AM's stories of the year: September-October

These are the most read stories published on am-online.com from September and October 2014.

1) Dealership director jailed for sale of unsafe car

A director of a car dealership in Greater London has been jailed for one year for selling two unsafe vehicles.

2) Unmanned car sales centre set to open in Yorkshire

In a pilot initiative, Colin Appleyard Cars is set to open an "unmanned" car sales showroom where customers will browse and choose their car without a sales executive.

3) First pictures: Jaguar XE to rival BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class

Jaguar has unveiled its new XE compact saloon, the British brand's rival to the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.

4) Knights Group: Why we extended our working hours to 2am

Knights Group aftersales director Ian Dow explains why he has extended working hours, up to 2am for some departments, and why the motor trade needs to follow the lead of other retail sectors on customer convenience.

5) Rolls-Royce gets largest ever fleet order for Louis XIII luxury limousines

British luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has received its largest ever single order for a fleet of 30 bespoke extended wheelbase Phantom luxury limousines.

6) Salesman prosecuted after private sale of Nissan from car dealer's stock

A car salesman has landed a suspended prison sentence for fraud after privately selling a Nissan from his dealership's stock.

7) Exclusive: 'Honda is on the mend' - dealer council chairman

A lack of new models, particularly in segments it used to be strong in, has led to year-on-year decline in the Honda brand. Its reputation for technological innovation has also paled as a result.

8) Tesla: no room for UK dealers (or aftersales profits)

Almost a year on from opening its first UK retail location, Tesla has transformed from a company looking after a handful of Roadster models to one which is starting to build some scale. However, franchised dealers have not been invited to the party, and aftersales will not be a crucial profit centre.