Car Dealer Podcast

Daksh Gupta joined Jon and James on the podcast this week, discussing the incredible initiative he's backing to help promote the next generation of rising stars in the motor trade.Despite leaving Marshall four years ago, Gupta has never strayed too far from the motor trade – keeping involved with a number of non-exec roles, including at Hendy. As president of the IMI though, he's now backing an award scheme for the latest up-and-coming motor trade managers – rewarding them with £2,000 of his own cash, and an invaluable 12 month mentorship.We discuss more about the scheme on this week's episode, along with stories about used car values, Chinese cars, and Autotrader's profits. Stories covered:IMI and vice president Daksh Gupta launch £2,000 award to find future leadersWeekly Briefing: The havoc Chinese cars are causing in the used car marketUsed car prices hold firm in October as EV values surge by £400 in a monthRange Rover boss says dealer network is now ‘in a good place’ after rationalisationAutotrader posts £191m profit despite ‘challenging’ start to financial year

Ian Plummer, Chief Customer Officer at Autotrader joins Jon and James this week to share his insight on what's going on in the new and used car markets.Plummer reckons we're now 100% back in a 'push' market, largely thanks to the emergence of so many Chinese brands all at once. It's not bad news for all traditional manufacturers, but many are losing volume, and almost all are losing market share.In the used market, Plummer says is making a material difference to those with 0-3 year old stock, with buyers instead weighing up the tempting finance offers available on new Chinese models. Stories covered:Weekly Briefing: My car dealership has been targeted by scammersFuel duty freeze extended but car dealers face higher wage bills – Autumn BudgetMotor trade slams Budget for failing to support businesses as EV uncertainty threatens car salesHalf of car buyers say dealership visits give them confidence to purchaseVolkswagen Group profits plunge 99% amid Porsche writedown and China woesGroup 1 U-turns on JLR dealership closures as it agrees to retain five sites

Tony Lewis, global head of fleet at Ineos joined Jon and Batch this week, giving us some insights about what life at one of the world's newest car companies is like.Lewis has had a glittering automotive career, holding director positions at Nissan GB, Stellantis, Infiniti, and more. He's also done more than his fair share on the other side of the table: as managing director of the West Way dealer group, and before that a brand director at Jardine. Having gone straight into the military after university, Lewis's latest role even brings him back to some familiar ground: expanding Ineos's footprint in the defence industry. We chat about what makes the Grenadier an 'AI apocalypse'-proof vehicle, and why he reckons it's the best tool for militaries around the world.Stories discussed include Sytner's results, MOT disruption during the PHP cybersecurity scramble, and AI phone enquiries to dealers. Stories covered:Sytner turnover falls by almost £1bn as plunging used car sales drag profits down in 2025AI agents are calling dealerships now – and experts warn the motor trade must get readyVertu boss Robert Forrester accuses politicians of waging ‘stealth war on the motorist’Duncan McPhee confirmed as new Athenea CEO after quitting loss-making Hendy Group

Jon and James are joined by Faheem Miah, one of Car Planet's three co-founders. Faheem, along with his brothers Taslim and Tamim, set up Car Planet in 2022, and the trio have since scaled the business from 30 cars to over 2,000 across several sites.Faheem also touched on the difficulties of keeping customers happy, particularly in a business with such a large volume of sales.Stories discussed include the reveals of the Paris Motor Show, Tesla's 'flying' car, and the latest results from dealer groups including Chorley, Lithia and Eden. Links to stories:Weekly Briefing: How the Chinese car invasion will hit the used car market hardTesla launches a ‘flying’ car as it unveils Roadster 2 with SpaceX thrusters Paris Motor Show 2026: All the biggest new cars and concepts revealedChery to launch another UK car brand as iCAUR confirms 2027 arrivalLithia UK profits almost treble to £60m as dealer group hails turnaround in performanceChorley Group shuts dealerships and focuses on core brands after posting another lossPainful restructuring leads to profits surge at Eden Automotive GroupRenault’s UK finance arm plunges to £110m loss as car finance scandal bill hits £219m£9.1bn car finance compensation scheme court battle pushed back to February

Graeme Potts, founder and CEO of Eden Motor Group joined James and Jon on the podcast this week, along with Autotrader's head of strategy and insights, Marc Palmer.Potts chatted to us about the trends he's seeing in both new and used sales, across the group's plethora of brands, including MG and Leapmotor. Naturally, we also couldn't help but ask a few questions about his illustrious career too – and his plans for the future.Palmer meanwhile was on hand to give a peek behind the curtain at Autotrader's latest data, including how consumer confidence may be stronger than we might have predicted. Stories discussed include the new Jaguar Type 01, impending tariffs on Chinese cars in the UK, and what James picked up from a recent motor finance conference (aside from just some free pens). Links to stories:Weekly Briefing: Are diesels dead? And an economist on what’s next for car salesUK government preparing tariffs on Chinese electric cars amid pressure from EUUsed car prices fall for first time this year – but EV values keep climbingOct 7: Asos hacked; Badenoch to give ‘tax-cutting’ speech; Renault revives MPV with E-SpaceFreelander returning to Britain as new car brand with JLR and Chery backingThis is the Jaguar Type 01 – the 1,016bhp EV tasked with reinventing the British brand

Cazoo's Lucy Tugby joined Jon and Batch for this week's podcast, discussing the marketplace's recent consumer trust survey – which revealed some rather painful truths about the relationship between buyers and dealers. Tugby, who serves as Cazoo's Chief Marketing Officer, also chatted to us about the platform's (relatively) recent brand name switch from Motors, and what effect it's had on the business and its customers. Read the full results of Cazoo and Car Dealer Magazine's joint survey below:Cazoo speaks out after two trust surveys show deep cracks in car buying processOther news covered this week includes SMMT stats for September, why dealers don't want diesel part exchanges, and why Dodge is making a return to the UK.Stories covered:New car market surges 12% in September as private buyers return to showroomsSoaring fuel prices spark rush for used EVs – but dealers don’t want diesel part-exchangesUnity Automotive appointed primary UK dealer for new Dodge Charger

Nominate yourself for a Used Car Award (Nominations close Monday 28th September)Weekly Briefing: I’ve driven 10 different Chinese cars this week – and learned a lotMercedes owner hit with £43,700 engine quote after catastrophic failure at 48,000 milesVolkswagen slashes 2026 profit forecast after €10bn hit as China struggles deepenBentley unveils its first electric car as £170,000 Torcal takes aim at luxury SUV rivals

Unreasonable car buyer customer behaviour ‘has got worse’, reveals Car Dealer Trust Survey‘Survival of the fittest’: Aion UK boss predicts brutal shake-up for car industryWeekly Briefing: Why we’re all seeing more angry used car buyers

With used car margins under pressure, finding extra profit is becoming harder — but that doesn't mean the opportunities have disappeared.In this special Car Dealer Podcast for Profit Clinic Week, James Batchelor speaks to Dealer Auction, Autoglym, Warranty Solutions Group and TekCor4 about where dealers can make more from the business they are already doing.From buying the right stock and knowing when to move it on, to making more from added-value products, protecting margin after the sale and converting customers who slipped through the net, this episode looks at the practical ways dealers can squeeze more profit from every stage of the used car journey.

UPDATED: JLR confirms 4,000 jobs to be axed as part of £1.7bn cost-saving driveCar dealer Lookers opens flagship Omoda and Jaecoo dealership in BatterseaWeekly Briefing: Why going behind the scenes of a Chinese car dealership worried me