Groves goes for Steyr as Austrians get ready
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• Austrian truck builder Steyr-Daimler-Puch is forging ahead with its plans to enter the UK HGV market in the autumn. S-D-P has revealed which models it will be selling in Britain (see Vehicles News Extra, page 10) and, barring any setbacks, it will shortly be appointing the former director of marketing at Scania (GB), Cliff Groves, as the head of its British operations.
Groves left Scalia on 1 June and has been named managing director designate of SteyrDaimler-Puth Trucks Great Britain, the wholly-owned importer which S-D-P is currently setting up in this country. Groves has been with Scania's British company for 12 years.
Steyr will launch its range of British right-hand-drive trucks on 6 September, with a dealer launch to be held soon after. The first "public" viewing will be at the Birmingham motor show in October.
In an exclusive interview with Commercial Motor, S-DP's truck division boss Ernst Pranckl confirmed that his company is close to signing contracts with some eight prospective UK dealers, and that a total of 10 are expected to be in place before the end of the year. The overall Steyr network, however, is likely to be double this figure.
S-D-P is aiming to sell close to 300 trucks in this country during its first 12 months of operation, increasing this to 1,000 a year after four years.
Under the first phase of its UK attack, Steyr will be selling 13and 17-tonne GVW rigid chassis, and two tractive units.