The repairer's organisation MVRA reports that more new members joined in the last quarter of 2003 months than at any point in the last three years.
Mr Masahiro Moro will take up the post of European vice president for 'selected markets and retail' on 1 April.
Peugeot has launched a new contract maintenance plan called 'Open Road' with fixed monthly instalments starting from £26.75 per month.
Last month's new passenger car registrations in Europe of 1,033,312 units were 2% up on February 2003.
Lookers plc has reported 19% growth in pre-tax profits to £14m on turnover up 22% to £961m for 2003.
BMW has reportedly pulled forward the launch of its much anticipated 1-series in order to keep pressure on VW's slow selling Golf, according to rumours swirling through Munich.
Automotive Skills, the new Government-backed training organisation, has set itself tough challenges to attract top quality staff, including graduates and women, to the sector and close the widening employment gap.
Euro NCAP is likely to add whiplash protection data into its crash safety ratings by the end of this year as part of an ongoing programme to expand the scheme.
Fleet drivers of staple cars like Fords, Vauxhalls and Peugeots could be in for a bit of a shock. Indications are that these manufacturers, together with others that have traditionally used fleet as a way to boost annual registration figures, are considering a new strategy – one that involves a new emphasis on retail business. At most risk are the short-term rental companies.
Motor Solutions, the Barnsley-based superstore operated by former DC Cook dealer group owner Derek Cook, has been linked with negotiations to supply the Civil Service Motoring Association's 350,000 members with new cars.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp has sold its 7.93% stake in potential MG Rover joint venture partner Proton for 11bn yen or $99 million, realizing an 8bn profit.
Renault and Nissan are to publish a joint balance sheet as a means of showing credit rating agencies the fruits of their alliance, and in the hope of securing cheaper credit.
Volkswagen's commercial vehicles subsidiary recorded a €164m operating loss last year, following a 4.9% drop in sales volume to 224, 975 units, the effect of model change investments and the restructuring of production at Hannover and Poznan.
“We're not going to reach the kind of earnings objectives that the company aspires to without making the European operations profitable. It's imperative that we come up with a way to do it,” GM CEO Rick Wagoner said at the launch of the fifth generation Astra.
According to data on the French advertising market reported by autoactu.com, vehicle manufacturers increased their advertising budgets by 1% in 2003 while their sales dropped 6.3%.
Last year, manufacturers present in the US market recalled 19.5 million cars and trucks — or 8% of all light vehicles in use, according to an NHTSA report.
Audatex has now completed its annual paint material price review based on information from the industry's six leading paint brands.
Hastings Direct, the south coast-based insurance intermediary, has become the first insurer to go live with AudaWorkstation Enterprise Edition, the latest generation body repair estimating system from Audatex.
"The creation of a Kia manufacturing facility in Europe is a very significant step in the growth and development of our company," said Yong-Hwan Kim, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Corporation, speaking during the world launch of the Kia Cerato 5-door at the Geneva Motor Show.
Stronger used values for new models introduced in 2000 have given residual values in most European countries a strong start to 2004.
Energy Saving Trust (EST) proposals published on 5 March set out the funding schedule for cleaner vehicle grants in 2004.
"A robust and rigorously applied system of technician accreditation in the retail motor industry is achievable and it would bring major benefits to all stakeholders, consumers included," said Sarah Sillars, chief executive, Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) yesterday.
The Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA has joined the RMIF in rebutting the Consumers Association's criticism of the CarWise Code of Practice, which the SMTA will administer in Scotland.
West European car sales bounced back in February after their 1.8% drop in January, says J.D. Power-LMC. The seasonally-adjusted annualised selling rate topped 14.7 million units after a 2.6% year-on-year increase in registrations to an estimated total, ahead of the mid-month release due from the ACEA, of over 1,050,400 units.
Last month's new car registrations totalled 91,460 units, up 3.8% year on year in a month that normally represents under 4% of annual sales. The rise brought the year to date figure up 5.2% to 289,051 units.
The March issue of Which?, complemented by a news release, says the CarWise schemedue to be launched later this month by the RMI has “fatal flaws”.
Reported remarks by MG Rover chief executive Kevin Howe suggest the firm does not expect to turn a profit before 2006 – though it's not clear what role current plans have in setting the target.
Kia Motors Corporation has selected the Zilina region of the Slovak Republic as the home of its first-ever European assembly plant. Kia will invest a total of €700 million in the new facility, which will have an annual production capacity of 200,000 units per year and create 2,400 jobs.
Following its now unconditional offer for second-largest UK dealer group CD Bramall plc, Pendragon concluded a $177 million loan note issue this week, through a private placement with US institutional investors.
The EC's latest car price comparisons show continuing convergence, but differentials between low-pre-tax price markets Denmark, Greece and Finland and Germany, Europe's biggest and most expensive market, are still considerable.
