News - Page 2400

MERCEDES-Benz is adding three exclusive cars to its UK line-up and improving both safety and specification on other models. From June, the 3.6 litre E36 AMG becomes the sporting flagship of the E-class range. Just 10 cars will be available each month at a price of £53,500.

HOPES of a £200 million cash bonanza for British industry if the fuel price war declared by the major retailers earlier this year was sustained for a year have been destroyed.

THE closing date for applications for the first series of Hertz Leasing-sponsored Institute of Car Fleet Management bursary awards is Monday, June 10. The scheme was officially launched at last month's Fleet Show and a 'significant' level of interest has been shown, according to Hertz Leasing.

FORD is to offer Scorpios from next month (June) with a new British built 2.3 litre 16 valve engine. The engine will be available with both manual and automatic transmission and as a saloon and an estate. The price premium is £430 above the existing 2.0 litre 16 valve unit. Saloons and estates are the same price and on top models, manuals and automatic cost the same.

FLEETS can benefit by almost £1,000 with the introduction of a special launch offer on Citroen's Saxo supermini. The car went on sale on May 17 and the launch promotion, which runs until the end of August, gives a free on the road package including delivery (worth £480), six months road tax (£77), three year warranty (£325) and three year roadside assistance with National Breakdown Green Flag (£60).

EMAP Automotive, publishers of Fleet News, has appointed the UK's leading motor industry academic, professor Garel Rhys, as a non-executive director. Rhys holds the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chair in motor industry economics at the Cardiff Business School and is also director of the Centre for Automotive Research at Cardiff University. He is also a regular contributor to radio and television on the motor industry.

AUDI'S all-new A3 - the German manufacturer's prestige sports hatch - is to go on sale in the UK in October. Audi expects to sell around 5,000 A3s during its first full year on sale in the UK and a significant proportion are expected to go to young company executives who would perhaps have previously chosen a BMW Compact under their company's fleet policy.

ROVER has increased prices across its 200 range. Most models are subject to a £300 increase but the entry level 214i list price goes up by £400 to £10,395 for the three-door and £10,895 for the five-door.

FIAT'S new Marea and Marea Weekend - replacements for the Tempra saloon and Station Wagon go on sale throughout mainland Europe in September, but will not be available in the UK until early 1997.

FLEET operators are being hit by massive tyre bills as both manufacturers and employers cave in to the wishes of drivers. The reason, according to British Car Contracts, is that more and more cars are being fitted with low profile tyres which, while they are a favourite with drivers and improve performance and handling, are costing the fleet industry hundreds of thousands of pounds every year.

BUSINESS is booming for Vauxhall's Business User Support Centres celebrating their first anniversary of focusing on sub-100 vehicle fleets.

FORD has this week launched an improved free mobile phone initiative which applies to the fleet as well as the retail market. Ford Call II is the follow-up to the original Ford Call, which was launched in autumn 1994 with a free mobile phone being offered with every new Ford.

ONE of Britain's most famous high street retailers has called on its company car drivers to remove metal bull bars from vehicles. The request from Marks & Spencer comes in the same week as four out of five British motorists have condemned the fitting of bull bars to vehicles, according to a survey by Cowie Interleasing of 300 company car and private motorists.

BLUE Circle Industries - with an 820-strong company fleet - has swapped its fleet management company and brought its car purchase and disposal operation in-house. Dial Contracts has won the three year deal to look after the fleet maintenance and to provide accident management services. The company will be managing a spend of £2.7 million spread over the next three years.

DIESEL cars are still in favour with fleet managers according to a survey by the UK's largest contract hire company. Lex Vehicle Leasing, which has more than 70,000 vehicles on contract hire, has bought almost 10% more diesel cars in the first four months of 1996 than in the same period in 1995.

THREE new sale and leaseback agreements have been signed by two of GE Capital Fleet Services' member businesses - Leasecontracts and Avis Fleet Services.

FLEET drivers feel more vulnerable at the wheel than ever before, according to a survey of 5,500 business drivers and 400 business vehicle operators. A massive 82% perceive themselves to be vulnerable in traffic, attributing this to road rage, overcrowded roads and declining standards of driving.

TWO of Britain's largest contract hire and fleet management companies - Dial Contracts and British Car Contracts - have delivered a 'hands off the company car' message to the Labour Party. have both hit out.

NATIONAL newspaper claims that a future Labour government would launch a tax blitz against company cars have been dismissed by shadow transport spokeswoman Clare Short, who said the importance of the company car to UK plc would be recognised within a co-ordinated transport strategy under a future Labour Government.

ABBEY National has signed a two-year dual badge deal with Vauxhall and Rover which marks the end of the previous Rover solus contract. Milton Keynes-based Abbey National operates 2,200 vehicles and Vauxhall and Rover won the contract following a lengthy tender process involving seven manufacturers.

POLICE constables at Essex Police Traffic Investigation Unit have offered three key pieces of advice to fleet drivers. Firstly, be aware of your speed, particularly in urban areas. Secondly, if you are late for an appointment be late. Don't make yourself or anyone else early for the next life. And thirdly, if you have got a seat belt fitted, wear it.

A leading personal injuries lawyer has predicted a raft of legal cases brought by drivers forced to work excessive hours. John Hesketh is a specialist personal injury lawyer with Colemans Solicitors, and works to bring justice to the victims of road traffic accidents.

RYLAND Multifleet has landed its second million miles contract for LDV minibuses with a Manchester-based travel agency. Peerless Travel, which operates a fleet of 25 vehicles for transporting passengers to and from major airports, signed up for a further six minibuses with the Stoke-on-Trent-based leasing company at last month's Fleet Show at Silverstone.

COMPANY cars supplied to customers of Perry Contract Hire are now being offered to their drivers at a discount price as part of a new favoured purchase scheme. As a result, at the end of a contract, the driver will be able to buy their company vehicle, complete with mileage and service history, at a price lower than they would expect to pay on a dealer forecourt.

MULTI-POINT 1.4 litre engines feature alongside improved specification for the new 1996 model SEAT Ibizas with prices starting at £8,195 on the road. All models also feature a high level rear brake light and front seatbelt pretensioners along with new trim materials, a five speed gearbox and a six speaker RDS radio cassette system.

THE European car leasing market is set for strong growth according to research company MarketLine International. In its latest survey 'European Car Leasing: Future Prospects & Challenges 1996-2000', MarketLine said the recession had prompted many larger companies to reconsider their acquisition methods.

BMW has revved up the Compact and 3 Series Coupe with the offer of a sparkling new 1.9 litre multi-valve engine. The engine is the same as the one which will appear in the Z3 Roadster when it comes to Britain at the end of the year. It offers more torque and improved refinement than the outgoing 1.8 litre unit.

FLEXIBLE rental specialist Global Self Drive has relocated to new premises in Peterborough as part of a new drive for expansion in East Anglia and the East Midlands.

A £250,000 deal will put the whole national Surridge Dawson van fleet under the watchful eye of the Securicor TrakBak security system. The vehicle tracking system is to be fitted to all Surridge Dawson's 320-strong fleet.

TOUGH new guidelines have been issued to car makers by the Government in a new bid to crack down on car crime.The Home Office this week issued new guidelines encouraging car manufacturers to cover all aspects of vehicle security and allow 'attack testing' to see how long it takes to break into vehicles. New guidelines include: