Vertu Volkswagen has begun a £1.4m redevelopment of its dealership in Daybrook, Nottingham.
JudgeService is expanding its workforce and has moved to new premises as the company publishes its landmark 500,000th review.
Visitors to the annual Vehicle Remarketing Association Conference voted 70% in favour of remaining in Europe as senior figures from the financial and automotive sector debated the potential effects of Brexit. A live poll of visitors to the annual event, this year hosted by journalist and former newscaster Ginney Buckley, revealed an overwhelming desire to remain in the common market among those present at Solihull’s Cranmore Park Conference Centre. The live poll saw 26.4% of conference attendees vote in favour of leaving the EU, meanwhile, with just 3.6% stating that they were as yet undecided. The vote came as Jaguar Land Rover director of financial services, David Betteley, Woburn Consulting Group’s financial services consultant Peter de Rousset-Hall and Richard Hill, head of automotive at RBS debated the issue following a presentation from Deloitte senior analyst and economist Debrapratim De. De had told the event that Brexit would “almost inevitably” lead to the reduced availability and the higher cost of finance and a squeezing of the disposable incomes. After stating that the current automotive boom had been built on consumer demand driven by “easy money”, he said that in the event of Brexit: “There would be a short-term credit crunch and 25 to 30% decline of the pound against the dollar. The Euro would also take a hit. “There would be an immediate sell-off in equities and we might see capital flow out of the UK.” De also said that the departure of Britain from the EU, in the event of Brexit, could trigger the “disintegration of the EU”, adding: “There is a growing level of Euro scepticism and nationalism in Europe as a whole and, in a recent survey of European citizens, 48% think that if the UK left the EU others would follow.” But the Deloitte financial experts also said that, in the long-term, Britain could benefit from Brexit, the move creating a “more vibrant, market-driven economy”. He said: “At the moment our economy is strong, our population and industry is growing. I don’t think the world can do without us.” Amongthe panel discusiing the issue of the referendum, Betteley said: “Our corporate view is that we should remain. Europe is an important market for us. We buy a significant amount of components in Europe. We are currently advising all our people to use their vote very carefully.” Hill said: “Britain is often referred to as Treasure Island, but that coincides with periods where the pound is very strong. If that situation changes quite dramatically it would be quite interesting to see what European manufacturers do in terms of sales in the UK given that they wouldn’t represent the large profits that they are seeing today.” This month’s AM magazine will feature the results of a fortnight-long poll of the publication’s online readership which asked which way people would vote in the June 23rd EU referendum. A strong response has allowed AM to break-down details of the age and regional voting demographics, how many people have already made preparations for a possible Brexit and who could be most affected by a potential departure from the common market.
Mandy Servet, of Manheim, puts forward six ways to increase a dealer’s used car performance, in insight gained from the recent NADA convention.
Manheim’s Bristol auction site will feature part-exchange stock from 12 Seat, Škoda and Volkswagen dealerships as part of a new relationship with Sinclair Group.
A Vauxhall Viva will not be flying off the forecourts at Thurlow Nunn’s Diss dealership any time soon – after a blackbird decided to make it home.
Cap HPI has further strengthened its industry insight team to support its international ambitions and UK operations.
Seat is offering customers an additional £500 deposit contribution towards the purchase of all of its new car range as part of its ‘Beautifully Made May event’.
Hexagon is hoping to get a head-start in the fund raising stakes after inviting sports car racing legend Derek Bell MBE to a Le Mans-themed charity evening at its new flagship showroom.
Manheim has appointed Stuart Miles as business development director to help drive the business’s development strategy and sales organisation.
HR Owen has strengthened its Maserati relationship with the opening of a new showroom in Stockport.
Commercial Body Specialists Limited has been fined £20,000 by North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court after two workers were seriously injured on site.
Vertu Motors has recognised the “hard work and talent” work of its staff during its annual Masters Awards.
Bristol Street Motors has unveiled the results of its £600,000 investment in the relocation of its Hyundai dealership in Exeter.
The Kia Sportage proved the UK’s fastest-selling car for a record second month in a row, according to data published by Auto Trader.
Tootle.co.uk is set to launch a £300,000 nationwide ad campaign as it attempts to match more private vehicle sellers with retailers.
Clive Brook Volvo put a selection of the Swedish brands vehicles to the test on a tough off-road course in Yorkshire – and invited 100 customers along for the ride.
Following a trip to this year’s annual NADA convention in Las Vegas, chief executive of The Lead Agency, which owns CarKeys.co.uk, Anton Hanley saw how the need for face-to-face interactions in the car buying process is even more limited than in the UK.
Alphera has seen the majority of plug-in vehicle customers opt for personal contract purchase (PCP) as the method for financing their vehicles, rather than the industry’s expectation for personal contract hire (PCH) to be the preferred method.
Alphera Financial Services director Spencer Halil says it will adapt to challenges in the point-of-sale market by sharing knowledge and thought leadership.
Marshall Motor Group has today announced the launch of a new initiative to attract and retain this key resource by guaranteeing a sales executive salary of £25,000.
Alejandro Noriega is the new head of Fiat’s van sales operation in the UK as country manager, Fiat Professional.
Volvo Cars has unveiled two new concepts that mark the launch of its global small-car strategy.
Vauxhall dealers are to begin work on customers’ Zafiras to carry out work to prevent the risk of the cars catching fire.
Suzuki dealer Luscombe Motors is celebrating being amongst digital giants in using interactive 360-degree interior images on its website.
With the bulk of FCA consumer credit authorisation now complete, the regulator's focus is likely to shift towards enforcement.
Three high-flying Toyota UK retailers were among 46 car dealerships from across Europe which received Ichiban awards for excellence in customer service.
Breaches of consumer protection laws by Revolution Motors has led to Imran Khadam being banned from being a company director.
Wessex Garages has appointed Danny O’Donovan as business development manager at its Renault dealership in Newport.
Mitsubishi Motors’ president and executive vice president will step down following its fuel economy testing scandal as Suzuki admits “discrepancies” in its emissions testing.
