 |
| The Ford Puma crossover is selling well |
Ford has always been a firm favourite in the UK and the best selling nameplate for decades. Is that about to end? it appears so as Ford registrations fall not only in the UK but across Europe. I call it a repositioning of the company, moving away from low margin cars to SUVs and light commercial vehicles. In doing so, volume has to be affected. The graph below shows that as recently as 2015, Ford was selling strongly but since then a marked slide in units sold occurred.
So who will take over the mantle of best selling brand? It pains me to say VW, a brand that fought against any compensation for duped owners in the UK. The fact the UK government was too indifferent to act is not the point. VW paid US owners without a legal fight but must have (understandably) thought the UK legal system was a soft touch like the government.
VW claimed after being caught they were changing the culture of the company. After its appeal in the UK against paying any compensation was rejected, the judge called VW's defence "highly flawed" and "absurd". It told me that any talk of contrition from VW was insincere.
The business world may be infested with greed and corruption but should we become apathetic to it, accepting because at the same time it gives us a comfortable way of life? Someone has to take over the top spot but it's a shame it has to be VW. What VW did was criminal and crime shouldn't pay. There should be consequences to such behaviour. Even when they eventually pay up, VW will have got off very lightly. I'm all for forgiving genuine remorse but I'm not seeing any here.
 |
| There are alternatives such as Nissan, a company investing heavily in the UK. Does that matter? You would think so. |
Spot on analysis - I care that Nissan are investing in the UK. I guess VW have been effective gaurdians of Bentley but I totally get your point that they really have got off lightly in terms of Dieselgate
ReplyDeleteThanks Ant. VW's investment in Bentley is a business deal rather than acting as a guardian but I get your point, they have been an effective investor.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see Nissan get more local support for not only due to it's UK production but also design work done in the UK too.
A person that supports workers in the country he lives puts money back into the economy which eventually comes back to the person.
I've just purchased a second hand Jaguar XJ (made in Castle Brom of course). Love the car. Such a pity Jaguar seem to have abandoned the XJ format. But again, who apart from Mercedes have made that scale of format work profitably. I doubt Audi ( A8) or BMW ( 7 series) have made any serious money for years on that scale of car
ReplyDeleteSounds a nice car. The XJ is now finished as a saloon car at least.
DeleteI also read that Castle Bromwich will cease to make vehicles but remain within the company, perhaps the SVO division to move there from Ryton, Coventry. Electric Jags will be made alongside Range Rover models at Solihull while Halewood, Liverpool will continue as is. I assume the source is good.