Duncan Aldred was named as the acting vice president, sales, marketing and aftersales Opel/Vauxhall, in January, in addition to his existing role as chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors. Simon Warburton caught up with him at the SMMT’s recent Test Day.
j-a: How is the new combined job progressing?
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DA: The new role is going well. It is an interesting perspective when you are dealing [with] 27 [European Union] countries.
j-a: You continue to wear your UK hat – how would you characterise the domestic market?
DA: The figures in April are really strong for the UK market – the UK continues to exceed and we are doing very well in it. We are the fastest-growing brand.
Cars like the Adam, Cascada and Mokka are drawing in private buyers. It is good to have a strong UK as it is a stand-out industry and Vauxhall is doing very well.
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By GlobalDataj-a: How do you see your day-to-day position?
DA: My job and role is to make sure the best practices are being used across Europe – I am working very very closely – making sure there are best practices.
It has been a good quarter – Opel Europe including Vauxhall has grown share. We are putting clear thinking how we can get more Mokkas. The segment is really right for [the] right price, right time.
We have got the perfect small family car – it appeals to all age ranges. I am desperate to get more as there is more competition to come into that segment and we need to get that first mover advantage.
j-a: The main union at Opel’s Bochum plant recently rejected plans for a pay freeze in exchange for continued Zafira production – what is your view?
DA: The decision has been taken about Bochum and it will close – it is [a] process of implementation. There was a very good solution proposed to the workers there. Now we go on with the plan and the necessary action – that is the economic reality.
The positive thing for Opel/Vauxhall-General Motors Europe is we are implementing the plan…not just Bochum [but] investing in the product.
EUR4bn… 23 new vehicles and 13 engines. Getting the brand fixed strategically [and] genuinely enhancing the brand across Europe.
We spent two days with the board [of] directors and presented the whole European plan.
j-a: To what extent do you at Vauxhall feel part of the GM family?
DA: From a UK perspective, we have always felt a big part of GM, we have always felt absolutely integrated. There is no doubt this is one company more than it has ever been before.
j-a: There is a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the European market – can you provide optimism for the future?
DA: Europe is a 20m market generally speaking. Europe is huge and from a GM perspective you have to be strong in Europe and very clearly recognise it is a cyclical business.
j-a: When can you see Europe recovering?
DA: It won’t be until 2015, until you see those markets come back and it might be 2015 into 2016. On the other hand Germany will bounce and bounce, while Russia is [also] growing [and] the UK is growing.
The three biggest markets are coming back and then you are into France, Spain, Italy and they will be very difficult, Italy and Spain more so. It is hard to say when they will come back.
General Motors recently announced it would spend EUR230m at its European Product Development Centre at the Opel headquarters in Ruesselsheim and at the proving ground in Dudenhofen.
The investment will be made during the next three to four years and follows a recent visit to the European operations by GM’s board of directors, which also committed to spend EUR4bn on future product between 2013 and 2016.
GME told just-auto, production at Bochum would phase out by the end of next year.
