Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 142

BIG MIKE: THE CARS I THOUGHT WOULDN’T SELL – BUT REALLY PULLED IN THE PUNTERS

Issue 142 | January 2020 | CarDealerMag.co.uk | £5

GOLF

ALL-NEW VOLKSWAGEN

CDX20 CO

UNTDOWN IS ON TO OUR HUG E EXPO FOR THE MOTOR TRADE

CCESS, OR DRIVEN: ON COURSE FOR SUE ROUGH? HEADING STRAIGHT FOR TH

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O T O G S D R A W A E H CAZOO: ANDT NITGHT OF CELEBRATION AT THE END OF A TOUGH YEAR CAN IT WORK?

NEW SITE FOR USED CAR SALES LAUNCHES

SEE NEWS & COMMENT

A GREA

The UK’s Best Used Car Warranty

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Editorial PRODUCTION EDITOR Dave Brown dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

HEAD OF DESIGN Graeme Windell

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Welcome.

WELL, that was quite a night! I’m referring, of course, to the Used Car Awards, which were held at The Brewery in central London in late November. It was the eighth time we had hosted the ceremony, each time at the same venue, and this year’s was arguably the most successful yet.

As Car Quay’s Jamie Caple said in a tweet on the night, the atmosphere was electric as the great and good of the automotive industry were rewarded for their hard work and successes over a very difficult 12 months.

And it’s worth noting that the judging process each year becomes more and more difficult because standards are always rising in our industry.

Awards host Mike Brewer said on the night: ‘This amazing room is packed with incredible dealers and manufacturers – and I can tell you, it has been incredibly difficult to whittle the list down to the finalists, let alone the overall winners. We always think it can’t get better, then you blow us away again!’

I couldn’t have put it better myself!

My job, as last year, was to interview the winners as they left the stage, and it was a pleasure to meet so many happy dealers and manufacturer representatives who were on cloud nine after picking up their trophies. As I say, what a night, and we’re already looking forward to the 2020 event.

Thanks very much to all the partners, without whom we wouldn’t be able to host the awards, and in particular Black Horse, our headline sponsor.

AUTOMOTIVE INFLUENCERS EARLIER in the day, a few of us from Car Dealer Magazine were at the venue next door to The Brewery to meet some dealer bosses and manufacturer managing directors for our annual Automotive Influencers feature.

That too was a very enjoyable occasion, but compiling

the editorial content for it is proving a little more complicated this time round than it has in years past. The reason? The Brexmas election, which takes place the day after this edition of the magazine goes to press.

It has meant that at the time of writing, no-one has been asked to supply the answers to any questions, as we are waiting to see what the political landscape looks like before surveying everyone’s opinions.

Don’t worry, though. Once we know who’ll be grabbing the doors to No 10, we’ll be finding out what everyone thinks. The feature will be published in Issue 143 of Car Dealer – the February edition.

CDX – SAVE THE DATE! AFTER all the recent excitement, you’d think we might be tempted to take our foot off the pedal for a while. Not a bit of it! Planning is well under way for CDX – our huge automotive trade expo that once again will be held at Farnborough International.

More details are revealed on page 13 of this edition of the magazine – and at this stage I would urge you to save the date! CDX 2020 is being held on Tuesday, April 28 – a little earlier than in previous years, and we don’t want anyone to be caught out!

You won’t be surprised to learn that once again there will be a fantastic Live Stage line-up, insightful workshops and other sessions, plus of course the massive expo itself.

All in all, another great Car Dealer Magazine event that’s not to be missed!

Enjoy the issue.

Dave Brown Production Editor CarDealerMag.co.uk | 03

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The Used Car Awards 2019

Full coverage of a wonderful night of success and celebration at The Brewery

Go-karting action from our second regional qualifier

ISSUE 142 I JANUARY 2020

Dashboard.

Caffyns and Cambria results Cazoo enters the market Around the UK Race of Remembrance Action call over roles for women Countdown to CDX New platform for dealers Great Go-Karting Challenge Essex dealership in the pink!

Big Mike Feedback Around the World Finance VW Golf review

06 08 10 12 13 13 14 16 18 21 22 24 26 30

Features.

Used Car Awards

Data File.

Car Dealer Club The Statistics Fully Loaded Extra Cover with Gallagher Key Notes with Traka Market Insight Auctions Taking Stock Suppliers Guide Long-termers James Baggott

32 78 80 82 87 89 91 92 93 94 96 98

Uplift in demand continues at BCA

Does our long-term Cupra Ateca deliver true excitement?

Our events...

As voted for by you, Car Dealer Power is unique. To find out who won what following the latest industry-wide survey, go online to bit.ly/cdpower19

The Used Car Awards, sponsored

by Black Horse, took place on November 25. Turn to pages 32-77 for full coverage of a great night of celebration!

Car Dealer’s must-attend automotive trade expo features the Live Stage, workshops and more. Turn to page 13 for the latest about the 2020 event, which takes place on April 28.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 05

Dashboard.

LANDMARK

NextGear Capital reaches £1bn of funding for 2019

NEXTGEAR Capital, the stock funding arm of Cox Automotive, reached a major milestone in early December, having provided a staggering £1 billion of vehicle funding in 2019.

This is the first time that the business has exceeded the £1 billion mark in a single year and represents a period of phenomenal growth for the stock funding provider.

Having launched in the UK and Ireland in 2014, NextGear Capital now works with over 1,700 independent and franchised dealers who have purchased more than 130,000 vehicles this year.

Liam Quegan, managing director of NextGear Capital, pictured, said: ‘Delivering £1 billion of funding in a single year is a fantastic achievement. It highlights the strong customer partnerships that we’ve built over the past five years, and the tremendous efforts of our team.’

SMMT STATS

Another decline in manufacturing UK CAR manufacturing output fell by four per cent in October with 134,752 units rolling off production lines – 5,622 fewer models than in October last year.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders mean that British car production has now dropped in 16 of the past 17 months, with August the exception because of ‘no-deal’ Brexit contingency shutdowns earlier in the year artificially boosting output that month.

06 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

CAFFYNS

Optimism after a massive drop in profits D ealership group Caffyns suffered a 92 per cent drop in its pre-tax profit for the half-year to September 30 – from £704,000 to £56,000.

In its half-year report, released via the London Stock Exchange, Caffyns – which sells new and used cars at 12 sites across Sussex and Kent – blamed the ‘disappointing’ results on a difficult political and economic climate, as well as supply problems caused by the implementation of the second stage of the Real-Driving Emissions regime affecting deliveries for the September plate change.

Revenue dipped from £106m to £99m with like-for-like new car unit deliveries down by 14.5 per cent and used car unit sales down by 2.3 per cent. Aftersales revenues, however, went up by 2.1 per cent.

Chief executive Simon Caffyn said: ‘Whilst disappointing, the results should be read against a difficult economic and political background.

This was compounded by supply

problems for new cars. These supply issues have however improved, and we remain cautiously optimistic about the future outlook.’

Both its Audi and VW divisions suffered financially, with the former turning in a loss, and Caffyns said its Motorstore business in Ashford, experienced ‘a very disappointing six months and was loss-making for the period’.

Management changes have since been made, as have alterations to the stock profile as well as how it operates, and Caffyns added: ‘We are confident that the second six months of this financial year will see the business return to profitable trading.

‘Longer term, the concept continues to be very well received by our customers who are particularly

‘We continue to seek opportunities to invest in the future growth of our businesses.’

Caffyns report

reassured by the Caffyns brand.’

Operational highlights included its Eastbourne Volvo business trading ‘very profitably’ and ahead of expectations, while its Vauxhall business in Ashford similarly experienced an improvement in trading performance and its Seat business continued with a strong performance, countering the Skoda businesses’ ‘weaker performance’.

Looking ahead, Caffyns said in its report: ‘Our continuing strategy is to focus on representing premium and premium-volume franchises as well as maximising opportunities for premium used cars.

‘We recognise that we operate in a rapidly changing environment and

Used car market ‘crucial for maximising profitability’ MAKING the most of opportunities in the used car sector is likely to be essential to maximising franchise dealer profitability in 2020.

That’s according to Epyx, the company behind the 1link Disposal Network remarketing platform, which says the new car market is unlikely to stage a recovery but used demand should stay consistent.

Vicky Gardner, head of remarketing

at Epyx, said: ‘Whatever the outcomes of the current macroeconomic issues affecting the car market, there is unlikely to be any substantial increase in new car sales.

‘However, one of the lessons of the last recession is just how resilient used car sales remain in tough times.

The fact is that people need cars, and in a situation when they are uneasy with buying new, they will turn to

used because of the value they offer.

‘The franchise dealers who are able to offer the most effective used car propositions are likely to be the ones who prosper most.’

She added that there had been a drive over the past year towards franchise dealers working to bring greater efficiency to their used car stock purchasing, with fewer dealers leaving the office to buy.

Reflect on the past as you plan for the future.

Time is Money, p27

continue to carefully monitor the appropriateness of this strategy.

‘We continue to seek opportunities to invest in the future growth of our businesses. We are concentrating on larger business opportunities in stronger markets to deliver higher returns from fewer but bigger sites.

We continue to seek performance improvement, in particular in our used car and aftersales operations.’

It added: ‘Despite a weak marketplace for the registration plate change in September, we are cautiously optimistic. Our full-year outcome will remain heavily dependent on the success of the next registration plate change in March 2020 as well as on the wider challenges to the UK economy.’

CAMBRIA AUTOMOBILES

APPOINTMENT

A very healthy balance sheet despite ‘challenging headwinds’

New HR director joins Marshall from Pendragon

CAMBRIA Automobiles saw its pretax profit soar by 37 per cent to £12.5m for the year to August 31.

In its final results for 2018/19, the franchised motor retailer, which was established in 2006, said it had performed ahead of board and market expectations, enjoying gross profit growth across all segments despite what it described as ‘challenging market headwinds’.

Revenue was up by 4.4 per cent to £657.8m, with operating profit rising by 36 per cent to £13.9m.

New unit sales were down 8.1 per cent like for like, but gross profit was up as a result of the 11.1 per cent like-for-like increase in profit per unit because of what it called an ‘improvement in the franchise portfolio mix’.

Among its franchising highlights over the past financial year, it opened its second Lamborghini dealership, in Tunbridge Wells, as well as showrooms for Peugeot in Warrington, Suzuki in Maidstone and Citroen in Oldham. It also bought land in Brentwood to build a dealership.

Chief executive Mark Lavery said: ‘We are pleased to have delivered a strong performance in the 2018/19 financial year.

‘The year has seen a difficult new car market that has been impacted by weakening consumer demand in the face of the uncertainty

around the Brexit negotiations, inconsistent messaging around the future of diesel engines and the impact on car supply from the change in emissions testing.’

He praised staff for their work over the past year, saying: ‘Our teams have worked incredibly hard and delivered a strong result at both the revenue and profit levels, which significantly outperformed market expectations.

‘Our strong new car profitability, improved used car profit performance, combined with growth in aftersales have all been significant contributors.

‘I would like to thank our associates for their contributions throughout the year.’

But Lavery also warned: ‘The challenges facing vehicle manufacturers in achieving compliance with the 2020 and 2021 CO2 emissions targets will impact the new car market over the next two years.

‘Like our peer group, we are also having to cope with government-driven central cost increases including, but not limited to, the national minimum wage increases, apprenticeship levy, pension contributions, increases in debit and credit card charges and increased property rating costs.

Regrettably, we have no control over these factors.’

Market Insight, p91

‘We are pleased to have delivered a strong performance in the 2018/19 financial year.’

Mark Lavery

Lookers opens doors to dual JLR ‘Arch’ dealership LOOKERS Jaguar Land Rover has become the main retailer for both brands in Buckinghamshire after completing the development of its expansive retail facility in Aylesbury.

Work has now finished on the new 16,193sq ft development in Aston Clinton, which becomes the most recent Jaguar Land Rover ‘Arch’ concept to open.

The new multi-million-pound dealership involved the closure of the nearby Lookers Jaguar site in Amersham, Lookers Land Rover in Chipperfield, as well as Stratstone Land Rover Aylesbury, with more than 100 staff from those sites recently transferring to the new dual-branded development.

Customers are now able to

browse 18 new car models split between the two brands, while there is also space for over 100 used cars to be displayed outside, the biggest selection for JLR in the UK. Jeremy Hutton, the centre’s new head of business, said: ‘The building is truly amazing and sets the bar for how a modern motor retailer should look and feel.’

MARSHALL Motor Holdings has announced the immediate appointment of Jo Moxon as its HR director.

For the last two years, Moxon, above, worked as group HR director for Pendragon plc. She has extensive HR experience gained across a diverse range of industries including 20 years in the financial services sector working for Barclays, Egg and Welcome Financial Services.

For the past 10 years, Moxon also worked in the property, online and retail sectors working with Lend Lease, ASOS and BGL Group Ltd (the company that owns comparethemarket.com).

Daksh Gupta, chief executive at Marshall, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be welcoming Jo to Marshall. She brings a wealth of experience which will help further develop the organisation as we enter the next stage of our growth.’

ASE FIGURES

Retailers in the black in October THE average UK car retailer made a profit of £1,500 in October compared with a profit of £6,000 in 2018, according to ASE Automotive Solutions.

Mike Jones, chairman of the dealer profitability specialist, said: ‘Whilst this may look disappointing, we should remember the 2018 result was bolstered by the unwinding of some of the WLTP issues from that year.

2019’s performance looks more favourable when set against the result for 2017.’

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 07

Dashboard.

NEW TECH BUSINESS

Cazoo enters the market C azoo has launched with the aim of delivering better selection, value, convenience and quality to used cars buyers.

The new tech business is the latest venture from Alex Chesterman, who previously founded LoveFilm and Zoopla, and is set to transform how used cars are bought by putting the entire process online and offering home delivery.

The launch coincided with an announcement that a further £25m of funding had been secured, taking the total raised since being founded a year ago to more than £80m.

Latest investors include leading venture capital firms General Catalyst and Mubadala Capital, and the additional funds will be used to increase the team and further invest in marketing and operations.

At launch, Cazoo had more than 1,500 cars in stock, ranging from SUVs to sporty hatches, as well as a wide range

of electric vehicles. Cazoo owns all its cars and thoroughly reconditions each one at a 55-acre base in the Midlands before they are offered for sale.

Buyers can inspect high-quality, 360-degree images of the cars at home as well as read about their features and history.

Prices are fixed, and customers can buy or finance a car entirely online, with delivery to their door

Alex Chesterman

within 72 hours. Every car comes with a seven-day money-back guarantee, and if customers don’t love their purchase, Cazoo will collect it for free, no questions asked.

Chesterman said: ‘Used cars are one of the last remaining consumer markets yet to benefit from any digital transformation. Cazoo makes used car-buying simple and convenient like buying any other product online. We take away the need to travel, to haggle, to spend countless hours at a dealership and to risk any buyer’s remorse.’

James Baggott, p98

BIRCHWOOD

Group launches end-to-end site BIRCHWOOD Group has launched an end-to-end ecommerce site after increased demand from out-of-hours web traffic, live chat inquiries and social media activity.

The Sussex-based retailer, which has eight showrooms and a service centre, said it wanted to offer a flexible and convenient way to buy cars 24 hours a day after identifying a growing trend that showed people were having longer and more productive interactions outside of showroom hours and on digital platforms.

It uses GForces’ NetDirector Auto-e platform, and Paula Kemp, Birchwood’s marketing and IT director, said: ‘What we’ve set out to do is give our customers the flexibility and control to buy their vehicle however they prefer. By making more ways of buying a car available, we’ll be able to service more of our customers in the way that suits them best.’

The only viable key management solution for automotive dealerships Traka Automotive creates hundreds of opportunities every day to: • Reduce costs • Be more productive • Sell more cars • Improve customer satisfaction • Know more about how your business is performing

Email automotive@traka.com or call 0845 225 2910 traka-automotive.com 08 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

traka-auto IMI half-pg.indd 1

15/12/2016 10:04

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 09

Dashboard.

News from around

What’s been hitting the headlines on the home front? Here’s a DONCASTER

MG reaches landmark of dealership century

MG MOTOR UK has reached a significant milestone in its Momentum & Growth mid-term plan by opening its 100th UK dealership: Stoneacre Doncaster.

The new showroom increases the brand’s footprint in the region and becomes Stoneacre Motor Group’s fourth MG site – all opened this year.

Philip Wade, franchise and development director for the group, said: ‘MG is a brand on the move. We are proud to carry the MG name and look forward to building upon this year’s successes in 2020 and beyond.’

CHIPPENHAM

Showroom celebrates 20-year Kia partnership CHIPPENHAM Motor Company is celebrating 20 years as a partner of Kia Motors. To mark the milestone, the dealership was visited by Kia Motors UK sales director Steve Hicks and presented with an award.

Adam Bailey, the managing director of Chippenham Motor Company, accepted the accolade in front of the team and several loyal customers.

LONDON

WALLSEND

We’re over the moon to get to Wembley!

Christopher scoops £5,000 holiday prize

IMPERIAL Cars has opened a new dealership in Wembley.

The north London showroom replaces Mercedes-Benz Park Royal and has space for 100 cars.

Company sales director Mike Hawkins said: ‘We’re absolutely over the moon with our recent progress despite challenging market conditions for our competitors.

‘What excites us is yet more job creation, which offers many people the chance for positivity just in time for the new year.’ It follows another year of expansion for the company.

CHRISTMAS came early for one lucky customer of a motor retailer after they scooped a £5,000 prize.

Christopher Toole, of Newcastle upon Tyne, entered the 69 Plate competition at Lookers Volkswagen Silverlink in Wallsend when he bought a new all-electric Volkswagen e-Golf – and won the prize of £5,000 in holiday vouchers!

Mr Toole, pictured with son Daniel who wants to work at the dealership, said: ‘We’re over the moon with our new car but this has absolutely blown us away!’

10 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

He said: ‘In the beginning, we were one of only a handful of Kia dealers in the country. We have watched the brand grow into something amazing and we are proud to have been part of that journey.’

General manager Ben Munns noted: ‘The next few years are set to be a really exciting time for Kia, and Chippenham Motor Company as a Kia dealer.’

Best-selling new cars in November November 2019

Source: SMMT

Vauxhall Corsa

4,296

Ford Kuga

4,183

Ford Fiesta

3,963

Volkswagen Golf

3,941

Ford Focus

3,841

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

3,751

Nissan Qashqai

3,445

Mini

2,816

Volkswagen Polo

2,481

Volkswagen Tiguan

2,376

The statistics, p80

WAKEFIELD

Guy Salmon looks to build £10m site

GUY Salmon Land Rover is hoping to move to a new £10m showroom in Wakefield.

The dealership is currently in Barnsley Road, pictured, but wants to build larger premises in Peel Avenue, Durkar, which parent company Sytner Group says is needed because it anticipates ‘significant’ business growth. It has submitted a proposal to Wakefield council for a 6.67-acre development comprising a showroom plus offices, workshop and parking, adding that 100 jobs will be created.

First headline partners sign up for CDX 2020.

Dashboard, p13

the UK

First drive:

Volkswagen Golf The eighth-generation model has been put to the test

round-up of stories

Forecourt, p30

DARLINGTON

LEICESTER

HUDDERSFIELD

Showroom wins EV Approved status

New Defender goes down well at preview

Pentagon adds fourth Seat site to portfolio

DARLINGTON Nissan has become one of the first showrooms in the country to gain Electric Vehicle Approved status.

To gain accreditation by the scheme, created by the NFDA and endorsed by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Energy Saving Trust, staff underwent intensive training. General sales manager Lee Stewart, pictured, who is the on-site EV ambassador, said: ‘We are very proud to be one of the first dealerships to achieve this important accreditation.’

STURGESS Land Rover of Leicester hosted the new Defender at a special preview event.

It was attended by more than 200 people, who were able to view the new Defender alongside the current Land Rover and Range Rover range.

Sturgess took orders for the new model and chairman Chris Sturgess said: ‘Our dealership team did a fantastic job of making our visitors feel relaxed and well informed about the new Defender. I am confident we will see more orders as a result of the preview day.’

‘It is very likely that we will see some gym operators or the like appearing within motor retail locations in the next decade.’

James Litton, p94

PENTAGON Motor Group has acquired a Seat dealership in Huddersfield from Sytner Group.

It means Pentagon now operates four Seat locations, with the other three in Oldham, Scunthorpe and Nottingham. All 29 Sytner staff have transferred to Pentagon.

David Lewis, pictured, MD of Pentagon Motor Group, said: ‘We are very impressed with Seat’s ongoing growth – sales volume is up just over nine per cent year on year.

We look forward to continuing our investment with Seat.’

MAIDSTONE

Staff ‘delighted’ over Robins & Day move

ROBINS & Day Peugeot’s new stateof-the-art dealership in Maidstone has officially opened for business.

It has moved from the grade IIlisted Len House in Mill Street, which was built in 1938, to a site in Cuxton Road on Parkwood Industrial Estate with the latest technology and improved showroom space. It was officially opened by Peugeot UK managing director David Peel.

General manager Steve Edwards said: ‘Our staff are delighted to have these exceptional new facilities, and we are excited to welcome customers through our doors.’

UK

CarShop staff raise nearly £186,00 for charity STAFF from CarShop dressed as loudly as possible for Global’s Make Some Noise Day – with their latest charity initiative making the total raised by the car supermarket group nearly £186,000 over three years.

This year, in support of the special day, CarShop colleagues at all nine stores brought in £2,052 when they dressed as ‘LOUD’ as they could, taking the total amount for the media company’s charity programme

to £185,990.52 since the partnership began in 2016.

Colleagues at each site competed as a team for the title of Best Store, with Cardiff winning for their outfits and efforts, as pictured above.

Make Some Noise helps small charities across the UK improve the lives of children and young people who are living with illness, disability or a lack of opportunity.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 11

Dashboard.

RACE OF REMEMBRANCE

Automotive and ex-military unite in tribute to fallen Heads are bowed as the race comes to a temporary halt for the solemn service

T

hey come for a remembrance service.

There’s a 12-hour endurance motor race attached to it – but primarily they’re here for a remembrance service, writes Nick Trott.

