Vfacts january 2022

[DFB FGXR6]

Pretty ordinary month for Ford, only just ahead of MG.

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-new...onsumer-demand

"Ford ended January in sixth on 4528, down 11.2 per cent, ahead of MG which continues to power up the charts. The Chinese brand grew 46.9 per cent and finished seventh overall, leading in the Small SUV and Light Car segments."

Toyota 15,333(-8.8%)
Mazda 9805(+15.2%)
Mitsubishi 6533(+26.1%)
Kia 5520(+0.4%)
Hyundai 5128(-13.8%)
Ford 4528(-11.2%)
MG 3538 (+46.9%)
Subaru 2722(-15.5%)
Isuzu Ute 2715(14.9%)
Nissan 2334(-37.9%)

Ford Endura 0
Ford Escape 208
Ford Everest 730
Ford Fiesta 2
Ford Focus 51
Ford Mondeo 0
Ford Mustang 105
Ford Puma 50
Ford Ranger 4X2 259
Ford Ranger 4X4 2,986
Ford Transit Bus 1
Ford Transit Custom 119
Ford Transit Heavy 17
Ford Total 4,528

[jpd80]

Hilux sales beat Ranger by a few hundred, Triton and Prado both had a big month with +2,500 sales a piece.
Everest chipped in with another 730 sales, seems like sales may settle above 500 until the new model arrives..

Not searching for an excuse but I wonder how important timing of boat arrivals play in actual monthly sales,
most vehicles are ordered in advance and sales are measured in the month when dealers receive stock.

Or it could just be a January lack of stock for Ford and other manufacturers got in and sold what they had.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Hilux sales beat Ranger by a few hundred, Triton and Prado both had a big month with +2,500 sales a piece.
Everest chipped in with another 730 sales, seems like sales may settle above 500 until the new model arrives..

Not searching for an excuse but I wonder how important timing of boat arrivals play in actual monthly sales,
most vehicles are ordered in advance and sales are measured in the month when dealers receive stock.

Or it could just be a January lack of stock for Ford and other manufacturers got in and sold what they had.

Typhoon in the phillipines knocked out a wiring loom supplier for a while, which didn’t help. Numbers are so unpredictable though.

Ford have done well in weathering the storm of semi-conductor shortages. Profit for 2021 was up despite delivering a huge amount of cars less than 2020.

Just a lazy $36 billion dollars in cash reserves. Crazy money.

[ute83]

I struggle to believe the sold numbers are so high. My BOL and I went looking for new medium to large SUV a couple of weeks back and there was no stock amongst the majors at all. No stock of vw's until november, not even cars. Can't buy something for love or money. He finally got an everest today in Melbourne.

[jpd80]

With Ford most of the sales last month were ordered months ago
so if you’re a walk-in then it’s good luck with the slim pickings

Not saying there isn’t floor stock available, it probably gets sold pretty quickly
and then has to be replenished in the next shipment.
Makes me wonder if dealers have pulled back on zero km demos and test drives…

[ute83]

One of the dealers also mentioned that stock levels won't be back to normal until 2025.

[BENT_8]

Why would they be in a hurry to bring surplus back when they're selling everything that does come in at ridiculous markups.
Numbers aren't that bad for many of the bigger players so it would be interesting to see if the increased markup of the Covid tax has offset the lower volume.
Could less be more or at a minimum equal?

[kevino]

Amazing how South Africa-allegedly a third world country can support a car manufacturing industry and Australia an alleged first world country cannot support a car industry.

Prices have marched up since Holden and Toyota closed in 2017.

Abbott Hockey and Truss encouraged closure in line with globalisation thinking.

What revived my memory of this was an article in Cars guide today.

Is Polo the new Golf.

2021 5200 Polos sold vs 1900 Golfs.

Polo imported from South Africa-somehow chip shortages dont affect SAf.

Golf from Germany chip shortages affect stock exported to Australia.

Golf prices rocketed up in 2021 starting about 35 on road now.

But VW have seen the error of their ways.

2022 revised Polo will start at 30k on the road and manuals will be deleted.

A 2021 five speed manual 70 TSI Polo trendline can be bought for 23.5/24k on road.

Another affordable car disappears leaving no Euro s under 30k as Skoda Fabia also updates this year and will be priced at Polo levels.

I note latest Suzuki Swift base model manual 25k plus on road!

Price rises just keep coming.

[Franco Cozzo]

Or is all this because of governments printing money left right and center trying to deal with the pandemic and our dollar just buys less?

