Nationwide Accident Repair Services has continued its expansion plans, acquiring the Autobodies bodyshop in Matlock and appointing a new Business Services Division to provide additional network support.
Support is finally building behind the BSI/Thatcham Kitemark for bodyshops, with two of the largest UK motor insurers stipulating it for their approved repairers.
Volkswagen has launched a price-match campaign until the end of the year, which it hopes will attract lapsed retail customers back into the franchised network for services.
Nissan is amending “misleading” advice given to a customer during a warranty wrangle, after intervention by the Automotive Distribution Federation.
Kwik-Fit is to offer windscreen repairs at all of its 670 workshops by the end of the year.
Essex-based automotive components and accessory supplier Pearl has changed hands after 35 years under the control of founder Michael Pearlman, following the completion of a management buyout by three of its long-standing employees.
Smart’s new Fortwo model has received four out of five stars in Euro NCAP’s adult occupant protection rating.
Bodyshops will be looking forward to higher volumes of repairs with the clocks going back this weekend and the onset of winter.
Volvo’s sleek XC60 concept crossover SUV will make its UK debut at the MPH Show in London on November 1.
Westover Toyota in Salisbury has relocated its service department, previously based on Castle Street, into its Nissan workshop in Brunel Road.
Federal-Mogul Aftermarket UK Ltd has promoted UK national accounts manager Mark Page to regional director for UK and Ireland.
The last quarter of 2007 trading is now well upon us and most areas of trading have lived up to budgetary expectations.
Yesterday we held one of our regular AM/Shell Lubricants breakfast briefings. As with previous briefings, the gathered dealers agreed that the biggest issue for the industry is the quality of staff.
Subaru is retraining the sales executives in its UK dealer network in order to tackle the mindset change that comes with selling its new hatchback Impreza.
The European Parliament has voted by a large majority to introduce legislation to cap average emissions from all new cars at 125g CO2/km from 2015.
Evans Halshaw has appointed Mark Watson as dealer principal at its Livingston Renault dealership.
The used car market has experienced a marked downturn in activity over recent weeks, with the usual seasonal weakening in trade demand and prices coming more suddenly than dealers had anticipated.
After a slight increase in average values of part exchanges in July 2007, prices fell slightly in August from £2,092 to £2,034, but recovered ground again to £2,065 in September according to Manheim’s latest market bulletin.
Work needs to be done to simplify the motor trade’s Block Exemption in 2010 and make it applicable across all of Europe, according to Professor Garel Rhys.
British workers have shown a French carmaker how to build more reliable models.
Mercedes-Benz South West’s corporate sales department has clinched an order to supply 45 vehicles to Thrifty Car & Van Rental for an undisclosed sum.
It’s been a difficult year for Renault dealers. Unrealistic sales targets have forced them to push cars into the market to achieve bonus while high list prices have seen heavy discounting. And sales have still fallen 10.43% year-to-date.
Six dealer groups made bids for Dutton Forshaw with Lookers triumphing to take its turnover above £2bn.
Nissan is deciding whether to create stand alone high performance dealerships for its Skyline replacement, the GT-R, when it goes on sale in the UK in March 2009.
Audi will compete directly with the Mini with its new Metroproject quattro concept which made its world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this week.
Volkswagen has revealed the possible successor to its modern Beetle range at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Dealers are losing money by not managing leads effectively and choosing ineffective forms of advertising, according to used car marketing service 2nd Byte.
Inchcape has signed a deal to standardise the operating software for all its dealerships globally.
Car production has risen by 13.9% in September to 139,283 units.
Aston Martin has gone live with APAK’s automated WFS finance system, which replaces its manual system.
