, and features neat styling outside and solid interior quality inside.

A big part of the appeal, of course, is Kia’s market-leading seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

It’s impossible to mention a modern Kia without noting the staggering warranty; there’s nothing on the market to match it and it really does help overcome any residual buyer apathy.

Not that the Venga leaves much to doubt. While not a style icon, it is neat and mature in its styling, with tidy detailing that shows Kia’s growing understanding of European needs.

Naturally, it has loads of family-orientated showroom appeal inside, too. It is a good proposition for those looking for a smaller car able to cater to the demands of living with young children, yet also wishing to maintain a sense of style and fun.

Kia has intentionally designed it low and wide, rather than tall and long. This means plenty of elbow room but, be aware, not all that much head and legroom, especially in the back. Teenagers and adults will fit, but don’t expect them to be comfortable for lengthy periods.

Vengas are enjoyable to drive with specific suspension and steering set-ups developed right here for our roads. This further heightens the impression that you are getting a well considered, quality product.

The ride quality in particular is good and there is precision through the bends as well. Factor in a competent range of engines and you have all that’s required to please most family buyers. Indeed, thanks to the keen pricing of the Venga, those buyers may actually find their budget stretches to diesel instead of petrol – and the 1.6-litre Kia turbodiesel is well worth it.

The Venga is a strong statement from Kia to other car manufacturers that says they need to watch out.

The value-led pricing and generous equipment levels remain, but the Venga is also one of the best-looking cars in its segment. We have no doubt it’ll fly out of showrooms.

Kia Venga Price: £12,795 Engine: 1.4-litre CRDi Power: 89bhp, 220Nm 0-60mph: 12.4s Max: 104mph MPG: 62.8 (comb’d)

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[Forecourt]

Rap star

By Dan Trent

Supercar manufacturers have had to expand their ranges. How else do you explain the Cayenne and Panamera in Porsche’s line up? Aston Martin knew it needed to do the same. Here’s its answer: The Rapide

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W

ith old markets stagnating and new ones opening up, sportscar makers are being forced to diversify. Porsche has famously already done so, first with the Cayenne and now the Panamera. And here Aston Martin is doing the same with its four-door Rapide.

Comparisons with the Porsche are inevitable, even if the Rapide starts at £139,950 and the most expensive Panamera is £97,358.

Throw a few options at the Porsche – as most will – and the gap narrows. Or does it? Drive the Rapide and you soon realise Aston Martin has arrived at a very different interpretation of the four-door coupe ideal.

Based on the same ‘vertical-horizontal’ bonded and riveted aluminium underpinnings as the rest of the Aston Martin range,

the Rapide is – fundamentally – a DB9 with a 250mm wheelbase stretch and two extra doors. Aston Martin maintains there’s a lot more to it than that though, citing the fact 70 per cent of the Rapide’s parts are unique to this model.

That said it uses the same 470bhp 6.0-litre V12 engine as the DB9, driving through the familiar, transaxle-mounted ZF six-speed automatic gearbox controlled by Aston Martin’s Touchtronic 2 software. Seated low and snug behind the Rapide’s wheel the DB9 vibes continue, though look closer and you’ll find more bespoke switchgear as the last remnants of Ford parts bin component sharing have been, well, vanquished.

Sliding the weighty glass ‘emotional control unit’, otherwise known as a key, into the slot on the dash there’s a brief pause >

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[Forecourt]

I SELL THEM Dr. Ulrich Bez, chief executive, Aston Martin Rapide is the culmination of the Aston Martin range of sportscars, a car that seals the revival of a truly admired marque. There is now an Aston Martin for every taste and for every use.

With Rapide, the entire family can enjoy their Aston Martin together in unison, in an invigorating yet comfortable environment, sitting low, with plenty of visibility from every seat and with new levels of comfort, refinement and entertainment.

Aston Martin Rapide’s looks take some getting used to – especially the back end; inside it’s as luxurious as you’d expect; and the colour changes look dramatically

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‘There’s a fabulous, uncomplicated fluidity to driving the Rapide at speed, with no sense that clever electronics are contriving to hide inherent dynamic flaws.’ before the V12 catches and any illusions the Rapide is a mere sporting saloon vanish in an instant. This is a proper Aston Martin. Just one that happens to have an extra pair of doors.

A quicker steering rack offsets the five-metre length, the feel of the Rapide’s firmly-weighted wheel familiar to anyone with experience of modern Aston Martins. For all its size it’s an easy car to get familiar with too, in its standard mode the gearbox unobtrusively slurring through the ratios.

The ride, controlled by adaptive dampers, is really very impressive. Just five per cent softer than a DB9 it rides like a proper sportscar, all four dampers working in unison and offering sublime body control. It’s less comfortable in the back though, closer proximity to the rear axle sending bumps straight through the base of the seat.

The adaptive damper system adjusts through five different levels, a button on the dash locking it into the firmest setting for a more focussed feel. There’s also a sport mode for the gearbox, selection of which causes the car to noticeably tense, the gearbox adopting a more aggressive shift pattern and blipping downshifts when shifting via the paddles.

But it’s the engine that really dominates the experience. True, with a tad under two tonnes to move it lacks some of the immediacy of the DB9 or lunatic thrust of the V12 Vantage.

And compared with the turbocharged brutality of the flagship Panamera it’s a little slower against the stopwatch.

Not that you’d care, the first time the rev counter goes past 4,000rpm and unleashes the full, deep-chested V12 howl is simply incredible. From the inside it’s fabulous – from the outside outrageous and proof of Aston’s intent.

There’s a fabulous, uncomplicated fluidity to driving the Rapide at speed too, with no sense that clever electronics are contriving to hide inherent dynamic flaws. This is simply a very well set up car and one that’s equally satisfying hammering fast sweepers as it is slinking around the fancier districts of town.

Does it work as a four-seater though? Revisions following complaints at the car’s launch at the Frankfurt show have eked out 20mm of headroom in the back with a sculpted roof lining, but it’s still a cosy fit for anyone over six feet. The 317-litre boot is big enough, albeit shallow, the rear seats folding at a touch of a button to give a full 886 litres.

Creature comforts are lavish too, the 1000W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound stereo indicative of the sense of opulence perfectly captured by Aston Martin’s distinctively modern twist on wood and leather traditions. Further options, including rear-seat entertainment screens and suchlike, are also available.

It isn’t perfect of course. The V12 might sound fabulous but it is outrageously thirsty and some details – like the gas struts stuck to the bottom of the rear doors – smack of afterthought.

But in the areas that count, from the stunning looks, to the sense of occasion and sheer charisma of the thing the Rapide is worthy of the Aston Martin badge and proof that diversification needn’t dilute the strength of the brand. [CD]

Aston Martin Rapide Engine: 6.0-litre V12 Power: 470bhp Torque: 600Nm 0-60mph: 5.1 seconds Top speed: 186mph Price: £139,450

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[Cult Car] Think a Veyron is expensive? Pah! This mighty Merc cost $1.5m when it was launched...

M

ore than a decade has passed since Mercedes brought the CLK GTR to the world. Yet still, its might remains fully intact. Even by the standards of today’s mad supercars from Pagani and Koenigsegg, the CLK GTR stands out as a brute.

It is also an official brute, too. Why? It holds an official Guinness World Record, that’s why – for being, at more than $1.5m, the world’s most expensive production car.

Not that any Mercedes UK car dealer would have to consider holding a ballot for the privilege of selling one and picking up the percentage commission.

Because just 25 were made. Yes, just 25. We like our rare cars here at Car Dealer – and there are few rarer than this. So, what exactly was it?

Literally, a race car for the road that’s what. Mercedes, in the mid 1990s, fancied a bit of the action McLaren was enjoying with its F1. Porsche was also there too, with an extreme 911; how could the brand which was doing such good things in F1 racing not also go up against them? So began a very expensive development programme.

The result hit the race track in 1997. And, after early teething troubles, soon starting going quickly. And winning. And, well, started wrapping up driver and team championships with consummate ease. This was all in the worldwide FIA GT1 race car class; the road-going race car bit comes from the need to homologate a set number of public motors to make the race car legal.

This is to ensure carmakers don’t go, well, too extreme, and also to give links to the public who actually buy the cars. Indeed, as it was ostensibly a CLK, Mercedes was particularly keen to highlight the link with your cooking CLK 200 K. Yes, there most certainly were design cues.

Even if the race car only actually used the production motor’s dials, front grille and headlights…

It even put the engine in a different place, behind the driver, and got AMG to do a bit of work to it. This resulted in a 6.8-litre behemoth that pumped out 720bhp. Yes, that’s 720bhp. With only traction control to keep things sensible.

Sensible being a relative term – this was a 200mph car, despite all its wings and aero aids. 215mph, to be exact, which really was going some. Dash to 60mph took just 3.4 seconds, too. Considering the size of the CLK GTR, and the sheer visual impact it possesses, we can only imagine how dramatic this must have been to watch.

The first road-going car came in 1997, but it took Mercedes a few more years to build the rest. AMG did the honours and things were all looking pretty good – until the FIA cancelled the race series and took away Mercedes’ ability to boast road-going race car CLK kudos.

This probably was the reason why they didn’t strive to make any more than the official minimum. Instead, money was spent on taking it to Le Mans. It stole the headlines, too. But perhaps not for the best reasons… All we say is, do a YouTube search for ‘Le Mans CLK Webber’ and marvel at its ‘aerodynamics’.

