"We have a comprehensive list of Ford products and are expanding the range to other manufacturers, in particular the big European carmakers like Volkswagen and General Motors," he added. Franchised dealers have "an important role" to play, handling vehicles for parts retrofit, servicing or repair. "There is a big opportunity for franchised dealers to sell fitting kits, either to install themselves or work in co-operation with independent specialists – we want to increase our sales with franchised dealers," said Mr Wall. "There is also growing demand for specialist retailers to service and sell aircon systems." Acquisitions and joint ventures – Visteon is talking to Pilkington about a joint venture where the glassmaker would assume majority ownership and management control of Visteon's glass division – could play an important role in future growth. "Any venture would need to fit into our product areas, offer real benefits and fill a gap in our technology," said the spokeswoman.