7:21 am, December 2, 2010
THE royal wedding could be the kick that fires buyers back into life in 2011, says Chevrolet UK boss Mark Terry.
The UK managing director thinks the UK car market is in for a rough ride in the first quarter of 2011 – but the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton could be the feel-good factor that puts buyers back in showrooms.
‘I think the wedding is ever so well timed,’ Terry told Car Dealer in an exclusive interview at the launch of the firm’s new Orlando MPV, pictured.
‘I don’t know whether it’s romantically driven or government driven – one hopes it’s romantically driven, but you never know!
‘From there I think we’ll see a brighter future, but I think getting back to the days of a plus-two-million market may be a little way off yet.
‘I think the government’s austerity measures need to wash through, we need to get through the winter and the fuel bills that are associated with that and when the sun starts shining we’ll get that feel-good factor back.’
Hear what Terry told us at our exclusive interview in this audio-only clip:
Despite his predictions of tough times ahead, Terry believes Chevrolet’s unique Five Year Promise deal is enough to tempt buyers into showrooms.
‘Quarter four has just got worse and worse and even with the VAT pull-forward it’s actually a very small marketplace. I think we’re in for a very tough job in the retail market,’ he said.
‘Five Year Promise is still the best offer in the market place,’ he said. ‘It’s transferable to the second owner and covers a multitude of different aspects, not just the warranty. It’s programmes like this that will capture the few buyers that are still intending to buy.’
