Vauxhall Sales Rocket!

[HarleyEarl]

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-07 Vauxhall Sales Rocket to Number One! Vauxhall tops in UK car sales chart for November Astra, Vectra and Combo best-sellers in class Van sales already pass 2004 total It wasn’t just the fireworks which rocketed skywards in November; figures just released show that Vauxhall sales shot past its main rival to become the best selling car brand in the UK for the third time this year with a market share of 13.9 percent. Fuelled by launches of exciting cars including the New Vectra and New Zafira, Vauxhall sales raced upwards last month, with 22,056 buyers choosing to swap their ‘banger’ for a new ‘sparkler’ from the Vauxhall range. That was 2,172 more than its nearest rival and a six percent rise from Vauxhall’s November 2004 display. Astra was the brightest star, taking the overall number one UK sales spot for the month. Registrations were up by 10.3 percent to 8,138 compared to November 2004, and demand for all models remains exceptionally strong. The stylish Sport Hatch is proving particularly popular with private buyers (a massive 30 percent chose this model), while fleet buyers especially continue to be wowed by the super-efficient CDTi diesels. The Ellesmere Port plant which builds Astra in the UK is working flat out to meet customer orders, and the waiting list for the VXR model stretches until next spring! Corsa, Tigra and New Zafira all had strong months, with all proving especially attractive to private retail buyers. But it was the highly-acclaimed New Vectra which really caused a stir by snatching the number one spot in its sector, comfortably overtaking two newly-launched German rivals. Sporty SRi versions are proving to be the top sellers, showing that buyers are enthusiastic drivers who will really appreciate the new UK-specific chassis set up. And it’s not just the Vauxhall car range which has proved such a hit with buyers. Vauxhall has already sold more vans in 2005 than it did in the whole of 2004; the Combo van comfortably topped its segment chart and Griffin-badged LCVs increased market share from 15.7 to 16.6 percent for the month. Vauxhall’s managing director Bill Parfitt said: “We’ve worked hard to make sure that our latest range of cars and vans are really stylish and great to drive and the November sales success proves we are clearly hitting the right spot. With new VXR models only just arriving in showrooms and plenty of exciting new products due in 2006, there’s plenty for us to look forward too – and for rivals to worry about! ” Founded in London in 1903, Vauxhall is a UK brand aiming to deliver driving excitement and stylish and innovative design. Its vehicles benefit from the best of GM's worldwide capability while being designed to cater for the various and varied demands of modern day drivers. Producing thousands of vehicles every year at its van plant in Luton and car plant in Ellesmere Port, Vauxhall is a major contributor to the local economies and communities in both Bedfordshire and Cheshire. Total sales for 2004 were 373,540 (325,012 cars and 48,528 vans). UK production of cars and vans in the same period totalled 236,883 (147,918 cars and 88,965 vans).

[CARBIZ]

I have driven the Astra and what a great little car that is! I have said this before and I will say it again: Oshawa needs to separate itself from Detroit and ally itself with Vauxhall/Opel. They sell left hand drive Astras in Brazil. The Brazilian real (their dollar) is nearly half that of the Canadian dollar. What would it take to export these fantastic vehicles to Canada? Our higher gas prices and "greener" image would make these fuel efficient, fun little vehicles a hit this side of the border. And, seriously - the Malibu is the same platform as these vehicles? That is just sad. If Detroit stopped treating North Americans as idiots, they may just start selling vehicles that people want to buy.

[Cadillacfan]

As soon as these vehicles arrived on our shores, the cost cutting would begin. The end result of the Astra would be a tarted up Chevy Cobalt. Vectra: A slightly fancier Malibu. GM does not get it here. They're really pissing me off. I'm on my wits end with them. Kick Wagoner out the door and purge the company of all the a-holes that got it here in the first place and start making vehicles that people actually want. Solstice and Sky were a good start but even they almost didn't happen and it's not like GM is turning a huge profit on this car.

[sciguy_0504]

You said it different than I would have, cadillacfan, but thanks for pointing out what I was going to.

[pow]

As someone who has never considered a GM product before (well, except for the GTO), I would without a doubt like to purchase an Astra 5-door. Yes, make it in the US, but no, don't change anything, do NOT Nissanize the interior like in the spy pics. Why does buying American have to be so difficult?

[Imaj]

I guess they didn't bash it enough on Top Gear, lol..

[MyerShift]

Nodding in agreement to the above.

Why does GM (and Ford) seem to give Europe the best, and whenever something similar is brought, the quality of interiors suffer?
I believe Ford's reason was that Americans (supposedly) do not demand the highest technology and sophistication. That's why Europe gets an all-new, Focus. What does the U.S. get? Warmed over leftovers because that's "good enough".

Is it so hard to figure out that what succeeds European markets would also succeed in the American market?

Opel Astra


Chevrolet Cobalt



And then there's Chrysler, who, although not with class leading interiors, sees fit to place the same instrument panel in the Neon both here and across the pond.

Chrysler Neon


Dodge Neon

[jrockb4]

I think some it it has to do with the prices that the vehicle is sold at. In the US the Deltas are entry or just above entry level cars, in the UK and Europe they are quite a bit further up the food chain if I am not mistaken. I know car prices in the UK are traditionally rather high. For example a Vectra in the UK starts at about $28k. And the Astra starts at just under $20k with a 1.6l engine.

[Flybrian]

Your serious? Center stacks of most Euro cars blow with their multitudes of tiny, illegible buttons and goofy shapes.

[jrockb4]

Your serious? Center stacks of most Euro cars blow with their multitudes of tiny, illegible buttons and goofy shapes.

[post="81155"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

That is a result of the large number of languages that make up the European market.

[MyerShift]

And something I could live with. You know? I've seen MPH on speedometres in cars that don't even sell in the U.S. anymore, like Peugeot.

[Dsuupr]

And if Saturn got everything (well almost everything) Vauxhall has, then it too might be one the top sellers in our country.