Nick Smith on the importance of turning Japanese in the changing western world.
Provisional output data released today by the Office for National Statistics shows car production fell 6% to 153,292 units in March and 2.8% over the year to date. Output for export fell 3.8% in March; production for home markets fell 11%.
DaimlerChrysler is in talks to set up a joint venture in China that would make and export Chrysler cars to North America, an executive for the company says.
Centurion Electronics, one of the biggest names in the UK’s in-car screen sector, is facing a “substantial claim” for damages from a rival which alleges it has breached copyright laws.
Volkswagen Group has combined forces with automotive industry training provider EMTEC to create a purpose built apprentice facility in Ruddington, Nottingham.
Turnover at Armour Group has risen 27% year-on-year.The Bordon-based supplier of car stereo and audio-visual equipment reports “steady growth” in business with Pendragon and Arnold Clark.
The Bosch Car Service programme, created to enable independent garages to enhance and extend their service using the latest Bosch diagnostic equipment, has reached 180 outlets.
A scrapyard owner from Newark, Nottinghamshire, has been fined £50,000 for breaches of health and safety laws which led to employee Simon Teece being killed in a car cutting machine.
Continental Tyres won a trophy for Manufacturer of the Year at the inaugural Tyre & Fast-Fit awards, organised by the National Tyre Distributors’ Association.
Lookers this week officially became a billion pound company when the group in eigth spot in the AM100 reported for the first time that its revenue line had moved into 10 figures.
Jaguar is to scale down production of its X-type model, the Ford-owned carmaker has announced.
News editor Tim Rose and industry editor Tony Willard report on the consequences of MGR administration.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation has urged major clearing bank and finance houses to continue to support MG Rover’s used vehicle stock financing branch as well as other parts of the business.
The £18.1m acquisition of the North-west based Robert Smith Group has seen Inchcape’s representation of Mercedes-Benz almost double this month.
For dealer group Norton Way Motors, one of its best business decisions was collaborating with Honda on the creation of the world’s first Honda Brand Centre in Chiswick, West London.
Volvo dealerships in the UK are investing in new-look interiors as part of the carmaker’s global programme of corporate identity re-design, entitled Volvo Next Face (VNF).
HR Owen has officially opened its new £7.5m purpose-built BMW and Mini dealership on the A40 in West London.
Large companies are increasing their grip on the retail motor industry, with one fifth of the country’s 5,135 dealerships now in the hands of the AM top 20 dealer groups.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has embarked on a new advertising campaign as the company looks for a fifth consecutive year of record sales.
MG Rover’s administrators has received more than 200 parties who are interested in buying MG Rover, 16 of which were from overseas.
New car demand has fallen by 3.34% across Europe in March and 2.12% in the first quarter.
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation is set to build Rover cars in China using British-made parts.
Volkswagen Group has announced a global operating profit of €464m (£317.7m) in the first quarter compared to €329m (£225.3m) last year.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK has won a 2005 Queen’s Award for International Trade.
Cadillac & Corvette Europe has established a UK sales and marketing office at Bracknell, Berkshire, under the leadership of managing director Malcolm Wade.
Demand for used small and car-derived vans at auction is out-stripping that for new models, according to the latest research from Glass’s.
Roger Penske, chairman and CEO of United Auto Group, is to speak at autoretailing 05, the new dealer convention organised by AM and the Retail Motor Industry Federation, at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on June 22 and 23.
Day 2 autoretailing 05 speakers will address the skills and knowledge that today’s professional industry managers need to take their careers and their businesses to the next level of performance.
Comedian and writer Dominic Holland will entertain at the AM100 Dinner at the ICC complex in Birmingham after the first day of autoretailing 05 on June 22.
Opti-rent, Global Self Drive and Autotravel have placed orders with vanmaker LDV for its new Maxus.
