Autobytel has launched In-drive, a package said to provide “the reassurance of having a company car” for people who opted out of fleet provision.
Jean-Gabriel Carlier has been named Renault Retail Group UK managing director, replacing Bob Bennett who has left the company.
A fleet maintenance and management company has criticised Mercedes-Benz dealerships in London after research revealed labour rates were as high as £100 an hour.
Motoreasy, the one-stop shop motoring services operation which collapsed in August, is relaunching this summer after Castrol provided the investment capital.
BMW is the most popular manufacturer in three out of the nine classes of car, analysis of Auto Trader searches has revealed. Both the 3 and 5 Series models gained more than twice as many searches as their nearest rivals.
Buying priorities in the north and south of the UK are subtly different, according to Auto Trader research. Northern motorists have markedly greater interest in cars like the Vauxhall Vectra and Ford Mondeo, whereas their southern counterparts seem more disposed to the idea of driving sportscars.
Image is important to online buyers, says Auto Trader, judging by vehicles that increased in popularity over the past 12 months. Those showing the largest rise in demand have been launched since 1998 and received critical acclaim reflected by their popularity second-hand.
Allegations surrounding 'rip-off' prices severely hit new car sales last year, causing many people to delay purchases, with some turning to the grey import market.
By running Ferrari GT racing and touring cars, Prodrive has a connection with one of the most glamorous sectors of motorsport.
Prodrive chairman David Richards, a former world title-winning rally co-driver and navigator, was renowned for making rapid decisions on winding forest tracks. Now he applies corresponding nerve and meticulous preparation to negotiate the concealed curves of business life.
Nidd Vale Group has opened the UK's first combined Vauxhall and Saab retail site in a £3m, 3.4-acre development at Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The 40,000 sq ft showroom can display more than 200 cars.
General Motors has made a £549m bid to acquire Daewoo Motor, according to unconfirmed press reports in Korea.
Volkswagen is to appeal against a European Commission fine of £18.65m which is seen as a warning to manufacturers ahead of Block Exemption review. Other carmakers are understood to be under investigation by Brussels officials for violating European trade rules.
The Department of Trade and Industry has singled out Ebbon-Dacs as an e-commerce 'guiding light' for the automotive industry.
In the first five months of 2001 Mercedes-Benz says it has "shattered" two decades of UK car sales records.
Tough new measures to ensure vehicle body repairers are complying with environmental laws are soon to be announced by the RMI.
Vauxhall is facing continued losses this year because of pricing pressures, the strength of sterling and weak demand for ageing models, according to its chairman.
Labour has won a historic landslide victory in the general election, giving the Tory's a severe drubbing that left their leader William Hague with no choice but to resign.
Dealers must not underestimate the importance of training with both manufacturers and specialist providers, according to Guy Allman of BTC.
The new Mondeo made its auction debut at a special Ford Sale at BCA Nottingham this week.
Five Volkswagen dealers have been given fleet distinction awards in recogition of their performance in the fleet market.
As the country heads to the polls today, the RAC Foundation has criticised the political parties for failing on transport in their election manifestos. It analysed the main party manifestos and found transport was not a priority.
Former Vauxhall fleet sales director Bill Parfitt has been appointed executive director, sales, marketing and customer care after current incumbent Ian Coomber announced his intention to retire in September.
Honda is recalling more than 4,800 of its new Civic 5-door in the UK after discovering faulty fuel filler pipes.
'Excellent' deals in UK showrooms led to the continuing rise in new car registrations last month, according to the SMMT.
Piers Trenear-Thomas of RSM Robson Rhodes analyses trends in automotive retailing over the past decade. RSM RR produces the AM100 list of the UK's leading motor retail groups in partnership with Automotive Management. This article is based Mr Trenear-Thomas's presentation at the AM100 dinner
BMW is confident the new Mini, on sale next month, will sell its full allocation of 20,000 units in the UK next year, putting the carmaker among the top 10 best sellers.
A confidential survey among Britain's leading motor retail groups has revealed deepening concerns about manufacturer power as DaimlerChrysler prepares to confront many of its Mercedes-Benz dealers in the High Court.
A September market as high as 400,000 registrations was one of the forecasts made at the latest AM event, held at the Birmingham ICC.
