EDITORS' BLOG

THE first rule of Car Club… you don’t speak about Car Club. Well, at least not to the wrong type of person.

It’s the festive season (as if you hadn’t noticed), which means that chances are you’ve probably been forced to spend some ‘quality time’ with distant relatives you wouldn’t usually nod to on the street.

This leads to some rather uncomfortable situations – and I’m not talking about the itching from Aunt Mable’s jumper (why you’re wearing her jumper is another story entirely).

Anyway, the situations I’m talking about are the Car Situations.

They all start harmlessly enough, but so easily take a warped and dark turn that all of a sudden the whole room’s gone silent and you’ve been escorted from the premises by Great Uncle Nick (GUN).

They normally start a little something like this…

‘So, your mum’s been telling me you’re been writing about cars/selling cars/fixing cars/instructing others to sell cars (delete where applicable),’ slurs drunk distant relative X.

‘Yep,’ you reply.

‘So…. (add nasal ’s-ooooah’ where appropriate)… what do you think of my new Skoda Roomster.’

Now, this conversation has two very distinct paths. The first is going to involve a bout of MP-in-the-Commons-style head nodding that Churchill the dog would be proud of as you’re forced to concede that the styling is very ‘unique’ (aka cack) and that he made a wise (ridiculous) and sound (mad) decision to buy the Skoda.

The second - more commonly chosen by the car lover - is to spray a mouth full of eggnog across the room, stagger in disbelief that a member of your family however far removed, could bring themselves to buy such an automotive abomination, and scream at the madman who’s just admitted the most ludicrous of car-buying decisions.

Obviously, the second is the one that involves aforementioned GUN and your forehead greeting the gravel path – but it’s so much more satisfying than the first.

And that’s just one of the very many pitfalls of admitting you are a fully paid up member of Car Club.

Others involve discussing the merits of a limited slip differential, the Macpherson strut and/or the ‘fantastically interesting’ Porsche Doppelkupplung (yawn) new semi-automatic gearbox with the Car Bore of the Year.

He is easily spotted (and thus easily avoided) by his penchant for WRC apparel and ‘King’-Lewis-championship-winning-celebration-bald-spot-covering baseball cap.

Occasionally, just occasionally, you’ll get to partake in the kind of conversation that all Car Club members have spent hours rehearsing – the What Would You Buy for… (insert £X,000s here).

The lower the figure the harder it gets, but rank of Car Cub member is determined by how cool the automobile is picked and why…

However, for every minute spent recounting Auto Trader listings you’ll have to endure hours spent locked in ‘conversation’ with a Bore of Yaw Control or that family member with the Skoda Roomst-duh.

Which is why, like I said at the start, you need to remember the first rule of Car Club – YOU DON’T SPEAK ABOUT CAR CLUB!

James

TIMES are tough, sales are low, morale is so far through the floor it’s struck oil – we know, we know, it’s not easy. But this is the season of goodwill, so Car Dealer has decided to do a little bit to help!

With showrooms up and down the country shedding staff to cut costs we decided we’d try and do our bit to help.

With the help of our friends at Skupe.net we’ve launched a free car job adverts site where anyone in the motor trade can upload their vacancies completely free.

This is something many of our rivals charge for, but we thought at a time when the industry is taking such a hit it was time someone did something, however small, to help out.

It’s vital that those jobs that are available are seen by absolutely everyone – which is why uploading jobs to our site is free. All you need to do is register for an account and our partners at Skupe.net will send you a user name and password. See the link below.

We’ll follow it up with a phone call to make sure you’re happy and away you go – whether it’s just the one job or you’re a recruitment company with hundreds of jobs, it’s still free.

And if you’re hunting for a new job get on the site and check out the listings – I hope you find the position you’re after.

Merry Christmas all and hope you have a prosperous new year…

James

Search for a job and upload yours for free now by clicking here

WHAT do you get if you fill Volvo’s flagship London dealer with a load of motoring journalists?

A run on the coffee machine, that’s what.

Innovatively, Volvo this week launched its new DRIVe range from the palatial premises of HR Owen Volvo West London.

Instead of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, journos found themselves giving the service manager palpitations instead, by filling up his car park with 58-plate test cars.

