Inside the industry with Michael McAleer.
Car dealers in Britain are unhappy with their treatment at the hands of motor manufacturers, according to a new survey. More than half of dealers said they found themselves increasingly unhappy with their treatment, while half said manufacturers were exerting more pressure than before.
The survey, by the Retail Motor Industry Federation, was conducted before recent EU-led changes to the way cars are sold, which should improve the outlook for dealers.
The survey found 53 per cent of dealers said their satisfaction with manufacturers had decreased; 50 per cent thought manufacturers had increased the level of control they exerted in the last year, and 47 per cent of dealer networks were unhappy with the level of requirements and procedures placed upon them by manufacturers and their overall fairness.
The shortlist for the Semperit Irish Car of the Year has been announced. A total of 43 entries, ranging from small cars like the Suzuki Alto to luxury executive saloons like the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes SL, are in the running. Perhaps the Irish will follow their Danish colleagues who voted for the Citroën C3 as car of the year in Denmark. The Mazda6 came second. The C3 is also one of the serious contenders for the most prestigious title of European Car of the Year.
Citroën and Peugeot have contacted us about their roadside assistance warranties. In researching the article for our September 18th edition, we were told by them that they offered one year's roadside assistance. However, they tell us now that since the beginning of the year they have been offering two years' assistance.
Not only is the prancing horse running rings around its competitors in Formula One, but Ferrari, part of the Fiat Group, (though not Fiat Auto) has announced it expects full year sales to be 10 per cent higher than the €1.058 billion it reported last year. "Ferrari sees another record year that confirms the growth trend of recent years, in line with that registered in the last decade," it said. Ferrari has also raised production of its limited edition Enzo model, launched recently at the Paris motor show, to 399 units, from 349.
This month's British International Motor Show will debut MG Rover's new high performance sports car. Other recent arrivals to feature at the show in Birmingham, which opens to the public on October 25th, include the Bentley Continental GT and Enzo Ferrari, as well as a Lexus model driven by Tom Cruise in the futuristic film Minority Report.