VFACTS July 2018

[arronm]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Not in a million years.

Government fleets don't have to buy australian anymore and have moved on.

Yeh, the government in 1972 said if the big 3 made supercars , they would purchase no more fleet cars.

The big 3 should have told them to get stuffed. Now the government buy what they like, I think its wrong. Should be somehow associated with Australian.

Just imagine the killa cars the 70s would have had...

[jpd80]

Refusing to buy fleet vehicles from the big three was only the first step as the car makers were protected by government set tariffs and funding for new product. Without those measures in place, they would have pulled out of Australia

But pulling fleet sales was enough because Ford and Holden plants would then lack enough production to justify staying.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by arronm

Yeh, the government in 1972 said if the big 3 made supercars , they would purchase no more fleet cars.

The big 3 should have told them to get stuffed. Now the government buy what they like, I think its wrong. Should be somehow associated with Australian.

Just imagine the killa cars the 70s would have had...

While we romanticize that era as something like like "the government killed performance cars", the truth is even without that threat, the era was all but over. Fuel prices were climbing up and touring car regulations changed, making pure "race specials" in the form of GTHO's somewhat redundant.

If the makers told the government to "get stuffed" things would have turned sour...not only would they loose out on solid, reliable sales, the government could have easily dropped other incentives.

Gladly they heeded the government's advice.

[russellw]

The graphical data for July is now uploaded to the Tech Portal.

Regards
Russ

[jpd80]

Thanks Russ,
Just underscoring the difference between Ranger and Hilux is the latter's 4x2 sales

Vehicle.....4x4 Utes.........4x2 Utes
Hilux..........2,660...............1,087
Ranger.......2,600.................350

[Bossxr8]

I don’t understand why so many people buy Hilux’s. They are one of the worst utes of the bunch. Wheels recent test ranked it no 7 out of the 9 they tested. Just doesn’t do anything well, it’s slow as treacle and rides and steers poorly.

Or is it fleet sales, and sales from outback areas, that keeps it up there?

[dunga]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I don’t understand why so many people buy Hilux’s. They are one of the worst utes of the bunch. Wheels recent test ranked it no 7 out of the 9 they tested. Just doesn’t do anything well, it’s slow as treacle and rides and steers poorly.

Or is it fleet sales, and sales from outback areas, that keeps it up there?

My guess is mines or suppliers of mine spec lease vehicles are buying them because I see way more new rangers on the road than Hilux's or maybe I only notice rangers because I have one.

[janddbone]

Mine and agricultural sales strong no doubt. Why not, they are proven.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I don’t understand why so many people buy Hilux’s. They are one of the worst utes of the bunch. Wheels recent test ranked it no 7 out of the 9 they tested. Just doesn’t do anything well, it’s slow as treacle and rides and steers poorly.

Or is it fleet sales, and sales from outback areas, that keeps it up there?

Yes and Yes.
Ranger has gained a lot of ground but run out of legs on this product cycle,
the 2.0 panther diesel and 10-speed auto will press Hilux on fuel economy.

Hilux trades on a good name built up over decades, resting on laurels is dangerous.
The next three years will tell us which way Toyota jumps before Ford makes it move.