BMW appears to have overcome its faltering UK image after achieving record registrations for May. The carmaker, which offloaded Rover last month, took 3.03% of the market on sales of 5,890 units, up 18.39% on last year.
David Wilson has joined the unofficial premium brands dealer Cheynedirect to head its specialist Porsche sales division.
Motor dealers' hopes that they can continue to be the mainstay of car sales have been given a fillip by a survey of manufacturers' objectives.
Mercedes-Benz dealership Portway has appointed Mike Sands as dealer principal. He succeeds Mike Lishman who left to join another Mercedes outlet.
Franchised dealers do not believe carmakers are genuine when they claim it would be hard for them to reduce UK new car prices, according to the latest dealer opinion survey.
Peter Vardy, head of the UK's third biggest motor retail group, wants a radical rethink by manufacturers in the way they relate to their franchised dealers.
There is deep scepticism among dealers about manufacturers regularly publishing the number of cars they have preregistered. Of those asked, 66% did not believe this would happen, with 28% believing it would and 6% not knowing.
Scotland's car dealerships are ready to form a number of buying cooperatives, branded unofficially as Scotland plc, to maximise their purchasing power with car manufacturers.
Vicky Fletcher is bucking the trend in the male-dominated retail motor industry after being appointed workshop manager at James Edwards Land Rover in Chester.
The RMI has made two key appointments to drive forward its strategy during a difficult period for the retail motor industry.
The number of parallel-imported light commercial vehicles sold in the UK is rising fast.
Benfield has appointed Mark Chandler as marketing manager with responsibility for developing group strategy.
Lancaster Group, second in the latest AM100, has closed two Rover dealerships, citing “a combination of economic circumstances” for the action.
Aberdeen-based Town and County plans to build a £750,000 Subaru and Isuzu facility in the city after taking the franchises from the collapsed Anderson Cars.
BMW has confirmed plans to invest £63m in a Rolls-Royce plant near the old Goodwood race circuit in Sussex and just 10 miles from the former home of the marque's co-founder, Sir Henry Royce.
A million visitors a year are expected to visit Autostadt, a £216m car theme park at Wolfsburg, the Volkswagen Group's huge site in northern Germany.
Overall turnover of the AM100 has fallen this year but the top three groups have combined sales of £4.989bn. Automotive Management editor Tony Willard reviews the fortunes of the franchised groups which form the top 20 Major League.
The 2000 AM100 reveals downward pressure on new car prices is hurting franchised dealers, with total turnover dipping –by £107m - for the first time since 1993.
Ford-backed accident repair group Howard Basford has acquired six bodyshops from the receivers of collapsed Contact Accident Repair, which has more than doubled its network.
Data provider HPI Equifax, seeking to protect its market domination, has made internet-related services a key part of its planned expansion.
More than 16% of vehicles that have had at least three owners have a discrepancy between the mileage given by the used car dealer and the actual mileage, according to investigations by HPI Equifax National Mileage Register.
Traders in grey imports are receiving a boost in potential business volumes with the UK arrival of Irish auctioneer WCA.
Internet-based car suppliers in the US are struggling, according to Automotive retailing in the new millennium, a study from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Customer loyalty towards used car dealers is at an all-time low, according to Cap Motor Research.
Arriva hopes to offload surplus part-exchange vehicles at weekly auctions across the UK after joining forces with Manheim Auctions.
Vehicle inspections can add value and profits to a used car dealer's bottom line, according to Phil Lobley of AA Business Services.
A used car trader in south Wales has been found guilty of offering to sell a dangerous VW Golf after a swoop by local Trading Standards officers.
Thrifty Car Rental UK has put around 200 ex-rental Renaults, BMWs, Toyotas and Fords on its website - www.thrifty.co.uk - as it aims to raise its online presence.
One of the most difficult tasks for the car manufacturer is squaring the circle between market penetration and the maximisation of back-end residuals. Unfortunately, given the sheer size of the new car registration figures, very few players are able to carry this off successfully.
Although the job continues to be difficult as far as retail sales are concerned, one fact must be highlighted - that used cars have never been so cheap.