It’s an extraordinarily moving sight. A field of more than 40 racing cars cease their on-track battles and slowly come to a halt on the pit straight at Anglesey Circuit in north Wales. The drivers unbuckle their harnesses, jump out of their cars and walk to the pit lane to join a service that has everyone in tears.

Then, just as abruptly, Jim Cameron, chief executive of the charity Mission Motorsport, shouts ‘Let’s go racing!’ and the most remarkable 12-hour endurance race resumes.

Mission Motorsport was formed in 2012 as a branch of the charity Mission Automotive in partnership with the Royal Foundation and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Its aim is to help those affected by military operations by engagement through motor sport and help the automotive industry gain access to ex-forces skills.

‘The first Race of Remembrance, a year later, seemed like a good way to signal to those who are hard to reach,’ explains the retired army major.

‘It’s a loudspeaker for what we do. We don’t generate revenue through the event – it’s a way to engage with beneficiaries.’

And engage they do. At the Race of Remembrance this year, 44 teams and 158 drivers took part in the 12-hour endurance race, but more importantly, more than 150 charity beneficiaries engaged with the event. Some of the beneficiaries

‘I simply wouldn’t have had the chance to get paid to do something I love.’

Martin Bashforth 12 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

took up roles in the race teams, while others were given the opportunity to earn their race licence and actually compete.

The charity has generated a strong following among the UK automotive industry. This year, Goodyear lent its support to a Mission Motorsport-run Toyota GT86 driven by charity beneficiary Matt Stringer and British Touring Car Championship superstar Tom Ingram.

Perhaps the most remarkable story at Race of Remembrance 2019 came via Martin Bashforth, one of the early success stories of Mission Automotive – the Armed Forces engagement initiative for the UK automotive industry. At the Race of Remembrance just eight months after Mission Automotive’s creation, Bashforth was not only taking on a role on the GT86 race team but was just about to embark on a full-time role in Toyota’s UK dealer network.

In his own words, the former army signaller left the military as a disillusioned young man.

‘I ended up going from one dead-end job to another, with everything being to tide me over for a while.’ Via Mission Automotive and a programme run in association with Toyota GB, though, Bashforth gained his qualification as a tech and is now working for Vantage Toyota in Preston. ‘Without this programme, I simply wouldn’t have had the chance to get paid to do something I love,’ he said.

In just seven years, Mission Motorsport has engaged with more than 2,000 wounded, injured or sick people and seen over 170 beneficiaries gain employment through the charity’s training and placement schemes – and as this edition of the magazine went to press, it was announced that Volvo Car UK had also become an industry partner of the charity and will be offering exmilitary personnel the opportunity to find careers within the company’s retailer network.

They shall grow not old...

As we that are left grow old...

We will remember them...

It’s anyone’s race at Manchester go-karting qualifier!

Dashboard, p16

CONFERENCE

More action is urged on key roles for women

MORE action is needed if the automotive industry is to meet a target of 30 per cent of key roles filled by women by 2030.

That was one of the key messages from the UK Automotive 30% Club’s fourth annual conference, which was centred around the theme of Countdown To 30% By 2030.

The full-day seminar included a wide range of guest speakers from across the automotive sector.

The event was sponsored by Auto Trader and hosted at its London offices, where chief operating officer Catherine Faiers said: ‘As a business, we’re firm believers that creating a diverse and inclusive culture is about instilling a working environment in which all our colleagues can bring their true selves to work.

‘In doing so, we attract a broad range of talent, skills and fresh thinking, which is so vital in today’s competitive landscape.’

WOODHAM MORTIMER

New premises being built RACE preparation and classic car restoration specialist Woodham Mortimer is building new premises in Essex.

A state-of-the-art HQ is being created in Chelmsford from which the Maldon firm can continue to expand. The company was established last year when it bought beleaguered JD Classics.

NISSAN

Apprentices graduate NISSAN has seen 27 trainees graduate from a three-year apprenticeship course in 2019.

This year’s ceremony was held at the Williams Conference Centre in Grove, where national aftersales manager Geoff Ollier presented the apprentices with their certificates. Twenty-five qualified with an advanced level apprenticeship as service technicians and two with intermediate-level apprenticeships in customer service.

SPONSORSHIPS

First headline partners sign up for CDX 2020

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

T

wo major organisations have signed up to be headline partners of CDX 2020.

Returning to Farnborough International on April 28 after the venue proved such a success for 2019’s event, CDX, which is free to attend for dealers, is brimming with best practice workshops, top insights from industry leaders at our Live Stage sessions and suppliers offering the latest products and services – all geared to helping dealerships make more money and stay ahead of the competition.

We have four headline partners each year and half of the slots for 2020 have already been snapped up, with lead management software experts Codeweavers and vehicle advertising giant eBay Motors Group eager to get on board with the most important conference and expo dedicated to the UK retail motor industry.

Codeweavers commercial director Shaun Harris said: ‘We’re proud to be a headline sponsor at CDX 2020 – undoubtedly one of the best automotive shows in the UK. ‘We particularly like the way suppliers are all under one roof, making it so much easier for retailers to keep in contact with key suppliers and find out all about their latest products. 2020 is set to be a massive year here at Codeweavers. Our vision is clear and we want our retailers to make buying a vehicle a joyful experience! We will be explaining in more detail how we are going

to help achieve this at CDX 2020. We will be presenting some exciting solutions at CDX 2020 that will really help retailers sell cars through multi-channels, allowing customers to buy a car any way they want to.

‘We’re sponsoring the Business Hub too, as we love the idea of an area where retailers can network. We realise that business doesn’t stop when retailers are at CDX 2020, so it provides the opportunity to take important phone calls and catch up with work.

‘CDX really does have something for everyone.

In just one day, a retailer gets to meet all their suppliers, share industry insights, network, take part in best practice workshops and discover the latest trends.’ eBay Motors Group was launched in November as a platform combined from eBay Motors, Gumtree Motors and Motors.co.uk, creating one of the UK’s biggest vehicle advertising services that will come to market in January 2020. As well as attaching its name to CDX 2020 as a headline partner, it will also be sponsoring the VIP Lounge, which will cater for special guests, with specialist talks and networking plus a breakfast briefing.

Space is already being snapped up by exhibitors, too, with shell scheme stands and floor space areas available in various sizes.

Shell schemes include a plain fascia panel with company name, carpet, spotlight and a power point. For more information about taking a shell stand or floor space, call the sales team on 023 9252 2434 or email them on sales@blackballmedia.co.uk

Headline partners CarDealerMag.co.uk | 13

Dashboard.

UNVEILING

New platform for dealers E bay Motors, Gumtree Motors and Motors.co.uk have announced the launch of a combined platform for automotive dealers under a new B2B brand – eBay Motors Group.

The formal unveiling of the eBay Motors Group – which comes a mere nine months since the acquisition of Motors.co.uk was formally completed – is a huge milestone and will create one of the UK’s biggest vehicle advertising services when it comes to market in January 2020.

Designed to ensure dealers keep pace with customers, whose expectations and shopping behaviours have shifted significantly in the digital era, eBay Motors Group will combine the best of eBay Motors, Gumtree Motors and Motors.co.uk and its network.

The new platform will enable dealers to maximise their online

advertising exposure to a large audience, reaching in-market buyers across multiple digital touchpoints during the buying journey via one stock management and response reporting tool and a single point of account management.

Car buyers will continue to enjoy separate ‘shop windows’ across all existing websites.

Phill Jones, pictured, head of eBay Motors Group UK, said: ‘Consumer demands are changing, with nearly all – 89 per cent – used car buyers visiting multiple online marketplaces to help make their

purchasing decisions. In today’s digitally-first world of car buying, the biggest challenge dealers face is being visible. Our research shows that the average car-buying process is 41 days long and spans a number of websites. It is crucial for dealers to be able to reach these consumers at these varying stages.

‘The more touchpoints a dealer has with a buyer, the greater the chance of a sale. eBay Motors Group now represents a larger share of touchpoints across the buying and selling customer journey, with 92 per cent of buyers willing to use at least one site across the group.’

The announcement also strengthens the eBay Classifieds Group’s expansion strategy in the UK. The group’s packages will be available in January, with dealers able to register their interest now on www.ebaymotorsgroup.co.uk

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14 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

MOTORPOINT

Pre-tax profit falls but revenue rises VEHICLE retailer Motorpoint has posted a drop in pre-tax profit of nearly a fifth for the first half of its financial year, despite a rise in revenue. In its unaudited interim results, the group, which has 12 sites across the UK, said it made £9.4m in the six months to September 30 – down from £11.5m for the corresponding period last year. Revenue, meanwhile, rose by one per cent from £528.6m to £533.9m.

It pointed the finger of blame for the fall at increased overheads as well as continuing market upheaval and the political situation causing muted consumer confidence.

Despite the profit fall, though, Motorpoint is set to open a 13th site in January in Swansea and is scouting out more as well to add to its portfolio.

Join the Go-Karting Challenge

Car Dealer Magazine and Close Brothers Motor Finance have teamed up to host the 2019/2020 Go-Karting Challenge.

5 regional qualifying rounds

(Stockton, Manchester, Reading, Harlow and Cardiff)

Free to enter – either as an individual, or as a group of up to four people Food and refreshments also available 90 minutes endurance race Top two teams go through to the final in Leicester in March 2020

Please visit cardealermagazine.co.uk to register your interest for the Cardiff event which takes place on Thursday 6 February.

Cardiff: TeamSport, 11 Dominion Way, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 1PT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 15

Dashboard.

The podium winners at Manchester Trafford Park

ROUND 2 – MANCHESTER

It’s anyone’s race as teams battle it out for place in the final

A

fter the slips, slides and shenanigans of Stockton’s opener, round two had some living up to do. Following Stockton’s slippery surface, TeamSport Karting’s Manchester Trafford Park track was like chalk to cheese – a single-level affair layered with tarmac, making it pretty serious stuff.

Another 12 teams were fighting for the top two places and this track was sure to separate the Hamiltons from the Alsorans.

The race was a 90-minute endurance test, comprising teams of four, with each team driver having to take to the kart at least once.

Representatives from the north-west automotive industry included teams from Phil Weaver Automotive, Cheshire Performance Cars, Cartime and MW Car Sales.

The practice session was, as always, chaotic. Under yellow flags, teams should have been driving at walking pace, but based on what we were seeing, people in Manchester walk pretty fast!

Automotive Addiction were quickest in

Car Dealer MD Andy Entwistle was in the north-west for the second qualifier of the current Car Dealer Go-Karting Challenge, staged in association with Close Brothers Motor Finance. practice, clocking an impressive 35.69, but the random nature of the pole placement saw them down in 12th and last, with Motorsave Handsworth’s team on pole.

A first-lap spin saw red flags out, but despite this, Benza Autos had taken first place and Automotive Addiction had made five places.

Within two laps, Automotive Addiction were up to third, chasing an impressive drive by Phil Weaver, taking him for second place on lap three and now chasing down Benza who had a healthy 38-second lead. All seemed to unwind for the Automotive Addiction team with a black flagged penalty for a ‘tap’, which seemed unfair, dropping them to fifth, so lots of work to do.

On lap 32, Benza finally lost their lead to the Henley Cars/HI Auto Services team, who had been consistently lapping well, only to lose their

brief lead after a yellow flag. Lap 62 saw a number of driver changes, with Automotive Addiction putting another quick driver in and taking third place back within two laps, reducing their deficit to first to just 25 seconds, with Benza now just 10 seconds ahead. Henley/HI, having led for a while, now dropped to fourth.

A lengthy red flag on lap 68 saw Henley/ HI take Automotive Addiction when they should have been stopped, somehow not seen by the stewards, with Automotive Addiction remonstrating loudly! A lengthy stop for barrier repairs resulted in five minutes’ driving lost and now only 34 minutes remained.

On lap 84, Benza spun and lost many places waiting to be righted, seemingly killing their chances of a win and possibly a podium too.

Lap 86 saw Cheshire Performance Cars change

Feel the need for speed? Then sign up for a chance to be part of this great 16 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDY ENTWISTLE

The latest from our fleet.

Long-termers, p96

See pictures from previous events at bit.ly/cardealeralbums

Dates and tracks Qualifiers Wednesday, October 16

Stockton-on-Tees

Thursday, October 17 Wednesday, November 13

Manchester Reading

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Harlow

Thursday, February 6

Cardiff

Final Wednesday, March 4

Leicester

Karting Q&A What time does the racing start?

Teams need to arrive at the venue before 7pm.

Free parking is available. Before the race begins at 8pm, there’s a mandatory drivers’ briefing plus a 15-minute practice session, which will get you used to the layout, kart and pit stops.

Who can drive?

Every driver in your team needs to be in the motor trade – no professional racing drivers will be allowed to race, nor any non-motor traders.

If you’re unable to put together a team of four from your staff, you can combine with other local dealers. As long as they work in the motor trade, they can be part of your team.

It’s all a blur of action with everything to play for at Manchester Trafford Park a driver, promoting Automotive Addiction to first, who were busy planning their strategy: do they change their last driver yet or keep out for a while and try to build a lead?

Benza responded to the spin by putting in the fastest lap of 36.38, followed by a 35.58. They were determined to make up for that setback…

Unlike Stockton, this could be anyone’s race – the proliferation of yellows and teams’ difference in the interpretation meant a 30-second lead could be lost in a moment or made. There was no consistency, so it was too early to call.

With 10 minutes to go, only Automotive Addiction and Benza were on the same lap – Benza now putting fastest laps in for fun, the latest a 35.47 – with Henley/HI and Cheshire battling for the last podium.

Benza took the lead on lap 113 with eight

minutes left. Even with the spin earlier, could they now win this…?

With one minute to go, Automotive Addiction were given a black flag so into the pits they went, ending their hopes of a win.

At the flag, the winners were Benza Autos, second Automotive Addiction and Henley/HI Autos coming in third.

Fastest lap for a non-podium was claimed by Ancoats Car Sales/MW Car Sales at 36.228.

The third qualifier took place at TeamSport Karting Reading and we’ll be carrying a report of that in the next edition of the magazine.

The two remaining rounds are in Harlow on January 16 and Cardiff on February 6.

If you fancy your chances at either, register via karting@cardealermagazine.co.uk – thanks to Close Brothers’ support, it’s free to take part!

event at karting@cardealermagazine.co.uk

Will I need any gear?

No. TeamSport provides helmets, race suits and gloves at each track, so there’s no need to buy any gear you don’t have.

Are there prizes?

Yes! There will be a podium ceremony at each regional round and a trophy for the winning finalist.

How do I sign up?

Any dealership in the relevant region can apply to enter the qualifiers by emailing us at karting@cardealermagazine.co.uk Applications will be drawn out of a hat and you’ll be informed if your entry has been successful.

What’s the entry fee?

Nothing! Thanks to Close Brothers, it’s free.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 17

Dashboard.

Wintry woe for MD.

Confessions, p95

IN THE PINK

COURT

Essex car dealer snaps up Katie Price’s Range Rover at auction A n Essex car dealer has bought a striking pink Range Rover previously owned by former glamour model Katie Price.

The custom-painted ‘Barbie Rosa Pink’ Range Rover Autobiography had been professionally modified by Urban Automotive and was snapped up by Chelmsford dealership Saxton 4×4 when it went under the hammer at auction. Modifications included a full bodykit and 22-inch alloy wheels painted in gloss black.

A spokesperson for Saxton 4×4 said: ‘We’re always looking to source the best and most unique cars. It goes along with the special experience we like to offer our customers.

‘A car’s history is very important and can add to its value. Being owned by a celebrity offers extra kudos and can make the car more desirable.’

The car is currently undergoing preparation by Saxton before going on sale, with the distinctive vehicle due to appear on the forecourt within the next few weeks.

Back in February, Price was given a driving ban after she was convicted of being nearly twice the legal alcohol limit while in charge of the self-same

Worker jailed for £248,000 embezzlement

car. The Range Rover – said to be worth some £75,000 – was found with damage to the bumper and shrubbery attached to it, but that has since been repaired.

Price was declared bankrupt in November, with the 41-year-old, formerly known as Jordan, once said to be worth more than £40m.

The Range Rover that was Katie Price’s and will shortly be for sale with Saxton 4x4

AN ACCOUNTS assistant who embezzled more than £248,000 from an Evans Halshaw dealership in Glasgow has been sent to prison for 16 months.

Andrea Gibson stole £248,652.85 over three years while working for the showroom, manipulating financial systems to hide 45 payments to her own bank accounts, the BBC reported.

Glasgow Sheriff Court, pictured, was told that she stole the money to pay for her brother’s debts that he’d racked up by gambling.

In October, Gibson, 31, pleaded guilty to embezzling the money from the business in Cumbernauld Road between March 2015 and March 2018.

She was caught by the firm’s financial controller when the irregularities came to light while she was on maternity leave.

Gibson had worked for the dealership for seven years before being promoted to the role of accounts assistant in 2014.

FORD

‘Pivotal day’ hailed as new Aston Martin factory opens

Mach-e orders exceed forecast

LUXURY car-maker Aston Martin has officially opened its new factory in south Wales.

Up to 600 jobs will be created at the St Athan site in 2020, rising to 750 at peak production.

The 90-acre ex-Ministry of Defence base was announced as the second UK plant for Aston Martin Lagonda in early 2016 and since then the whole site, including three superhangars, has been transformed into a manufacturing facility for the

REGISTRATIONS for the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-e are ‘slightly ahead’ of expectations, says Ford.

Around 200 UK registrations have been made since orders opened in mid-November, with each requiring a £1,000 deposit. First customer deliveries are expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2020.

18 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

company’s hand-crafted British cars.

Aston Martin’s first SUV in its 106year history will be built there, and it hopes the £158,000 DBX will boost its flagging sales. The first pre-production versions were made at the factory in June, with full production expected to launch in the second quarter of 2020.

Aston Martin Lagonda president and group chief executive Andy Palmer described the opening of the plant as a ‘pivotal day’ for the company and a vote of confidence

in the UK. He said the factory was ‘integral to our ambitions as a global luxury brand with a presence in all major sectors of the market’. l Aston Martin shares leapt more than 17 per cent the day before after it was reported that billionaire Lawrence Stroll was preparing to bid for a stake in the company.

The father of Formula One driver Lance Stroll was said to be heading up a consortium looking to take a ‘major shareholding’ in the car maker.

The warranty experts

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 19

20 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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

A trip down memory lane... and why the car industry needs another Lada

A

couple of weeks ago, I had a fabulous trip down memory lane courtesy of an old mate of mine in the trade who’d taken an ancient Lada Riva in part-exchange.

Back in the late-Eighties, the dealership I was working at (a Citroen main agent) took on Lada as a bolt-on franchise much to the horror of its sales staff, of which I was one of the senior managers. Citroens were a tough enough sell back then, thanks to their weird suspension and crazy cabin ergonomics, but they had an enthusiastic following from repeat customers and were often incentivised by the manufacturer to make them stand out in terms of value for money, so despite the challenges, we did okay.

Plus, the old BX was a bloody good car if you gave it half a chance.

Lada, on the other hand, appeared to have no redeeming features. A shonkily built 1960s Fiat made out of cheap Russian steel was not a desirable car. Indeed, the bus was a preferable mode of transport, not least because you didn’t need the muscles of a Russian shotputter to travel on it. Anyone who has ever tried squeezing a Lada into an on-street parking space will testify to this – if the size of their shoulders and biceps doesn’t already give the game away.

Indeed, I put Russia’s success in Olympic weightlifting events not down to illegal steroids so much as the fact the entire team drove Lada Rivas, but that didn’t stop the IOC giving them a ban.

Anyway, I was totally and utterly wrong. The day the signs went up outside our dealership, customers came flocking to us from nowhere, all desperate to get their hands on Togliatti’s finest driving machine. It seemed that the £3,290 asking price for a brand-new car was enough to tempt people into giving up such luxuries as comfort, a radio and any semblance of driving dynamics to instead enjoy the benefits of a three-year warranty and styling that resembled brutalist communist architecture.

By the end of my first quarter of flogging Ladas, I’d grown to love them. The buyers were straightforward and usually very pleasant, often older and not at all versed in the art of haggling, and there were no hours spent on the phone to finance houses (we had no internet back then) trying to get them

a deal. Lada buyers were often pretty wealthy – the type that look after the pennies so the pounds look after themselves – so cash swapped hands and a fair chunk of it went straight in my pocket.

They were happy days.

Of course, all good things come to an end, and by the midNineties Lada was in trouble. It had singularly not bothered to update its model range when the rest of the car market was advancing apace, and those who got Silas Marner to do their accounts were spending their Scrooge-like wealth elsewhere, on a half-decent Proton or more-than-passable Skoda Favorit rather than an outdated communist minicab. But while the sun shone, we were making plenty of hay and the Lada was absolutely right for its time.

So when my dealer mate, who was once a young salesman working for me on the Lada account, took a battered old Riva in part-ex from an elderly gent, he brought it straight round to show me and we drove off into the Warwickshire countryside for a lunchtime pie and a pint.

It was, of course, as bad as I remembered.

On greasy autumn roads, the handling was all over the place, the gearshift was agricultural and the steering did little more than vaguely point the car in the direction you wanted to go – and even then only when it was ready. It was truly awful.

However, the nostalgia for Ladas is obviously out there, as he flogged it on eBay the following week for a tenner short of two grand. That wasn’t much less than it cost when new.

I like to think the buyer was a dewy-eyed ex-Lada dealer from the Eighties who wanted it as a memento of how he made his millions, for if we’d boarded the Lada bus a bit sooner, I dare say we’d have made a lot more cash than we did out of the Russian relic.

Indeed, what the car industry needs right now is another Lada.

The current crop of ‘budget’ cars are good. Really good, in fact, and that means most people buy them on PCP and get sucked into the new-car-for-life mentality that is slowly eating away at Britain’s backstreet used car economy.

If we could bring back Lada and spectacularly lower customers’ expectations of a good-value new car, then a lot fewer independent dealers would currently have their backs to the wall.

‘I put Russia’s success in Olympic weightlifting events not down to illegal steroids so much as the fact the entire team drove Lada Rivas.’

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

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 21

Feedback.

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

Our website at CarDealerMag.co.uk

Will I encounter many I HAVE extensive experience in the motor trade both as a salesman (for multiple manufacturer dealerships) and as a car buyer (I worked as a buyer for a couple of big companies and managed to break the profit record on a number of occasions).

