News - Page 2101

SKODA Auto has held the first of its used car remarketing sales of the year at Manheim Auctions and achieved a 100% conversion rate and above CAP clean prices. The firm sold all 110 vehicles, which made 107% CAP clean on average.

BUILDING materials giant Hanson is scrapping its 1,250-vehicle company car fleet to protect drivers from massive tax increases under the new carbon dioxide-based company car tax regime. The dual-badge fleet is to be dropped in favour of a structured personal leasing scheme offering drivers the convenience of a company car, but allowing them to own the vehicle so they do not have to pay benefit-in-kind tax.

FLEETS which back diesel as the key to cutting running costs and saving drivers benefit-in-kind tax could reap residual value windfalls totalling millions of pounds across the industry. Demand for used diesels is rocketing and outstripping the supply of clean and efficient modern diesel engines, such as common-rail and pumpe duse.

FLEET managers are calling for a rethink of the Vehicle Certification Agency's priorities after an investigation by Fleet NewsNet's sister print title Fleet News revealed serious errors in the association's New Car Fuel Consumption and Emissions booklet. The booklet will act as the fleet manager's 'bible' when carbon dioxide-based company car tax is introduced in 2002, by providing emission figures for every vehicle on UK roads.

FLEETS will bring in record demand for alternatively-fuelled vehicles during the next year, according to the Government-funded programme created to stimulate demand for clean fuel vehicles. TransportAction PowerShift, formerly Powershift, has revealed that since April last year, it has committed to providing grants towards the conversion or purchase of £8 million worth of alternatively-fuelled vehicles.

BACK-from-the-brink MG Rover has unveiled its new range of X-rated cars designed to revitalise the sporty image of the brand and appeal to user-choosers. Three models codenamed X10, X20 and X30 - their official names have yet to be announced - were revealed at MG Rover's Longbridge factory this week.

VAUXHALL is set to increase gas vehicle sales by more than 50% in 2001 following a 300% rise in business last year. In 1999 Vauxhall, Britain's leading manufacturer of dual-fuel gas powered cars, sold 799 vehicles. Sales increased to 2,395 vehicle last year despite a shortage of grants from the Government-funded TransportAction PowerShift scheme.

NISSAN president Carlos Ghosn is bidding for stronger ties with the fleet market by encouraging it to buy British following his announcement that the new Micra will be built at Sunderland. Ghosn told Fleet NewsNet: 'The decision to keep the Micra in the UK can only reinforce Nissan's already strong relationship with fleet buyers, especially those who prefer to buy British.

BUYING British is still a realistic option for fleet managers following Nissan's decision to continue Micra production in Sunderland. But with a few exceptions, most fleet managers feel patriotism is not as important as getting a good deal.

BOLD styling is set to underpin Nissan's next attempt to win a greater share of the fleet market. And the next-generation Primera promises to be a hit because it will introduce the 'wow' factor to the upper-medium saloon market, believes Nissan Motor GB fleet sales director Kevin McNally.

FLEET operators look set to reap financial benefit from a new internet-based used car buying service for motor. British Car Auctions and Autotrader.co.uk - the web-based arm of used car classified sales magazine Auto Trader - have joined forces to launch BCA Adlink, which will go live at the end of March.

VOLKSWAGEN and Honda are the latest manufacturers to sign up to attend this year's Fleet Show at Alexandra Palace in London from May 1-3. They will be joined by major names in the supply industry, including Kwik-Fit Fleet and Thrifty Car Rental, which booked stands this week.

BRITAIN'S first City Car Club is to close at the end of March after two years because it is not financially viable. Launched amid a fanfare of publicity by Edinburgh City Council in conjunction with Budget Rent a Car UK the scheme, like others launched elsewhere in the UK, was seen as part of the Government's integrated transport revolution.

MERCEDES-Benz has been accused of stamping out inter-dealer competition with its proposed new retail strategy which will cut its existing dealer network by half. And a leading representative of Mercedes dealers says fleet buyers are among those who will suffer during the transition.

FORD is reassuring fleet managers that its short supply of common rail diesels is a blip in its busy schedule of product launches. The company planned to launch common rail versions of the Focus and Mondeo in June, but has had to put back the new Mondeo diesel until September because of a shortage of fuel injectors.

FORTY-one Lex Autocentres are to be renamed Nationwide Autocentres after being sold to private equity fund NGBI for an undisclosed sum. Lex announced it was disposing of almost a third of its 137 Autocentres in January.

FLEET supplies of Vauxhall models remain uninterrupted despite action by workers against plans by parent company General Motors to halt Vectra production at Luton next year. Last week a day's production of Vectra - about 650 vehicles - was lost as most staff failed to report for work at the Luton factory.

LEX Service has finalised a 10-year £500 million contract from the Ministry of Defence to manage 9,000 non-combatant road vehicles making up the UK-based Tri-Service White Fleet of the British Army, Navy and RAF. The contract is one of the largest in fleet history.

PETER Peskett, the man responsible for acquiring Fleet News and adding it to Emap's portfolio of newspaper and magazine titles in August 1981, died suddenly aged 56 on January 26. Peskett, who spent more than two decades with Peterborough-based Emap prior to launching his own publishing business in Stamford 10 years ago.

DAIMLERChrysler's troubled Chrysler Group is to axe 26,000 jobs over the next three years and close six plants by 2003.

RENAULT is to drop its name badge from future models, but will instead rely on a more prominent diamond logo. The first car to receive this treatment will be the Avantime, which is due to go on sale in the UK in September.

DAEWOO has pulled out of the London Motor Show citing potentially low visitor numbers prompted by many major manufacturers having no official presence.

PEUGEOT is recalling 38,600 406 models to check a screw fitted in the rear wheel axle unit. The recall affects more than 3,300 cars in the UK, but production dates cannot be pinpointed.

ABOUT 200 Daewoo Musso and six Daewoo Korando 4x4 models have been recalled to check a possible fault with automatic gearboxes. The recall applies to models built between March 1999 and May 2000.

VOLVO is hailing its new business centre a success after handling more than 4,000 calls, 238 demonstrator bookings and 127 leads since it opened in September. The centre, based in Byfleet, Surrey, was set up as part of a restructuring of Volvo's corporate sales programme.

MANUFACTURERS pre-registered just 65 cars worth £665,970 during December, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE-based building services company DJ Hewer and Co has specified Citroen vehicles for the first time as part of its 116-vehicle fleet. Five Citroen Relay 1000 vans, two Citroen Berlingo vans and two Citroen Xantia 2.0 HDi cars will replace a mix of Fords, Vauxhalls and Volkswagens.

MANN Egerton Vehicle Contracts has arranged a personal contract finance scheme for the directors of household textile retailer Rosebys. The top brass were set to see their tax bills rocket under the new carbon dioxide-based company car tax regime as their executive cars have high CO2 figures.

ALLDAYS Stores has become Honda's first major corporate customer to take delivery of the all-new Civic. The first four Civics, from an expected total of 40, have been handed over to Alldays to join the company's dual-badge fleet of 200 cars.

HYUNDAI'S Trajet MPV is now available with a 2.7-litre V6 engine and automatic gearbox. The model is a high-specification addition to the range and fits in above the current 2.0-litre, priced at £19,999.