List of new or closed Main Dealers

Reg vardy seemingly lost the Fiat franchise last year at Castleford and quite some time prior to that, Perry`s in Huddersfield switched away from Fiat. I think a Fiat closure happened in Bradford too, but am not sure.

Now thats quite a loss around here, in back up for the car and had me wondering if the dealer network is still thinning and whats happening across the country.
I don`t even know if dealerships are increasing or decreasing, whether there are any large gaps in the network or whether there are 50 or 250 dealers in the UK?

I think I touched on this subject before on a previous post, but now I`m wondering whether anyone has any data? or if something could be built up similar to the garage rating list, showning Dealership closures and new openings, or perhaps just listed in this thread?
Regards

Reg Vardy (pendragon) are closing all Fiat dealerships & there have been alot of other dealer losses as Fiat are not profitable...use/support your local Fiat dealer or lose it!

http://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punt...rs-rating.html

around here one has recently closed at new milton, the one in bournemouth is a tin shed, noticed the basingstoke one has shrunk and now shares with other makes. whats happening, it hardly inspires confidence.

Nottingham just got a joint Kia/Fiat dealer:

http://www.sandicliffe.co.uk/news/130207.shtml

It makes me wonder if any `smoke and mirrors` are going on to make the franchised dealer network seem more substantial than it actually is, with the Fiat UK website, where lots of `dealers` showing on their map are servicing only.
Then this,
Castleford Fiat
Park Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 4RS
Tel: 01977 665 300, Fax: 01977 665 309

I thought a new dealership had opened but when I rang it was *very* clear they were not... Currently a listed Fiat dealer on Pendragons website.

What is the `Flagship`of the Fiat franchise dealerships? is there a big glass showroom with the full range in, somewhere along the lines of what the other major names manage with ubiquity in even the provinces?

Apart from one very good independent locally, its starting to remind me of the Asia Motors (Rocsta) set up of about 15 yrs ago.
There were typically a couple of them in a small showroom partnered by another obscure brand and of course you worried about parts, future servicing etc.

it would be good to know the real situation re dealerships.

IMHO, Its no good having a fantastic local dealer ( who may choose to drop the franchise) if the next dealer is 60 miles away.

I had an experience with a Fiat dealer in the late 70s who shared the premises with Citroen models . You waited weeks and months for Fiat parts and there were even parts you could not get at all.

The trim part of the rear engine hatch handle of my Fiat 126, was stolen even inside the dealerships workshop, while it was there off the road weeks waiting for transaxle bearings.
Of course..... The dealer could not replace it from Fiat Italy.

Could not replace it at all that is.. even though it was a current model coming off the production lines.........................

( I`m keen not to risk going back to that, hence the interest in the franchises)

By the way, here`s a test if you`re thinking of buying a new car. Find an obscure part such as a grommit in the rear parcel shelf. Go to parts and order it.
IMHO thats a good test of the brand support, then assuming you don`t have to
make it yourself ( no prizes) compare with Ford who will get you it within 24 hrs.

Yes, we are passionate about Fiat and have bought 3 new in the last 5 years,

But Fiat have to make the franchises work *over a wide area* geographically in the UK, while respecting and supporting good Independents who sell Fiats new.
Regards

I see what your saying but things like the internet & in turn this forum can put people off buying Fiats (amount of negative posts of which a large percentage are inacurate/incorrect/unfair or a plain lies!) which is a shame.
If you were going to buy a car you would look it up on the net first yeah?...if its a Fiat this would be your first point of call.Perhaps many of the forum users should be more positive in their attitude & back Fiat,if not you wont have any dealers its that simple.
Fiat franchises are not money making which is why they are doubled up with another make for example,pendragon are dropping all Fiat dealers for this reason.



Ford have many warehouses which is why they can normally do 24hr parts,Fiat have one.

Three new Fiats in 5 years. Thats not bad for backing Fiat and one of them is ready for replacement.

Seems reasonable, with that level of ongoing investment in the brand, to question the viability of the franchises given CEO, Sergio M`s comments allegedly about possibly quitting the UK a while back.

Concerns were enhanced by seeing how the Alfa network is currently being whittled down by Fiat and wondering what the situation will be, as they seem to be looking at the Fiat Dealers now.

IMHO its OK (well...sorry maybe not ) for Alfa Romeo to have some areas of the country completely without support now, but IMHO many of us with the small bread and butter Fiats
need local dealers for support and if they are thinning out....

I mean, my wife works in the community and depends, along with her clients, on her car and if the franchises were not to re-establish following closures in our area, it may be a problem buying a new Fiat again.

I`m sure lots of others need a reasonable network of Fiat dealer support around them particularly if they buy new. It would be helpful in this context for some commitment back from Fiat showing *where* they intend to *keep* and *hold* a core of dealerships and in which cities they intend to next roll out to.

