James Baggott

Peter Vardy interviewed live at midday today

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2 hours ago, James Baggott said:

Morning all

Coming up at midday, I'l be chatting to Peter Vardy on Car Dealer Live - join us here

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/car-dealer-live-21-peter-vardy-ceo-peter-vardy/190819

Great guest, really enjoyed it, great insight. 

The podcast done by Dave Anderson really is fantastic, listened to it couple of days ago ! It's HERE

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Excellent can these interviews get better?

I was really taken by the leadership idea before young ones go out in the world,I never had that and I think in today's world it's a great idea.

So great that Peter vardy is doing this and out of profits too and including car buyers,its really great and looking after his staff .

Thanks umesh too,  I'm working my way through the link you provided,I've been listening to car dealer sales talk from Pennsylvania this last 2 days

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And closed all his branches on a sunday for day of rest top man .

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great interview, 

i always thought the family pulled off one of the best moves ever in this industry, sold out to pendragon in 2005 for £450m,  at the time of sale the reg vardy brand name was so strong in the north east that it wasn't included in the sale! then used the money to start again with the same name, and quickly became worth more on paper than pendragon, legendary stuff.

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2 hours ago, awc1000 said:

great interview, 

i always thought the family pulled off one of the best moves ever in this industry, sold out to pendragon in 2005 for £450m,  at the time of sale the reg vardy brand name was so strong in the north east that it wasn't included in the sale! then used the money to start again with the same name, and quickly became worth more on paper than pendragon, legendary stuff.

And actually seem like a lovely family incidentally the clarks are a nice family too well the ones I've met  also met ian skelly years ago who was a nice guy to have a coffee with . Never really met dougie park but family have and say he is ok

met fuzz townsend from car sos once what a nice guy he was and had a great conversation with him he said he was just a normal guy who got a lucky break 

its always a pleasure to see someone or a family do well and it doesn't change them or go to there head i always said if i was ever lucky enough or unlucky enough to build a business like that depends how you look it it no sure i could handle all that stress .it wouldn't change me due to the fact I've known people build a business then suddenly they change amd would walk past you in the street looking down there nose having  knowing them years 

 

Edited by Casper

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2 hours ago, awc1000 said:

great interview, 

i always thought the family pulled off one of the best moves ever in this industry, sold out to pendragon in 2005 for £450m,  at the time of sale the reg vardy brand name was so strong in the north east that it wasn't included in the sale! then used the money to start again with the same name, and quickly became worth more on paper than pendragon, legendary stuff.

I think it was Vardy’s who pulled off a master stroke a few years before they sold out.They had thousands of customers who were in big negative equity with finance deals.I often heard our guys describe some punter that we couldn’t deal because they had been ‘Vardy’d’.Legend has it that Vardy’s contacted all their punters who were halfway into their finance agreement.They apparently sent them a template letter for them to sign ,voluntary terminating their finance agreement.Halfway through an agreement you are entitled to do that but it had passed us by.The punters then just bought another car from Vardy’s .If it was true,I thought it was brilliant.

 

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Glad you all enjoyed it. He was a great guest. More to come next week. Might try and have some time off this weekend but already got some features planned so doubt that’ll happen... enjoy the sunshine all 

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9 hours ago, trade vet said:

I often heard our guys describe some punter that we couldn’t deal because they had been ‘Vardy’d’.

About 30 or so years ago as a skint & naive young fella I needed reliable wheels to get to a new job so got financed-up on a 2-3 year old Metro. I can’t remember the deal, or the car colour for that matter, but no doubt I had it stuck right up me.

All was ok until one day when I turned it upside down, writing it off. The insurance company maxed-out their offer but I had negative equity so had to pay additional money to pay off the finance - I’m not sure what would of happened if I hadn’t had some savings by then.

Anyhow it was a valuable lesson which I’ve stuck to in not to buy depreciating consumer goods on tick.

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Another great interview. 

I'm amazed by how much great 'content' is being created as a result of this lockdown. I really hope a lot of it can continue at some level once we're all back to it.

 

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3 hours ago, BHM said:

About 30 or so years ago as a skint & naive young fella I needed reliable wheels to get to a new job so got financed-up on a 2-3 year old Metro. I can’t remember the deal, or the car colour for that matter, but no doubt I had it stuck right up me.

All was ok until one day when I turned it upside down, writing it off. The insurance company maxed-out their offer but I had negative equity so had to pay additional money to pay off the finance - I’m not sure what would of happened if I hadn’t had some savings by then.

Anyhow it was a valuable lesson which I’ve stuck to in not to buy depreciating consumer goods on tick.

Love it.Reliable wheels and Metro ,is that an oxymoron ? Can you imagine selling Metros now,they would all come back under CRA 15. I can remember telling punters ‘ those oil leaks are supposed to be there,it is the latest technology ‘.

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15 minutes ago, New year revolutions...... said:

Did I ever mention the trader who took a fairy liquid bottle filled with oil to squirt under the metros in the auction?

