Glass Guide | Glass's on the Market

July

What next for used car prices?

Car Editorial - July 2010

Having gone through the dramatic falls in used car prices in 2008 to be followed by an even more dramatic rise in 2009, this year was expected to see a pattern of price changes more typical of the earlier years. That is to say, an increase in the early spring, a decline during the summer months, a brief recovery in early autumn before a more marked drop in the final quarter.

To what extent has this happened so far this year?

The first column in the following chart shows the month-on-month chang... more

Comments (1)

July

Registrations for May a year-on-year increase of 13.5%

Car Market Trends - July 2010

The SMMT reported the eleventh successive monthly increase in sales with May recording an improvement of 13.5% from last year. This upbeat May figure was expected because it was the last month of cars delivered from the Scrappage Scheme, altho... more

June

The petrol versus diesel debate

Car Editorial - June 2010

We are attempting to answer two key questions: “How are petrol and diesel cars performing in the market?”, and “is there a good case for used car buyers to look upon diesel cars more favourably?”

Historically the market has c... more

June

Registrations for April a year-on-year increase of 11.5%

Car Market Trends - June 2010

The SMMT reported a year-on-year increase of 11.5% in April. All of the improvement came from the private sector, and the lion’s share of this, was due to orders being satisfied as part of the Scrappage Scheme. Following the closure of the S... more

May

Fuel costs to influence used car buying trends

Car Editorial - May 2010

Of the total annual motoring costs incurred by motorists, depreciation accounts for around 45%. Whilst many would acknowledge this as a necessary evil of car ownership, some would be little surprised to learn that the second largest ownership cos... more

May

Registrations for March a year-on-year increase of 26.6%

Car Market Trends - May 2010

The SMMT reported registrations of 397,383 registrations for March, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.6%. Whilst the lion’s share of this increase was from the private sector (up 53.5%) the fleet sector also made a very significant... more

April

The disconnect between new and used car sales

Car Editorial - April 2010

Given that the UK operates in a mature market the sale of virtually every new car results in a used car being presented to the used market. These used cars will find the next end user via a number of possible channels from the retail dealer... more

April

Registrations for February up 26.4%

Car Market Trends - April 2010

The SMMT reported that registrations for February were 26.4% up compared to a year earlier giving an upbeat year-to-date position of 28.7%. Whilst Scrappage continued to account for almost 20% of this year’s sales total, there have been s... more

March

New car sales for January increased by 29.8%

Car Market Trends - March 2010

The SMMT reported that new car sales for January increased by 29.8% for a total of 145,479 units. The Scrappage Scheme continued to underpin this improvement, although it was interesting to note that this business only accounted for 17.8... more

March

February

New-car market downturn will have adverse effect on used stock

The protracted downturn in new-car sales over recent years will have a significant effect on the used market in 2010 and beyond, warns Glass’s Guide. The main cause for concern among dealers will be a major reduction in the supply of one- and two-year-old used cars.

“It was a situatio... more

February

The real story behind the 2009 registration figures...

Car Editorial - February 2010.

The SMMT reported that new car registrations for 2009 reached 1,994,999 units, a fairly modest year-on-year reduction of 6.4%. Of course, the Scrappage Scheme has been very successful in stimulating a lacklustre new car market and its con... more

Comments (1)

January

A delayed start to the New Year

Mid-Month Update - January 2010

Snow and sub zero temperatures had a profound effect on used car business during the post-Christmas week and the first two weeks of the New Year. It is estimated that retailers suffered a dip in sales between 25% and 30% over this period, r... more

January

Used car market will be 'very challenging' in 2010

Supply shortages, tighter trading margins and limited retail demand will make 2010 a particularly tough year for used-car dealers, predicts Glass's Guide. With the expected return of seasonal used-car depreciation, success will depend on a greater focus on the procurement of trade cars and a stric... more

January

Which way for the used car market in 2010?

