This week on the podcast we're joined by Swansway Garages director Peter Smyth, to talk about reopening showrooms, how much demand for new and used he's seeing and some predictions for the future. 

Listen now or find out more about the stories mentioned below.

This week Car Dealer star Jon Reay joins the podcast to remind us how much better he is at this.

To find out more about any of the stories mentioned head to cardealermagazine.co.uk or click below.

Ask for reservation fee instead of deposit to avoid distance-selling obligations, say legal experts

Rolls-Royce posts highest-ever Q1 sales in its 116-year history

Lookers share price jumps again as analysts upgrade forecasts for previously-struggling dealer group

Brits saved £18bn during coronavirus pandemic – and they now want to splash the cash on new cars

More than half of car dealers believe Q2 sales will be higher than pre-Covid levels

BMW Group posts record Q1 sales in 2021 – up a third compared to same period last year

Lookers trading ‘ahead of expectations’ in first quarter despite drop in new and used car sales

Car dealers advised to remove names from used car service history or face expensive court cases

Caterham Cars bought by Japan-based VT Holdings

Investigation: How Brexit has led to a parts crisis for independent garages in the UK

10,000 furlough fraud investigations now open as government funds special task force to tackle cases

Number of young people with a driving licence falls to a record low

This week Wayland's CEO John O'Hanlon talks Q1, new and used car sales and for the first time our guest judge breaks some news of his own on the show.

Want to find out more about these stories? Click below or head to our website.

Cazoo and Carzam gaining ground ‘thanks to no-haggle pricing policy’

Dealership dreams up some ‘Willy Wonka magic’ to put people at ease for April 12 reopening

Kia EV6 technical details revealed as GT joins to top the range

Volvo to offer staff around the world 24 weeks’ parental leave at 80 per cent of base pay

Volkswagen forced into embarrassing U-turn after ‘Voltswagen’ name change gag backfires spectacularly

Used car group Motor Depot sells majority stake to Stellantis-owned firm

From washing cars to becoming head of business – Andy Barnes retires after 54-year automotive career

Most popular new car reviews on What Car? reveal what consumers are searching for ahead of April 12

Cazoo takes swipe at car dealers branding them ‘untrusted’ and ‘permanently impaired’ in investor pack

Cazoo confirms listing on New York Stock Exchange in deal that could value online used car dealer at £5bn

Cinch ‘hoping for £5bn valuation’ amid £500m investment rumour

Volkswagen seeks damages from former board members including ex-CEO Winterkorn and Audi boss Stadler

This week our guest judge is Emerald House of Cars boss PJ Quinn who talks about the big changes he's made to his business and about what sets them apart. 

If you want to find out more about any of the stories mentioned today you can click the links below.

Mechanic paid final pay packet with 91,500 pennies dumped in his front garden

Car dealer jailed for conning customers out of more than £400,000

Fears container ship blocking Suez Canal could impact UK new car and parts deliveries from the Far East

SMMT calls for VAT exemption on consumer EV purchases and preservation of plug-in car grant

More than 50 firefighters swamp Westway Nissan in Southampton after major blaze yards from showroom

Pendragon boss says firm is ‘making good progress’ on strategy to be ‘strong and profitable’

Exclusive: Top 20 biggest depreciating used cars of the last year revealed – and two Mercedes top the list

Irish trade body ‘urgently requests’ changes to click-and-collect rules to avoid inevitable job losses

Cambria Automobiles bosses consider management buy-out to take firm off the Stock Market

This week COO of Snows Group Neil McCue takes on the role of judge with James and Rebecca.

Find out more about all the stories mentioned by clicking below...

Green shoots of consumer confidence combined with pent-up car buyer demand is good news for car dealers

Another nail in the coffin for Mitsubishi Motors UK as the heritage fleet will be going under the hammer

Car dealers shocked at changes to electric car grant that will see more than 20 models no longer qualify

Tesla Model 3 excluded as electric car grant to be cut to £2,500 – with experts branding move as ‘too soon’

Mini to become all-electric car brand in next decade

Lookers says it expects to report £10m profit for 2020 as it reveals talks with banks are ongoing

Our cars: After hunting for a decade I’ve finally bought a Citroen Saxo VTS

Scottish dealers prepare for record month as first minister announces showrooms will reopen from April 5

BMW reveals latest iDrive generation ahead of its first appearance on new electric models

Mazda UK boss ‘not convinced’ that full online sales are commercially viable or right for the customer

Peter Vardy helps send staff on staycation with campers available for them to book

Tech founder believes physical car auctions have had a ‘Blockbuster moment’ and may never be same again

UHY Hacker Young sees 97 per cent of dealer groups make a profit in 2020 year end audits

This episode starts with guest judge Umesh Samani, chairman of the IMDA and owner of Specialist Cars of Stoke, but after some problems we don't get to hear his final judgement. Find out who did win by listening now though!

To find out more about any stories mentioned today, you can click the links below.

