Style replaces boxy image
It’s the emerging carmakers I feel sorry for. The accepted wisdom is that while the latest cars from Hyundai, Kia, Proton, Daewoo et al are not quite up to the standards set by the more-established players, at least they’re cheap enough to attract the bargain hunting motorists.
More car manufacturers are looking to performance brands to add something extra. <b>David Ross</b> reports
Mr T – of TV’s BA Baracus fame – now appears to work in Hyundai’s ad agency. “I ain’t no fool,” rumbles the new Coupe campaign, suggesting that smart buyers look beyond the badge to find a cut-price gem. There’s a thin line between being brave and foolhardy.
American vehicle components manufacturer ArvinMeritor, which has UK locations in Lancashire and Wales, may consider selling its passenger car aftermarket parts business to help global expansion in other areas.
TRW Automotive is offering monthly one-day training courses for users of its internet-based Id diagnostic programme. They will be held at its European diagnostic centre in Monkspath, West Midlands, at a cost of £70 per person.
BMW GB is to pilot a web-based apprentice training scheme with around 20 of its dealerships.
Motor sector training firm Acorn Management Associates has revealed a web-based package to allow aftermarket businesses to monitor their customer service more cost-effectively.
Ask an accountant for a sure-fire way of increasing service profits and the advice will be that every pound cut from costs and expenses is another pound in profit.
Nationwide Autocentres is investing more than £500,000 in technology and training to support an increasing level of fleet and retail repair business passing through the group’s centres.
Wrexham-based Demon Tweeks Direct, which supplies motorsport and performance tuning parts to global markets, has been the subject of a management buyout by its chief executive Jon Minshaw.
The Automotive Distribution Federation has had to order a massive reprint of a leaflet detailing its interpretation of the block exemption regulation revisions.
Deejay Accident Repair Centres is on the road to recovery from last year’s CVA which saw the business forced to cut its workforce by almost a fifth.
Workshops could gain valuable business by reminding customers of the importance of regularly having their car’s air-conditioning unit serviced if they want to avoid the substantial risk of its failure.
Cosmetic repair specialist Dent Wizard International (UK) has moved its headquarters from Telford, Shropshire, to a £2m purpose-built centre beside the M6 Toll junction with the M42 at Curd-worth, Birmingham.
Peugeot dealers have won a landmark ruling under the revised block exemption regulations (BER) that could have far reaching implications for other manufacturers.
BMW will play it safe with the all-new 3-series, set for launch in a year’s time. The company simply can’t afford to take big risks with the Three – the range accounts for around 60% of all BMWs sold.
Citroen is accelerating its campaign to attract more independent repairers to its authorised network by sending out a large-scale mailing to businesses all over the UK inviting them to join the programme.
European Motor Holdings has completed its first step towards expanding with Audi in the West of England with the £1.7m acquisition of Swindon Audi.
Regional dealer groups are facing falling gross margins on car sales as plcs consistently pick up greater returns.
SsangYong’s takeover by China’s largest automotive group, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), has been welcomed by dealers representing the Korean SUV company in the UK.
Plans by the European Union to harmonise car taxation levels in member states could bring new car prices into line across the continent within a decade.
Janie Richardson, sales director for Tiley of Bristol, views the Ssang-Yong deal as a move towards “required stability and continuity.” She adds: “There has been a bit of unrest among retailers and potential buyers but this gives us a foundation to build on.”
Ferrari could be about to sever links with its UK distributor Inchcape if contract talks break down over the next few weeks
Pendragon says its consolidation plan since the acquisition of CD Bramall is running ahead of schedule and it will be looking to buy more dealerships soon
Perrys Group has purchased two dealerships in Lancashire as part of its ongoing strategy of growth by selective acquisition. Nelson Peugeot and Blackburn Mazda have been bought from Walker Farrimond for £700,000 by the AM100-listed dealer group.
The Automotive Academy is planning to put pressure on funding bodies to direct their resources towards accredited training schemes.
AutoExcel’s event director Richard Abels has questioned attendance figures, released by the SMMT, for this year’s joint CV and ATS aftermarket Show.
Retail demand for new cars could dip next month – the new 54-plate change – following last week’s decision by the Bank of England to raise interest rates another quarter of one per cent, to 4.75%.
Audi and BMW have been forced to defend their products after slipping down among the poorest performers in terms of car reliability, according to the latest findings published by consumer magazine Which?.
