2011 - European new car sales falling in Q1

The Europe wide figures for new car sales across europe fell by nearly 2 percent in the first quarter of the year. Whilst some countries experienced an increase a number of factors, including economic troubles in Portugal and Greece contributed to the overall reduction. Within the top five markets: Spain, Italy and Great Britain all experienced negative retail figures for new car sales.

Whilst this is gloomy news for much of the Motor Trade (particularly within the UK), there have been some brands that have bucked the trend. Alfa Romeo sales have increased 60 percent within the year to date, much of this change has been attributed to new models such as the Mito and Giulietta - which have provided unprecedented recent success for the brand.

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Motor Dealers urged to extend opening hours

Over half of the visits to Car Dealer websites occur outside of the traditional 9-5 office hours. Online enquiries tend to peak, between 7-10pm - but a response is usually not processed until the following day. The automotive director of Google UK stated that the average time for a UK dealer to respond to an online enquiry is 72 hours (compared to just 4 hours in the US).

Motor Traders can use a variety of services to deal with enquiries out of hours, including call centres or 'live chat' applications to respond to site visitors. In the current trading climate, effectively processing these out-of-hours enquiries can make the difference between profit and loss. For car dealers who are currently processing their out-of-hours enquiries in under 15 minutes, they report a higher conversion rate and quality of enquiry outside of the standard working day.

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Electric Cars create new challenges to Motor Traders

Last week saw the launch of another electric city car, the Citreon C-Zero which are starting to prove popular with buyers in urban areas. The take-up of these new cars is expected to increase, with the current record highs in fuel prices. The trend towards Hybrid and all Electric vehicles provides challenges across the Motor Trade for Car Servicing, Repair and MOT stations.

Business that are slower to adopt with equipment and servicing plans for these greener vehicles will lose business to other better equipped centres. Whilst the numbers of these cars are still relatively small, the hybrid and all electric sectors of the market are growing rapidly.

Whilst in tough economic times it is difficult to invest in new equipment and training for staff to ensure they are fully equipped for electric vehicles, the question for Motor Traders will become - can I afford not to?

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Buyer found for Auto Windscreens

The Windscreen repair brand, Auto Windscreens was placed in administration last month (February), when additional capitalisation for the business could not be found. A buyer has emerged for some of the companies assets and use of the brand name. Markerstudy Group a major player in the Motor Trade insurance market, has acquired the business assets from the previous owners a private equity firm.

In a press release from Auto Windscreens, the company strikes a positive note for a 'bright future' with the creation of 250 new jobs in the business. The intention is to compete as a major player within the UK windscreen market place. The Markerstudy Group currently employs 500 staff in the UK with head offices located in Kent.

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UK Government encourages Motor Trade apprentices

The new coalition Government is keen to see an increased uptake in apprenticeships for young people within the Motor Trade. Vince Cable spoke on the issue recently and the government are targeting an additional 100,000 apprentices in UK businesses by 2014.

Industry figures for the Motor Trade, recorded in excess of 11,000 apprenticeships during the past year. The trend towards apprenticeships and the government incentives offered are good news, for employers and potential employees at a time when youth unemployment is exceptionally high.

Training and career opportunities are available for many Motor Trader occupations. Many companies are taking on young people in this sector, with Jaguar / Land Rover being one of the largest, the company are creating 1,200 new apprentice places.

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Motor Trade facing tough challenges in 2011

Figures for January 2011, indicate a tough trading climate for the Motor Trade during the coming year. The SMMT statistics recorded a fall of 11.5% in new car sales. Increasing unemployment, lack of available finance and increases in VAT and fuel prices are all effecting consumer confidence and personal budgets.

Motor Traders and manufacturers are providing incentives to buyers to help revive flagging sales. However most consumers are taking a cautious approach with job security proving a factor with large numbers of public and private sector workers.

Many Car Dealers are focusing their stock on smaller more efficient cars, to help with rising fuel costs, with prices currently at a record high. The early indicators for this year are that their is a marked downsizing in cars and engine size. Electric cars are also becoming more attractive to buyers as the costs of petrol and diesel continue to increase. However the range of the current crop of electric cars and the number of public charging points needs to increase before this becomes a viable alternative for most road users.

