The headline plays on the phrase “Would you buy a used car from this man?”.
Legend has it that it first appeared in 1960 to challenge the honesty and integrity of Richard Nixon, ahead of the US presidential election.
It seemed to do the trick, as John F Kennedy beat him to the top job.
Comparing anyone to a used car dealer back then would throw serious doubt on their integrity.
Used car buying is still an emotional minefield, fraught with the fear of landing a lemon from an unscrupulous salesman.
But what about new cars? Surely they don’t warrant the same degree of stress and scepticism?
Well, first and foremost, car buying is a trust-based decision. Brand familiarity plays a big part in the consideration process.
For decades, Australian motorist largely fell into two camps - Ford or Holden. It was often a proud family following, like the local footy club.
The rivalry ran deep on the racetrack and the road. It created a social currency that created lifelong loyalty.
That was, until manufacture of both brands ceased on our shores a few years back.
Now, pretty much anything goes.
The new car buyer has almost 60 brands and over 450 models to choose from. Truly mind-boggling.
Add to that, we’re in the process of the biggest technological transformation in motoring history, shifting from internal combustion to ‘clean’ electric.
So how does any new manufacturer that’s selling a new technology have a hope of gaining the trust of the Australian car buyer?
One brand that seems to know the answer is MG.
Despite its very familiar name, that conjures up nostalgic images of 1960s British sports cars, it might surprise you to know that the brand is now owned by SAIC Motor Corporation, a state-owned Chinese company.
Compare that to Great Wall Motors, who flaunted their Chinese DNA, only to do a quick Kentucky Fried Chicken-style abbreviation to GWM. (To use the correct terminology, both KFC and GWM are actually initialisms, not acronyms, as these are pronounced as a word). Anyway, back to our story…
By taking the name of an almost hundred-year-old British marque (Morris Garages was founded in 1924), they’ve done a truly brilliant job of appearing to be an established and much-loved manufacturer, despite only existing in Australia (in this incarnation) since 2016.
The second super-smart thing MG did was becoming mass really quickly. I’m guessing they did some very attractive deals with fleet companies, as I’ve seen entire streets nose to tail with identical models. The more you see on the road, the more you trust the brand.
The third clever move MG made was to launch traditional petrol-engined variants as they were developing their electric powertrains behind the scenes. It meant that we all felt comfortable about the ‘normalness’ of their cars, before the conversation evolved to electric.
Finally, they’ve done what Hyundai did brilliantly with the little Getz twenty years ago - they’ve hit a price point that makes them incredible value, compared to the rest of the market.
At a smidge over $40k, the MG ZS is Australia’s most affordable full-electric car, matched only by the BYD Atto 3. I’m sorry, the BYwhaaat? See how important a familiar brand is?
Last year, China outsold German and US cars in Australia for the first time ever.
MG topped the sales chart, with over 3,000 vehicles snapped up in a single month.
That took them to10th place of all vehicle manufacturers by volume. And remember, they only launched in Australia in 2016. Yep, six years ago.
Just goes to show what can be achieved in a cluttered category when commercial, brand and comms strategies align.
MG’s brand line is “Take Charge”.
I’d say they’ve done a pretty great job of that.
Thanks for reading.