Jaguar Land Rover Make Losses

Jaguar and Land Rover are both iconic international brands and are seen globally as prestige manufacturers. From humble beginnings Land Rover went on to dominate the four wheel drive market, firstly with agricultural Land Rover 88 and ending up with today's flagship luxury Range Rover. As the 4x4 market grew Land Rover had increasing competition from a multitude of competitors all keen to capitalise on this lucrative market. With Land Rover being sold to Ford Motor Company much needed capital was injected to further expand and develop the model range to enable them to recover their shrinking market share . The range now consists of Land Rover Defender, Freelander,Discovery and Range Rover all having distinct niche market sectors.

Jaguar have followed a similar turbulent route with the much loved brand falling from favour prior to Ford purchasing them and putting some much needed resource in the research and development of new models. If you need proof the Jaguar XF has recently won "What Car Of The Year 2009 Best Executive Car" which is a real accolade coming up against stiff competition from some of the best Prestige car makers in the world.

Will this model become the must have company car for the UK's executives and finally knock BMW and Audi out of the company car parking bay's?

Following Ford Motor Companies decision to sell these two brands to the Indian giant manufacturer Tata Motors there has been much speculation about the future direction of both businesses. Tata announced when they purchased Jaguar and Land Rover that they were committed to manufacturing in the UK and further investing in the long term futures of these businesses. Since those announcements were made the world has gone from boom to a very significant global recession which has certainly hit both these predominately luxury car makers hard. Tata Motors have just announced that Jaguar Land Rover have made a loss of £280m (462 dollars) for the 10 months to the end of March. It has been well publicised that Tata are asking the government to provide some financial assistance and a spokesperson from Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed there is ongoing discussions taking place.

Jaguar Land Rover employ around 14,500 employees in the UK and with many other related industries dependant on Jaguar Land Rover for their businesses prosperity.

With the UK showing the first signs that there is some economic light at the end of the tunnel which is not the oncoming train, could these prestige brands have a rapid resurgence in their fortunes or was Tata's 1.7bn investment a bad move?

Nationalautomotive.co.uk update

Great news

Our website nationalautomotive.co.uk where the UK's leading Contract Hire and Leasing brokers advertise their special offers, has had an unprecedented climb up the Google pages this week, which is due to the diligence, commitment and hard work of all those involved with the project.

We have all been working hard to also make the look and feel of the website both attractive and functional, giving our advertisers the best opportunity of getting their Contract Hire, Leasing and Personal Contract offers seen by prospective customers.

We have many new updates due to be posted over the coming few weeks as well as some important announcements of collaborations with leading industry associations.

Watch this space or visit the website to see them happen 'live'.

We love feedback so don't be shy..............

UK Car production continues to fall

Despite the recent reports coming out relating to the improving trading conditions and dare I say 'coming out of recession' forecasts, the UK car industry continues to suffer. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the numbers of cars built in May has dropped by 43% over the same period last year. This drop equated to 67,754 cars which actually represented the smallest drop this year to date, maybe at last its the beginning of the end of this down turn for car manufacturers?

Regrettably the Commercial market still remains weak where production fell by 73.5%, we have already seen LDV go to the wall are there others waiting in the wings to follow? Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive commented " Low business confidence" continued to depress demands for commercial vehicles - predominately Vans and Trucks. "Businesses across the economy are still holding back on new expenditure and will need to see better access to finance and stronger domestic demand"

Overall the down turn has been huge, car production down by 319,022 units compared to the first 5 months of 2008, this represents a staggering 54% reduction in output year on year.

The scrappage scheme launched by the government earlier in the year to help stem the downturn in demand has been slow to take off, however interest is beginning to grow and recent government figures show over 60,000 vehicles ordered under the scheme since its launch. The scheme is set to run until March 2010, the qualifying criteria is the part exchange must be 10 years or older,the person exchanging the vehicle having been the registered keeper for 12 months or more.

The £2,000 discount is split 50 50 between the government and the car manufacturer, with £300m pledged by the Government 300,000 customers could benefit from the scheme.

Clearly the manufacturers needed to halt the over production of many of their products as anyone could see it was clearly unsustainable to have disused airfields and docks full of unsold and unwanted vehicles, however have they now gone to far?

Feedback from many dealers and Contract Hire brokers is that increasing lead times on many popular models is causing problems to them and their customers, with some key models not being available until 2010 - 7 or 8 months for a base model Nissan Pixo for example has recently been quoted.

The impact for dealers and Contract Hire and Leasing brokers is pressure on cash flow which can spell disaster for large and Small businesses alike, this is compounded by the difficulty of many businesses in securing additional funding through their normal channels to enable them to continue running their businesses on a day to day basis.

However amongst all this Doom and Gloom Used cars are currently very buoyant with many customers deciding to opt for a used as opposed to a new car, coupled with the drying up of certain new stock, many late used cars are starting to fetch much stronger prices at auction. This is having a knock on effect with many Contract Hire and Leasing companies who are increasing their Residual Values (RV) in light of this improving market condition, which has a knock on effect by helping to reduce the monthly rentals, good news for the customer and Manufacturers alike.

If customers shop wisely there are still good bargains to be had, and where better to start their search than on Nationalautomotive's website where Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire rentals are advertised by a selection of the best independent Leasing brokers in the UK

Saab agree sale to Koenigsegg

Is this the look of Saab in the future?