[PG2]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Why would they be in a hurry to bring surplus back when they're selling everything that does come in at ridiculous markups.
Numbers aren't that bad for many of the bigger players so it would be interesting to see if the increased markup of the Covid tax has offset the lower volume.
Could less be more or at a minimum equal?

I reckon so.

I am not saying that dealers don't want the extra stock but I'm sure that they are making just as much if not more money than ever before.

Not having to pay for floor plan for excess stock to sit around, pretty much hit the holding yard and four (4) days later out the door.

A couple of other things to consider too. Less work for the stock controllers and admin to deal with the logistics of the excess stock (stocktakes etc). Less stock also means less congestion in the holding yard(s) therefore less time having to pay someone to store and subsequently move the cars around. Having to pay a salesperson for their time to negotiate therefore (as our GM would always say) giving away the company's money.

There's also other things such as detailing the stock for display and paying someone to keep them clean.

Smart dealer principals would be using the spare money that they don't have tied up in stock etc to invest in other areas.

[kevino]

Yes invest in profits.
Good points you make.
Dealerships can make more with less (ie staff) resources.

[zipping]

Originally Posted by kevino

Amazing how South Africa-allegedly a third world country can support a car manufacturing industry and Australia an alleged first world country cannot support a car industry.

Prices have marched up since Holden and Toyota closed in 2017.

Abbott Hockey and Truss encouraged closure in line with globalisation thinking.

Why is it amazing?

I contract out about 20FT jobs to SA.

Australia is a high cost place to do business, there is a consequence to that and that is a whole political party problem not a Hockey et al problem.

In other news saw today that in the US Chevy sold 26 Bolts for the month....and they believe they will be full EV by 2035.

[kevino]

Sure.
I take your point.
Very valid.
And of course the pollies were only a small factor in the death of the Aussie car industry.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by zipping

Why is it amazing?

I contract out about 20FT jobs to SA.

Australia is a high cost place to do business, there is a consequence to that and that is a whole political party problem not a Hockey et al problem.

In other news saw today that in the US Chevy sold 26 Bolts for the month....and they believe they will be full EV by 2035.

Toyota saw a profitable way to do business here, and if Holden had stayed, they would have too. I don’t normally get into Liberal v Labor as they’re both as bad as each other, but Abbott and Hockey with their far right policy agenda single handedly finished our large scale auto manufacturing industry off.

Regarding stock returning to normal, it will. Because customers don’t like wait times for the sake of it and there will be the first brand who loads up on stock and the rest will have to follow.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

Toyota saw a profitable way to do business here, and if Holden had stayed, they would have too. I don’t normally get into Liberal v Labor as they’re both as bad as each other, but Abbott and Hockey with their far right policy agenda single handedly finished our large scale auto manufacturing industry off.

Regarding stock returning to normal, it will. Because customers don’t like wait times for the sake of it and there will be the first brand who loads up on stock and the rest will have to follow.

Toyota was also living on borrowed time after it lost its huge Middle East export contract
to a lower cost plant elsewhere, even Butner couldn’t make the figures work…

And really, our auto industry existed beyond the 2000s simply because the government willed it,
buying up significant amounts of vehicles for government fleets and coinvesting In development.
Once those two cornerstones were removed, it was simply a mater of time…

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Toyota was also living on borrowed time after it lost its huge Middle East export contract
to a lower cost plant elsewhere, even Butner couldn’t make the figures work…

And really, our auto industry existed beyond the 2000s simply because the government willed it,
buying up significant amounts of vehicles for government fleets and coinvesting In development.
Once those two cornerstones were removed, it was simply a mater of time…

Those manufacturing and assembly plants needed a production volume of 120,000 + vehicles per annum each.

There was no where near that volume available for any of the 3 after the first 5 years of the 2000’s.

It’s actually a minor miracle it all lasted until about 2015 / 2016

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

Those manufacturing and assembly plants needed a production volume of 120,000 + vehicles per annum each.

There was no where near that volume available for any of the 3 after the first 5 years of the 2000’s.

It’s actually a minor miracle it all lasted until about 2015 / 2016

Exactly and the governments plan was to constantly push exports, Holden and Toyota scored lucrative
exports to the Middle East but FNA jealously guarded its Crown Victoria sales to that region.
Ultimately, GMNA and Toyota took back those export contracts anyway, so all for nothing.

[jpd80]

The thing I like about Ford today is even when sales are subdued, Ranger and now Everest are the standouts

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by jpd80

The thing I like about Ford today is even when sales are subdued, Ranger and now Everest are the standouts

How long before the LDV ute starts to hinder Ranger sales? Or have they already?

