##AM Awards 2000--left## Out of a family of coal merchants founded in Lancashire in 1906 has emerged Prestons BMW, winner of the gold award in the aftersales category.
BMW says more than 50 orders were placed by the public on each day of the recent two week Birmingham motor show.
BMW dealers have taken more than 1,200 orders for the X5 off-roader which is now on sale. It will be in short supply at least until late next year.
Volvo Car UK believes the new S60 will enable it to mount a challenge to the BMW 3 Series. Communications director John Lefley said: "The BMW is still the benchmark car worldwide but what Lexus has achieved with IS200 Volvo can achieve with this car.
As motor show unveilings go, it was not among the most auspicious. BMW's latest model, the new Mini, was revealed to seated journalists at the Paris motor show, who, at best, caught sight of the Cooper's white roof.
BMW premiered the Mini Cooper, revealing that the UK would get the car first in the spring of 2001. It will be sold only through selected BMW dealers.
BMW hopes to have an outline plan for its UK Mini network in place by the end of this month. A BMW team, led by Mini marketing manager Trevor Houghton-Berry, is visiting every applicant to assess whether their business is suitable to sell Mini as a separate brand.
BMW's X5 'sports activity vehicle', on sale from next month's Birmingham motor show, marks the start of an assault on the 4x4 market.
BMW GB believes it can challenge top-of-the-range Mondeo, Passat and Vectra after announcing a price realignment of up to 17%.
BMW has accepted that it should have invested more money on marketing the C1 in the UK after it returned disappointing sales figures.
Mercedes-Benz's well-publicised price cuts, though not quite what they may seem, were followed by reductions by Audi, BMW and Jaguar. The average Mercedes cut is claimed to be 9%, with as much as 25% off the S600L, down to £77,000. Automatic transmission becomes a £1,450 option where it was standard on cars like the C240 and E240.
A used car dealer is fighting attempts by BMW Financial Services to claim back a P-registered 328 convertible worth more than £20,000. Tony Gilbert Cars, of Napton, Warwks, took the car in part exchange in March 1999 after an HPI check showed it was 'clean'. In fact the car had been funded on hire purchase with BMW Financial Services.
The executive sector, while home to many premium brands, has in recent times been particularly hard hit by the downturn in the used car market. This fact exposes the common misconception that high value brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are isolated from residual pressures due to badge preference or desirability.
John Towers warned the BMW board that Alchemy, favourites to buy Rover Cars in the early stages, would “up the stakes at the last minute”. Mr Towers said he studied previous Alchemy takeover deals and could not find a case where the venture capitalist did not walk away from the table during the final days of negotiations “in the hope the seller would come back with a better offer”.
Rover Cars plans to be building up to nine models across the Rover and MG brands at its Longbridge factory by the end of next year. The multi-brand strategy will give the company an intensive, low cost production facility. Guy Pigounakis, Rover commercial director, revealed the company has at least three new MG cars “at the design concept stage” and hopes to have the first new model in showrooms by late spring of next year. A fourth MG model is still under consideration.
A Lancashire BMW dealership's website design division is challenging specialist companies by offering the service to other car retailers.
A visit to the new website of Preston Hall BMW shows how to use the internet to improve customer service, as outlined at the eBusiness Automotive conference in Paris.
Ford is planning a radical shake-up of its new Land Rover division after two years of losses under BMW's ownership.
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.
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.