News - Page 1497

The recent expansion of the European Union could help to solve the skills crisis in the body repair industry, believes repairer network ABS.

Controversial proposals to shake up the €10bn (£6.66bn) market for car spare parts have been delayed until September after an intensive lobbying campaign by the motor industry.

UK consumers could afford a larger or better-equipped car if they calculated vehicle finance based on long-term ownership costs, rather than focusing just on the car’s initial purchase price.

Bentley is planning to move to 24-hour working at its Crewe factory after it launches a four-door version of its £110,000 Continental GT coupé next year.

Several hundred Rover cars spanning 100 years will meet at Ragley Hall, near Stratford-upon-Avon, on July 11, 2004.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has announced plans to rationalise its organization.

The issue of diesel residual values continues to dominate the headlines in the fleet market almost as much as the housing market does in the Daily Mail and Daily Express.

Dealer group Marshall of Cambridge is monitoring its service agreements with fleet customers as retailers reacted to claims about poor standards.

GP Automotive, a UK based warehouse distributor, is refocusing its Auto Delta components brand, with the aim of enhancing its presence in the independent aftermarket.

The Toyota Yaris is to be sold with a turn-by-turn satellite navigation with Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA).

Volkswagen is offering additional incentives to promote sales of its flagship Golf model and counter a severe weakening in its domestic market.

Austria is the most expensive country in Europe to have a vehicle breakdown.

Saab is developing an alcohol-sensing device which will encourage drivers to observe drink-driving laws in a bid to reduce road accident deaths.

The Factoring Services Group, (FSG) has produced its most complete accessories catalogue ever, as part of the company’s Auto Centre of Excellence (ACE) retail programme.

Motorists will continue to depend on fossil fuels for at least another 30 years because the alternatives are either impractical or prohibitively expensive, according to an oil industry study.

Centrica, the UK’s biggest electricity and gas supplier, is seeking a buyer for the AA vehicle breakdown services business, which it bought for £1.1bn in 1999.

The UK’s largest newspaper publishing group, Trinity Mirror plc, has awarded a new vehicle supply contract to Vauxhall Motors for its fleet of over 2,100 essential user cars in a deal worth £27m at showroom prices.

The MOT test in Northern Ireland should be privatised to bring it in line with Great Britain, according to the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI).

General Motors has removed key functions from its Opel, Vauxhall and Saab units in an attempt to develop a new unity across the brands.

A Christian car dealer is to close his Mitsubishi franchise rather than open on Sundays.

Mercedes-Benz is launching its new A-Class in spring 2005.

Researching values in the used car market requires a wide range of activity measures to gain a comprehensive picture of the factors driving them.

Citroen’s new car cashback promotion works. It’s got buyers into showrooms, signatures on order forms and increased C5’s sales figures. Currently, Citroen is offering buyers £3,000 back on any C5.

How much do you love your customers? There’s only one answer – lots and lots.

In a service or body repair workshop, the main product is time.

The launch of a business partnership agreement between Honda (UK) and Castrol was announced at the Birmingham moor show.

Car Parts Direct reports a more than doubling of radar detector sales so far this year.

Total UK, part of the French oils and lubes supplier TotalFinaElf, is re-jigging its strategy to reduce focus on French manufacturers and increase sales with other businesses.

PPG’s Original Finish colour-styling team has made its predictions for the colours motor manufacturers will be using in the year 2007 and beyond.

For the first time since 2001, the RAC has overtaken the AA at the top of the annual JD Power UK Roadside Assistance Customer Satisfaction Study.