Terrible November for MBUK

[Ashley H]

SMMT figures just released show a year-on-year fall of 37% overall for new car sales but a 57% fall for MB (2,560 in November '08, 5,984 in November '07)...

For comparison:

Audi -13%
BMW -41%
Jaguar -11%
Lexus -58%
Land Rover -64%
Saab -58%
Volvo -7%

An interesting range - hard to see a pattern there (at least, hard for me!)

 

[television]

The Volvo figure looks odd Ashley, they have only been working for 2 weeks out of every month, and that started Nov 08

 

[jberks]

Everything I see says that this recession will make 1929 - 1939 look like a tea party.
MB was on TV this morning with acres of unsold cars stacked up in the US and at those sales levels even the strongest firms can't survive very long. I remember the early 1980s and generally the low skilled and certain industries were made redundant and things were harder, but the majority worked through and earned a living. This time around, I'm clinging onto work by my fingernails (and I'm pretty much at the top of my game), despite dropping my charges by more than 20% and 2 relatives, one a middle manager and another a fully fledged professional have been given redundancy notices in the last few weeks. My fear is that within a year there won't be enough people left in work to pull us out of this mess.

Gordo and friends have a lot to answer for. The new 2 year repo plan could be helping a lot of us pretty soon!

 

[TheScrapman]

Massive apologies for the total thread hijack

+ some really horrible stuff (Datsun 240K Coupe, Renault 20, £300 Daimler Sovereign...)

I do hope you are on Retro-Rides.org and/or Auto****e.com forums with that cheery little collection!

And, you're back in the room - surprised Jag and Audi haven't taken more of a hit. If the media is anything to be believed (ha!), people are now all buying fuel efficient super-mini's...

 

[television]

My fear is that within a year there won't be enough people left in work to pull us out of this mess.
!

Thats an interesting theory, and again makes a lot of sense, and this could well be the case,, we shall know soon the banks reaction to the 2 year plan

 

[Ashley H]

I was surprised by the Volvo figure as well - perhaps they had a one-off boost in November from the new mini-MPV thing (X60?)

The year-on-year data are also interesting (i.e. Jan-Nov '08 against Jan-Nov '07):

Audi +/-0%
BMW -5%
Jaguar +10% (must be the new model?)
Land Rover -29%
Lexus -32%
MB -8%
Saab -32%
Volvo +13%

I suspect it might be in the detail - smaller cars holding up better than large?

 

[Ashley H]

Everything will be OK - VAT came down by 2.5 percentage points...

 

[Ashley H]

Off-thread reply

The Datsun was a great car But then, it was 1981 and I was only 19...

 

[television]

If I think hard,it was the V70 plant in Sweden that went on a 2 week month, the smaller cars like the V30 etc are selling, but that does not help Volvo that much

 

[Splatt]

Perhaps the MB sales promotion of free upgrade to metallic paint did not quite fire things up. I too am surprised about the Volvo figure as the have majored on the larger models , their smaller cars are dull overpriced and not fuel economic and in the case of the V30 styled like a soap carton.

View of Sheerness car import compound

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7713309.stm

 

[jberks]

I'm quite surprised to see Saab suffering. If things were that I needed to buy a merc and couldn't afford one, Saab would certainly be near the top of my list. At least they have some difference and character.
As it is, like many, I'm counting my blessings as amongst the important things like health and family I also have my merc, bought and paid for (final payment this month - yipee) so I'll simply do what I always said I would in this situation, just keep it.

 

[Rory]

Yet I've called my local dealer (MB Chester, if anyone is watching) 4 times in the last few wks and I'm still waiting for them to call back.

With a 4yr old C270CDi bought nearly new you think I'd be a prime candidate for a replacement car but they treat me with complete distain.

Wifey has a Jazz and the Honda dealer emails and writes regularly (not too much) and they responded to an email about the new Jazz next day.

 

[rf065]

I know the feeling, on 3 separate occasions I used the on line, "book a service facility" that Stratstone Mercedes have on their site.

Not once did I receive a reply despite getting an automated response on each occasion, "your request has been received and will be treated with urgency, we will contact you to confirm dates etc etc".

Stratstone is one dealer I now avoid as much as possible.

Russ

 

[bigyin1]

It's not looking good is it! Our local Ford garage isn't selling any 1.8/2.0l models as tax/running costs too high, only ones they are selling are the small engines petrol models and diesels... If ford can't sell the 1.8/2.0 models then what hope to the others have??

 

[GseRacing]

Why dont MB do a small car to bottom out the range? I know there is the A and B but these are people carriers. Why dont they do a really nice fiesta sized car with appropriate engines that will keep them on side with the euro nannies and also keep the cashflow in motion. Im sure a big company like MB have considered this but i cant see why they cannot dip into this market without losing thier integrity.

BMW have the mini and the 1, Audi have the A3 and A2, again i am aware of the A&B but they dont look like hatch back cars if you think of the silhouette so they dont register when thinking of this type of vehicle.

 

[cj...]

All the sales people are probably too busy ringing customers who already have cars and offering bribes like a tank of fuel or free mats if they bring in the C.S.I questionaire for the salesperson to fill in.

 

[Splatt]

Why dont MB do a small car to bottom out the range? I know there is the A and B but these are people carriers. Why dont they do a really nice fiesta sized car with appropriate engines that will keep them on side with the euro nannies and also keep the cashflow in motion. Im sure a big company like MB have considered this but i cant see why they cannot dip into this market without losing thier integrity.

BMW have the mini and the 1, Audi have the A3 and A2, again i am aware of the A&B but they dont look like hatch back cars if you think of the silhouette so they dont register when thinking of this type of vehicle.

The A class is smaller than the Fiesta by 78mm in length, width is about the same and the 160CDI is group B CO2. The magic of the A Class is that despite this it can carry 5 people in comfort with all their luggage and if you want to use it as a lorry a 4ft fridge will slide in the back.

 

[truthfindergeneral]

It would be interesting to be able to revisit all those car salesmen ( or women ) who treated you with distain and laughed at your part ex, who couldn't get off their backsides to explain something about the potential purchase that you found hard to understand, who tried to flog you extras you clearly didn't need to the point where you got up and left....to see if they are still sitting in the same seats with the same self satisfied grins that they wore a few years back when we all had credit and money to throw around.

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

and try to buy a car off em for nothing??

 

[Mr Teddy Bear]

Slightly off topic, but not to much! I remember the early nineties, after the house price crash when people enjoyed a new sport called 'b*st*rd estate agent baiting' (when they couldn't shift a dog kennel at Crufts).......................very enjoyable