In this issue

In the final digital edition of 2021, Motor Finance takes a retrospective look at the main themes and events that have affected the UK car industry over the last 12 months.

Leaders from across the motor finance industry have offered their views on the year, covering the ongoing chip shortage, the incredible demand seen in the used car market, the increasing urgency around the EV transition and much more.

We also take a deep dive into our data files to see which stories on the Motor Finance website attracted the most traffic over the course of the year.

Our final feature of the year focuses on Millennials and Zoomers and the changing nature of vehicle ownership. Younger customers are online, environmentally conscious and more used to subscribing to products than owning them. How can the market adapt to meet their needs?

Our Comment section begins with Seán Kemple, managing director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, offering advice to motor dealers in navigating the tricky post-pandemic waters. We also draw comment from Nick Chadaway, managing director at DMN Logistics, who looks at the major shakeup that’s due in the trade plate logistics market.

James Fairclough, chief executive of AA Cars, then looks at the feasibility of online commerce in the UK car market – as recent research revealed that nearly one in 10 drivers had bought, or considered buying, a used car without seeing it in person during the pandemic.

Stay safe, have a great Christmas break and we’ll see you back next year for the next edition.

Welcome to the first Motor Finance digital edition of 2021.

Roughly a year ago, reports of a deadly virus in the Wuhan district of China began gaining real traction in the global press. Videos of overran hospitals and deserted streets flooded social media, but for most people (myself included), the virus still seemed like a distant problem in a distant land.

Fast forward a few weeks and most of the world’s population found itself in various forms of lockdown. Governments scrambled to alleviate the immense stress on health services, while industry screeched to a halt.

Automotive was one of the most adversely affected sectors, as factories and dealerships were forced to close their doors and shut down production. Government schemes and support packages were rolled out across the world to support struggling businesses, with some countries launching automotive-specific rescue packages worth billions of pounds.

The summer months brought a welcome fall in Covid-19 cases and a relaxation of lockdown measures, however hopes of a V-shaped recovery were soon dashed by the emergence of a second wave of the virus. Recovery remains fractured and unpredictable, but with vaccines being rolled out at a rapid rate, there is now real hope that we are approaching the end of this very dark tunnel.

In this edition we look back at how various automotive industries around the world reacted to the outbreak, and question what lasting impact Covid-19 will have on consumer behaviour and business processes.