Huge SsangYong rise
August 6th, 2009 by Richard Aucock
SSANGYONG has recorded its fourth double-take sales increase in a row – with a 167 percent sales boost for July.
OK, that’s on sales of 99 models in July, rather than 33 last year.
But it is still proof of the gradual recovery the rejuvenated Korean car maker is seeing in the UK, after boss Paul Williams saved the firm.
‘Our volumes are still low,’ he said, ‘but we have made steady progress this year, with the last four months being very positive.
It’s SsangYong’s car dealers who are behind this, rather than impetus from the scrappage scheme.
Last month, only ONE SsangYong sale was attributed to scrappage!
‘Our retail sales have been especially strong, with no reliance on scrappage deals. Our dealers have worked hard for these results.’
The wider picture shows promise, too. ‘Over the first seven months of the year, SsangYong registrations are now 0.65 percent up on the same period last year.
This makes the firm ‘one of only six makes showing an increase, in a market still showing an overall decline of nearly 23 percent.’
Further good news came from Korea overnight: the firm’s plant, which had been held under siege by disgruntled workers since May, is now back under SsangYong control.
Police had been trying to regain control of the plant for some time, using helicopters to fire back at the workers, who were protesting over job losses.
They responded by throwing back firebombs, resulting in many injuries.
But now the situation is back in hand, SsangYong will be able to continue reorganising under Chapter 11-style bankruptcy protection.