Well that just about wraps it up for Vauxhall !

Well that just about wraps it up for Vauxhall !

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Discussion

Agem

Original Poster:

132 posts

164 months

Thursday 1st March 2012
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Toast!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/01/vin...

There is a parts factory in Kirby that feeds Ellesmere-port, they said yeaterday they closing in April.

Mike

cardigankid

8,849 posts

211 months

Friday 2nd March 2012
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It is a very risky thing to invest in Britain when Britain is still demonstrably an anti-enterprise society. Rip-off banking is thought to be clever, legalese elfin safety bureaucracy runs riot, workforce with little discipline, and a tax system which discourages recycling profit in even successful businesses, because you can only reinvest taxed income. They then have to replace that with government grants, and taking grant money has become an industry in itself.

So I suspect that it's cheerio Vauxhall, for no especially good reason.

Incidentally can anyone suggest how Vauxhall, if it were to survive, could get rid of its 'rep car' image? If I were them I would only sell the VXR range and bin everything else.

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Friday 2nd March 2012
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cardigankid said:
It is a very risky thing to invest in Britain when Britain is still demonstrably an anti-enterprise society. Rip-off banking is thought to be clever, legalese elfin safety bureaucracy runs riot, workforce with little discipline, and a tax system which discourages recycling profit in even successful businesses, because you can only reinvest taxed income. They then have to replace that with government grants, and taking grant money has become an industry in itself.

So I suspect that it's cheerio Vauxhall, for no especially good reason.

Incidentally can anyone suggest how Vauxhall, if it were to survive, could get rid of its 'rep car' image? If I were them I would only sell the VXR range and bin everything else.
Let's thank God you're not going to be suggesting official strategy any time soon. 'rep car' sales are the bread and butter of companies like Vauxhall, surely (as they are for PSA, too, in UK, I would think).

Agem

Original Poster:

132 posts

164 months

Friday 2nd March 2012
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80% YES 80%! of Vauxhall production is "Free cars"...or lease hire market. I wonder how many they sell if they only had private buyers?

A doomed company, we see Opel/Chevy dealerships by next year.

Mike

dhariwab

618 posts

150 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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I read somewhere that its 80% because of the van range sales. Once that is removed from the equation fleet sales account for 65% of passenger car sales. That's the same as BMW.

Agem

Original Poster:

132 posts

164 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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People WANT to buy a BMW
People WANT to lease a BMW............not a Vauxhall
BMW MAKE a profit

cardigankid

8,849 posts

211 months

Sunday 4th March 2012
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Pothole said:
et's thank God you're not going to be suggesting official strategy any time soon. 'rep car' sales are the bread and butter of companies like Vauxhall, surely (as they are for PSA, too, in UK, I would think).
It's been a roaring success, hasn't it?

Fastdruid

8,623 posts

151 months

Sunday 4th March 2012
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While I won't miss Vauxhall it'll be a shame to lose another car maker. Even if just because more competition is better, it keeps manufacturers honest and cuts prices.

Dorian Hindmarsh

2 posts

144 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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It's funny that in uk when the Vaux. Roadster was built by lotus, they sold way more in the UK with the Opel logo on, and those that did have te vaux. logo on were jemmy'd off and guess what changed for the lighting flash of Opel...Vauxhall is a long-old-title.. may be a rebrand and use the name on a specific car...instead of a Signum rep-mobile, whynot call it the Vauxhall-salesman... then Opel-ise all other models? Or shorten it to VX...that sounds cool for a car brand.....'I drive a VX signum'...Rebranding is the oldest trick in the book...VX is short and sweet, try driving a Bavarian Motor Works.3 series..does'nt have the same ring...BMW 3 series...that's better!!
any one else think this or is it just me???

Agem

Original Poster:

132 posts

164 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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Vauxhall..............dead-er than a tin of Span !

jdcampbell

1,195 posts

248 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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Perhaps Vauxhall could try to make a decent car that people want rather than perpetually turing out mediocrity.

rsv gone!

11,288 posts

240 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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jdcampbell said:
Perhaps Vauxhall could try to make a decent car that people want rather than perpetually turing out mediocrity.
I actually think they've turned that corner. I think the Insignia and the current Astra look pretty smart.

Zed Ed

1,103 posts

182 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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Plug lotus into vauxhall ; job done

williamp

19,217 posts

272 months

Wednesday 7th March 2012
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I've been cathcing up on some recent autocar magazines and they are asking some interetsing questions.

They road tested a new Chevy (the aveo) which they quite liked, but felt the quality isnt really up there with the best of the Brits (or Vauxhall/Opel products in the same class)

However, the sales of the Chevvy brand are increasing thoughout the world, and Autocar are expecting the time when the decision is made of Chevy v Vauxhall/Opel wont be too far away. Whether they will close factories or just close the brands is not known. But it might be closer then we think

It does show that people are willing to buy the Chevvy with its lower quality then Vauxhall with its better quality. Is it the old US way of pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap??

Nickyboy

6,700 posts

233 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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jdcampbell said:
Perhaps Vauxhall could try to make a decent car that people want rather than perpetually turing out mediocrity.
Vauxhall produce perfectly good cars, their problem is they price them alongside the Germans which are better cars.

If we weren't spoilt with cars from the likes of BMW, VW etc then a new Vauxhall wouldn't seem a bad car at all.

I've never driven a VW or a BMW or a Merc so i cant compare their cars to a Vauxhall, i have however driven numerous VX's over the years and to me they are perfectly fine, nice interior, nice driving position. If i were to drive an Audi then i'm pretty sure i wouldn't go back to a VX but until i do then i have no complaints.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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Nickyboy said:
jdcampbell said:
Perhaps Vauxhall could try to make a decent car that people want rather than perpetually turing out mediocrity.
Vauxhall produce perfectly good cars, their problem is they price them alongside the Germans which are better cars.

If we weren't spoilt with cars from the likes of BMW, VW etc then a new Vauxhall wouldn't seem a bad car at all.

I've never driven a VW or a BMW or a Merc so i cant compare their cars to a Vauxhall, i have however driven numerous VX's over the years and to me they are perfectly fine, nice interior, nice driving position. If i were to drive an Audi then i'm pretty sure i wouldn't go back to a VX but until i do then i have no complaints.
marketing is a big part of it, german cars are generally very desirable because of there decades of clever marketing and product placement, this gives them better residuals as there more desirable

but vauxhall should comfortably be able to survive as a budget brand but as pointed out there list prices are very high and now they have the korean cars directly competing against them

cymtriks

4,560 posts

244 months

Saturday 17th March 2012
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Dave Hedgehog said:
Nickyboy said:
jdcampbell said:
Perhaps Vauxhall could try to make a decent car that people want rather than perpetually turing out mediocrity.
Vauxhall produce perfectly good cars, their problem is they price them alongside the Germans which are better cars.

If we weren't spoilt with cars from the likes of BMW, VW etc then a new Vauxhall wouldn't seem a bad car at all.
marketing is a big part of it, german cars are generally very desirable because of there decades of clever marketing and product placement, this gives them better residuals as there more desirable.
Just because a car is ordinary or aimed at fleet sales does not mean it is "bad".

There is little justification for saying that German badged cars are "better" for the money. The car relibility index website puts a Vauxhall in 2nd place with the first German car comming in at 23rd place. The Astra gets a rating of 83, the Golf 89 (higher scores are worse). The Passat scores 134 versus the Vectras 130. Another win for Vauxhall.

Marketing would indeed appear to be a big part of it, I would say nearly all of it judging by the comments on this thread (and any other thread in which people seriously state that products are better because they have the "right" badge on them, don't realise that it's all marketing??? ) In this respect Vauxhall have utterly failed.

The budget sector is now being taken over by companies with far cheaper labour costs. If Vauxhall can't match their rivals on image or on costs then they are sunk.

fridaypassion

8,506 posts

227 months

Sunday 18th March 2012
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vauxhall are in the same position as ford, Renault and Peugeot. They are getting outclassed and undercut by the ever better eastern imports. People are more than willing to have a Hyundai/Kia on the drive these days. Why pay 30% more for that tied old Ford when you can have a new swoopy looking thing with a 7 year warranty?

These companies have failed to keep ahead of the pack with interesting designs and superior quality like BMW and the vag group.

I think Nissan would probably disagree that making cars in the Uk contributes at all towards the demise of a company. They seem to think its a great place to build cars.

Funk

26,254 posts

208 months

Sunday 18th March 2012
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Vauxhall are getting beaten even in the 'rep car' market as it's actually better value to have the BMW than a Vauxhall thanks to emissions and residual values. As a company car driver, a 320d is cheaper than a Mondeo. You might sacrifice a few toys, but the BMW has the greater prestige.

Where Vauxhall and Ford do better is in the small-car market. If I were in the market for a cheap runabout, the Fiesta would be right at the top of my list. There are reasons why the Granada and Signum were sales flops (actually lump all big French barges in there too).

cymtriks

4,560 posts

244 months

Sunday 18th March 2012
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fridaypassion said:
...superior quality...
The power of marketing.

See my post above!