Dealers warned about hi-tech thieves after near-£17k Ford Focus is stolen from forecourt

Car dealers could benefit from £9bn of savings as consumers spend their lockdown nest eggs

Car sales staff can win prizes for every car they sell as Heycar predicts surge in demand post April 12

Average monthly car finance payments revealed as research shows cash still popular among buyers

Tesla Model 3 police cars could soon be on the beat as manufacturer preps emergency services demonstrator

Mitsubishi to sell pair of Renault-based models in Europe – but UK won’t get them

Car dealer offers cash reward in attempt to hunt down stolen vehicle on social media

Why now is a good time to buy a used car before prices start to rocket when dealers reopen on April 12

Dealers should prepare for pent-up demand when showrooms open, says Auto Trader

How a turbulent year saw Marshall Motor Group turn first half £8.9m loss into £20.9m profit

Average used car list prices rise 1.5 per cent in February says Motors.co.uk

Could new BMW and Mercedes cars be sold in one showroom? Dealer group bosses give their views on premium ‘multi franchising’

The Newcomers: Here are the 10 electric car brands coming to a forecourt near you soon

This week on the podcast editorial director of Haymarket Automotive Jim Holder takes on the role of guest judge for the weekly Car Dealer new quiz.

If you’d like to appear on the show you can email [email protected].

To find out more about any of the stories mentioned you can find them in chronological order (no spoilers about our favourites) below.

Used Car Awards 2021 will be back in all their glory on November 29 hosted by Mike Brewer

Investigation: Incentivising used electric car buyers with govt-backed interest free loans could hugely boost adoption

Marshall and Vertu CEOs on whether to repay government cash, pent-up demand and more

Stellantis names Alison Jones as UK boss and outlines management structure

Van sales soar by more than a fifth in strongest February showing for 23 years

Weakest February for new car registrations since 1959 as 35.5 per cent drop is recorded

Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port future rests on massive taxpayer handout, warns Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares

Corporation tax to rise to levels not seen since 2011, says chancellor

Budget 2021: What has Rishi Sunak done for dealerships big and small?

Cox Automotive buys Codeweavers as part of strategy to double its size by 2034

Motors.co.uk could be sold as part of trade-off to get approval for £6.5bn merger

Volvo to become a pure-electric brand by 2030 – and sell electric cars exclusively online

No FCA fine for Lookers as city watchdog closes its investigation into the listed dealer group without penalty

The Car Dealer Podcast is a weekly show created by the team at Car Dealer Magazine. Presented by Rebecca Chaplin and editor-in-chief James Baggott, this week with guest judge of the quiz Peter Smyth from Swansway Garages. 

Want to take part in a future episode? Email [email protected].

To find out more about any of the stories mentioned click the links below.

SMMT calls for dealers to open ‘ideally before April 12’ as car production levels slump to 12-year low

Peugeot unveils new logo for digital future and hopes to roll it out at dealerships by 2023

Inchcape swings to a £128m loss as it looks to offload more car dealerships and focus on distribution

Mitsubishi UK: No intention to change plans despite rumours of Mitsubishi U-turn in Europe

Car dealer group pledges to shut up shop to celebrate lifting of restrictions on June 21

Showrooms staying closed until April 12 is disappointing but not a disaster, says industry expert

Test drives are allowed during lockdown three after legal experts receive confirmation from Trading Standards

Cazoo makes first step towards European expansion as it snaps up German car subscription service

Comment: April 12 reopening for car dealers moves the goalposts, but the 21-plate pent-up demand will be huge

Cazoo remains tight-lipped after reports founder has cashed out £100m in shares already

Shock, hope and anger: What do car dealers think of the news they’ll be shut until April 12?

This week James and Rebecca are joined by Vines Group managing director Sean Kelly as they discuss the top stories of the week.

In this episode, the pair go head-to-head once again to choose the biggest stories and the Vines MD will decide who is victorious.

If you want to find more like this, visit cardealermagazine.co.uk or all of the stories mentioned can be read in full by following the links below.

Want to be a judge on a future show? Get in touch!

Car industry ‘lobbying Number 10’ to be allowed to open two weeks ahead of other non essential retail

Used car dealer Cazoo eyeing Stock Market floatation with a hope to value the business at £5bn – reports

Could industry stalwart Tony Bramall be about to launch a bid to take car dealer group Lookers private?

Customer complaints have quadrupled to car dealers during lockdown as employee issues rise too

Jaguar Land Rover to axe 2,000 jobs worldwide as it restructures business

Ford makes commitment to go all-electric in Europe by 2030

Free delivery offer for dealers proves to be globe-busting – nearly four times over

One in five car buyers now considering going fully electric

How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealership Locations List 2021 revealed

More than two thirds of car buyers want to visit a car dealership rather than buy online – YouGov poll

Jaguar Land Rover will become all electric brand and retain UK plants – but Castle Bromwich faces uncertain future

This week Blackshaws MD Will Blackshaw joins us to talk about the biggest stories of the week. We talk about changes to his business, what he’s hoping for March and he admits some stories from the past when letting one customer in the showroom didn’t go too well. Want to find out more about these stories? We’ve listed all the ones mentioning below. 

Volkswagen and Microsoft team up with autonomous tech development 

Car dealerships accused of ‘imprisoning’ customers and hiding their keys until police are called

CarShop name to be rolled out globally as Penske Automotive looks to double its used car dealerships

Council admits car dealers were mistakenly denied access to grants while others were given support

Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep Super Bowl advert has been pulled after drink driving arrest

Cazoo buys vehicle reconditioning and storage specialist Smart Fleet Solutions as it looks to expand further

David Taylor (Garages) is named top Isuzu UK dealer as it cleans up at awards ceremony

Car dealers should be braced for return of pent-up demand, stock shortages and rising prices as Lockdown 3 ends

Will Ferrell stars in No Way Norway Superbowl advert and he’s incredibly angry about EVs

Hyundai-Kia and tech giant Apple cool their flirting over iCar production plan

SMMT calls for Covid secure car dealerships to be allowed to open as critical March plate change approaches

Hyundai-Kia close to doing a deal to build Apple Car, according to reports