Inchcape has secured the Mercedes-Benz market area for Oxford, Stratford, Coventry and Banbury, a region that accounts for 2000 new and used car sales a year.
Regency Finance & Insurance Services, the motor insurance scheme provider, has acquired Essex-based Principal Services.
The AA has purchased Tyreserve
Volkswagen AG has revised its electronic repair and servicing information guide to improve access for independent garages. The move pre-empts block exemption reform due in September which is expected to open up the market to sub-contracted independents and require carmakers to make all technical information available.
Independent Factors Association branches will be sourcing new clutches exclusively from Sachs Boge as part of a three-year supply agreement worth about £30 million at retail prices. The contract was sealed less than a year into a three-year single supplier contract with the IFA for shock absorbers.
The Mercedes CLK and BMW 3-series coupe are far rarer than the saloons on which they're based, but they still attract a high level of interest from buyers. Cars with leather trim, climate control and metallic are most sought after.
The Range Rover luxury 4x4 enjoys Land Rover heritage and a solid pedigree stretching back to 1970. But with the boldly styled new generation range just out, 'old shape' values are weakening fast.
There's no shortage of stock at the auction halls - some sites are even using public car park areas for storing pre-sale cars. These include an abundance of three-year low-mileage cars as well as the usual high-mileage models coming through from the big fleet vendors.
Trafficmaster, the supplier of live traffic information, is launching a new “intelligent” navigation system. Smartnav combines satellite navigation, live traffic information and a “personal assistant” to answer drivers' questions.
Paolo Cantarella's dramatic resignation as Fiat Group chief executive is symptomatic of the company's failure to turnaround its ailing automotive division. Chairman Paolo Fresco takes on his responsibilities.
Ford Rapid Fit has named Rob Hutchinson as its new national manager replacing Les Montgomery who is retiring after 36 years with Ford.<
John Pride, the man who introduced Toyota to the UK in the mid-60s has died of cancer at the age of 72.
Mazda's new flagship car will have best in class residual values when it goes on sale in July, according to CAP Network. The Mazda 6 will retain 35 per cent of its value over three years/60,000 miles.<
Betta Special Waste has won a 12-month contract to cut disposal costs at Vauxhall franchise operations in Worcester, Malvern and Tipton. As part of the deal Betta will remove all service, bodyshop and paintshop special waste from Bicknells' three Vauxhall sites to its own recycling and storage facility in Worcester.
Teamvise, the UK distributor of Teng Tools, LiMiT and Momento, has announced plans to treble its business in five years after becoming a founder member of Toolstars - a European alliance of vehicle technician hand tool distributors.
Professional vehicle workshops of the near future will have a state of the art parts cleaner similar to a new system developed by Rozone, a Midlands-based engine management specialist predicts. Tony Starmer, who runs Auto Diagnostics in Loughborough and who has 46 years' trade experience, first saw Rozone's SmartWasher at the European Automotive Trade Show.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems specialist SmarTire and automotive technology supplier Visteon are to jointly develop and market TPMS as OE for vehicle manufacturers. The companies say they are working to consolidate non-exclusive product development and distribution arrangements after announcing an agreement in principle.
Dealers are dead. But don't order the flowers just yet, say speakers at this year's AM Spring Conference. They believe the automotive sales and aftersales industry can look forward to a bright future, despite the threat of major upheaval in the traditional business environment. The secret? Think like retailers, stay close to customers, and encourage staff retention.
HPI, the used vehicle information specialist, has redesigned its trade guarantee to make it more flexible for automotive retailers. The new HPI Indemnity means that dealers can make sure all vehicles that have been checked are automatically covered.
All those who thought telematics was a new wave band from 1981 - sorry, nil points. While the word was unknown to the automotive industry just a few years ago, telematics is now top of the pops among carmakers as the ever richening technologies of in-car information, entertainment and communications continue to converge on car cockpits.
Cheshire-based Blue Bell group has opened a state-of-the-art BMW approved bodyshop at Brooke Park, Handforth Dean. The new site can handle up to 100 cars a week, more than tripling the capacity when the facility was based at the group's nearby Wilmslow dealership.
Car-O-Liner's new Mark 6 bench is capable of lifting a 2.8-tonnes vehicle to a working height of 1.36m. That's heavier and higher than its predecessors and the chassis repair specialist has ensured the latest system is fully compatible with those that have gone before.
Cars running without an effective cabin filter can subject occupants to as much as six times more pollutants than those to which a pedestrian standing at the roadside is exposed, according to Bosch. Launching a July 1 to September 30 promotion, the company says the conclusion of a study carried out by air quality experts enlisted by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, provides garages with an irrefutable sales pitch for replacement cabin filters.
MG Rover is considering rebadging China Brilliance's medium sector Zhonghua car and selling it in the UK, despite speculation over the future of the two groups' alliance.
Land Rover is expected to spin off its logistics division, which employs 770 staff, as part of an efficiency drive designed to secure future production at its Solihull plant. Ford, which owns the off-road specialist, needs assurances Land Rover can improve efficiency before guaranteeing production of future models. Jaguar underwent similar restructuring at its Castle Bromwich factory a few years ago.
Incoming Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders president Mike Baunton aims to address a number of key issues during his term. Baunton, president of Perkins Engines Company, will succeed Vauxhall chairman Nick Reilly in the post on July 22.
MG Rover has signed a two-year deal to sponsor Aston Villa in a move that is sure to dismay Birmingham City supporting employees and customers. The company says the deal is a “marriage between the Midlands' premier car manufacturer and premier football club” which will raise the profile of the MG and Rover brands through TV and press coverage.
The official sales data won't be out until Monday, but our information already marks May a record month. Provisional new car registrations figures, accurate until May 28, show that month-to-date figures are already up by 1.33 per cent from 154,584 to 156,637 over the same period last year.
Dealers could see their dominance of the UK car market cut dramatically by the end of the decade as new entrants like supermarkets slice into their market share. However, the focus on aftersales and financial services is likely to intensify due to falling margins on new car sales strengthening relationships between carmakers and dealers.