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Motor Trade reports 4x4 values rising fast

Car Dealers are currently trying to satisfy demand within the used car sector for 4x4's. This is largely due to the poor weather conditions and potential for further extreme weather. The increase in demand and prices for SUV's continues unabated despite the increase in fuel prices to record levels.

At the beginning of 2011, 4x4 prices were increasingly faster than other sector of the used vehicle market. The fuel prices are having a limited impact in this area, because Diesel vehicles are outperforming their Petrol counterparts with the highest prices.

Should there be a further spell of bad weather the demand is expected to peak even further than current levels. Therefore dealers are finding it increasingly hard to satisfy customer demand for 4x4's despite increased fuel costs.

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Car Dealers should focus on customer relationships

Freely available pricing information available to consumers online for car prices and servicing costs is driving down Motor Trade profits. To maintain profitable businesses many dealers are investing in improving relationships with their customers.

Typically the increasing reliability reduced frequency of servicing on newer cars, effects the number of opportunities Motor Traders have to interact with their customers and the income streams for Motor Trade businesses.

To keep regular customer contact, many car dealers are increasing spend on IT systems, marketing and staff training. The increased spend is focussed on keeping a business relationship with the customer after the initial vehicle purchase.

During increasingly tough trading conditions, you could save money on Motor Trade insurance with iQuote. If your paying too much for your Traders Policy, visit our site for Car Dealer Insurance and cut your costs, but not your cover.

Car Dealers launch VAT saving offers

To help encourage demand within the Motor Trade during the traditionally quiet first quarter, some manufacturers and car dealers are offering to absorb the VAT rise. When dealers opened for business they and their customers faced an increase in VAT to 20%, the highest rate since the introduction of VAT within the UK.

Already in 2011 Seat and Subaru have announced deals to absorb the cost of the VAT rise, when purchasing new vehicles. Many car dealers will be watching to see if this provides a significant boost to sales and may well follow suit.

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Information for Car Dealers: UK vehicles with the lowest depreciation

A survey by Glass's conducted on vehicles registered three years ago, has produced a list of the top ten cars for maintaing residual values. If you work in the Motor Trade and buy and sell vehicles, this is essential information for your business.

The vehicle values below are calculated on three year old vehicles with recorded mileage of 37,000. The vehicles each show a percentage figure, which is the amount of the original list price retained after the first three years.
 

1. Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion 5d (68%)
2. MINI 1.6 Cooper 3d (65.9%)
3. Honda CR-V 2.2 CTDi SE 5d (64.3%)
4. Land Rover Freelander 2 GS Td4 Auto (63.8%)
5. Audi Q7 3.0TDI Quattro S Line Tip (63.8%)
6. Land Rover Discovery 3 2.7TD (63.7%)
7. Audi TT Coupe 2.0T FSI (63.6%)
8. Nissan Qashqai 1.6 2WD Visia (63.3%)
9. Land Rover Range Rover 2.7TD Sport (62.5%)
10. Audi A5 2.7TDI Sport Coupe Multitronic (62.2%)

The VW Tiguan tops the charts for residual values, this is partially due to limited numbers available as this has never been strongly marketed to UK customers. This limits the number of cars available, but there is also the brand value of the VW badge, which is synonymous with quality.

Another detail to note for Car Dealers looking to make astute purchasing decisions is that despite cost and environmental factors, 7 of the top 10 vehicles are SUV's. Many industry watchers expected values of these larger thirstier vehicles to fall, but the smart money is sticking with 4x4's.

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Car Dealers still purchasing at auction during the freeze

Despite the arctic conditions many of the major vehicle auctions are reporting steady levels of vehicle sales during recent snow and wintry conditions. Many Motor Traders now purchase from auctions using online services and this method of buying saw spikes in usage during the heaviest snow and ice. Some vehicle auctions experienced increases in online bidding and purchase activity of over fifty percent.

Within the Motor Trade many are grateful to have online tools such as Simulcast to keep buyers and sellers trading, during very difficult travel conditions and the early freeze across much of the country.

