Jeremy Hicks - JLR
"Continued uncertainty in the marketplace caused by the government’s ongoing Brexit negotiations and consumer confusion around modern diesel technology."
Paul Willis - VW Group UK
"Increasing competition and adapting to the changing ways in which the car will be owned and used."
Are you more worried about Brexit now than you were at the end of 2016?
Alex Smith - Nissan GB
"Nissan continues to work with the UK government to ensure the company’s long-term success and investment in the UK."
Andy Barratt - Ford of Britain
"More worried, as we don’t yet have clarification on the UK’s transition out of the EU nor our [final] deal with Brussels."
Andy Palmer - Aston Martin
"In recent weeks, we have finally seen a coming together of the macro discussions between the EU and the UK, and that should give rise to the trade discussions."
Graham Grieve - BMW Group GB
"The continued uncertainty is a frustration and makes it difficult to plan. As a company, we have made out position on Brexit well known. "
Jean-Marc Gales - Group Lotus
"We are planning our business for a number of Brexit eventualities, but most importantly we wish for a soft landing."
Jeremy Hicks - JLR
"Once we have certainty about the terms of the Brexit deal, then we can get really excited about the future."
Paul Willis - VW Group UK
"My job is not to worry about things I cannot change but to run a successful business... I want frictionless trade and we must be confident that this goal will be achieved."
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Excuses, excuses.....
What's put me off buying a new car is the disgraceful price rises in recent months. Every new model launch, or sometimes even just a light refresh, is accompanied by a huge price hike over the previous model now......as well as regular, frequent increments.
I also refuse to be suckered into a misleading finance deals either - i.e. "look at this low monthly figure" whilst hiding the not one, but two, lump sums to be paid before and after the monthly payments are finished, and the ridiculously high bottom-line list price!
That's why less people are buying new cars now you greedy, any excuse (such as BREXIT) blaming, car manufacturers!
The future is coming......?!
As the Century unfolds Cars are going to change radically,obvious you say, well, yes, less moving parts, no repairing just replacing, Cars will be the new ‘White goods’ so no really choice other than White, your choice of interior and what of new tech?, will there be new tech needed..?, all these factioids point to less People needed to produce a Car to produce parts,Car makers are going to have find a unique USP to get the sales, also, the knock on effect is there might be no need say in fifty years for Garages to have mechanics, maybe Cars will be fixed remotely...?, you know, your Car will be connected and any updates or detected faults will be fixed without needing to go in and waste time sitting waiting drinking aweful Coffee or Tea!, no Car makers better start thinking....
Nissan inspires most confidence
Nissan are looking forward and seem to acknowledge that there is major disruption just around the corner. EV battery costs are dropping so fast that this must make a major impact in the next few years.
Unfortunately some others, notably JLR, are looking backwards a bit too much. I hope they don’t repeat mistakes from the history of the UK Motor industry in the 1960s and 70s - i.e. complacently refusing to adapt to new threats. The SMMT seem to have a similar position of inertia. That could be damaging.