AS the Competition Commission was handing over the findings of its inquiry into claims that car prices in the UK are a rip-off compared with the rest of Europe, the verdict has become academic - because the car trade in Britain has been overtaken by a big shift in consumer power.

We have seen it already in the showroom boycott which saw new registrations plunge by more than 12 per cent last month, by some manufacturers slashing prices by as much as 15 per cent and by more UK motorists shopping for cars on the continent - a drive now tapped by Britain's biggest ferry firm which is offering savings of up to 18 per cent on cars from Europe.

The world has changed so that motorists are no longer tied to the car market in Britain. With the globalisation of commerce they can even buy cars on the internet.

Manufacturers and the motor trade must catch up to compete - or suffer the consequences.

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