For many years, I have toyed with the idea of becoming a car dealer myself. I don’t consider myself a ‘born salesman’ and I don’t think I would be able to sell anything other than cars. I’m sure what helped me sell cars in the past is the fact that I’m genuinely enthusiastic about them (even dull, everyday ones... that’s just me).

I’m still on the fence about starting out and I think my main concern is that inevitable time when you get an ‘awkward’ (for want of a better word) customer. What has everyone found their customers to be like? Anyone trying to take you to court because a clutch went after a few weeks?

Fabio1493 If this is your main concern, maybe you should forget it because it will happen.

Row If you’ve been in car sales for franchises you will already be intimate with the warranty rules and how to deal with customers, and as a group buyer you will know the difference between a winner and a sh***er. You also mention you are enthusiastic about cars so I would say yes, go for it. You are, as a new member of the forum, unusually qualified. Good luck. awc1000 A customer will never take me to court for a clutch after a few weeks because I would have already replaced it FOC, no hesitation or argument. Strange initial question from someone with a wealth of experience. Normally it is how much is insurance, where can I buy from, how

Picture of the month

then I don’t think you’ll do so well long-term.

The days of not acting responsibly are long gone (CRA, reviews etc). Good luck! umesh If you are good at buying, just sell to the trade.

This may create fewer problems.

Screenman Do me a favour, email me the name of the place you can buy cheaply and regularly enough to sell to the trade and make a wage.

BHM

JUST to show the Car Dealer gang can scrub up quite nicely when the need arises, here are four of us on the night of the Used Car Awards – from the left, account managers Dion O’Brien and Michelle Searle, production editor Dave Brown and the man who started it all, James Baggott. A good night was had by everyone and you can read full coverage of the event on pages 32-77. long before I am a millionaire. It seems everyone who starts out in this game wants to find out ways to get out of fixing things, which in my opinion is completely the wrong attitude.

You will buy many good cars – perhaps one in 10 or 20 will kick you but that is our game.

Good luck whatever you decide but if you’re making a living buying and selling cars as an employee, stick at it.

Mark101 You can’t stay on the fence for ever, it’s yes, you want to go it alone or no, you’d prefer to stay put! Biggest thing is, you’ll be playing with your own money and not someone else’s. If you’re not going to do the job right, ie the clutch example,

Not a clue, BHM, but I work for a couple of busy traders who seldom retail but turn a lot of metal.

Screenman Ask your local sprayer or dent removal man, they will know who’s trading locally. Granted, trade supplied cars are not as plentiful and not as cheap as they once were, but they don’t come with (a) a £200-500 indemnity, or (b) £200 delivery by a stranger. Also, of course, you get to drive them before deciding / paying.

It amazes me how new retailers set up but don’t have an interest in the local trade supply. awc100

Best and worst months What months do you find that you make the most or least sales?

Lambchop I think January is generally good for all. In February you can’t source stock as prices are through the roof so it becomes your worst month.

Scooby who There’s no pattern for me. If I manage to buy lots of nice stock, I will have a good month. If I don’t, then I won’t. justina3

Top Used Car Awards tweets #UCAwards Buzzing to win the Rising Star award tonight at the #usedcarawards @mikebrewer great to meet you.

Jammo @Jammo1991 Delighted to collect the ‘Outstanding Achievement of the Year’ award @CarDealerMag #UCAwards this evening on behalf of @MarshallGroup. Great recognition for the incredible outperformance in H1. Despite a declining market, the Group

22 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

delivered used car growth of 7.2 per cent #topteam Daksh Gupta @MarshallMotorGp And the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to, trading standards specialist, motor trade legend, David Combes... my Dad. So proud of this man, over 50 years in the #MotorTrade and still as enthusiastic about it as he was when he started – a true legal legend #UCAwards LawJaw @LawgisticsLegal

We had an amazing time! It was an honour to be nominated for such a HUGE and impressive category. Congratulations to all the nominees, highly commended and awarded! #UCAwards LMC CARS @LMCCARS Absolutely electric atmosphere at the @CarDealerMag Used Car Awards, such a fantastic bunch of people all representing the finest businesses in the motor trade.

Car Quay Ltd @carquayltd

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

On Twitter: Follow @CarDealerMag

Forum: CarDealerMagazine.co.uk/forum

awkward customers?

TESTING TIMES

The best time to carry out an MOT...

CAN’T decide if it’s best to MOT in advance or not. At the moment, we MOT once a deposit has been taken or if a car is within 30 days of expiry.

The main reason we wait until we have got a deposit is that in the event something goes wrong, an MOT one mile or one day before collection goes a long way towards showing the car was roadworthy at the time of sale.

Also, if we have MOT’d a car in advance, I feel pressured to sell it more quickly as it is obvious how long we have had a car in stock and of course, customers won’t be getting a 12-month MOT any more.

The reason I’m doubting my strategy is that I get the feeling cars that have already been MOT’d in advance (ones within 30 days of expiry) are selling quicker. I also had a couple of comments from customers recently saying they were put off at first because the car only had four months of MOT left when they looked it up – even though it says in numerous places ‘12 months’ MOT on every car’.

But this shouldn’t be of any surprise because I am sure the majority of customers can’t read!

I also put ‘viewing by appointment’ everywhere but every week get at least one person just turning up. So do you MOT in advance or not and what are your reasons?

I am assuming we all put a fresh test on every car. I do as I feel it adds value to the vehicle and it covers my back legally. Be

interesting also to see how many members of this forum don’t put a fresh test on.

BIGNIT Always in advance for me – it removes the pressure of trying to find parts if needed, plus, as you mention, the customer likes to see a good, clean MOT. There is also less rushing around and prevents the situation that when you need a job doing, the mechanic is busy.

I don’t buy into all this ‘protect yourself from the nasty customer’. Do your job right and, okay, yes, you will always come across the occasional nut-job but no matter what bit of paper you have, they will still be nut-jobs.

In part, most punters are okay. justina3

If there’s one thing people in the motor trade are known for, it’s a sense of humour. After all, as the saying goes, if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry!

We’ve teamed up with Car Sales Memes to bring you a few of their funniest captions and slogans each month.

I always test in advance as it lets me be able to fix it at my own pace and not under pressure.

Once anything has been in stock over six months, retest. (Unfortunately, I’m about to have a few like that.)

JA Trader Always MOT when a car arrives, part of the prep as standard now. Why worry after taking a deposit if it will pass or not when a fail could delay or cancel the deal? I wouldn’t do it any other way. Saves hassle later on down the line in my eyes. Each to their own. chrishowie

Can I trade cars at age of 17?

HELLO all. I am 17 and want to trade cars. Is there any way that I can legally do this with insurance?

It seems like all trade insurance policies are for 18+. Any ideas?

CupertinoPark Good luck – I wish you all the best. It’s nice to see a young lad with motivation and a goal in life.

Have a nice Christmas. It might be difficult but if you phone around and send emails, you will get insurance, I’m sure. It will cost a bit though.

Casper First of all, congratulations regarding starting out in business young fella, well done. Insurance is very difficult at your age, but get a parent to put

it in their name with you as a named user to start with. All the very best with the future of the new venture. It’s fun, it’s hard work, it’s a challenge at times, but anything is possible with the right frame of mind.

David Horgan Just keep ringing, emailing, texting... whatever you need to. In this life there is no easy route but you’re off to a good start. Most 17-year-olds I know can’t get their head out of their X-Boxes. justina3 It’s amazing what you can do with the right frame of mind.

Casper

Search for Car Sales Memes on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and give them a follow!

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

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 23

Dashboard.

Around the world Dealer news from somewhere other than here

GERMANY

AUDI has confirmed that it is cutting 9,500 jobs in Germany over the next five years. The decision has been made in order to free up £5.14bn in investment for the company’s electric vehicle development. Currently, Audi employs 62,000 workers in Germany, which means that this process of cuts will reduce its workforce by around 15 per cent. However, it has confirmed that it will extend its employment guarantee for its ‘core workforce’ until 2029. It will be recruiting for new jobs, too.

MEXICO

CUPRA is revving its engines in Mexico. As part of its expansion strategy, the new brand is making its debut in the country by opening its first global flagship store with the market launch of the Ateca.

Cupra has chosen Mexico City as the location of the world’s first Cupra Garage – a space that is exclusively dedicated to the brand.

At the same time, the brand has installed six ‘Cupra corners’ throughout Seat’s dealership network in Mexico.

24 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

ITALY

GROUPE Renault has given a special Dacia Duster to the Pope.

The ‘Popemobile’ – with its white livery and beige interior – was transformed by Dacia specialists in Romania in co-operation with coach builder Romturing. Xavier Martinet, general manager of Groupe Renault Italy, said the gift renewed the company’s commitment to ‘putting man at the centre of its priorities’.

SOUTH AFRICA

INDONESIA

HYUNDAI is planning its first factory in Indonesia. The plant, which will represent an investment of £1.2 billion, will be constructed in the eastern outskirts of the capital, Jakarta. Euisun Chung, executive vice-chairman of the Hyundai Motor Group, thanked the Indonesian government for its assistance in getting the project off the ground and added: ‘Hyundai will continue to listen and respond to the government’s expectations and policies regarding eco-friendly vehicles, while contributing to the south-east Asian community.’

AFTER two years of meticulous planning, the veil has been lifted on Aston Martin Johannesburg. The new dealership, which replaces a former showroom in Sandton about 10 miles north, represents a major investment by luxury and supercar supplier Daytona. The premises take centre stage in Melrose Arch, one of Johannesburg’s poshest locations.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 25

Finance.

RESEARCH

‘PCH? Is that a drug?’ How jargon is confusing public M illions more people have started using car finance but many are completely baffled by it, according to new research.

Figures from the Finance and Leasing Association show that the value of the UK car finance market reached almost £4.3 billion in September, with more than a quarter of a million cars funded during the month.

But research from Hippo Motor Finance shows many people are confused by the jargon that comes with this type of finance and don’t necessarily understand the options.

Peer-to-peer lending company Zopa reported in October that nearly half of consumers who bought a car on finance didn’t know what type of deal they had signed up to.

A key reason was because of the jargon, with 19 per cent saying they didn’t understand it and 16 per cent saying they didn’t follow the finance options given to them.

Admiral also reported last year that just one in 10 British people understands car finance jargon,

with some believing certain relevant abbreviations have nothing to do with car finance at all.

Many people said they thought PCH was either a hallucinogenic drug or stood for personal car hire, for instance, while others presumed the term ‘balloon payment’ was made up!

Among the terms car buyers find confusing are APR (annual percentage rate), GFV (guaranteed future value), and VT (voluntary termination).

Tom Preston, managing director of

Hippo Motor Finance, said: ‘There is a lot of jargon out there. It’s like learning a new language for some people, especially those new to car finance.

‘It’s important for people not to be afraid to ask questions about the terms they come across if they’re not clear about them.

‘They need to make sure they fully understand any agreement they sign up to, know exactly how it works, what it involves, and if it’s right for them.’

‘ROADSHOW’

Guide helps dealers support vulnerable customers SANTANDER Consumer Finance is visiting dealers across the UK to launch its motor finance guide about vulnerable customers.

Put together by the Money Advice Trust with input from Santander, it aims to help dealers when dealing with the topic.

Andy Green, Santander Consumer Finance’s director of marketing and innovation, said: ‘Vulnerability is an important part of the FCA’s business plan, and with the SMCR [Senior

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Managers and Certification Regime] coming into effect for consumer credit and insurance in December increasing personal accountability, we wanted to provide practical guidance for dealers.’

The Santander ‘roadshow’ has lined up visits to dealerships in Ballyclare, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Northampton, as well as hosting one of the 90-minute training sessions at its headquarters in Redhill.

Chris Fitch, vulnerability lead consultant at the Money Advice Trust,

said: ‘When purchasing a vehicle from a car dealership, customers will make lots of big and small decisions. As our new guide explains, we can identify customers who might need extra support or help during their purchase by carefully watching the way in which they make these decisions.

‘Our guide provides staff working in dealerships with the tools to better identify these vulnerable customers, support them in their decisionmaking and to treat them fairly.’

IVENDI

‘Eight per cent of quotes could be incorrect’

NEW research by iVendi shows that eight per cent of used cars have potentially conflicting information attached to their digital record – meaning that any finance quotes supplied for them could be incorrect.

From a sample of around 140,000 vehicles being sold online, the motor retail technology specialist identified more than 11,000 with a potential problem.

This means the quotes being delivered to customers could be incorrect on a typical PCP quotation. It’s also possible that the error would be carried through to any finance deal ultimately concluded for the vehicle.

James Tew, pictured, chief executive of iVendi, said: ‘A vehicle’s digital record will include data about the car including a physical description but also a taxonomy code from an established industry data provider. The code has either been allocated by a person making a visual check or, increasingly often, using automated systems that have become popular.

‘The problem is that, by its very nature, vehicle taxonomy is complicated and it is very easy for both humans and software to get the taxonomy code wrong.’

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Time is money BEN GARSIDE

A monthly look at the world of automotive finance and marketing

Make sure you take time out to reflect on the past as you plan for the future

S

o there goes another year. I do believe that time is passing by more quickly as I get older and this year really has flown by. We’re now in December again and it’s a time of madness in most marketing departments. At First Response, we have multiple campaigns that have varying schedules, starting and finishing at different times.

However, I still try to take time to reflect on what has come and gone throughout the year.

I also make sure to set goals and then produce a plan to achieve them.

Reflection time is just as important as planning in my opinion, and I would advise everyone to do both, especially in a tough market.

I’m not talking about a ‘New Year – New Me‘ Facebook post here, as these are usually not thought out and usually have no longevity to them. I’m talking about a well-thought-out review and plan. I do this both for personal reasons and business purposes, and the only way for me to do this process is to take some time out in an empty room or somewhere really quiet.

For instance, last year my personal reflection was done in a small bar in Derby.

Situated off the beaten track down a courtyard, it is a place that I know I will only ever see a maximum of two people in.

I sat there in front of the open fire and just thought about things. I didn’t talk to anyone, which is unlike me, but it was time on my own with a notepad.

As I sat there, I asked myself some key questions:

n What did I set out to achieve last year? n What have I achieved within the last year? n What do I still need to finish?

After I have answered these, I start to think about the next couple of years, and in particular I think about the next 12 months.

Similarly, when I approach our work goals, I like to get my team together and reflect on what we set out to achieve and what we actually achieved, asking them the same questions. This helps us set appropriate and achievable goals for the year ahead, alongside completing anything that may have been missed or just unfinished.

As you all know, the motor trade can be up and down at times, with a lot of external influences. Things like the weather we can’t change but we can almost certainly plan for seasonality.

A lot of the dealers I have spoken to over the years are prepped with a plan. However, not many take time out to have a deep think and reflect on their past year and link the two.

I have also seen that they don’t take the time to work in personal ambitions for the future. It may be as simple as ‘I will spend some more time at home with the kids’, as we all know the job takes up a lot of time, or ‘I want to take a digital marketing course to help me sell more cars’. There are so many areas that you could put into personal objectives, so I’m sure you will have something – just make sure you link the two!

There’s a lot going on at the moment with external changes that may affect your business or home life, so please take some time out and take time to think about yourself.

‘I sat in front of the open fire and just thought about things. I didn’t talk to anyone, but it was time on my own with a notepad.’

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

Turn over the page for more finance stories

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 27

Dealfinder.

Finance.

YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ELECTRIC HATCHBACKS

Volkswagen e-Golf

Nissan Leaf

WHILE the Volkswagen e-Golf’s days may be numbered with the eighth-generation Golf going on sale, as well as the launch of VW’s bespoke ID.3 EV, it remains a credible family EV. Its battery might not be the largest, but it’s still capable of a claimed 144-mile electric range, which is more than enough for most motorists. It’s also well equipped with LED headlights, an eight-inch touchscreen plus front and rear parking sensors.

If the customer puts down a £4,350 deposit contribution, Volkswagen will add £750 to that. Following this, they make 35 monthly payments of £314.33, which means that at the end of the three years the customer will have spent £15,351.55.

They can then pay £11,743.20 to buy the e-Golf, taking the final amount to £27,094.75. Thanks to VW’s contribution, this is £480.25 cheaper than the £27,575 cash price.

THE Nissan Leaf has been particularly popular since its 2011 introduction. We’re now in the second generation of this groundbreaking hatchback – the latest version going on sale in 2018.

The new car features a 40kWh battery as standard – enabling a claimed range of up to 168 miles – while in N-Connecta grade, as it is here, it comes with heated seats, a heated steering wheel and an around-view camera to name just a few features.

On top of the customer’s £4,417 contribution, Nissan is adding £1,000. This is followed by 36 monthly payments of £341, so that at the end of the contract the customer will have spent £16,693.

If they decide to buy their Leaf, a final payment of £14,499 can be made, bringing the total up to £31,192. Even with Nissan’s deposit contribution, though, a five per cent APR means this is £1,897 more expensive than the £29,295 cash price.

STARTLINE MOTOR FINANCE

Consumer view of industry ‘better than how it sees itself’ C onsumer perception of the motor finance industry is ‘better than how it views itself’, according to new research carried out for Startline Motor Finance.

In a poll asking them to compare motor finance to other retail sectors in a traditional store-based setting, 39.6 per cent of 300 consumers quizzed placed motor finance a long way ahead or slightly ahead of other retail sectors compared with 26.3 per cent of 57 dealer businesses that took part in APD Global’s poll.

Only 23.8 per cent of consumers believed that motor finance was slightly or a long way behind other retail sectors compared with 31.6 per cent of dealers – while 42.1 per cent of dealers and 36 per cent of consumers rated it around the same.

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by DAVE BROWN @CarDealerDave

The picture is similar for online retail, where 36.8 per cent of consumers placed motor finance a long way ahead or slightly ahead of other retail sectors compared with 24.6 per cent of dealers.

Again, just 30.3 per cent of consumers believed that motor finance was slightly or a long way behind other retail sectors compared with 45.6 per cent of dealers online – with 29.8 per cent of dealers and 32.9 per cent of consumers rating it around the same.

Paul Burgess, pictured, chief executive of Startline, said: ‘The motor finance industry tends to give itself quite a hard time about its reputation

but these figures show that consumers view it significantly better than how it views itself.

‘Whether looking at store-based or online retail environments, it ranks very competitively against sectors that would generally be perceived as being much more customer-focused.

‘While there is clearly still work to do to drive forward standards still further, this is very welcome news for our sector.’

Burgess added that moves in recent years to improve levels of compliance in motor finance and create an ethos based around meeting consumer needs may have had an impact.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN PROPOSE TO US

Hyundai Ioniq Electric HYUNDAI’S all-electric Ioniq has seen its battery size increase from 28kWh to 38.3kWh, boosting the range significantly – the car can now travel a claimed 184 miles on one charge.

While the Premium grade here might be the entry-level option, it feels far from sparse – with LED headlights, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, electric driver’s seat and adaptive cruise control just a few of the highlights.

A £4,600 customer deposit is followed by 36 monthly payments of £335.26, which means that after three years they will have spent £16,669.36. After this, if the customer chooses to buy their car, they can make a final payment of £15,795.

This takes the total amount payable up to £32,464.36, which, because of the 4.9 per cent APR, is £3,014.36 more than the £29,450 cash price.

MOTONOVO

LEASEPLAN

‘Balance is the key to making a profit from financial services’

Board members leave by mutual agreement

MOTONOVO is reassuring dealers that the Financial Conduct Authority’s moves to tighten the rules on motor finance and Gap/RTI insurance don’t pose a threat to the future of finance and insurance as profit centres for dealerships.

In a recent podcast, Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the regulator, dismissed claims that the FCA didn’t want to see firms making a profit, adding: ‘We have to have firms that earn returns and earn what their shareholders expect, but it has to be balanced. It’s always a balance.’

Deputy chief executive Karl Werner, pictured, said: ‘At MotoNovo, we view the balance that Andrew Bailey referred to as a ‘‘Triple Win’’ – an outcome that works for the customer, dealer and MotoNovo.

‘We have built a distinctive portfolio of products and services to help dealers to embrace the Triple Win and start creating good outcomes for one and all.’

LEASEPLAN has had a managing board shake-up, with chief risk officer Franca Vossen and chief strategic finance and investor relations officer Yolanda Paulissen leaving by mutual agreement.

Jos Streppel, chairman of the LeasePlan supervisory board, said: ‘I would like to thank Franca for her many significant contributions to LeasePlan. Franca has played a key role in the company’s transformation, including bringing LeasePlan’s risk, privacy and compliance function to its next phase of development.

‘I would also like to thank Yolanda for her outstanding service to LeasePlan, particularly in the strategic finance function, which she has led with exceptional ability and innovation.’

Their departures were followed by a review of LeasePlan’s governance structure, the results of which are yet to be announced.

ONLINE? SAY YES TO A

PROCESS THAT IS: QUICK EASY EFFICIENT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 29

Forecourt.

FIRST DRIVE

Volkswagen Golf

Engine

Mild-hybrid technology is newly available on selected engines.

The Volkswagen Golf remains as classy and premium as ever. Ted Welford headed to Portugal to test the all-new eighth-generation model.

What is it?

The Volkswagen Golf seems to be eternal. It’s remained unfazed by the whole ‘dieselgate’ debacle and has cleverly evolved to become electrified and connected.

It’s also VW’s most popular car. After more than 45 years on sale, a remarkable 35 million have been produced, and come February this allnew eighth-generation example will be available.

What’s new?

In typical Golf style, the latest model looks like it could just be a facelift, but it’s underneath and inside where VW has waved its magic wand.

The cabin has been completely digitalised, getting rid of the majority of physical buttons and fitting the car with a 10-inch touchscreen and digital cockpit as standard, the latter being unique to this class – for the time being at least. Further tech introduced includes Car2X – essentially where the Golf can ‘communicate’ with other cars and infrastructure.

In terms of electrification, Volkswagen is introducing mild-hybrid technology to the Golf – at first with a TSI petrol engine when paired with an automatic transmission.

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering our test car is the 128bhp variant of the turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, which comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission – expected to be the best-selling configuration.