Car Editorial - January 2010

Events in the used car market in both 2009 and 2008 could very appropriately be described as both spectacular and without parallel. The most obvious manifestation of these changes was the fall in trade prices of nearly 20% over the full calen... more

January

Sales last November were up a massive 57.6%

Car Market Trends - January 2010

The SMMT reported that sales last November were up a massive 57.6% for a monthly total of 158,082 units. The Scrappage influence was very significant as demonstrated by the performance of the Private sector with sales up 141.2% from the p... more

December

Registrations in October were up 31.6%

Car Market Trends - December 2009

The SMMT reported that registrations in October were up 31.6% for a total of 168,942 units. This upbeat result disguised the fact that the improvement was almost entirely due to the contribution made by the Scrappage Scheme. If we dedu... more

November

Retail business has continued to ease back this month

Mid-Month Update - November 2009

Dealers are commenting that retail business has continued to ease back this month but it is no worse than many had predicted. The issue is with the wholesale supply which could be described as plentiful; it is lower than this time last ye... more

November

October

A noticeable downturn in the wholesale market

Mid-Month Update - October 2009

It would appear that the middle of September was a watershed for the used car market. From that time there has been a noticeable downturn in the wholesale market. It coincided with a further reduction in retail sales just when the supply of t... more

October

Costliest optional equipment worth little on used car market

Improve the aesthetics, rather than the gadget count, in order to boost residuals, says Glass’s

Many of the most costly items of optional high-tech equipment currently available on new prestige-brand cars are worth very little on the used market, according to the latest an... more

October

Prospects for the used car market in the 4th quarter

Car Editorial - October 2009

This is a subject that is assuming great importance with dealers and creating a lot of lively debate. It is of no surprise because uncertainty is rife and we are also struggling to unravel a wide range of scenarios. What increases discomf... more

Comments (1)

October

September

The market has taken a slight change in direction over the past 2 weeks

Mid-Month Update - September 2009

Retail business has failed to recover from the normal summer slumber which has come as a little surprise, and disappointment to many dealers. This has relieved the pressure to buy used cars with the level of enthusiasm that has typifie... more

September

The residual value ‘high flyers’ and ‘lead balloons’

Car Editorial - September 2009

In the used car market consumers are spoilt for choice. The more frequently they choose a specific car, or type of car, relative to its availability, the greater the price that has to be paid by the next customer. Dealers work back from the... more

September

August

Glass’s Names The Worst Depreciating Used Cars… And The Biggest Bargains

Alfa Romeo’s 166 holds the dubious honour of being the worst depreciating car in the UK, retaining a mere 14.4 per cent of its original price after three years. Rover and MG cars, such as the 45/ZS and 75/ZT, fare little better, just managing to hold on to 20 per cent of their values over th... more

August

City cars dominate residual values top 10

Seven of 10 leading models are small cars – even more than in 2008
Affordability and low running costs are essential characteristics of top performers

The Peugeot 107 is Britain’s best when it comes to fending off depreciation, and it is one of a ... more

August

Retail demand has continued to ease back in line with the normal holiday season

Mid-Month Update - August 2009

Retail demand has continued to ease back in line with the normal holiday season which is of no surprise or concern to dealers. However, trade demand across the auctions is still operating at a slightly higher tempo mainly because the sup... more

August

Prospects for ex-fleet cars in 2010

Forecasting the prospects in 2010 presents something of a challenge given the extraordinary reversal of prices seen in 2009. We forecast that in December of this year the average price of a 3 year old ex-fleet car will be in the region of £5,700 taking account moderately adverse trading conditi... more

August

Used car fuel economy label available to UK car dealers

From Monday 3rd August, a colour-coded Used Car Fuel Economy Label will be available to car dealers across the UK, ahead of it being launched to consumers in November. The label will provide customers with clear ‘at a glance’ information on the running costs, fuel consumption and environme... more

August

Scrappage Scheme must be extended to avoid "Sudden and Damaging" Fall in New Car Sales

Glass’s is calling on the Government to extend its Scrappage Scheme (*) at least until next summer in order to avoid a very significant fall in new car sales and a consequent collapse in revenues for car manufacturers and retailers.

With Scrappage Scheme registrations currently runn... more

August

Although this was the smallest monthly decline this year it still represents the worst June since 1998...

