Vehicle sales take a plunge
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COMMERCIAL vehicle sales in Britain for the first 11 months of 1975 were well down compared with last year—and it is the importers who have suffered the biggest knock.
Sales were 6.7 per cent down for the period, standing at 206,608. British-built commercials fell by 3.8 per cent to 183,235, but they improved their market share from 86pc to 88.7pc.
Foreign imports were having the toughest time with sales down by 24.6pc to 23,373.
These trends are still developing, as can be seen from the November figures. Total sales were 13pc down on November, 1974, at 17,342; Britain's market share moved up from 87pc to 90pc, although sales were lower by 10pc at 15,721 ; and sales of imported vehicles were 34pc lower at 1,711.
It is also seen from the November figures, issued by the SMMT, that Ford had taken the lead in the sales stakes, unseating British Leyland. Ford, with 5,565 sales, had 31.92pc of the market corn pared with Leyland's 4,880 (28pc), although for the 11 months Ford heads Leyland by only 146 sales (62,638 Fords to 62,492 Leylands).