Fiat's new Panda has been voted International Car of the Year for 2004 beating off six other shortlisted contenders to win the prestigious title.
DaimlerChrysler is looking at expanding its Grand Cherokee range with the launch of the next generation model late next year or early 2005.
A Japanese retail group has snapped up two dealer groups in London, propelling it into the AM100.
ChipsAway, the accident repair specialist, is planning to increase its network by 60 per cent in the next two years. The company, which specialises in small to medium accident repairs, wants to increase the number of UK franchisees from 300 to 500 by 2005.
Delphi has invested more than £4m in a new technical and training school in Warwick designed exclusively to develop service skills and professionalism across the automotive aftermarket.
Vauxhall has added a 120 new van part numbers to its Trade Club programme. It now has an inventory of more than 2100 aftermarket components.
Garages across the UK are being targeted in a Government crackdown on fly tipping that could see decision-makers face prosecution.
The Health and Safety Commission has published two public consultation documents on the proposed new Control of Vibration at Work Regulations.
Repairers are uniting to lobby the Government in a bid to have the MoT fee set in stone – without a fixed price they warn the vehicle test system will become a shambles.
Federal-Mogul, the global parts supplier, has taken a further step to rebuild its business with a major restructure that should see it emerge from Chapter 11 by June next year.
Japanese and Korean vehicle component supplier Solid Auto is to move into a new 15,000 sq. ft warehouse in the west Midlands in February 2004.
Maranello Concessionaires has opened Europe's largest service centre for Ferraris and Maseratis.
Tough new manufacturer standards could force a thousand small dealers to shut up shop for good, an industry analyst warns.
Toyota GB has appointed a network of, so far, 17 "Official Toyota Service Outlets", exploiting the 'authorised repairer' provisions of the 1400/2002 European block exemption regulation.
esure's first recommended repair network will launch on 1st December 2003, initially with 14 repairers, many of whom have collaborated in the design of both the contract and systems that form the basis of the network arrangements.
“Government plans to raise the limit at which companies need to be audited will be great news for small businesses,” said the RMI chief executive Matthew Carrington, commenting on a new accounting and audit bill included in yesterday's Queen's Speech.
A Vauxhall Zafira was selected for a ceremony today, 27 November, to mark the silver jubilee of the Motability Scheme. Vauxhall was a founder member of Motability and is one of the largest single suppliers of cars to the scheme.
Ford is to close its 'Ingeni' London design centre, which it opened in 2001 to produce work on both automotive and non-automotive products.
Average retail prices for new cars in the UK rose by 3.9% over the 12 months to October 2003, according to the latest European Index of New Car Prices published by eurocarprice.com in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The British motor industry has expressed high levels of confidence in the future for automotive manufacturing in the UK. This was tempered with significant concerns about the 'increasing burden of red tape' and the failing national transport infrastructure.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has today launched a new qualification in vehicle sales, as part of a strategy for tackling unacceptably high staff turnover, improving staff motivation and business performance and enhancing the public perception of car retailing.
The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a new Battery Directive, which will require the collection and recycling of all batteries placed on the EU market. Nearly half are currently sent to landfill or incineration.
GM Daewoo is to adopt Datafirst's UCL (Used Car Locator) to handle used stock in the UK in December, following in the footsteps of Vauxhall. The system is already in use in GM Europe networks elsewhere in Europe. The system will link dealers' used stock to the search facility on GM Daewoo's own site.
Hyundai says the choice of sites for Hyundai's European car manufacturing plant has been reduced to four candidates – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Another report says only two are still in the running.
A new group has been formed within the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Society BEN which focuses on the needs of younger members of the industry.
Production figures released today by the Office for National Statistics show that UK car production in October climbed 2.5% to 153,361 units. Exports accounted for a record 74.2% of monthly output, and year-to-date volumes rose 0.6%, on track to meet the SMMT's 1.65 million forecast.
Continuing the biggest product offensive in its history, Saab Automobile AB has announced its first SUV, the 2005 Saab 9-7X, featuring standard all-wheel-drive and two engine choices.
New data confirms confirms the consumer problems with dealers and garages identified by the OFT apply equally in the US.
Government denial of an impending MOT tester shortage has been criticised by the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI). Addressing Parliament recently, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport David Jamison refuted that there is any need to recruit more MOT testers: “There is no evidence to suggest that there is a shortage of qualified MOT testers.”
A ballot for strike action at the Nissan car plant in Sunderland started on 24 November after Nissan management “refused to hold talks with the Amicus trade union” over compulsory re-location of the company's purchasing department. Balloting of workers in the purchasing department could mean that Nissan are faced with the threat of strike action for the first time in the Sunderland plant's history.
