IT’S been another record year for van sales in the UK, as business booms and internet shopping sales increase.

While the rest of the UK’s economy is battening down the hatches and preparing for tough times ahead in 2008, it appears that in the world of vans, the garden is rosy.

In a recent edition of The Times, it was reported that e-retail had come of age this Christmas as £53 billion was spent over the worldwide web and it is predicted that by 2018 half of all retail sales (worth £150 billion) will be done over the internet.

As all these sales will be items delivered to customers’ doors by van, it seems that the LCV industry has a bright future ahead.

Once again Ford led the sales table with a 1.7% rise in sales, while Vauxhall took second place with a rise of 10.7%, thanks to some very big fleet deals in 2007.

As the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter came on line in 2007, sales at the German manufacturer rocketed by 21.4%, putting it in fourth place ahead of Citroën, despite the French manufacturer’s own sales rising by 5.2%.

Other winners in 2007 were Toyota (up 51%), Mazda (up 5.6%) and LDV (up 5.6%), while Mitsubishi fell heavily by 26.7% and Nissan was down 8.8%

“December’s registrations completed another excellent year for the UK’s van sector,” said Paul Everitt, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ new chief executive.

“Demand for vans remains very strong, focused on heavy models.”

 

2007 LCV sales by manufacturer
Marque 07 sales % 06 sales % % change
Ford 93,035 27.55  91,415  27.94  1.77
Vauxhall 52,943 15.68  47,816  14.62  10.72
Volkswagen 27,426  8.12  25,290  7.73 8.45
Mercedes 25,740  7.62  21,202  6.48 21.40
Citroen 25,501  7.55  24,239  7.41  5.21
Renault 20,933  6.20  20,912  6.39  0.10
Peugeot 16,512  4.89  16,947  5.18  -2.57
Nissan 16,095  4.77  17,661  5.40 -8.87
Fiat 12,902  3.82  12,895  3.94  0.05
Mitsubishi 11,214  3.32  15,303  4.68  -26.72
Toyota 9,898  2.93  6,533  2.00  51.51
LDV 7,996  2.37  7,569  2.31  5.64
Iveco 6,960  2.06  7,089  2.17 -1.82
Land Rover 4,059  1.20  4,406  1.35  -7.88
Isuzu 1,856  0.55  1,947  0.60  -4.67
Renault Trucks 974  0.29  999  0.31  -2.50
Mazda 565  0.17  535  0.16  5.61
Mitsubishi CVs 388  0.11  421  0.13  -7.84
Kia 71  0.02  51  0.02  39.22
Tata 19  0.01  64  0.02  -70.31