The first few days of December brought the cuts to list prices which the industry had been waiting for. A flurry of announcements from VW, Peugeot and Fiat – all of which had held out against the tide of change – brought some order to the market.
'We've cut our rates again' boasts the latest leaflet from Tesco Personal Finance. It is the type of headline most likely to attract attention – but the rate cut is only for loans of £15,000 or over as the supermarket moves into line with Lombard and Alliance & Leicester.
New car sales to retail buyers accelerated by more than one-third last month, which SMMT viewed as a return of confidence to the marketplace. The November figure was the highest on record.
The latest figures from the Finance and Leasing Association suggest dealers are losing yet more business to direct lenders and high street banks. This will come as no surprise to anyone on the front line of car sales.
There was an immediate answer when Ian McAllister was invited to identify the most demanding 12 months in his reign as boss of Ford in the UK. “This year, without doubt, has been the toughest," he said.
##Nissan badge--left## Nissan has said it will not wait for a European Commission decision on whether to sanction a £40 million UK government aid package for its Sunderland plant before deciding on where the new Micra will be built.
##Navtrak--right## Navtrak has cut the price of its telematics system and added services in a bid to attract more orders from dealer groups.
Dealers are recording huge increases in online sales through a combination of their own websites and stock locator sites, according to AutoLocate.
Some car buyers still hold doubts over the integrity of the internet but a new initiative launched by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) could give those consumers the confidence to share information and make online transactions.
TMS Motor Group was selling new TVRs via its www.tmstvr.co.uk website within 24 hours of the Birmingham motor show unveiling.
WebGravity today announced the launch of a new online search engine optimisation service that will help companies in the automotive sector become more 'visible' on the internet.
General Motors, the Ford Motor Company and DaimlerChrysler have announced they are to unite to form an internet portal serving the $550 billion global parts and servicing market.
BMW's new Hams Hall engine plant will be starting production as planned in January, three years after construction started.
Honda (UK)says it will record its eighth successive year of growth in 2000 with sales in excess of 68,000 cars, taking the manufacturer above 3% of the UK new car market for the first time.
Ford may stay away from next October's London Motor Show, and so produce the biggest threat yet to the long-term future of the event.
Today's decision by the Bank of England to leave interest rates unchanged at 6% for the 10th month in a row has been given a cool reception by the motor industry.<p>
##Pockets--left## Millions of pounds spent on marketing and ad campaigns by car retailers determined to carve out a profitable niche in the new dotcom forecourts could be money down the drain, according to new research.
##John Woolatt--right##
Residual values in the UK have slumped by 9.3% over the past six months, according to the latest Eurotax residuals index, on the back of falling new car prices and widespread oversupply. STEPHEN BRIERS reports
##Greenhous--left## Nearly new car dealers are beginning to shun auctions, preferring to source stock from a wider range of suppliers, according to research from Greenhous Remarketing Services.
The Government has announced plans to make mandatory the recording of vehicle mileages on registration documents in a bid to stamp out car clocking, which is claimed to cost UK motorists £100m a year.
It has been one of the hardest and most confusing years in the used car industry, yet there remains an air of optimism as many look forward to the start of a new year.
BCA expects to boost volumes sold online as it fully rolls out its internet trading service BCA Direct to UK and mainland Europe.
Prestons BMW in Colne, Lancs, reports that its website is now responsible for generating around 20% of its used car sales.
Auto Trader is predicting a surge in online car sales after going live on Telewest Communications' Active Digital cable TV service.
Looking back on 2000, the decline in residual values averaged 8% year-on-year, a significant worsening compared to previous years. In 1998, there was a decline of just 2%, while 1999 averaged 5%.
A Government taskforce plans to present next summer the findings of an investigation into the consequences of naming and shaming unscrupulous traders.
Citroen has enhanced choice in the Xantia range with the addition of two more economical engines. Recent RRP cuts of £1,000 now combine with the introduction of a cleaner, more economical 1.8i 16v petrol engine and the upgrade to the diesel range with the 110bhp 2.0 HDi unit.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says November new car sales were "the best on record" and show the biggest percentage rise this year.
##Marshall--right## Multi-franchise Marshall Motor Holdings is in talks with the six-dealership Tim Brinton Group, chief executive Roger Knight has confirmed.
