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Car Finance - UK

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Dec. 1, 2007 - 89 Pages


Table of Contents


Issues in the Market


Key issues

Abbreviations



Market in Brief

Car finance - a rate sensitive market

Figure 1: Value and volume of the car finance market, 2001-07

An uncertain outlook

Polarisation in consumer credit quality

Withdrawal of some direct lenders

Car dealers need profit, finance companies need penetration

More product innovation required

Unsecured lenders start worrying about rising debts

An opportunity for car manufacturers and dealers?

Used cars - a missed opportunity



Internal Market Environment

Key Points Summary

Cars - a depreciating asset

Rising number of cars on the road

Figure 2: Number of cars in use (car parc) in the UK, 2001-07

Figure 3: Cars in use (car parc), 2001-07

New car registrations

Figure 4: Trend in private, business and fleet new car registrations, 2001-07

Used car sales

Figure 5: Used car sales, 2001-07

Figure 6: Retail new and used car sales (units), 2001-07

Over-production, residual values and nearly-new cars

Part exchange and the funding gap

Car pricing and car finance

Discounted manufacturer finance

Captive finance market

Rate headlining

Figure 7: Actual personal loan rates paid compared with advertised rates, Feb-June 2005

Figure 8: Direct lender personal loan headline APR rates, 13 November 2007

Changes to the Consumer Credit Act

Treating customers fairly



Broader Market Environment

Key Points Summary

GDP, consumer expenditure and savings

Figure 9: Forecast economic indicators, 2007-12

Figure 10: Comparison of trend in new car sales and interest rates, 2001-07

Rising debt levels

Figure 11: Consumer credit outstanding and secured borrowings, 1997-2006

The increasing burden of debt

Figure 12: Degree to which consumers are able to cope with bills and credit commitments, 2007

The distribution of debt

Figure 13: Percentages of households with secured and unsecured debt, 1995-2006

Attitudes towards debt and further borrowing

Figure 14: Attitudes towards current and future borrowing, 2005 and 2007

Figure 15: Attitudes towards current and future borrowing, by gender, age and socio-economic group, March 2007

Changing consumer attitudes towards debt

Figure 16: Agreement with selected financial lifestyle statements, 1993-2006

Number of IVAs rises sharply

Confidence linked to interest rates

Figure 17: Bank base rate and consumer confidence, 1982-2007

Sub-prime threat to motor finance

Decline in acceptance rates



Competitive Context

Key Points Summary

Car purchasing methods

Figure 18: Car financing, July 2007

Remortgaging and mortgage equity release

Figure 19: Reasons for releasing equity, February 2007

Secured lending

Figure 20: Reasons for taking out a secured loan, December 2006

Cash savings and investment products

Figure 21: Individual trusts’ private sector holding of Sterling assets, 2001-05

Figure 22: Current account and savings product ownership, October 2006

Figure 23: Savings product ownership, by gender, age and socio-economic group, October 2006



Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market


Strengths

Weaknesses



Market Size and Forecast

Key Points Summary

How cars are financed

Figure 25: Car financing method by new and second-hand car ownership, July 2007

Total car finance market worth £30.8 billion

Figure 26: Car finance market size by value and volume, 2001-07

Figure 27: Car finance market average agreement value, 2001-07

Figure 28: Comparison of trend in car finance agreements and interest rates, 2001-07

Market segmentation

Car dealer finance

Figure 29: Car dealer finance market size by value and volume, 2001-07

Figure 30: Car dealer finance average agreement value, 2001-07

Direct lending - secured and unsecured finance for car purchasing

Figure 31: Direct lending car purchase finance (secured and unsecured) market size by value and volume, 2001-07

Figure 32: Direct lending car purchase finance (secured and unsecured) average agreement value, 2001-07

The balance is shifting

Figure 33: Proportion of car finance agreements/transactions accounted for by secured and unsecured lending, 2007

Unsecured finance products

Secured finance products

Finance penetration

Figure 34: Trend in private, business and fleet new car registrations and finance penetration, 2001-07

Forecast

Market set to stagnate over the next five years

Figure 35: Forecast car finance market segments and total Car finance market, 2001-2012

Factors used in the forecast



Segment Performance

Key Points Summary

Share of market volume

Figure 36: Market share of dealer finance and other lending for car purchases (number of agreements), 2001-07

Share of market value

Figure 37: Market share of dealer finance and other lending for car purchases (market value), 2001-07



Market Share

Key Points Summary

Personal loans

Figure 38: Personal loan market share by company, August 2007

The ‘big five’ cater for half of the market

Car dealer finance

Figure 39: Estimated manufacturer and independent finance company share of new and used car finance market (number of cars financed), 2007

New car finance

Figure 40: Estimated finance company brand shares of the new car finance market (unit sales), 2007

Used car finance

Figure 41: Estimated finance company brand shares of the used car finance market (unit sales), 2007



Companies and Products

Key Points Summary

Vehicle manufacturer finance companies

FCE Bank plc

GMAC Financial Services

Figure 42: GMAC’s retail car finance products, by vehicle brand, 2007

Volk Volkswagen Financial Services (UK)

Other leading players

Independent motor finance companies

Black Horse Motor Finance

Capital Bank Motor

GE Money Motor Finance

Direct lenders

High street banks

Figure 43: Top five major British banking groups and selected subsidiaries, 2006

Recent entrants

Market developments



Brand Communication and Promotion

Key Points Summary

Overall personal loan adspend

Figure 44: Personal loan adspend, 2003-07

Vauxhall top the list of advertisers

Figure 45: Car manufacturer finance adspend, 2003-07

Contract plan adspend slumps

Figure 46: Personal Contract Plans adspend, 2003-07

TV the key medium

Figure 47: Media types used (personal contract plans and car manufacturer finance), year to June 2007



Channels to Market

Key Points Summary

Larger number of outlets for unsecured personal loans

Figure 48: Number of outlets for car finance and personal loans, 2007

Growing use of Internet for personal loans

Figure 49: Use of remote channels in arranging a loan, 2005 and 2006



The Consumer - Car Ownership and Financing

Key Points Summary

Car ownership

Figure 50: Car ownership, July 2007

Figure 51: Car ownership, by gender, age, socio-economic group and marital status, July 2007

Treating yourself to a new car

Figure 52: Car ownership, by lifestage, special group, working status and gross annual household income, July 2007

Londoners letting the train take the strain

Figure 53: Car ownership, by TV region, technology usage, Internet usage and newspaper readership, July 2007

A discount for cash?

Figure 54: Car financing methods, July 2007

Money goes to money

Figure 55: Car financing, by gender, age, socio-economic group and marital status, July 2007

Cash popular at the margins

Figure 56: Car financing, by lifestage, special group, working status and gross annual household income, July 2007

Retirees driving the South West’s cash market?

Figure 57: Car financing, by TV region, technology usage, Internet usage and newspaper readership, July 2007

Figure 58: Car financing method, by new and second-hand car ownership, July 2007



The Consumer - Key Product Features

Key Point Summary

Reluctance to turn to finance

Figure 59: Important features of finance arrangement/borrowing for car purchase, July 2007

Traditional attitudes live on

Figure 60: Important features of finance arrangement/borrowing for car purchase, by gender, age, socio-economic group and marital status, July 2007

Pre-family look for predictability

Figure 61: Important features of finance arrangement/borrowing for car purchase, by lifestage, special group, working status and gross annual household income, July 2007

Internet users - picking and choosing

Figure 62: Important features of finance arrangement/borrowing for car purchase by TV region, technology usage, Internet usage and newspaper readership, July 2007

Paying more interest to the rates

Figure 63: Important features of car finance by new, second-hand and intended car ownership, July 2007

Abstract

The market for car finance has been a difficult one in recent years. Competition on margins, falling rates on rival lending products, and a fall in demand for new cars have all hit the market size for dedicated car finance products. Over the last year or so, people have also started to show signs of a falling appetite for consumer credit in general - again, making this a difficult market in which to operate.

There are still opportunities, with used car finance a relatively untapped market when compared to the deals available on new cars. A steadily rising population, too, means that while the number of new car sales might have ebbed, the overall size of the car parc is increasing - the UK is not yet ready to give up its love of motoring, and as long as there are cars to be sold, people will be looking for finance to help cover the costs of what is almost always a major purchase.

As well as the overall market size for dedicated car finance products, this report looks at some of the competitor products and they way in which the likes of personal loans fit into the wider market. The economic trends that shape demand for cars - and, thereby, for car finance - are examined, while the consumers’ views are assessed through exclusive consumer research.



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