It’s a good mix for the Golf – offering excellent refinement as you can barely hear it at low revs, while cylinder deactivation tech is just one of the touches that goes into making the unit more efficient than before, although VW can’t give us the figures just yet.

While performance isn’t this engine’s strong point, it’s a good all-rounder, feeling plentiful at motorway speeds while also having a bit of buzz for the more twisty roads. Admittedly, it can feel sluggish at times when overtaking, 30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

‘While performance isn’t this engine’s strong point, it’s a good all-rounder, feeling plentiful at motorway speeds.’ although the 148bhp variant of the same engine provides the remedy for this.

What’s it like to drive?

Even at motorway speeds the Golf is impressively refined – only a bit of wind noise from the door mirrors makes its way into the cabin – giving a comfortable and supple ride that isn’t even hampered by our test car’s 18-inch alloy wheels.

For now, we can only imagine how silky

smooth it feels on the entry-level 16s. However, while being a great cruiser, it’s not a byword for driving enjoyment. Sure, body roll is well controlled and the steering is smooth and linear, but it’s all very safe and predictable.

How does it look?

In true VW fashion, the Golf’s design has evolved rather than revolved. Viewed side-on, you’d be hard-pressed to notice the difference, aside from the all-new line-up of alloy wheels – particularly as it retains near-matching dimensions to the outgoing car.

But it’s at the front where you’ll spot most of the changes with its new LED headlights, while a full-length front apron gives the Golf a more aggressive look than before. Jumping to the rear, you’ll notice Volkswagen’s prominent new logo (it’s slimmer than before, if you couldn’t tell) along with more

Interior

All physical buttons seem to have been removed from the digitalised cabin.

THE KNOWLEDGE Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI 130 Style Price (as tested): TBA Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 128bhp Torque: 200Nm Max speed: 133mph 0-60mph: 9.0 seconds MPG (combined): TBA Emissions: TBA Model:

TARGET BUYERS: Those who have probably owned Golfs for at least 10 years…

THE RIVALS: Ford Focus, Seat Leon, Mazda3

Trim levels

New grades replace long-standing S, SE and SE L models.

KEY SELLING POINTS: 1. Premium image.

2. Upmarket interior.

3. Comfort.

DEAL CLINCHER: Classy image augmented by extra technology.

prominent ‘GOLF’ lettering beneath the badge – a classy touch in our eyes. The full suite of LED lights are also prominent at the rear.

So, while this might not be a revolutionary design, it’s a classy update and one that will undoubtedly appeal to the Golf’s loyal buyers.

What’s it like inside?

The new interior is headed up by a huge 10inch touchscreen that seems to control, well, everything. All physical buttons seem to have been eradicated to create this entirely digitalised interior – helped by the new ‘Hello Volkswagen’ voice control service and touch buttons dotted throughout, even for the sunroof.

While it certainly looks the part – transforming the Golf for the ’20s – we can’t help but feel this needless button-removing has gone too far.

Merely changing the temperature means you have to use this slightly awkward slider positioned below the touchscreen when a traditional rotary knob would do a much better job with less hassle.

Aside from that, it’s business as usual, with the

Golf offering a generous amount of rear space for its size. While the 380-litre boot isn’t class-leading, it’s more than generous enough for a family hatchback. Visibility is also faultless.

What’s the spec like?

If you’re familiar with VW’s trim level structure, you’ll know about Volkswagen’s trademark S, SE and SE L grades that have stood the test of time.

But for a change of scenery, Volkswagen is adopting new nomenclatures – meaning Golf, Life, Style and R-Line are the options from launch, the last grade being the only aspect of continuity.

Standard kit is excellent and includes LED headlights, keyless start, a 10-inch infotainment screen that offers a host of connected services as well as the digital cockpit. There’s plenty of safety features too – namely lane-keep assist and automatic emergency braking.

Volkswagen hasn’t yet announced prices for the new Golf, although given this jump in out-of-thebox equipment, we’d expect a noticeable rise on top of the outgoing Golf’s £21,120 starting price.

What do the press think?

Autocar said: ‘This new Golf has managed to raise the game and distance itself from the competition.’ Car said: ‘It’s an even more mature version of what came before.’

What do we think?

Volkswagen already had a near-class-leading model with the outgoing Golf, and it didn’t need to do a great deal to the new eighth-generation model to bring it right to the forefront of the competitive family hatchback class.

With this 1.5-litre petrol configuration, it leaves you wanting for very little, and the Golf would be a terrific choice if you spend lots of time cruising on the motorway. The fiddly new touchscreen might be a gripe at first, but we’re in no doubt that it would be quickly adjusted to once you’re living with it on a daily basis.

With efficiency figures and pricing yet to be revealed, it’s a bit soon to say if the new Golf is the new ‘car to beat’ in this class, although the pathway seems to have been laid.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 31

Used Car Awards 2019

Celebrating top efforts in these very trying times

WE’RE incredibly proud to be able to host these special awards that are unique in giving everyone the chance to shine in the spotlight.

From the smallest independent used car dealers to the giant manufacturers, the Car Dealer Used Car Awards give the whole industry the opportunity to showcase their skills in this most competitive of arenas.

It’s the eighth year that we’ve held the awards, and there’s no doubt that 2019 has been one of the hardest years the automotive industry has encountered for a while.

Used car sales have dipped ever so slightly – by

less than one per cent – but still an incredible 6.1 million changed hands.

In these tough times, Car Dealer Magazine and the Used Car Awards judges applaud your efforts out there on the ground.

During the mystery shopping element of the judging, we were very impressed with the increase in responses to our initial email inquiries. In years gone by, the email reply rate was appalling, but as times have got tougher and online leads are taken more seriously, we saw a marked improvement in how many dealers got back to us.

Competition out there is harsh, so all those

FIVE STEPS TO AWARD HEAVEN

1

2

32 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Hundreds of nominations pour in from dealers, their business partners and customers across the UK via our survey link at carawards.co.uk

Each entry comes under scrutiny and judges eliminate those dealers who don’t come up to scratch in our first round of mystery shopping

PICTURES: MATT RICHARDSON

who were highly commended and won should be extremely proud. But everyone who made it through to the final can give themselves a pat on the back because they all truly shone out from the huge number of dealers who entered.

As ever, though, hosting these awards wouldn’t have been possible without our brilliant category sponsors and headline partner Black Horse, which has proudly backed the event for many years.

Meanwhile, the drinks reception was brought to us by eBay Motors Group, as was our fun casino with its fabulous prize of £400 in John Lewis vouchers – won by Edward Cumberland of Romans

International – while Codeweavers kindly laid on the after-party once again. A massive thank-you to all of our commercial supporters.

These awards take months to organise and the night itself seems to pass in a flash, but it’s all very much worth it. Congratulations to everyone – and I can’t wait to do it all again in 2020!

3

4

We publish an initial long list of nominees who have impressed the judges – then another exhaustive round whittles them down further

James Baggott Founder, Car Dealer Magazine

The shortlist of nominees, along with the categories, is published online in advance of the big night that is the Used Car Awards

5

At the awards ceremony, Mike Brewer announces the winner and two highly commendeds in each category CarDealerMag.co.uk | 33

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Social Media User of the Year Sponsored by iVendi Presented by Russell White, vice president of sales

Victoria Kerr and David Hill from H.R. Owen with Russell White from iVendi and Mike Brewer

Winner: H.R. Owen

Highly commended: Alexanders Prestige & Romans International SUPERCAR dealer group H.R. Owen claimed the award for Social Media User of the Year.

The company was recognised for its dedication to all of its brands across several platforms, its use of great content and high levels of engagement. The group has created digital campaigns to support its in-store events and works with celebrity partners to make some truly unique content, which really wowed the judges.

Speaking after receiving the trophy, audience manager Victoria Kerr said: ‘It’s amazing to be recognised for the work we do. Our audience and customers seem to really engage with the dynamic content we produce and it’s a credit to the whole team who work so hard.’

James Baggott, founder of Car Dealer Magazine and a Used Car Awards judge, commented: ‘H.R. Owen is a dealer group that represents some of the most prestigious car brands around, such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce so it’s hardly surprising that its content is attracting plenty of fans and followers.

‘The company is active on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube and has really upped its social media game this year.

H.R. Owen is a very deserving winner in this allimportant category so well done.’

Highly commended were Alexanders Prestige and Romans International. Good work everyone!

‘Our audience and customers seem to really engage with the dynamic content we produce. Credit to the whole team who work so hard.’

Victoria Kerr, H.R. Owen audience manager

Brewer’s verdict: H.R. Owen are VERY switched on when it comes to social media and their online activity really helps to keep their profile high. Well done to the team on a great achievement here.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 35

Gallagher Automotive Specialist Motor Trade Insurance

Helping protect businesses across the country for over 50 years - from independent repairers and small garages to larger franchise dealerships Contact us to find out more: T:

+44 (0) 800 612 2284

E: automotive_enquiries@ajg.com

GST-225260264

ajginternational.com Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55, Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland.

Company Number: SC108909. FP04-2018 Exp. 04.01.2019 Š2018 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

36 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Dealers’ Dealer of the Year Sponsored by Gallagher Presented by Leon Bosch, managing director of the automotive practice

Jamie Caple collects his award from Leon Bosch, managing director of the automotive practice at Gallagher, and Mike Brewer

Winner: Jamie Caple, Car Quay

Highly commended: Neil Smith, Imperial Cars & John O’Hanlon, Waylands Automotive DERBY dealership Car Quay made its presence felt at the Used Car Awards this year by bagging a brace of top honours.

The business won the Newcomer Dealership of the Year award (see page 38 for full report), while owner Jamie Caple was named the Dealers’ Dealer of the Year – voted for by his peers.

Caple set up the Stenson Road business three years ago thanks to the backing of his family, and it has since grown to be a well-respected and friendly face in the area for car buyers.

His support of other car dealers and businesses across the UK saw him scoop the Dealers’ Dealer award, with nominees’ comments including he was ‘always willing to help out a fellow dealer’

and ‘made a genuine difference to the industry’.

After collecting his award, Caple said: ‘I love the motor trade, I’m very proud to be part of it.

‘Our industry gets a lot of negative press but we help people. If you do the job right you can make the experience special.

‘When we sell a car we make a friend and add a family member to our business.’

James Baggott, founder of Car Dealer Magazine and one of the judges, said: ‘Managing to win the Dealers’ Dealer trophy is a seriously impressive achievement.’

Neil Smith of Imperial Cars and John O’Hanlon of Waylands Automotive were highly commended in this keenly fought category. Congratulations!

Neil Smith, above with Mike Brewer, and John O’Hanlon, below, were highly commended

Brewer’s verdict: Jamie’s a guy who’s passionate about the motor trade and he was delighted to win this award. I’m not surprised – being recognised by your fellow dealers feels amazing, so well done!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 37

Newcomer Dealership of the Year ON CUE .

PR

STS

SP

LI ECIA

Sponsored by OnCue Communications Presented by Rebecca Chaplin, account manager

Rebecca Chaplin and Mike Brewer on stage with Jamie Caple, second left, and Craig Vladimirovs of Car Quay

Winner: Car Quay

Highly commended: Martin Brothers Motor Company & Voldi IT’S always pleasing to see a new dealer enter the fray and start to get established and Car Quay has made an excellent name for itself in a very short space of time. So much so that it was named Newcomer Dealership of the Year at the Used Car Awards for 2019.

The business seriously impressed our mystery shoppers and judges with its excellent levels of customer service and the quality of its cars.

Boss Jamie Caple was especially delighted as he had already picked up the Dealers’ Dealer of the Year award. He said: ‘This is truly what it’s all about. Our business is not about me, it’s about the team, the customers... everybody who has been a part of it from day one. To win Newcomer

Dealer of the Year is the best feeling. I cannot put it into words – I am overwhelmed!’

Car Quay has been established for three years and the team behind the venture are thrilled with the way things are going. ‘Three years ago, we had a vision and a dream – plus 15 cars parked on the drive,’ said Jamie.

‘We then thought we need to find a location, create a brand and create a business. To have been here after seven or eight years would have been beyond our wildest dreams, but to be here after three is unbelievable.’

Very well done to Car Quay – and our two highly commended winners, Martin Brothers Motor Company and Voldi.

Voldi MD Matt Ward is presented with his firm’s ‘highly commended’ certificate

Martin Brothers were highly commended here – and also in the ‘sales team’ category!

Brewer’s verdict: It would take a brave businessman or woman to take the plunge in the uncertain times we’ve had lately – so those prepared to do so deserve every success. Well done to Car Quay!

38 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Service & Repair Outlet of the Year Sponsored by Ben Presented by Kelly Neal, head of events

From left, Kelly Neal of Ben, Ben Dewar, Scott Sibley and Jane Sibley of Redgate Lodge, and awards host Mike Brewer

Winner: Redgate Lodge

Highly commended: Chichester Cars & Thatcham MOT and Service Centre REDGATE Lodge enjoyed a double success at this year’s Used Car Awards ceremony.

The Newcastle upon Tyne business walked away with top honours in the Service and Repair Outlet of the Year category and was highly commended in the section for used car dealerships with more than 100 cars as well.

The team operate a Bosch service centre, so customers are guaranteed first-class work at affordable prices. They’re accident repair specialists too, with work carried out to an exceptionally high standard and as promptly as possible. Service and repair manager Ben Dewar said: ‘It’s been a bit of a game-changer for us adding on the Bosch service centre.

‘It really has made a difference and gives customers peace of mind – they are aware our team had to undergo a lot of training before we were able to join the network. It’s amazing to be able to take this award home to Newcastle and it will mean so much to the whole team.’

Founder of Car Dealer Magazine and Used Car Awards judge James Baggott said: ‘Redgate Lodge is a name familiar to us here at the Used Car Awards. They are this year’s Service and Repair Outlet of the Year and it’s a very welldeserved accolade.’

The two highly commended winners in this category were Chichester Cars and Thatcham MOT and Service Centre. Well done everyone!

The Brewery is a stunning venue for the Used Car Awards – and we’ll be back in 2020!

Brewer’s verdict: Redgate Lodge have done brilliantly well at the Used Car Awards in recent years.

This latest addition to their trophy cabinet is very well deserved – a blinding achievement in fact !

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 39

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Best Dealership Use of Video Sponsored by Motion Finance Presented by Ian Kay, director

Ian Kay, director at Motion Finance, left, with Mike Brewer and the AutoparkUK team

Winner: AutoparkUK

Highly commended: Premier GT & Targa Florio Cars HARD graft and teamwork are key factors when it comes to achieving success at the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards.

That’s according to Jimmy Chowdhry, director at AutoparkUK, the dealership that picked up the Best Use of Video trophy at the 2019 ceremony.

Chowdhry said it was ‘absolutely fantastic’ to be a winner and that he was very proud of the whole team at the County Durhambased company. Asked if video was key to the business’s marketing, he replied: ‘More and more so, yes. It appeals to our customers online and helps us to stay one step ahead of other car dealerships.’

He said that a lot of customers were happy

these days to buy a car on the strength of having seen a video, not necessarily needing to visit in person.

And asked more generally what the secret of AutoparkUK’s success was, he replied: ‘Hard work, passion and having a good team.

‘We strive to offer the customer good value for money, a quality product and the best level of service anybody can give.’

Highly commended in this all-important category were Premier GT and Targa Florio Cars.

It wasn’t the only success for Targa Florio on the night, incidentally – it also picked up the Specialist Used Car Dealership of the Year title (see page 53).

Targa Florio Cars was highly commended in the Best Use of Video category

‘Video appeals to our customers online and helps us to stay one step ahead of other car dealerships.’

Jimmy Chowdhry, AutoparkUK director

Brewer’s verdict: Video is absolutely vital these days when it comes to getting punters off their sofas and down to your dealership. Get it right, like Autopark, and you’ll reap the rewards. Good job everyone!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 41

There’s more to our data than meets the eye With a team of data scientists, industry leading technology and award-winning data, we crunch billions of data-points daily, helping retailers unlock powerful real-time insights to make more profit.

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Sources : 1. Share of minutes is a custom metric based on Comscore minutes (MM) (revised) and is calculated by dividing Auto Trader’s total minutes volume by the entire custom-defined competitive set’s total minutes volume. Comscore MMX® MultiPlatform, Total Audience, April 2017 through September 2019, UK. Custom-defined list includes: Auto Trader, Gumtree.com - Motors, eBay Motors UK, Pistonheads sites, Motors.co.uk, CarGurus, Auto Express.co.uk, Topgear.com, Parkers.co.uk, Whatcar.com, Carwow.com, Exchange&Mart, Vcars, RAC cars, Trusteddealers.co.uk, Carsnip.co.uk. 2. Auto Trader Data Platform, daily average, October 2019 3. Auto Trader Data Platform, daily average January – July 2019

42 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Days To Sell Sponsored by Auto Trader Presented by Marc Thornborough, brand director, independents

Ching Patel collects the trophy from Marc Thornborough and Mike Brewer

Winner: Big Motoring World Highly commended: Car-Pod & Stoneacre Grantham THE Days To Sell category was a new one at this year’s Used Car Awards and was introduced in association with Auto Trader.

It recognises effective stock turn and uses a wealth of Auto Trader’s metrics to assess dealers and how quickly they can sell cars and make the most profit. The tech essentially shows which dealers are operating at the top of their game by pricing right, selling promptly and showing that they really understand their local markets.

It was a huge well done to Big Motoring World as the inaugural winner!

Ching Patel, chief operating officer, said he was excited to collect the trophy at The Brewery and added: ‘Hopefully a few more awards will be

coming our way as well!’ The past year has been a busy one for the company, thanks in part to the opening of an impressive £14 million vehicle preparation centre in Peterborough.

‘We’re future-proofing the business,’ Patel said. ‘We look very closely at stock turn. We have gone away from the 30-day, 60-day and 90-day turn rates and look at 30 days as a key point. If a vehicle is not selling, we find out why.’

Asked if it felt good to win the award, he said: ‘Without a doubt. Receiving this award is a testament to all the departments within the business and how hard they work.’

Highly commended in this category were Stoneacre Grantham and Car-Pod. Well done all!

Big Motoring World’s new vehicle preparation centre in Peterborough is a fantastic facility of which any dealer group would be proud

Brewer’s verdict: Attention to detail is key if dealers are looking to get their stock turning quicker and more profitably. Big Motoring World are experts at this and are worthy winners here. Nice one!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 43

44 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used Car Product of the Year Sponsored by Trade to Trade Underwriting Presented by James Vaughan

David and Joel Combes with James Vaughan of Trade to Trade Underwriting, left, and Mike Brewer

Winner: HR Manager from Lawgistics

Highly commended: Safe and Sound from The WMS Group & Motorway Pro from Motorway OUR Product of the Year for 2019 was HR Manager from Lawgistics. It’s a ground-breaking piece of software that allows dealerships to take control of all aspects of employee management, from contracts to disciplinaries, and includes modules to manage health and safety plus GDPR. Its success at The Brewery followed a similar triumph at the 2019 Car Dealer Power awards.

The product was devised by Joel Combes, Lawgistics’ sales and marketing director, who said that winning the Used Car Award was ‘awesome’ and ‘amazing’, adding: ‘We couldn’t have asked for better.

‘It’s been nine months since HR Manager was released and it’s won two awards so far. The

feedback we have had has been overwhelming.

‘We try to make the job easier for dealers and HR professionals and we have certainly done that. And we will continue to develop it – we have taken a software developer on full-time now.’

Asked if it had the potential to be useful outside of automotive, Joel said: ‘That’s where we are going with it and in the meantime we have given it free of charge to all our members.’

A delighted David Combes, Lawgistics’ founder and Joel’s father, said: ‘It’s going to change the face of the motor trade and human resources. I’m very proud of him.’

Highly commended were The WMS Group for Safe and Sound and Motorway for Motorway Pro.

Motorway, above, and The WMS Group were highly commended in this crucial category

Brewer’s verdict: Car dealers are experts at shifting metal but human resources issues can be a bit of a headache. HR Manager is a fantastic bit of kit and a worthy winner. Great stuff!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 45

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Dealer Used Car Website of the Year Sponsored by CarGurus Presented by Wendy Harris, vice president for European sales

John Marshall, Anton Khan and Chaz Akhtar from SW Car Supermarket on stage with Wendy Harris and Mike Brewer

Winner: SW Car Supermarket Highly commended: Sytner Group & TC Harrison Ford PETERBOROUGH car dealership SW Car Supermarket won the award for having the Best Used Car Website. The site is easy to use and the Used Car Awards judges said that it ticked all the boxes they were looking for while also having a sleek and modern look.

Anton Khan, SW Car Supermarket CEO, said: ‘Our website allows customers to take a 360-degree look at our cars, which really helps them, and our finance is very intuitive.

‘We’re really pleased with the general functionality of the website and it’s an honour to see it recognised.’

James Baggott, who founded Car Dealer Magazine and was one of the judges, said: ‘The

website for SW Car Supermarket is just brilliant – it features bright, clear images, fantastic search functionality, and stock is clearly displayed with key facts highlighted.

‘The company was also highly commended in the Used Car Supermarket of the Year category so very well done on both counts.’

SW Car Supermarket has two sites in Peterborough, located on Padholme Road East and John Wesley Road, and stocks up to 2,000 cars at any one time. Its winning website was provided by 67 Degrees.

Highly commended in this category were Sytner Group and TC Harrison Ford.

Very well done everyone!

SW Car Supermarket stock is clearly displayed on its good-looking and modern website

‘We’re really pleased with the general functionality of the website and it’s an honour to see it recognised.’

Anton Khan, SW Car Supermarket CEO

Brewer’s verdict: Can there be any dealers out there who have yet to make the most of the internet? SW Car Supermarket are playing a blinder online and this award is very well deserved.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 47

The UK’s Best Used Car Warranty

48 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Manufacturer Used Car Scheme of the Year The UK’s Best Used Car Warranty

Sponsored by Warrantywise Presented by Lawrence Whittaker, CEO

Matt O’Brien of Porsche receives the trophy from Lawrence Whittaker, CEO of Warrantywise, left, and Mike Brewer

Winner: Porsche

Highly commended: Kia & Ford HAVING a strong used car offering has become vital for dealerships as more consumers move away from running new vehicles. Many manufacturers have really switched onto this online and their dealers are reaping the benefits!

