What recession?

[GARY3306]

I was in the Ford dealer yesterday picking up some bits for a job at work. As I was stood at the parts counter I was looking into the showroom and it was dead, not a soul about. So I said to the parts guy, "Sales guys struggling a bit at the moment are they..." and I thought he was being sarcastic when he said, "No, they can't keep up with the demand, there's 60 new cars to go out, we've got no stock left..."

I came out of there and went next door into the VX dealer to have a chat with Frank the parts manager. So I asked him the same question, "...how's sales going...?" His answer? "Bouncing out the doors mate, they're flat out getting cars shifted..."

So I have a bit of a theory. This is in Morpeth in Northumberland, which is quite a well off area, lots of moneybags people live in Morpeth. So what I reckon is, all these people with savings who are getting diddly squat for their nest eggs in the way of interest, are thinking 'right, I'm gonna have something for my money, and right at this moment in time it's a buyers market so I'm gonna buy a car' That's all i can put it down to. Pity I aint got any savings

[Lump]

there is a serious lack of cars about at the moment. cars are fetching well over book. we are having 100 less units a week than this time last year. and EVERY thing is selling.

[_ZS_]

Same in Antrim, N. Ireland. The local Vauxhall dealer is sold out, has a yard full of cars sitting waiting to be prepped to go out to customers, including a couple of dozen Insignias.

[padawun]

We have been selling loads of used cars (1-3 year old), but new cars
have been slow. Workshop has been rammed for the past two months.

What cedit crunch.

[Hideous]

My speculative opinion is, a lot of people are thinking "with interest rates so low, lets just flippin spend it, sod saving" & that is exactly what Gordon Brown wants us to do. (which is pretty much what the OP says, just noticed). Not just the savings that are there in the bank already, but instead of putting money aside as savings like they used to - they are getting a car on HP or something.
I'm not participating.

[KieronGSI]

Same in Antrim, N. Ireland. The local Vauxhall dealer is sold out, has a yard full of cars sitting waiting to be prepped to go out to customers, including a couple of dozen Insignias.

Do you mean the complete rip off merchants at Town Park?

[_ZS_]

Do you mean the complete rip off merchants at Town Park?

Why do you say that?

[benny]

work shops are jamed ..used are selling 50 -60 and new are shifting loads and loads ....on the side jobs are at a all time high ....i also say what credit crunch

[MAF 3.2 V6 GSi]

Same as when i go out to eat the places are jam pack and you have to wait ages for a table . Sky news (and news in general)are doing a very good job in trying to make things even worse . Every bad thing they highlight and anything good they only say a few seconds of it ...Things are not good but not as bad as they say i think ... alot of scare mongering is going on ...

[Hideous]

Good to know the car industry is booming (although the 2008 sales figures don't support this). I'm definitely seeing a lot of Insigs on the road anyway.
I don't doubt there is a recession - it's just hitting some sectors harder than others. Try construction, the credit crunch is a big problem here as the money just isn't there at the moment for a lot of larger projects.

Not so much of a problem for people wanting to get just 20K on tick for a new car - assuming they are still in work. Also the 15% VAT rate is a bit of a bonus for those spending that money on a car. Some good deals out there.