News - Page 1355

BOC Industrial is bringing out its welding and cutting manual, BOC Tradefile, in a new hardbound catalogue and for the first time in the UK is to make it available to retail teams and over the counter at selected BOC Industrial trade outlets.

Mazda Motor Europe sales were up by 1% year-on-year last month, with 20,422 vehicles sold.

Thatcham, the motor insurance repair research centre, has announced that Pierre Lefevre, chairman and chief at Groupama and a member of the ABI general insurance council, will take over from Andrew Torrance as chairman of the board.

An aftersales consultantcy company has defended the UK’s mechanics following a recent article published by Direct Line, entitled ‘Cowboy Mechanics’.

Mercedes-Benz will reveal its new seven-seat SUV GL-class at this year’s North American International Auto Show in January.

The Retail Motor Industry Federation has appointed Beryl Walsh-Atkins as director of member relations, following the group’s restructuring.

Automotive Data Processing (ADP), the US transaction processing and information systems supplier has, acquired Kerridge, the UK automotive computer provider, for approximately $300 million (£171.3m) in cash.

Skoda sales reached a total of 2,560 in November, resulting in year-to-date sales of 34,989.

David Hudson, previously operations director of Motor World, has been appointed as managing director following the departure of John Mousell, who has retired.

Jaguar’s new XK will feature a Macromedia Flash screen developed by Alpine for its touch screen ‘infotainment’ system, which will go on sale early next year.

Ford’s Edge crossover utility vehicle will make an appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January.

Honda has made its first retail sales of new Civic, almost a month before the official launch.

Audi has enhanced its A4 and A6 ranges.

Malaysia’s biggest carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd expects to export 100,000 cars a year by 2008.

The future of Longbridge is descending into a soap opera which may not have a happy ending, Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson has warned.

The Grimsby Institute of further and higher education has launched its automotive Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).

Jaguar and Land Rover were this week named as winners of the first Women in Science Engineering and Technology (SET) Award at the Working Families Employer of the Year Awards in London.

EurotaxGlass’s has appointed four new senior customer relationship managers to help it meet growth targets across a number of key automotive sectors.

Hyundai has increased its sales in November with 2,359 units sold compared to 2,307 last year.

Nissan has revised its 350Z sports car for 2006.

The Jaguar XK has been awarded the Engineering and Technology Award at the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards in London this week.

The Automotive Academy is establishing itself in the automotive industry, with 66% of companies now aware of its existence, an increase of 34% in the last year.

Volvo has gone all hip and produced an iPod adapter and ‘digital jukebox’ as accessories for its range.

PSA Peugeot Citroen is planning to expand production at its Trnava plant in Slovakia to 150,000 vehicles per year.

Their dealers must be salivating at the prospect. In two years or so, Audi and Nissan will join the supercar elite, with four-wheel drive flagships to cast a golden hue on showrooms’ more mundane models.

The head of remarketing at a major manufacturer told me last week that when customers browse the internet for a used approved car, not only do they have far more chance of finding the right car in the right specification, the right colour and often at the right price, they are more likely to part with their money for it.

Discovery’s got two sorts of reputations, and both are deserved. The first is for being a go-anywhere, do-anything 4x4, happy to tackle, snow mud and desert

Conventional wisdom in the Eighties and Nineties was that big car companies would carry on swallowing smaller ones until a few mega-groups would finally emerge.

The cost of freehold and leasehold property is up. Stephen Briers assesses the impact.

Mini’s John Cooper Works engine tuning kit is now available with automatic transmission.