Ken Trinder

The UK retail automotive sector has long been hamstrung by what can best be described as short-termism when it employs staff – especially sales staff.

The result has invariably shown itself as indifferent sales experiences for car buyers, non-existent customer relationship management and limited margins on car sales. Indeed, until the Finance & Leasing Association introduced its inspired Specialist Automotive Finance scheme it seemed that finance at the point-of-sale was destined to disappear also – largely through lack of expertise and initiative.

Colin Tourick

Over the last 20 years the auto operating lease industries in the UK and US have faced unparalled consolidation and revolution - and it is still continuing.

The Buckingham Automotive Forum is a quarterly gathering of executives from the automotive finance and fleet markets.

At this month’s (March) Forum Professor Colin Tourick examined in depth the development of the UK contract hire (vehicle operating leasing) industry.

Alexander Mikhailov

Europlan, the leading Russian automotive leasing company, has revealed its financial and operational results for 2011 – a year the company demonstrated strong business performance and further strengthened its position in the Russian car leasing sector.

Europlan is an auto-leasing monoliner and a leader in its niche with a nationwide sales network and a market share of about 25%. The company focuses on the small business segment and the typical leased vehicle is a mid-class passenger car.

David Parry

The future of the global automotive industry lies firmly in the world’s emerging markets, where car sales have risen faster than in the developed world for several years. Even the global financial crisis did not stop both new and used car registrations from rising in countries such as Indonesia, as well as China and India.