One such carmaker is Porsche, which was judged the winner in the ‘Manufacturer Used Car Scheme of the Year’ award this year.

Judges noted that Porsche demonstrates an incredible level of commitment to the quality of the used cars it offers. Every vehicle for sale has been professionally prepared to exacting standards by specialist technicians using genuine OEM parts.

Matt O’Brien, pre-owned and corporate sales manager for Porsche Cars Great Britain, was at The Brewery to pick up the trophy.

After leaving the stage, he told us: ‘It’s a very good feeling for Porsche Cars. Porsche absolutely appreciate that used cars present a massive opportunity in terms of attracting conquest customers to the brand.

‘We’re very proud of the fact that all the used cars we sell on our website are Approved Used Cars and meet the high standards of the Porsche Approved programme.

‘Every Porsche Approved car undergoes an 111-point check with any rectification work identified undertaken by Porsche Approved technicians using genuine Porsche parts. On top of that, there’s a two-year, fully comprehensive used car warranty and roadside assistance.’

Highly commended were the used car schemes operated by Kia and Ford. Congratulations!

Kia and Ford were highly commended

Brewer’s verdict: People want reassurance when splashing out their hard-earned on something as special as a Porsche – and the manufacturer delivers with a stonking used car scheme. Top stuff.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 49

WEAVING LASTING CONNECTIONS

Congratulations to our friends at Volvo Winners of the Manufacturer Used Car Website of the Year award at the Used Car Awards, sponsored by Codeweavers.

The award recognises Volvo’s vision and innovation in developing a website helping car buyers find their perfect pre-owned Volvo.

50 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Manufacturer Used Car Website of the Year Sponsored by Codeweavers Presented by Shaun Harris, commercial director

Volvo’s Graeme Oswald collects the trophy from Shaun Harris of Codeweavers and awards host Mike Brewer

Winner: Volvo

Highly commended: BMW & Honda WHEN it comes to manufacturer used car websites, there’s a lot of detail to get over to the customer. With a whole range of cars from across the country and a variety of ways to purchase, keeping things simple can be a challenge.

Our winner in this category has solved all those problems with a fabulous used car website. Like the cars featured on it, it is well-designed, goodlooking and packed with great technology and fascinating features.

Guests at the Used Car Awards were asked to put their hands together for Volvo!

Graeme Oswald, national remarketing manager at Volvo Car UK, said he was pleased and delighted to pick up the trophy.

Asked what he thought it was that made

Volvo’s used car website stand out from those powered by other manufacturers, he said: ‘Its sheer simplicity and the fact it has finance options on there are two important factors.

‘The images of the cars are fantastic too, and images are everything these days. Our retailers love the site, that’s the main thing.’

Volvo is a manufacturer that is defying the market in terms of new car sales and its used car business has been thriving too.

‘Yes, we have been on an absolute march,’ said Oswald. ‘The website is already working really well but we work hard to continually develop it and act on feedback we receive.’

BMW and Honda were highly commended.

Well done to all three manufacturers.

£2,814.22 The amount handed over to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, raised by the grand charity draw on the night of the Used Car Awards.

Brewer’s verdict: Volvo’s ‘Selekt’ used car website is absolutely bang-on and is clearly helping the manufacturer make great progress in this area. A big well done on a richly-deserved award !

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 51

Industry-leading proprietary technology providing motor traders with access to essential ďŹ nance

52 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Specialist Used Car Dealership of the Year Sponsored by Blue Motor Finance Presented by David Padilla and Barry Potter

The Targa Florio Cars team on stage at The Brewery with David Padilla and Barry Potter from Blue Motor Finance – and, of course, Mike Brewer

Winner: Targa Florio Cars

Highly commended: Beck Evans & Otter Motors OUR Specialist Used Car Dealership of the Year for 2019 was Targa Florio Cars, a long-established high-performance and luxury car dealer based in Chichester, West Sussex.

For many years, the business has provided its loyal customers and new clientele with a wide range of exclusive models with unrivalled levels of preparation and service.

In preparing to hand over the trophy, awards host and compere Mike Brewer said that running a specialist used car dealership can pose its own problems but when done well can really reap rewards for top operators.

Brewer added that Targa Florio Cars had received ‘close to maximum points’ in the mystery

shopping, and commented: ‘They couldn’t have been more helpful or friendly, and left our shoppers with a warm, fuzzy feeling, they were that good.’

Targa Florio Cars says that everything it does is ‘built on a passion for cars and people, coupled with an extensive knowledge of the industry.

‘Working in close partnership with the world’s most highly regarded and prestigious car brands, we stock an ever-changing variety at Targa Florio Cars as we consistently source the most coveted cars on the market.’

Beck Evans and Otter Motors were highly commended in this category. Well done to all three winning dealerships.

Beck Evans, above, and Otter Motors were highly commended in this important category

Brewer’s verdict: The team at Targa Florio Cars really do know their stuff and were in the running for several Used Car Awards this year. Lifting this trophy is a great achievement and well deserved.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 53

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54 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used Car Sales Team of the Year Sponsored by eBay Motors Group Presented by Phill Jones, head of eBay Motors Group

The Sportif Citroen team on stage with Phill Jones, left, and Mike Brewer. Managing director Simon Miskin is second from the left

Winner: Sportif Citroen

Highly commended: Croyland Car Megastore & Martin Brothers Motor Company COLLEAGUES from Sportif Citroen in Aylesbury took home the award for Sales Team of the Year at this year’s Used Car Awards.

In preparing to announce the winner, awards compere Mike Brewer remarked that any successful team needs to work together to do the best for its clients at all times.

He noted that everyone who works at Sportif Citroen goes the extra mile for their customers.

Delighted managing director Simon Miskin explained a bit about the recent history of the company after picking up the award, saying: ‘My father, John Miskin, decided to retire last year and gave me the option to purchase the business.

‘How could I have refused with the reputation

it’s got? It was just a question of planting the seed again with the staff, reinventing the wheel a bit and pushing forward.

‘The team and I had a little chat last year and decided which direction we wanted to go in – and we have been pushing hard ever since.

‘The staff have all done a great job and winning this award is a great end to the year for us.’

The Sportif Citroen team were also given a bottle of champagne, courtesy of category sponsor eBay Motors Group, to help their celebrations go with a swing.

Highly commended in this all-important category were Croyland Car Megastore and Martin Brothers Motor Company. Well done!

The fun casino, sponsored by eBay Motors Group, was a popular part of the awards night

Brewer’s verdict: Great things can be achieved when everyone pulls together – and the team at Sportif Citroen are a brilliant example of that. It was a pleasure to meet them and very well done!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 55

Congratulations to...

Peter Waddell of Big Motoring World for winning Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year from everyone at The WMS Group

Also well done to Simon Miskin of Sportif and John O’Hanlon of Waylands Automotive for being Highly Commended.

WMS Group Ltd are today one of the UK’s leading business-to-business car warranty suppliers, providing extended warranty cover and other motoring protection to over 3,500 dealerships across the UK. Our warranty products and services are designed to help our dealer partners to improve their customer retention, workshop activity and ultimately, profitability.

From a basic three-month warranty to a three year, all-mechanical and all-electrical product that even includes wear and tear, we guarantee to have the right products for your business.

Warranty Provider of the Year 2019 For the fifth year in succession!

56 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year Sponsored by The WMS Group Presented by Ben Collins, face of The WMS Group’s Safe & Sound scheme

From the left, Ben Collins, Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year Peter Waddell and compere Mike Brewer

Winner: Peter Waddell, Big Motoring World Highly commended: Simon Miskin, Sportif Citroen & John O’Hanlon, Waylands Automotive THIS year’s Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year was Peter Waddell of Big Motoring World – the UK’s largest independent BMW dealer, with sites in Kent, east London and Peterborough.

Waddell was quick to pay tribute to his staff after collecting his trophy from Mike Brewer and Ben Collins on stage at The Brewery.

‘I’m delighted for my team, they all work very hard – and I’m very pleased with what they have done. This award is for the staff, not for me,’ he said.

Looking back at Big Motoring World’s history, Waddell said: ‘I started the company 35 years ago. Our turnover next year will be £450 million, so we’re moving up the ladder.

‘I’ve got two sons and hopefully one of them will take it over one day.

‘I’m really pleased with the way things are going, and our current growth is going to continue next year.’

As mentioned elsewhere in the coverage of this year’s Used Car Awards, Big Motoring World has had a busy 2019, with a highlight being the opening of a £14m national vehicle preparation centre in Peterborough.

Highly commended in the Used Car Dealer Principal of the Year category were Simon Miskin of Sportif Citroen and John O’Hanlon of Waylands Automotive.

Very well done to all concerned!

Simon Miskin, above with Mike Brewer, and John O’Hanlon were highly commended

‘I’m delighted for my team, they all work very hard – and I’m very pleased with what they have done. This award is for the staff, not for me.’

Peter Waddell

Brewer’s verdict: The Big Motoring World story is a truly remarkable one. Peter Waddell has built an incredible business over the last 35 years. Very well done, sir, on a richly deserved award !

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 57

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Rising Star Award Sponsored by Traka Automotive Presented by Alex Scott, sales manager

From the left are Alex Scott, James Smith and Mike Brewer

Winner: James Smith, GKS Car Sales

Highly commended: Lydia Haycock, Stafford Audi & Alex Ingram, Mercedes-Benz Stoke JAMES Smith from GKS Car Sales in Ivybridge, Devon was this year’s Rising Star – and he was clearly delighted to have picked up a trophy!

Asked how it felt to be a winner at the Used Car Awards, he said: ‘I only found out about the award nomination through a colleague of mine.

‘To be here now feels very surreal and to win is fantastic! I’ve been in the trade for three-and-ahalf years and I’m really proud for the company I work for. GKS Car Sales is a relatively small dealer – we’ve got between 70 and 100 cars – but it wasn’t long ago that we had just 45 cars. We’re progressing every year, so it’s all good!’

James paid tribute to the work ethic of his colleagues, explaining: ‘Everyone works their

socks off. Buying the cars, selling the cars, working with the service team, everything is done to a very high standard.

‘For me, it feels surreal. I was working in a job that I wasn’t enjoying and now I wake up each morning and can’t wait to get to work. To be given an award for it is unbelievable.’

Mike Brewer paid tribute to James before his trophy was presented, describing him as enthusiastic and very knowledgeable – and a ‘young man with a very bright future ahead of him’.

Highly commended were Lydia Haycock from Stafford Audi and Alex Ingram, of Mercedes-Benz Stoke-on-Trent. Very well done everyone!

Guests enjoyed a fab night at The Brewery!

Brewer’s verdict: The Rising Star Award is one of my favourites at the Used Car Awards – it’s great to see young professionals full of enthusiasm and looking forward to a bright future. Well done, James!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 59

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Dealer Network

Best Used Car Customer Care Approved Dealer

Sponsored by the RAC Approved Dealer Network Presented by Sean Kent, sales director

The Professional Car Agent team with Sean Kent, left, and awards night compere Mike Brewer

Winner: The Professional Car Agent Highly commended: Redrose Cars & Roadside (Garages) Limited THE Professional Car Agent won one of the most highly sought after trophies at the prestigious Used Car Awards – Best Customer Care.

The judges commented that the team at the Plymouth dealership gave our mystery shoppers absolutely top-notch treatment, whether on the phone, over email or in the showroom.

After picking up the award, managing director Matthew Stott said: ‘Our aim when we started five years ago was to be customer service-orientated, so we’re over the moon to win this award.’

Director Darren Coles added: ‘From the very beginning, we always envisaged that every customer who came in and bought a car from us would have the best possible experience, and

our staff and sales team are all trained to put the customer first. If there’s ever a problem, we’ll do our utmost to get it fixed fast.’

Founder of Car Dealer Magazine and Used Car Awards judge James Baggott said: ‘This is one of the most highly coveted gongs at the Used Car Awards. Any dealership that can shout about delivering the best customer care is bound to do well and attract more business.

‘People might be surprised to learn that The Professional Car Agent has only been around for about five years, but they have achieved an incredible amount in that time. Very well done.’

Highly commended were Roadside (Garages) Ltd and Redrose Cars. Congratulations everyone!

Redrose Cars were highly commended

Guests had plenty of chances to network

Brewer’s verdict: Putting the customer first is what it’s all about – and The Professional Car Agent are smashing it out of the park when it comes to keeping punters happy. Great work everyone!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 61

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Used Car Supermarket of the Year Sponsored by Click Dealer Presented by Debbie Fox, head of commercial

Neil Smith of Imperial Cars collects the company’s award from Debbie Fox and Mike Brewer

Winner: Imperial Cars

Highly commended: Big Motoring World & SW Car Supermarket IMPERIAL Cars repeated its success of 2017 in picking up the Used Car Supermarket of the Year category title – and operations director Neil Smith was delighted.

Shortly after collecting the gong, he said: ‘It’s fantastic. We’re really pleased to take this award tonight.’ Asked what the secret of the company’s success was, he said: ‘Putting the consumer first, building great teams across all our sites, building great group credentials and ensuring that our staff are trained to the maximum. But really, it comes down to putting the customer first.’

Imperial Cars has just opened its 15th site, in Wembley, ‘and considering it’s November, we’re having a good month,’ Smith added.

‘I can’t speak highly enough of the team – the foot soldiers and the managers at each of the sites who keep delivering month on month and keep pushing the business forward.’

Car Dealer founder James Baggott said: ‘Reliability and trustworthiness are key qualities of a used car dealer. Imperial Cars have impeccable credentials here.

‘They are firm believers that quality and customer service should never be sacrificed for the sake of a quick sale, and it’s an approach that makes them lots of friends.

‘Very well done to all concerned.’

Highly commended were Big Motoring World and SW Car Supermarket. Congratulations!

SW Car Supermarket was highly commended

‘The foot soldiers and the managers at each of the sites keep delivering month on month and keep pushing the business forward.’

Neil Smith, operations director, Imperial Cars

Brewer’s verdict: Imperial Cars thoroughly deserve their success at the Used Car Awards. They may be growing quickly but they never lose sight of the fact that the customer always comes first. Nice one!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 63

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Outstanding Achievement of the Year Sponsored by Northridge Finance Presented by Mike Lomas, regional manager – north

Marshall Motor Holdings CEO Daksh Gupta collects the trophy from Mike Lomas and Mike Brewer

Winner: Marshall Motor Group OUR Outstanding Achievement of the Year award this year went to one of the UK’s bestknown and most highly regarded dealerships – Marshall Motor Group.

In preparing to hand over the trophy, Mike Brewer mentioned that some of the big players in the dealer group world had experienced a few trials and tribulations during 2019 – but that Marshall continued to go from strength to strength. Of particular note was its impressive performance in the used car arena – very appropriate, bearing in mind the gong was being handed over at the Used Car Awards, after all!

In actual fact, Marshall recorded used car sales growth of 7.2 per cent in the first half of 2019.

Chief executive Daksh Gupta said he was ‘absolutely delighted’ and ‘a little bit surprised’ to pick up the accolade.

‘We picked up the Outstanding Achievement

award three years ago,’ he said. ‘For me, this is an award for the entire Marshall Motor Group team. I think the guys have done an incredible job.

‘As Mike Brewer was saying tonight, it’s been a challenging year for the industry and a lot of companies are having a very tough time.

‘The recognition that’s been given tonight is for the amazing work that our team have been doing.

‘We achieved north of seven per cent growth in the first half on used cars, which was absolutely stellar and in spite of declining markets.’

The Outstanding Achievement award three years ago was given to Gupta personally as he completed a skydive for the automotive industry charity Ben as part of the Industry Leaders’ Challenge. He jumped from a plane at 13,000 feet and raised over £150,000 for the organisation.

He was also named Dealers’ Dealer of the Year that year.

A Marshall dealership in Lincoln, above, and flashback to Daksh Gupta’s parachute jump

Brewer’s verdict: It’s always great to see Daksh Gupta at the Used Car Awards, and although he has paid tribute to his staff, his leadership is crucial to Marshall’s success. A great team effort all round!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 65

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66 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsored by Aston Lark Presented by Jem Emirali, account executive

David Combes receives his trophy from Jem Emirali and Mike Brewer

Winner: David Combes, Lawgistics FOR most readers of Car Dealer Magazine, Lawgistics will need no introduction – and the company’s founder, David Combes, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Used Car Awards.

Providing invaluable information to readers within our pages every month, the firm is a legal consultancy that gives specialist motor trade law advice and support to a range of clients within the retail motor industry.

David is a qualified trading standards officer, and for many years ran an investigations unit looking at commercial fraud within the motor trade. In 1984, he put all his experience and knowledge to good use and founded Lawdata, his first automotive law firm.

Lawdata provided independent motor dealers with access to legal assistance on trading standards and consumer legislation.

David acted as chairman and managing director from 1984 to January 2001. And in 2001, he established Lawgistics to provide a more comprehensive legal package to a wider spectrum of retail motor industry businesses.

His knowledge and experience of motor trade law is invaluable and has helped Lawgistics become recognised as the legal firm for the motor trade.

After receiving his award at The Brewery, he said: ‘I’m very pleased with it. It’s a wonderful award to have had – thank you very much.

‘We have got lots and lots of clients who we look after every day.

‘We do like to say that once people join us, they will be with us for life.

‘This is wonderful, thank you.’ l For the latest batch of advice from the experts at Lawgistics, turn to pages 78 & 79.

Smile please! The Lawgistics party pictured as they arrived at the awards ceremony

2001

The year in which Lawgistics was founded, with the aim of providing a comprehensive legal package to a wide spectrum of businesses across the retail motor industry.

Brewer’s verdict: David Combes has done an enormous amount for the motor trade over an amazingly long period of time and this trophy is just reward for his efforts. Many congratulations!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 67

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

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

Aimee Winder Account Manager North East Region

A better way of doing business 68 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used Car Dealership of the Year – Up to 50 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse Presented by Tim Smith, head of motor finance

Martin and Vincent Smallbone on stage with Tim Smith, left, and Mike Brewer

Winner: Smallbone & Son Cars Highly commended: RS Car Sales & Thame Cars BIRMINGHAM car dealership Smallbone & Son collected the gong for Used Car Dealer of the Year in the ‘up to 50 cars’ category.

The company has been in business since 1929 and as such is celebrating its 90th anniversary.

It stands today in the same spot, on Raddlebarn Road in Birmingham. Judges said that the business’s service was flawless at every stage and that they couldn’t fault the staff.

Martin Smallbone said: ‘We’re a small business from Birmingham, and to win this accolade is a massive achievement for the family and the team who work at Smallbone & Son. We’re fourthgeneration, so to win this award through sheer hard work, giving great customer service, and

being the best we can be means the world.’

Founder of Car Dealer Magazine James Baggott said: ‘We like to honour new dealerships at the Used Car Awards each year – but it’s always a pleasure to recognise those which have been around for longer.

‘Having sold cars from the dawn of motoring and still trading from its original premises, Smallbone & Son has drawn customers from across the West Midlands for generations – and it certainly impressed our judges.

‘Well done – a great achievement and what a way to mark that 90th anniversary!’

Highly commended were RS Car Sales and Thame Cars. Many congratulations!

RS Car Sales was highly commended, above, while guests relax at the awards, below

Brewer’s verdict: Smallbone & Son is a wonderful business and it was a pleasure to hand over this trophy.

A 90th anniversary and a Used Car Award in the same year – what a double celebration! Lovely jubbly.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 69

Used Car Dealership of the Year – 51 to 100 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse Presented by Tim Smith, head of motor finance

The triumphant Snows Seat Portsmouth team with Tim Smith, left, and Mike Brewer

Winner: Snows Seat Portsmouth

Highly commended: MB Motors Ballymena & Sportif Citroen IT’S not just the independents who win big at the Used Car Awards each year – there’s plenty of scope for franchised dealers to succeed too, as demonstrated by the fact that Snows Seat Portsmouth triumphed in the 51-100 cars category for 2019.

Snows Seat is a popular dealership, and although it unsurprisingly has a very wide variety of pre-owned Seats in stock, cars from many other manufacturers are also available.

Our judges and mystery shoppers alike were impressed with the friendly, relaxed atmosphere and the knowledge and helpfulness of the staff.

Snows Group board director Neil McCue said: ‘We’re really delighted with the award tonight, so

thank you very much. It’s been a great night – we always enjoy ourselves here.’

Sales manager Linda Gillard added: ‘We have got a lot of long-standing customers, which pays dividends when they come back.’

As Mike Brewer said before handing over the trophy, Snows Seat Portsmouth was quick to respond to our mystery shoppers and offered great service both on the phone and in person.

He added: ‘Our experiences are reflected by other customers who have given them glowing reviews online.’

Highly commended in this key category were MB Motors Ballymena and Sportif Citroen – many congratulations everybody!

Sportif Citroen was highly commended.

Above, Citroen group sales manager Carl Osborne with Mike Brewer. MB Motors Ballymena, below, took the other highly commended spot in this category

Brewer’s verdict: Cracking cars, a friendly, welcoming dealership, and customers who return time and time again. Snows Seat Portsmouth seems to be doing everything right, so well done!

70 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Used Car Dealership of the Year – Over 100 Cars Sponsored by Black Horse Presented by Tim Smith, head of motor finance

The Trade Price Cars team on stage with Tim Smith and Mike Brewer

Winner: Trade Price Cars

Highly commended: Redgate Lodge & Spencer’s Car Sales TRADE Price Cars took top honours in the ‘over 100 cars’ category – which is always a hard one to win. In doing so, the Essex dealership went one better than last year when it was highly commended in the same section.

Trade Price Cars prides itself on honesty and integrity and has cultivated an exceptional customer database of loyal returning customers.

With more than 3,000 online reviews across multiple platforms, it is evident the effort and hard work put in by the business’s employees is appreciated by its clients.

The company says it operates a no-pressure sales policy that guarantees a transparent and detailed approach to car buying, combined with

some of the lowest prices in the UK. Colleagues price-check vehicles daily to ensure that customers are getting the very best deal.

On its website, Trade Price Cars is proud to announce: ‘A refreshing car-purchasing experience is what we deliver, our reputation is the core of our business.’

Redgate Lodge and Spencer’s Car Sales were highly commended in this category – well done!

