Settling Brexit could be positive for UK sales for Jaguar and Land Rover in Britain, according to Rawdon Glover, the firm’s UK managing director.
Despite a difficult sales year for the brands, both have shown upswings – driven in part by new model launches – in the UK despite economic uncertainty prompted by the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
That prompted Glover to say: “There is so much uncertainty and all the indicators suggest consumer confidence is down, so there is reasonable cause to look to those concerns as a reason for depressing the car market.
“So, thinking positively, you could say that any resolution to the Brexit impasse could help us emerge into a more favourable mindset, possibly even with pricing advantages for anyone building their cars in Britain.
“It’s a one-sided view, but my job is to sell Jaguars and Land Rovers in the UK, and I can look therefore at potential upsides to us emerging from Brexit, hopefully with a clear vision for the future that gives people confidence.”
Jaguar Land Rover’s overall CEO, Ralf Speth, has repeatedly warned of the damage a No-Deal Brexit could cause if cars made in the UK but exported to Europe carry a tariff, or if parts required to build cars in the UK are required to undergo border checks. He has estimated the potential cost to the firm to be up to £60m per day.
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