Mazda’s factory owned UK operation is hiring more staff as its sales continue to grow.
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Its influence in Mazda’s European affairs has also increased with the UK accounting for half of all MX-5 convertible and RX-8 sports coupe sales.
“We are Mazda’s second biggest market in Europe, with sales just short of 50,000 last year which is 20,000 behind Germany, the largest market,” said Mazda Motors UK managing director Phil Waring.
“This means we are influential in the European arena, providing guidance on marketing for example, and the product portfolio also reflects this.
“Cars like the 6 MPS are being launched In Europe thanks to our influence,” Waring claimed. The new 5, due to be launched this summer, takes the Japanese automaker into the European C segment MPV (minivan) category, which is the largest growing sector so far this year.
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By GlobalDataMazda Sales in Europe have grown from 160,000 in 2001 to 275,000 last year.
“That’s an increase of more than 100,000 of which the UK has contributed 35,000,” Waring noted.
The UK staff count is being increased 15% from 87 to 102, mostly in dealer and customer service areas. “This gives us the capacity to meet sales of 65,000 units a year,” Waring said.
The company is now the UK’s 13th largest automaker in terms of sales volume.
Waring said: “We now have a proper business model for our dealer network with a growing vehicle parc and expanding aftermarket opportunities.
“This year we are starting to get two and three year old 6s back [as trade-ins]; residuals are strong and loyalty is high.
“This creates a broader revenue base for dealers until our next big model-led growth comes along.”
The Ford Mondeo-size 6 is still the mainstay of the Mazda brand. Sales in its first full year, 2003, reached 14,400 and this year Waring expects to sell 16,500, with a boost from a mild mid-life ‘refresh’. “In a segment that is shrinking, the 6 has been a real boon to the brand,” he added.
The new MX-5 roadster will go on sale in November and Waring expects to sell the last of the current models in September.
“We have 3,500 left to sell and if we run out in September that will leave us a gap of a month to six weeks to get ready for the [new model] launch with dealer training.”
Waring expects total sales this year to reach 53,000, of which 60% will be 6 and 3 models.
The brand has come a long way from the 15,800 sold in 2001 when Mazda itself took over responsibility for UK sales and distribution from a privately-owned company.
The same firm also distributed Kia whose UK operation is now, like Mazda’s, factory-owned.