The recent discussions between the beleaguered Saab brand and the super car makers Koenigsegg appears to be entering its final phase with Koenigsegg tentatively agreeing a deal to take over Saab from General Motors. It is a very different area for the management team of Koenigsegg to be entering into, from being involved in the manufacturer, marketing and selling exotic vehicles to the worlds rich and famous to taking over a once great Swedish brand used to selling circa 100,000 vehicles a year. Koenigsegg employ around 45 staff where as Saab have around 3,400 staff in Sweden and in excess of 10,000 jobs reliant on Saab throughout the country. They better book a bigger venue for this years Christmas party and may want to consider the merits of a free bar!

In spite of this remarkable move by Koenigsegg GM's Carl -Peter Forster who is GM's European President stated "Koenigsegg Group's unique combination of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and financial strength... made it the right choice for Saab as well as for General Motors".

I am sure that Koenigsegg will have done their homework and that they will have acquired sufficient funding to lift Saab up to the prestigious brand it always was.

There are lots of special deals on Contract Hire or Personal Contract Hire on the existing Saab models and these can be found on http://www.nationalautomotive.co.uk/

What Future for Saab?

As part of the troubled GM group, Saab's future has been questionable for some time with this once highly prestigious Swedish brand losing its shine since being aquired by General Motors. However there may be help at hand with the brand going back to a Swedish owner Koenigsegg, the makers of fabulous super cars with mind boggling price tags ( around one million euros) having shown a keen interest in this beleaguered brand

The top of the range Saab 95 is over 13 years old and clearly needs more than a make over to keep up with manufacturers such as Audi, Bmw and Mercedes, however with the Koenigsegg eye for design could this be what Saab needs to reinvent itself, bringing new life into this once great Swedish brand? It will certainly be a very different path for Koenigsegg who last year built around 18 vehicles, all of which were custom built, to being involved in mass production with Saab selling around 98,000 vehicles a year. Is this a good move for Koenigsegg, do they run the risk of taking on something that has defeated the giants, or will there ability to design and build sensational vehicles flow through to Saab?

It will be worth looking at Saab offers on Contract Hire and Personal leasing with news coming out of possible take overs going on, Leasing Companies may look to improve residual values therefore reducing the rentals you pay. The Saab 93 has been the mainstay over the last few years and is overall a good vehicle, the recently advertised Saab 93 TTiD model has twin turbos designed to give high performance as well as being fuel efficient. Saab also have a four seat convertable which has appeal to individuals as well as families. Contract hire&Personal Lease deals can be found on our website, we currently have Saab 9-3 Vector Sport saloon's @ £289 + Vat per month, or now the sun is shining what about a Saab 9-3 Vector Sport Convertable @ £287.99 + Vat per month.

Take a look at all the offers from the UK's leading independent Leasing specialists @www.nationalautomotive.co.uk

Summer Drink Driving

It has been announced there is to be a crackdown on drink drivers this summer so be warned. We have been experiencing a great summer so far this year, and what's nicer than sitting in lovely pub garden with your favourite tipple and having a chat to your friends and family. It's easy however to get caught up with the ambiance of the evening and drink more than is safe, indeed do you actually know how much you can drink and remain under the limit. The amount of alcohol you can consume and not risk running foul of the law varies between individuals, gender and a host of other factors, a pint for some is fine for others it could mean a ban and a large fine. If you lose you licence and you have a vehicle on Contract Hire you will still be responsible for keeping up the payments, could be a problem if you have lost your job as well. You could early terminate your lease but this could be a really expensive option and one probably to avoid.

So the message is be careful and think before you have a drink and then drive, don't say you haven't been warned

Lexus wins JD Power Survey

According to WHAT CAR? magazine it looks like Lexus have scooped the prestigious JD Power Customer satisfaction award for the 9th consecutive year. This is an amazing feat for Lexus, they have not been off the top spot since 2001 which proves they have a loyal and seemingly content customer base.
In previous years the Lexus IS range has been the vehicle to beat, however the RX derivative is the vehicle that has wowed it's owners this year.
The survey clearly demonstrates that Lexus still appears to be reliable, well built and with dealers that keep their customers happy.
If you are thinking its time to change your car it might pay you to take a test drive in a Lexus, after all nine top awards must surely mean these are great vehicles.
If you visit our website www.nationalautomotive.co.uk you will find great Contract Hire and Personal Contract Hire deals available to you, obtaining your new car through our website couldn't be easier with all our advertisers providing the highest level of service and customer satisfaction.

GM - Vauxhall / Saab

The news has been full of the demise of one the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world, General Motors. It seems the world recession has been the final straw that has broken this large Camels back, with the worlds demand for cars in steep decline. There has been much talk about potential rescues or takeovers from both competitors and those industries allied to the Automotive Industry, it is expected that an announcement from the US government today will indicate they are prepared to inject a further $30 Billion dollars into the business. It also widely predicted there will be significant reductions in the number of employees and dealers in the US which will almost certainly be mirrored in Europe and the UK.
How will all this affect the Contract Hire and Leasing industry is yet to be seen, however if Vauxhall is seen to be a much weakened brand it will almost certainly see reductions in used values, which in turn will cause Residual values to be reduced resulting in higher and less attractive rentals. Will the new leaner company still have the appetite to offer significant Volume related bonuses and marketing incentives to make the rentals look attractive. Is this the start of the end of the Fleet market as we know it, with companies having to again review their fleet policies?
If you are worried about your next vehicle acquisition why not look at the offers featured on our website www.nationalautomotive.co.uk where you will be able to find competitive Contract Hire deals on all the major manufacturers, might the time to look at an alternative brand.