The bosses of two of Europe's leading car makers have defended the new car pricing structure , blaming the lack of tax harmonisation and currency fluctuations on Continental price differences.
Honda president Hiroyuki Yoshino has scotched speculation that the Japanese carmaker is poised to purchase “up to 49%” of the rescued Rover group. Honda's partnership with Rover ended in 1994 after the BMW acquisition.
Phoenix is to curtail “flashy” expenditure on high-profile motor shows, cancelling plans to exhibit Rover cars at the Birmingham motor show in October.
Mercedes-Benz is planning to sell left-hand drive Smart cars in the UK by the end of the year, possibly with a launch at the Birmingham Motor Show in October, with right-hand variants going on sale in 2001.
Unions this week attempted to block the appointment of Kevin Howe as chief executive of Rover Cars. TGWU official Tony Woodley is thought to have told Phoenix head John Towers that Mr Howe would not be an appropriate choice.
Ford of Britain, which last year recorded a pre-tax loss of £119m, has increased its retail influence with the purchase , for an undisclosed price, of two Surrey dealerships through Polar Motor Group.
Sir Richard Branson has thrown the gauntlet in front of UK franchised dealers by vowing that Virgin Cars will become the No1 motor retailer and 'the biggest car dealership in the country'.
Mercedes-Benz plans to broaden its appeal in the UK to younger drivers and achieve a better balance between retail and corporate customers.
Lookers plc this week became the first victor in Renault and Nissan's radical shake-up of its dealer networks in the UK and elsewhere.
Mario Monti, the EC Competition Commissioner, who has responsibility for reviewing Block Exemption in 2002, has cast doubts over the degree of competition between dealers selling the same makes of car.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation has warned the Government its plan to introduce “volume related” discounts on wholesale car prices could eliminate many rural and provincial dealerships and rapidly reduce competition.
Land Rover will grow faster and further under new owners Ford, according to managing director Mike Wright.
Virgin Cars has again looked to the motor industry to fill vacant management positions after appointing Richard Whitton as group operations director.
Tata plans to “strengthen” its UK dealer network to prepare for the Indicar hatchback launch early next year. The Indian car company will add 30 more dealerships by December, taking the total number of franchised outlets to 80.
Used car values have this month suffered their worst slump since the current market downturn started in July 1998, falling by 7.7% compared to May last year.
The industry is going through a period of uncertainty which may last through the summer -perhaps even until the next registration plate change at the beginning of September.
Carmakers are still trying to find the right marketing formula to shift the metal amid clear signs customers are staying out of the showrooms and waiting for headline prices to drop.
Repairers have been warned that they may face a slump in business over the next 12 months if the Government forces carmakers to reduce UK prices.
Paint manufacturer Standox, part of the DuPont-owned Herberts division, is following the e-commerce trend with the launch of electronic trading facilities for its bodyshop customers.
R-M Automotive Refinish is securing additional bodyshop business in the UK through a pact with Churchill Insurance.
Former Drake Insurance claims manager Doug McKinnon returns to the crash repair business next month with a new web-based initiative called Plexus Online.
Renault's wholly-owned Retail Group has reported excellent initial feedback to its Bright initiative, with as many as 500 customers signed up to the fledgling loyalty scheme.
The House of Lords has endorsed the view of the Court of Appeal that some credit hire agreements could be exempt from the provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The Lords also dismissed the cross appeal on the mitigation of loss and damages.
BDML Connect is targeting parallel and grey import buyers by launching MasterQuote Import insurance.
The RMI is developing a national approved repairer agreement for the insurance and car body repair industries following discussions with the ABI.
Industry trade associations have expressed concern over the growing number of complaints from their bodyshop members about parts availability.
