5:55 pm, October 6, 2010
BUSINESS in the last quarter of 2010 will be ‘intensely competitive’ predicts Ford’s UK boss.
Speaking exclusively to Car Dealer, Nigel Sharp believes that on a scale of one to 10, the remaining months of 2010 will score 10 out of 10 in terms of how hard business will be.
From the UK’s biggest selling brand that will come as worrying news to ALL car dealers.
‘The January 2 VAT increase is likely to result in some increase in the market in the last quarter of 2010, drawing some business ahead,’ Sharp told us.
‘With an estimated 30+ per cent excess capacity in the European car industry, the market is likely to remain intensely competitive, probably rated as a 10 on your scale.’
Sharp’s statement is telling, especially on the back of today’s news that new car registrations in September were down 8.9 per cent and down 11 per cent over the last three months.
In his answer to how Ford will overcome the rest of 2010, Sharp added: ‘We will be concentrating on a good balance of sales to the fleet and retail sectors with our most-appealing range of vehicles and Blue Tag pricing helping us achieve that.’
To read more key individuals’ views on how tough they think the fourth quarter will be, read the next issue of Car Dealer Magazine. Subscriptions are just £17.24 and can be made here.
By James Batchelor
