Elite Premiums are in demand
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Building on the success of its Elitebranded refurbished second-hand Magnum tractors, Renault VI dealer Staffs CV is marketing Premium Elite tractors-and demand is soaring.
"Upwards of 10 have been sold or are being sold," says Martin Rhodes, general manager of used operations.
All Premium Elites are sent to Feather Diesels to have their engines retuned. "The price difference between an Elite and an ordinary used Premium of the same vintage is about £3,000, but that's not a lot if you are going to run the truck for three years, and it's possible for the fuel economy to be improved by lmeg," says Rhodes.
"The success of Magnum Elite and now Premium Elite shows you cannot simply park a tired-looking second-hand truck in the middle of a field and expect to sell it," he adds. "You have to bring vehicles back to near-new condition."
Rhodes reports that the used sector remains volatile, with prices 1015% below those achieved 12 months ago. Tractors have been hit hardest: "Four to five-year-old vehicles are suffering especially badly," he adds.
So what will be the effect of the 500 Renault Midlum 7.5-tonners to be delivered to rental giant TLS after an initiative by Manchester Renault dealer JDS Trucks? Rhodes is bullish: "No matter how many 7.5-tonners reappear, they always get sold. Anyway, it's not one of those suicidal sixmonth deals, nor is it a one-year deal."
The Midlums will return over two years, and the mix of bodies—box, tipper, curtainsider and dropsideshould ease the sales process, he says.
Rhodes does not believe any driverlicence-driven drift up the weight scale from 7.5 to 10 tonnes will dent demand. "People were talking about burying the 7.5-tonner 14 years ago, but it hasn't happened yet," he points out. "Any significant decline is at least three years away, and even a serious drop would probably reduce prices by only £2,000-F.3,000."