Mazda Zooms into Scottish Top Ten with 8 percent Market Share

DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – March 18, 2009: Mazda saw its share of the Scottish market zoom in February as it leapt into sixth place in the sales charts to grab an 8.2 per cent share. This cracking performance catapulted the brand above Japanese rivals Honda and Nissan and only one place behind Peugeot.

Mazda, which closed 2008 with a record market share of 3.63 per cent, up 0.2 per cent on 2007, now has a 5.19 per cent share of the Scottish market over the first two months of the year with total sales approaching 650 cars. Not only was Mazda the sixth best-selling brand, the Mazda3 was also the sixth best-selling car north of the border only just behind the Vauxhall Astra.

"This great performance by our Scottish network proves that Mazda's unique combination of distinctive design and fun driving dynamics, reliability and quality, is attracting more and more customers north of the border.

"On top of this, our attractive pricing and consumer offers are enticing even more customers, proving that now is a great time to buy a Mazda despite the current difficult economic climate,” said Mazda UK sales and marketing director Mark Cameron.

It is hardly surprising that Mazda boasts three of its top 20 UK volume dealers in Scotland with 11 of its UK top 20 retail dealers also from the region. In fact Machargs, part of the Arnold Clark group is Mazda’s strongest retailer with sales of more than 900 cars in 2008. Andrew Marshall, Franchise Manager at Arnold Clark, says: “It’s tough, but if you have the right products at the right price people will buy them. We’re selling new Mazdas at the same rate now as we were a year ago, about 20 a week.”

Mr Marshall added that Mazda has traditionally had a two percent market share. “We’re outperforming that market share by a long way here in Scotland.”