British makers take bigger slice
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ALTHOUGH new registrations of goods vehicles in the first seven months of this year fell by three per cent compared with the same period last year, British makers improved their share of the market from 86.3 per cent to 88.6 per cent.
This is revealed in a new monthly breakdown of commercial vehicle registrations published for the first time this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The figures reveal that Ford scored top honours for production both in July (with 29.63 per cent of the market) and for the seven month period January-July (with 30.34 per cent). In each case British Leyland was close behind, with Bedford third and Chrysler fourth.
At the light end of the business British Leyland took the lead in the oar derived van and pickup market with Ford and Bedford in second and third places. In the seven months cumulative figures British makers sold 39,149 vehicles in this category while the importers sold 4,772.
In the buses, coaches and taxis category British Leyland had 70.28 per cent in the seven months ending in July while Bedford had 15.03 per cent; Ford 8.77; Seddon Atkinson 1.10; Mercedes Benz 0.11; Volvo 1.66 and other foreigners 3.05.
The important under 31/4 ton market is always a testing ground for competitive manufacturers. Ford tops the league in the January to July figures with 22,431, Leyland was second with 12,584 and the other makers were as follows : Bedford, 9,305; Chrysler, 6,394; Volkswagen, 3,363; Toyota, 1,717; Fiat, 1,026; Mazda, 785; Mercedes, 555; Peugeot, 80; and others, 124. The grand total of 58,364 is less than the same period in the previous year when 61,280 vehicles of this size were sold.