An additional 25 retail outlets throughout N.Z.

Press, 17 August 1984, Page 20

An additional 25 retail outlets throughout N.Z.

The alliance between Nissan Diesel and A.I.C. International, Ltd, means that Nissan Diesel gains an additional 25 retail outlets throughout New Zealand. Nissan, as always, is looking for a dramatic increase in its share of a steadily growing market in New Zealand for diesel engines. Now, the goal is to gain 40 per cent of the market within five years. Last year, Nissan was looking at a 12 per cent share of the engine market Already this year, its share has risen to 24 per cent.

At that figure, the company is close to its mediumterm goal of 25_per cent, according to Mr Euan Malcolm, Nissan Diesel’s national sales manager. Historically, within the company, market share for engine sales has tended to match market share for truck sales, according to Mr Malcolm.

“As our truck sales go from strength to strength as a result of the new tie-up, I am sure we will continue to break new ground in engine sales as we have done in the last two years,” said Mr Malcolm.

Complete engine and transmission replacement for all makes and models of trucks is one of Nissan Diesel’s specialist areas, and Mr Malcolm expects much of the growth to occur here.

Besides the diesel engines, which go into 2000 or so heavy trucks sold in New Zealand each year, upwards of another 400 diesel engines are sold for a variety of purposes.

A good proportion are sold for re-powering trucks, but there is also a strong market generally, and for diesel engines in fishing boats and large pleasure

craft. Nissan in New Zealand has been in the business of selling diesel engines for the past 16 years, and now offers a comprehensive range of four- and six-cylin-der engines, as well as VBs and VlOs. Some are fitted with turbochargers and after-coolers, and outputs range from 54 to 603 kW or from 40 to 450bhp.

However, Nissan Diesel’s marketing efforts in the engine field have really come together only in the last two years. In that time, the company has seen its market share grow by virtually 100 per cent.