News - Page 2233

A FAST-track scheme to help authorities prepare to implement road user and workplace car parking charging has been launched by the Government. Transport minister Dr John Reid made the announcement as he revealed the latest moves towards launching trial schemes throughout the country.

ROVER has revealed a blueprint for the future in a bid to restore fleet confidence in its range. The four-point plan includes: a new Mini to be built at Longbridge in 2001; an extensive facelift for the 200/400 range in the autumn; a block on fast-churn daily rental business for the new 75 to protect residual values and further 'substantial restrictions' on fast-churn rental business for the 200/400.

ROVER dealers face a bill running into hundreds of thousands of pounds for any 600 and 800 models they have not sold by June. Late last year dealers were 'forced' to 'adopt' about 50 each of the now out of production 600 and 800, which they are offering at bargain prices.

A MAMMOTH day-long meeting at BMW brought unexpected and unprecedented blood-letting on the board which has cast doubt over future plans for Rover. BMW chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder and Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, head of market and product, both stood down from the board following a lengthy battle over their differing visions for Rover.

RAC Motoring Services and Cendant Corporation, owner of Green Flag, are this week drawing up battle plans for 'aggressive expansion' as rivals in the breakdown recovery market after their ambitious bid to join forces collapsed. Kim Howells, competition and consumer affairs minister, brought nearly a year of negotiations on the £450 million deal to a juddering halt when he said the deal would be blocked unless the US corporation sold Green Flag.

BOTH the AA and the RAC have announced joint ventures with traffic information provider Trafficmaster in a bid to boost their service to customers. The RAC and Trafficmaster have ploughed £1 million into a new business venture to launch a range of telematics systems to manufacturers and motorists.

A MAJOR shake-up has been announced at the board of RAC Holdings following the collapse of the sale of its motoring services division to Cendant Corporation. Sir Michael Angus, chairman of Whitbread and deputy chairman of Boots, has been appointed chairman of the board at RAC Holdings.

FLEETS should enjoy better communication and customer service from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions following the creation of a new Government strategic body. Driver, Vehicle and Operator Strategy Board is a cross-agency organisation drawing on the chief executives of the Driving Standards Agency, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area Network.

BOSSES at Caledonia Motor Group are gearing up for a management buy-out following talks with its current owners - the multi-millionaire Barclay Brothers. Chief executive Paul Batty says the negotiations for the buy-out are 'very advanced', although a date or price for the sale has not yet been announced. PriceWaterhouse Coopers is handling management buy-out negotiations.

SPORTSWEAR company Nike has signed a sale and leaseback deal with Lease Plan for its 86-strong company car fleet in the UK and Ireland. Lease Plan will also provide fleet management for a further 28 Nike vehicles, and cover the entire fleet with its accident management programme.

THE boss of Gowrings, the conglomerate which includes three Ford dealerships and three bodyshops, has dismissed speculation the company is under pressure to sell off its motoring interests. The Guinness Peat Group, which has a 12% stake, is understood to have called on Gowrings to concentrate instead on its fast food business. The company owns 31 Burger King franchises.

CAR retail and contract hire group Ryland is continuing buy-out discussions with Wyndham Motor, the car dealership chain. Ryland will not expand on a brief statement to confirm it is in talks which could lead to a takeover bid.

FINANCIAL giants Deutsche Bank and Newcourt Credit have refused to comment on speculation that Newcourt is poised to take control of the German bank's leasing operation.

PHH Vehicle Management has won contracts for the supply and management of more than 1,000 vehicles for McDonalds and the National Blood Service. Under the contract with the fast food chain PHH will provide 700 vehicles on a purchase leaseback agreement and manage a further 150 vehicles for acquisition and disposal.

VAN maker LDV has signed a £15 million agreement with the Post Office to supply parts to 180 workshops nationwide. The five-year deal will involve LDV's 95-strong dealer network supplying parts to all of the Post Office's workshops.

KENT-based Zevco has formed a joint venture with US-based EVX to build non-polluting electric vehicles in New York.

THE 1999 Peugeot 106 Zest range has been expanded to seven separate models offering three- and five-door options, a choice of petrol or diesel and three different specification levels.

PENDRAGON'S proposed £83.7 million acquisition of Evans Halshaw Holdings has been been given the go-ahead by Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers.

FAST-expanding bodyshop network ABS has moved to new offices and recruited seven extra staff to meet 1999 growth forecasts. The new 4,500sq ft premises are three times larger than the previous headquarters and are situated on the same site in Northwich.

NISSAN is to recruit 800 new employees at its Sunderland car plant between April and December.

THE LP Gas Association is holding a one-day conference entitled 'A clean and efficient motor fuel' on February 24 at the Royal Society of Arts in London.

PEUGEOT has assured customers that all its products, of whatever age, are millennium compliant following media concern about the millennium bug computer problem.

THE new Accord is providing victories in the fleet market war for Honda. Product planning manager Tom Gardner said that since its launch in October the sales to fleets had gone 'dramatically well'.

COMPANY car drivers could be banned from using mobile phones - both hand-held and hands-free - while driving, in the wake of a fatal accident in which a businesswoman was using a mobile. Lincoln Crown Court heard how the woman pulled out to overtake a truck at 70mph on a bend while talking to her boyfriend on the phone and was in collision with a car coming in the opposite direction, killing its driver.

THE launch of the T-plate on March 1 is having a major impact on early 1999 sales with the January new car market 50,213 units down on a year ago. However, the brunt of the fall-off was in the private and small business car market as fleet sales - those companies operating 25 or more vehicles - dropped 14,245 to 89,353 units from January 1998's all-time January fleet record of 103,598. Despite the 13.8% fall in fleet sales year-on-year fleet's share of the total new car market increased to 49.14% (January 1998: 44.64%).

FLEET diesel sales' rocky ride in recent months continued in January as sales dropped by almost a quarter to 15,530 from 20,278 in January 1998. The near 5,000 fall was not as marked as that in the private and small business sectors as total diesel car sales dropped 29.2% to 26,223 (January 1998: 37,049).

CAR production reached an all-time high in the UK last year with exports topping the one million mark for the first time, according to figures published this week by the Office for National Statistics. Total car production last year was 1,748,305 (1997: 1,698,015) of which 58% - 1,020,895 - (1997: 961,911) were exported. Home production was 1.2% down year-on-year at 727,610 (1997: 736,104).

TWO damning replies to the Government's proposals for reform of Vehicle Excise Duty have landed on the Treasury's doorstep as it brings to a close consultation on its controversial ideas. The RAC and the Engineering Council have lambasted Government proposals launched last year as 'unacceptable and flawed'.

FLEETS in Northern Ireland taking advantage of cheaper petrol and diesel in the Republic of Ireland face criminal prosecution. HM Customs and Excise is working with Royal Ulster Constabulary to crack down on the millions of pounds in lost revenue regularly travelling across the border.

TOYOTA (GB) is advertising for a new corporate business sales manager to replace Paul Wills, who has been appointed national dealership development manager as part of reorganisation of the fleet department.