The UK's motor retailing sector has a severe crisis in technician recruitment , according to the seventh Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI)/Sewells 2003 Retail Motor Industry Pay Guide.

The President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Mike Baunton, warned of a growing cash drain facing the British motor industry if nothing is done to counter the current strength of the pound.

The three main unions representing Fiat workers in Italy facing more than 8,000 redundancies under the ailing carmaker's business recovery plan have announed strikes.<

Cost savings linked to personnel reductions at Chrysler were the driving force behind DaimlerChrysler's better-than-expected results in the third quarter. It has announced an operating profits of €4.7 billion on group sales of €113 billion. That is a considerable improvement on the year-earlier result of just €781 million of operating profit.

Production figures from the UK Office for National Statistics reveal that car production in September 2002 rose by 9.8% year on year to 144,498 units, bringing the year to date total to 1,242,082 units, up 13.4% on last year.

Kia Motors Corporation is looking to expand its retail network and increase market share throughout Europe after taking control of key distribution operations, including the UK business from MCL Group.

Jaguar's £50m F-type sports car project has not been scrapped, according to company insiders. They insist it is on hold and will be revived when parent company Ford's finances improve.

The Guy Salmon Bodyshop in Coventry has become one of the first crash repair businesses in the UK to be appointed a category A repairer for the predominantly aluminium Jaguar XJ, due to be launched next spring.<

Ashley Croft has resigned as managing director of Stapleton's Tyre Services after more than 25 years with the company his father, Sydney, established in the 1950s.

Toyota believes a “third market” is starting to emerge in Europe for next-generation fuel cars like its hybrid Prius.

Renault's next-generation Clio, due within 18 months, will include a mini MPV in its range, raising the French company's MPV portfolio on the continent to five.<

Paul Williams has left Mitsubishi Motors where he was sales and marketing director to take the managing director's job at Kia UK.

Dozens of companies, including automotive retailer groups and garage equipment suppliers, have already requested AM Awards 2003 entry forms which will be available later this month. The firms will contest 15 categories in the new-look awards that have been expanded following the April relaunch of the fortnightly motor industry news and analysis title Automotive Management and its monthly sister magazine AutoTrade as AM.

Citroen to pick up VAT bill on October new vehicle sales Citroen has confirmed its reputation as the most aggressive deal-maker in the new car market by offering to pay the 17.5 percent value added tax on each sale made this month.<

Renault's radical Avantime and Vel Satis are struggling to make an impact, with sales running at less than half the French importer's original sales targets.

Daewoo Cars' wholly-owned dealerships have stopped accepting aftersales business in the run up to the new distribution operation which will be set up by parent company Daewoo Motor's new owner General Motors.

Continued buyer confusion over the new plate system knocked some of the shine off September's new car registrations. Total sales, at 432,661 units, were just 2.4 per cent down on last year's highest-ever return.

The DTI has confirmed that the former chairman of the failed Finelist Group, Chris Swan, is to face proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act1986.

In the UK, the traditional approach to dealing with business difficulties and failures was: “One strike and you're out!” But times, as they say, are a-changing, writes Bernard McAlister, senior manager at Grant Thornton Motor retail.<

Customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives are doomed to fail when data quality and data security are not seen as the core components of the implementation, says Jonathan Shilling, head of CRM at information systems integrator, Gedas United Kingdom.<

The car that started the 'people carrier' craze in the late 1980s is at the end of its third generation.

Prices for Peugeot's stylish 206 supermini are now looking more attractive. A 25,000-mile 98S 1.1L three-door is around £5k at a Peugeot dealer. Independents offer even bigger bargains: a 99V 1.4 LX three-door with 20,000 miles is £5300 or a 24,000-mile 99T 1.4 GLX with air conditioning, electric windows and remote central locking for just £6k. Sporty 2.0 GTi models start at around £10,500 for a 99T.

The Honda Accord may lack the charisma to be a credible Audi A4 or BMW 3-series rival, but the well-built and good-driving Accord is great value for families.

The Renault Megane hatchback has always been seen as a credible alternative to Astra or Focus and dealers have had a push to get old stock out with big discounts. As a result prices for late 1990s examples are weakening.

We have now seen a full cycle of plate changes under the new system, and it's making very little impression on the buying public. When you think back to the original system of August change it really was quite something to have the latest letter parked on your drive.

Snap-On Sun Tech systems, the diagnostic tools and equipment manufacturer, has announced the introduction of Nexus, a diagnostics solutions package developed specifically for the independent garage and bodyshop sectors.

Lemforder International, Sachs Handel and Schweinfurt have merged to create a new European strategic business unit called ZF Friedrichshafen.<

Components supplier Automotive Products UK - better known as AP Borg & Beck - has changed its name to Automotive Products Driveline Technology following a multi-million pound buyout from AP Group.

He doesn't look it, but Autoglym chief executive Michael Williams is 65 - and has just retired after more than 30 years with the premium car care products company.

Radical new thinking about urgent action dealer groups need to take to ensure future profitability will be presented at 'Putting profit before turnover', an AM automotive forum to be staged next month.