On February 6, both Ford and Hyundai, which are imported into Denmark by the same Nic. Christiansen group, announced that all dealers had been laid off.
Nissan did it in December 2023. And now it's the turn of both Hyundai and Ford. The importer has fired all dealers with one year's notice.
Only a few of them will be offered new contracts.
The importer announced this on Thursday this week.
The layoffs come less than a year after parent company Ford Motor Company officially withdrew from Denmark when it sold the business to Nic. Christiansen.
The group has also imported Hyundai, which is a somewhat younger brand, at least in a Danish context. Hyundai first came to Denmark in 1992.
At that time, Ford had already been here in Denmark for 73 years. And that even with a car production that stopped again in 1965.
However, industry analyst Rene Tonder has no doubt that the so-called 'consolidations' among Danish car importers have only just begun.
– The development we are now seeing for Ford and Hyundai will probably also be seen for other brands in the coming years.
– For example, will Stellantis continue with the current, somewhat fragmented dealer structure? And what about Volkswagen and Skoda?, says the industry analyst in a post on LinkedIn .
Rene Tonder does not believe that the fired dealers are necessarily running a bad business.
The car dealerships that were not selected are simply too small to keep up with the development that Nic. Christiansen wants in the Danish market.
The group is not without divestments within its own ranks either. In 2023, the Danish company relinquished control of Hyundai in Sweden in exchange for buying a number of North German BMW dealers.
