Sales slide back
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THE END of a Ford sales incentive for Cargo models in February depressed new commercial vehicles sales over 3.5 tonnes last month and left sales for the first quarter of the year only 1.18 per cent above the first quarter of 1984.
Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders point to a depressing year for new commercial vehicles, with the first quarter's registrations over 3.5 tonnes up only from 14,727 in 1984 to 14,901.
Sales last year were higher in the first half of the year than in the second, and the prospects for the rest of this year look depressing as the phasing out of first year capital allowances from the beginning of this month is unlikely to encourage companies to buy additional vehicles.
Over 3.5 tonnes, sales fell last month from 6,374 to 5,061, largely on account of Ford sales falling from 1,424 to 475. But in the first quarter, Ford's sales were virtually level, down from 2,694 to 2,691.
It is still market leader in this crucial sector with 18 per cent of the market (1984: 18.3 per cent). Leyland is second with 14.2 per cent (1984: 14.9 per cent), but Mercedes-Benz, free from last year's handicap of the West German metalworkers' strike, has leap-frogged over Bedford and Renault/Dodge to third place with a 10.8 per cent market share (1984: 9.6 per cent).
Bedford's share crashed from 13.4 per cent to 10.7 per cent, and Renault/Dodge, although up thanks to the launch of British-built Renaults, managed to get out from 9.2 per cent to 9.6 per cent. Volvo, in sixth place, climbed from 8.1 per cent to 8.8 per cent. Other companies with increased sales are Oaf, ERF, lveco, MAN-VW, Scania and Seddon Atkinson. Foden and Hestair Dennis lost sales.
In the lighter sectors, one to 3.5 tonne van sales climbed by 9.64 per cent to 35,202, and in the light van sector up to one tonne, sales climbed by 0.62 of one per cent to 24,995.
Ford has given the Transit its first sales push for more than two years, taking registrations last month up from 4,360 in 1984 to 6,628, and its commanding share of the medium/heavy van market for the first quarter is up from 1984's 37 per cent to 38.3 per cent.
Freight Rover Sherpa's second place has been enhanced, with market share up from 11.2 per cent in 1984 to 12.1 per cent, but Bedford slumped from 11.8 per cent to 9.5 per cent.
Renault's relentless assault on the British van market took it into second place last month with 1,652 sales, and its sales climbed in the first quarter by 72 per cent over the same period last year, taking its-market share from 5.9 per cent to 9.2 per cent.
Like Ford, Renault has been running a big sales campaign for its Trafic and Master vans, and its British sales director, Colin Bruder, says the company now plans to sell 12,000 vans in Britain this year, which will amount to over 10 per cent of the market.