News - Page 1428

Last year saw record registrations in Scotland, bucking the dip experienced in England. But profits remain a concern for many dealers with several groups teetering close to the edge.

Motor retailers have issued a call for greater support from their vehicle manufacturer partners in order to overcome the challenges of a stuttering new car market.

Alan Pulham, head of the National Franchised Dealers' Association, is to be replaced by Sue Robinson when he retires in June.

The total number of new cars bought under finance last month fell by 9%, reports the Finance and Leasing Association.

Chris Donkin on why tomorrow’s leaders need to pick the tough foreign assignments.

The recent news in AM that Fiat is going to concentrate on selling city cars and superminis in the UK raises the question of how evenly sales should be spread across segments. Fiat is a bit of a special case: the company sells 75% of its cars in the city car and supermini segments and expects that proportion to rise to 84% in 2006.

Auto Trader last week strengthened its offering in the new car market with the launch of the internet-based New Cars Comparator.

Hyundai Cars, part of the RAC’s manufacturer support services division, will remain in the RAC group if Aviva’s £1.1bn bid for the roadside assistance brand is successful.

Kia UK is calling new dealerships like Spirit Kia in Northampton an “aspiration” rather than a standard – but there are clear signs this is the preferred future of the franchise in the UK.

Car-sharing club, Whizz-Go, is to buy 120 new Citroen C3s each year after extending its offer to London.

Hundreds of Motability dealers have signed up to take part in improved customer service training.

Road user charging could cut congestion significantly but must not be just another tax on motorists, says the CBI.

Nearly half of independent and franchised dealers expect retail business to be ‘steady’ over the bank holiday.

New research from Datamonitor reveals that Europe's car aftermarket business, currently worth €146bn (£101.3bn) including parts and labour and taxes, is in decline.

General Motors has announced that it may phase out its weaker brands if sales fail to hit targets.

Ford Motor Company has unveiled a new line-up of performance vehicles at the New York International Motor Show this week.

Ford has launched an ad campaign where viewers of ITV1 can win a new Ford Focus.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its second new model series in a month with the new R-Class six-seater, which made its world debut at the New York International Auto Show this week.

Nissan Motors has filed a trademark infringement suit against Audi, claiming that Audi stole the letter Q from Nissan for its forthcoming Q7 and Q5 SUVs, reports the Detroit News.

Kia Motors has exported its five millionth car, just over a year after breaking the four million mark.

Car production rose last month to the highest level for February for three years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

AM100 dealer group HR Owen has returned to profit following its £3.3m loss in 2003. The group’s financial results for the year to December 31, 2004, show a pre-tax profit of £0.5m from turnover of £687m, an increase from £534m turnover in 2003.

Audi has confirmed the pricing for its new RS 4 quattro, which can be ordered from March 30 for deliveries in October and is priced at £49,980 OTR.

The British International Motor Show will open its doors to the public from July 20 to July 30, 2006 inclusive.

A UK manufacturer has developed a new range of multi-drilled and grooved performance brake discs designed to offer enhanced safety.

A new study of the UK car service and mechanical repair market has revealed a decline in demand that will affect aftermarket suppliers, cutting outlets by 7% by 2010.

The Nidd Vale Group is claiming the creation of Harrogate’s first ‘motor village’ with the launch of its Nidd Vale Seat franchise.

A new online car auction site, where customers can bid on new or unused pre-registered vehicles, will be launched on April 1 on www.broadspeed.com.

The Automotive Academy has welcomed today's government White Paper on skills, in which it was praised as 'a good example of a sector acting to meet its own training needs'.

Peugeot said it will meet with worker representatives on Thursday to discuss plans to cut 850 jobs at its Ryton plant, near Coventry.