New Car Delivery Times

This is the time it takes from when you order a car at a dealership to it being ready for you to drive away from the showroom. When you spec a car to your individual tastes - your specific colour and fitted with all the options and option packs you want - that car will be made to order in a factory possibly on the other side of the world.
So your order has to be processed and your car built and then transported to the UK. It then has to be given a pre-delivery inspection to make sure the car hasn't been damaged in transportation. And then when it has been delivered to your dealership, any final dealer-fit options are added and your car prepped so it's ready for you to drive away on the date that suits you.
All this can take weeks to complete and is the delivery lead time.

The term factory order refers to a new car that's been built according to a customer's requirements. You'll tell a dealer exactly what engine, trim, colour and any extras you want and the manufacturer will build a new car to your exact specification.

This is a 'how long is a piece of string' question because there are so many variables involved. Generally, a waiting time of between one and three months is not unusual. If you opt for a very popular car but with very specific options and/or uncommon paint colours then that time could be much longer. Before you place your order, you should ask your dealer roughly how long the car will take to be delivered.

If you are prepared to compromise a little. Car makers build stock cars in large batches. These are models in standard colours in the most popular trims and equipment levels. If you choose a stock car, rather than your unique specification you should be able to get these versions much quicker.

Generally, the stock cars on carwow can be delivered in around two to three weeks, but that depends on if there is a supply of stock cars and how busy your dealership is with handovers or deliveries.

There are lots of reasons your new car could be delayed. A car is made up of thousands of components, many made by external suppliers. A delay in any one of these components getting to the factory could cause delays in your car being made.
If you are buying a hybrid or electric car, which rely on specific materials for their battery packs, sourcing of these materials could cause specific delays for these types of cars.
Industrial problems at the plant or severe weather disrupting shipping could cause delays too.
If your car is damaged in transportation and remedial repairs made, then that takes up time. And lastly, your dealer has to arrange the handover or delivery of your new car on a date and time that suits you and so has to make sure there is the staff to do so, although of course this could extend the delay by days rather than weeks or months.

Every major car factory in Europe closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association estimates that nearly 2.5 million fewer cars were made across Europe during lockdown because of the outbreak.
As different countries come out of lockdown, car makers are slowly reopening their factories. From Audi to Volvo, companies have said they have begun a gradual restart of production, albeit at lower volumes than before. This is because they have implemented social distancing procedures, to ensure the safety of staff. And also, because the economic outlook is uncertain car makers are not expecting the demand for new cars to be as high as it was before the pandemic.

Exact delivery times are hard to predict and, as a result, some dealers may be hesitant to give an exact date. Building a car is a complicated process and a small delay at any one stage could set the entire production line back days or even weeks. Some manufacturers may also choose to prioritise a particular type of car or engine for supply chain or demand reasons.
As a result, any new car delivery time should be taken with a small pinch of salt. It's often a good idea to order as early as possible – you can always leave the car at the dealership unregistered if it arrives a little too early for you.

If you change your mind about a particular option, you'll be able to alter your order up to a point. Broadly speaking, most manufacturers will allow you to change things like paint colour and optional extras at a later date than the engine or gearbox, for example.

Yes. Most leasing companies source their vehicles through dealerships, so will face the same issues as a car dealer. Again, if they are quoting for a stock car, a lease car should be delivered within two to three weeks. If they are quoting for a factory order it could take months for your car to arrive. Make sure you are aware of the delivery time before committing to a lease.