Today, those lucky enough to own a CLK GTR have one of the rarest and most desirable cars in the world. We would simply love to see one, let alone drive one, and can only dream of owning one – it’s that special and iconic. Chances of that are slim, though. Even if it did depreciate, a World Record high price means it would have quite some way to drop… [RA]

Mercedes CLK GTR Price: £lots Engine: 6.8-litre V12 Power: 720bhp Top speed: 215mph 0-60mph: 3.4secs

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[sales legend]

audi a3

Q: How do you make the market appeal of a skoda skyrocket? a: stick an audi badge on it....

S

orry… couldn’t resist that. But when talking about the groundbreaking Audi A3 of 1996, it’s impossible not to mention the multitude of other cars it’s appeared as, including the Volkswagen Golf, SeAT Leon, Audi TT, Volkswagen Bora, SeAT Toledo. And, yes, the Skoda Octavia (which we also love, by the way).

The original A3 is still hugely significant in its own right though. Not only did it launch the so-named ‘PQ34’ platform to the VW stable, but it also introduced the world to the idea of a genuinely appealing premium hatch.

BMW had been dabbling here for a few years with the 3 Series based Compact, but had never really hit the mark. Audi, though, didn’t have to seek the route of re-jigging a large car to make it look small. It could design a bespoke family hatch from the ground up. Result? Yet another classic Audi design.

Despite being nearly 15 years old, the first A3 still doesn’t look dated.

Smooth sides, aero influences and years of Audi design elegance were reduced into the three-door posh Ford escort rival, to quite some effect.

Yes, it was still the Ford escort back then. That’s the sort of thing it was up against. Okay, underneath it carried the underpinnings of 1997’s MkIV Golf, pretty much lock and stock. This didn’t stop Audi fitting it with a cracking interior though. even back in the mid 90s, the firm was doing dashboards like nobody else.

But, like we say, things were more conventional for the mechanicals.

They really were taken straight from the Golf, and the engines were unchanged. So. 1.6, 1.8, a 1.8T and a 1.9 TDI. Nothing too dramatic, although some Audi influence did shine through in the availability of a

quattro four-wheel drive version. Not quite the real deal, but still pretty convincing. As the years passed, more powerful engines gradually arrived.

This was to feed the growing customer profile it had started to win over.

Audi may have intended this to be an entry-level model, but the market seemed to take to it in a very strong way; paying A4 money for an A3 was becoming far from unusual.

This led to the introduction of a five-door model. Most exciting, though, was the three-door S3 that also arrived – packing a 210bhp version of the 1.8T motor, it was to all intents a TT in drag. It was improved further in 2001 when Audi cranked it up to the full fat 225bhp. Yup, just as in the TT 225 whose quattro running gear it also shared. Spot them from the polished silver door mirrors. Car Dealer Magazine likes…

A true sign of the A3’s remarkable success for Audi comes from the fact its 2000 facelift was so minor. It was still selling, so why change? Similar logic dictated that the 2003 replacement strayed not too far from the design theme – and that’s a car which remains on sale and going strong.

It’s unusual for carmakers to let a model stretch into its eighth year (and beyond) with relatively few modifications, particularly one that bears such a resemblance to the original.

Which got us thinking – could the A3 be Audi’s Porsche 911? Could the brand have got it so right first time, and helped car dealers grow the brand to such a significant degree, it’s now completely stumped as how to replace it? The introduction of the A1 suggests great minds are whirring away. We’re intrigued to know, as the MkII approaches its first decade, what they have in store… [RA]

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CAR DeALeR POWeR gives YOU the chance to have your say on the things that really matter – and win a host of top prizes too!

We want to find the best car manufacturer in the UK to represent as well as the best suppliers to do business with – but want you to tell us who they are.

Car Dealer Power are awards with a difference – it’s your chance to give the most honest and insightful feedback to the people you do business with everyday without fear of reprisals.

That’s because our survey is 100 per cent CONFIDeNTIAL – we want you to be free to tell it like it is.

All we ask you for is a mobile phone number and that’s only so we can call you and tell you if you’ve won one of the amazing prizes – and you don’t even need to give us that if you don’t want to.

Split into two parts, the Car Dealer Power survey firstly aims to find the best main dealer franchise network to represent. We’ll do this by judging each manufacturer on a series of important criteria including finance, support, accessibility, supply and product range, among others. We will then

be able to crown the best franchise network in the UK. In our results issue we will rank every manufacturer we received enough responses for from best to worst.

The second part of the survey is about celebrating the best suppliers to the motor trade. every dealer needs good partners to help them make the most of their business, and we want to highlight the very best. This is NOT about naming and shaming the worst though – only the winners in each category will be published.

If your supplier isn’t listed in the category please name them – space dictated the amount we could include, so we’d be happy to hear of any others that aren’t listed by name. Once you’ve told us who you use, we’d also like you to rate their overall service – it’s from this rating we’ll find the winners.

Remember, Car Dealer Power is YOUR chance to have your say on the things that really matter – if you’re delighted with the service you receive from your manufacturer or supplier tell us! And equally if you’re cheesed off we want to know too. Your feedback really counts.

OUR PROMISE BY fILLIng in this survey you are giving the car manufacturers you represent and suppliers you do business with the most honest feedback possible – that’s because Car dealer Power is 100 per cent confidential. anything you say in this survey will neVer be passed on to anyone else and will remain securely with Car dealer Magazine – you have our word. however, if you want to be entered into the amazing prize draw we need your mobile phone number – this is so we can call you and find out where to send the prize!

Winners will be drawn out of the hat. If you don’t meet any of the requirements of the hire, no cash alternative will be given and the prize will roll on to the next drawn out of the hat. The editor’s decision is final.

The easiest way to fill in the survey is online at CarDealerPower.com 38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk CarDealerIss25.indd 38

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Fill it in now and win!

More than £2,000 of prizes to be given away!

W

e know surveys are a pain – that’s why we’ve made Car Dealer Power as simple as possible and are offering some great prizes to those that help.

Remember, Car Dealer Power is confidential but without your mobile phone number we can’t

let you know you’ve won, so if you want to be entered to win one of these great prizes make sure you include it. The easiest way to fill in the survey is by logging on to CarDealerPower.com where you can save the cost of a postage stamp by clicking your way through it. Or fill out the survey

on the following pages, tear them out and send them back. We’ve also reprinted the questions on the back of the address sheet that came with your magazine. All prizes will be drawn out of a hat when entries close – May 21 – and, don’t worry, the winners can choose to remain anonymous!

First Prize...

Three days in an ASTON MARTIN DB9… worth £1,400!

YeS, by filling in this survey you really can have one of the most beautiful supercars ever made sat on your drive for ThRee DAYS! Our friends at Astonexperience.co.uk are offering one lucky respondent the chance to get behind the wheel of a DB9.

You’ll be able to enjoy the incredible £120,000 supercar’s V12 on your favourite roads, stretch out every one of its 470bhp, and marvel at the spine-tingling sound that hefty lump makes.

It’s glorious! The hire will be for three days, mid-week, and includes collection and delivery to your home or place of work and insurance – but not the fuel!

Astonexperience.co.uk offers a range of cars from the supercar manufacturer for hire – the DB9 costs £1,400 for three days. There are some stipulations to this prize though. You must be over the age of 25 and have no more than six points on your licence. An excess of £2,000 is also levied on the hire insurance policy too.

The Astonexperience.co.uk fleet includes an AMV8, Vanquish, Vanquish S, DB7 and the stunning DBS. Give them a call on 0845 9000 007 (see what they did there), to find out how you can get one of those on your drive now!

Second Prize...

A Halfords bundle of goodies… worth £600!

OUR favourite high Street store has put together a cracking bundle of prizes for the second survey drawn out of the hat. If you’re the winner, you’ll get your hands on the latest Garmin Nuvi 1690T sat nav unit worth £320, a Karcher pressure washer worth £150 and a halfords Professional 150-piece socket and ratchet set worth £200!

The Garmin sat nav unit is one of the latest to hit the shelves and features a wide touchscreen, traffic jam spotting technology as well as maps for the UK, europe and Republic of Ireland.

It even manages to find fuel prices with Google Local Search, spots speed cameras on your route and can give you a weather forecast! But that’s not all – it’s got Bluetooth handsfree built in, lane assist directions, cityXplorer for when

you’re walking around, and even Park Position Recall so you can remember where you left the car!

You’ll be able to treat your own car to a spring clean too with the Karcher K214b pressure washer. It features a maximum pressure of 100 bars, can pump 340-litres per hour and has a powerful 1.3kw motor.

And if you’re the type who likes to get their hands dirty under the bonnet, this amazing socket and ratchet set will come in handy. The halfords Advanced Professional 150-piece set is made from professional quality materials and features chrome vanadium steel sockets and accessories. The ratchets are polished chrome vanadium steel too and so too are the combination spanners. And the whole set is so robust it comes with a lifetime gurantee! For more information on any of the halfords products in this prize check out halfords.com.

Third Prize...

Adrenaline Voucher from MotorSportVision… worth £180! eVeR wanted to get behind the wheel of a seriously fast car on a track? Or how about throw a car sideways as you fly through the mud on a rally circuit? Well, if you’re the winner of our third prize then you could be doing it very soon!

In association with MotorSportVision you can pick one of five experiences at either Brands hatch, Oulton Park or Bedford Autodrome. The Adrenaline Voucher entitles you to choose either of the Race Master, M3 Master, Porsche Master, Rally Master or Mud Master experiences.

Depending on which you pick you could find yourself behind the wheel of a BMW M3, a single-seater race car or a rear-wheel drive escort Cosworth! All are fantastic fun, but experiences differ depending on the location.

For full details on all the experiences – worth £180 each – log on to msvdrivinggifts.com and choose which one is for you. If you want to book now, call 0870 950 9000.

Fourth Prize...

Stunning Jenson Button F1 canvas… worth £175!

