Motor Trade Insider

The battle for car servicing business hots up

In51der — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:39:54 +0000

The debate around main dealer servicing continues with many in the trade insistent that the value of a car is directly affected by its provenance and will de-value if the service schedule is not from the franchise which represents the brand in question. We have often put this topic out there for...

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Car Makers Premier League – January 2012

Iain Ronayne — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:50:39 +0000

A new year and a brand new competition. It’s time once more for the Car Makers Premier League where each and every month we examine the top 20 manufacturers by number of units registered and see just how they look when compared with the previous month. At the end of the year who will be...

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New car registrations slightly up in January

MTI — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:20:22 +0000

January 2012 new car registration figures: New car registrations were marginally up 0.03% in January according to the latest figures released today by the SMMT. 128,853 cars were registered in the month, with the market 0.03% or 42 units up on January 2011 (which was down 11.5% on January 2010)....

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Car Boss – Buying Saab

Steve Bell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:39:04 +0000

With our plans afoot (albeit fictitious), about resurrecting and running SAAB, the Geneva Motor Show in March would be a perfect platform to announce our future plans. In the meantime..... The Paragon Automotive board have already been reading through documents that detail the buy-out offer for...

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Could car sales utopia be edging closer?

In51der — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:15:57 +0000

Car retailers are constantly looking at ways of improving the service they provide to their customers but also the perception of how people view the motor trade in general. The old adage is that if you have a good experience you may tell a few people, but if you have a bad one you tell [...]Related...

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When is a used car bargain not a used car bargain?

In51der — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:11:56 +0000

With the end of January in sight many dealers are breathing a collective sigh of relief at the fact that there are indeed customers about with money to spend on cars. However it is clear that buyers are taking their time to choose a car and are being selective about where they are buying from....

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Americans holding on to their cars longer

MTI — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:05:07 +0000

Americans are holding onto cars longer, pushing the average age of a vehicle on the country's road to a record 11 years. The average age of a car last July was 11.1 years, while the truck average was 10.4, according to automotive research firm Polk. Unemployment and the economic factors have caused...

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Optimistic predictions and the same old mistakes

In51der — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:11:01 +0000

Whilst many car manufacturers are predicting growth this year, the franchised dealer network is nervous at the prospect of having registrations forced upon them in order to enable their car making masters to achieve these growth forecasts. There has been much said in the trade press along the lines...

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Move aside Renault there’s a new kid in town

In51der — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:20:02 +0000

The Chinese are coming! Well they’re dipping their toes in the car retailing water anyway. With most large car makers and dealer groups looking to exploit the economic spurt happening over in China it’s somewhat ironic that jauntily named Chinese car maker Geely will be coming to a showroom near...

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UK car production up 1.6% in December and 5.8% in 2011

MTI — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:30:05 +0000

Car production in the UK rose by 5.8% in 2011, industry figures show. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said manufacturing had ended the year with a 1.6% rise in December, producing a total of 1,343,810 vehicles in the year. The SMMT said record exports had been the main driver...

Motor Trade Insider - Advice, Information, Trends, Current events, News, Views, Opinions and Debate.