Eight years to pay
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Stuart Oates, managing director of White Truck Concessionaires Ltd, forecasts a gradual decline in the market for volumeproduced lorries with a five year replacement cycle and a switch to more durable vehicles with an economic life of at least seven years. He believes that sales of rigid six-wheelers and eightwheelers and artics will rise next year but that those of fourwheelers will dwindle.
He makes these predictions in a report prepared for Ronald Sewell and Associates, the business information consultants. Their result will, he believes, call for greater flexibility in hire-purchase terms, with instalments spread up to eight years and a smaller initial payment. As well as helping the operator, the scheme will, says Stuart, reduce pressure on the seller "to give away discounts".
It looks as though the buyer will lose on the roundabouts what he gains on the swings.