They are onto their 3rd model now and while before I think the LDV was competition to the used Ranger market now with a new engine and look I'm thinking it may start to get more traction?

Every time I see the front of the new T60 in the adds I keep seeing the Iron Man mask...

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

How long before the LDV ute starts to hinder Ranger sales? Or have they already?

last month, LDV sales were 1,052, not seeing a connection

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Exactly and the governments plan was to constantly push exports, Holden and Toyota scored lucrative
exports to the Middle East but FNA jealously guarded its Crown Victoria sales to that region.
Ultimately, GMNA and Toyota took back those export contracts anyway, so all for nothing.

Read a ford australia book recently and some time during the 80’s they built a lhd fairlane and took it to the us to do customer clinics with. I’m assuming it was maybe a ZL, or potentially an NA. It did really well at the customer clinics, and the FoA guys wanted to push ahead with export plans to the usa and middle east. But one top level ford exec aggressively approached them and ripped into them, telling them it would cost a heap of ford north america jobs by cutting into crown vic sales, and he would never give it approval. The old not made here syndrome strikes again. It was dead in the water from that point.

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

How long before the LDV ute starts to hinder Ranger sales? Or have they already?

They are onto their 3rd model now and while before I think the LDV was competition to the used Ranger market now with a new engine and look I'm thinking it may start to get more traction?

Every time I see the front of the new T60 in the adds I keep seeing the Iron Man mask...

I don’t see people buying bargain basement cheap utes as cross shopping with hilux and ranger. They want to spend 30k, not 50.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I don’t see people buying bargain basement cheap utes as cross shopping with hilux and ranger. They want to spend 30k, not 50.

Which is why I said I believed the current new LDV market is competition to the used Ranger market.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Which is why I said I believed the current new LDV market is competition to the used Ranger market.

Having been in this exact position recently I see where your coming from but actually pulling the trigger on an LDV or GWM ute over a well looked after Ranger is another thing.
In the current climate a comparable Ranger to those 35-45k new players will only get you a PX2 XLT if you want something with life left in it and a decent level of equipment.
Sure it wont have 360* camera's or an 8sp auto but it'll be barely run in and have plenty of life left in it if you shop carefully.
Each to their own but Im certainly glad we took the used Ranger path.

[kevino]

What fuel economy do you get out of the 3.2 D auto?
Apology off topic.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Which is why I said I believed the current new LDV market is competition to the used Ranger market.

You said how long till it impacts ranger sales. Used vehicles sales are irrelevant to that.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

You said how long till it impacts ranger sales. Used vehicles sales are irrelevant to that.

I said both. We are splitting hairs here don't you think?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I said both. We are splitting hairs here don't you think?

These days, cross shopping is inevitable, whether it be new or used vehicles but I suspect that
the numbers of LDV Utes new and used are small compared to all the other Utes on the market.
Tight supply of new Utes results in higher prices of used Utes, so buyers are looking for bargains,
looking through ads recently, everyone has top dollar on their old rides, I’m laughing and shocked….

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Read a ford australia book recently and some time during the 80’s they built a lhd fairlane and took it to the us to do customer clinics with. I’m assuming it was maybe a ZL, or potentially an NA. It did really well at the customer clinics, and the FoA guys wanted to push ahead with export plans to the usa and middle east. But one top level ford exec aggressively approached them and ripped into them, telling them it would cost a heap of ford north america jobs by cutting into crown vic sales, and he would never give it approval. The old not made here syndrome strikes again. It was dead in the water from that point.

I’m not surprised at all.

I understand that there were three times export of LHD product was seriously looked at,
the one you mentioned, one when Nasser was buzzing around and another based on the G6ET
but every time, the sums did add up (I wonder why). Mulally even came to Australia and drove an FG.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by jpd80

With Ford most of the sales last month were ordered months ago
so if you’re a walk-in then it’s good luck with the slim pickings

Not saying there isn’t floor stock available, it probably gets sold pretty quickly
and then has to be replenished in the next shipment.
Makes me wonder if dealers have pulled back on zero km demos and test drives…

and loan vehicles for clients booked in the dealer service centres.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by kevino

What fuel economy do you get out of the 3.2 D auto?
Apology off topic.

Filled and reset my trip meter today as I do every fortnight, was showing 9.3L/100.
Thats doing a short 30km run each way to work and back with A/C on and a few shorter local trips.