1:25 pm, January 22, 2009
UK car production, it was announced today, has plunged, to almost half what it was a year ago.
That’s because people aren’t buying cars. But even with such swingeing cuts, there are still lots of unsold cars in the system.
Where are they all? Well, one website has found out. The overhead shots shown here make for grim viewing.
It’s clear where most of them are – and what cars they are. The sheer scale is mesmerising, though. Brand-new motors, sitting there, unsold, which will have to be shifted before makers can even think about building new ones.
What does this mean for car dealers? Incentives, we predict. These cars have to be got onto the road, by whatever means it takes.
If that is a particularly sweet suite of deals for the March plate change, then so be it. It’ll help stem the wave of customers armed with such images, intent on stealing the shirt off your back.
The implications of all these cars, plus today’s production news, will be felt for months to come. New car dealers, brace yourselves…
Richard
