News - Page 1303

Caledonia Fiat and Alfa Romeo on Port Way, Ashdon on Ribble, has been named the UK’s Aftersales Distinction Dealer of the Year by Fiat Auto UK, at an awards ceremony held in Rome last week.

Peugeot has planted two million trees in an area of deforestation in Brazil to create a forestry ‘carbon sink’, which it started in 1999.

A new 3.6-litre V8 engine is now being produced at Ford's Dagenham diesel centre.

Lexus has unveiled its new LS 600h at the New York International Auto Show today, with the world’s first full hybrid V8 engine.

Mitsubishi Motors UK’s sales are down from 11,274 sales in Q1 2005 to 10,498 in the first quarter of this year.

Lind BMW has successfully moved to a new four and a half acre dealership in Norwich.

Last year, Volvo UK was budgeting to sell 43,000 new cars, a rise on 2004 of 12%. It ended up at 38,400, down 4%, but managing director Hugh Reid is not despondent about the apparent setback.

DaimlerChrysler expects profitability to improve this year after its new management model was put in place in January, cutting 6,000 administrative jobs.

Lookers is warning its shareholders that franchise agreements with manufacturers will be terminated if they sell their shares to Pendragon.

European Kia sales totalled 65,179 in the first quarter of this year, a 3% gain over 2005.

Total Western European car sales reached 1.7 million units in March, an increase of 4.1% in comparison with the same month last year.

The Continental GTC, Bentley’s new luxury 2+2 convertible, will be officially unveiled at the New York International Automobile Show, which starts on Friday.

Jaguar’s new XK now has a stolen vehicle tracking device titled ‘JaguarWatch’ available as an added option.

Smart is being pared back to a single model, the ForTwo. In a shock announcement, DaimlerChrysler admitted it was in negotiation with manufacturing partner Mitsubishi to terminate production of the ForFour.

The Automotive Trade Show will run at the NEC in Birmingham from April 25-27, featuring garage and body-shop equipment makers, as well as manufacturers.

The strengths and weaknesses in the relationship between dealers and manufacturers will be analysed in the latest survey from AM sister title Sewells.

SAIC subsidiary Shanghai Motor Manufacturing, will export vehicles to Europe under its own brand next year, some of them incorporating the designs of MG Rover cars, the FT has reported.

Mercedes-Benz had its most successful month ever in March, registering 16,596 new cars.

West London Nissan, has acquired the former Lookers Nissan garage on Watford Way, Mill Hill.

Small businesses are failing to adopt the security controls needed to protect their customers' information, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

Invicta Motors Ashford, local Ford main dealer and part of the Summit Auto Group, is offering new deals for driving instructors on its cars.

Smart is launching a special edition Roadster, as the model nears the end of its life.

Reaching out to the “disenfranchised and credit-impaired car buyer by treating them correctly” is the avowed aim of Warrington-based Blue Motor Finance and its sales director Peter Critchley.

Seat is pushing keenly priced PCP and HP deals on run out Ibiza stock up until the end of this month, plus Altea and Toledo upgrades.

Fitting higher security laminated glass to cars’ side windows could and should help reduce insurance premiums by combating the malaise of smash and grab thefts included in an eight-fold increase in traffic-bound muggings during the past three years.

PCP pioneer Ford is matching deposits to payments on three models: the Ka Design 1.3, three-door Fiesta Style 1.25 and Focus Sport 1.4.

Stateside Chrysler incentives reflect a fever pitch USA market.

Captive finance companies, representing the top-selling three Japanese brands in the UK, emerge as the dominant performers in providing services to franchised used car retailers, according to a Sewells survey.

GMAC is continuing backing for Vauxhall’s British Touring Car Championship with its livery carried on Works Astra VXR sports hatches.

Siemens Financial Services is overseeing a £5m investment to facilitate Kia’s expansion into the fleet sector this year with an enlarged demonstration fleet for its 155-strong retailer network.