News

We’ve got some new neighbours at the office with the opening of a Driving Test Centre over the road. It’s great to see the range of cars being used – we’ve had everything from the usual Fiesta and Yaris fare through to BMWs and open-top roadsters.

It’s been a few years since I learned to drive in a Mini 850, but it’s still enjoyable to see people earning the liberty that a driving licence brings even if that means a few kangaroo starts along the way.

It’s also interesting to think how much that liberty will evolve over the coming years. When I got my licence, petrol was less than a pound a gallon, parking was almost always free and there was no such thing as a speed camera. With petrol now on its way to £7 a gallon, it’s safe to assume that a lot of the drivers getting their first wheels now will be driving very different types of vehicles in ten years’ time.

The nature of motoring has always evolved but the one thing that remains consistent is the way in which people still choose to buy their vehicles from dealers. Sure, the web is a vital window on the process that increases choice more than anything that’s gone before but most drivers still close the deal within the dealership and buy from a professional.

So every one of those new drivers coming out of our local Test Centre is a future customer – and there are plenty of them. They’ve all got their licence for the simple reason that they want to drive and they’ll all be looking for a car or a service or parts at some point soon (some sooner than others judging by the grating gears from a few). And where’s the first place they’ll look?

It’s great to know that even with record petrol prices, terrible road conditions and congested commutes there are people queuing up to become motorists. Our market might evolve, but it won’t turn the habits of 30 million motorists on their heads any time soon.

By Tim Heavisides, Group CEO of Car Care Plan Holdings.

This article originally featured in Car Dealer Magazine.

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