ROVER'S strategy of selling fewer cars at a greater profit at home and exporting a higher proportion of production is starting to pay dividends, according to sales chief Tom Purves. The domestic market now accounts for less than half of Rover's total sales as the manufacturer pulls back from rental and fast-churn fleet deals to concentrate on higher margin business.

This is reflected in Rover's sliding share of the UK fleet market, which last year plunged from 14.3% to 11.4% - a drop of some 20,000 units. And in the first 10 months of this year Rover's fleet market penetration is running at 9.5%.

But Purves, Rover's sales and marketing director, said it was the model mix which was more important to the marque's future prosperity. 'We will sell a similar number of vehicles this year as we did last year, but the main difference is that we will sell 12,000 more vehicles through our dealer network and 12,000 less to fleets and daily rental companies,' he said.