John Pride, the man who introduced Toyota to the UK in the mid-60s has died of cancer at the age of 72.
Mazda's new flagship car will have best in class residual values when it goes on sale in July, according to CAP Network. The Mazda 6 will retain 35 per cent of its value over three years/60,000 miles.<
Betta Special Waste has won a 12-month contract to cut disposal costs at Vauxhall franchise operations in Worcester, Malvern and Tipton. As part of the deal Betta will remove all service, bodyshop and paintshop special waste from Bicknells' three Vauxhall sites to its own recycling and storage facility in Worcester.
Teamvise, the UK distributor of Teng Tools, LiMiT and Momento, has announced plans to treble its business in five years after becoming a founder member of Toolstars - a European alliance of vehicle technician hand tool distributors.
Professional vehicle workshops of the near future will have a state of the art parts cleaner similar to a new system developed by Rozone, a Midlands-based engine management specialist predicts. Tony Starmer, who runs Auto Diagnostics in Loughborough and who has 46 years' trade experience, first saw Rozone's SmartWasher at the European Automotive Trade Show.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems specialist SmarTire and automotive technology supplier Visteon are to jointly develop and market TPMS as OE for vehicle manufacturers. The companies say they are working to consolidate non-exclusive product development and distribution arrangements after announcing an agreement in principle.
Dealers are dead. But don't order the flowers just yet, say speakers at this year's AM Spring Conference. They believe the automotive sales and aftersales industry can look forward to a bright future, despite the threat of major upheaval in the traditional business environment. The secret? Think like retailers, stay close to customers, and encourage staff retention.
HPI, the used vehicle information specialist, has redesigned its trade guarantee to make it more flexible for automotive retailers. The new HPI Indemnity means that dealers can make sure all vehicles that have been checked are automatically covered.
All those who thought telematics was a new wave band from 1981 - sorry, nil points. While the word was unknown to the automotive industry just a few years ago, telematics is now top of the pops among carmakers as the ever richening technologies of in-car information, entertainment and communications continue to converge on car cockpits.
Cheshire-based Blue Bell group has opened a state-of-the-art BMW approved bodyshop at Brooke Park, Handforth Dean. The new site can handle up to 100 cars a week, more than tripling the capacity when the facility was based at the group's nearby Wilmslow dealership.
Car-O-Liner's new Mark 6 bench is capable of lifting a 2.8-tonnes vehicle to a working height of 1.36m. That's heavier and higher than its predecessors and the chassis repair specialist has ensured the latest system is fully compatible with those that have gone before.
Cars running without an effective cabin filter can subject occupants to as much as six times more pollutants than those to which a pedestrian standing at the roadside is exposed, according to Bosch. Launching a July 1 to September 30 promotion, the company says the conclusion of a study carried out by air quality experts enlisted by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, provides garages with an irrefutable sales pitch for replacement cabin filters.
MG Rover is considering rebadging China Brilliance's medium sector Zhonghua car and selling it in the UK, despite speculation over the future of the two groups' alliance.
Land Rover is expected to spin off its logistics division, which employs 770 staff, as part of an efficiency drive designed to secure future production at its Solihull plant. Ford, which owns the off-road specialist, needs assurances Land Rover can improve efficiency before guaranteeing production of future models. Jaguar underwent similar restructuring at its Castle Bromwich factory a few years ago.
Incoming Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders president Mike Baunton aims to address a number of key issues during his term. Baunton, president of Perkins Engines Company, will succeed Vauxhall chairman Nick Reilly in the post on July 22.
MG Rover has signed a two-year deal to sponsor Aston Villa in a move that is sure to dismay Birmingham City supporting employees and customers. The company says the deal is a “marriage between the Midlands' premier car manufacturer and premier football club” which will raise the profile of the MG and Rover brands through TV and press coverage.
The official sales data won't be out until Monday, but our information already marks May a record month. Provisional new car registrations figures, accurate until May 28, show that month-to-date figures are already up by 1.33 per cent from 154,584 to 156,637 over the same period last year.
Dealers could see their dominance of the UK car market cut dramatically by the end of the decade as new entrants like supermarkets slice into their market share. However, the focus on aftersales and financial services is likely to intensify due to falling margins on new car sales strengthening relationships between carmakers and dealers.
Lex Service, the company that owns RAC, is assembling a new firm to offer drivers financial services as it strives to create a “cradle to grave” motoring solutions network. Working with the UK's third largest general insurer, AXA Insurance, the RAC is creating RAC Financial Services.
Sytner Group has fought off competition from rival dealers to take control of the flagship Toyota World showroom in Birmingham. The dealership becomes Sytner's first Toyota outlet, although parent company United Auto Group has a strong relationship with the carmaker in the US. Sytner is likely to take on more Toyota territories.
Inchcape has set up a deal to sell nearly new cars via the Barclaycard website as it looks to broaden its routes to market and source greater numbers of ex-fleet models. The deal has been established through Inchcape's online car sourcing operation Autobytel. It allows customers to view and order vehicles up to four years old online.
Fiat's creditors have rushed to the aid of the stricken Italian car giant by agreeing to support a £2bn emergency aid package amid fears the ailing carmaker could be sold. Its three main creditor banks - Banca di Roma SpA, IntesaBCI, Sanpaolo IMI - will loan £1.9bn, which can be converted in to equity through a capital increase if the carmaker fails to meet debt targets.
Mercedes-Benz will bypass its dealer network by using 'special agents' to sell the new Maybach range from its launch at the end of the year. The carmaker plans to appoint highly trained personal liaison officers to handle the new super limousine rather than use its established automotive retailers. They will be supported by a team of service specialists with a dozen engineers on national standby.
Mazda will not expand European production despite major cost savings generated by building the Demio replacement, to be badged Mazda 2, in Valencia, Spain, from early next year. According to Lewis Booth, who replaces Mark Fields as company president in July, Mazda superminis produced at Ford's Spanish plant will cost £800 less per unit to build than Japanese-sourced cars.
DaimlerChrysler UK has won a crucial victory in its fight on counterfeit and fake parts after settling a two-year High Court case against Wembley-based Euro Car Parts. The company, which turns over £50m a year from importing German, French and Scandinavian aftermarket parts, has agreed to pay DCUK £50,000 and stop selling Mercedes-Benz branded replica alloy wheels.
Alistair Darling has been handed responsibility for resuscitating the Government's crisis-stricken 10-year transport policy after replacing Stephen Byers as Transport Secretary. Byers, who featured at No 50 in the AM Power List resigned after a troubled 12 months as Transport Secretary.
Mitsubishi UK is planning a significant expansion of its retail network over the next 18 months in readiness for the introduction of its all-new supermini, known internally as the Z-car. Director of sales and marketing Paul Williams says Mitsubishi aims to increase the number of UK retail outlets from 132 to 140 by the end of this year, and to 150 by the end of 2003, just as the Z-car reaches the UK market.
Volkswagen Financial Services has launched a flexible PCP package to help its dealers fight back against direct lenders which are taking a growing slice of the finance market. Dealers in the Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda networks will use the New Solutions PCP to boost penetration levels for new car sales.
Michael Wilmshurst, a director of automotive trade consultant Troy Solutions, has been appointed chief executive officer of Nationwide Accident Repair Services, replacing Adrian Dunleavy who announced his resignation last month.
