Merc sales in current economic climate...

[timskemp]

Went into my dealer this afternoon, at about 2pm. Seems I was about the third person through the door all day. People downsizing means they're left with loads of MLs and petrol Es to sell, which of course, they can't, because most people who can afford to run them can afford to buy them new. And they're all buying Bentleys and Rangeys.

Anyone else noticing a sense of doom? Only our motability guy seemed upbeat with the new motability prices coming through and As and Bs being competitive.

 

[Gucci]

Petrol prices are starting to come down which may help. Obviously the uncertainty of the economy doesn't help. The banks of the world are looking to governments to bail out....then there'll be A MASSIVE SPENDING SPREE...oh...that's puts us in the do do again

 

[jeremytaylor]

I read (in yesterday's Telegraph) that Merc sales in the UK were down 4% on the year to date. Not bad considering Ford sales are down 21% in the same period (OK - Fiesta in run out, pending new model)

 

[Rory]

I read (in yesterday's Telegraph) that Merc sales in the UK were down 4% on the year to date. Not bad considering Ford sales are down 21% in the same period (OK - Fiesta in run out, pending new model)

SMMT figures to end of Aug show MB up 2% so far this year. However sales have been getting worse for all manufacturers through the year and Aug (vs Aug 07) was -35%.

Sept figures should be out early this week and are expected to be awful for most manufacturers.

http://www.smmt.co.uk/dataservices/index.cfm

 

[jeremytaylor]

Of course there are sales and 'sales' (otherwise known as pre-registrations). But there are only so many empty runways in the country! Maybe that's why Merc built the Brooklands site/test track - to store unsold cars??

 

[imadoofus]

Not Mercedes, but we had an interesting experience yesterday, which I reckon illustrates the car market at the mo.

Mrs Doofus has a car on a 3 year PCP at 1.9% APR. It went in for a service last week, and a salesman called her and said he had a cracking deal for her, if she was interested in ending her PCP six months early.

So we went to the dealership yesterday to hear about this deal.

"I can offer you this superb pre-registered car on 5 years' HP". He said.
"Hang on," says I, "it's not 'pre-registered', it's a year old! The car we have is only 2 and a half years old, and yours has double the mileage!"
"Other than that," says Mrs D "it's exactly the same model and spec as mine, and it's a nasty colour. And HP means that the risk on future depreciation is mine, not yours. And you want me to take that at 8% APR?!"

A bit of argy-bargy and some reading between the lines later, and we were able to conclude that because the bottom has dropped out of the market, Mrs D's car is currently worth less than the MGFV, and the dealer evidently expects it to get worse, so they want her to chop it in sooner rather than later.

In fact, what he's done is lost any kind of a sale when the contract does end in six months. Even if she wants the same car, she'll go to a different dealer to get it.

Oh, and we were the only people who'd been in the dealership all day. Two other salemen were there, and they spend the entire time talking to each other about how bad things were.

 

[Mr E]

Just seen the numbers for September (summary):

Total September sales down 21.2% compared to September 07

YTD sales down 7.5%

5 consecutive months of decreased sales

Corsa was the best-seller in September, although Focus for YTD


Smiling - Audi (2.49%), Chevrolet (6.56%), Daihatsu (4.41%), Daimler (7.41%), Jaguar (10.34% thanks to the XF), Kia (18.1%), Lotus (4.61%), Mazda (0.55%), Nissan (7.3%) and Volvo (13.45%).

Frowning - Aston Martin down 24.53%, Bentley 22.83%, Cadillac 30.53%, Corvette 72.09%, Honda 17.25%, Land Rover 24.31%, Lexus 29.16%, Renault 23.42%, Saab 29.85%, Ssangyong 53.5% and Tata 50%.

Ford -6.72% and GM -6.76% YTD.


Not looking pretty - just the right time to launch a cheap, frugal runaround.

 

[H13BS M]

looks like its time to buy an e55!!

 

[Dieselman]

Just seen the numbers for September (summary):

Total September sales down 21.2% compared to September 07

YTD sales down 7.5%

5 consecutive months of decreased sales

Corsa was the best-seller in September, although Focus for YTD


Smiling - Audi (2.49%), Chevrolet (6.56%), Daihatsu (4.41%), Daimler (7.41%), Jaguar (10.34% thanks to the XF), Kia (18.1%), Lotus (4.61%), Mazda (0.55%), Nissan (7.3%) and Volvo (13.45%).

Frowning - Aston Martin down 24.53%, Bentley 22.83%, Cadillac 30.53%, Corvette 72.09%, Honda 17.25%, Land Rover 24.31%, Lexus 29.16%, Renault 23.42%, Saab 29.85%, Ssangyong 53.5% and Tata 50%.

Ford -6.72% and GM -6.76% YTD.


Not looking pretty - just the right time to launch a cheap, frugal runaround.

Which figures are you referring to, I don't see that.

I see MB at -9.14% for Sept 08/07 and -0.81% ytd.

http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=18080

 

[gIzzE]

The figures are in the zip in the link you have posted.

Mercedes are doing better than most, down only 9% compared with last September.

 

[Dieselman]

Thanks. I had already read them earlier which is why I queried Mr E.

 

[gIzzE]

BMW are well down!!

As are others like Ssangyong and Jeep.

 

[st4]

BMW are well down!!

As are others like Ssangyong and Jeep.

But there is no new BMW model this year, bar the M3 and X6 its been a quiet year for new car releases.

 

[paul_f]

BMW are well down!!

As are others like Ssangyong and Jeep.

I'm often surprised by how many Ssangyongs get sold anyway.

They have changed importer now, and I think they reduced the prices a lot

 

[gIzzE]

But there is no new BMW model this year, bar the M3 and X6 its been a quiet year for new car releases.

That's true, plus the new 3 series, or major facelift was for October 1st deliveries so I guess that killed it for them??

 

[Mr E]

Which figures are you referring to, I don't see that.

I see MB at -9.14% for Sept 08/07 and -0.81% ytd.

http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=18080

The ones you linked to - Daimler is a different brand to M-B.

 

[Dieselman]

The ones you linked to - Daimler is a different brand to M-B.

Doh. I had already thought of that when reading them, but then had a mental block when reading your post.

Thanks

Not sure an additional 3 cars per annum is going to set the world on fire for them, although jaguar appear to be doing well in their own right.

 

[Sam Lister]

smarts up, wonder about Maybach??

 

[wemorgan]

smarts up, wonder about Maybach??

Effect of the new model being rolled out last year maybe? I wonder how long the rising sales will last once people hear the MPG is not as good as the previous model!?