Haynes Publishing Group has bought Vivid Holdings BV, a Dutch-based provider of technical information to the professional automotive market.

It means the automotive repair manual publisher is now a market leader in the supply of digital technical information to the continental Europe market.

Vivid products are offered in 19 languages and are available in online web-delivered versions or in DVD format. They are widely used by professional mechanics who deal with servicing, maintaining and repairing automobiles and heavy trucks.

Eric Oakley, Haynes publishing group chief executive, said: “Haynes is the market leader throughout the English speaking world in car and motorcycle manuals for motorists wishing to avoid large bills for servicing and maintenance. We can now take Vivid products to new geographical markets where Haynes has a strong presence but Vivid does not.”