Spencer’s Car Sales was highly commended, as were the team from Redgate Lodge, below

3,000

Trade Price Cars has more than 3,000 reviews online.

Brewer’s verdict: The Trade Price Cars team thoroughly deserve this success. Well done to them for going all the way to the top in this important category at the Used Car Awards. Nice one!

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 71

Used Car Dealership Group of the Year Sponsored by Black Horse Presented by Tim Smith, head of motor finance

Tim Smith, left, and Mike Brewer with the triumphant Hendy Group team

Winner: Hendy Group

Highly commended: Swansway Group & Yeomans SOUTH coast-based Hendy won the Used Car Dealer Group of the Year award for the second year running! Hendy represents more than 20 brands at sites that stretch from Devon to Kent. The judges commented on the excellent responses they had from the group’s dealerships at every stage of the mystery shopping.

‘We won this last year, so to win it again in 2019 is really something,’ said Simon Palmer, used car sales director. ‘It’s testament to the hard work that everyone has put in this year. The culture in the business is just fantastic. We’ve got a lot of staff who have been with the group for a long time and I think that makes a big difference.’

Car Dealer Magazine founder and Used Car

Awards judge James Baggott said: ‘Our Used Car Dealer Group of the Year is very familiar to us at Car Dealer.

‘Like us, they are based in the south of England. They have a fantastic reputation for supplying excellent used cars at reasonable prices, while consistently providing superb levels of customer service. The group continues to go from strength to strength, becoming a £1bn turnover company this year, and its used car operation is crucial to its success. Our mystery shoppers and judges were seriously impressed, so very well done to all concerned.’

Highly commended were Swansway Group and Yeomans – many congratulations!

Hendy’s Suzuki dealership in Crawley

Never a dull moment at the Used Car Awards!

Brewer’s verdict: There’s no stopping Hendy Group and I’m sure everyone in the company will be delighted by this success. What a fantastic early Christmas present!

72 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 73

Used Car Awards 2019 Sponsored by Cox Automotive Presented by James Leese, chief customer officer

The cream of the crop: 2019’s best used cars

A

s well as honouring the bestperforming used car dealers across the UK, the awards also give manufacturers a chance to shine at The Brewery each year.

In fact, there are seven trophies that are awarded to the best models in six categories – and an overall winner.

And we research things thoroughly before our top cars are crowned.

We obtain data from the online classified car websites, looking at days to sell and desirability, and we speak to industry experts to find out residual values. The information then goes to our judging panel, who decide which car comes out on top.

As we point out each year, these awards are ones that no individual dealer can influence – it’s all about the market figures at the time of the judging process.

That also means they are some of the toughest to win, as every vehicle that’s three years old is eligible in its category – but only one can prevail.

USED ELECTRIFIED CAR OF THE YEAR

USED SMALL CAR OF THE YEAR

HYUNDAI IONIQ

NISSAN MICRA

THERE’S a lot of tough competition in this category as it covers all-electric and hybrid cars.

In preparing to hand over the trophy, Mike Brewer said that our winner for 2019 – the Hyundai Ioniq – is a car that represents a great achievement in terms of design, engineering and marketing.

Available as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid or an electric car, it’s become incredibly popular with the UK’s used car dealers. Well done, Hyundai!

THE Nissan Micra was awarded the title of Used Small Car of the Year. Describing the car as the ‘clear winner’ in this category, Car Dealer Magazine founder James Baggott said: ‘It’s a supermini dealers simply adore. It does very well in terms of residual values and disappears from forecourts very quickly. With its tech and safety features, even examples which are a few years old seem very up to date.’ Well done to Nissan!

Paul Robinson, remarketing manager, collected Hyundai’s award at The Brewery

Matt Duncan, the used car manager at Nissan Motor (GB) Limited, picked up Micra’s award

USED SUV OF THE YEAR

KIA NIRO AS Mike Brewer pointed out, there’s big money in chunky SUVs if you can buy them at the right price and find the right buyer. So it was a big well done to the Kia Niro, which has been a huge success for the dealers who sell it in both the new and used markets. It impressed our judges with its great quality and flies off forecourts!

Kia’s Paul Williams picked up Niro’s award 74 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

USED MID-SIZED CAR OF THE YEAR

USED EXECUTIVE CAR OF THE YEAR

USED SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR

TOYOTA PRIUS

VOLVO V90

NISSAN GT-R

THE judges said that the Toyota Prius has become a standard-bearer for the fuel and emissions efficiency of hybrid power technology and is incredibly popular on the used market here in the UK. As such, it was a worthy winner in the Used Mid-Sized Car of the Year category. James Baggott said: ‘When we looked at the days to sell and residual value numbers, the Toyota Prius emerged as our clear winner here.’ Nice one.

THE luxurious and practical Volvo V90 was voted Used Executive Car of the Year for 2019. In preparing to hand over the trophy, Mike Brewer pointed out that there’s always going to be strong demand from people desperate to get into an executive car with badge appeal. Buyers are looking for comfort paired with touches of luxury.

‘This year’s winner ticks all those boxes,’ Brewer added – so it was many congratulations to Volvo!

USED Sports Car of the Year was the Nissan GT-R. It followed the Micra’s success a little earlier in the evening. Matt Duncan, used car manager at Nissan Motor (GB) Limited, said: ‘It’s an honour to pick up not one but two awards on behalf of Nissan tonight.’ Judges had praised the GT-R’s distinctive Japanese styling, impressive performance and track-going credentials, ‘all of which combine to mark it out as a true winner’.

Paul Fricker and Lindsay Pritchard from Toyota were handed the trophy awarded to the Prius

Volvo’s Graeme Oswald collected the trophy given to the V90, the winning executive car

David Ardern, used car performance manager at Nissan, collected the GT-R’s award

OVER THE PAGE: THE OVERALL WINNER CarDealerMag.co.uk | 75

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76 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

MANHEIM

Used Car Awards 2019 Sponsored by Cox Automotive Presented by James Leese, chief customer officer

USED CAR OF THE YEAR

KIA NIRO

Steve Hicks, Kia Motors UK sales director, collects the trophy from James Leese and Mike Brewer AFTER the Kia Niro was named SUV of the Year, it wasn’t long before a representative of the manufacturer was asked to approach the stage again – because the Kia Niro also took the accolade for overall Used Car of the Year!

The judges commended the Niro on delivering the high efficiency and low running costs of a petrol-electric car with the style, practicality and desirability of a

compact crossover. As well as easy maintenance and clever packaging, the Niro, like all Kia models, comes with the brand’s seven-year warranty.

John Hargreaves, general manager for fleet and remarketing at Kia Motors UK, said: ‘We are delighted the Niro has won not only its category but also the overall Used Car of the Year title. The car offers a compelling option to customers in the used car market, thanks to its practicality and low running costs.’ [CD]

Brewer’s verdict: Niro is an absolute cracker of a used car. Kia has a well-deserved reputation for quality and reliability and that seven-year warranty is top dollar. A great result for the brand.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 77

Data File.

Ask Lawgistics .com

Car Dealer Club lawyers at Lawgistics answer dealers’ legal questions. Join for £49.99 a year to get advice like this when you need it

Work carried out for us was not successful

Q

We instructed another garage to carry out some fairly extensive engine work to a vehicle we are planning to sell. Unfortunately, when it was returned to us, the work had not proved successful and the problems remained.

What can we do? They are not particularly willing to help us.

Firstly, you must be sure that the problem is the same issue that you instructed them to resolve or is at least linked.

It is also helpful to have an idea about exactly what has gone wrong. Is it negligent fitting or poor workmanship, for example, or could it be a defective part?

If the other garage is insisting they have done nothing wrong, you may have to get some of your own evidence to help prove this.

You could take it to an independent garage and ask them to compile a report, or instruct automotive engineers such as ACE or DEKRA to prepare a report for you.

A

Once you have evidence there is a fault and it is linked to the work the original garage carried out, you will be in a much stronger position.

You should then present this evidence to the garage and give them some time to respond to that. Hopefully that will be enough to encourage them to assist you.

Obviously, the first way to resolve these types of disputes is, wherever possible, to give the garage in question a chance to put things right.

There may be time pressures if you want to get the vehicle sold but in most cases, it is reasonable to allow the garage the chance to resolve things first.

It could be that the part they have fitted is faulty. If so, they will probably want to take this up with the parts supplier or manufacturer.

As far as possible, you should assist them in this process as they may need the part back to send off for testing. You could ask them to fit a new part in the meantime whilst they pursue the

ADVICE

issue with the manufacturer / supplier.

If they choose not to, or do not respond, then it is possible for you to instruct someone else to do the work and pursue the original garage for the loss.

In those circumstances you will need to provide the evidence noted above and also a report from the new repairing garage which states the work they did to remedy the issue.

Not all losses are recoverable and therefore you should be careful when having the work carried out that what they are doing is specifically remedying what you asked the original garage to repair.

At this stage you should send a letter before action to the original garage advising them you have had the work carried out and that you will have to pursue the matter in court if they do not engage with you.

In most circumstances these matters can be resolved without the need for litigation though – that is very much a last resort.

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With over 1,600 independent and franchise dealership clients, Click Dealer is constantly striving to help every dealer buy and sell vehicles, more profitably, more often, through a combination of leading tech,

industry expertise and a tremendous appetite to keep on improving. n Make 2020 your year by ensuring that your website and digital showroom is the very best that it can be! Click Dealer’s team of in-house experts will look over your website and advise on any recommended changes to improve your visibility online! n At Click Dealer, we ALWAYS put our customers first! That’s why we’d like to offer Car Dealer Club members £100 off their first bill when they take out any of our products or services!

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78 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

A free telephone consultation and other great benefits, too n A free telephone consultation worth £100. n Lawgistics’ Basic package worth £95. n Twenty-five per cent off the ‘pay-on-use’ legal helpline and casework service. n Up to 25 per cent off any stationery or warranty products. n Upgrade the Basic package and receive £100 off the Small Business package or £250 off the Professional package.

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WHY I LOVE LAWGISTICS

‘A very good service for both dealer and customer’ CAMBRIDGESHIRE Used Car Sales, a family-run business founded in October 2017, specialises in lowmileage vehicles of any age with full service histories.

Feeling dissatisfied after working with a number of third-party warranty companies, the business was looking for an alternative way forward. To that end, it decided to provide its own warranties with the help of Lawgistics while also using the business for consultation on legal matters.

This decision, made more than six months ago, proved to be the right one, as Lawgistics would go on to aid Cambridgeshire Used Car Sales in resolving the occasional customer complaint.

Matt Wilson, director of the garage, said: ‘They’ve resolved them amicably, out of court, by explaining the laws and our customers’ options – protecting us and them.’

Regarding the latter point, Wilson wanted to emphasise that Lawgistics’ services were ‘extremely

good for both the dealer and the customer’. He added: ‘If we are obliged to offer a refund or whatever else, we just follow their guidelines.’

Since working with Lawgistics, Wilson has been impressed.

Asked if he would recommend the company, he replied: ‘100 per cent – there’s always someone on the end of the phone.

‘Their legal representatives are extremely knowledgeable, and they are a good company to work with.’

Oliver Young

When trading standards overstep the mark...

Q

Trading standards have told me I MUST change some of my terms and conditions – but I think their suggestions are excessive. Can you help me oppose what they say?

Yes we can. And indeed, we see no end of ludicrous suggestions put forward by certain trading standards departments, which we challenge very firmly!

The author’s favourite top five as advised by trading standards are: l You are not permitted to ever

A

sell a car to a consumer for spares/repairs. l The trader agrees to refund, in full, any deposit if the intended buyer changes his or her mind within 48 hours of paying that deposit. l You cannot say when correspondence you send will be deemed to have been received – as the court will decide as a matter of fact whether or not correspondence has been sent and/or received. l You cannot say that you will

impose a storage charge for consumers who reject a car then leave it on your premises – as this could be used as an aggressive way of pressuring consumers into dropping claims under the Consumer Rights Act. l The trader agrees to collect/ recover any vehicle that breaks down within the first 30 days of ownership!

Sadly, we frequently see trading standards officers misinterpreting the Consumer Rights Act.

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Dragon2000’s dealer management system is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products on the market. The software can help manage supplier and customer details, help you keep on top of your costs, and ensure that your business is running as smoothly and as profitably as possible. Car Dealer Club members are eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their first year of a Dragon2000 software subscription – and they get the free Vehicle Health Check app too.

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LAWGISTICS’ Basic membership – which you receive as a member of Car Dealer Club – is a cracking deal, but what if you need something that has extra clout? Larger dealer groups or a dealer embroiled in a big legal battle may require some more firepower, and the good news is that club members get discounts on Lawgistics’ other packages. You’ll receive a £100 discount off the Small Business package (normally £795) – perfect for sole traders, a partnership or a small dealer group – and £250 off the Professional package (normally £1,595). This is ideal for franchises, a dealer group or a car supermarket and covers all relevant legal areas and documentation.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 79

Data file.

Thestatistics

| SMMT SALES DATA | TAKING STOCK | UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES

Another fall in new car registrations, with the usual issues to blame

T

he UK new car market fell by 1.3 per cent in November with 156,621 models registered, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

It maintains the downward trend for new car registrations throughout 2019, as multiple factors, including weak business and consumer confidence, economic uncertainty and confusion over diesel and clean air zones, combined to affect demand.

In November, the decline was driven primarily by weak private demand, with registrations down by 6.1 per cent, while the business market also fell, down 3.2 per cent. Fleet registrations fared better, up 2.8 per cent. For the second consecutive month, total alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) registrations reached a record market share, with more than one in 10 cars joining UK roads being hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric – 16,052 cars in fact.

Demand for the latest battery-electric cars surged by 228.8 per cent, with 4,652 registered, while the markets for plug-in hybrids and hybrids rose by 34.8 per cent and 15.0 per cent respectively. Elsewhere, petrol grew by two per cent, taking the

lion’s share of all registrations (62.2 per cent), as diesel fell by 27.2 per cent.

Year to date, the overall UK new car market is down 2.7 per cent, with 2.2 million cars registered, in line with current industry forecasts.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘These are challenging times for the UK new car market, with another fall in November reflecting the current climate of uncertainty. It’s good news, however, to see registrations of electrified cars surging again, and 2020 will see manufacturers introduce plenty of new, exciting models.

‘Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go for these vehicles to become mainstream, and to grow uptake further, we need fiscal incentives, investment in charging infrastructure and a more confident consumer.’

Karen Johnson, head of retail and wholesale at Barclays Corporate Banking, pictured, said: ‘Falling sales continue to frustrate but given the prevailing economic and political uncertainty, it’s hardly surprising when you consider that buying a new car is probably the number-two big-ticket purchase after

your home. Although the industry is still producing high-quality vehicles and is doing its best to stimulate demand with good financing deals, concerns abound re. the absence of clarity and guidance around fuel types and the impact of regulatory developments on the future value of vehicles.’

Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, added: ‘These new car registration figures don’t come as a huge surprise – it’s a continuation of the trend that we’ve seen in recent months – but they do highlight the significant challenges facing the UK car retail market. Manufacturers are coming up against unprecedented cost hurdles as they take the journey towards the electrification of their fleet and also fight to hit the stringent new CO2 emissions regulations next year.

‘Compounding that, issues caused

by Brexit continue to hinder the industry too. The unsteady value of the pound, consumer uncertainty and the ambiguity around future trading regulations only serve to amplify the pressure manufacturers are under.’

SMMT sales data Nov/year to date

5

Top

Most-improved manufacturers in November

Porsche +619% DS +412% Lexus +57% Alpine +44% Audi +37%

5

Bottom

Worst-performing manufacturers in November

Smart -91% Abarth -54% Mitsubishi -39.8% SsangYong -39.1% Fiat -36%

Record month for MG as impressive growth continues MG MOTOR UK maintained its position as the UK’s fastest-growing car manufacturer after posting its 25th consecutive month of year-onyear growth in November. MG recorded 1,186 sales over the course of the month, a 29 per cent increase compared to last November.

Year-to-date, MG has sold 11,373 cars, 35 per cent more than in the same 11 months last year.

80 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Daniel Gregorious, head of sales and marketing at MG Motor UK, said: ‘November was another record month for us as we extended our winning run to 25 months in a row. It’s not just about selling more cars, it’s also about building our business consistently with firm foundations.

‘That takes a lot of hard work, and I’d like to thank the MG team and our excellent dealer

partners whose efforts have made these record results possible.’

MG’s Momentum and Growth mid-term plan is supported by network development and new product launches. The brand recently announced it had reached a milestone of 100 dealerships in the UK, with Stoneacre in Doncaster taking the manufacturer into triple figures (see page 10).

Alfa Romeo

Audi

-21%

Marque

November 2019

November 2018

2019

2018

% market share

+37% Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

% change

2019

% market share

2018

% market share

% change

Abarth

155

0.10

344

0.22

-54.94

3,283

0.15

5,186

0.23

-36.69

Alfa Romeo

196

0.13

249

0.16

-21.29

3,211

0.15

3,903

0.18

-17.73

Alpine Audi Bentley BMW

13

0.01

9

0.01

44.44

162

0.01

137

0.01

18.25

9,392

6.00

6,841

4.31

37.29

130,223

6.02

137,429

6.18

-5.24

74

0.05

115

0.07

-35.65

1,409

0.07

1,461

0.07

-3.56

11,642

7.43

12,821

8.08

-9.20

155,636

7.20

160,448

7.22

-3.00 63.16

0

0.00

6

0.00

0.00

62

0.00

38

0.00

Citroen

2,874

1.84

2,872

1.81

0.07

47,905

2.22

47,608

2.14

0.62

Dacia

1,963

1.25

2,237

1.41

-12.25

28,594

1.32

22,279

1.00

28.35

Chevrolet

512

0.33

100

0.06

412.00

3,623

0.17

4,889

0.22

-25.89

Fiat

1,605

1.02

2,530

1.59

-36.56

28,057

1.30

33,675

1.51

-16.68

Ford

DS

16,238

10.37

14,666

9.24

10.72

221,107

10.23

237,589

10.69

-6.94

Honda

2,712

1.73

2,970

1.87

-8.69

41,117

1.90

49,917

2.25

-17.63

Hyundai

5,276

3.37

4,821

3.04

9.44

79,483

3.68

85,916

3.86

-7.49

Infiniti

0

0.00

38

0.02

0.00

292

0.01

725

0.03

-59.72

Jaguar

2,434

1.55

2,716

1.71

-10.38

34,214

1.58

34,715

1.56

-1.44

531

0.34

467

0.29

13.70

5,820

0.27

5,742

0.26

1.36

Kia

5,998

3.83

6,916

4.36

-13.27

92,343

4.27

91,954

4.14

0.42

Land Rover

5,765

3.68

6,339

4.00

-9.06

72,230

3.34

73,585

3.31

-1.84

Lexus

1,044

0.67

663

0.42

57.47

14,968

0.69

11,985

0.54

24.89

Lotus

13

0.01

15

0.01

-13.33

222

0.01

241

0.01

-7.88

Jeep

49

0.03

69

0.04

-28.99

881

0.04

1,194

0.05

-26.21

Mazda

2,505

1.60

2,522

1.59

-0.67

37,821

1.75

37,584

1.69

0.63

Mercedes-Benz

10,397

6.64

11,391

7.18

-8.73

162,200

7.50

160,873

7.24

0.82

MG

1,186

0.76

921

0.58

28.77

11,373

0.53

8,399

0.38

35.41

Mini

4,651

2.97

5,269

3.32

-11.73

58,761

2.72

59,810

2.69

-1.75

Maserati

1,109

0.71

1,843

1.16

-39.83

15,406

0.71

19,434

0.87

-20.73

Nissan

5,839

3.73

5,710

3.60

2.26

87,063

4.03

97,343

4.38

-10.56

Peugeot

5,504

3.51

5,270

3.32

4.44

75,132

3.47

76,280

3.43

-1.50

Porsche

1,899

1.21

264

0.17

619.32

13,517

0.63

11,226

0.50

20.41

Renault

3,503

2.24

4,779

3.01

-26.70

54,431

2.52

58,628

2.64

-7.16

Seat

5,466

3.49

5,352

3.37

2.13

65,105

3.01

60,058

2.70

8.40

Skoda

5,651

3.61

6,197

3.91

-8.81

69,254

3.20

69,396

3.12

-0.20

41

0.03

488

0.31

-91.60

3,984

0.18

7,247

0.33

-45.03

120

0.08

197

0.12

-39.09

1,858

0.09

2,643

0.12

-29.70

Mitsubishi

Smart SsangYong Subaru

157

0.10

145

0.09

8.28

2,289

0.11

2,948

0.13

-22.35

Suzuki

1,348

0.86

2,119

1.34

-36.39

32,298

1.49

36,365

1.64

-11.18

Toyota

6,244

3.99

6,156

3.88

1.43

100,466

4.65

98,986

4.45

1.50

Vauxhall

10,382

6.63

11,560

7.29

-10.19

153,618

7.10

164,653

7.41

-6.70

Volkswagen

15,311

9.78

15,772

9.94

-2.92

186,084

8.61

187,123

8.42

-0.56

Volvo

4,198

2.68

4,435

2.80

-5.34

52,267

2.42

46,479

2.09

12.45

219

0.14

140

0.09

56.43

2,612

0.12

2,640

0.12

-1.06

2,405

1.54

305

0.19

688.52

11,762

0.54

4,327

0.19

171.83

-1.27

2,162,143

Other British Other imports Total

156,621

158,639

2,223,058

-2.74 Figures supplied by SMMT

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 81

LCV news.

Fullyloaded

| LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES | FLEET | REVIEWS |

LOCAL ECONOMY

SPONSORSHIP

Europcar enjoys major growth for van business

Lookers helps Tigers roar in bid for victory

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

EUROPCAR Mobility Group UK has announced strong growth for its van operations in the north-east of England, with a 20 per cent-plus upturn in sales expected for 2019.

Matthew Gill, business development manager for the region, said: ‘Despite all the current uncertainties, SME owners in the area have to get on with running their businesses.

‘The flexibility of van hire, compared with that of outright purchase, offers businesses greater scope.

‘This, along with the excellent value and service that we offer our customers, including mobile servicing and quick turnarounds, means that business owners can react quickly to different demand levels, knowing that Europcar can support them with everything from daily rentals to vehicles for longer term use.’

