All articles by Richard Irvine-Brown
Richard Irvine-Brown
Ford launches range of 4.9% PCP
Ford, the biggest-selling car brand in the UK, has begun a series of PCP options with 4.9% representative APR on a selection of models.
AA warning over used car purchase habits
Two-fifths of consumers would consider buying a car with mismatched paintwork although nearly half would walk away from a purchase if they knew the car had been in an accident.
Fleet Friday: Arval, Volvo and guidance
Weekly round up of fleet stories from the UK and Europe including appointments at Arval Italy and Volvos business team, guidance from the BVRLA and Brake and a pair of corporate deals from Alfa Romeo.
September new registrations up 8.16%
The total number of new car sales, 359,612 units, was 7.8% above the SMMT forecast for the month, which included the start of the number-62 plate registration. Private registrations were up again, 14.24% year-on-year to 177,242 units, and accounted for 49.3% of market, well above the 46.7% share recorded in September 2011 and the 46.0% share across 2012, year-to-date.
Chevrolet continues five-year 0% deal
The deal, begun in August and run through Santander Consumer Finance, is available on the Spark, Aveo, Cruze (all three body styles), Orlando and Captiva models, but not the Volt, Camaro or Corvette. A spokesperson for the brand told Motor Finance the August sales campaign was a tremendous success, although new registrations were down year-on-year for the month by 27.81% to 353 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
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HP down, PCP wavers in used market – Experian
Second quarter used car volumes hit their lowest point since 2005, according to the Used Car Index published by Experian Automotive, while both HP and PCP for second-hand vehicles saw dips in penetration. Sales in all segments were down except 4x4s, which was up by almost 5%, and the supermini segment, the largest used car segment, which was up by 0.75%.
Dublin to Barcelona for BEN
Fresh from toasting its annual golfing day in Ireland, automotive industry charity BEN is preparing for the next Big BEN Rally to Barcelona and back. Sponsored by Alphera Financial Services, independent lender under the BMW umbrella, and held at the Hermitage Golf Club in Dublin, the 11th Annual BEN Ireland Golf Classic raised 6,000 (£4,800) in a day of fairway competition followed by a prize-giving dinner in the evening. The Big BEN Rally is the new name for the Bangers4BEN event, which will this year require competitors to buy a car for no more than £500, drive it to Barcelona and back, and then sell the car at auction
Hyundai appoints Tunnell as aftersales director
Tunnell has moved from his role as aftersales commercial manager for Hyundai Motor UK, the British operation of South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group, at a time when the marque is hoping to raise its finance penetration to 50% and running a flagship finance offer under a joint venture with Santander Consumer Finance.
Dealer survey: A lot on their plates
Hannah Meltzer and Jared Fortune survey UK car dealerships before and after the September plate change to gauge the optimism on the forecourts for both car sales and finance.
Regulation prominence at FLA convention
Details have been released of the agenda for the ninth Annual Motor Finance Convention held by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), including a briefing on future regulation and talk from Kirstin Green, second in command at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Further guest speakers at the event, to be held on 22 November at the Williams F1 Centre in Grove, Oxfordshire, include; Graham Wheeler, MD of Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS); and David Challinor, MD of The Funding Corporation. The convention will be the first chaired by Peter Minter, managing director of Moneybarn and appointed chairman of the motor finance division of the FLA in May.