IF YOU love Formula 1, last season was pretty special. Not only was it one of the most exciting for some time, but we had another British champion – Jenson Button in the Brawn GP car.

To mark that occasion, CarsInPrint.co.uk has produced just 100 of these stunning canvas artworks of Button in his world championship winning machine. The print is 76cm x 50cm and is mounted on canvas with printed edges – ready to hang on your office wall. The dramatic piece costs £175 and will be sent to the fourth survey drawn out of our hat.

CarsInPrint.co.uk has a huge range of original artwork covering a number of marques and sports – you can easily lose a bit too much time clicking through the website. To order prints like the one we have to give away call 07970 020 895.

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Survey The easiest way to fill in the survey is online at CarDealerPower.com Car Dealer Power is 100 PER CENT CONFIDENTIAL. Anything you say in this survey will NEVER be passed on to anyone else and will remain securely with Car Dealer Magazine.

However, if you want to be entered into the draw to win one of the four prizes detailed on

page 41 we need your mobile phone number – this is so we can call you and find out where to send the prize!

If you represent more than one manufacturer you can fill in this survey again online by visiting CarDealerPower.com, photocopy these pages

or email james@blackballmedia.co.uk for a copy. All requests will be treated confidentially.

Any comments you wish to make will be most welcome. These may be used in the magazine but will be attributed anonymously.

Thanks for your help!

Your Mobile Number (needed to be entered into prize draw)…………………........

Part 1 1. Which car manufacturer do you hold a franchise for? (If it’s more than one, please feel free to fill in the survey again online or ask for another via email)  Abarth  Alfa Romeo  Aston Martin  Audi  Bentley  BMW  Cadillac  Chevrolet  Chrysler  Citroen  Corvette  Daihatsu  Daimler  Dodge  Fiat  Ford  Honda  Hummer  Hyundai  Infiniti  Jaguar  Jeep  Kia  Land Rover  Lexus  Lotus  Mazda  Mercedes-Benz  MG  MINI  Mitsubishi  Nissan  Opel  Perodua  Peugeot  Porsche  Proton  Renault  Saab  SEAT  Skoda  smart  Ssangyong  Subaru  Suzuki  Toyota  Vauxhall  Volkswagen  Volvo  Other (please name)

2. How would you rate your manufacturer with regards to its finance offers?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

3. How do you rate the warranty your manufacturer offers? Does it cover everything it needs to and is it easy to administer?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

4. How would you rate your car manufacturer on its aftersales support?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

5. How do you rate your car manufacturer’s marketing overall?

Consider the support it offers you, the offers it comes up with and the marketing schemes it develops:  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

6. How do you rate you car manufacturers’ brand awareness?  Poor  Average

 Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

7. How accessible is your car manufacturer? (Consider whether you can get hold of them when you need to? Do you get to speak to the right people at the right level?)  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

8. How do you rate your car manufacturer with regards to the internet? (Consider the support it gives you here, the way it feeds leads down to you and the quality of your manufacturer’s own site.)  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

9. How do you rate the supply of cars from your manufacturer?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

10. How do you rate your manufacturer’s forward planning? (With regards to product launches, offers)  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless

Comments?

11. How do you rate your manufacturer’s stock levels?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

12. How do you rate the requirements your manufacturer imposes on you as a dealership?

(Are they over intrusive and want the moon on a stick, or are they quite grounded and realistic?)  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

13. What do you think of the bonus structure put in place by your car manufacturer?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

14. Finally, how would you rate the return on investment for your manufacturer?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

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Part 2

MOTOR TRADE SUPPLIERS This section is all about finding the most popular suppliers to the motor trade – from advertising to web design – we want to know which supplier you use in each of these sections and why. We’re trying to gauge their popularity by measuring the amount of dealers using that supplier AND how good they are. We’ll only be naming the best in each category. If the supplier you use is not mentioned, please tell us who they are.

1. Warranties  1. WMS  2. Auto Protect  3. RAC Warranties  4. AA Warranty  5. Mapfre Abraxas  6. Car Care Plan  7. Warranty Wise  8. Other (please name) How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

2. Web Design  1. Autotorq  2. Gforces  3. Codeweavers  4. SpidersNet  5. Viper Image Media  6. Silverdisc  7. Uk Websites  8. Other (please name) How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

3. Online advertising  1. Auto Trader  2. Motoring.co.uk  3. eBay Motors  4. Motors.co.uk  5. Carpages.co.uk  6. Pistonheads.com  7. Makeandmodel.co.uk  8. Netcars.co.uk  9. Buyyourcar.co.uk  10. Reallygooddomains.com (stable of sites)  11. Compareclickcall.com  12. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

4. Finance  1. Santander  2. Blackhorse  3. Carlyle  4. Close MF  5. First Response  6. Barclays  7. Jigsaw  8. Alphera  9. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

5. Lubricants  1. Castrol  2. Mobil 1  3. Chevron Havoline  4. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

6. Recruitment  1. JGA  2. Steele & Dixon  3. REP  4. REMIT  5. Motor Industry Recruitment  6. Top Car Recruitment  7. Perfect Placement  8. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

7. Provenance checks  1. HPI  2. Experian  3. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

8. Used car valuations  1. HPI Valuations  2. Glass’s Guide  3. CAP  4. Experian  5. Other (please name):

How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

9. Auction company  1. BCA  2. Manheim  3. Auction4cars  4. Wilsons  5. Paragon Remarketing  6. Dealer-Auction.com  7. Mytradeauction.co.uk  8. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

10. Lead generation  1. Hook Logic  2. FindsYou.com  3. Autotrade-mail.com  4. Motorati  5. MFL-direct.co.uk How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

11. Dealer Management Services and technology  1. Dragon2000  2. WinWin World  3. Gemini Systems  4. Kalamazoo-Reynolds  5. Autoview  6. Pinewood  7. Dealer Management Services  8. Portfolio  9. Other (please name): How to you rate them?  Poor  Average  Good  Excellent  Faultless Comments?

Please send completed surveys to: Car Dealer Power, PO BOX 227, Gosport, PO12 9DE CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

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feature

Cash

Machine If you want to keep buyers on the hook, Webzation’s plug-in finance software is rapidly becoming a must-have internet tool.

Richard Aucock caught up with its creator, Richard Tavernor

A

fter spending big rolling out the red carpet to customers, it’s madness to the force them away again before they even get started.

Yet that’s what so many car dealers are doing, says Webzation’s Richard Tavernor, by failing to fully consider their website structure and tools.

It’s all down to a lack of ‘ecommerce sense’.

‘Think about what car buyers do during the buying process,’ he says as we sit down for coffee with the laptops. ‘Taking it right back to basics, they will do all the preliminaries. Decide what they really want, work out how much they have to spend, maybe

check a few dealers to see what they can get for their budget.

‘Then, if they need finance, they’ll go off to a comparison website, to get a quick loan quote.

This will give them a monthly budget, upon which they base their buying process.’

Notice the big failing here? That’s right – even if they’re on your site in the first place, they’ll immediately leave you in search of finance! enter a massive opportunity for increasing sales: keep those customers on your site, and let them do a financial search using YOUR tools.

Webzation offers this. It does this by giving car dealers the ability to integrate a finance quotation system on to their website. The web tech business has expertise in automotive, retail and financial worlds, so is well placed to offer ecommerce advice to car dealers.

‘We are passionate about the web and its various technologies,’ says Tavernor. ‘We believe things will ultimately go this way: the Top 200 car dealers may not quite be as passionate as us yet, but we reckon the reality of customers buying cars online will come much sooner than they think!

‘Most dealer sites are little more than electronic brochures. This does NOT account for what customers now want.’

You need to think how people actually now use the internet. That will be the guy who’s surfing on his laptop at 9pm in the evening while watching TV. Chances are, he’ll end up on your website if you’ve a strong enough web presence. But, as Tavernor has already pointed out, there’s an equally big chance they’ll then leave. enter Webzation, to stop them.

‘Probably nine in 10 customers will either assume you don’t do finance or that it will be uncompetitive.’

Turn their minds around, says Tavernor, by demonstrating how much better than a direct lender you are. Allow them to customise the quote by terms, deposits, whether it’s hP or PCP, and so on.

‘This way, you are offering far more than a direct lender. So, if the customer likes the deal, likes the car, what’s stopping them going ahead and doing the entire deal?’

The firm’s products – quoteware, captureware, joinware and supportware – plug in to your existing website. They fully integrate with what you have, so all the customer sees is a useful extra addition to your site, rather than a clunky ‘add on’.

This helps build trust.

It’s the firm’s high degree of technical expertise that allows this. This can pull quotes from a huge array of vehicle financiers, including some big names with technical demands not everyone can comply with. ‘We work with more lenders, and have built relationships with the most technically complicated firms,’ he explains.

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Webzation also revels it is able to save the finance quotes and then send them direct to the lender. ‘Thus, even if it comes in at 10pm at night, it will be sitting in the lender’s attention box the next morning. They can pre-approve this and start the process before they have their first coffee.’

Speaking of which…

Over another latte, Tavernor continued with, intriguingly, the psychological factors that are at work there, too. ‘Post-credit crunch, some customers are expecting to be declined finance. They probably won’t be, but the suspicion is there,’ he says.

‘Therefore, let them go online and check for themselves! In the privacy of their own home,

it’s much less embarrassing…’

Don’t leave it until it’s too late, is the essence of what Tavernor is saying. ‘Customers will often tell dealers not to worry about car finance, as they’ve already got it in place. That means no opportunity for finance from you! That’s why you should put it at the start of the process rather than the end. Get in there before the customer has done it…’

Mind you, if you’re being so speedy, you also need to get the transaction process rolling fast, too. ‘What dealers must be aware of is that if they adopt this approach, they need to then be able to react fast,’ he adds.