Stuart Russell, director of commercial vehicle sales, said: ‘Europcar is a serious player in the van rental marketplace.

‘We offer a full fleet solution that can be tailored to local business needs which we believe is the reason, along with Matthew Gill’s in-depth local knowledge, that we have achieved strong growth in the north-east this year.’

According to a parliamentary briefing paper published in September, economic growth in the north-east is forecast to grow by 1.1 per cent this year.

82 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

G

lasgow Tigers speedway team hope to win the SGB Championship next season after renewing their sponsorship deal with Lookers Volkswagen Van Centre in Baillieston.

The retailer will sponsor the Tigers again next season as the team looks to overcome the disappointment of a marginal defeat against Leicester Lions in last season’s play-off finals.

The sponsorship will be used to support the team next season as well as help in its efforts to regenerate its local area.

Founded in 1946, Glasgow Tigers have three League Championships to their name, as well as 15 Scottish Cups and three Premier League Pairs Championships. They were rescued from mounting debts in 2012 after the owners sold the team to a company set up by fans.

Robert Mackenzie, marketing manager for Glasgow Tigers, said: ‘Lookers have sponsored us for some time now and I’m delighted that they will be continuing their support into 2020.

‘As well as competing in the SGB

Championship, we also do a lot of work in the community, much of which is only possible with the support of our sponsors.’

The backing of Glasgow Tigers is part of Lookers’ ongoing support of local community sports.

Last year saw Lookers Volkswagen sponsor promising young motorcyclist Corey-Jay Christopher Hull, enabling him to compete in the British Youth National Championships.

John McKinstry, general manager at Lookers Volkswagen Van Centre,

Top-selling LCVs in November Ford Transit Custom 3,046 Vauxhall Vivaro 2,452 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2,321 Ford Ranger 1,946 Ford Transit 1,758

Baillieston, said: ‘We are very proud to be once again sponsoring Glasgow Tigers, who provide so much excitement and drama for speedway fans here in Glasgow.

‘Everyone was disappointed when the team were unable to take home the Championship trophy last season, but I’m sure they’ll be able to go one better next season with so many skilled riders on their roster.

Everybody at Lookers Vauxhall Baillieston is right behind them and wishes them the very best of luck for next season.’

Source: SMMT

Vauxhall Combo 1,292 Volkswagen Transporter 1,131 Volkswagen Crafter 1,126 Ford Transit Connect 1,077 Nissan Navara 914 LCV registrations, p84

‘A third consecutive month of decline for new van registrations is concerning.’

Mike Hawes on the November SMMT figures, p84

Sliding doors WITH CRAIG CHEETHAM

A look at the world of buying and selling vans and pick-ups

Reasons to be cheerful – and not to talk ourselves into another recession

T

here’s a lot of doom and gloom in the media at the moment about the fall-off in van sales, which have seen three months of decline after four years of record growth.

If you believe the mainstream press, this is yet another blow to the British economy and reflects a lack of consumer confidence, challenges faced by businesses, and the spectres of Brexit and political uncertainty that have been hanging over the UK for several months.

There’s some truth to all that. As larger businesses hold on to their money while they await the next move in the game of European thrones, spending has slowed. That, in turn, has had a substantial knock-on effect on small business operators.

I’ve spoken to quite a few small business owners lately and while they’re still very busy, they’re waiting longer for payment and having to accept a lower rate. For sole traders or companies with only a handful of employees, that’s a dangerous game.

Which is why I fervently believe we shouldn’t talk ourselves into recession – something I think the day-to-day media was hideously guilty of during the economic downturn of a decade ago.

Instead, let’s look at the positives. One reason van sales have stagnated a little is simply because after four years of record sales, the current parc is newer than ever and the quality of those vehicles is better too, which means fleet managers are minded to keep them a bit longer, shored up by strong residual values in the used van market, from which many small firms procure their commercials.

Then there were the new WLTP regulations that came in last year, which saw companies rushing to buy vans at unseasonal times to avoid potential taxation penalties and increased running costs. These were purchases that were brought forward and have left a gap in the market over the past few months as the books are balanced.

It’s an economic cycle that’s

levelling off, which it was always going to do. One of the big reasons behind the recent van sales boom has been our desire as consumers to have goods delivered right to our doors.

Although that might leave high streets in trouble, it doesn’t indicate a lack of consumer confidence. Ask any online-only retailer if they’re struggling and the answer will probably be no. I can’t see Amazon going to the wall any time soon.

People simply don’t have the time they once had to browse round the shops so a lot of the browsing they do is online.

That’s why the van market is unlikely to tank completely. Even in times of austerity, people still need things – luxury as well as essential items – otherwise we’d all be as miserable and unhappy as the contemporary media is trying to convince us to be.

Once the new government has got its feet under the table, done its inevitable cabinet reshuffles, and we finally know where we stand in terms of Brexit and any deal or no-deal scenario, things will get back to some form of normality. Sit tight and hold on, for the automotive industry is big enough to ride the storm.

Once the dust settles, those vans that were registered four years ago will inevitably need replacing and the cycle will start again as our demand for delivered goods continues to rise, not decline.

That’s a trend that is unlikely to ever change, while evolving urban emissions laws will also force a lot of van operators to renew their fleets. It’ll kick-start the latent economy, and once the bigger companies loosen their purse strings, the benefits will be passed on to small business operators, consumers and the motor trade.

Yes, these are challenging times. But despite a temporary blip, the van market has a strong and positive future. The latest vans are great vehicles, more than capable of the work required of them and continually improving.

And that means that, long term, they’ll continue to deliver profits.

Right to your door.

Craig Cheetham is an experienced automotive journalist with specialist knowledge of the LCV sector.

Turn over the page for the latest LCV registrations CarDealerMag.co.uk | 83

LCV news.

Our popular Aftersales section will return in a future edition.

LATEST FIGURES

New van market drops by 9.6 per cent in November UK NEW light commercial vehicle registrations fell by 9.6 per cent in November, the third consecutive monthly decline, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Market uncertainty and regulatory changes continued to affect performance, with some 2,797

fewer models registered in the month as all van categories and 4x4s experienced double-digit declines. Performance in the year to date is still up, however, rising by 1.9 per cent, with an extra 6,451 new LCVs joining UK roads.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘A third consecutive month of decline for new van

registrations is concerning, particularly after growth for much of the year. Ongoing political uncertainty doesn’t help inspire business confidence, but [confidence] is essential if we are to embolden further investment in new vehicles, which will go a long way to improving air quality in our towns and cities.’

Registrations of new commercial vehicles less than 3.5 tonnes Marque

November 2019

November 2018

2019

2018

% market share

Figures supplied by SMMT

Year-to-date (YTD)

% market share

% change

2019

% market share

2018

% market share

% change

Ford

8,277

31.55

8,732

30.07

-5.21

109,720

32.44

116,392

35.08

-5.73

Vauxhall

4,002

15.25

2,040

7.03

96.18

32,721

9.67

25,795

7.77

26.85

3,131

11.93

3,680

12.67

-14.92

38,160

11.28

39,512

11.91

-3.42

2,988

11.39

4,565

15.72

-34.55

34,370

10.16

28,724

8.66

19.66

Volkswagen Mercedes-Benz Peugeot

1,915

7.30

2,282

7.86

-16.08

29,922

8.85

31,733

9.56

-5.71

Nissan

1,233

4.70

1,110

3.82

11.08

12,010

3.55

12,603

3.80

-4.71

Citroen

1,135

4.33

2,184

7.52

-48.03

25,906

7.66

24,358

7.34

6.36

Toyota

836

3.19

619

2.13

35.06

7,869

2.33

9,117

2.75

-13.69

Renault

781

2.98

1,507

5.19

-48.18

16,394

4.85

14,214

4.28

15.34

Fiat

428

1.63

752

2.59

-43.09

8,131

2.40

8,082

2.44

0.61

Mitsubishi

378

1.44

526

1.81

-28.14

9,805

2.90

9,294

2.80

5.50

Isuzu

314

1.20

306

1.05

2.61

4,261

1.26

4,385

1.32

-2.83

Iveco

292

1.11

222

0.76

31.53

2,512

0.74

2,630

0.79

-4.49

Land Rover

142

0.54

152

0.52

-6.58

1,427

0.42

1,296

0.39

10.11

MAN

134

0.51

87

0.30

54.02

1,479

0.44

615

0.19

140.49

Renault Trucks

83

0.32

94

0.32

-11.70

1,286

0.38

1,304

0.39

-1.38

Isuzu Trucks

80

0.30

44

0.15

81.82

799

0.24

579

0.17

38.00

LDV

50

0.19

35

0.12

42.86

636

0.19

445

0.13

42.92

SsangYong

18

0.07

84

0.29

-78.57

554

0.16

435

0.13

27.36

Fuso

16

0.06

14

0.05

14.29

179

0.05

145

0.04

23.45

Hyundai

5

0.02

0

0.00

0.00

86

0.03

35

0.01

145.71

Dacia

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

79

0.02

0.00

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

4

0.00

0.00

26,238

100.00

29,035

100.00

-9.63

338,227

100.00

331,776

100.00

1.94

Great Wall Total light CV

Registrations of new commercial vehicles 3.5 tonnes to 6.0 tonnes Marque

November 2019

November 2018

2019

2018

% market share

Ford

209

27.21

% market share 45

8.18

Figures supplied by SMMT

Year-to-date (YTD) % change

2019

% market share

2018

% market share

% change

364.44

987

12.87

1,982

23.77

-50.20

Peugeot

198

25.78

196

35.64

1.02

2,295

29.93

2,559

30.69

-10.32

Mercedes-Benz

138

17.97

120

21.82

15.00

1,622

21.16

1,502

18.01

7.99

Fiat

115

14.97

103

18.73

11.65

1,693

22.08

1,594

19.12

6.21

Iveco

51

6.64

50

9.09

2.00

461

6.01

344

4.13

34.01

Citroen

26

3.39

18

3.27

44.44

239

3.12

122

1.46

95.90

Volkswagen

21

2.73

4

0.73

425.00

100

1.30

59

0.71

69.49

Isuzu Trucks

5

0.65

3

0.55

66.67

18

0.23

15

0.18

20.00

MAN

4

0.52

4

0.73

0.00

68

0.89

25

0.30

172.00

Vauxhall

1

0.13

0

0.00

0.00

124

1.62

62

0.74

100.00

Renault

0

0.00

7

1.27

0.00

53

0.69

71

0.85

-25.35

Renault Trucks

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

5

0.07

2

0.02

150.00

Nissan

0

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

2

0.03

1

0.01

100.00

768

100.00

550

100.00

39.64

7,667

100.00

8,338

100.00

-8.05

Total heavy CV

84 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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www.carcareplan.com CarDealerMag.co.uk | 85

Gallagher Automotive Specialist Motor Trade Insurance

Helping protect businesses across the country for over 50 years - from independent repairers and small garages to larger franchise dealerships Contact us to find out more: T:

+44 (0) 800 612 2284

E: automotive_enquiries@ajg.com

GST-225260264

ajginternational.com Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55, Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland.

Company Number: SC108909. FP04-2018 Exp. 04.01.2019 Š2018 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

86 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Extra Cover.

...in association with Gallagher

UK employers struggle to offer ‘same for all’ benefits to staff Insurance isn’t Gallagher’s only strength. Here the company offers insight into employee benefits.

U

K employers are struggling to offer a spread of benefits that meets the needs of all employees. According to a new survey released by Gallagher, where over 240 UK-based employers were polled, 71 per cent of employers say they struggle with the rising cost of benefits, which is down from 74 per cent in 2018.

Sixty-seven per cent say appealing to a diverse workforce with varying preferences is one of their biggest challenges.

According to Gallagher’s 2019 Benefits Strategy and Benchmarking Survey, 15 per cent of companies are planning to make changes to their criteria for eligibility to extend the same treatment to all employees in a range of areas.

For example, 42 per cent of companies are offering shared parental leave on the same basis as maternity leave, up from 35 per cent last year.

In 2019, there has also been a trend towards ‘same for all’ annual leave eligibility (52 per cent, up from 46 per cent).

Despite best intentions, most employers have not increased their flexible and voluntary benefits offering. Last year, 47 per cent said that they planned to improve flexibility in the provision of benefits. However, this year just 22 per cent of companies offer some form of flexible benefits (up slightly from 20 per cent last year).

Seventy-eight per cent of organisations offer no flexibility, whilst just five per cent offer full flexibility. Practical challenges in implementing these changes include negotiating with providers and choosing a delivery method.

Given all the challenges facing employers, more organisations are researching the market, with the number saying they struggled to understand their organisation’s position against the market dropping to 34 per cent, compared with 52 per cent last year. However, just 43 per cent poll their employees and only 27 per cent have a predefined communications budget.

Of those that do, 85 per cent spend just 10p per employee per month to outline the benefits available to them, limiting the maximum value employees can get from their benefits. Thirtyseven per cent find communicating about benefits a challenge. The survey asked employers how their strategies are evolving to keep pace with changing employee priorities across the spectrum of benefits, including pensions, workplace perks and flexible working. Further key findings from the survey are below:

Don’t fear innovation in challenging circumstances 71 per cent struggle with the increasing costs of benefits.

43 per cent will be making changes to their benefits in 2020.

26 per cent of these intend to make changes to benefits incrementally within existing benefits.

Beware of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach 17 per cent more employers contribute a standard fixed rate to all employees’ retirement savings.

78 per cent offer no flexible benefits.

63 per cent provide no voluntary benefits.

Look inwards for answers 35 per cent fewer organisations struggle to understand their position in the market (an 18-point decrease).

67 per cent face challenges in appealing to their diverse workforces.

57 per cent don’t survey their employees about benefits and well-being.

Adopt a holistic approach to organisational well-being 83 per cent offer no savings plans beyond retirement savings.

56 per cent lack a pre-defined benefit communications budget.

12 per cent use digital total reward statements.

Nick Burns, CEO at Gallagher’s UK Employee Benefits Consulting Division, said: ‘Benefits are by no means a silver bullet towards achieving a happy workforce, but employers must adopt a holistic view if they are going to improve retention and engagement of top talent.

‘It is clear from this report that most organisations know this, as the majority of employers who are planning changes to their offering say they are going to enhance benefits in order to build a better workplace.

‘With the needs and priorities of employees changing, this report highlights how employers address their employees’ concerns and balance rising costs in order to face the future with confidence.’

Gallagher developed the first UK version of the Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey in 2018 to provide employers with insights into how their peers are addressing benefit and talent management challenges. Additional survey results can be found online at ajg.com/uk/UK-Benchmarking-Report-2019 l

The managing director of the automotive practice at commercial insurance broker and risk management specialist Gallagher is Leon Bosch. Contact the automotive team on automotive_enquiries@ajg.com or 01582 542330.

Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55 Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company number: SC108909. www.ajg.com/uk

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 87

Delight your customers by sourcing their desired vehicle quickly and easily from our network of over 4,000 vetted dealers “We find Cartotrade.com particularly useful in helping us to source vehicles nationally for our bespoke clients by placing wanted listings within the ‘Requested’ section. This has brought us very positive results and helped us to cast our net wider in the quest to find the right car quickly.”

Mike Stapleton, The Lanmere Motor Company Ltd

88 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

Key Notes.

...in association with Traka

IMI TechSafe, a safer route to the electrification of service centres Paul Smith, director of Traka Automotive, says those who are ready for a new era are already benefiting.

I

was lucky enough to attend a session on ‘skills standards for new and emerging technologies’ a couple of weeks back. Chaired by the CEO of the IMI, Steve Nash, it offered some interesting and encouraging insights for dealers.

First to present was Quentin Le Hetet, general manager of GiPA Group UK, the automotive data and research provider. Quentin unveiled his company’s latest estimates on the speed of adoption of pure-electric and hybrid vehicles.

His figures, together with numbers from the SMMT, showed that electric adoption is accelerating in the UK. This year, a whopping 9.1 per cent of new UK registrations have come from hybrid new vehicle sales while 1.4 per cent are battery EVs. In other words, more than 10 per cent of new vehicles being sold in the UK are ‘electrified’.

But it was GiPA’s analysis of the number of trips to a workshop by type of vehicle that offered fresh insight. They found that the average age of a hybrid or BEV vehicle across the entire EU5 car parc was 3.3 years at the end of 2018, and that each of these electrified cars had been into a service centre an average of 1.32 times in its short life. That figure is intriguingly higher than a car with an ICE (internal combustion engine) which, in the first 3.3 years of its life, only goes in for servicing 1.27 times.

GiPA’s research revealed three key factors that should drive up visits to franchise dealer workshops over the next few years: l Independent workshops and fast-fit operations are tending to turn away hybrid and electric vehicles even for routine tyre, brake and normal car battery replacements because they have a fear of dealing with these types of vehicles.

l Customer research of BEVs and hybrid owners has revealed them to be more loyal to franchise dealers than ICE vehicle owners. l The ICE vehicle car parc itself is getting older.

Today, the average ICE vehicle is 9.5 years old and by 2025 it will be 11.2 years old.

Diehard petrolheads are holding on to their cars for longer and these cars are requiring more expensive servicing in the last few years of life.

It means that service centres which are actively promoting capabilities in servicing electric vehicles are seeing as much as 60 per cent growth in business, GiPA found.

Those who are ready for the electrification wave are already reaping rewards, while those servicing ICE vehicles, Quentin claimed, should see steady growth in demand if they maintain ICE technician skills in-house.

Quentin’s presentation was worth considering alongside Steve Nash’s own presentation on IMI’s TechSafe programme. The IMI is now driving through professional standards, working with the Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), for selling and servicing electrified vehicles – all under its campaign banner ‘TechSafe’.

Steve focused on the importance of senior

management ensuring that all staff working on EVs are operating within the requirements of the Electricity at Work Act, which is rigorously enforced by the Health & Safety Executive.

He highlighted that only five per cent of technicians are currently qualified to work on high-voltage systems seen within electric vehicles and yet we now know that more than one in every 10 new cars sold in the UK are electric or hybrid variants. That’s about 220,000 electric cars sold this year so far – more than 100 per cent growth on 2018’s numbers. More than 11 million electrified vehicles will be on our roads by 2030.

The IMI has developed qualifications and accreditations, supported by e-learning resources and deliverable through more than 600 IMI Approved Centres, which will provide individuals with the means to achieve TechSafe registration on the IMI’s professional register.

The IMI is also developing professional standards for working on vehicles using advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Steve explained: ‘Nearly every new car has some level of driver assistance on it, yet the level of knowledge out there to set those systems up after repairs, even after a windscreen replacement, is really poor. Many don’t have the knowledge or the equipment to do that work.’

The IMI, working with Thatcham and others, hopes to change that.

All in all, the session was a great learning experience for those running dealerships and service centres. Those who attended may well have come away with the view that there are as many opportunities as challenges presented by OEMs’ accelerating deployment of both electric vehicles and self-driving capabilities.

Paul Smith heads Traka Automotive, part of the Assa Abloy Group brand Traka. Assa Abloy bought the electronic key management software provider eTag Solutions, which was founded by him. Traka is a leader in intelligent access control, key management control solutions and keyless electronic lockers.

Keys can make you money…

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 89 15/12/2016 09:56

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Market Insight.

...in association with ASE Automotive Solutions

Strong results from Cambria drive bounce in its share price But mix of performance figures shows this is definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ market, says Mike Jones.

A

fter the shock of Lookers’ profit warning and director departure announcement, the rest of November proved significantly quieter. We saw a mix of performance results, showing that this is definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ market. Cambria produced a strong set of annual results, bucking the trend of profit warnings, which delivered a nice increase to its share price. Pendragon gave up some of its share price bounce of the previous month, with its shares settling back below half the price at which they opened the year.

Financial performance Cambria released its annual results for the year ended August 31. As noted above, these were very positive, with a 28.6 per cent growth in underlying EBITDA. This is a very strong performance in the market, delivering an underlying return on equity of 16 per cent.

This was delivered despite an eight per cent like-for-like fall in new car retail sales, which was offset by an 11 per cent increase in like-for-like gross profit following the changes in its franchise portfolio mix, proving that you do not have to sell more new cars to make more profit.

Share price movement during Nov 2019

Share price movement since the start of 2019

Pendragon

-23.2%

-51.1%

Vertu

-4.1%

12.3%

Lookers

8.5%

-41.8%

Inchcape

0.9%

18.0%

Cambria

15.8%

21.1%

Caffyns

-6.3%

0%

Marshall

9.8%

-2.6%

Motorpoint

1.2%

26.9%

Auto Trader

0%

23.6%

FTSE 100

1.4%

9.1%

Caffyns also released its half-year report for the six months to September. Underlying profit before tax took a bit of a hammering, down from £1.19 million to £0.17 million, as a result of ‘a difficult economic and political background ... compounded by supply problems for new cars’.

Overall, new car deliveries for the period

were down 14.5 per cent and there was a mixed performance from the company’s used car operations, with sales from franchised dealerships growing but sales from supermarket operations falling.

Inchcape released a trading update for the third quarter of 2019, with trading ‘in line with expectations’. The UK new car market was deemed to ‘remain challenging’. However, overall retail profit for the UK and Europe was said to be broadly stable.

Other announcements Presumably as part of its response to the FCA investigation, Lookers announced the appointment of former HBOS global chief information officer Heather Jackson as a non-executive director of the company.

As previously trailed, David Shelton, Motorpoint’s founder and non-executive director, confirmed that he would retire from the board at the end of December.

Inchcape announced continued growth in its distribution business, acquiring the Mercedes-Benz distributor in Uruguay and Ecuador for £47m.

Mike Jones is chairman of dealer profitability specialist ASE Automotive Solutions. You can read his column here every month.

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 91

Auctions.

Paying the price of crippling leases.

James Litton, p94

FUNDRAISING

Charity sales take children’s hospice total above £150k

S

horeham Vehicle Auctions has achieved a major milestone by raising more than £150,000 for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

It follows this year’s two charity auctions – integrated within car and commercial vehicle sales – on November 18 and 26, which saw the independent auction house raise £25,000 for the worthy cause.

Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell, who is vice-president of the hospice, took to the rostrum on the day of the first sale to help spur on the winning bids.