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Mobile vehicle valuations for the Motor Trade

There is a new online service for mobile available from Glass's which provides valuation tools for Car Dealers whilst on the move. The mobile revolution for web usage has continued to grow during 2010 with online traffic from mobiles increasing 3-fold. The new service 'GlassNet Unlimited Mobile' reflects this trend and the increasing diversity of the Motor Trade.

The new mobile service will provide greater flexibility for Car Dealers who visit a customers to value vehicles, work on multiple sites and motor traders working from home. The mobile service will allow dealers to input specific vehicle information such as mileage and options to get an accurate valuation of any vehicle.

At iQuote Insurance we are also publishing new services for mobile devices, such as your iPhone, Blackberry or iPad. You can now get a quote for your Traders insurance online at our new mobile site: iQuoteMotorTradeinsurance.co.uk/mobile/ - Visit us for a Motor Trade Insurance Quote tailored to your business.

Positive annual sales for the UK Motor Trade

The annual figures for new car sales are up by nearly 5% on the vehicle sales for the first ten months of 2009. This is good news for Car Dealers, however figures for October were much lower than last year, as the scrappage scheme was still active in the latter months of last year. This makes the overall annual increase all the more impressive and provides much for motor traders to be positive about for 2011.

The total number of new car registrations in 2010 is expected to top 2 million in the UK. Industry analysts expect continued improvements in the Motor Trade market, driven by improving consumer confidence and modest economic growth to fuel higher sales for the coming year.

Currently the top five selling cars in the UK (for 2010) are:

1. Ford Fiesta
2. Volkswagen Golf
3. Vauxhall Astra
4. BMW 3 Series
5. Ford Focus

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Top tips for Traders with iQuote Insurance

When you purchase a Traders Insurance policy, we are committed to providing you with the most competitive deal on your Traders policy. Because you are covering your livelihood and vehicle stock, you shouldn't purchase insurance cover purely on price. You should also consider the level of cover required and whether you require additional benefits such as premises or indemnity cover.

We have listed some handy tips designed to save you money on Motor Trade insurance:

• Make sure that any additional drivers you add to your Traders policy are over 25 years of age. Any drivers younger on the policy will result in a significant increase of your insurance premium.
• If you haven't got any No Claims Bonus in the Motor Trade, ask your insurance broker if you can 'mirror' your No Claims from a private car policy. This means you could still get generous discounts even though your No Claims has not been earned in the Trade.
• If you have the available funds, pay for your insurance in one payment at the inception of the policy. Although most brokers can finance your policy, you will pay more for your insurance in interest charges.
• Many policies will not cover high performance vehicles, within your Motor Trader insurance. If you need cover for a Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi EVO or other high performance vehicles, you must notify your insurance broker or insurer. Otherwise you may unwittingly end up without cover in the event of a claim.
• Consider the amount of additional cover you require, by limiting the amount of premises cover or increasing the voluntary excess you are willing to pay, you can make large savings on the cost of your Motor Trade policy.

To find out more about our Motor Traders Insurance and how much you can save - Get a Motor Trade Quote with iQuote Insurance.

Car Dealers report increasing demand to beat the VAT increase

Many car dealers are reporting an increase in forecourt demand during the past month, due to the impending VAT increase. In January 2011 the rate of VAT increases from 17.5% to 20% which will have a hefty impact on new car buyers. For example the increase in purchase price on a mid-range Ford Focus will be in excess of £500.

The more expensive the vehicle, the larger the increase in cost becomes if you wait until the new year to purchase your new car. This is driving demand for new cars, which is expected to continue to accelerate during the final two months of 2010. The VAT increase doesn't just effect consumers, but will also have far reaching effects on the Motor Trade, which has thus far been relatively resilient in the tough trading conditions since the start of the economic downturn. Whilst this rise in VAT brings in large sums for the Exchequer many Motor Traders have questioned the timing of the increase, just as many of the current spending cuts are beginning to bite.

If you are looking for cheaper Car Dealer Insurance, to help battle rising costs within your business, get a quote with iQuote insurance. We have access to the most competitive Motor Trade insurance schemes in the UK - saving you time and money.

