Sales fears may be unfounded
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FEARS that the phasing out of capital allowances last month would cut demand for new lorries have proved groundless so far, but the year has been a bad one for Foden.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures show a 0.4 of one per cent increase in registrations of all commercial vehicles last month, compared with April 1984, and there was a 27.8 per cent increase in sales of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
The rise in sales over 3.5 tonnes, from 4,529 to 5,789, was achieved largely by Bedford making up ground it lost earlier in the year. It boosted sales from 533 to 1,141, and its sales for the first four
months of the year are up from 2,501 in 1984 to 2,734.
Market shares for the year to date are led by Ford with 16.5 per cent (1984: 19.1 per cent).
Leyland has 14.2 per cent (1984: 14.5 per cent), Bedford 13.2 per cent (1984: 13 per cent) Mercedes-Benz 11 per Cent (1984: 9.3 per cent), Renault/Dodge 9.1 per cent (1984: 9.1 per cent), and Volvo 8.7 per cent (1984: 8.3 per cent).
Scania held level at 5.1 per cent with increased sales. Apart from Ford, the only companies to have lost market share over 3.5 tonnes are Foden, down from 1.6 to 0.9 of one per cent, and Hestair Dennis, down from 1.1 to 0.9 of one per cent. Dennis, in fact, sold four more vehicles than Foden, which is now at the bottom of the British sales league.
Foden blames the fall on price competition, especially from importers.