- Vauxhall signs £200 million order with BSM
- Porsche signs up 700 Cayenne customers
- GM Daewoo orders up 10 per cent on 2000
- Record enquiries for Focus RS, Street Ka and three-door
Fiesta
Britain is on track for a bumper year as car sales hit new heights and business is also booming at the British International Motor Show. As the final weekend of the Show begins, exhibitors are reporting record sales leads and massive interest in new models on display.
Vauxhall has today announced that a £200 million deal, to supply driver training experts BSM with 22,000 vehicles, was signed at the event this week.
Today, MG Rover Group reports £1 million worth of orders for its new X Power SV prompting Kevin Jones, Product Communications Manager to describe the Birmingham event as the ‘perfect launch pad’ for the world debut of its new model.
Porsche is also delighted that 700 firm orders have been taken for its new Cayenne off-roader at the event, while GM Daewoo reports sales leads up 10 per cent on the 2000 Show, thanks to new models like the Kalos and interest in the new company. The clamour to see Volvo’s new SUV the XC 90, was so strong during the Show’s business day on 23 October, that the Swedish manufacturer had to bring in a third display model for public days. Even so, some visitors have queued for 40 minutes just to get a close-up of the car.
Ford has reported record enquiries at the Show for the new three-door Fiesta, the Focus RS and the new Street Ka. And Mercedes-Benz, exhibiting under its AMG brand, has taken more orders for its products than at the last Show in 2000.
But it’s not just car companies that are reporting success at the Show. Rosie Steer, Sales Manager for British Car Registrations said the Show was the most successful the company had attended and that it had ‘exceeded all our expectations’.
Quality hi-fi company Bose is at the Show for a second time and reports record business. The company is now working on its plans for an even bigger stand in 2004.
Workbench manufacturer PAF systems has seen sales go through the roof since the doors opened on 23 October with orders from racing teams, components companies and private individuals helping their sales double for the quarter.
Meanwhile, the response to MINI Adventure Live! – the all action stunt display – has been so positive that additional performances have been laid on to cope with public demand. Two extra shows a day now allow 9,000 visitors to have their own MINI adventure!
Notes to editors
- The British International Motor Show 2000 was the first international motor show in the world to have an independent attendance audit. 2002 Show attendance figures will be released following audit by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). The Show runs until Sunday 3 November, when the doors close at 5.30 pm.
- The UK is on course for another record year for new car sales. The SMMT predicts that 2.51million new cars will leave UK showrooms this year, up from last year’s record total of 2.46 million units.