Car Market Trends - August 2009

New car registrations
The SMMT reported that sales of new cars in June fell by 15.7% compared to June of 2008, to record a total of 176,264 units. Although this was the smallest monthly decline this year it still represents the w... more

July

Dealers face stocking crisis as used car availability reaches all-time low

Franchised car dealers and car supermarkets have been forced to source an older age profile of used cars, after the availability of nearly-new vehicles rapidly diminished in the run-up to summer, reports GlassGuide.co.uk. In addition, there is little prospect of an improvement in supply – in... more

July

Car buyers can turn a quick profit from government's sprappage scheme

Healthy demand for certain second-hand cars, coupled with low levels of availability in the used car market, means that many consumers benefitting from the Government’s vehicle scrappage scheme currently have the option of selling their new car for a tidy profit.

Glass’s, publishe... more

July

Used car shortages destined to underpin prices.

Whilst no precise used car sales data exists from dealers it would be reasonable to assume that sales volumes are down between 5% and 10% compared to this time last year. However, the recovery in trade prices is more than complete as they now stand some 10% higher than a year ago. This has on... more

July

It is true to say that the latest SMMT figures have not been boosted by the spurt in business brought about by the Scrappage Scheme...

Car Market Trends - July 2009

New car registrations
The SMMT reported that sales in May were down by 24.8% when compared with May of last year to give a total of 134,858 units. The first glance of the figures is positive given that the decline for... more

June

Thoughts on the Government Scrappage Scheme

Car Editorial - June 2009

The Government announcement on 22nd April to go ahead with the car and van scrappage scheme has had a mixed reception. On the negative side, there have been issues raised on the protracted delays in reaching a decision – first discussed in November of... more

June

The volume of retail business transacted during May continued to be a source of encouragement

Car Market Trends - June 2009

New car sales
The SMMT reported that new car registrations fell by 24% in April to give a total of 133,475 units. Whilst this total is still a dismal reflection of a lacklustre market it does represent an improvem... more

May

Scrappage scheme unlikely to destabilise residual values

The majority of consumers already interested in purchasing a nearly-new car will not be existing owners of cars 10 years or older, and will therefore not be eligible for the scrappage bonus. For this reason demand will not switch from late-plate to new vehicles, harming late-plate values.

... more

May

What next for used car prices?

Car Editorial - May 2009

As we are all painfully aware the period of the last 12 months has witnessed an unparalleled fall and rise in used car prices. Our records show that this level of seismic change has not been seen since we started tracking values in the early 1970... more

May

Used car sales momentum continues

Car Market Trends - May 2009

New car registrations
New car registrations in March were down 30.5% for a total of 313,912 units. Whilst this result was not surprising it was still disappointing. Even though the combined January and February figures... more

April

The used car market roller coaster ride

Car Editorial - April 2009

Sector Performance
As we are too painfully aware, the used car market has been something of a roller coaster ride during the last 2 years. At the beginning of this period everybody was fairly comfortable with stable market c... more

March

Depressed new car market is used car salvation

Car Editorial - March 2009

Up until the early part of last year the new car market was typified by a ‘supply push’ strategy whereby if cars could not be sold with heavy discounts, they were registered and sold as nearly new cars. This activity restricted and go... more

Joined Glass's: 1985
Currently drives: Audi A6
Would like to drive: Jaguar XF 3.0 diesel
Likes: Fish & Chips out of a newspaper
Dislikes: Commercial breaks when watching important football matches on ITV

Residual Values

League Table by Sector

Upper medium languishes at the bottom The small/city car leads the field by quite a margin, and the upper medium sector languishes at the bottom... more

League Table by Sector 2006-2009

All rise for small/city cars There is a major success story for small/city cars. This star performer has risen to the top from a lowly... more

Historical Trends

Residual Values

Previous downturns were different What is of particular note is that during the first 3 economic downturns the values of used cars continued on an upward path. Contrast this to the steep... more

New Car Price changes
Residual Values

New car prices risen faster than inflation for 35 years Over the last 35 years new car prices have generally been increasing faster than the general level of inflation. This means that in real terms... more

