I recently attended an event where a truly captivating magician held his audience spell-bound with his close up slight of hand tricks, and it got me thinking.
Infront of your eyes, Phil Jay, who has appeared at thewesterngroup industry event a few years ago, made cards and money appear and disappear, only to emerge from his pockets or a shoe. You just could not believe what you thought you were seeing with your own eyes.
A bit like the car industry really.
If you believe the “official” sales figures we have seen record monthly and quarterly sales in the UK, but the independent analysts who crunch the numbers say the true business being written is about three-quarters of the claimed figures. So I wondered if what is claimed and what is actual really matters.
Probably not.
If all the players in the game are involved the motor industry is compelling watching to see who slips back or to the front and you can guarantee some wonderful excuses pop into answers or explanations when things are not so good. The excuses are sometimes better reading than the facts.
Well, it has to be mentioned, there are similarities here with the British vote on whether the country stays in or pulls out of the EU.
The WGMW has far more important things happening in a few weeks time with the annual driving day at Castle Combe, but its worth mentioning that while the SMMT line allegedly on behalf of the whole industry is that the UK must stay in Europe, the industry is ostensibly run from outside the UK.
British bosses have to do what they are told by European bosses and in some cases these also toe the line laid down from other parts of the world.
I am told at least one motor manufacturer with a UK operation is following the SMMT line and encouraging British employees to vote to remain in Europe but is already actively “off-shoring” operations from Britain.
Is that hypocrisy or slight of hand?
Robin Roberts | Chairman WGMW
Robin is the longest serving chairman of The Western Group. He’s been vice chairman or chairman for over ten years and oversees the annual Western Group PR Driving Day each summer assisted by the group committee and supported by group members.
He contributes to a number of outlets in Wales and the UK, including the Driving Force editorial syndication agency feeding the biggest regional news and feature publishers in Britain.
Robin specialises in the Welsh automotive sector and motor related businesses with interests in Wales and publishes WheelsWithinWales.uk which covers news, features, trade and motor sport in Wales.
