Wales’ partnership with Aston Martin will be promoted world wide from this week. The car maker’s V8 Vantage pro racing car is now proudly sporting the Wales brand. The new branding is in celebration of Aston Martin’s impending move to Wales and will be showcased globally as the V8 Vantage competes in races in Mexico, the USA, Japan, China and Bahrain in the season ahead. Last year Aston … [Read more...]
Wales’ new-car sales among UK worst
The brakes are still going on Britain’s new car sales. Figures from the SMMT car-makers’ body today show the fifth consecutive month for a decline but August has always been a slow month as buyers hold off for the new plate and registrations of 67-plate models will provide a better indicator of the overall market. Registrations dropped 6.4 percent to 76,433 vehicles, according to … [Read more...]
Asta-nomical achievement takes to the air
As the home of the Vauxhall Astra, Ellesmere Port has been making the car for almost 40 years. And proud employees have marked the landmark moment the 4 millionth car rolled off the production line with a choreographed display of 236 Astra Sport Tourers to spell out the feat and best viewed from the air. Making the iconic British car since 1981, the plant has provided employment to … [Read more...]
Scrappage deals are piling up to boost sales
More manufacturers are piling into the scrappage schemes to boost flagging sales this year. Volkswagen Group is launching a scrappage scheme for older diesels in the UK. Buyers can get incentives of between £1,800 and £6,000 for a new VW vehicle form any of its family of marques if they trade in an older vehicle with a pre-Euro5 diesel engine registered before 2010. Renault UK has also come … [Read more...]
Toyota lead world sales this year
Toyota continued as the world’s most successful brand in the first half of this year. Sales exceeded 4.28M, some 4.4% up on the same time 2016, while Volkswagen barely improved when they recorded 3.22M sales, just overtaking Ford on 3.06M, a drop of 2.2%. Nissan sales rose 6.2% to 2.51M but it was Honda which leapt 10% with 2.50M registrations in six months at the expense of Hyundai’s 2.08M, … [Read more...]
Tradelines 30 August
Chery has released design sketches of the first of its all-new model line for global markets, ahead of its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 12 September 2017. The first renderings of the compact SUV reveal the design direction for Chery’s new nameplate and while they will wear a Chery badge, they incorporate a new evolution of the Chinese brand’s ‘Life In Motion’ design … [Read more...]
Driverless cars benefits “blind” to motorists
Drivers fail to see that automated and driverless vehicles will deliver promised benefits according to a study. When asked about what benefits will be delivered, the second most popular response was ‘none’ as more than a third of respondents could not identify any advantage that would follow future advances. In identifying their feelings about automotive technology the top six issues were … [Read more...]
UK car making soars nearly 8% led by exports
British car manufacturing rose 7.8% in July, with 136,397 new units rolling off UK production lines, said the SMMT. Major carmakers ramped up production for new and existing models in the month ahead of summer factory shutdowns, which provide an essential period for plant maintenance, upgrades and re-tooling. Production for the UK bounced back in July, in readiness for the important … [Read more...]
Chery picks Frankfurt show to unveil European plans
Chery Automobile Co., Ltd, China’s leading vehicle exporter, will start sales of passenger cars in Europe within the next few years under an all-new nameplate. The first model on sale will be a compact SUV designed for young, urban, progressive-minded customers, and will meet the needs and expectations of European private and fleet buyers in terms of design, quality, dynamics and crash … [Read more...]
Makers shun German motor show
Major car makers are shunning the Frankfurt motor show next month. The enormous cost of taking part and appearing wing to wing with rivals is being weighed against turning visitors into buyers of the brands. About 12 months ago, Paris saw a reduction in brands with Ford, Mazda and Volvo deciding not to attend and now this trend has continued at Frankfurt, which is the largest of its kind in … [Read more...]