Robert PPP Couldwell

Sweden’s premium maker Volvo’s roll continues with record sales in 2018, both world-wide and in the UK. Sales globally were up an impressive 12.4 per cent at 642,253 and in Britain, 50,319 up 9 per cent in a market 7 per cent down. As Volvo moves upward in the UK, Audi sales at 143,739 have slumped by 17.85 per cent to a poor third behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The way Volvo is going it could well catch Audi one of these days. Bear in mind that, back in the 1980s, Volvo sales in Britain were around three times Audi’s.

This is a titanic battle between sports cars from two of the greatest icons of motorsport. McLaren may now be seen only as a Formula 1 contestant, but it started as a highly successful maker of sports racing cars dominating the Can-Am series between 1967 and 1971, with Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme sharing the honours. The team also competed in Formula 2 and Formula Libre.

The new Q50 could be Infiniti’s last chance to make it in Europe. It is the closest to mainstream premium competition Infiniti has yet conceived. All of its other models stand alone with no particular direct rivals. It is often said that to break into an established market you need to do it differently or better. Infiniti had tried doing it differently, and perhaps now they are trying to do the same better. Unfortunately, the highly competitive European premium manufacturers are so busy fighting each other that the standard is such that any manufacturer will find it difficult to beat.

A long time ago, I could certainly understand why American and British companies indulged in badge engineering; British Leyland putting Austin, Morris, Riley Wolseley, MG and Vanden Plas badges on effectively the same car or in the case of Rootes, the Hillman Minx was also the Singer Gazelle and the Sunbeam Rapier; it extended the appeal for little cost.