Industry News
Car boss says UK dealer numbers will fall 20%
15th December 2009
Fiat Group managing director Andrew Humberstone says UK franchised dealer networks will decline by a
fifth.
He forecast that weaker dealers will suffer when the scrappage scheme comes to end in early 2010 and it will be "very
difficult" for them.
The Fiat network has lost a quarter of its network - 40 dealers - over the past two years.
Humberstone aims to grow this to 185 by year-end and 200 by the close of 2011. The company recently took part in the Motor
Trader Open Points show to target new recruits to the franchise.
Humberstone said he would like some of the dealers in the network to increase the size of their showrooms to display more
of the Fiat range. He said up 35-40 per cent of dealers in the network had the potential to expand.
Humberstone said Fiat had not made a profit contribution to its parent in Italy for about 20 years.
At the current currency rate for Sterling against the Euro, it is running at a loss. It needs a rate of Euro1.25 to £1 to
be in profit, he said.
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