Stop giving away your trade secrets :lol: in all honesty tht was the good old days same when they used to swap plug leads round etc and thought people were daft .  

Edited by Casper

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1 hour ago, trade vet said:

Love it.Reliable wheels and Metro ,is that an oxymoron ? Can you imagine selling Metros now,they would all come back under CRA 15. I can remember telling punters ‘ those oil leaks are supposed to be there,it is the latest technology ‘.

Laugh all you like but I’ll tell you what, them Austin Rover/Rovers etc. were good cars! Honestly!!

I had plenty, most of would come into the VERY SECONDHAND bracket and all reliable (well, except for the 2600 that shat it’s head gasket after 4 days then when I got it back the auto box, when cold, wouldn’t change gear until hitting the redline in 1st gear).

Metro, Maestro, Maestro Van, SD1, old PB6s - fine automobiles in my book! Even the 827 hatchback wasn’t a bad car once I’d stripped the dashboard to change the heater matrix that the dodgy car trader had blanked off - those were the days :blink: 

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8 minutes ago, BHM said:

Laugh all you like but I’ll tell you what, them Austin Rover/Rovers etc. were good cars! Honestly!!

I had plenty, most of would come into the VERY SECONDHAND bracket and all reliable (well, except for the 2600 that shat it’s head gasket after 4 days then when I got it back the auto box, when cold, wouldn’t change gear until hitting the redline in 1st gear).

Metro, Maestro, Maestro Van, SD1, old PB6s - fine automobiles in my book! Even the 827 hatchback wasn’t a bad car once I’d stripped the dashboard to change the heater matrix that the dodgy car trader had blanked off - those were the days :blink: 

I broke my rose tinted spectacles  years ago or did they fall in the gutter when the latest bl offering let me down

I used to sell most of these models too but they were utter garbage

Best one was,

put a maestro van on full lock and let go of the steering wheel ,they didn't return,a proper trouser moment if it caught you unawares, dont get me wrong the economy on them was great only thing that could touch them was a 1600 diesel escort van but there was only me who didn't cook a head on them  because I used to set off 10 minutes early on every journey to make up time

Last maestro I worked on was 3 years old,I had to change something in the front suspension every bladdy bolt sheared that felt like it would undo,  carrot bolts I've called them even fso's some of the bolts undid

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1 hour ago, BHM said:

Laugh all you like but I’ll tell you what, them Austin Rover/Rovers etc. were good cars! Honestly!!

I had plenty, most of would come into the VERY SECONDHAND bracket and all reliable (well, except for the 2600 that shat it’s head gasket after 4 days then when I got it back the auto box, when cold, wouldn’t change gear until hitting the redline in 1st gear).

Metro, Maestro, Maestro Van, SD1, old PB6s - fine automobiles in my book! Even the 827 hatchback wasn’t a bad car once I’d stripped the dashboard to change the heater matrix that the dodgy car trader had blanked off - those were the days :blink: 

We all made money on them.I also did very well with Wedges  ( that’s Princesses to millenials ) they all got slated in the press but they were so cheap the punters loved them. BTW I used to run 827’s as my motorway smokers,they were really good but they were Honda powered of course.

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11 minutes ago, trade vet said:

We all made money on them.I also did very well with Wedges  ( that’s Princesses to millenials ) they all got slated in the press but they were so cheap the punters loved them. BTW I used to run 827’s as my motorway smokers,they were really good but they were Honda powered of course.

Ex police by any chance ? 

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8 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Absolutely.

Remember them having a few when i was young  although I've been involved in the trade some way or other for about 21 years since leaving school my dad and 2 of my cousins  both mechanics one who has now sadly passed the other has a foreman position would take me around garages auctions etc since i was able to toddle along behind them . So probably 33 years or more ive been in around cars and remember seeing them both on the roads as police cars and in the auctions on school holidays etc . 

Edited by Casper

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10 minutes ago, Casper said:

Remember them having a few when i was young  although I've been involved in the trade some way or other for about 21 years since leaving school my dad and 2 of my cousins  both mechanics one who has now sadly passed the other has a foreman position would take me around garages auctions etc since i was able to toddle along behind them . So probably 33 years or more ive been in around cars and remember seeing them both on the roads as police cars and in the auctions on school holidays etc . 

We used to get Police stuff from all over the UK.The only ones we would mainly avoid were from Strathclyde and South Wales Police.

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3 hours ago, J.B said:

Another great interview. 

I'm amazed by how much great 'content' is being created as a result of this lockdown. I really hope a lot of it can continue at some level once we're all back to it.

 

I’ll make sure it does!

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21 minutes ago, trade vet said:

We used to get Police stuff from all over the UK.The only ones we would mainly avoid were from Strathclyde and South Wales Police.

Know a guy that buys a lot of police stuff he does mechanic work for-me he used to buy Lothian and borders and strathclyde ones  still does occasional but Its police scotland now . 

Edited by Casper

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