Hi There,

Its been several months since we updated our blog. We spent some time last year canvassing the government on VRT and trying to explain the negative impact that the government's decision making on VRT had on the industry and on used car values. Fortunately against all the odds, the government listened to our arguments and introduced the scrappage scheme on 1st January this year. The scrappage scheme has done everything we said it would do, it has increased new car sales, offered a good deal to consumers and increased governemnt revenues in a year when they are badly needed. However, the most important impact of the scrappage scheme is that it has changed consumer sentiment to buying a new car. It has made it acceptable again to be seen driving a new car which we see as the real benefit of the scrappage scheme. It is the first important step to the recovery of our industry and will consolidate this recovery in 2010 and plan for a further expansion of the market again in 2011.

We do have to thank the government for introducing the scrappage scheme as they really saw through the negaitive spinning surrounding it and made a decision based on good economic reasoning. If they adopt the same attitude to the difficult decisions they must take in the remainder of 2010, we can be confident that we will emerge from this recession this year.

We promise to update our blog regularly from here on and concentrate on car issues rather than politics.