Taxi Driver Online

Birmingham Post

September 11, 2007, Tuesday

Downturn for makers of London cabs

London Taxis International suffered a sales dip last month with new registrations of its vehicles down almost a third.

But the Coventry manufacturer - the largest predominantly British owned car firm in the country - was still 36 per cent ahead in the year to date.

Sales in August fell from 142 in 2006 to 96 last month, while year on year they increased from 1,622 to 2,204.

Matthew Cheyne, sales and marketing director for the company which employs 300 people at its site in Holyhead Road, said the downturn was the result of last year's run out of the TX2 taxi which has been replaced by the TX4.

He said: "Last August we were running out the TX 2 and we had a lot of promotions going on.

"We are still ahead of target for the TX4, and expect sales to improve in September.

"There is no concern. August is a quiet month, with people on holiday, drivers working with tourists."

Mr Cheyne said the annual increase was down to the success of the TX4 taxi.

"Drivers love the car and it is going very well."

The total commercial vehicle market was down 1.4 per cent in August at 18,765 trucks, vans and taxis, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Within the light commercial vehicle segment which was down 3.7 per cent, LDV bucked the trend with sales up 5.6 per cent. The Washwood Heath van maker saw its registrations rise from 357 to 377 vehicles in August, while in the year to date, registrations jumped by 12 per cent from 4,435 to 4,973, again outpacing the 2.2 per cent market growth.

Steve Miller marketing director of LDV, said: "Our strong sales performance continues. Maxus is up by over 30 per cent year on year, and with our new chassis cab range set to launch in the next three weeks we are expecting a strong finish to the year."

Trucks sale were 9.7 per cent up on last August, although in the year to date it was down 18.8 per cent at 30,126.
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I think you'll find August is when the factory closes for it's annual holiday.

I wouldn't take those figures at face value.

I would imagine it's fairly common for every vehicle in production to have a quiet month in terms of sales. Whilst I'm no expert, I can't imagine it's any major issue.

There can be no doubt that the TX4 has been and is continuing to be a huge success.

Is this because their product is shecht?

And we now have Peugeot and others offering a product which actually does the job?

If LTI went to the wall tomorrow, I would rejoice. Cause I'm sick to the back teeth of being held to ransom by them.

And if Paton's of Glasgow and Edinburgh crashed, I think I would have an orgasm. Cos they're robbing incompetent bar stewards.

BTW I can't wait for the law suit when these plicks try to defend themselves.

If they are not worried, then why do they feel the need to put a story out!?

They know that every E7,doblo,V.W etc is a lost sale and all is not well.

Bottoms are a twitching me thinks.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

LTI sales are down quite simply because the first stage of Euro3 Compliance is complete. Owners converting their TX1's from T reg onwards are far less likely to upgrade to a TX4, instead opting for a conversion syatem which starts at a little over £1800.

The first stage was a huge sales boost, as it's hardly worth spending that sort of cash on a P registered Fairway. Many drivers opted for the new TX4, or a second hand TX2, most of which now come with a three year warranty from the main dealers around London.

JIM IF YOU HAVE AN ORGASM CAN I BE THERE

I've seen a couple of fellas driving round London in their TX4s with big signs in the rear windows saying how it's falling apart and LTI are not interested in them.

Once they start production in China, sales will fall even further, the folk that build them over here should start to look for another job because LTI will use some excuse that production costs are to expensive and will close things down here.
If anyone knows folk who work for LTI tell them to start searching now.
It happens all the time with the Yanks, they take over factory's run them for a year or 2 and close them down.
Would you drive a cab made over there, it would be like any kids toy they make fecked after 2 Min's

I cannot understand why London's drivers are not pushing the PCO to relax the turning circle rule, because when LTI move to china and it all goes arse up what will the be able to drive
They need a choice now

What have Patons done now jasbar

I think the largest association is against the turning circle requirement, but they are up against the rest who are in LTI's pocket.

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IDFIMH

There is only one mechanism that can adequately decide taxi requirements.

And that's the market.

However, I sustect that those trade "experts" who insist the LTI offering is the only one to use are going to get a stiffy.

Whatever you think, any motor vehicle manufacturer that is expected to survive on making less than 100 vehicles a week, just has to be living in cloud cuckoo land.

And, despite the bruha over potential exports to America, this has never come to fruition, nor will it ever.

The LTI offering is a dinosaur product. No one wants it. Not the trade which is seizing on the competition. Nor the customers who seem to prefer the vehicle choice(s) offered by private hire.

Isn't it time for councils to be reined in and for iur trades to tell them what kind of vehicles we are going to operate?