Then, to a man, all entering the wonderful showroom surroundings, and testing how up to the job coffee facilities really were in the upstairs waiting area.

Pretty good, let me tell you. After my initial kick-start of caffeine, I finally achieved focus and gazed around West London Volvo. What a place. Volvo brought us here to show off the brand’s premium credentials. With retailers like this, it’s not kidding.

It was warm – always a good start. It was welcoming. It had comfortable chairs, a big Plasma screen TV, and free WiFi. What more could anyone want?

After a quick product briefing – where Car Dealer old pal (and Volvo product manager) Chris Wailes took to the showroom floor, ‘taking me right back to my salesman days,’ – we were out.

But where were the cars?

Right in front of us, that’s where. For an extra-special treat, Volvo gave us the full customer new car experience. They drove ‘our new (test) cars’ right off the showroom floor, outdoors, for us to scoot away!

All that was missing was the bunch of flowers. It was a product launch with a difference, and the perfect way to show the national press just what a good job car dealers are doing at the moment.

Therefore, look out in this week’s reviews, for positive nationwide car dealer feedback…

RICHARD.

Volvo on the up

Volvo flagship dealer open

Volvo aftersales go green

WHAT on earth am I doing here? Checking my economy, that’s what.

I’ve been on the launch of SEAT’s new Ibiza Ecomotive this week. It will be a significant car for SEAT dealers: 98g/km of CO2 will mean lots of interest from fleet customers. Retail buyers will also love the free road tax.

It returns 76.3mpg, making it the most economical five-door on sale in Britain. And all for an estimated list price of £11,000.

All sounds good. But how does it perform in real life? That’s what SEAT challenged us to find out. A 145km test route, on varied, flowing Spanish roads. What could we eek out of it?

Well, over the next two hours, we found out. We drove sensibly, ecologically, but not ridiculously. We kept flow with the traffic, didn’t crawl along and most certainly didn’t fold in the electric door mirrors ‘to reduce drag’. Unlike some of our Spanish counterparts…

Data was downloaded at the end, and numbers crunched. Result? 72.1mpg. Best Brits on the event (hurrah!). A score I don’t think is too bad at all. We could have driven even more economically – one journo scored 81.2mpg – and it just goes to show how ‘eco’ new cars can be.

With 2009 looking like a heck of a year ahead, such demonstrations, of how much new cars could save buyers, might be just the sort of promotional event you ought to be considering…

Richard

How to promote green cars

Diesel price questioned

Company car CO2 trend

GEOFF Hoon MP is a car nut.

He drives. He likes fast cars. He covered 3500 miles across America earlier in the year, on a family touring holiday. And, praise be, he’s also Transport Secretary.

He spoke last night at the annual SMMT Dinner, a huge bash attended by the great and the good in the industry. Oh, and Car Dealer Magazine.

Over 800 people packed into London’s Hilton. We heard SMMT President Graham Smith speak, about the state of the industry. But we also heard the thoughts of Hoon – and, by default, Government.

We’ve detailed elsewhere what he said. To summarise here is to say it was encouraging. He seems a realistic, connected guy, who appears to appreciate the challenges facing the industry – and also the issues that need to be overcome.

The industry needs cashflow, needs banks to start lending money. Customers want greener cars, and car makers will supply them – if they’re given clear regulations to work towards, and enough time to do so.

Intriguingly, he also said Government had ‘heard’ the industry’s request for financial aid. A meeting tomorrow with Business Secretary Lord Mandleson may thus prove more fruitful than some imagine…

What particularly encouraged us were his anecdotes. Tesla? He’s driven it, called it ‘breathtaking’. He’s visited the Toyota plant in his Derbyshire constituency, toured the MINI plant, has been described by Top Gear as ‘car mad Hoon’.

‘I enjoy driving,’ he said. For someone holding one of the key positions in the motor industry, this can only be good news…

Richard

MINOR irritations part 105: Why do people get on their health and safety high horse when they have absolutely no reason too?

What am I talking about? Let me explain. Usually I’m working on a Saturday but having got loads done in the week I’ve been enjoying a rare afternoon off.

So I decide to get the much-unused CBR600RR out of hibernation (there she is on the right tucked up in the garage).

