A local garage that is also a Daihatsu dealer has taken on a Ford dealership and opened as such in the last couple of weeks, potentially handy because it is only a few miles away for us.
It seems to me that this is against current industry trends, and it is not as if there is a gap in the market because we now have 6 Ford dealers within a 20 mile radius.
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Another new Ford dealership recently opened along the A20 in SE London.
I guess Ford is expecting good demand for its new Fiesta and soon to appear Ka.
They do seem to be the right vehicles for these difficult times.
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Maybe in these competitive times a Manufacturer could hand out franchises freely to those who qualify then at a later date threaten to de-franchise the worst performing.
At the very least should allow some good haggling with servicing prices.
Only 3 ford dealers within 20 miles of me, One big one and 2 operating behind filling stations in tiny little garages...I wish there were more....
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Now here goes with one of those mildly patronising "take it from me 'cos I know y'know " responses.
Seriously though, having had 40 odd cars over 30 odd years and over a million miles, I have to say that the most consistantly reliable, pleasing to own, drive and interestingly, most comfortable ones were the Fords.
I have either owned or had long term use of BMWs, Hondas, AUDIs, Volvos, Vauxhalls, Renaults, Citroens, Rovers, MGs, VWs, FIATs, Alfas, Peugeots and many more but when it comes down to it my favourites for many reasons have been the Fords.
Never, ever, failed to complete a journey in any of them.
Luck ? Chance ? Coincidence ?
Aye maybe.....
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I haven't seen one new fiesta on the road yet. And its been available almost two months now.
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The cars are great but the dealers aren't.
£60 to remove and replace the wheel locking nuts on my focus. Er no I don't think so.
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If you didnt have the key that is cheap, 20 - 25 quid for new locking nuts and 40 quid to drill off the old ones.
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Isn't there a tool you can buy to remove them? I seem to remember seeing one in a catalogue somewhere.
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£60 to remove and replace the wheel locking nuts on my focus.
Perhaps it was £30 for removing them, plus £30 for knowing how to remove them. If you'd known how to do it then you'd have done it yourself. All professionals charge for their knowledge.
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I took my Focus into the new Dagenham Motors at Sidcup for a service, must have been one of their first customer.
I was hoping for a glass of champagne or something.
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"I haven't seen one new fiesta on the road yet. And its been available almost two months now"
I saw my first at the weekend. A 58 plate Titanium in metallic lime green occupied by an elderly couple.
Car looked smart despite the colour. Nice alloys, chrome window strips etc.
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I've owned Fords for about 20 years, and while the cars are good, the dealer network is appalling. I used to have my car serviced at small, family-run Ford garages by skilled, experienced mechanics. Now, where I live, one or two big car sales companies have taken over, wiping out all competition to their is dreadful glass-and-steel mega-showrooms. In place of workshops, these have slick 'service areas' employing clueless, spotty youths with NVQs in bonnet-opening and dipstick checking. When your car does go wrong you'd be better off taking it to the monkey enclosure at your local zoo and asking a chimp's advice.
Ford should be scoping out good, reputable indpendent garages and offering them franchises. The sooner it learns that service and not profit matters most, the better it will be for all Ford owners and buyers.
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest...
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But isn't that true of most dealers in the UK, compared to Germany I agree you would be better of at Whipsnade.
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Just called in to the new dealership to take a look, the new Fiesta looks fine in the flesh.
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