I don`t know how the Reg Vardy Fiat customers must feel when shortly after buying a new car, Pendragon buys them out and seemingly dumps all the Fiat franchises.

As I said, we have a great local dealer, but the Fiat dealer franchises have thinned out so much around here that we are getting that `All the eggs in one basket` feeling, if you see what I mean.

Regards

I noticed a few days ago on the FIAT website that FIAT are claiming to be the "Fastest Growing Auto Brand in UK" with sales up 64% last year and market share up from 1.47 to 2.51%. So, they (or just the dealers?) are not making a profit (in the UK) but sales are strong? I also noticed on another website that FIAT as a whole is doing well and has just paid its first (since a few years ago) dividend to shareholders due to profits over the past 12-months.

I see exactly what you mean oilrag & I congratulate you on your loyality to Fiat but that I knew already from the tone/support in your posts

My comments were general comments/observations.

If you look on website Fiat are actively seeking garages to become dealers.

'Mathew'.......those figures you no doubt saw were for the Fiat group as a whole of which the van (commercial) side are doing very well.Yes the cars are beginning to sell well but its too early to celebrate just yet after all you need the customers to come back & have faith in the product & its support (dealers) which I hope we are beginning to see.

as quoted here really.
Fiat is up % wise compared to last year.... this is true, but what the % doesnt show is the amount they made last year. if they made any less than last year FIAT wouldnt be around!!!!
Commercials are big big business for FIAT. they are the leading maker of chassis cabs for motorhomes. this adds a lot on to their "growth" year on year. again, slightly twisting the facts.

A lot of people who buy FIAT's want a cheap economical car, this leads to [price shopping which in turn leads to internet supermarkets becoming involved and then getting put to the dealer syaing beat that deal..... IIRC the profit margin in a new FIAT Punto was about 8% per car, if you reach target you got another 3% retro per vehicle. not a lot of money by the time you take the PDI etc out of the deal!

As T14086 said, support your local dealer, or loose them!
and that's Parts Service and Sales!

Yes I agree, I think people could well try to put more into supporting the dealers after warranty too. Our oldest car ( the 5yrs old MK2) has never been to other than the local supplying Fiat dealer. I even let them fit a CD changer, knowing they would put that work out.

Sure, I do all the servicing myself, but that`s my interest and hobby. No way would I attempt to save a bit of cash though when there is a job that I don`t want to struggle with at home. It goes to our good local independent Fiat dealer who supplied the car new.

My comments in my posts above are more aimed at Fiat Italy and Fiat UK.
to try to summarize,

`Commitment by Fiat Italy/UK, to a more permanent core of dealerships`

Perhaps If a franchised Fiat dealer is failing, or at risk of being taken over by another company and then closed, Fiat should directly buy out the franchise and run that dealerhip themselves retaining existing staff. ( at least temporarily until the problem threatening closure is solved )

I`m sure, no one wants a franchised dealer network with closures and openings then takeovers, looking like a Christmas tree with the lights going on and off in a random pattern.

Time, IMHO, For Fiat from the very top, to underpin some form of permanence into the dealerships,

( direct help, guarantees, protection from takeovers, in other words permanence)

just opening new franchises ( replacing the bulbs on the Christmas tree) is not
enough.

Regards,

( T, thanks for the positive comments)

Why don't Fiat look at what Audi do and that is own the premises the dealerships use and franchise out the operation, it probably reduces cost to the dealer.

Its true Audi do own some of the sites in Cities where property prices are prohibitive to dealers investing in such premises. They do not however give them to dealers for free but charge them a commercial rent as with any other property investor. What Audi are effectively doing is protecting themselves from losing a prime site because a dealer realises he can make much more money by cashing in his site for millions as housing rather than operating as a dealership that makes very little or loses money. What you must also bear in mind is that Audi dealers operate in a slightly different market to Fiat and can charge over £100 per hour for their technicians rather than the £60 per hour Fiat dealers charge. They may also operate with different margins and bonuses, but even if they are the same, a 5% margin on a £7000 car is not the same as a 5% margin on a £20000 car. Unless Fiat can successfully retail the volume of cars to claw back this difference then I know which Franchise I'd rather hold! Also as someone else rightly pointed out people dont always use and support their local dealer, which is rightly their choice. But this can lead to a catch 22 situation where a buyer will try and save an extra £200 through buying from the internet, but then moan like **ck when there is no local dealer to test drive the car with and have any warranty work done.

Oilrag, Fiat in castleford ceased selling spares october of last year, there's no delear thats particualrly easy for me to get to for spares now in yorkshire (castlefords close to college)

if your after parts in yorkshire, there are a few dealers.
Chapmans of Pickering, they deliver into the York area, there are 2 dealers in Leeds, I think york might be getting a dealer soon. that's for North yorkshire anyway