That was the strongly expressed view of the boss of Ireland's No. 1 passenger car brand, Dave Shannon of Toyota Ireland, at the launch of two new cars from the company last week.
Mr Shannon trenchantly knocked what he termed as the 'myth' that North of Ireland cars are a better deal for Republic buyers, saying that if any customer goes into a dealership in the South, with cash in their pockets and with no trade-in, they will get as good and better deals.
He also said that such buyers can be certain the car they buy here won't be 'clocked'. "The AA say that one in every five cars that come across the border is clocked," he said.
He said the Cash Back offers available in Toyota dealerships are having a strong effect and he believes other car companies will follow suit. "I hope they do, as the more people going through all our dealerships, the better," he said.
He admitted that the Irish motor trade will have to 'fight tooth and nail' for every sale. "We will rise to the occasion," he stressed, adding that after 32 years selling motor cars the resiliance of the business still never ceases to amaze him.
For his own company, he noted that Toyota was No 1 again last year in passenger sales, for the fifth year running, and he commended his team for such an achievement on a regular basis.
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