‘Those using the internet in such a way will

automatically have a heightened expectation of response – therefore, you have to get the ball rolling, quickly.’ More psychology: you have the tools, but you will also have to modify how you work in order to best utilise them.

Change is a good thing, though. ‘The reality is, most customers don’t really like car dealers.

They’ve been let down by them in the past, and are apprehensive when dealing with them. I know this – I’ve worked in the industry all my life. We thus need to work better with them, to overcome this barrier.’

To find out more contact Webzation on 0845 226 0503 or visit webzation.com. [CD]

‘Webzation’s products plug into your existing website and fully integrate with what you have. All the customer sees is a useful extra addition to your site.’

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DRIVE TRAFFIC Your website is your online forecourt. So it needs to work as hard as you do. It’s also got to be easy to navigate and rank highly with Google and other search engines that will drive traffic to your website.

We’ve been building bespoke websites exclusively for the motor industry since 1999. A number of our sites for dealerships have won awards. And being automotive professionals ourselves, we know what your site needs to help you sell more cars.

Find out more by calling 0845 2508820 or visiting www.ukwebsites.net Email: support@ukwebsites.net

Part of

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right click

...in association with GForces

Dinosaur in your dealership?

Just like the last mass extinction event, the web is changing the way the world works. So how can you avoid fading away, asks Tim Smith?

U

p to six metres tall and weighing over six tons with a mouth chocked full of nine-inch long bone-crushing teeth, the Tyrannosaurus was a pure killing machine. Anything that stumbled into its territory soon found its day coming to a bad end, fast. Yet, for all its power and ferocity, the T-Rex’s approach was flawed.

Small arms, slow running speed and – despite a formidable sense of smell – poor vision meant that more often than not, pursuit of prey would end in failure. In contrast, today’s successful predators have evolved as a result of more efficient hunting methods; stalking their prey for hours and traveling to places they know their favourite dishes can be found.

In fact, there are strong arguments that natural selection would not have favoured the Tyrannosaurus and, even without a mass extinction event, we still wouldn’t find trace of them anywhere other than fossils, museums and the odd car dealership.

For, lurking in its own bunting-edged territory, there could be a dinosaur in your dealership. It’s the kind of salesman that blends into the background while customers wander between cars, waiting for the right time to strike. While this method has been successful, those dealers who are evolving their sales techniques in line with changing customer behaviour are seeing results can be sourced from outside the showroom too.

With a reach of 18.3m households in 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics, the increasing online audience means that web savvy automotive dealers can make use of a range of functions to communicate with potential customers both from their own digital dealership – think live chat and contact us functions – and by reaching out through presence on social websites.

Meanwhile, with more than 15m mobile media users in the UK (source: econsultancy), it’s increasingly clear the audience is online and on the

move. For the automotive dealer who is able to adapt to this changing landscape, the absorption of these technologies into the sales process represents a completely new mindset.

Mobile is seen by many as the next big marketing channel, and many automotive dealerships are realising that, just like social media, mobile is here to stay so they are joining the party. Dealerships need to communicate in the digital dialect of their customers.

Defending your territory doesn’t just mean a presence on integrated social media sites but learning that it pays more to just include the hard facts when listing cars on the internet.

While Tyrannosaurus remains the stuff of legend, embracing new technologies and communication tools into your sales techniques will ensure that you don’t end up going the way of the dinosaurs.

As the dust settles following the automotive industry’s last mass extinction event – the most recent recession – adapting digital opportunities into your approach will lead to a far greater conversion rate and, ultimately, survival in the new, digital climate.

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YOU'RE AVIN A LARF! And you could be laughing all the way to the bank! Here at WMS we work hard to help dealers achieve real profit and protect margins through the warranty sale... no more giving away your own guarantee and no more risk! How? WMS have incentives and FREE warranty products that help you close the deal.

We’re one of the fastest growing warranty companies in the UK - if you would like to make more profits please call our Business Development Director, Eric Stone, on 07789 682502 today.

0844 477 4909

sales@warrantymanagementservices.co.uk www.wmswarranty.co.uk CarDealerIss25.indd 46

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...in association with Really Good Domains

dot com

...in association with Really Good Domains

Twitter and Facebook not on your radar? They need to be!

S

ocial media has again taken the internet limelight in recent weeks. There has been interesting news about Twitter, Facebook advertising, and a well received Facebook campaign by Volvo.

But first up was the news that the number of people using Twitter in the UK has fallen.

According to analysts Nielsen fewer people in the UK are using Twitter now than at its height in the middle of 2009. September saw around 4.5m UK users on the site, by the end of the year this number had dropped by a million. has the undoubted internet phenomenon of 2009 had its 15 minutes of fame? Well, yes and no. The media buzz surrounding Twitter may have fallen away, along with people that fail to see the attraction of communicating in only 140 characters, however for millions of UK consumers Twitter is still used on a daily basis to locate news, communicate with friends and colleagues, and to interact with brands and companies.

The key to understanding Twitter as a marketing tool is to accept both its limitations and strengths. While it’s fair to say you’re unlikely to ever sell many cars directly off the back of posting a tweet, it can be used to help nurture a

‘Some of the biggest brands in the UK are now looking to increase advertising spend with Facebook.’ positive relationship with consumers by opening a useful dialogue – whether its information about a new model or a new promotion.

The second interesting story in the early part of 2010 has been the threat to Google Adwords from the biggest of social media sites – Facebook.

Targeted adverts on Facebook isn’t a new phenomena however, the company took the step of opening its API (application programming interface) up to agencies last year to give them greater control over the creation of adverts and this has lead to a surge in companies using this medium to attract customers.

Fiat recently became the first advertiser to utilise Facebook’s new sampling ad format that asks users to input their address to receive information. Some of the biggest brands in the UK are now looking to increase ad spend with Facebook, usually at the expense of Google.

Finally, a good example of Facebook working well for a car maker is the news that Volvo’s ‘DRIVe Around the World’ challenge application was the most installed branded application on Facebook during 2009. An excellent and innovative way of raising brand awareness for their Volvo C30 DRIVe as virtual teams attempted to circumnavigate the globe by relaying the

The Range Rover Sport was in the top five most searched for cars for contract hire and leasing

Contract hire can help after scrappage A

s you’re reading this the Government scrappage scheme is either done and dusted or people will be squabbling over the final few allocations of the £400m fund. Either way the successful scheme to get punters into showrooms will be over – so what next for 2010?

A number of pro-active manufacturers are continuing the ‘scrappage’ theme by offering a variety of similar sounding schemes – swappage, trade-ins, you name it and it’s out there as a promotion. But are you getting the most from your contract hire and leasing side of the business?

Previously the preserve of business users, greater numbers of the public are making the switch to long-term leasing as a means of funding a new car – thanks to lower monthly payments and the possibility of driving a more expensive car than their budget could stretch by using another funding model. It also takes some of the stress out of car ownership and as people continue to lead ever busier lives this is further increasing the attractiveness of leasing. It’s easy to see why it’s a tempting proposition for consumers.

So if you are looking to give

car to friends that lived within 828 miles of one another – 828 miles being the number of miles the car can go on a single tank of juice.

All interesting bits of social media news, however the advice to car dealers about this corner of the internet is to certainly dabble and experiment with sites such as Twitter and Facebook, but the majority of advertising spend needs to be focused on those online channels which actually quantifiably help your business sell more vehicles.

Websites such as Really Good Domains’

a significant advertising boost to your contract hire offering then market leasing website ContractHireAndLeasing.com is the place to market your cars as 500,000 business and personal buyers a month use the website to locate their next vehicle.

The top five car searches on ContractHireAndLeasing.com in February make interesting reading too. They were: Volkswagen Golf, MercedesBenz C-Class, Volvo XC90, Range Rover Sport and Audi A5.

If you want more information about how the website can help your car dealership sell more cars, call 0161 482 7655.

ContracthireAndLeasing.com, SaveMoneyOnCars. co.uk and TheVanWebsite.co.uk attract significant numbers of serious car and van buyers each month thanks to excellent positioning on organic search results on Google.

In fact, the portfolio of motoring websites run by the company is enjoyed by more than two million visitors a month, making the company the perfect online marketing partner for dealerships looking to strength their online presence. Call 0161 482 7655 for more information.

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Run by dealers for dealers Est 1999

20,568 prime used cars offered on Autotrade-mail last month *

* Excludes Wanted Ads

A FEW FRANCHISED DEALER QUOTES LAST MONTH “There are several routes to market for buying and selling trade stock but by far I find Autotrade-mail the best for vehicle exposure. There have been countless times that I’ve been able to jump online and find that elusive sold order. The members of Autotrade-mail.com are professional and pleasant to deal with, in a nutshell Autotrade-mail.com is a true credit to the industry”

Franchised & Non Franchised Dealers If you aren’t already a subscriber to Autotrade-mail we’re certain we can help you make more profit!

Stuart Mackinnon, Group Used Car Stock Manager, Peter Vardy Group January 2010.

“We wouldn't use anyone else despite copycat companies inviting us to do so. We like to use someone that everyone else uses and that’s Autotrade-mail. We very often find £500+ more on deals made through Autotrade-mail than we could have achieved locally” Andy Walkingshaw, Managing Director, Walkingshaw January 2010

Call us on 08444 702514 for a FREE two week trial to experience the full range of Autotrade-mail subscriber benefits.

The UK’s leading online real time used-car trading network CarDealerIss25.indd 48

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online

...in association with Motoring.co.uk

Why in-fighting is pushing d up the cost of pay per click

s

R

Motoring.co.uk’s Terry Hogan has found dealers and car makers are competing against each other for search terms

C

ompetition ahead of the March registration pushed online Pay Per Click search costs ever higher.

