Mergers and acquisitions in motor retailing were worth $689m last year, compared to $2.4bn in 2002, says a new report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
MG Rover has declined to comment on reports in Polish and other media that it has submitted a £700m bid for Daewoo-FSO with a view to transferring 75 model assembly there for 2005.
Lexus has the highest approval ratings in the latest annual Sewells Fleet Operators Attitude Survey - for the third year running, both in terms of UK fleet managers' relationship with the national network of centres and with the manufacturer itself.
Local authorities in England and Wales will be asked to publicly justify and regularly review taxi licence restrictions as part of a Government plan to improve service for consumers without centralised control of cab licensing.
International Motors Limited has promoted Nick Pugh to General Manager for Subaru and Isuzu Parts & Accessories.
The proposed Mercedes-Benz Heritage and Technology Centre at Brooklands has been granted detailed planning permission by Elmbridge Borough Council.
According to the latest PwC/eurocarprice.com car price index, average retail car prices in the UK were 3% higher in February than the average for Western Europe, and 4% higher than the average for the euro zone.
Motaquip is renaming its new independent parts retailer support scheme as the Motaquip Partnership Programme; 12 new accounts are planned for this year.
The Dealer Services Group of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) has bought the Michigan-based Automotive Retail Group (ARG) from Electronic Data Systems for an undisclosed sum.
The 2004 budget will help company van drivers who have no private use, but private use tax will rise, hitting the small market for company double cab pickups.
Chancellor Gordon Brown's announcements yesterday included a three-year freeze of VED and company car tax at present levels, and a six-month freeze of fuel duties, while automated road use charging, planned initially for trucks, has been put off until 2008.
Despite an unpredictable climate the clamour among image-conscious Britons to go 'topless' is pushing convertible values up across all years. The trend is revealed in CAP Black Book, the trade guide to current used car values.
International Motors has acquired Showells (Garages) Ltd of Lye, Stourbridge, which represents all three of IM's Japanese marques, saying, “This strategic investment has been made to develop marketing methods to exploit business opportunities presented by the new Block Exemption regulations.”
Among the winners at Wednesday's 2004 Fleet News awards, attended by more than 1,200 people in London, were Volkswagen, which took four of the top prizes.
Warranty Holdings chief executive Peter Head has left the Ford-owned firm “to pursue other interests”, but WH will not say why.
Valeo has brought its Cibie, Marchal, PJ and SWF products under the umbrella of a new collective brand, 'teamValeo'.
2,500 Fiat workers at the Mirafiori assembly plant will be laid off for two weeks of next month, and a further 840 will be laid off for 10 weeks between 12 April and 20 June.
Lexus GB has restructured its marketing, operations management and aftermarket functions.
As part of the pre-audit review of its maiden annual results, body repair group Just Car Clinics Group plc has identified a 'significant overstatement of trading results' in three of its twelve locations.
Auto Data Network, a specialist automotive retail software house quoted on NASDAQ, has invested £6m a 33% share in DCS Automotive, Europe's largest DMS provider. ADN has also acquired the right to purchase the remaining two-thirds equity in DCS Automotive subject to financial performance criteria.
Motaquip is calling for new legislation and rigorous standards to be introduced for safety-critical parts such as steering and suspension to combat a 'growing influx of inferior parts into the UK'
The Malaysian state investment arm Khazanah Nasional has purchased more than half of Mitsubishi Motors' 7.93% stake stock in Proton, recently sold to raise cash. The bank's stake has accordingly risen to 34.3% but it will not make an offer for the remainder of Proton's shares, having been granted a waiver from normal share dealing regulations.
On March 16, 2004, Renault, IDRO, Iran Khodro and Saipa signed the initial terms of their agreement for the creation, as of April 2004, of Renault Pars, a joint venture company, with 51% to be held by Renault and 49% by the Iranian company, AID co.
The Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR) is to be redeveloped by HPI on behalf of the ABI. The new system is expected to be ready mid-year.
Bodyshop Dynamics has launched [bd] on-line, a communications platform that enables fleet operators and insurers to deal directly with over 100 bodyshops online.
Rob Lindley, previously Dealer Operations Director, has been appointed Sales Director at Mazda Motors UK, while Floyd Timms has been promoted to the role of National Sales Manager. <p>
China National Bluestar Group's bid yesterday appears not to have satisfied Ssangyong's creditors.
A total of 97,000 £80 penalties will be issued this week to motorists whose discs expired at the end of December. Prompt payment reduces the penalty to £40.
BNP Paribas leasing and vehicle management subsidiary Arval PHH, which has acquired the Benelux-based Arma Group and opened a Slovakian subsidiary since the start of the year, is expected two-figure growth this year.
Retail used car sales brought mixed results for dealers in February, with those in Scotland, the East Midlands, Northern Ireland and Eastern England all enjoying better performance in February than January, according to the February CAP Used Car Performance Index.
