On January 1, 1997, the Second EC Directive on the Driving Licence brought about changes in the entitlement to tow trailers.
The days of the Primera and Almera are numbered as Nissan reconfirms its direction as a manufacturer of niche, 4x4, pick-up and lifestyle vehicles with the announcement of a new mini-MPV and a compact crossover vehicle for its Sunderland plant.
The Financial Services Authority has more than doubled the size of its inspection team to around 400 staff and has vowed to go crack down on unauthorised firms.
SsangYong has begun giving its dealers specialist off-road training to help boost sales of the Rexton 4x4.
The Qashqai concept, now codenamed P32L and to be built in Sunderland from next year, was revealed at the Geneva show in March 2004.
Hyundai has closed a gap in its UK dealer map with the appointment of Seafield Motors at Inverness as its most northerly mainland outlet.
Lotus and Lexus have both announced top management changes. Steve Settle replaces Karl Schlicht as director of Lexus. Clive Dopson becomes managing director of Lotus Cars.
Scotland’s oldest established motor group, Macrae & Dick, has opened a new Jaguar showroom at Inverness to serve the Highlands and Islands.
Ringways Motor Group has opened the first showroom-only Ford main dealership in the UK.
Daihatsu expects to open at least seven more outlets in 2005 as it continues a recruitment drive which saw it gain 40 dealerships last year.
Here are the finalists for the AM Awards 2005 – congratulations to all the companies shortlisted.
Land Rover’s technician apprenticeship programme has been commended by the Learning and Skills Council following a record intake of 430 apprentices.
DaimlerChrysler has announced that its group profits have risen but revealed a collapse in profits for its luxury marque, Mercedes.
Lexus’s new IS will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show at a press conference on March 1.
The Asda supermarket chain has announced a £10m permanent reduction in its motor premiums, representing an average saving of 15% on the previous price of its own-brand fully comprehensive cover.
The new Ferrari F430 Spider will make its world debut when it is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show (March 3-13, 2005).
Hyundai sold 25,871 vehicles in Europe in January, an increase of 4% over the same month last year.
BMW has issued a recall of up to 20,000 diesel models following the discovery that some fuel-injection pumps supplied by Bosch are faulty.
Dealers who have been failing to sales prospect in the record new car market of the last few years are at their most economically vulnerable now - just as the market is starting to fall away.
HPI has revealed that 1 in 11 checks on cars have odometer inconsistencies.
Renault is presenting a new 2005 model Laguna at the Amsterdam Motor Show this month, offering two body styles, Hatch and Sport Tourer.
Toyota has announced that Katsuaki Watanabe, will replace Fujio Cho as president in June as long as shareholders approve.
A high-performance version of the Chrysler Crossfire, the SRT-6, will arrive in the UK in April featuring a 330bhp 3.2 V6 supercharged engine.
The Invicta Car Company revealed its first foreign marketing venture today, when its new agreement with Netherlands-based Nimag to import and sell the range of British-built 170 mph S1 luxury two-seater sportscars in the Benelux countries was announced at the Amsterdam Motor Show, the AutoRAI.
ReMIT, the motor trade's training business, is strengthening its presence in the north west by relocating to new offices at the Manchester College of Arts and Training's motor industry skills campus in Openshaw, Manchester, recently refurbished at a cost of £3.5 million.
A new Europe-wide bodyshop group has been formed, with the Retail Motor Industry Federation representing UK businesses.
Mazda has hit a 2% passenger car market share in January – for the second time in six months – thanks to increased volumes of Mazda6, Mazda3 and the B-Series pick-up.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has revealed that global sales are down nine months into the financial year by 214bn yen (£1.1bn) to 1,617.9bn yen (£8.2m).
Renault has announced that 2004 net profits have risen 43% to €2.4bn (£2.9bn) and sales rose 8% to €40.7bn (£28bn).
The one-millionth car equipped with a diesel particulate filter system (DPFS) rolled off the PSA Peugeot Citroën assembly line at the end of January.