Motoring.co.uk has found that for high volume keywords on popular cars such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf, bids of more than £1.50 for the front page are required.

That’s just the front page, not even the number one spot!

And to make matters worse, it is the same for used car search words too. The problem is dealers and their manufacturers routinely compete for the same key-phrases, meaning that just like in the car sales market, your biggest competitor is your fellow franchisee from the same brand.

That’s great news for Yahoo and Google as that competition only serves to push prices up, especially when tracking of conversions from these clicks is a little fuzzy.

And the worst culprits are the manufacturers, or more accurately their search marketing agencies. Because they are not driving a direct action – how many test drive requests do you get from your brand website? – and as they are more interested in ‘brand views’, they outbid you and compete with each other for the largest search terms and therefore the largest number of views. These clicks then take users to a beautiful brand website in the hope they win the battle for a consumer’s loyalty.

But we all know that as a retailer you want traffic to your website and enquiries, and we have been helping many dealers with this. In terms of search traffic, 10 per cent of all people in the UK who

Just look at the number of dealers fighting for pay-per-click spots for ‘Ford Focus’

‘Just like in the car sales market, your biggest competitor online is your fellow franchisee from the same brand.’ searched online for the term ‘new cars’ came to Motoring.co.uk according to hitwise.

That’s the same number as went to What Car? Magazine. This is because consumers looking to choose their next car want choice, comparison and transparency. As the only UK website to ban new car brokers from the search, we also ensure a safe new car buying experience and support franchised dealers.

Regular readers of this column will note that we always advocate the spreading of risk across multiple marketing channels and engines. Some retailers have taken this advice, decreasing their spend with the search engines and increasing per click activity with us. This will mean the consumer who has chosen to look for ‘new cars’ as above will now have been through our website journey and chosen a particular brand or offer, and be much more ready to buy.

Search marketing is a very competitive business, made difficult by a complex marketplace. Our message is simple though: No new car brokers, cheaper than the search engines and highly-targeted traffic. easy.

For 2010 motoring.co.uk charges you for RESULTS ONLY Expose all your new and used car stock and pay for clicks and enquiries only Call us on 0844 245 1556 or Email: trade@motoring.co.uk Download our brochure: www.motoring.co.uk/brochure

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auctions

BBC Cortina makes £2k at BCA sale

Henstock Auction stations Brave the chill or bid online?

It’s an easy decision to make

W

New owner plans to strip the Cortina back to original colours

Cool Cortina from the Culture Show finds a new home after flurry of interest at auction BCA has just sold the first Ford Cortina through its car auction halls in years – and it made a four-figure sum!

The Ford Cortina 2000GT went for £2,200 in a Top Car Sale at Blackbushe. What’s more, Car Dealer has heard from the winning bidder too.

A firm called Autoleisure won the car online and got in touch by posting their comments on CarDealerMag.co.uk.

‘It needs a bit of work

so, while the black with blue stripe is relevant to its BBC history, we are thinking of striping it back to metal and painting in its original silver color code – any opinions on this would be welcome,’ said a spokesman for the firm.

The 1976 Mk3 model received a load of interest both in the hall and online – but its background probably helped: For the past three years it has been owned and used in the BBC’s Culture Show.

It’s done 86,200 miles, features chrome bumpers and a 2.0-litre Pinto OHC engine. We’re quite jealous of the new owners. As cool cars go, this is one of the coolest!

Aston Barclay gets go-ahead Auction4Cars a to expand Prees Heath site ASTON Barclay Prees Heath has been granted planning permission to double the size of its current auction site.

The Shropshire auction house will invest £1m in the project. This will take capacity up to 20,000 cars a year and create nine new jobs.

Bosses hope it should be finished and running by next April. By then, there should also be a second weekly sale for fleet and dealer vendors – such will be the capacity of the new base.

‘Prees Heath has been growing as both a fleet and dealer part exchange auction since general manager Lisa Grimsley took over the site 12 months ago,’ said director David Scarborough.

‘New buyers are coming in from the north west and Wales and new vendors who have tried out the site are now regularly entering cars for sale. This new investment will transform Prees Heath and strengthens our presence in the North.’

‘real alternative’ AUCTION4CARS continues its upward pattern of growth with another big sales increase. This means it’s well on course to meet its target of selling 15,000 cars this year.

The beginning of 2010 has seen it chalk up a huge 34 per cent yearon-year sales increase. This proves the growing acceptance of online car buying sites. Further stats back this up: Visitors to the site were up a full 94 per cent!

Group disposals manager Neil Prescott said the fee-free site added: ‘More and more traders are treating Auction4Cars as a genuine alternative to the traditional auction house.’

hen the recent – and seemingly ongoing – severe weather affected much of the country, BCA’s Live Online service proved invaluable for buyers who could not travel. The choice between fighting through blizzards or staying put and logging on to buy over the internet was straightforward for many buyers. Finally, can we say that online selling has come of age in the remarketing industry?

Because, for many of us, it seems as if remote, wholesale selling of vehicles has taken a long time to fulfil its potential.

BCA was using data-broadcast systems in the 1980s to get sales listings to customers under the ‘FACTS’ and ‘Vision’ banners. Manufacturers began using electronic or broadcast networks to sell their used cars to their dealers in the ‘It became clear 1980s as well. Satellite in the 90s that broadcast sales came and went very quickly in the mid- the ongoing 1990s– the high start-up development costs making such systems of the internet prohibitive. would make it But it became clear in the 90s that the ongoing the horse development of the internet to back.’ would make it the horse to back. We started online ‘closed sales’ with manufacturers in the late 1990s, an extension of the existing manufacturers’ sales programmes. Dedicated online selling platforms did not appear until the start of new millennium, when BCA launched Live Online in partnership with Vauxhall.

To be fair, there was a stand-off for some time, but as the Noughties progressed it became apparent there was a wider audience of professional buyers who were happy to buy older vehicles online. We carried out some market research on what the dealer wants as a buyer and used that data to deliver a hassle-free buying experience. Dealers want clear and unequivocal catalogue descriptions, easy to use systems that don’t break down, transparency in the bidding process and confidence in the organisation staging the sale. If they have a problem, they want to talk to a real person who will help them solve it – and, most importantly, they want the vehicles they buy to be delivered promptly and be as described.

The fact that in February 2010, Live Online sold more than three times as many cars and vans in the UK as the service did in February 2009, it seems buyers believe in our system.

And the fact we even sold a 34-year-old Ford Cortina 2000GT for £2,200 to an online bidder – as you have read on the left – clearly shows the confidence that bidders have in the system!

Who is Simon Henstock?

Simon is UK network operations director for BCA. Find out more at www.bca-europe.com or call 0845 600 6644.

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Trader

di r e c t o r y

Our new Trader Directory!

Get your name put in front of thousands of dealers in our new Trader Directory

C

ar Dealer has launched a brand new service to help traders. Used car stocking is a major problem for many dealers – finding the right cars at the right prices can be very difficult.

Not only that, selling cars that you don’t necessarily want to put on your forecourt isn’t easy either. So the concept is a simple one – it’s called Trader Directory – and will be THE list to come to when you need a part exchange underwritten.

this idea came from our commercial manager Duncan Chappell who used to work at a main Mercedes dealership,’ explained editor James Baggott. ‘He was often tasked with finding a price for a part exchange being offered as part of a deal and would have to thumb through hundreds of pages of price guides to find a trader willing to buy.

‘This online and magazine directory aims to cut that process down to one easy step – either on our website or in the magazine, helping put dealers in touch with traders.’

Knowing that times are tough for the motor trade we’ve also pitched the price of being included extremely low:

...advertising cost for traders in Car Dealer for six months

• A listing in the ONLINE directory for six months is £29.99 • A listing in BOTH the magazine and online directories for six months is £39.99

It’s printed on the right, but the Trader Directory can also be found online where the list of active buying traders who want your cars is updated throughout the month.

Traders are listed under each manufacturer they’re interested in buying. And those that opt for a magazine listing too are published here every month.

‘Car Dealer is all about helping the trade and

For more information you can contact adverts@ cardealermag.co.uk or call us on 023 9252 2434.

£39.99

If you’d like to be included you can submit your details on our website now and your advert will be live in 24 hours! And if you opt for the magazine listing too it will be included in the next available issue. ‘We also plan to produce a booklet of all traders in the not too distant future, so register your interest early to avoid missing out,’ added James.

Want to get shot of a part ex? Try our traders

Manufacturer (your listing will be placed under this heading in the directory): .........................................................................................................................................................................

Your name: .........................................................................................................................................................................

Company name: .........................................................................................................................................................................

Phone numbers (landline & mobile if required): .........................................................................................................................................................................

Email address: .........................................................................................................................................................................

Your advert (no more than 10 words, any more will be cut) ......................................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................................

Please make cheques payable to BLACKBALL MEDIA LTD and send this form to Trader Directory, Blackball Media, 2a Church Rd, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2LB If you’d like to be invoiced instead please tick here [ ] Invoices will be sent to the address specified above. If you would like the invoice to be sent elsewhere please fill in the details below: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Or fill it out and pay online: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/trader-directory.htm

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This is a list of traders looking to buy part exchange vehicles. Phone them for a price on your vehicles.

