Mazda sales soar in Scotland

With Mazda’s share of the new car market continuing to rise in Scotland - 3.3 per cent in September; the company’s third highest ever monthly tally – the outlook is looking very promising for the Japanese marque.

“Overall September was an excellent month for Mazda in Scotland, up 17 per cent in a new car market that is only up 4.2 per cent overall,” comments an enthused Jeremy Thomson, Sales Director for Mazda.

Best sellers during September were family favourites the Mazda3 and Mazda6, while Thomson also reports strong orders for the iconic Mazda MX-5 roadster. “The latest generation MX-5 is really starting to make an impact,” he adds. “We now have orders running through to next February.”

The winter months are traditionally the toughest for car sales in Scotland but Thomson said he was confident Mazda will retain its momentum.

The largest Mazda showroom in Europe opened in Glasgow at the end of August and its presence is already paying dividends. The £7 million, 110,000 sq ft Machargs dealership, part of the Arnold Clark group, sold 70 new cars during its first full month in September, helping Mazda considerably increase its sales in Scotland.

Machargs is only one of a large number of Mazda dealers to have recently invested in the ‘Zoom-Zoom’ brand. Across Scotland, a significant selection of Mazda dealers are either refurbishing existing premises or relocating to new and improved facilities. New dealers joining the ranks include Phoenix Mazda in Linwood near Glasgow, Murray Motors in Edinburgh and Taggarts Mazda in Motherwell. They join the likes of Barnetts Mazda in Dundee, Shields Mazda in Glasgow and SDM Mazda in Falkirk – each of which is investing in the Japanese brand as it continues to grow its popularity north of the border.

Thomson adds: “Machargs has come on stream to help further boost our sales volumes in Glasgow - traditionally our best selling area. We have also made two more dealer appointments in the past month, Jim's Garage in The Shetland Islands and Brown Brothers in Peebles. These new appointments have increased Mazda’s representation in Scotland and will no-doubt grow our market share.”

Andrew Marshall, Franchise Manager for Arnold Clark commented; “The Arnold Clark Group has four Mazda dealerships in Scotland, including the new Machargs Mazda showroom in the key location of Glasgow. We expect this new dealership to retail over 500 Mazda vehicles in a year, building on the excellent start we made in September.”

Scottish Award for Iconic MX-5

The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) has this week named the Mazda MX-5 sports car ‘Best Drop-Top’ in its Scottish Car of the Year 2006, commenting that ‘the latest generation Mazda MX-5 offers unbeatable topless fun for the money’.

“Believe it or not, there are more drop-top roadsters in the UK than anywhere else in Europe and Scottish motorists love them,” commented ASMW President, Stephen Park. “The quality and pleasure of open air driving north of the border puts Scots in motoring heaven. This year’s ‘Best Drop-Top’ category winner has become one of the most successful open sports cars of all time. The Mazda MX-5’s combination of style, quality and driving experience outperforms many motors costing twice as much. The third-generation MX-5 is indeed a worthy winner.”