Mercedes revamps
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• Mercedes-Benz will not include its truck dealerships in a shake-up which is expected to end the franchises of more than half its existing car dealerships.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation reports that 60% of
Mercedes franchised car dealers have been given a year's notice to quit.
The company confirms that it is reviewing the way it sells cars in the UK but declines to say how many dealers are affected.
Ian Norwell, spokesman for the company's truck division, says the number of firms behind Its dealership outlets was cut from 56 to 26 in 1998: "The structure was too large and cumbersome and it was reduced by a number of acquisitions, takeovers and buyouts. We reduced the network—not the number of outlets."
Norwell adds that there is no question of further rationalisation: "It was fairly radical at the time: we decided to restructure the business well into 2000 and beyond."