Please tell them where you got their number! Find out how you can be included at the bottom of this page Alfa Romeo

Daihatsu

Hyundai

Sturgess Alfa Romeo Scott Allen 0116 275 8800 scottallen@ sturgesscars.co.uk Buying used Alfa Romeos up to five years old

Woodford Motor Co Ltd Stephen Barnard 0208 504 0017

Bushey Heath Hyundai Jon O’Donoghue 0208 420 5100 07976 177 959

Aston Martin

Proven Daihatsu Keith Pattison 01428 652554 07771 547406

Mangoletsi (Holdings) Limited Fraser info@mangoletsi.com 01565 722899

Ferrari

HWM Aston Martin Paul Spires paul.spires@hwm.co.uk 01932 240611 07850 326755

Monza – Ferrari Andrew Ludlow ferraribuyer@ntlworld. com 07889 305 053

Audi Wimbledon Carriage Company Limited John Crisp 07885 211872 Walton & Epsom Audi Mark Loughnane 01932 220404 07739 519306 Audi - Midlands / Listers Volkswagen Andy O’Connell andy.oconnell@listersgroup.co.uk 07736 787 300

BMW Williams Rochdale Craig Fenlon 01706 717700 07808 092110 Trevor Jones Car Company Trevor Jones trevor@trevorcars.co.uk 01628 663999 07836 750390

Bentley Harwoods Simon Elkin 01798 877211 07803 088711 Jack Barclay Bentley Derek Bennett 020 7629 7444 07713 887 886

Citroen Marlborough Ferdi Khab ferdik@marlborough. uk.com 020 8225 5840 07949 219 830

HR Owen Ferrari Nick Carey nick.carey@hrowen.co.uk 07824 362229

Jaguar

Maserati

Sturgess Jaguar Chris Allen chrisallen@sturgess jaguar.co.uk 0116 282 6868 Buying Used Jaguars up to five years old

Meridien Modena Warren Butt 02380 283404 07860 530703

Fiat

Jeep

Glyn Hopkin Ltd Glyn Hopkin 07730 711889

John Holland Sales John Holland / Mark Holland 07836 690818 07831 824644

Ford

Dick Lovett Edward Lovett 07808 940777 Murray Motor Company Graeme Robertson 0131 200 8888 07765 252745

Maranello Ferrari John Dutton 07817 019 456

Sturgess Fiat Ian Callis 0116 254 1717 icallis@sturgess cars.co.uk Buying used Fiats up to five years olds

Lotus

Hatfield Hyundai Mark Littler/Tim Barnes 0161 767 9500 07920 599 394 07787 921 222

Charles Hurst Jaguar Stewart Begg 0208 938 1300 07534 927 821

Woodleigh Fiat Julian Elliott 01246 850 686 07976 606 983

07740 717209

Nigel Clegg 07836 516945 SMC Motor Group Gavin Horwell gavin.horwell@smc-cars. com 01895 253681 07717 691657

Nissan Sturgess Nissan Ian Callis 0116 254 1717 icallis@sturgess cars.co.uk Buying used Nissans up to five years olds

HR Owen Nick Carey nick.carey@hrowen.co.uk 07824 362229

W R Davies Neil Swan 07739 625958

Mazda

Peugeot Robins & Day Guildford Chris Dabb 01483 414 311 07768 336306

Mitchell Mazda Brian Blanchard 07826 817850

Porsche

Mercedes-Benz

Lee Gilmour Tower Hill Garage 01923 263700 07768 367085

Hughes of Aylesbury Tony Oblein 01296 319600 07785 781623

Chapelhouse Kia Andy / Neil 01925 570800 07891 531129 07825 311 297

Tony Purslow Ltd Simon Sneath 07810 771 161 Mercedes Benz of York Darren Hewitt-Craft dhc@rybrookmercedes. co.uk 01904 694000 07701 001491

Paragon Mark Sumpter 01825 830424 07778 968911 Dove House Cars Simon Lenton 01933 354144 07855 801096

Renault

Mini

Saab

Berry West London Paul Fox / Glen Berry 07747 485185 07966 397796

Ealing Used Saab Specialists Peter or Matthew 020 8579 2969 07836 336 338

Land Rover

Sytner Mini Matthew Jones 07870 688793

SEAT

Specialist Cars Stevenage – Mini Jason Ayriss jason.ayriss@specialistcars.co.uk 01438 760303 07918 680445

Kings Seat Mike Read 07789 956937

Thames Honda Group Jerome Chandiram 0208 845 3551 Holdcroft Honda Luke Regan / Chris Thursfield 07971 543884 07813 737 921

Beadles Land Rover Greg Wilcox g.wilcox@beadles-landrover.co.uk

Mitsubishi Livery Dole Mitsubishi

Sparshatts Subaru Louis Jones louis.jones@sparshattsgroup.co.uk 01489 785111 07775 508255

Glyn Morgans Ltd Glyn Morgans 01189 425024 07836 240059

Toyota Octagon Toyota Paul Elves 01344 789888 07974 256830 Toyota World Stuart Smith 07966 172397

Vauxhall Monorep - Vauxhall Andrew Ringer 020 8836 3031

Volvo

Lamborghini Manchester Mark Woore 0161 474 6730 07717 851939

Sturgess Land Rover Chris Allen chrisallen@sturgess jaguar.co.uk 0116 282 6969 Buying used Land Rovers up to five years old

Cheam Subaru Richard James 020 8394 2266 07836 549553

Renault Retail Group Ian Millichip 07718 967026

Lifestyle Ford Richard Walker 07748 177889

Brayley Honda Mark Corr 07812 342 635

Subaru

Volkswagen

Lamborghini

Honda

Smart of Exeter Darren Webber 07940 756063

Sunwin Renault Preston Sean Dean 01772 329900 07790 253827

Benfield Des Sammon des.sammon@benfieldford.co.uk 07831 828024

Lamborghini London Rupesh Jethwa 0207 589 1472 07958 462 549

Smart

Suzuki

Lifestyle Mazda Mark Spowage 01293 845045 07974 770020

Kia

07500 539791

Hobin Group Ltd – Seat Alex Cullen 07950 566427

Skoda Mitchell Skoda Richard Macklin / Ross Thompson

Ridgeway Newbury Andy Jones 07917 635534

Sturgess Volvo Scott Allen 0116 275 8800 scottallen@ sturgesscars.co.uk Buying used Volvos up to five years old

General Buyers Sol Cars Tim Hancock Wanting part exchanges of all types up to 4k 07973722243 timfoxhancock@btopen world.com Barry Freedman 01753 543105 07836 338694 barry.freedman@virgin.net Trade buyer of PX vehicles anything up to £8k

To have your details included here log on to CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/trader-directory.htm There’s also a more comprehensive list of traders on the website, updated throughout the month.

Prices for six month listings: £29.99 On Website | Or £39.99 for Magazine & Website Prices inclusive of VAT. Payments can be made online via credit or debit card. Your details will appear in the next available issue

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[classifieds] CAR DEALER SUPPLIER GUIDE ENTRY FORM The Car Dealer Supplier Guide is a great way to get your company’s details in front of our army of readers every single month. Submitting your

entry is easy – simply fill out the form below and send to us with a cheque made payable to BLACKBALL MEDIA to Blackball Media, The Old

Company Information

Your Name [not for publication] .....................................................................

Curiosity Shop, Church Road, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2LB. We’ll process your listing and include it in the next available issue.

PRICING

[Explain in 50 words what your company offers dealers]

.....................................................................

[Please choose duration of your listing, prices exclude VAT]

[ ] 1 mth: £34.99 [ ] 3 mths: £79.99 (just £26.66 per month)

Your Job Title [not for publication]

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

[ ] 12 mths: £149.99 (just £12.49 per month)

.....................................................................

[ ] 6 mths: £119.99 (just £19.99 per month)

YOUR SUPPLIER LISTING Company Name

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

Telephone Number

.....................................................................

Please make cheques payable to BLACKBALL MEDIA and send to Blackball Media, The Old Curiosity Shop, Church Road, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2LB. If you prefer to be invoiced, enter address here. Invoices will be for full amount:

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

Website Address

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

Email address

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

.....................................................................

Category [Pick existing or specify a new one here] .....................................................................

Ways to increase profit with Andy Clarke Motor Chartered Accountants #4 Cut the cost of your year-end audit... ...by having Andy Clarke Motor prepare your accounts and audit schedules at a low price and with tools tailored to motor industry accounting practices.

Presenting these to your auditors will save you those extra audit charges added for “delays, further information and accounting work” etc that seem to increase your audit cost year after year.

For more information on this and other ways to increase profit with Andy Clarke Motor, visit www.andyclarkemotor.co.uk Tel: 07728 802500 E-mail: andyclarke@andyclarkemotor.co.uk www.andyclarkemotor.co.uk

WinITShowroom lead management TrackITDeal optimisation KeepITAwardorwinning CRM by luck e” “You can win choic y b n i w n a c u yo Call NOW 020 7538 6688 callmenow@winwinworld.co.uk www.winwinworld.co.uk

“Building the future the time is now”

Want to DRIVE TRAFFIC to your website?

Find out more by calling

0845 2508820 or visiting www.ukwebsites.net

Email: support@ukwebsites.net

Part of

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Don’t be left out! Call Car Dealer on (023) 9252 2434

suppliers guide

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A MOTOR TRADE SUPPLIER YOU CAN FIND THE DETAILS OF SELECTED COMPANIES HERE AUCTIONS Auction4Cars W: auction4cars.com

LATEST ENTRY...

BCA T: 0845 600 6644 W: british-car-auctions.co.uk

Dealer-auction.com W: dealer-auction.com T: 0844 3350174 E: info@dealer-auction.com

Dealer Auction W: dealer-auction.com T: 0844 3350174 E: info@dealer-auction.com Info: The Uk’s fastest growing online trade auction.

Franchised dealers can offer physical trade cars to over 1,500 registered trade buyers nationwide. No monthly subscriptions, no buying fees and no sale no fee makes us the most profitable option for franchised dealers wanting to maximise their dealerships trade car profit.