I haven’t used it for about a month so thought the battery could do with a charge prior to winter. Kitted up, bike wheeled out and thumb the starter – nothing. The poor old Honda tries to fire, but can’t muster the energy.

So I have to hunt down the manual to find out where the battery is (yes, I know, I’m stupid) – it’s under the seat, so I try to take it off. One rounded bolt later, much cursing and a grazed knuckle and it comes off, I attach the jump pack and she fires up.

So, slightly delayed, I head off. Some 10 miles later I realise I need petrol, thinking the battery’s been topped up enough I pull in, fill her up and then try and start it again – yep, you guessed it… nothing!

Scanning the busy petrol station, I can’t believe my luck when I spot a recovery truck filling up in the corner. I wander over to see if the driver can help.

‘Excuse me, have you got any jump leads?’ I ask. All he does is hold up his hand – stange I think, then spot he’s got one of those ridiculous headsets on and is talking on his phone (this should have set the alarm bells ringing).

Two minutes later and I’m still stood there patiently waiting while he’s jabbering away. He finally hangs up. ‘Yes sir,’ he says (slightly weird). I ask again – ‘have you got any jump leads?’

‘No,’ he replies, ‘but I have got a jump pack.’ Brilliant!

‘But I can’t let you use it.’ Right…

‘Health and safety you see,’ he babbles. ‘Insurance won’t let me.’

‘Well, can you do it for me?’ I plead.

‘Nope… afraid not. Health and safety…’

What a tool.

Thankfully another motorist filling his car up overhears our conversation and shouts over. Turns out he’s a biker too and has got some jump leads in the back of his Toyota.

Few seconds later, I’ve fired the Honda up and was on my way home. So, thanks random motorist who helped, even offering me a lift home if it didn’t work – and to the ‘recovery’ truck driver – I hope you leave your lights on.

Bitter? Me? Certainly…

James

ONCE you’ve started, you just can’t stop – no, I’m not talking those deliciously crunchy Pringles, but websites!

As you may have noticed we’ve been making some changes to the site recently. There are a few more graphic elements (see left) and we’re trying to make it easier on the eye as well as more user friendly.

Deputy editor Richard Aucock puts a huge amount of effort into the site – every morning he adds new stories and often uploads live updates throughout the day too.

Only at lunchtime today, he added a piece about car industry bodies writing to the chancellor ahead of his pre-budget speech on Monday.

We work very closely with a very talented design team at company Cool Creation to produce the site. Mark Russell is the brains behind the brilliance there and often has to deal with me emailing ridiculous requests at ridiculous times of the day.

The problem I have is that as soon as we’ve changed one thing I want to tamper with something else. We move this and I want to change that, then this becomes that… and, well, I’m confusing myself.

That’s why I admire the winners of our Ewards so much – not only have they created superb websites, but they’ve had the vision to get it to that stage and stop messing with it. And that’s a lot easier said than done!

Our web guru Mark is currently very, very busy indeed. We’ve got two HUGE plans in place for the website that are going to be extremely exciting.

One will totally revolutionise a sector of the industry that needs a shake-up at the moment and the other, well, I can’t say anything without giving the game away, but it will certainly be of use to you!

So, keep an eye out over the next few weeks for a few more changes to the site and some interesting new additions – and, as always, let us know your ideas too.

Speaking of feeback, we’ve recently added a survey to the site where you can tell us what you think of Car Dealer.

It’s been very useful so far – we added the SMMT sales figures in the last issue because of a request from a franchised dealer principal which goes to show we do actually listen to what you tell us! We look forward to reading your comments.

Happy selling…

James 

TODAY, I drove home in Subaru’s future. It’s potentially very bright indeed.

See, I got my hands on the Forester diesel for the first time: Car Dealer has one of the first in the country. As I write, I’m seriously, deeply impressed.

The petrol Forester left me cold. Heavy, the gutless petrol engine coped like an asthmatic pity pony after 30 years of 40 Woodbines a day. It also drank fuel like drinkers in the last-ever happy hour. Completely underwhelming. ‘Where’s the diesel?’, journos asked, tenaciously following the most obvious line of enquiry in the world.

