Fiat Auto's German import company is pleased with the initial result of its arrangement with mail order house Tschibo to market a special edition Stilo model via the firm's catalogue and website.
July-September used car sales in Britain rose 1.7% to 1,965,027 units, representing the biggest ever quarterly used market total, according to SMMT figures. The first quarter of this year had already set a record with 1,961,340 units sold.
A new flagship V6 diesel for the Jaguar S TYPE will be the first engine produced at Ford Motor Company's advanced £325 million Dagenham Diesel Centre, which was officially opened yesterday by Tony Blair.
Vauxhall Motors and its subsidiary undertakings has reported a loss before tax of £51.4 million in 2002 against a loss before tax of £100.9 million in 2001.
Notes to the 2002 Companies House accounts of MG Rover owner Phoenix Venture Holdings reveal that a trust fund worth £12.95m was set up during the year, raising the group's total directors' remuneration from £3.7m to £15.1m.
Highlights of new registrations figures for October released today by the SMMT are: - Total market volume dipped 1.4% to 181,589 units, but - Diesel registrations rose to a record 29.7% share - Year-to-date registrations are now up 0.3% to 2,254,539 units - Private buyers continue to fuel the new car market with nearly 50% of sales, and full-year private registrations are expected to be the highest since 1990 at around 1.25 million units.
As widely expected, the Bank of England's rate-setting committee has raised the base lending rate by a quarter of one percentage point to 3.75% - the first such rise in almost four years. The decision will raise repayments on the average mortgage of £60,000 by about £9 a month. It is likely also to impact immediately on car manufacturers' finance-related promotions as well as on consumer demand.
Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers into automotive M&A activity in the first nine months of 2003 shows that the retail and aftermarket sectors accounted for almost 40% of total automotive industry transaction volume. But it accounted for only for 14% of total disclosed deal value,as these transactions were in general relatively small in value.
The new BMW Performance Centre at the Rockingham race circuit near Corby, Northants, will accommodate a programme of internal and external BMW activities, featuring BMW cars, motorcycles and associated technologies.
In September last year, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Alliance) and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) agreed with the Automotive Service Association (ASA) to provide independent repairer access to service information and diagnostic tools. It's now a done deal, all three bodies report, without recourse to legislation.
The European Commission has presented a proposal for a Council Directive on equal treatment between men and women outside the workplace – which would outlaw lower women's life and motor insurance premiums.
The latest report on the car body repair market from automotive analysts MFBI says that few if any independent bodyshops will be appointed as manufacturer-authorised repairers because of an overlooked clause in the new regulation.
Toyota has reported first-half net profits rose 23% to 524.5 billion yen in the six months ended September 30, from 425.8 billion yen a year earlier. Sales for the six months to September also hit a record 8.22 trillion yen, up 8.0% from a year earlier, while pre-tax profit rose 13.7% to a record 812.0 billion yen.
The Honda Institute has received a South East Training Award at the recent NTA regional awards ceremony. The entry from The Honda Institute - Individual Skills Training (IST) for car technicians - was one of 16 finalists from over 1,000 entries, with Honda the only automotive company to reach the finals.<The Honda Institute has received a South East Training Award at the recent NTA regional awards ceremony. The entry from The Honda Institute - Individual Skills Training (IST) for car technicians - was one of 16 finalists from over 1,000 entries, with Honda the only automotive company to reach the finals.<The Honda Institute has received a South East Training Award at the recent NTA regional awards ceremony. The entry from The Honda Institute - Individual Skills Training (IST) for car technicians - was one of 16 finalists from over 1,000 entries, with Honda the only automotive company to reach the finals.
Lookers plc's Northern Ireland subsidiary Charles Hurst has completed the acquisition of the two-outlet Vauxhall dealer Savilles Auto Village in the province for £3.3m in cash, and EM Group has bought two John Grose Group Ford outlets in East Anglia.
Citroën is offering savings of some £3,000 on models including the Xsara Picasso MPV, the C5 and the C8 mpv throughout November.
Another new retailer has opened its doors to Daewoo customers – Bowers Daewoo Manchester of Water Street, Manchester.
Instead of hitting showrooms this month as planned, Bentley's Continental GT will not meet orders until sometime in the first quarter of next year – and dealer revenues have not yet justified standards compliance costs.
Van drivers are increasingly being given a say in what vehicle they drive, according to Prof. Peter Cooke of Nottingham Business School, whose second annual Vauxhall-sponsored survey of light commercial vehicle trends has just been completed.
Today, 4 November, ScootElectric, the new UK importer of electric-powered personal transport, introduces a line-up of six two-wheel and three-wheel scooters, powered by electric motors and rechargeable batteries, described as suitable for everyday use by commuters, courier companies and local councils keen to go 'green'.
The SMMT has unveiled its new website for Foresight Vehicle, the UK's national automotive research and development programme. Foresight Vehicle, now administered by SMMT, aims to promote, develop and demonstrate market-driven enabling technologies for future motor vehicles.
Cars Direct has launched an online auction system that can be used on a 'private label' basis by remarketing companies. The launch follows the pilot programme conducted with Leaseplan which is currently holding two sales a month using the system, to 6,000 registered buyers.
The European Garage Equipment Association (EGEA) is to hold a meeting at the Automotive Trade Show section of the 2004 Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham's NEC next March.
The OFT carried out 295 licensing actions in the third quarter of 2003. Between 1 July and 30 September nine consumer credit licence applications were refused and five existing licences revoked.
THE most reliable cars in Britain's company car fleets are revealed in a Fleet News survey covering nearly 800,000 vehicles.
Hundred of company car drivers are being fined every day for entering London's congestion charging zone without paying because they do not understand the new system.
Bosch has become an IMI approved assessment centre, with its training programmes accredited under the IMI's Quality Assured Awards (QAA) programme.
The Aberdeen Press and Journal reports that the Glenvarigill group has ceded its SEAT franchises in Perth and Aberdeen to Town and County Motors. In Aberdeen, Town and County will house SEAT cars alongside its Lexus franchise, and in Perth, alongside Subaru/Isuzu and Daihatsu.
The 73rd Geneva International Motor Show on 6-16 March 2004 will occupy 76,000m2 of exhibition space, including a new hall. Individual stands will be bigger than those at the 2002 show.
Visitors to MG Rover showrooms throughout the UK will have the chance to win the Streetwise, Rover's new model, every day during November.
