Vauxhall boss confirms all dealer contracts to be terminated

[750turbo]

Interesting times...

https://www.am-online.com/news/dealer-news/2018/04...

I suppose we should not be too surprised after the PSA buyout? Maybe the netword needed a shakeup.?

So, how will it pan out then I wonder?

[Jimmy Recard]

Clickbait headline. It's just updating the franchise deals as far as the Telegraph reported

[750turbo]

Jimmy Recard said:

Clickbait headline. It's just updating the franchise deals as far as the Telegraph reported

And binning a lot possibly? Maybe long overdue though.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/04/14/va...

[zygalski]

First with the 'nothing to do with Brexit' post.

[corozin]

Many of them will end up selling PSA / Vauxhall combined I expect, at least until PSA runs down the Vauxhall brand to preserve jobs in France.

[Jazzy Jag]

This has been brewing for over a decade (long before Brexit ), since GM had to be bailed out in the USA

GM Europe has been loosing money for years and the GM needed to unload it.
In 2011 GM Europe was supposed to break even. it lost £747 Million IIRC.
PSA bought it and change was inevitable.

This is not unprecedented.
In 1999 Mercedes- Benz UK gave all it's retailer notice of termination when they went through a massive restructure.

Sadly both the above cost me my job

As has been mentioned, French jobs will be protected.

It will be interesting to see what happens to Luton, where Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Nissan vans are made. (or at least they were)

[Ace Rimmer]

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/future...

[Butter Face]

Jazzy Jag said:

Renault and Nissan vans are made. (or at least they were)

Made in France. PSA have cut the Vauxhall ties with Renault and next generation Vivaro will be based on the PSA platform.

Renault UK axed almost 30% if it’s dealer network in 2011, was probably one of their smartest decisions. PSA/Vauxhall are doing the same. Cut the dead wood out.

[Pintofbest]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Apart from not being correct, what has that got to do with dealer contracts?

[Bradgate]

It’s hard to see a long-term future for Vauxhall, sadly. It has become an anti-aspirational brand, bought mainly by fleets an hire companies at vast discounts. Nobody actually wants a Vauxhall, it’s a brand with negative equity. Most people would rather be seen driving a Skoda.

[Ecosseven]

Bradgate said:

It’s hard to see a long-term future for Vauxhall, sadly. It has become an anti-aspirational brand, bought mainly by fleets an hire companies at vast discounts. Nobody actually wants a Vauxhall, it’s a brand with negative equity. Most people would rather be seen driving a Skoda.

Whilst the above may well be true I think it's a shame as Vauxhall are producing some decent cars these days. I have always preferred Ford to Vauxhall, however If I was choosing between the brands now I would seriously consider going for an Astra or Insignia over a Focus / Mondeo.

Time will tell if the brand has a future in the UK. I hope it survives.

[davepoth]

Bradgate said:

It’s hard to see a long-term future for Vauxhall, sadly. It has become an anti-aspirational brand, bought mainly by fleets an hire companies at vast discounts. Nobody actually wants a Vauxhall, it’s a brand with negative equity. Most people would rather be seen driving a Skoda.

So how about a swap?

Position Opel as a premium brand in the UK, and Vauxhall as a premium brand in Europe. People are probably dumb enough to go for it.

[Murph7355]

Ecosseven said:

Bradgate said:

It’s hard to see a long-term future for Vauxhall, sadly. It has become an anti-aspirational brand, bought mainly by fleets an hire companies at vast discounts. Nobody actually wants a Vauxhall, it’s a brand with negative equity. Most people would rather be seen driving a Skoda.

Whilst the above may well be true I think it's a shame as Vauxhall are producing some decent cars these days. I have always preferred Ford to Vauxhall, however If I was choosing between the brands now I would seriously consider going for an Astra or Insignia over a Focus / Mondeo.

Time will tell if the brand has a future in the UK. I hope it survives.

The Corsa I hired recently was utter st. If the rest of the range are even 1% as st then the dealer network is not the only thing that will disappear quickly. And we shouldn't mourn the loss either.

Their product people need to up their game massively. But I suspect that's too late.

[Nickbrapp]

corozin said:

Many of them will end up selling PSA / Vauxhall combined I expect, at least until PSA runs down the Vauxhall brand to preserve jobs in France.

The Vauxhall dealer that I have to use has already converted its car warehouse dealer (used cars) into a Peugeot dealer.

I saw they plan to keep around 200 but have to terminate all the contracts to keep it fair

[andy43]

Anti aspirational?
I’d love to know how many crossland Xs they have shifted.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uDeZV5NiKnk

[HTP99]

andy43 said:

Anti aspirational?
I’d love to know how many crossland Xs they have shifted.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uDeZV5NiKnk

Funny enough myself and my colleagues were talking about this ad a few days ago when we're were discussing Vauxhall (I'm in the motortrade), it is a truly awful awful advert and can't have done Vauxhalls image any good and just reinforces the image that Vauxhall has in this country.

[Butter Face]

HTP99 said:

andy43 said:

Anti aspirational?
I’d love to know how many crossland Xs they have shifted.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uDeZV5NiKnk

Funny enough myself and my colleagues were talking about this ad a few days ago when we're were discussing Vauxhall (I'm in the motortrade), it is a truly awful awful advert and can't have done Vauxhalls image any good and just reinforces the image that Vauxhall has in this country.

I think that’s why they have dropped the adverts and now do the whole ‘British brand since blah blah’ to steady the ship!

We’ve literally (beginning of March) opened a brand new multi-million pound Vauxhall showroom in group so our directors see a future for the brand in the UK.

Things will carry on as normal but with a reduced range, less dealers and smaller market share I reckon.

[IanJ9375]

Jazzy Jag said:

It will be interesting to see what happens to Luton, where Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Nissan vans are made. (or at least they were)

Guess you missed this then - https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-psa-vauxhall/peu...

[Nickbrapp]

andy43 said:

Anti aspirational?
I’d love to know how many crossland Xs they have shifted.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uDeZV5NiKnk

I’ve seen a few actually

The 4x4 Range is odd

The crossland is meant to be the same size as a corsa, a juke rival but then the mokka is built on the corsa platform is no where as big as a quashi, and now the crossland x is a rival to the quashi but can cost £33k which is well into Audi money! That’s before discount obvs

It’s a shame as the new Astra i have is a nicer car than the focus mk3.5 I had before it, although I bet the new focus will move the game on further. That’s when it’s not broken though. Which is a lot of the time

[IanJ9375]

Nickbrapp said:

I’ve seen a few actually

The 4x4 Range is odd

The crossland is meant to be the same size as a corsa, a juke rival but then the mokka is built on the corsa platform is no where as big as a quashi, and now the crossland x is a rival to the quashi but can cost £33k which is well into Audi money! That’s before discount obvs

It’s a shame as the new Astra i have is a nicer car than the focus mk3.5 I had before it, although I bet the new focus will move the game on further. That’s when it’s not broken though. Which is a lot of the time

I'd imagine that the range and pricing will be a little odd until they've carved out all the GM US licensed items they still run (Insignia as an example)
Once that's done I hope they realise their RRP and the actual price points people buy at are vastly different, but reviews and comparisons are always made based on the RRP which pits them against more expensive and more aspirational brands.

Although people are dubious of PSA the end game they have is to sell more cars and make money, I envisage they will eventually settle on a VAG approach, shared hardware with a different face and slightly different flavour to them - keeping Ellesmere open is key to the brand being a success in the UK imho