GM Europe boss Steve Girsky believes Vauxhall will overtake Ford to become a market leader “within three years”, but the opinion from dealers is split.

While the biggest UK carmakers are trying to produce more prestigious cars to elevate their brands the biggest UK car traders are dumping holdings in volume cars.

The pioneers of the two trends are Vauxhall, which has just shown Cascada, a premium four-seater convertible, and Inchcape which has just sold all its Ford holdings – a move that it described as its “final disposal of non-premium.”

The foundations of Girsky’s strategy are built on the certainty that if you make only volume cars you die.

“Only premium cars can make money.”

“The young man of today does not give a fig for the car or its badge. What he will demand is content – wi-fi and a library of audio books.”

These are the buyers that Girsky says Vauxhall has to satisfy; and they have to be satisfied within two or three years or there will not be the profitability from

Comments from the poll

YES

“I think that it is possible when you look at what Vauxhall has on offer at the moment.”

“Yes, they could with the range of products they have coming up now.”

“Potentially, but it depends on its fleet discount policy and how many cars it wants to put into this segment.”

NO

“Vauxhall won’t exist in three years; it will be either Opel or it will become Chevrolet.”

“No consistent marketing.

"Too much fleet not enough retail.”

“The products generally aren’t as good as Ford and it doesn’t have the money to outmuscle Ford in the marketing stakes.

"It’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

“Not without being unprofitable.”

“How many times over the years have we heard this?

"Ford is in VW territory in terms of product, technology and value. Vauxhall is competing with Renault, Peugeot and Citroën types.

"Any retail volume comes at highly distressed margin control.”