Daihatsu, which announced last week it would be out of Europe by 2013, is already in retreat from the UK. International Motors, the current importer, has dropped the Japanese brand after many years of trying to get it better established and has instead turned to China’s Great Wall which already ships right-hand drive models to export markets like Australia.
Andrew Edmiston, who runs International Motors from the rural village of Coleshill near Birmingham, is a massive fan of the legendary Madam Wang who founded and runs Great Wall which has been on the march for the last 20 years. Nine new models are due to be launched this year.
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International Motors has been operating in China for 15 years, has an office of 40 staff there, and has already introduced the brand to other markets of the world.
In addition to distribution (in the UK it also imports Subaru and Isuzu but stopped importing the Daihatsu-built Subaru Justy early in 2010), IM has a sideline – it homologates cars for some of the Chinese majors to ensure that they satisfy Europe’s vehicle certification authorities. In total, IM has 30 different brand-territory pairings.
Daihatsu has been unable to swallow the 40% fall of sterling relative to the yen and Edmiston is putting the brand into cold storage. There is no question of the manufacturer trying to find another importer for the UK at the moment.
IM’s Paul Hegarty is taking responsibility for the Great Wall start-up in the UK and will begin by offering franchises to over half of the Daihatsu dealers – about 70 of them.
“We have a strong preference for owner-managers who will give a better service.”
First three vehicles will be a pick-up, a B-segment car and, in the middle of next year, a Ford Kuga-sized 4×4.