July

Comments (1)

July

Car Market Trends - July 2010The SMMT reported the eleventh successive monthly increase in sales with May recording an improvement of 13.5% from last year. This upbeat May figure was expected because it was the last month of cars delivered from the Scrappage Scheme, altho... more

June

Car Editorial - June 2010 We are attempting to answer two key questions: “How are petrol and diesel cars performing in the market?”, and “is there a good case for used car buyers to look upon diesel cars more favourably?” Historically the market has c... more

June

Car Market Trends - June 2010The SMMT reported a year-on-year increase of 11.5% in April. All of the improvement came from the private sector, and the lion’s share of this, was due to orders being satisfied as part of the Scrappage Scheme. Following the closure of the S... more

May

Car Editorial - May 2010 Of the total annual motoring costs incurred by motorists, depreciation accounts for around 45%. Whilst many would acknowledge this as a necessary evil of car ownership, some would be little surprised to learn that the second largest ownership cos... more

May

Car Market Trends - May 2010 The SMMT reported registrations of 397,383 registrations for March, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.6%. Whilst the lion’s share of this increase was from the private sector (up 53.5%) the fleet sector also made a very significant... more

April

Car Editorial - April 2010 Given that the UK operates in a mature market the sale of virtually every new car results in a used car being presented to the used market. These used cars will find the next end user via a number of possible channels from the retail dealer... more

April

Car Market Trends - April 2010 The SMMT reported that registrations for February were 26.4% up compared to a year earlier giving an upbeat year-to-date position of 28.7%. Whilst Scrappage continued to account for almost 20% of this year’s sales total, there have been s... more

March

Car Market Trends - March 2010 The SMMT reported that new car sales for January increased by 29.8% for a total of 145,479 units. The Scrappage Scheme continued to underpin this improvement, although it was interesting to note that this business only accounted for 17.8... more

March

Car Editorial - March 2010 A protracted downturn in the new car market has significant consequences for the used market in the following years. The central issue is one of reducing used supply. It was a situation that was prevalent following the recession of the early 90... more

Comments (1)

February

The protracted downturn in new-car sales over recent years will have a significant effect on the used market in 2010 and beyond, warns Glass’s Guide. The main cause for concern among dealers will be a major reduction in the supply of one- and two-year-old used cars. “It was a situatio... more

February

Car Market Trends - February 2010 Used car sales Not surprisingly, the weather has been the major talking point and the most significant influence on the used car market between Christmas and the second week of the New Year. A feature of the bad wea... more

February

Car Editorial - February 2010. The SMMT reported that new car registrations for 2009 reached 1,994,999 units, a fairly modest year-on-year reduction of 6.4%. Of course, the Scrappage Scheme has been very successful in stimulating a lacklustre new car market and its con... more

Comments (1)

January

Mid-Month Update - January 2010 Snow and sub zero temperatures had a profound effect on used car business during the post-Christmas week and the first two weeks of the New Year. It is estimated that retailers suffered a dip in sales between 25% and 30% over this period, r... more

January

January

Car Editorial - January 2010 Events in the used car market in both 2009 and 2008 could very appropriately be described as both spectacular and without parallel. The most obvious manifestation of these changes was the fall in trade prices of nearly 20% over the full calen... more

January

Car Market Trends - January 2010 The SMMT reported that sales last November were up a massive 57.6% for a monthly total of 158,082 units. The Scrappage influence was very significant as demonstrated by the performance of the Private sector with sales up 141.2% from the p... more

December

Car Editorial - December 2009Even as we are emerging from one of the most challenging economic environments of recent times, as many as forty new models are expected to appear during 2010. Of course, the development programmes that bring these new cars to the market were ... more

December

Car Market Trends - December 2009 The SMMT reported that registrations in October were up 31.6% for a total of 168,942 units. This upbeat result disguised the fact that the improvement was almost entirely due to the contribution made by the Scrappage Scheme. If we dedu... more

November

Mid-Month Update - November 2009 Dealers are commenting that retail business has continued to ease back this month but it is no worse than many had predicted. The issue is with the wholesale supply which could be described as plentiful; it is lower than this time last ye... more