Only one not one obvious, for decades, to Subaru. Diesel? Ugh. Finally, though, the Japanese rally-conquering giants lowered their noses just enough to realise they, perhaps, ought to be looking into this funny diesel lark. But resolved that, if they were going to lower their standards to even get their hands remotely mucky, they’d do it their way.

How they did. Earlier in the year, the world’s first flat-four ‘boxer’ diesel engine went on sale. it’s an engineering masterpiece, something technobods can barely believe is possible, can ever work, and has made mass production, but is. And is now on sale in the Forester. Which is now here, in the Car Dealer car park.

I’ve snared it for the weekend. And, late yesterday evening, I drove it back from the office for the first time ever.

My first thoughts, as the familiar cammy Subaru starter growled? Ooh. My. This really is quite something. It’s amazing!

Completely smooth, Lexus-like refined and unearthly creamy, it’s a remarkable, astounding engine. Seriously. What’s more, while peachy at low revs, pile some on and all that familiar Subaru off-beat throb is there, just like in a toned-down rally car. I’m not kidding! It punches, the turbo whooshes, it’s properly fast and able. All packaged in an engine that, aside from some faint clatter (which could just be the ‘motorsport cams’, you could jokingly tell customers…) is petrol-like.

It’s torquey, too, and despite cruising as fast as a busy M1 and M6 would allow me to, I still averaged 44mpg last night. Genuinely, it transforms the Forester, into a top-10 contender for me this year.

Thing is, in a month or so’s time, it will also appear in the Impreza. Another car that, to now, has whelmed me not one iota. With a six-speed box, all this torque AND the same gigantic bonnet scoop that the Forester boasts – all mixed in with recession-busting, green-great VW TDI-like economy – well, you can see why I’m getting rather excited.

You can understand why Subaru dealers are ticking the days off their calendar, too…

RICHARD
Big changes for Subaru

Dealer honours rally star

Greenery spreads

AS BOND cars go, it wasn’t very flash. The world’s favourite spy is used to Aston Martins these days - not Fiats.

I didn’t know whether Fiat had sprung a special edition model on me that I’d missed amidst all the hoo ha surrounding the Quantum of Solace, but when I spotted this van with a James Bond ‘7′ on the back I wasn’t quite sure.

Then I worked it out - what some wag had done was try to ‘keep the British end up’ by adding the motif behind the car’s name - Doblo 7. Geddit?

I thought there was only one genius working in Gosport, but now there’s clear and evident proof I’m not alone!

James

DELIVERY driver collected a car from us today. Asked how business was. The usual chit-chat.

But also revealed something interesting. His business was seeing less activity from the contract-hire movement side. Why? Businesses are extending their contracts, he says.

This, on the face of it, makes no sense. Cars are depreciating assets. Why keep one longer than necessary, when you could, in theory, change into a brand-new one for the same monthly payment? Contract hire is just that: you hire the car for a contracted period, with payments geared around that. The logic of extending it just doesn’t seem to add up.

But, analyse the situation more closely, and you can perhaps see what companies are up to. For starters, one of the fleet mags I read reckons the leasing deals arguably aren’t around like they used to be. Leasing companies have been hit badly by the huge falls in RVs this summer. They have to balance the books somehow, and if that means not quite splurging as many incentives on thousands of Astras and Mondeos, then so be it.

Now is also a bad time to be selling cars. Much better to extend the contract by three months, then dispose of the cars early in 2009. By this stage, the Government may finally have ended speculation over March’s tax rule changes. Officially, they’re set in stone, but that isn’t stopping people rumour-mongering…

Oh, and some leasing companies will, for those switching from a three-year lease to a four-year contract, backdate payments accordingly. This means a small rebate is given. Factor this across a large fleet, and you can see why extending contracts makes sense, in part.

Don’t forget too, depreciation curves flatten with time. This means that if you extend, you can sometimes renegotiate, for lower monthly payments.

All of which means it’s a trend that’s on the increase. Which is why experts reckon the big hit on new car sales may not come until next year. That’s when the volume fleet business is really going to start being affected: some reckon sales could dip below 1.8 million, or even lower.

One in every two sales is a fleet sale. While experts reckon we’ve already seen the worst of the declines in the retail side, the full downward swing in business sales could be yet to occur.

I, for one, will be tapping up my delivery driver mate for further observations, next time he’s here…

RICHARD