Traders Insurance in times of austerity

In the past week the coalition government has announced a wide range of spending cuts, that will impact across all areas of society. Whether or not the spending cuts directly effect you and your Motor Trade business, there is likely to be a knock on effect to consumer confidence. With potentially hundreds of thousands less in work and with less disposable income to purchase used or new cars. This doesn't just effect vehicle sales, but also car valeters, mechanics and has wide ranging implications for all traders.

Therefore it has become even more important to purchase Motor Traders Insurance keenly. There are a number of factors to consider when purchasing a Motor Trade Policy, price is obviously a key consideration. However price should not be the only factor, you should consider if you do have to make a claim - will your policy provide adequate cover to fully cover the cost of your claim.

When purchasing your Traders Policy, you should review whether you will require Demo Cover, Indemnity and Premises cover on your policy and the level of cover required for each item. When you get a Motor Trade Insurance Quote with iQuote Insurance, you will speak to an expert advisor who will get you the best possible quotation for Traders Insurance - that cuts your costs, but not your cover!

To find out more about a Motor Trade Policy with iQuote Insurance call today: 0845 434 7819

IMI will introduce Electric Vehicle qualification and training for the Motor Trade

Electric Vehicle (EV) and hybrid vehicles are still far from ubiquitous, however they are becoming increasingly popular within the UK. This means that as cars of this type begin to enter the used car market, it is important for consumers to be able to have these vehicles serviced by a local garage or even mobile mechanics.

Earlier this year the IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry) announced an industry wide training, accreditation and qualification scheme to cover EV's. This scheme is now ready for introduction in January 2011, it is hoped this scheme will provide a much higher level of competency across the Motor Trade when dealing with this exciting technology.

There will also be increased choice for the consumer and by not being tied to a specific manufacturers dealer network for servicing and repairs, there is likely to be a benefit in terms of both convenience and cost.

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Internet Marketing is becoming critical to Motor Traders

Much of the Motor Trade has been slow to harness the power of the internet, as a tool to drive new business, however this is rapidly changing. As consumer patterns are changing, prospective customers are increasingly likely to book vehicle servicing, repairs and purchase vehicles online. For those Motor Traders that have not already harnessed the power of promoting their business online, it is becoming increasingly important to drive visitors to their website - or be left behind by competitors.

In many other industries, but particularly insurance this transition is a familiar story. The insurance industry has been revolutionised by changing consumer patterns. If we look at the example of Motor Trade insurance, companies that haven't been able to gain a strong online presence have ceased to exist.

Although the Motor Trade has been slower to adapt to an online market place, a solid strategy for online marketing for Car Dealers, Mechanics and Valeters is becoming ever more important. The first place that a customer will research for your services are online. The actual purchase may happen on the phone, or face-to-face but the majority of customers will complete their research on the net. So whatever type of Motor Trade activity you are involved in, you should review your website and how prominently it appears within Google for your products and services.

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Car Dealers offering independent scrappage schemes

The government scrappage scheme was widely acknowledged as a huge success within the Motor Trade industry, by the time the scheme had run it's course in March 2010 it had accounted for 400,000 vehicle sales. When vehicle sales had been predicted to plummet, the scheme provided a much need boost for Motor Traders.

Since the schemes expiration earlier this year, many manufacturers have since provided their own offers to recycle your old car for a newer model. Although not government backed, there are still many bargains to be had when shopping around within the range on offer from car dealers. Nissan, Kia and many others are offering schemes to recycle your old vehicle when you purchase a new car. This is helping to drive new car sales and put cleaner, greener vehicles on Britains roads.

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Warnings for Car Dealers on HMRC tax bills

Motor Dealers have been claiming overpayment of VAT on sales of demonstrator vehicles. The resulting claims have been paid with minimal queries by HMRC to dealers who submitted claims.

However HMRC has begun reviewing this process and believes they may have made overpayments to Car Dealers, in some cases with substantial amounts. This is related to a partial exemption status for VAT for the claims submitted. Within this retrospective review, which dates back two years many of those who have already received refund payments from HMRC have utilised the funds within their business - and will now be asked for repayment.

Many of those effected by the current process will be larger Motor Dealers with substantial claims. Understandably many of those effected are unhappy with the retrospective nature of the current review.

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