November

Car Market Trends - November 2009 The year-on-year registrations for September increased by 11.4% to give a total of 367,929 units. It is very important for everyone to realise that, taken at face value, these figures suggest a new car market in the ascendancy. However, ... more

November

Car Editorial - November 2009 Most new cars originate from the euro-zone, and even those cars manufactured in the UK have a substantial amount of their content sourced from mainland Europe. This means that the price paid by UK customers is heavily influenced by the... more

October

Mid-Month Update - October 2009 It would appear that the middle of September was a watershed for the used car market. From that time there has been a noticeable downturn in the wholesale market. It coincided with a further reduction in retail sales just when the supply of t... more

October

Improve the aesthetics, rather than the gadget count, in order to boost residuals, says Glass’s Many of the most costly items of optional high-tech equipment currently available on new prestige-brand cars are worth very little on the used market, according to the latest an... more

October

Car Editorial - October 2009 This is a subject that is assuming great importance with dealers and creating a lot of lively debate. It is of no surprise because uncertainty is rife and we are also struggling to unravel a wide range of scenarios. What increases discomf... more

Comments (1)

October

Car Market Trends - October 2009 The SMMT reported that new sales in August improved by 6% over the previous year for a total of 67,006 units. Whilst this represented the second successive month of improvement, it was entirely due to Scrappage business. If we were to rem... more

September

Mid-Month Update - September 2009 Retail business has failed to recover from the normal summer slumber which has come as a little surprise, and disappointment to many dealers. This has relieved the pressure to buy used cars with the level of enthusiasm that has typifie... more

September

Car Editorial - September 2009 In the used car market consumers are spoilt for choice. The more frequently they choose a specific car, or type of car, relative to its availability, the greater the price that has to be paid by the next customer. Dealers work back from the... more

September

Car Market Trends - September 2009 The SMMT reported that new car registrations in July increased 2.4% for a total of 157,149 units. The Scrappage Scheme clearly played a very significant part in this improving picture as evidenced by the increase in retail sector sales ... more

August

August

Seven of 10 leading models are small cars – even more than in 2008Affordability and low running costs are essential characteristics of top performers The Peugeot 107 is Britain’s best when it comes to fending off depreciation, and it is one of a ... more

August

Mid-Month Update - August 2009 Retail demand has continued to ease back in line with the normal holiday season which is of no surprise or concern to dealers. However, trade demand across the auctions is still operating at a slightly higher tempo mainly because the sup... more

August

August

August

Glass’s is calling on the Government to extend its Scrappage Scheme (*) at least until next summer in order to avoid a very significant fall in new car sales and a consequent collapse in revenues for car manufacturers and retailers. With Scrappage Scheme registrations currently runn... more

August

Car Editorial - August 2009 The natural cycle of the demand led market is for customers to purchase new cars and replace them between 3 and 4 years later, often for another new car. There will inevitabiy be some availability of younger cars at any point in time due to th... more

August

Car Market Trends - August 2009 New car registrations The SMMT reported that sales of new cars in June fell by 15.7% compared to June of 2008, to record a total of 176,264 units. Although this was the smallest monthly decline this year it still represents the w... more

July

July

July

Healthy demand for certain second-hand cars, coupled with low levels of availability in the used car market, means that many consumers benefitting from the Government’s vehicle scrappage scheme currently have the option of selling their new car for a tidy profit. Glass’s, publishe... more

July

July

Car Market Trends - July 2009 New car registrations The SMMT reported that sales in May were down by 24.8% when compared with May of last year to give a total of 134,858 units. The first glance of the figures is positive given that the decline for... more

Car Market Trends - July 2010

The SMMT reported the eleventh successive monthly increase in sales with May recording an improvement of 13.5% from last year. This upbeat May figure was expected because it was the last month of cars delivered from the Scrappage Scheme, altho... more

Car Editorial - June 2010

We are attempting to answer two key questions: “How are petrol and diesel cars performing in the market?”, and “is there a good case for used car buyers to look upon diesel cars more favourably?”

