News - Page 1351

Proton’s new Savvy will be priced from £5,995 on-the-road when it goes on sale next month.

Honda is expecting to achieve record European car sales during 2005, with a forecast of 285,000 units sold.

Ford has boosted its Streetka range with a ‘Winter’ variant to cope with the UK’s harshest winter in years (this was predicted by the weather people, who then predicted that it actually wouldn’t be that cold).

Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing centre has produced its first new XK sports car.

The first stage of a trial of vegetable-based vehicle fuel has been declared a resounding success.

This has been a tough year for the UK retail motor industry, and many dealers would regard that as an upbeat assessment.

Honda is looking to grow its network by 10% over the next 30 months, according to Ken Keir, managing director, Honda UK.

The RMI Federation’s National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has set up a working party to look at the burden of new legislation and, in particular, Block Exemption.

Next year’s British International Motor Show is promising to return to London with a radically new format, including rock concerts, powerboat displays and a 1.4 mile test track.

Consolidation will quicken next year. Across each sector of the industry we will see more acquisitions and, unfortunately, more failures.

It’s decision time for Toyota’s top brass: will they give Lexus’s supercar the green light?

Leicester-based Sytner Group this week acquired a majority stake in Wiliam Jacks plc from Malaysian parent Johan Holdings Berhad.

FPS has added Pearl Products to its list of suppliers in its new non-component program.

BMW’s Swindon plant will celebrate its 50th anniversary of manufacturing pressings this month at its site in Bridge End Road, Swindon.

Dealer groups need to make their property assets work harder for them and reduce wastage, according to motor trade property specialists.

Property refurbishment specialist Dean & Bowes has secured its first contract with Ford Retail UK with the announcement of a fast track project at Heartlands Ford in Birmingham.

Mercedes-Benz retailer Greenoaks of Slough hopes to see the New Year in with the opening of its refurbished site.

Bramall & Jones has moved its Derby Audi site into a new showroom at Pride Park, Royal Scott Road.

Hugh McMahon, owner of Glasgow Audi, the world’s biggest Audi showroom when it was opened last October, is to build a second dealership.

Gwyndaf Evans Ford, in Dolgellau, Wales, is facing opposition for plans to move to a new site alongside the A470.

Platts of Longton, has added the SsangYong franchise to its dealership in Stoke-on-Trent.

A local landmark first opened by ex-Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell in 1991 is shining brightly again at Renault Manchester.

Chrysler has six right-hand models for launch in the first seven months of next year and it is also launching the US monster brand, Dodge in the UK.

A group of ex-MG Rover managers are in talks to buy the rights to make the former Longbridge company's supercar as part of its plans to revive the famous Austin Healey badge.

A flagship BMW dealership is offering drivers a free game of golf while they wait for their cars to be serviced.

Analysts believe John Clark Group is staging a recovery following what is described as “a serious breakdown in accounting systems and controls” at an unnamed subsidiary in 2003.

Autoclenz is targeting for a commanding share of the fragmented outsourced vehicle preparation sector, following an £18m management buy-out from Yule Catto, the chemicals group.

Dealer standards at the three General Motors brands sold in the UK are being brought into line from January 1.

Pentagon has acquired the Mansfield Vauxhall dealership from Hartwells, its third purchase from the group in little over a month.

Around 130 dealers who were part of the MG Rover network are still waiting for confirmation from Nanjing Automotive on whether production is to restart at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham.