There are, however, differences in the two moves with Vauxhall announcing its £475 delivery charge would be added to the price of all its vehicles from October 26. Ford announced its £635 'driveaway price', which includes £140 vehicle excise duty and a full tank of fuel, would be added to prices immediately.

Vauxhall's fleet marketing and strategy manager Steve Higgs said: 'We have made the move so everyone fully understands what the price of a car is. Customers can easily see what they are paying and what the car will cost to drive away.' Ford fleet operations director Mike Wear said: 'We have carried on the road pricing in regional advertising for more than a year and we have taken advantage of the Motor Show to formalise that arrangement. It gives basic price clarity to all buyers of new vehicles.'

ACFO launched its campaign six months ago and after being told of the Ford and Vauxhall moves, director Stewart Whyte said: 'It is good news.' However, ACFO would have preferred the manufacturers to have conducted a fundamental review of vehicle pricing rather than simply incorporate delivery charges into list prices as the organisation claimed car makers used delivery charges as a mechanism for increasing car prices (Fleet News April 5).