Brand snobbery follows Vauxhall around, perhaps best articulated by the suggestion of: ‘Why don’t they just make them Opels?’

It’s true that this badge-swapping relationship is problematic when Opel-Vauxhall is trying to market one brand as German and another as British. I’ve watched a CEO flounder in handling the ‘what about Vauxhall, then?’ follow-up question after waxing lyrical about Opel’s ‘Germanness’.

Yet to suggest Vauxhall should give up 122 years of history is folly. It has its problems, but trying to solve them will be a darn sight simpler than trying to build Opel as a brand in the UK.

Eurig Druce was still in his honeymoon period of leading Stellantis in the UK when Vauxhall’s managing director upped sticks. He has taken temporary charge.

An impressive leader and executive, Druce doesn’t pull punches when saying that Vauxhall must do better, yet in dealing with the ‘Opel question’, he turns it on its head with a suggestion I’ve never heard before: “Why couldn’t Vauxhall be sold elsewhere? There’s no reason for it not to be. There are markets where a British brand would do better than a German one. It’s not the official plan, but why not?”

The short-term goal for all Stellantis UK brands is to beat their 2024 market share (5.83% for Vauxhall). But Vauxhall is a special case, says Druce: “As a home brand, it needs to be the strongest in all areas: profitability, market share. It’s a British brand that manufactures in the UK.”

Druce will also work to “put the belief back into the team” that Vauxhall can be a strong brand – something he believes will be simple, as the brand is being given “the armoury” in a series of new models, such as the Frontera and Grandland.

The belief needs to extend “not just to the Vauxhall team but the [dealers] as well”, but Druce reckons “reengaging with the network won’t be particularly hard” and it’s a case of “putting volume through them”.

Even though there has been a drop in the number of Vauxhall dealers from a peak of 349 in 2013 to about 190 now, area coverage has been largely unaffected. And given that Vauxhall’s market share was 14% at its peak in 2008, there’s obvious room to grow.

When asked if he believes there is some sneering towards the brand from certain areas, Druce says that is “probably true” as they are “honest cars”.

But so what? Druce plans to build on its strengths in the regions and sweat the deep, long-standing relationships that buyers have had with their dealers.

“I’m a rural boy. You buy in your own town: I understand this concept,” says Druce. “There’s loyalty to the brand but loyalty to the dealer too. Dealers have probably interacted with customers numerous times.

“But the new products can also attract new customers. They’re priced attractively and simply, with the EVs the same as the ICE models. That alone makes them stand out.”