Lotus Sales : 2023

Lotus has never been that forthcoming when it comes to sales data. For the most part it wasn't all that positive so maybe a sensible move. Now that it is under the control of the Geely Auto Group greater transparency may come. What I do know is revealed to the right.

6,970 cars were delivered in 2023. I have seen the figure 576 for 2022 but based on sales by country I do know of, that is too low and by some margin. I have sales by country for 744 vehicles in 2022 and there are some missing. 

I don't have a 2022 figure for China but it would have been minimal. As for the US I've seen estimates that looked more like wild guesses. The Middle East is also a data black hole. So if anyone can add something, let me know although I've yet to have any such offer taken up.

Of the 3,506 delivered in China during 2023, I believe the sales by model were the Eletre SUV 2,929 and the Emira sports car 577. Lotus has revealed the global numbers between the Eletre SUV and all sports cars, which were 4,361 and 2,609 respectively. 

So things are booming and with more models coming out in 2024 the number of deliveries will continue to grow quickly. The marque that made great sports cars but struggled to balance the books now has a brighter future with its Chinese owners. 

Mclaren Deliveries : 2023 / Q1 2024

Mclaren has this unusual policy of releasing full year sales figures with Q1 data for the following year at the same time. So here we have 2023 with Q1 2024. 

2023: Unit wholesale deliveries were down 2%, mainly due to one model being phased out (GT) and the 720 about to be replaced by the 750. Below is shown the regional mix, with North America the main region. It did lose some share of total deliveries but still manage to account for over a third of them.   

Data source & pics Mclaren.

                                                                                                                                      Model mix: Below is Mclaren's way of showing model volumes, which could do with a little more detail but the general idea is conveyed. The Artura hybrid sports series model led the way in 2023. 

2024: Already there has been an uptick in deliveries for the first quarter, up 28%. North America over doubled its volume and took over half of the total in the process. All other regions grew with the exception of China which belly flopped. A hiccup? It seems so although the 750S isn't sold there. 

Model mix: The GT has disappeared, the 750S has gone into orbit and the Artura is up slightly. Again, more detail would be helpful. Still no confirmation of when an SUV will be added to the range. 

Jaguar UK 2024 Registrations - Curious (Jan-Apr)

I'm a fan of Jaguar cars but have not been a fan of how JLR has treated the marque of late. Some of the things I've heard about I can't understand but a recent development in the UK caught my eye, perhaps yours also.

To the right, there is a chart showing UK registrations for the first four months of 2024. January was reasonably good with a 30% increase but thereafter it's gone ballistic. Is April a sign things are tapering off? Time will tell.

Looking at the broader picture, Jaguar's market share in the UK grew from 0.9% in 2015 to a peak of 1.56% in 2018 and up to 2020. The continuity for those three years was impressive! 

Then a collapse down to less than half the volume in two years. That was harsh but Land Rover got priority when component supplies were at a premium. Then this sudden upturn again. Whatever the reason, the 2024 movement is too kneejerk to be purely market driven. Is it about catching up with back orders as supply has improved?

It's good to see a local make doing well in its home market which is the case everywhere else. I certainly didn't expect it, given JLR's recent actions regarding Jaguar. It has a wonderful history and that should be celebrated. 

Data: SMMT. Pictures: Jaguar Cars.

PS. If anyone has insight into these matters so as to shed light on things, please leave a comment (no registration required) or email me at rdc1234@gmail.com. Thank you.