It’s a real brain puzzler when you think about it. We have reports coming from left, right and centre saying that the small car market is struggling, Ford is struggling, GM is struggling, so it seems everyone is struggling. It’s even more surprising, then, to find out that the luxury car market is thriving, and making profits.

High end performance and luxury marques such as Aston Martin and Ferrari have seen massive boosts in profits as of late. Stratstone, the high-end segment of the UK dealership Pendragon said: "Total revenue has increased principally due to strong performance in new cars, with the prestige car market recovering more quickly than the volume sector," the firm said.

Car manufacturers’ finances and loans are always an unpredictable area, but it seems the more expensive cars are still an attractive buy for the consumer with a larger wallet.