RE: Dodge and Ram set for UK return
Discussion
Tallow said:
I don't think the reason that the cars haven't made it over is related to lack of tarriffs, I think it's down to demand - or at least perceived demand. They've tried to sell Dodges before in the UK with poor success, and it's only recently that Ford have started selling the Mustang officially. Perhaps the success of that has made them see a potential market in a way they didn't before.
I think the biggest problem is they usually try and sell boring stuff. And when it is interesting it is just pitched way too high. Not just Dodge, but GM too. Ford seem to have hit home with the Mustang and it looks to have sold very well. Considerably more Mustangs sold in the UK over the past few years than Lotus sell in UK across their entire range. But Ford do look a bit greedy now with the big price hike. Will be interesting to see if that impacts demand.
Tallow said:
I don't think the reason that the cars haven't made it over is related to lack of tarriffs, I think it's down to demand - or at least perceived demand. They've tried to sell Dodges before in the UK with poor success, and it's only recently that Ford have started selling the Mustang officially. Perhaps the success of that has made them see a potential market in a way they didn't before.
To be fair, when the Americans last tried selling stuff here it was the utter garbage like the Dodge Caliber and first gen of a few of the new things. The current offerings are lightyears better than the garbage of 10-15 years ago. Interiors no longer made of plastic especially plastic so bad you could actually see through it! 300C steering wheel / dash trim I'm looking at you!
When I was working for my local Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer a few of us got taken to the UK launch of the Caliber. Went in our DP's Jeep Commander (another mega flop, think we only sold about 2). Walked into the room and saw the car and wondered if I was dreaming. It was awful in every way. Yet everyone in the room was gushing over it, some of my workmates who were long standing brand fanboys were super excited and asked me what I thought of it knowing I'm into cars and I just had to tell them I thought it was awful, bit of an awkward ride back to the dealership. And If I say a car has an awful interior it means something as I drive old Subarus! There was no way you would logically pick any of the American stuff of that time over European rivals.
I don't know how many Calibers we actually sold, I'd actually be surprised if it hit double digits. I thought we had more as demo / loan cars than we actually sold.
All the owners I remember meeting were all Americana enthusiasts. They had either traded up from a PT Cruiser or the Caliber was their daily and they actually had a nice classic American car for sunny days. It was easy to sell them chrome wheel and stick on tat as they thought it made them like some 50s Caddy, PT Cruisers used to have the same problem.
I think the stuff Dodge et al are offering these days is good enough to tempt normal people away from the Euro stuff, shown by the success of the Mustang.
RB Will said:
Id say its mostly the price jump that puts most customers off.
Not sure on current figures but its a bit galling when you see in the US a Ram is about £30-35k but same one over here is £50-60k. I get that the importers have to make money.
If I could get a new Ram for £30-40k Id be all over it but when I'm being asked for £50k+ its just too much for what is essentially a toy.
I don't know if things have changed in the dealer network since I left but When I was working at a Jeep dealer we had no problem getting parts and servicing Dodge models, even the rarer ones. When I had my Ram a few years later the Jeep dealer I used to work at still had no probs looking after it and were more helpful than the Importer I bought it from.
Let's see what happens with Brexit and any trade deal with the US...hopefully the import duties on these US models will drop. Not sure on current figures but its a bit galling when you see in the US a Ram is about £30-35k but same one over here is £50-60k. I get that the importers have to make money.
If I could get a new Ram for £30-40k Id be all over it but when I'm being asked for £50k+ its just too much for what is essentially a toy.
I don't know if things have changed in the dealer network since I left but When I was working at a Jeep dealer we had no problem getting parts and servicing Dodge models, even the rarer ones. When I had my Ram a few years later the Jeep dealer I used to work at still had no probs looking after it and were more helpful than the Importer I bought it from.
Having spent the last 2 weeks in various US states, I”ve still got a ridiculous desire to own one of these pick ups.
However, the bar was raised last night when we arrived back our hotel just outside Dallas, and this was in the car park.
(I’ve blanked my 13 yr olds face out for privacy but left him there for scale]
This is true Colt Seavers style (an 80’s reference for you younger kids) from The Fall Guy.
However, the bar was raised last night when we arrived back our hotel just outside Dallas, and this was in the car park.
(I’ve blanked my 13 yr olds face out for privacy but left him there for scale]
This is true Colt Seavers style (an 80’s reference for you younger kids) from The Fall Guy.
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
I would imagine there would be demand for fun stuff like the challenger but I can’t really see many people wanting a Ram pickup if it’s got a petrol v8. It will be too expensive to run and I can’t really see what it would offer over something like a Hilux.
The RAM is offered with a Cummins diesel. I can see it being very popular in rural areas as it offers capability like nothing else currently on the UK market.skyrover said:
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
I would imagine there would be demand for fun stuff like the challenger but I can’t really see many people wanting a Ram pickup if it’s got a petrol v8. It will be too expensive to run and I can’t really see what it would offer over something like a Hilux.
The RAM is offered with a Cummins diesel. I can see it being very popular in rural areas as it offers capability like nothing else currently on the UK market.After I sold my Ram I still fancied a pickup so went and tried all the usual suspects. L200, Hilux etc and they are just garbage in comparison. Cramped, slow as hell, hard work to drive, bad diesels, awful interiors and equipment. They are very much just utility vehicles where the US stuff is utility with a bit of premium. The only thing the UK market stuff wins on is economy.
I couldn’t find a non US pickup that I remotely liked so ended up in an Audi Allroad.
ReaperCushions said:
300bhp/ton said:
The only reason I don't is I do 70 miles a day and pay for all of my own fuel. Nothing to do with it being LHD.
So everything to do with efficiency then? Which you said earlier was not an issue 
300bhp/ton said:
No not as all. I don't run an M3 or AMG for exactly the same reasons. Just too many miles to fund myself.
I think we have very different opinions on what efficiency means. If someone mentions fuel efficiency, it generally infers more miles per gallon - not piss poor mpg but loads of bhp.BFleming said:
I think we have very different opinions on what efficiency means. If someone mentions fuel efficiency, it generally infers more miles per gallon - not piss poor mpg but loads of bhp.
Energy output/energy input is efficiency Not that it matters. I can’t see these suddenly becoming very popular here and only a stupid person would think that it’s a good idea to leave the EU to get tariff-free trade in the hope that people in the UK will buy more American pick ups
Edited by Jimmy Recard on Tuesday 27th August 13:12
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