AUCTION CAR BUYING SERVICE AuctionCarBuyer.co.uk T: 07768 338585 W: auctioncarbuyer.co.uk E: joe@auctioncarbuyer. co.uk

CALL RECORDING VoiceSafe T: 0845 421 5050 W: voicesafe.co.uk E: enquiries@c-a-solutions. co.uk

FINANCE Bridford T: 0844 815 8888 W: Bridford.co.uk E: sales@bridford.co.uk Black Horse Motor Finance T: 02921 386 338 W: Blackhorse.co.uk E: michael.mcpartlin@ blackhorse.co.uk Info: Black horse is the market leader for point of sale motor finance in the UK and has been supporting the industry for more than half a century. To find out what Black horse can do for you contact us today.

Car Finance Company T: 0800 023 2440 W: thecarfinance company.co.uk E: Via website Clements Car Credit T: 08444 142100 F: 08444 142200

W: aawarranty.co.uk E: paul.hanna@ aawarranty.co.uk Info: AA Warranty offers peace of mind to customers, with comprehensive cover for mechanical and electrical breakdown lasting up to three years. Full training is given to ensure you add value to your profile and profits. A range of Products are available, including mechanical breakdown, GAP, tyre, Key and MOT insurance. We provide telemarketing, data services and dealer finance.

DEALER AUCTION is the latest firm to be included in our not-tobe-missed guide. It’s the most affordable way to get your company in front of thousands of car dealers every month.

Simply call the number above to find out how your company’s details could be included in next month’s issue!

W: clementscarcredit.com E: tony@clementscar credit.com Info: Motor finance broker for car dealers, prime and sub-prime.

First Response T: 0115 946 6370 W: frfl.co.uk E: Via website

KEY TRACKING Keytracker T: 0121 559 9000 W: keytracker.com/cd E: sales@keytracker.co.uk

OILS Mobil 1 W: mobil1.com E: Via website

ONLINE ADVERTISING Compucars T: 0845 667 6000 W: compucars.co.uk E: Via website Motors.co.uk T: 0845 265 5502 W: Motors.co.uk e: sales@motors.co.uk Really Good Domains T: 0161 482 7650 W: reallygooddomains.com e: sales@reallygood domains.com Skupenet T: 020 8610 6103 W: skupenet.com e: info@skupenet.com

Online Trading Autotrade-mail.com T: 0870 2000 848 W: autotrade-mail.com E: sales@autotrademail.com Info: The UK’s leading online real time used-car trading network. The fastest place to buy and sell trade prime stock.

The most active site of its type. Over 4,000 dealers subscribe. The professionals choice. Run by dealers for dealers. The original and the best. Call for your FRee two week trial.

PROVENANCE CHECKS HPI T: 01722 435444 W: hpi.co.uk Apply at CarDealerMag.co.uk and register in the fold down corner tab

SOFTWARE Dragon 2000 T: 0845 838 2000 W: Dragon2000.co.uk E: sales@dragon2000.co.uk WinWin World T: 020 7538 6688 W: winwinworld.co.uk E: callmenow@winwin world.co.uk

TEXT SERVICES Any Text T: 0845 638 1421 W: anytext.co.uk E: info@anytext.co.uk Info: established 1994, AnyText specialises in text SMS

services. Keep your customers informed by text from your PC. Send full vehicle details, including pictures.

MOT reminders, service follow ups. Customer satisfaction surveys. Free account set-up. No minimum billing or monthly charges. Full, free support. Just buy bundles of texts as needed.

TRADE BODIES Motor Industry Code of Practice W: motorindustry codes.co.uk

WEB DESIGN

TRAINING Rapport Training T: 07793 612401 W: rapporttraining.co.uk E: rapporttraining @fsmail.net Info: Specialising in car finance and insurance sales training for managers, owners and sales executives.

Our realistic and interactive approach to the learning experience helps increase both skills and profitability in these key business areas.

VALUATIONS HPI Valuations T: 0845 300 8939 W: hpi.co.uk Apply at CarDealer Mag.co.uk and register in the fold down corner tab

WARRANTY AA Warranty T: 08707 559 614

Warranty Management Services T: 01844 290536 W: warrantymanagement services.co.uk E: sales@warrantymanage mentservices.co.uk Info: Warranty Management Services offer a full range of unique products designed to increase profits. Bespoke programmes to suit your requirements and fit electronically into your sales process. With over 2,000 supporting dealerships throughout the UK, supported by 30 dedicated field managers delivering sales and FSA compliance training.

Autotorq.com T: 020 7384 8501 W: autotorq.com E: enquiries@autotorq.com CDWD T: 0844 880 1630 W: CarDealerWeb Design.co.uk E: info@cardealerweb design.co.uk Info: Fed up paying web designers to do a job you can do yourself?

CDWD can help. We’ve collaborated with hPI to offer a unique product.

Codeweavers T: 0870 443 0888 W: codeweavers.net E: enquiries@code weavers.net G-Forces T: 0845 055 9040 W: digitaldealership.co.uk E: info@gforces.co.uk

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used cars HPI Valuations Top Ten As D sector buyers look for more compact offerings, cars like the Mazda 6 are in big demand

T

he D sector, upper medium cars, has been affected by the recession as well as the significant shift in buying trends, which sees more people opting to downsize.

Traditional D sector stalwarts such as the Passat, Mondeo and Insignia are just too big for most buyers. The Mazda 6 is a clear, all-round winner on both residual value and monthly depreciation, with the Skoda Suberb coming in a close second.

Traditional D sector favourites such as the Mondeo are nowhere to be seen in the top 10, reflecting list price increases. The Mazda 6, Skoda Superb and Toyota Avensis hit the top three in terms of retained value. However, when it comes to monthly depreciation, the Seat Toledo takes the number one spot, followed by Mazda 6 and then the Skoda Superb, while the Avensis slides all the way down to sixth position.

The Chevrolet Epica, Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring are no longer produced for the UK due to the economic recession.

The Superb and the Mazda 6 offer the best all-round value, but the Mazda pips Skoda on the average new price, at around £19,000, compared to £21,000, which could be the decider for buyers in these tough times.

Trade searches for the perfect balance Demand is high, but quality stock an issue, says HPI Valuations

T

he good news is that the used market has picked up, particularly on the retail side for three to five-year-old clean stock, with greater auction activity. However, much of this is down to taking up the January slack caused by the lack of trade due to the bad weather. The problem of finding this clean stock remains. The snow and ice led to lots of bumps and scrapes and while this was good news for bodyshops, it means there is less used stock to go round.

Used values for clean stock remain very strong, especially for smaller engine cars (sub 1.6-litre).

For bread and butter 2.0-litre plus petrol cars the news is not so good. On average, used values have now increased for the third consecutive month. To a great extent this means we are now back to ‘normal’ seasonal pricing movements.

We have also received reports that a number of manufacturers are, or are considering, returning to providing stock to the short-term daily rental market in a bid to increase overall new car sale volumes.

Late plate values have been strong in recent months due to new car supply shortages but values have now levelled off. Some manufacturers are even reducing new car prices on some models as they pin their hopes on the corporate sales market, which is so dependant on benefit in kind prices.

Once again they have shot themselves in the foot by putting up prices to make the most of the scrappage scheme in the retail market, but

Premium 4x4s are holding their money well

...in association with HPI Valuations

D Sector Rank

having to backtrack to court the fleets. Expect to see further reductions and incentives in the coming months.

The gap between petrol and diesel values remains high and is likely to remain so as the cost of fuel at the pumps is now almost level.

Downsizing has been a buzzword for some time, but buyers still want to retain the higher specification levels of the larger models.

Consequently the demand for small higher spec models is increasing, causing small car values to rise.

Demand for large 4x4s is also strong. The inclement weather has increased demand, and vehicles such as the Range Rover and BMW X5 are holding their money well. Demand is now stable, moving from unsaleable to desirable in 18 months. Even old Discoverys are back in vogue. However, the same cannot be said for small run of the mill SUVs.

Model

Models in range

Average new price

Average RV 36(60) £

Average RV 36(60) % Monthly depreciation cost £

Residual value % 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mazda 6 Skoda Superb Toyota Avensis Honda Accord Alfa 159 SEAT Exeo Volkswagen Passat Volvo S40 SEAT Toledo Subaru Legacy

18 25 28 24 32 9 29 28 4 9

£19,065 £21,301 £21,325 £25,212 £24,254 £20,984 £21,699 £21,102 £16,479 £23,773

£6,358 £6,836 £6,581 £7,598 £7,265 £6,275 £6,465 £6,245 £4,856 £5,900

33.4 32.2 30.8 30.2 30.0 29.9 29.8 29.6 29.5 25.0

£353 £402 £410 £489 £472 £409 £423 £413 £323 £496

Monthly depreciation cost 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SEAT Toledo Mazda 6 Skoda Superb SEAT Exeo Kia Magentis Toyota Avensis Volvo S40 Volkswagen Passat Renault Laguna Alfa 159

4 18 25 9 2 28 28 29 15 32

£16,479 £19,065 £21,301 £20,984 £18,740 £21,325 £21,102 £21,699 £21,388 £24,254

£4,856 £6,358 £6,836 £6,275 £4,013 £6,581 £6,245 £6,465 £5,198 £,7265

29.5 33.4 32.2 29.9 21.4 30.8 29.6 29.8 24.3 30.0

£323 £353 £402 £409 £409 £410 £413 £423 £450 £472

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...in association with HPI Valuations

No time for complacency as scrap ends N ew car sales continued to grow in February but the SMMT is warning car dealers not to become complacent February 2010 scored a 26.4 per cent rise over an admittedly weak 2009 sales performance.

