"When another German make went up significantly in the spring the company selling them blamed the exchange rate.
With the pound far stronger the price against the euro should have gone down not up."
Alas Dewy, when GBP is stronger than the €, or the € is weaker than GBP,(whickever way you want to look at) prices will rise in the UK. Simple economics. At the beginning of the year the mid-market spot rate was €1.52 or in other words the Euro was worth 66p. The rate today is €1.43 odd or 70p. Therefore £100 would buy €152 at the earlier rate. At todays rate £100 would only buy €143, hence you get less € for your £ and the UK price increases.
Noel