News - Page 1943

BENTLEY Motors has expanded its network into Russia with the opening of a dealership in Moscow.

RESIDUAL value experts have clashed over controversial claims that key fleet sectors have suffered a 'catastrophic' collapse in used car prices over the past year.

MOTORPOINT is due to open a new £3.5 million car supermarket in Glasgow within the next few weeks.

BCA Europe has presented a cheque for £5,000 to Motability, the car scheme for disabled people, to celebrate the charity's silver anniversary and a 25-year partnership between the two organisations.

MINOR mistakes by fleet decision-makers are slashing hundreds of pounds off residual values, industry experts have warned.

'AT an auction it is always good to see representatives of the selling company – and even better when they are wearing corporate clothing so they are easily identified.' Martin Ward, CAP national research manager.

THOUSANDS of fleets will be threatened with fines totalling £250 million because they have failed to submit their vehicle details to a European insurance database.

RENAULT has been forced to scrap its ground-breaking Avantime because of low sales. Matra, the firm which builds Avantime on Renault's behalf, said demand for the car was too low and that sales were not large enough to guarantee the long-term future of the company.

FUEL prices in the UK are being hit by Gulf War fears that threaten to push them to record levels. In the past week, fuel prices reached a new high for the year, at a national average of £3.51 a gallon.

FLEET decision-makers have slammed new legislation which gives authorities sweeping powers to fine 'annoying' drivers or even confiscate their cars.

HENKEL, an adhesives, metal surface treatments and domestic products manufacturer, has achieved a 64% employee take-up of its new structured personal leasing scheme which could bring savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

WELL-known industry figure Tom Gibson, chairman and chief executive officer of BCA Europe, is to step down from his role in May.

Chancellor Gordon Brown will present the Budget on Wednesday, April 9 at 12.30pm, the Treasury has announced.

WEAKENING economies that have forced fleets to tighten their corporate belts caused Avis Europe's pre-tax profits to tumble by more than 15%.

JAGUAR and Land Rover have a new corporate operations manager following a restructuring that will see stronger back-office links between Ford's Premier Automotive Group brands.

A NEW study of the UK automotive service and repair market has been published by Fleet NewsNet's sister-title Sewells Information and Research.

AVIS Rent A Car has received a strategic partner of the year award from leasing company LeasePlan.

VOLKSWAGEN Group UK and Honda UK both appeared in the top 20 of The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2003, which was published on Sunday.

HALF of employees driving for work claim that traffic delays are seriously affecting their ability to do their job on a weekly basis, a new survey has revealed.

THE commercial vehicle sales, maintenance and contract hire business of Bethell Fleet Services has been taken over as part of a management buy-out after it went into administration.

LEX Vehicle Leasing has announced a jump in pre-tax profits of 12% to more than £38 million. And company executives say they look to this year with confidence, despite an uncertain economic environment.

LEX Vehicle Leasing parent company RAC has announced better than expected full-year figures.

LEASEPLAN has won a major contract to supply and maintain the Royal Mail's 5,000-strong company car fleet.

Leasing specialist Pendragon Contracts has launched a new service called Premier, targeting the prestige car market. The service is intended to be the first to order exotic company cars when they are launched.

SUBARU'S new-look Impreza WRX is now available with a 265bhp Performance Pack producing even more torque.

FOUR Renault Trafic vans have been presented to Northants-based business Syrtech.

SPECIALIST pharmaceutical distributor Polar Speed Thermologists has taken on five refrigerated vans for drug and vaccine distribution.

THALES Group has awarded a major rental contract worth £1 million a year to Avis.

COMPANY car drivers affected by congestion charging have won a multi-million pound tax concession from the Inland Revenue following a major investigation by experts.

ROAD rage could rocket on London's streets following the launch of congestion charging, a risk management and driver training company has warned.