The top 12 technicians entered for the Top Technician of 2006 Award have been decided after the regional semi-finals.
The National Consumer Council is due to report on the findings of its investigation into the motor industry this week (March 31) and will inform the Government whether it intends to make a super-complaint against the £6bn car repair and servicing sector.
The East Anglian retail sector has seen a flurry of activity over recent weeks with acquisitions, expansion and a management buyout.
South coast automotive retailer Hendy Group is on the expansion trail with the acquisition of a Mazda dealership in Hampshire.
The fortnightly competition for a bottle of bubbly from AM.
Black cab manufacturer LTI has been forced to clarify its position on approved parts following a complaint made to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) that it was in breach of block exemption regulations.
Motability has introduced new standards for service, maintenance and repair to its dealer partners.
Workshops are abandoning mineral oils and switching to synthetic oils according to the 2006 Sewells Engine Oil and Supplier Survey.
Quality remanufacturing and reconditioning in the UK’s automotive aftermarket is worth £250m per year, according to a study for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Lookers subsidiary Charles Hurst has launched a service scheme for older vehicles at its eight Nissan and Renault dealerships in Northern Ireland.
Performance exhaust manufacturer Milltek Sport has opened a logistics and sales centre at Pride Park, Derby, as part of its bid to expand its UK and overseas business.
XPart AutoService centres are offering customers a free car health check at all of its 185 branches.
Aftermarket supplier Motaquip has reached what it calls a ‘landmark agreement’ with the RAC to become a national approved parts supplier to the company’s network of breakdown patrols.
Pebley Beach Suzuki mechanic Martyn Owen has been named Suzuki’s UK Technician of the Year.
The Consortium of Automotive Aftermarket Retailers (CAAR), has announced details of its 2006 annual trade show and gala dinner.
The galloping consolidation of the UK car retail industry will reach a new furlong marker by the May Day weekend.
Arnold Clark Automobiles, the UK’s second largest car retail group, has been buying up substantial chunks of land in England in preparation for expansion over the next couple of years.
Automotive Skills has established a designate board in an attempt to ensure the industry is well positioned for a successful bid this year to establish a Skills Academy for the retail motor industry.
Wheel alignment goes further than just preventing excessive tyre wear and tracking problems. For bodyshops it is also an important safety element and omitting an alignment check can have serious implications.
BMW’s financial results for 2005 published last week (March 15) show that it is still one of the most profitable large scale carmakers. Toyota is similar. Only Porsche makes better margins.
Car production has dropped by 8.6% in February compared to last year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The RMIF is using its winter dealer attitude survey as a basis for discussions with manufacturers designed to bring about improvements for themselves and their dealer networks.
Location, location, location. Never has the old adage rung more true than when choosing where to build a dealership.
Colt Mid West group aims to open its new Mitsubishi dealership in Weston-super-Mare on June 1, filling an important open point for the franchise and boosting the group’s turnover by £8m to total £65m.
Companies have been warned to plan effectively for vehicle movements following the death of a construction worker at Toyota’s plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.
Mercedes-Benz of Bishops Stortford has taken the wraps off its extended dealership this month. It follows a £2m redevelopment, which has increased the premises by two-and-a-half times.
Sytner is now only weeks away from relocating its BMW franchise in Chigwell, Essex, into a purpose-built facility in nearby Loughton.
A Ford dealership in Kent has launched an initiative to win new car orders from local businesses by offering them individually tailored packages.
Nidd Vale Motors in Harrogate has won the Seat Go! Award after only one year with the franchise.
Duncan Collins, BMW dealer council chairman and chairman/managing director of Stephen James, Enfield, North London, says he is not surprised with the BMW result in the NFDA survey, but he is optimistic for the future.