News - Page 2100

VAUXHALL is recalling more than half a million vehicles to reinforce seat rails and to replace seatbelt buckles. The recall affects 586,000 vehicles dating from 1993 to early 2000 and includes old model Corsas, Tigras and Combo and Corsa vans.

FORD has announced a £236million investment at its Bridgend engine plant, creating 600 extra jobs. The plant will be revamped with a new assembly line and engines will be used mainly in Jaguar cars, including the new X-type and other premium brands in the Ford empire.

ARVAL PHH is organising a series of seminars for fleet managers to explain the approaching changes in carbon dioxide-based company car tax.

NINE of DC Cook's 16 sites have been closed by the company's receiver, resulting in the loss of 280 jobs. Stock from the sites will be shared where possible among other DC Cook dealerships, which are trading normally.

DAEWOO is close to reaching a deal over the sale of its 50% stake in LDV as well as its Polish commercial vehicle plant. Volkswagen has been tipped as the likely new owner.

NEW leaders of the Fleet Driver Training Association have been appointed and charged with the task of winning back industry confidence. The new team will lead the association under newly-elected chairman John Ascroft, general manager of RAC Risk Services and BSM Fleet Training; treasurer Jody Oliver, managing director of The Advanced Driving School and Jonathan Craymer, the newly-appointed secretary and spokesman, who will set up the first permanently manned office.

A NEW sport utility model could help Suzuki become the second biggest supplier of go-anywhere cars in Britain next year. For the Japanese company's first full-size sports utility is set to raise its share of the burgeoning UK 4x4 sector by winning registrations from rivals, claims Suzuki GB sales and marketing director David Seward.

FORD'S Mondeo estate entered UK showrooms this week following October's introduction of saloon and hatchback versions.

DAIHATSU'S new YRV (Young Recreational Vehicle) will go on sale next month costing from £9,495. The vehicle has similar dimensions to the Audi A2 and promises lower-medium sector space in a compact body.

PEUGEOT has installed a new 1.6-litre 110bhp engine into the 206, giving improved fuel consumption and lower emissions than the engine it replaces. The 206 XSi will replace the 90bhp XS model.

SUZUKI'S Vitara 4x4 is now available in the UK with a 92bhp 1.6- litre engine. The three-door car is the new entry point to the range as either a softback or estate.

NISSAN has introduced a limited edition Sport version of the Terrano II 4x4. The three-door is priced at £18,950 on-the- road, while the seven-seater five-door retails at £21,550.

FLEET managers are wising up to the benefits of using pre-sale preparation to boost the residual value of their vehicles, according to a new survey. Research has proved that by picking the right cars for preparation, a fleet can boost a car's price by hundreds of pounds, covering the repair costs and earning the fleet manager a healthy bonus at sale time.

FIRST National Group achieved a 94% conversion rate and overall CAP clean of 102% at a sale held at Manheim Auctions' Bristol site. The auction, which saw more than £2 million worth of stock sold, included 400 cars from First National Vehicle Holdings, Highway Vehicle Management, Fleet Management Services and First National Motor Finance.

BRITISH Car Auctions will stage a commercial vehicle sale at the Belle Vue, Manchester auction centre on February 17.

IBM has developed software which enables a company to put up a map of its surrounding area on its internet server to help employees car-share. The software, internally piloted by IBM Portsmouth, has a database in which its 4,500 employees put the details of the place they live and the route they take to work every day.

USER-choosers with a preference for raw performance and slick handling will make up many of the drivers of the new MG range. But MG Rover's fleet sales director Angus Gray is quick to point out that the cars will not be to everyone's liking, and will not eclipse traditional Rover cars in the fleet market place.

NEW MG saloons mark the beginning of a new era for MG Rover. Although some might remember the 1980s when MG versions of the Metro, Maestro and Montego emerged after the death of the MG Midget, MG Rover is keen to emphasise the differences in its new strategy.

MG ROVER is well on the road to recovery, according to chief executive Kevin Howe. Speaking at the launch of the new MG range he said the company was continuing to meet its business plan targets and is looking forward to a bright future.

INFLUENTIAL fleet operators have been called in to help steer Nissan towards winning extra business in Britain with the crucial new car it is planning to pitch against the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. A select group of customers is advising the Japanese company on optimum trim and equipment packaging to underscore an ambitious bid to drive the next-generation Primera a vital notch further upmarket.

PARAGON Car Finance has criticised police and highway agencies over massive increases in the number of drivers convicted of speeding, calling it 'a cause for concern' for fleet drivers' livelihoods. The company sounded the alarm bell after a national newspaper report that five speed cameras along the M2 in Kent had become Britain's most successful speed trap, snapping 33,000 drivers in eight months and paying for the £100,000 installation cost in little more than a fortnight.

SWISSPORT, the international ground handling services company, has installed ICS 'Guard Black Box' in-cab computers in 60 of its vehicles at Heathrow, as part of its programme to fit the system in all its 250 vehicles fleet at the airport. The fitment follows successful trials of more than 10 vehicles by ICS Black Box engineers and comes despite recent controversy over the use of black boxes in vehicles.

JOHNSON Matthey, the chemicals and precious metals group, has forecast significant profits increase from fuel cell production by the middle of the decade as political pressure grows for alternatives to petrol and diesel powered cars.

A VOW to deliver on service and quality through a 'bricks and clicks' service will dominate the next year at British Car Auctions. The firm, which last year put more than one million cars through its auctions in the UK, saw 27,000 vehicles sold through its internet sales service BCA Direct and expects 'enormous growth potential' this year.

MANHEIM Auctions will be focusing on building its physical auction presence throughout Europe over the next year and is certain this will remain the cornerstone of vehicle disposal for fleets. Despite the growth of alternative ways of selling vehicles, John Bailey, chief executive of parent group Manheim Europe, says the road of fleet customers returning from alternative ventures back down the path to auction is well-trodden.

FLEET managers must see for themselves how their vehicles are performing at auction rather than rely solely on valuation guides if they are to make the most of their vehicles' values at disposal time, residual value and disposal experts are claiming. Hundreds of pounds could be wiped off a car's value while waiting to be sold because a fleet manager is attempting to achieve a 'book' value that may never be reached as residual values fall.

A DRIVE to win solus fleet disposal contracts from large fleets and leasing firms at Manheim Auctions is being spearheaded by former Fleet Management Services managing director Shaun Price. He has joined the firm as corporate sales director with a brief to build new business and has already created a battle-plan to build sales at the American-backed company.

PHYSICAL auction facilities are to be added to the internet auction and stock locator services presently offered by debis Remarketing Services. Through its working partnership with Jet Logistics at the Long Marston defleeting and remarketing centre, it will give trade buyers and vendors access to a wide range of remarketing routes, plus pre-delivery inspection (PDI), valeting and other services in one location.

FLEETS have a greater number of avenues for disposing of their vehicles than ever before, from traditional auctions to the internet - and these firms are targeting decision-makers with new products and new ideas. Business-auctions.com is in the process of developing a specialist auction site to be launched on March 1, after its first online fleet car auctions proved successful in the disposal of ex-fleet vehicles.

NEWLY-refurbished BCA Birmingham played host to an LCV Celebration sale that saw 150 vans go under the hammer to achieve an average of 100.1% CAP clean. The sale came as BCA customer affairs director Tom Madden launched a hard-hitting call for all van fleets to do more to make the most of the residual values of their vans.