Honda IMA drivers, whose numbers are approaching 2,000, are enjoying motoring costs from over a decade ago.
Jaguar’s make-or-break XK8 Mk II is undergoing trials at the Nurburgring, as development intensifies ahead of the sports coupe’s launch in early 2006.
Retailers will face prosecution this month if they fail to adapt showrooms for disabled people.
Guidance to motor dealers preparing to lodge applications for consumer credit licences has been issued by the Office of Fair Trading, following a spate of recent refusals.
Paul Willis, Volkswagen UK director, has rejected outright the suggestion that retailers are no longer allowed to represent both VW and Audi in the same area.
Renault UK and its dealers will split the cost of incorporating a modernised version of the brand’s logo in their external and internal signage. The new look was chosen after a study suggested it was “more readable and contemporary”.
Nissan has already begun recruiting additional manufacturing staff for its Sunderland plant in preparation for production of a new mini-MPV named the Tone, which will go on sale in spring 2006.
Lind Automotive Group is to invest £8m in a flagship BMW and Mini dealership premises on the outskirts of Norwich, into which it will move its existing operation from Ber Street next summer.
Rotating electrics manufacturer, Lucas SRE has gone into administration, just 12 months after it was founded. The company, which laid off around 100 this summer, has 45 remaining employees.
The AA has announced today it is closing or selling its 122 service centres.
Volkswagen has confirmed prices for the new Golf GTI, which made its world debut recently at the Paris Motor Show.
Citroën’s first online auction conducted by BCA linked the company’s network of approved used car dealers to a physical auction, saw 120 cars from across the range achieve a 100% sale conversion, and record prices averaging 114% of CAP Clean.
The world’s largest Audi retail venue is set to become a new Scottish landmark when it officially opens for business in Glasgow on October 11.
Lookers has launched a new accident repair centre academy that could set the benchmark for apprentice training within the industry.
Mazda has launched an Obsolete Parts Programme which will enable dealers to offer their slowest moving parts for re-sale via a national clearance centre.
Greater clarity of block exemption rules is needed before aftermarket businesses will be able to take advantage.
Grimsby-based motor factor BCS Carmen Ltd has gone into administration. The £500,000 turnover company, which delivered across throughout north Lincolnshire, has been forced to make its nine employees redundant as it no longer has funds to pay them.
Dealers can look forward to additional revenue streams next year when insurance companies will begin demanding the fitment of new insurance-approved tracking systems to high-value vehicles.
Franchised dealers have increased their share of the service market from a low point of 34% in 1998 and are now running at more than 40% by value.
Hairdressers, nightclub bouncers, gas-fitters and bodyshops: which is the odd one out? The answer – bodyshops. The rest have to be licensed to conduct business.
Lexus retailers are preparing for stage two in the manufacturer’s growth strategy which will see them significantly increase sales per outlet.
Car retailers are being offered an opportunity to target first-time buyers thanks to an innovative idea by a young businessman.
The Government should be considering new forms of car taxation that provide a greater incentive to drive environmentally friendly vehicles, according to Tim Yeo, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment and Transport.
The future of the CityRover is uncertain as MG Rover’s partner in the car, Tata Motors, has threatened to dissolve its agreement if arguments over pricing cannot be resolved.
Motor retailing has always been a tough sector for banks to get their heads around. But in the post-block exemption environment, the dealer-bank relationship is going to become more important than ever because of the new opportunities that now exist for dealerships and groups to expand their businesses.
Kia’s dealer network will come under intense pressure over the next few years as the importer has been set the tough task of taking 4% of the UK market share – equating to about 100,000 sales a year.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says it is giving new car buyers greater confidence following the approval of its New Car Code of Practice.
The Sewells Dealer Attitude Survey, seen by AM, reveals an improving relationship between retailers and carmakers – in direct contrast to the information published last month by the RMI, which claimed that dealer-manufacturer/importer relationships were at a decade low.
The automotive repair sector is edging closer towards “Rip-Off Britain II” after coming under attack from the national press based on a tabloid-style servicing survey which involved less than 0.01% of the market.
Jaguar workers facing redundancy when the manufacturer’s plant in Coventry closes next year have received the support of deputy prime minister John Prescott, who is urging Ford chiefs to reconsider the move.
