Our local

[Gibbo2286]

Ford dealer who seems to have been there forever has, I'm told, gone broke this weekend.

[NewcastleFalcon]

It will not be the first and certainly not the last.
Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

I don't want to add names Neil, I heard it on the grapevine.

[bobins]

Worst September for UK car sales this century

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54415947

[myglaren]

I see the Bridgend factory has closed too.

There was a biggish Ford dealer near me - a mile away. Turned into a Mazda dealer a few years ago but passed it yesterday and it is completely shut down.

[Paul-R]

Hmm, it puts a different light on my local Peugeot dealer doing a recent job (fitting and coding in a new urea tank, detailed in a post elsewhere) for me on a labour only basis. Maybe they're just desperate for work to pay the bills? They also did the MOT for £40. Again, maybe desperate for work?

[NewcastleFalcon]

One of the "new" models for "mobility" being pushed by some is the "subscription" service.

As with many of the current "methods" of having the use of a new vehicle, ownership never troubles the scorers it is renting/hire/leasing whatever you want to call it and it boils down to £x per month with a variety of terms and conditions.

Lynk and Co are a player in this field from the Chinese company Geely's stable which includes Volvo.

https://www.drivingelectric.com/news/20 ... on-service

Unlike most car companies, Lynk & Co has a subscription-only model: customers will pay a maximum of €500 (£456) a month for an all-inclusive ownership experience. That will include insurance, road tax and breakdown cover, meaning subscribers only have to spend extra on fuel or charging.

Interestingly, they'll also be able to cut their monthly costs by allowing members of a dedicated service to drive their car; membership will be free, but owners can set the rate themselves. The brand is keen to promote this model as a more sustainable approach to car use.

Other features of the Lynk & Co model that set it apart include a lack of physical dealerships – replaced by online orders and retail/cafe spaces called 'clubs' – and the distinct absence of options. Buyers can pick from one model, in two colours – black or blue – with just one level of equipment. Home delivery will be offered in some markets.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

It's even affecting those in the automotive service industries... Our local tyre and exhaust place used to be buzzing and booked out solid days in advance but in recent weeks it's been as quiet as a mouse... Robyn was seen straight away for new tyres and today I needed a pair on the front of Pix and when I called the place was empty and the job done there and then. The fitters almost fought over who'd do the job...

Unheard of... Never seen anything like it...

Pix is due her MoT and although our tyre and exhaust place does them I'm not too keen to let them do it as they are clearly desperate for work and may fail it just to generate work...

So I've booked her in at my usual one-man-band local garage who is reassuringly busy He always is due to his local reputation going way before him

[myglaren]

Same with the place I use Jim, they have barely slowed down.
Must drop in there - I still have to have the wheel arch liner fitted - out of sight, out of mind usually.
Also to check on daughter's C3 that I left with them five weeks ago for some odds and ends. Tempus Fugit!

[Gibbo2286]

Just been hearing more about this, the dealer hasn't gone broke, Ford are removing the franchise from all the smaller businesses and without it it's decided to close down mid November, the site is leasehold from a former car dealer who still owns a large area of the town's property.

Apparently a tyre supplier is moving in from its current site and the tyre company's site is to be part of a larger proposed shopping development.