RE: Dodge and Ram set for UK return
Tuesday 13th August 2019
Dodge and Ram set for UK return
200 Dodge and Ram models might be sold in Britain each year via a planned expansion of the UK dealer network
Dodge and Ram models could become a more common sight on UK roads if expansion plans for official FCA importer AGT Europe go ahead. The European importer is seeking to partner with British dealers who presently import American cars, pushing the annual import number up to 200 models and making it easier for UK buyers to get their hands on machines like the 797hp SRT Hellcat Redeye and 485hp R/T Scat Pack.
Currently, only a small handful of Dodge and Ram dealers exist in Britain, like David Boatwright, which is one of the latest to add products from the American brands to its stock list. But as reported by AM-Online, AGT believes there’s a significant portion of untapped demand for American-built metal, so it intends to add three of four more dealers to the UK supply stream.
AGT has form in this area as it already sells 20,000 cars per year on the continent, via a long list of specialist US car dealers. That would mean the anticipated UK expansion would represent a tiny portion of its total sales, but with British buyers so often going for high-spec and high-performance variants, the business model might yet prove significant. The firm believes wealthy entrepreneurs and business owners would be among its main customer demographic – and you'd imagine quite a few PHers, as well.
Giovanni De Luca, AGT Europe’s network development manager, told AM-Online that existing UK Jeep dealers stand out as strong potential first candidates for AGT’s plans, because “the tools and hardware [in the cars] are the same or very similar”. Indeed, the dealers have recently been buoyed by a strong boost in Jeep sales, following the new Wrangler’s introduction in 2018. According to JATO figures, Jeep sales grew by 56% last year with 166,500 European sales, placing it about 16,000 cars ahead of Land Rover.
Inspired? Search for a Dodge here and a Ram here.
Discussion
Rather than engaging only with dealers who already import American cars why not just use the Jeep dealer network? My RHD TrackHawk came from an official Jeep dealer and shares the motor with the Challenger HellCat, so Jeep dealers already have to be up-to-speed servicing HellCat (and Hemi) motors (although there's not a lot to actually service).
I almost bought a Challenger Hellcat Widebody but the idea of LHD and tales of being unable to get the power down put me off. The TrackHawk is a glorious thing though, and low-key enough to blend in with all the other SUVs until you choose to floor it. And it can put every one of its 710hp down...even in less than ideal conditions!
I almost bought a Challenger Hellcat Widebody but the idea of LHD and tales of being unable to get the power down put me off. The TrackHawk is a glorious thing though, and low-key enough to blend in with all the other SUVs until you choose to floor it. And it can put every one of its 710hp down...even in less than ideal conditions!
Last time it was tried in 2004/5 Dodge UK didn't have a clue what they were doing, panicked when they hadn't sold a years supply of Rams which they'd had to order in one lot and sold them off cheap.
They had no clue about getting the SVA conversion work done properly, it was budged at the Bristol import centre, and left the dealers to sort out how to get them tested and registered.
Oh, and no Boatwright aren't an official dealer. All their stuff is grey imports.
They had no clue about getting the SVA conversion work done properly, it was budged at the Bristol import centre, and left the dealers to sort out how to get them tested and registered.
Oh, and no Boatwright aren't an official dealer. All their stuff is grey imports.
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.
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.
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.
It's not profiteering, most folk don't realise that there's 22% duty and 20% VAT to go on top of the price of a US truck - straight into the coffers of our glorious leader and therefore all into the NHS (honest!). Plus a bit for converting the necessary electrics and an SVA/IVA test, so your $40,000 truck is easily £50,000 by the time you get the keys...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.
Sideways Tim said:
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.
It's not profiteering, most folk don't realise that there's 22% duty and 20% VAT to go on top of the price of a US truck - straight into the coffers of our glorious leader and therefore all into the NHS (honest!). Plus a bit for converting the necessary electrics and an SVA/IVA test, so your $40,000 truck is easily £50,000 by the time you get the keys...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.