Historically the market has c... more

Car Market Trends - June 2010

The SMMT reported a year-on-year increase of 11.5% in April. All of the improvement came from the private sector, and the lion’s share of this, was due to orders being satisfied as part of the Scrappage Scheme. Following the closure of the S... more

Car Editorial - May 2010

Of the total annual motoring costs incurred by motorists, depreciation accounts for around 45%. Whilst many would acknowledge this as a necessary evil of car ownership, some would be little surprised to learn that the second largest ownership cos... more

Car Market Trends - May 2010

The SMMT reported registrations of 397,383 registrations for March, representing a year-on-year increase of 26.6%. Whilst the lion’s share of this increase was from the private sector (up 53.5%) the fleet sector also made a very significant... more

Car Editorial - April 2010

Given that the UK operates in a mature market the sale of virtually every new car results in a used car being presented to the used market. These used cars will find the next end user via a number of possible channels from the retail dealer... more

Car Market Trends - April 2010

The SMMT reported that registrations for February were 26.4% up compared to a year earlier giving an upbeat year-to-date position of 28.7%. Whilst Scrappage continued to account for almost 20% of this year’s sales total, there have been s... more

Car Market Trends - March 2010

The SMMT reported that new car sales for January increased by 29.8% for a total of 145,479 units. The Scrappage Scheme continued to underpin this improvement, although it was interesting to note that this business only accounted for 17.8... more

Car Editorial - March 2010

A protracted downturn in the new car market has significant consequences for the used market in the following years. The central issue is one of reducing used supply. It was a situation that was prevalent following the recession of the early 90... more

The protracted downturn in new-car sales over recent years will have a significant effect on the used market in 2010 and beyond, warns Glass’s Guide. The main cause for concern among dealers will be a major reduction in the supply of one- and two-year-old used cars.

“It was a situatio... more

Car Market Trends - February 2010 Used car sales

Not surprisingly, the weather has been the major talking point and the most significant influence on the used car market between Christmas and the second week of the New Year. A feature of the bad wea... more

Car Editorial - February 2010.

The SMMT reported that new car registrations for 2009 reached 1,994,999 units, a fairly modest year-on-year reduction of 6.4%. Of course, the Scrappage Scheme has been very successful in stimulating a lacklustre new car market and its con... more

Mid-Month Update - January 2010

Snow and sub zero temperatures had a profound effect on used car business during the post-Christmas week and the first two weeks of the New Year. It is estimated that retailers suffered a dip in sales between 25% and 30% over this period, r... more

Car Editorial - January 2010

Events in the used car market in both 2009 and 2008 could very appropriately be described as both spectacular and without parallel. The most obvious manifestation of these changes was the fall in trade prices of nearly 20% over the full calen... more

Car Market Trends - January 2010

The SMMT reported that sales last November were up a massive 57.6% for a monthly total of 158,082 units. The Scrappage influence was very significant as demonstrated by the performance of the Private sector with sales up 141.2% from the p... more

Car Editorial - December 2009

Even as we are emerging from one of the most challenging economic environments of recent times, as many as forty new models are expected to appear during 2010. Of course, the development programmes that bring these new cars to the market were ... more

Car Market Trends - December 2009

The SMMT reported that registrations in October were up 31.6% for a total of 168,942 units. This upbeat result disguised the fact that the improvement was almost entirely due to the contribution made by the Scrappage Scheme. If we dedu... more

Mid-Month Update - November 2009

Dealers are commenting that retail business has continued to ease back this month but it is no worse than many had predicted. The issue is with the wholesale supply which could be described as plentiful; it is lower than this time last ye... more

Car Market Trends - November 2009

The year-on-year registrations for September increased by 11.4% to give a total of 367,929 units. It is very important for everyone to realise that, taken at face value, these figures suggest a new car market in the ascendancy. However, ... more

Car Editorial - November 2009

Most new cars originate from the euro-zone, and even those cars manufactured in the UK have a substantial amount of their content sourced from mainland Europe. This means that the price paid by UK customers is heavily influenced by the... more

