IFT leads as imports rise
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• Despite a brief sales flurry in September, sales of commercial vehicles during the first nine months of 1986 remained virtually static, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Up to the end of September, some 225,439 vans, trucks and buses were sold in the UK, compared to 223,807 during the same period last year — a rise of just 0.73%.
Sales of trucks and artics above 3.5 tonnes GVW fared little better, with 41,397 vehicles registered up to the end of September, compared to 41,471 sold in 1985 — a drop of 0.17%.
Foreign imports in the sector, however, are up by 7.7% and now account for 38.5% of all sales.
Even without the first registrations from the newlyestablished Iveco Ford Truck dealer network, the combined sales of Ford and Iveco were more than enough to give IFT the number one spot above 3.5 tonnes.
Although Ford and lveco have individually suffered an overall drop in their sales this year, during the first nine months they sold a combined total of 7,695 vehicles, which gives IFT a 18.5% slice of the sector.
When the extra sales contributed by the new IFT dealers are added (they only began trading from August 1) IFT's share adds up to 19.6% — almost a fifth of the sector.
Leyland Trucks, however, continues to hold second place with a 17% share (7,052 vehicles), following a 4.7% rise in sales in 1986.
In third place is the steadily improving Mercedes-Benz with a 13.6% share (5,644 vehicles).
Following the news that it intends to pull out of heavy truck manufacturing (CM, September 13) Bedford continues to suffer.
Its truck sales have dropped by 13.9% this year, and it now holds a 9.7% share above 3.5 tonnes, based on sales of 4,028 vehicles. So far predictions of a bonanza of cut-price trucks from Bedford dealers have proved unfounded.
Volvo comes next with an 8.6% share (3,562 vehicles), followed by Rh I (Renault]Dodge) with 7.96% (3,299). Daf with 5.6% (2,319), MANVW with 4.96% (2,054) and Scania with 4.95% (2,051).
Among the remaining British manufacturers Seddon Atkinson has a 2.86% share (1,184), ERF 2.79% (1,155), while Fo, den has a 1.04% stake having sold 434 trucks this year.
In the medium and heavy van sector (1.8-3.5 tonnes GVW) Ford continues to dominate with 33.3% of the market (31,563 vehicles). Sales of the new Ford Transit are growing, but they are still more than 11% below sales of the old design this time last year.
Freight Rover has 12.7% of the market (11,974 vehicles), though sales of the Sherpa are slightly down on last year.
Bedford has 10.9% of the market (10,383 vehicles). Sales of its medium and heavy vans are down 11.6% on the year, and September saw a 33.9% drop in sales on the same month a year earlier.
Renault is fourth in the market, with a 7.6% market share (7,217 vehicles), but pressing close behind is Nissan, which so far this year has experienced a 95.1% growth in sales in the market (to 6,320 vehicles), giving it a 6.68% market share. MAN Volkswagen has a 6.65% share, Peugeot Talbot a 5.48% share, and Mercedes Benz a 5.5% share.
In the light van (car-derived and micro) market, Ford, Bedford and Austin Rover hold 27.3%, 25.8% and 20.9% market shares respectively so far this year. Of the other manufacturers, only Peugeot Talbot has a market share above 5%, at 5.1%.
Ford's CDV sales are down 15.1% so far this year (to 20,943 vehicles), whilst Bedford has seen a 33.9% growth.