And lets not forget other car makers also build cars in the USA such as BMW and Mercedes and still ship them over to the UK to be sold.
No idea how the Dodge models will be spec’d or priced but on quite a few US models that are officially supplied in the UK they’re a higher spec than the base options/entry level prices in the US. On the UK TrackHawk every option is there as standard. The only choice is exterior colour (black, white, red or silver), leather colour (black or dog-cock red) and choice or 2 wheel styles. Everything that might be a cost option in the US is in the UK car as standard so not really a fair comparison of top level spec/price versus an entry level car not available here. All depends if Dodge decide to export poverty spec challengers alongside top spec ones. IIRC Corvettes were the same where the officially imported range of cars didn’t include the US poverty spec models.
Roo said:
Oh, and no Boatwright aren't an official dealer. All their stuff is grey imports.
That's not what their website says: https://www.boatwright.co.uk/300bhp/ton said:
I suspect vehicles leaving the USA don't pay the local duty there though. Not when coming from a manufacturer, rather than a dealer. So a lot of it is profiteering.
And lets not forget other car makers also build cars in the USA such as BMW and Mercedes and still ship them over to the UK to be sold.
Car tax varies from state to state, but in GA at least, it's a 7% ad valorem tax at the time of purchase (irrespective of whether the car is new or used). Whichever way you slice it, the taxes and duties on a car supplied in the US are significantly less than in the UK do I think that it's fair to say this will have a significant impact. Plus there's probably an extra couple of grand in shipping fees to add in when they're sold in such low volume, too.And lets not forget other car makers also build cars in the USA such as BMW and Mercedes and still ship them over to the UK to be sold.
Just got back from Alberta and British Columbia on Saturday after a 16 day RV road trip. Ram trucks are 2 a penny over there so the idea of 50k plus for one here stings a bit. Would love one though. With a couple of MX bikes in the back, and a 5th wheel, and a trailer, and..............................
Sideways Tim said:
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.
It's not profiteering, most folk don't realise that there's 22% duty and 20% VAT to go on top of the price of a US truck - straight into the coffers of our glorious leader and therefore all into the NHS (honest!). Plus a bit for converting the necessary electrics and an SVA/IVA test, so your $40,000 truck is easily £50,000 by the time you get the keys...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.
It’s a combination of US car prices being quoted before taxes, spec differences (US basic spec cars are really basic), import duty & VAT, plus shipping and any bespoke regulatory work required for local registration (fog light, yellow rear indicators, deflected beams, dual-scale speedo etc).
It’s how the “$60k” Corvette will be £80k by the time you get one registered in the U.K.
It would be cool if a UK-US trade deal should come about such that cars going either way across the Atlantic are more affordable.
Oh, and the US could honour UK waivers that allow low-volume sports cars, those with minimal safety engineering, to operate on US public roads. Export market for the new TVR Griffith sorted!
You could always import one from Australia - they even have the steering wheel on the correct side
https://www.ramtrucks.com.au/
They start at about AU$120k though.
https://www.ramtrucks.com.au/
They start at about AU$120k though.
Zed Ed said:
Surprised US cars aren’t more liked in the U.K.
Old school V8 over farting 4 pots; not a hard choice.
Interesting times with Brexit.
Left hand drive, too big for UK parking spaces, too inefficient, using petrol that costs a multiple of what it does in the US... Old school V8 over farting 4 pots; not a hard choice.
Interesting times with Brexit.
Brexit... sorry, how / what?
BFleming said:
Zed Ed said:
Surprised US cars aren’t more liked in the U.K.
Old school V8 over farting 4 pots; not a hard choice.
Interesting times with Brexit.
Left hand drive, too big for UK parking spaces, too inefficient, using petrol that costs a multiple of what it does in the US... Old school V8 over farting 4 pots; not a hard choice.
Interesting times with Brexit.
Brexit... sorry, how / what?
And inefficient
where on Earth did you pluck that chestnut from 
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