Mid-Month Update - October 2009

It would appear that the middle of September was a watershed for the used car market. From that time there has been a noticeable downturn in the wholesale market. It coincided with a further reduction in retail sales just when the supply of t... more

Improve the aesthetics, rather than the gadget count, in order to boost residuals, says Glass’s

Many of the most costly items of optional high-tech equipment currently available on new prestige-brand cars are worth very little on the used market, according to the latest an... more

Car Editorial - October 2009

This is a subject that is assuming great importance with dealers and creating a lot of lively debate. It is of no surprise because uncertainty is rife and we are also struggling to unravel a wide range of scenarios. What increases discomf... more

Car Market Trends - October 2009

The SMMT reported that new sales in August improved by 6% over the previous year for a total of 67,006 units. Whilst this represented the second successive month of improvement, it was entirely due to Scrappage business. If we were to rem... more

Mid-Month Update - September 2009

Retail business has failed to recover from the normal summer slumber which has come as a little surprise, and disappointment to many dealers. This has relieved the pressure to buy used cars with the level of enthusiasm that has typifie... more

Car Editorial - September 2009

In the used car market consumers are spoilt for choice. The more frequently they choose a specific car, or type of car, relative to its availability, the greater the price that has to be paid by the next customer. Dealers work back from the... more

Car Market Trends - September 2009

The SMMT reported that new car registrations in July increased 2.4% for a total of 157,149 units. The Scrappage Scheme clearly played a very significant part in this improving picture as evidenced by the increase in retail sector sales ... more

Seven of 10 leading models are small cars – even more than in 2008
Affordability and low running costs are essential characteristics of top performers

The Peugeot 107 is Britain’s best when it comes to fending off depreciation, and it is one of a ... more

Mid-Month Update - August 2009

Retail demand has continued to ease back in line with the normal holiday season which is of no surprise or concern to dealers. However, trade demand across the auctions is still operating at a slightly higher tempo mainly because the sup... more

Glass’s is calling on the Government to extend its Scrappage Scheme (*) at least until next summer in order to avoid a very significant fall in new car sales and a consequent collapse in revenues for car manufacturers and retailers.

With Scrappage Scheme registrations currently runn... more

Car Editorial - August 2009

The natural cycle of the demand led market is for customers to purchase new cars and replace them between 3 and 4 years later, often for another new car. There will inevitabiy be some availability of younger cars at any point in time due to th... more

Car Market Trends - August 2009

New car registrations
The SMMT reported that sales of new cars in June fell by 15.7% compared to June of 2008, to record a total of 176,264 units. Although this was the smallest monthly decline this year it still represents the w... more

Healthy demand for certain second-hand cars, coupled with low levels of availability in the used car market, means that many consumers benefitting from the Government’s vehicle scrappage scheme currently have the option of selling their new car for a tidy profit.

Glass’s, publishe... more

Car Market Trends - July 2009

New car registrations
The SMMT reported that sales in May were down by 24.8% when compared with May of last year to give a total of 134,858 units. The first glance of the figures is positive given that the decline for... more

Car Editorial - June 2009

The Government announcement on 22nd April to go ahead with the car and van scrappage scheme has had a mixed reception. On the negative side, there have been issues raised on the protracted delays in reaching a decision – first discussed in November of... more

Car Market Trends - June 2009

New car sales
The SMMT reported that new car registrations fell by 24% in April to give a total of 133,475 units. Whilst this total is still a dismal reflection of a lacklustre market it does represent an improvem... more

The majority of consumers already interested in purchasing a nearly-new car will not be existing owners of cars 10 years or older, and will therefore not be eligible for the scrappage bonus. For this reason demand will not switch from late-plate to new vehicles, harming late-plate values.

... more

Car Editorial - May 2009

As we are all painfully aware the period of the last 12 months has witnessed an unparalleled fall and rise in used car prices. Our records show that this level of seismic change has not been seen since we started tracking values in the early 1970... more

Car Market Trends - May 2009

New car registrations
New car registrations in March were down 30.5% for a total of 313,912 units. Whilst this result was not surprising it was still disappointing. Even though the combined January and February figures... more