The British International Motor Show is vital to the UK motor industry, to consumers and not least to the West Midlands economy.
Honda has introduced online purchasing via its www.honda.co.uk website for all approved used cars. The move, intended to boost business for Honda retailers by offering another route to market, enables customers to source cars from the nationwide dealer network.
There are two separate areas of the commercial vehicle market which are currently enjoying strong growth, but could well have difficulty when it comes to the issue of future residual values.
It would be an understatement to say August was quiet as the used car market appeared to be on holiday, but in the background preparations for new September registrations were in full swing. Dealers have been trying to entice retail buyers into the showroom with the use of national and local press advertising about the new registration system.<br> However, plenty of dealers are reporting that most retail customers walking into the showroom are unaware of the new system.
Ryland Group is optimistic of the growing business opportunities in the luxury car sector as it today reported a growth in interim profits.
Kalamazoo Computer Group has announced the resignation of chief executive Malcolm Roberts. He had held the post since 1998. No reason was given for his leaving.
Volkswagen is being put forward as an industry favourite to purchase international leasing and fleet management company LeasePlan.
Arnold Clark has been given control of two Daewoo territories in Scotland as the carmaker appoints its first UK franchised retailers.
Motorpoint of Derby is keen to develop aftersales relationships with local franchised dealers, despite a degree of conflict existing between retailers and car superstores. It believes they can benefit from increased business, both sales and aftersales, from the volume of potential customers who visit its showroom.
MG Rover is investigating a 'family and friends' offer being made by Banbury Rover in Oxon, which is advertising discounts of up to 24.1% on new models.
A vehicle sourcing and referral business is helping dealers to challenge dotcom operators for new car sales.
Key Chrysler Jeep dealers are being given wider territories as the network is trimmed to reflect present sales levels. Simon Elliott, Chrysler Jeep UK managing director, said the reorganisation, which has returned the network to profit after several poor years, largely consisted of natural wastage.
Lada will return to Western Europe in 2004 with a new version of the Niva 4x4 being developed in a joint venture with General Motors.
Workshop staff at DaimlerChrysler UK's largest owned Mercedes-Benz dealership, in Edgware Road, west London, this week went on strike over pay and new working conditions.
Demand in the auction halls is outstripping supply in an unprecendented surge of used car business according to Manheim Auction
Dealers' confidence in the used market has fallen along with used car sales, according to the latest Cap Motor Research monthly Used Car Confidence Index.
Dealers could be given seven years to adapt to changes to Block Exemption, under proposals being put forward by the European Parliament.
On:line Finance is predicting more than 400,000 new cars will be sold in September - and expects used car sales to be double that - bucking the trend of economic slowdown.
Manufacturers have reacted quickly to Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the US.
Mazda has signed a memorandum of understanding on the purchase of the Mazda distribution business in Switzerland from the Blanc family and Sumitomo Corporation, the shareholders of Mazda (Suisse) SA.
BMW global sales continue their upward surge, putting the company on track to break its record of 2000, a success put down to a marketing "offensive" which will see the product range double in the next six years.
Nissan is "off the critical list", according to president and chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn.
Toyota is heading for its fifth consecutive year of record European sales. For the first eight months of this year sales reached 451,670 units. The launch of the new Corolla range is expected to help push the company to its sales objective of 800,000 units or 5% of European market share by 2005.
MG Rover unveiled its new luxury high performance sports coupe, the MG X80 at the Frankfurt motor show, which it claims will compete when it goes on sale in the summer of 2002 will compete against the likes of the Porsche 911, Maserati 3200GT and Jaguar XK8.
The concept of the motor show has been given support from an unlikely source at the Frankfurt show today - Microsoft.
UK car dealers were represented at a hearing of the European Parliament's economic and monetary policy committee on the future of Block Exemption yesterday afternoon.
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Pendragon, the UK's biggest motor retail group, has announced higher profits after cutting ties with nine carmakers.
Inchcape Retail hopes to emulate the strong profit performance at Bates Motor Group across its franchise divisions after paying £22.3m for the business.
Tough new rules that classify scrapped vehicles as hazardous waste could lead to an epidemic of car dumping as motorists refuse to pay recycling costs.
