Leyland stays ahead
Page 5
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• Leyland Trucks' leadership of the truck market has comfortably survived a recovery by Ford, but figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show Ford lagging in a depressed van market.
Leyland secured a 19.7 per cent share of the market for 5,419 trucks over 3.5 tonnes last month, ahead of nextplaced Ford with 18.8 per cent. Heavy Ford registrations at the end of last year have distorted the registration figures for the first two months of this year.
Figures for the first quarter place Leyland well ahead with 17.9 per cent of a slightly smaller market (1985: 14.6 per cent). Ford got 13.8 per cent (1985: 18.4 per cent with a promotional drive). The market is down from 14,524 to 14,004.
Mercedes-Benz has increased its third place share to 13.5 per cent (1985: 10.9 per cent), but Bedford has lost more share, down to 10.1 per cent (1985: 11 per cent).
MAN-VW registrations, boosted by a January bulge when TNT's newspaper delivery vans were registered, are settling back, with market share up in the first quarter to 6.7 per cent (1985: 2.9 per cent).
The smaller British manufacturers have had mixed fortunes in the first quarter. Foden, which did badly last year, increased its share to 1.2 per cent (1985: 0.9 per cent), but the others have slipped back.
ERF secured 2.8 per cent (1985: 3.1 per cent), Dennis fell back to 0.7 per cent (1985: one per cent), and Seddon Atkinson stayed at 3.1 per cent but sold 12 fewer vehicles.
Registration of 1.8 to 3.5tonne vans have fallen by 8.1 per cent in the first quarter from 35,577 to 32,681.
The Ford Transit famine caused by the changeover to the new model in February long wheelbase models are not yet available to the new specification is reflected by a share of only 28.8 per cent (1985: 37.9 per cent).
Freight Rover is second with 12.5 per cent (1985: 12 per cent), then Bedford boosted by growing Midi sales with 12.2 per cent (1985: 9.4 per cent) and Renault TraficilVlaster with nine per cent (1985: 9.1 per cent).
Ford has also lost market share in the growing light van market total market up 8.5 per cent to 27,120 while Bedford has staged a strong recovery.
Ford's leading share with Escorts and Fiestas is down from 32.4 per cent to 26,7 per cent, followed by Bedford with 24.1 per cent (1985: 18.9 per cent).
Citroen's Spanish-built Visa, new to the British market, has secured a 3.8 per cent share in the first quarter, placing it fifth in the market behind Peugeot/Talbot's 5.8 per cent