Scrappage sales played a big part in these sales, accounting for 19.6 per cent of the new car market.

This means February sales should not fool car dealers into thinking the worst is over, says SMMT chief Paul Everitt. He has predicted a decline for the full year of 2010 – with a prediction of 1.82m sales giving a 10 per cent decline overall.

It is the post-scrappage sector that is concerning most in the industry. But there are glimmers of hope.

‘Industry continues to face challenging market conditions, but positive trends in the fleet and business sectors suggest that negative impacts can be minimised,’ said Everitt.

‘Strengthening business and consumer confidence remains industry’s priority. A clear and consistent approach to CO2 based taxation and improved access to affordable credit are essential elements in sustaining recovery in the new car market.’

Everitt’s cautious warning comes on the back of expected strong March sales. Final orders for the scheme must be made by the end of the month – and, as March is traditionally the strongest month for sales, dealers could risk celebrating early.

In terms of individual maker performance, Ford once again dominated. The Fiesta topped the new car sales charts with 3,236 units sold. Ford’s Focus was second with 3,035 sales.

Surprisingly, in third place, (but more than 500 units behind) was the Volkswagen Golf with 2,586 sales. Usual Ford-follower Vauxhall was fourth, with the new Astra selling 2,524 models.

Demand for small cars overall continues to rise, says the SMMT – although all sales types reported growth in February, it inevitably remains focussed on the scrappage-boosted private sector.

How the market develops through the rest of 2010 will be very interesting indeed…

SMMT sales data February / year to date

Figures supplied by SMMT

February Marque

Abarth Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Citroen Corvette Daihatsu Daimler Dodge Fiat Ford Honda Hummer Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Kia Land Rover Lexus Lotus Mazda Mercedes-Benz MG MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Opel Perodua Peugeot Porsche Proton Renault Saab SEAT Skoda smart Ssangyong Subaru Suzuki Toyota Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo Other British Other Imports Total

2010

33 224 27 2,957 26 3,141 3 500 22 2,701 0 27 0 30 1,752 9,915 1,663 0 3,007 1 266 89 3,366 804 91 18 1,587 1,923 8 973 396 2,098 0 29 3,533 106 50 3,559 84 904 1,574 336 18 69 778 3,439 7,950 7,132 1,378 64 35 68,686

% market share

0.05 0.33 0.04 4.31 0.04 4.57 0.00 0.73 0.03 3.93 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.04 2.55 14.44 2.42 0.00 4.38 0.00 0.39 0.13 4.90 1.17 0.13 0.03 2.31 2.80 0.01 1.42 0.58 3.05 0.00 0.04 5.14 0.15 0.07 5.18 0.12 1.32 2.29 0.49 0.03 0.10 1.13 5.01 11.57 10.38 2.01 0.09 0.05

2009

33 137 30 2,683 18 2,323 1 333 54 2,108 3 56 0 32 1,109 9,175 2,211 15 923 0 360 63 529 501 125 18 2,017 1,304 13 860 139 2,027 0 22 2,068 93 32 1,504 280 746 887 210 10 45 640 2,981 9,372 5,473 725 46 25 54,359

Year to date (YTD) % market share

0.06 0.25 0.06 4.94 0.03 4.27 0.00 0.61 0.10 3.88 0.01 0.10 0.00 0.06 2.04 16.88 4.07 0.03 1.70 0.00 0.66 0.12 0.97 0.92 0.23 0.03 3.71 2.40 0.02 1.58 0.26 3.73 0.00 0.04 3.80 0.17 0.06 2.77 0.52 1.37 1.63 0.39 0.02 0.08 1.18 5.48 17.24 10.07 1.33 0.08 0.05

A production error last month meant our figures were slightly out. When we say slightly, we mean wholly inaccurate. Sorry about that. We’ve shot the designer. Twice.

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2010 % Change

0.00 63.50 -10.00 10.21 44.44 35.21 200.00 50.15 -59.26 28.13 -100.00 -51.79 0.00 -6.25 57.98 8.07 -24.79 -100.00 225.79 0.00 -26.11 41.27 536.29 60.48 -27.20 0.00 -21.32 47.47 -38.46 13.14 184.89 3.50 0.00 31.82 70.84 13.98 56.25 136.64 -70.00 21.18 77.45 60.00 80.00 53.33 21.56 15.36 -15.17 30.31 90.07 39.13 40.00 26.36

101 598 79 10,849 107 8,359 6 1,612 140 7,650 0 49 0 51 5,724 32,043 5,994 0 10,279 13 1,307 259 8,396 3,322 735 44 4,449 6,094 30 3,108 938 7,851 0 86 11,912 566 117 9,402 212 3,196 4,428 760 31 287 1,839 10,785 23,953 22,099 4,024 161 120 214,165

%market share

0.05 0.28 0.04 5.07 0.05 3.90 0.00 0.75 0.07 3.57 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.02 2.67 14.96 2.80 0.00 4.80 0.01 0.61 0.12 3.92 1.55 0.34 0.02 2.08 2.85 0.01 1.45 0.44 3.67 0.00 0.04 5.56 0.26 0.05 4.39 0.10 1.49 2.07 0.35 0.01 0.13 0.86 5.04 11.18 10.32 1.88 0.08 0.06

2009

80 494 81 8,813 71 6,490 3 1,199 149 5,772 6 153 1 64 3,460 30,126 6,884 25 2,808 0 1,533 119 2,234 2,089 559 46 4,586 4,515 25 2,498 482 6,549 0 56 7,827 502 101 4,603 891 2,414 2,441 580 29 184 1,324 11,342 24,972 14,275 2,755 102 134 166,446

%market share

0.05 0.30 0.05 5.29 0.04 3.90 0.00 0.72 0.09 3.47 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.04 2.08 18.10 4.14 0.02 1.69 0.00 0.92 0.07 1.34 1.26 0.34 0.03 2.76 2.71 0.02 1.50 0.29 3.93 0.00 0.03 4.70 0.30 0.06 2.77 0.54 1.45 1.47 0.35 0.02 0.11 0.80 6.81 15.00 8.58 1.66 0.06 0.08

% Change

26.25 21.05 -2.47 23.10 50.70 28.80 100.00 34.45 32.54 -100.00 -67.97 -100.00 -20.31 65.43 6.36 -12.93 -100.00 266.06 0.00 -14.74 117.65 275.83 59.02 31.48 -4.35 -2.99 34.97 20.00 24.42 94.61 19.88 0.00 53.57 52.19 12.75 15.84 104.26 -76.21 32.39 81.40 31.03 6.90 55.98 38.90 -4.91 -4.08 54.81 46.06 57.84 -10.45 28.67

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57 5/3/10 10:13:48

tail light

Sub-Prime Time I

’ve always believed that learning from someone else’s mistake is the smart way to self improvement, and recently I had a learning opportunity of this sort when I popped into a large PC store, grabbed a packet of paper and stood waiting at the checkout.

Three people were on the counter; one of whom was the store manager with his nose in a clipboard. The other two were serving the same customer, and while one assistant arranged a multitude of packages into increasingly mountainous piles, the other scampered off around the store in search of further items while the first engaged their customer in a conversation about snow; seemingly oblivious to the growing queue behind me.

It felt as though I was surrounded by activity, but as I looked more closely I saw that very little was actually being done, and a number of bemused customers were wandering about clearly not wishing to interrupt the huddles of staff that were standing with their backs to the main store.

A new assistant hustled up with a customer in tow, stepped behind the counter and signed into a till. ‘Great stuff,’ I thought as the transaction was being completed and was poised to step forward to claim my right to service as the undisputed first customer in the queue, when the store manager hailed the new assistant and both shot off in the opposite direction. After a further 10 minutes it dawned on me that some additional action must be required on my part to purchase a packet of paper, so I complained to one of the mountain range builders.

‘Sorry’ was a good start to their response but then I realised there was a ‘but’ coming. I gritted my teeth while I was told they were ‘incredibly busy’. The store manager had returned and on hearing this statement looked at me, raised his eyebrows towards the queue behind me in a sort of ‘surely you can see how busy we

‘I certainly don’t blame the staff for the poor customer service and attitudes I witnessed because standards and quality expectations start at the top.’ are’ manner, and without uttering a word brushed past me. I was speechless.

I certainly don’t blame the staff for the poor customer service and attitudes I witnessed because standards and quality expectations start at the top. In my experience if a team’s failing to deliver, it’s because their leader is failing to support and guide them. had the store manager been more aware of what was happening around him he might have done something about it.

But it was a great eye opener, and as I reflected on this I realised that as my own company has grown and become more successful, I’ve become increasingly remote from the customer coalface. So, starting this month, I’m putting time aside for what I’m calling ‘Reality Check Days’ to witness first hand what service my customers are really getting.

Perhaps you’re already doing this sort of thing and you’ve already learned from others but if you’re not can I suggest (like me) you also get your nose out of the clipboard.

is chief executive officer of First Response Finance. For Who is Don Brough? Don more information visit www.frfl.co.uk or call 0115 946 6370

CarDealer.

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0115 946 6370

Many Happy Returns 17% of our business comes from returning customers – and we always encourage people to visit the same dealer for their next vehicle (or point them towards a supporting dealer from our network).

To help your business benefit from our many returning customers, join our dealer network by calling 0115 946 6370 today.

First Response Finance Limited, Chetwynd Business Park, 5 Regan Way, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 6RZ

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If you’ve been left in the cold because your lender has pulled out of the car finance market, you need to talk to HPI. We are delighted to report that we are going from strength to strength with new dealers signing up every day.

If you are struggling to arrange car finance for your customers, call us now on 0845 641 8019.

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