Simon Frith, Lexus GB's general manager of operations, is to leave the company to join the RRG dealer group as operations director, based at Salford Quays.
The 2002 Retail Motor Industry Pay Guide, produced jointly by the RMI and Sewells Information and Research and published at the end of this month, shows a 'headline' increase in basic pay across all sectors was 3% between 2000 and 2001.
International Motors Limited has appointed a new national franchise development manager to look after its network of UK Subaru and Isuzu dealerships.
HR Owen is the first dealer group to sign up to Experian's new online consumer information service, which is launched next month.
Nearly half of used cars sold via Lookers' internet business are in areas where the group has no dealership representation.
Almost half of Britain's motor retailers expect their businesses to grow over the next 12 months, even though most anticipate a decline in the economy.
Fleetlease is developing a personal leasing package for dealers through its Nova Vehicle Finance operation. The scheme, designed to attract ex-company car drivers who have taken the cash option, is being piloted with a national dealer group with a possible launch early next year.
Sung-Kee Kim, UK managing director of Daewoo Cars, is confident of attracting at least one dealer a week during 2002. The company, which jettisoned its pioneering direct-deal approach earlier this year, wants to rapidly build up the dealer network to stem falling sales.
Vauxhall and Opel are to produce a new large car which General Motors' European engineers believe will offer a radical alternative to Mercedes' E-class and BMW's 5 Series.
CD Bramall chairman Tony Bramall, who made a fortune from motor retailing and returned to head a major group, is one of five motor industry personalities nominated for the 2001 Castrol IMI Gold Medal.
Scotland's leading Ford dealer has attacked the “discount-led” success of manufacturers such as Renault and Citroen, claiming they do not honour the “gentlemen's agreement” which followed last year's price changes.
BMW will not be at next year's Birmingham motor show, believing it can use the £1.5m-plus cost more effectively as it sets a 100,000 sales target, combined with Mini.
Mitsubishi plans to extend its dealer network to 150 by the end of 2003 ready for the launch of the CZ2 revealed at the Tokyo show.
Vauxhall has teamed up with systems specialist Bott Ltd to offer a range of storage and protection accessories for the Astravan, Combo, Movano and the new Vivaro.
Brecon Ford, which went into receivership on October 5, has been sold to Cwmbran Ford for an undisclosed sum.
Volkswagen has officially launched an online parts procurement operation, branded the 'VW Group Supply.Com'.
Desira Group has made a number of appointments following a recent restructuring programme of its aftersales departments.
Tesco's plans to sell cars at its stores look set to be opposed by its customers.
Derek Cook is making a comeback in the motor industry with the resurrection of his Motor Solutions internet-based discount motoring service.
The MG Owners' Club has awarded MG Rover Group with its annual 'MG Enthusiast' award for its contribution to the MG marque.
New car sales hit record levels in October and it now looks certain the year will end on an all-time high, beating 1989, the previous best year on record. The SMMT is predicting 2.38m new car registrations but, in the present bullish conditions, many people believe even that figure may prove conservative. At first glance, the continuing demand for new cars is difficult to explain given the underlying economic picture.
After several months of base rate cuts the banks have finally started to move on their personal loan rates but not always in the direction you might expect.
Carmakers have found a winning formula and are going to stick with it until the end of the year. A combination of low rate finance and heavy advertising of monthly payments has brought customers into new car showrooms in record numbers.
The past two months have seen a surprising change in dealer buying habits as the market dropped off at the end of September and beginning of October only to surge in November. Most dealers say that they are stocking up in anticipation of a shortage of good quality Cap Clean cars in December.
Smart has announced a further expansion of its sales network, with four more Mercedes-Benz dealers taking on the franchise.
One sector of the commercial vehicle market that we are watching closely is the so-called large panel van sector, with gross weights of 3,000-3,500kg. Registrations of these derivatives have been rising rapidly over recent years, with the percentage of vans sold compared to chassis-cab versions increasing dramatically.
ASA Insurance and HSBC Select (UK) Limited have entered a new partnership enabling ASA Insurance to offer motor retailers HSBC Select's one year insurance services, alongside its own multi-year motor insurance products.
Used car prices across Europe are beginning to fall again according to a new report, The European Fleet Index, published today by EurotaxGlass's.
Kalamazoo was forced to make a statement to the stock market after the share price rose from 51/2p to 101/2p in a week. An employee is thought to have leaked news the dealer management system company was being prepared for sale.
Luffield Cars has been awarded the MG Rover franchise for Derby - on the first anniversary of taking the franchise for Loughborough.