Fantastic support came from the region’s motor trade, with donations from Yeomans Group, Tates Group, Caffyns Group, Dinnages, Frosts Cars, Dees Croydon and Vanfair Ltd. Support was also received from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and NextGear Capital. More than 20 cars were donated to the auctions.

Catherine Stone, Shoreham Vehicle Auctions’ dealership sales manager, who has led the fund-raising campaign since it began in 2011, said: ‘We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our suppliers who donated auction lots and to our incredible buyers who dug deep, showing incredible generosity.

‘It was also amazing to have Olympic champion Sally Gunnell on hand this year to support proceedings.

‘Once again, we are truly humbled by

the support we receive, especially on the back of what has undoubtedly been a tough year for the motor industry.’

Caroline Roberts-Quigley, community fundraiser at Chestnut Tree House, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Shoreham Vehicle Auctions and the south coast’s motor trade for their continued support and generosity.

‘Surpassing the £150,000 total fundraising barrier since the partnership began in 2011 is simply incredible.

‘We need to raise £6,850 every day to pay for all the specialist care services provided

by Chestnut Tree House – both at the hospice and in families’ own homes – so support like this is invaluable.

‘Thank you to everyone involved.’

network, including Wakefield, Prees Heath, Donington Park and Westbury.

Ogilvie’s operations director, Jim Hannah, said: ‘We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Aston Barclay, as it offers a consistently good 4/4/18 12:01across Page 1 quality of service its network.’

CA has released a major update to its Buyer app with the introduction of live bidding from mobile devices. The BCA Buyer app has been welcomed by customers, with over 50 per cent of BCA buyers having now used the app.

The BCA Buyer app now allows customers to bid in real time on any BCA sale including e-Auctions, as well as purchase stock instantly 24/7 in fixed-price ‘Buy Now’ sales. BCA is supporting the Buyer app with the power of accurate real-time decision intelligence capability that connects every aspect of buying and selling with BCA, the UK’s largest used vehicle marketplace.

Users can search for and track vehicles with realtime running orders and notifications and view all the vehicles they want to bid on in one screen.

The app displays comprehensive vehicle details, including mechanical reports, condition reports and guide pricing.

The BCA Buyer app streamlines the buying process to ensure that customers never miss a vehicle.

The app is free to download in the App Store and Google Play Store.

BCA continues to roll out regular updates to the Buyer app based on user feedback so it constantly evolves with the needs of customers, making it even easier to locate and bid on the vehicles.

With thousands of vehicles being sold daily, the BCA Buyer app lets customers manage their buying with BCA wherever they are, leaving them free to manage their dayto-day activity at the dealership and focus on those all-important retail sales. It means professional buyers can go from fingertip to forecourt via their mobile device. ‚ Dene Jones is BCA s chief marketing and data officer. Visit bca.co.uk or call 0345 600 6644.

‘Customers can bid in real time on any BCA sale.’

Fixed cost buyers premium User friendly website & stock locator. On-line bidding

Professional Vehicle Auctions for Professional Vendors & Buyers

92 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

From fingertip to forecourt with the BCA Buyer app

Excellent variety of weekly stock from premium sources

The Fleet Auction Group

www.fleetauctiongroup.com

AUCTION STATIONS

B

Ogilvie extends Aston Barclay deal ASTON Barclay is celebrating a two-year contract extension with leasing provider Ogilvie Fleet to become its remarketing partner until 2021.

The contract is worth around 8,000 used vehicles and involves disposing of Car dealer new strip ad Barclay Revised ex-leasing stock across the Aston

Jones

Fleet Car Sales every Tuesday at 1pm & Thursday at 10am Van sales every Wednesday at 10:30am Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles fortnightly, Wednesdays at 10am Truck, Trailer & Plant fortnightly, Wednesdays at 12noon Collection of vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Purpose built 15 acre auction complex Enclosed and heated auction halls and viewing area Vehicle refurbishment facility The UK’s finest auction restaurant Central UK location (Leicestershire) NAMA Vehicle Grading

Call 01530 833535 or go online for account application

Taking Stock.

Remarketing specialist BCA analyses its latest Pulse report to give its thoughts on matters that dealers need to consider in the months ahead.

Uplift in demand continues throughout October at BCA Stuart Pearson, chief operating officer for BCA’s UK remarketing operation, reports that prices are more stable than traditionally seen as we approach the Christmas and new year period.

A

verage used car values at BCA returned to normal levels in October, following the record-breaking performance seen in September.

Used car values averaged £9,648 – down from £10,230 – with demand unseasonably strong during a period usually influenced by rising stock levels after the plate-change month of September and the October half-term break.

Robust demand was seen across all of the market segments.

At a time when rising inventory from the September plate-change, along with a spread of October half-term holidays, can impact on the supply and demand balance, the used car sector remained resilient across all of BCA’s channel offerings.

Demand is currently very good for this time of year and prices are more stable than traditionally seen as we approach the Christmas period.

This is giving dealers confidence, and in expectation of continuing high levels of used vehicle activity, BCA will be holding a series of special sales across the period between Christmas and the new year to support our customers.

BCA continues to see exceptional usage of the BCA Buyer app, designed to make it easier for customers to locate and never miss the vehicles that they’re interested in.

Since launching under 12 months ago, more than 10,000 unique users are now making use of the app and more than 50 per cent of active buyers have used it.

It is an important part of BCA’s journey to give customers a truly personalised digital experience that supports their business needs whether buying physically or digitally.

Fleet and lease values averaged £12,113 at BCA

Average used car value:

£9,648

in October 2019, which was the second-highest average value on record for fleet stock.

Year-on-year values were up by £211 (1.8 per cent) despite both average age and mileage rising.

The retained value against original MRP (manufacturer’s retail price) averaged 42.8 per cent, down by 2.5 percentage points year on year.

Dealer part-exchange values fell back slightly during October 2019, down by just £23 over the month at £5,180.

Average values for part-exchange vehicles were down by £155 (2.9 per cent) compared with the same month last year, with stock showing a similar profile of age and mileage.

Values for nearly-new vehicles at BCA fell from last month’s all-time record high to £25,029, the second-highest value recorded in 2019.

Year-on-year values were up by £1,341 (5.7 per cent).

Model mix has a significant effect in this sector, with brand-specific winners and losers.

Dealer part-exchange values:

£5,180

CarDealerMag.co.uk | 93

Data file.

James Litton

TRADER TALES

High rents and rates making life difficult for businesses

I

wrote at the time of the demise of Toys R Us that I felt the key reason the company had failed to survive was a lack of foresight in how to adapt to changing consumer retail behaviours. I argued that had the business focused more on experiential environments allowing children to create a rampant desire, it could have reduced the retail area to a small section of the store with guaranteed same- or next-day delivery. I also mused that there would be some parents who would actually pay to get into a place where toys were ready to use, thus creating a different revenue stream utilising existing retail space.

The store I had in mind when writing that article was a large one in Poole. Once Toys R Us folded, the shop lay empty for months with a commercial estate agent’s board attached to the front. Every day I dreamt about what I could do with it – a toy store much like the one described in the opening paragraph or a used car supermarket were among the more conventional ideas; a new car lease broker delivery centre or adult soft play centre the more radical.

So it was with great anticipation recently that I saw the sign had been removed and a convoy of unmarked white vans was waiting to get into the place.

The toy retailer Smyths, a family-run company from Ireland, has taken over the site but has sub-let some of the space to the gym operator Anytime Fitness.

I don’t know much about Smyths and have yet to visit the shop, but one thing it is good at is saturating kids’ cable channels with subliminal drip-drip-drip advertising, which must be good for business. What is more obvious to me now than it was at the time is that the failure of Toys R Us was as much to do with the crippling price of leases signed years before the advent of online retailing as it was about its failure to innovate with new products or retail experiences.

They are not alone. Debenhams has cited crippling rents from historic leases as a reason why it is unable to be more dynamic. This fact, coupled with outdated methods of calculating business rates, should ring alarm bells with those retailers operating in leasehold outlets.

As many brands with large market share or premium credentials have been forcing retailers to build ever larger single-brand facilities, it is very likely that we will see some gym operators or the like appearing within motor retail locations in the next decade. This is particularly true given the almost inevitable decline in service hours as a result of electrification. So if you have a rent review coming up in the next 12 months, think very carefully about your exposure in the long term.

‘The sign had been removed and a convoy of white vans was waiting to get in . . .’

James Litton is an automotive retail consultant who always has something to say about the industry he loves.

94 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

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Wintry woe for MD was snow laughing matter...

J

anuary is a funny month in the motor trade, I think we can all agree. Everyone still seems to be skint or hung-over after the Christmas and new year break – and the weather doesn’t exactly help when it comes to encouraging punters to visit dealerships. It’s either freezing cold, windy, raining or snowing.

Ah, snow. It looks quite lovely as it’s falling gently from the sky and settling on the ground but it can, of course, cause huge amounts of disruption to our everyday lives.

I remember one occasion at a dealership I used to work at back in the ’80s or ’90s when we had a blizzard that left seven or eight inches of the white stuff covering all the cars on the forecourt and of course the building itself.

This basically put the kibosh on any hope of doing business that day, even though we tried to clear the worst of it away so that people could drive on and off the premises. A few of the sales team were despatched with spades to do the deed and we spent a good hour or two shovelling, clearing and then gritting to prevent people from slipping over.

For a while, this task was carried out in a sensible, sane manner and we managed to do some pretty effective clearing.

However, it wasn’t long before things took a slightly childish turn – and you can probably guess what happened. A snowball fight broke out which, although quite a good laugh, made a bit of a mess of the areas we had just cleared.

Our silly antics attracted the attention of our managing director, who came storming out of the showroom to give us all a bit of a telling-off.

Chastened, we all listened to him scolding us for acting in such a juvenile way and then he started to turn round and walk back towards the building.

That was when an impulse kicked in for me. With his back to us all, he made a perfect target for a snowball.

‘Go for it,’ I thought to myself as I sculpted it in my freezing hands for a couple of seconds before launching it with, as it turned out, surprising accuracy.

It didn’t hit his head but caught him on the left shoulder and he was most displeased. Turning to face us all once again, he demanded to know who the culprit was but everyone kept mum and my snowy secret was safe. Only now am I revealing that it was me!

So here’s an apology to my boss from what seems like a lifetime ago – I’m snow sorry for what I did...

‘Things took a childish turn – and you can probably guess what happened.’

Tell us your story

Have you something to confess? Email us on editorial@blackballmedia.co.uk or post it on our forum – cardealermagazine.co.uk/forum CarDealerMag.co.uk | 95

Long-termers.

LATEST FROM THE FLEET...

Cupra Ateca It may be a Golf R at heart with impressive performance to match – but what about true excitement?

by DARREN CASSEY @darrencassey

W

e’ve had the Cupra Ateca for a few months now and the hot hatchturned-SUV has won itself many fans within the office.

I took the keys on first arrival and found that while I enjoyed the high specification on offer, I wasn’t convinced its Volkswagen Golf R-derived underpinnings were well suited to this package.

My colleague Jack Evans then took the keys for a few weeks and reported that not only did he enjoy the 296bhp on offer, he particularly liked the fact that the Ateca doesn’t sport a wild body kit, lairy paint job, or the bronze alloy wheels that are available. In fact, he went on to praise its role as an ‘undercover performance car’.

Following this outpouring of love for the Cupra, I was keen to jump back behind the Ateca’s wheel to see if there was something I’d missed. Had absence made the heart grow fonder?

At a first glance, yes. Jumping into the Alcantara seats I was reminded how comfortable they are, and the driving position is decent even for my lanky frame. The Bluetooth found my phone immediately from its memory bank, while the engine barked to life with a wholly artificial but satisfyingly deep burble.

And on the first major roundabout on my commute home I was left impressed by the performance on offer. In the mid-range of the revs in each gear the engine is punchy, leaving leftlane dawdlers a distant memory in your mirrors.

Perhaps I’d been a bit harsh on the Cupra...

After a few days, though, I was back in the same routine, leaving the car in its comfort setting and driving round at a leisurely pace.

The problem is, while it might, in many ways, be a Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch underneath, it’s just nowhere near as exciting to drive quickly.

It’s almost certainly down to the extra weight and the higher centre of gravity, making it feel slower than the figures suggest. It’s great for a squirt of throttle during a motorway overtake, but when you’re pushing on through the gears it’s a little underwhelming.

I’m still really enjoying the Ateca as a wellspecced SUV with a decent bit of poke when you need it, but with prices starting at £36,695 it certainly ain’t cheap. I can’t help but feel that if you need performance and practicality, get a VW Golf R Estate, and if you need SUV-like 96 | CarDealerMag.co.uk

In many ways, the Cupra Ateca is great – it’s nice to drive and has a punchy engine proportions, opt for the smaller and probably easier-to-wield VW T-Roc R. It has near-identical underpinnings, after all.

It’s an odd car, this. I’ve long loved Seat Cupra hot hatches – the brand knows how to make fun, fast cars and the future of the brand is likely to be strong. And in many ways the Cupra Ateca is great – it’s got plenty of kit, it’s nice to drive and has a punchy engine. But as a performance car?

I’m not so sure.

With fuel economy dropping below 30mpg on a long weekend with the car, I want a little

more excitement in exchange for my extra petrol station visits.

There are times, though, where the Cupra feels quick and alive, seemingly at its best at threequarter throttle charging up to motorway speeds.

It’s these times that I doubt myself – there’s definitely a fun, fast car in here, and it rears its head regularly.

Fortunately, we still have a few months to continue getting acquainted with the Ateca, because as it stands, I’m afraid I’m sitting firmly on the fence.

OTHER (MOSTLY RED) CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Honda CR-V EX

Ford Focus Vignale

Mileage: 5,108

Mileage: 8,990

The CR-V impressed Ted recently, thanks to its exceptional practicality. It was pressed into service delivering hundreds of magazines to the NEC in Birmingham and made very light work of the task.

The heated seats and heated steering wheel are a couple of the luxury touches we’ve been enjoying this winter. EF19 YPC is on its way back to Ford soon, though, and will be much missed.

Mazda3 Latest addition to Car Dealer Magazine fleet has plenty of premium touches and a very interesting engine.

This well-specced SUV has a nice bit of poke Our Mazda3, in Sport Lux trim, is loaded with extra kit – the heated seats being a highlight

M

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Cupra Ateca Price (as tested): £36,695 Engine: 2.0-litre TSI petrol

seven-speed automatic Power: 296bhp Torque: 400Nm Max speed: 153mph 0-60mph: 5.0 seconds Fuel consumption (combined): 34mpg Emissions: 168g/km CO2 Mileage: 9,561 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: Getting back behind the wheel of KR19 VCC.

Suzuki Swift Attitude Mileage: 2,190 The team have been impressed by this car’s fuel economy. It tends to average around 55mpg, but can easily achieve more than that without even trying on more extended runs.

azda is a company committed to the combustion engine. Sure, the Japanese company has announced that it is bringing an electric model to market, but it’s a firm that has often stated it believes there’s a fair amount more development left to do with the good ol’ combustion engine.

Enter Mazda’s Skyactiv-X engine. It’s a complex unit, we’ll admit, but the basic idea is this – it’s a petrol engine that should deliver the efficiency and refinement we associate with a diesel, yet with the sharpness and eager response you can only get from a car powered by the green-pump liquid.

Mazda is planning to roll out this all-new powertrain in a multitude of models but we’ve got it in our latest long-termer – the new Mazda3 – which is one of the first recipients of it. Our car pushes out 178bhp and 224Nm of torque from a 2.0-litre petrol engine while returning up to 48.7mpg and emitting just 103g/km CO2. Power is sent to the front wheels and it’s controlled by a six-speed manual gearbox.

But what is it like when it’s up and moving?

Not bad, actually. The engine is pretty grumbly when cold but quietens down as it warms up.

It’s smooth in operation, too, and the six-speed manual is an absolute peach. There’s not too much road noise, either, and the whole experience is very refined.

Our car comes in Sport Lux trim, and that means you get loads of kit as standard. A highlight are the heated seats – they’re very hot and an extremely welcome feature at this time of year. Adaptive headlights have been added as an optional extra too, and these are brilliantly effective, putting to shame other systems from more premium manufacturers.

The front seats are comfortable though lacking in some support, and when driving at night, the cabin is uninterrupted by light; quite often in modern vehicles a myriad displays and readouts can make driving in darkness tricky, but that’s not the case in the Mazda. Despite

by JACK EVANS @jackrober

being quite a compact car it’s practical, too. The boot is big and square and you can fold the rear seats down should you want to extend the area. So that’s another box ticked.

Mazda has been pushing towards more premium rivals and it shows.

The fit and finish is top-notch and the material quality is excellent as well.

Our test car weighs in at £25,425 with options, and although that’s quite a lot of money off the bat, it undercuts how much you’d pay for a car with a ‘premium’ badge fitted with the same amount of tech.

But is this brand-spanking-new engine worth it? To begin with, that answer appears to be yes. It’s efficient, clean and quiet (when up to temperature, of course).

There does seem to be quite a lack of lowdown grunt, with peak torque coming in at 3,000rpm, which means there’s a bit of a dead spot when accelerating in higher gears.

However, in all other areas it’s capable. Plus, when you want to drive a little bit quicker, the ability to rev the engine out means that you get to enjoy your favourite roads more. It would appear, then, that it’s shaping up to be a great all-rounder.

THE KNOWLEDGE Model: Mazda3 Price (as tested): £25,425 Engine: 2.0-litre petrol Power: 178bhp Torque: 224Nm Max speed: 134mph 0-60mph: 8.0 seconds Fuel consumption (combined): 48.7mpg Emissions: 103g/km CO2 Mileage: 2,885 THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHT: Realising that this car is a great all-rounder.

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The last word JA M E S B AG G OT T

Against our better judgment, we give our CEO the final say each month

S

Will Cazoo learn painful lessons that killed off Tesco Cars?

elling cars is easy, right? Buyers turn up, open their wallets, hand over the asking price and drive off. They’re so happy they tell all their friends on social media and down the pub, and after a few weeks you have a stream of customers queuing around the block ready to buy whatever stock you can get your hands on. Business booms, you buy a Ferrari and sail away into the sunset on your luxury yacht.

Of course, I’m being facetious. I know how complex running a car dealership is. Good dealers make selling cars look easy which must be why so many people outside the industry think they can do better.

Our Car Dealer Forum is awash with wannabe traders looking to start up in the motor industry. More seasoned members give them some ‘advice’, but many new entrants forget this is a competitive boxing ring – and giving away the best way to sell cars, or buy them for stock, isn’t something successful business people want to do.

It makes me wonder how big new entrants to the used car market, like the online-only retailer Cazoo, think they can make it work. Talk to any dealer out there and they’ll tell you how tough it is right now.

There are plenty of very talented, experienced motor trade veterans running dealerships that are making shoestring margins and having to pedal very fast to earn them.

Do you not think that if there was more money to be made selling used cars online-only they would have done it by now?

Cazoo is an online retailer brought to life

by Alex Chesterman, the man who launched Zoopla. He’s raised £80m from venture capitalists to fund the site and it’s being run by a team rumoured to number in the hundreds from London. The site launched a few weeks ago with more than 1,500 used cars for sale.

Everything is done online – from cash sales to finance, part-exchanges valued remotely and then picked up when the purchased car is dropped off as little as 72 hours later.

They even offer a seven-day money-back guarantee and a 90-day warranty.

The concept sounds pretty good – but at the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, I’m not convinced enough people are ready to buy cars – especially used ones – online. Buyers want to try used cars out for size, touch them and, importantly, drive them.

Every used model is different and it doesn’t matter how many pictures you take of it, they will never compare to seeing the paintwork under different lights, working out if your favourite bag fits in the footwell, or discovering if you can understand the multimedia system. They’re subtle things, but cars are big purchases people want to take their time over.

The mistake Cazoo seems to have made is thinking cars can be commoditised. They’ve forgotten that a lot of people buy a car after falling in love on a test drive. These are emotive purchases, statements of personality – if they’re not, then why are all cars different? If no-one cared, we’d all be driving the same model.

The Cazoo story might sound familiar. Some of you will remember Tesco’s foray into selling cars which lasted less than a year in 2011. That was an online sales solution which even one of the biggest supermarket brands in the country couldn’t make work – despite the marketing power and Club Card data at their disposal.

To cut a long story short, they couldn’t get hold of enough stock and discovered simply not enough people were buying online.

Dealers I’ve spoken to – including bosses of big groups and MDs of family-run sites – have already written Cazoo off. They say the margins are too tight. One told me he made an average of £1,000 on a used car – but Cazoo will have to factor in delivery (£300 a car) and huge prep costs, not to mention the overheads involved in employing hundreds of expensive staff.

Add in the problems warranty work could cause them, the potentially huge cost of collecting cars customers don’t want after seven days and all the other hassle that comes with selling used cars that you only learn after years in the business, and it doesn’t take a mathematician to see the numbers don’t add up.

Cazoo needs scale – huge scale – and is banking on car buyers being too lazy to get off their sofas and get a deal in their local showroom. They think customers don’t want to haggle (so Cazoo prices are fixed); that they don’t want to travel; and that they hate traditional car dealers.

In a recent interview, Chesterman said: ‘Used cars are one of the last remaining consumer markets yet to benefit from any digital transformation.’

I don’t think that’s true. There are billions of pounds invested in selling cars in this country and if that transformation was ready to happen, a dealer group or manufacturer would have cracked it by now.

Ok, so Zoopla may have been a huge success, but selling houses isn’t like selling cars. For a start, the latter depreciates every day, and Cazoo bought cars in October that it’s only begun selling now.

With decisions like that, £80m will disappear pretty quickly. I think Cazoo has bitten off more than it can chew. It’s a classic case of ‘we know better than they do’ which is what a lot of outsiders think when they look in on the car industry. Tesco learned very quickly they didn’t know better and I think Chesterman will too.

‘Talk to any dealer out there and they’ll tell you how tough it is right now.’

James Baggott is the founder of Car Dealer Magazine and chief executive officer of parent company @BaizeGroup, an automotive services provider. He now spends most of his time on Twitter @CarDealerEd and annoying the rest of us.

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CarDealerMag.co.uk | 99

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