News - Page 2133

CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown eased the tax burden on fleets slightly, with a largely neutral budget from the company car perspective.

COMPREHENSIVE analysis of the fleet implications of Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's Budget can be heard at the Fleet News Budget Briefing next Friday, March 16. The discussions will focus on issues including the further impact of fuel duty changes on fleet operations, the continuing increase in private mileage fuel scale charges and latest thinking on the April 2002 company car tax changes.

FLEET managers are facing confusion over the shape of the new style number plate system which could lead to drivers being pulled over by police if incorrect plates are displayed on company cars. The Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency has launched a campaign to inform fleets of the correct shape for the new number plate after spotting that manufacturers were releasing publicity shots of models with the digits wrongly placed.

ROCKETING demand for company cars following the introduction of carbon dioxide-based benefit-in-kind tax predicted by the Inland Revenue has been massively over-estimated, according to new research. Officials at the Inland Revenue remain convinced that there will be a boom in the number of company cars under the new system launched next year, with 200,000 extra staff taking to an employer-provided car.

FLEET drivers are costing their employers £200 million every year through vehicle wear and tear, claims fleet specialist Interleasing. Bumps, scratches, ingrained dirt and cigarette burns are all part of increasing driver abuse that means companies are footing massive repair bills at disposal time.

ONE of Britain's biggest high street names is recommending the latest diesel cars to its high-mileage drivers to keep their tax liability down. Boots has issued a leaflet to its company car drivers explaining the rule changes surrounding company car tax due next year.

CUT price daily rental firm easyRentacar is in talks with DaimlerChrysler to expand its fleet of Mercedes-Benz A-class vehicles to more than 20,000 cars over three years in a deal that could be worth more than £225 million at showroom prices. The rental firm is already committed to more than doubling the size of its fleet, from about 4,000 to 9,000 vehicles, in a deal with a retail value of more than £65 million announced at the Geneva Motor Show.

FLEET sales at dealer group Dixon Motors fell by nearly 15% last year as the firm tried to refocus its approach to business. The firm sold £11.2 million worth of vehicles to fleets last year, compared to £13.1 million in 1999, a fall of 14.8%, from 13,213 cars to 12,456.

BRITAIN'S largest independent petrol retailer, Save Group, has gone into administration. The group, which complained in January that despite high fuel prices, most of its revenue went to the Government in tax, blamed unreasonable interest rates from banks.

THE latest Alliance & Leicester Car Price Index has revealed that new car prices have fallen on average by 9.4% in the past year. The largest fall was among MPVs, down 14.8% and executive cars, down 16.5%, year-on-year, the survey has revealed.

A RECORD number of UK debuts will be unveiled at Fleet Show 2001 as manufacturers flock to sign up to the new London-based event, to be held at Alexandra Palace from May 1-3. A total of 17 manufacturers has so far booked to attend this year's show, at least 12 debuts are planned and more could be announced.

UK operating profits at international dealership group Inchcape were almost wiped out last year because of punishing falls in residual values. The firm's operating profit in the UK dived from £25 million in 1999 to £700,000 last year, with more than half the fall caused by residual value losses through leasing contracts and a further £6.5 million through investment in Autobytel UK, its e-commerce business.

WELL-known fleet industry figure Ken Forbes is to join Fleet NewsNet's parent company Emap Automotive as managing director of its motoring businesses. The move is part of a restructuring at the company aimed at devoting more resources to coverage of the motor industry.

THRIFTY Car Rental and Ford have signed a supply agreement that will see Thrifty take 4,500 new Ford vehicles in a deal worth £50 million at showroom prices - the largest Ford fleet deal Thrifty has signed. Ford has been the key supplier of vehicles to the Thrifty fleet for the last 10 years and the new deal means Ford vehicles will become 50% of Thrifty's planned 2001 acquisitions.

BMW will expand its portfolio in 2004 with the launch of both 1-series and 6-series ranges. The company admits the expansion of its range, which from July 7 will include new MINI and from January 1 2003, Rolls-Royce, has been made possible by the sale of Rover and Land Rover.

THE new BMW 3-series Compact will go on sale in the UK in August following its world debut in Geneva. With prices starting at about £16,500 for the entry-level 316ti, the range will also include a 192bhp 325ti.

THE entry-level to the all-new MINI brand - the MINI One - made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The MINI will go on sale in the UK on July 7 with two versions - the 1.6-litre 90bhp MINI One and the MINI Cooper powered by the same 1.6-litre 16v engine but tuned to 115bhp.

TOYOTA hopes its latest product - the Avensis Verso - will help the company reach its target of a 5% share of the European car market by 2005. The car replaces the Picnic compact MPV and will go on sale in the UK this summer, giving drivers the choice of six or seven-seat versions.

ALFA Romeo is confident that an extra version of its 147 will be a smash hit. The company believes a high-value derivative model will soon account for 60% of sales of the sporty three-door car.

BRITISH Car Auctions has broken the record for the highest auction turnover and most vehicles sold in a single sale during an event at its Nottingham site on behalf of BMW Financial Services Group. All 513 cars offered from BMW FSG were bought, selling for £5.1 million.

CHRYSLER JEEP saw prices soar during a closed sale at Manheim Coventry, which achieved a 100% conversion rate. All 92 vehicles sold at the event, attended by 51 dealers, which saw a 2000 W-reg Jeep Grand Cherokee push up its used book value by £1,500, making £26,300, compared to prices of £24,800 last year.

FIRST National Motor Finance has signed a three-year £2.5 million contract to dispose of vehicles through Manheim Auctions. FNMF will exclusively remarket its vehicles through Manheim's UK network and through Premier Motorauctions Leeds.

CASH, passports, credit cards, an air gun and a dead mouse were among the personal belongings recovered from the 14,000 leased company cars returned to Interleasing for refurbishment last year. The £100,000 haul, which also included sunglasses, CDs and a child's seat, has led to Britain's company car drivers being dubbed 'forgetful and careless'.

THE fear of the unknown remains a hurdle for firms trying to tempt fleets into buying over the internet, with them opting for traditional sources despite investigating electronic purchasing. Disposing of vehicles over the web is also posing new problems that fleet managers need to understand when moving away from physical sales, according to a recent report.

FLEET managers will be key players in bringing in technology to reduce congestion on the roads over the next 10 years. The Government is backing new developments to give drivers the latest information on road conditions, improving warnings and understanding the reasons behind congestion.

MG Rover is sending out a strong message that people buying its products are buying British. At a time when most fleet cars are built outside the UK, MG Rover has decided to emphasise the fact that its cars are made in Britain with a Union Flag badge on the boot lid.

BRITAIN'S importer of Mazda cars has denied that its long-standing links with the Japanese manufacturer are about to be severed. Press reports speculating that British market distribution rights will soon be withdrawn from Mazda Cars UK Ltd were incorrect, managing director Tim Tozer insisted at the Geneva Motor Show.