Honda in Japan is to introduce a monthly monitoring system for electricity and other sources of energy at all domestic plants and dealerships by March 2004. The company has five car plants and 2,400 dealerships in Japan.
BMW dealers in Germany are in open revolt over company moves which they believe will squeeze their margins.
Ford is installing a 'virtual reality' design facility at its Dunton studio in Essex. The SGI Reality Centre enables its designers and engineers to project full-size images of new vehicle designs.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Fiat Auto plans to back the introduction of three new models with a five-year extended warranty offer.
European Union anti-trust officials have raided Peugeot-Citroen offices and dealerships in France, Germany, Netherlands and Denmark as part of an investigation into price rigging.
Ford is now aiming to cut costs by about £3.8 billion in a bid to save its ailing turnaround plan.
Italian automotive group Fiat may be set to sell its aerospace business Fiat Avio to US private equity group Carlyle for around £1.2bn. Carlyle has links with past US President George Bush Sr and its European chairman is former Prime Minister John Major.
Nissan Europe has announced the appointment of Frédérique Le Grevès as vice-president, Communications. The new appointment becomes effective on 1 April, 2003.
The SMMT is to set up a study into the effects of differential lane pricing on three-lane motorways. The project will look at the benefits of a possible 20 per cent increase in motorway capacity by encouraging motorists to make better use of all three lanes.
HR Owen has acquired west of London BMW dealership Heathrow Ltd for £4.6m, including £2.1m in cash. Heathrow Ltd made a pre-tax profit of £1.1m on a turnover of £44.7m in the 12 months to December 2002.
GKN has announced pre-tax profits for 2002 up 8.9 per cent at £267m ( 2001 = £245m) – on a cash inflow from operating activities of £367m (2001= £452m).
Ryland has disposed of certain assets and the business operations of its Mercedes-Benz van operations in Stockton-on-Tees and Spennymoor, Co. Durham to Bell Truck Sales Limited.
Honda has implicitly warned workers at its Swindon plant that it may pull out of the UK if there is no satisfactory solution of the on-going 2003 pay wrangle.
Inchape has announced a senior management reshuffle which the dealer group claims will drive growth in the post block exemption business environment.
A novel TV ad using a 'domino' effect to emphasis the precision engineering that goes into each Honda Accord, gets its airing on ITV this Sunday after the Brazilian Grand Prix coverage.
An on-line demonstration of Bosch KTS diagnostic test code equipment has been made available by auto diagnostics firm RW Motortec Ltd (RWM) of Stirling.
BMW says it expects sales in China this year to jump more than 60 per cent through its joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive.
Toyota Motor said today that it is to cut the size of its board in half and create a sub-board executive category to reflect the global nature of the business.
A retired Cornish mechanic is hoping to resurrect a 1930s carburettor design which could have allowed a car to travel 200 miles on a gallon of fuel.
USED car values are bucking widespread fears of economic uncertainty, which are being fuelled by the growing conflict in Iraq, according to the latest figures in the April edition of CAP Black Book.
The German/French position on the Iraq War has not resulted in any downturn in VW sales on the US market.
A report in the Mirror alleges that Ford has practiced racial discrimination in the running of its two Dagenham plants.
Occupants of vehicles equipped with head-protecting side airbags have a better chance of surviving if hit side-on by a sport-utility vehicle according to results of crash tests conducted by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Morgan says it will offer a full refund to all 50 'Partner' investors who each invested £1000 in the Worcestershire-based firm's 2003 Le Mans race bid.
The Unipart Group has appointed Christopher Etherington as the new managing director of its automotive aftermarket parts division, Unipart Automotive.
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has decided not to refer the completed acquisition by DCC plc of the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) business of British Gas parent Centrica plc to the Competition Commission under the provisions of the Fair Trading Act.
BMW has confirmed that the Hams Hall engine plant in the West Midlands will be the source of engines for the Mini and the forthcoming 1 Series and X3 small sports car in five years' time.
Ford and GM are moving into the limited but expanding U.S. market for armoured vehicles amid growing consumer concerns about terrorism and random violence.
Nissan will sell more than three million cars this year, operating margin will be 'at least 10.6 per cent', and the company debt will be reduced to $662m, its president Carlos Ghosn told La Tribune newspaper in France.
<b>The UK has some of the most efficient assembly plants in Europe, so why are carmakers still considering opportunities abroad, asks Julian Rendell.</b>
