New car buyers in Wales have bucked the national trend and registered more models than 12 months ago. Registrations in Wales went up 8.93% in February to 2,610 new cars – 2,396 same time last year – as part of the 79,234 UK total, which was down 2.96% overall. Scotland suffered the steepest droop of 14.75%, Northern Ireland dipped 8.46% and England slipped 2.01%. New car registrations slipped … [Read more...]
News
Newslines 6 March
The new Morgan Plus Four is the latest lightweight two-seater from the quintessentially British car-maker from Malvern costing almost £63,000. It replaces the 94 year old steel ladder chassis with an aluminium platform shortened from the Plus Six and power comes from a 255hp BMW 4cyl 2.0L petrol engine giving 0-62mph of 4.2sec, a maximum close to 150mph and it’s being targetted at the US market … [Read more...]
Sad loss of Welsh ambassador for motor sport
Welsh & UK motorsport lost a great ambassador on Saturday 29 February when Alun Morgan passed away after a long illness, writes Ken Davies. Widely known within the Welsh motorsport community, Alun had spent a remarkable lifetime in the sport. In 1942, David Alun Thomas Morgan was born in Gorslas, Carmarthenshire and after LLandybie Secondary Modern School, went to Ammanford Technical College … [Read more...]
Poorest to be hit hardest by planned new fuel grade
Government plans for a new petrol standard next year will hit 600,000 motorists who cannot use it and lead to social hardship and exclusion, according to the RAC. The Government has proposed replacing the minimum E5 standard for petrol blended with ethanol and substituting an E10 grade, which uses more ethanol but produces less carbon emissions. However, engineers say it may need engines being … [Read more...]
International motorsport venue receives writers award
A former open-cast mine in the Dulais Valley which has become a world famous location for motorsport and off-road vehicle development is the latest recipient of the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy – the prestigious award from Welsh Motoring Writers. Walters Arena plays a significant role in bringing in visitors to the local area, and supporting the economy. The site began life as an opencast mine … [Read more...]
Tradelines 4 March
Engine manufacturing for UK models has risen nearly 9%, according to the SMMT. But exports dipped almost 8% and Mike Hawes SMMT ceo said, “Manufacturers need stability and economic certainty in order to remain globally competitive, and that means agreeing an ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union that safeguards the many thousands of jobs that depend on UK Automotive.” Light van … [Read more...]
Dealers more confident than before Brexit
Research from Close Brothers Motor Finance reveals that nearly all UK car dealers (98%) are confident about the business outlook for their dealership, whilst almost two thirds (63%) are ‘very confident’. Despite a difficult 2019 for the motor industry, the findings paint a picture of business optimism. In the aftermath of Britain’s exit from the EU, a third of dealers (35%) see Brexit as the … [Read more...]
2020 deserves to be balanced for business
With 2019 a fast receding memory, the automotive industry is looking forward to a more balanced year, said Rupert Pontin, Director of Insight with Cazana business intelligence. Despite a decline in new car registrations, many consider the 2.4% drop to have been a fairly good result given the backdrop of political, social and economic factors that challenged every sector of the industry and made … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 March
The Toyota RAV4 was again the best selling SUV last year. The Honda CR-V followed and in third was the Volkswagen Tiguan. The Volkswagen Polo has come out at the best selling small car, despite a fall in this size of model over 12 months. The Toyota Yaris and Renault Clio were next most popular. Car of the Year 2020 is the all-new PEUGEOT 208. It rewrites the book in the B segment … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 March
Building Labourer is the most expensive occupation for car insurance in Wales, new research reveals. According to the data from Confused.com, Building Labourers are deemed to be the ‘riskiest’ drivers in Wales, paying a staggering £1,649, per year for their car insurance, on average, waiters pay £1,522 and car valet people are washed out with £1,426 while council workers get it for just £320 … [Read more...]