A dozen businesses in Wales make parts for Honda, said the Welsh Automotive Forum. The component suppliers employ thousands of workers and Welsh Government and WAF are taking steps to identify the true impact of the Honda closure and how the employees can be helped. Honda will close its vehicle assembly plant in Turkey along with the Swindon operation by 2021. It is part of a global … [Read more...]
News
Rallying from start to finish over 112 years
A 112-year-old Mototri Contal three-wheeler is set to take on the 2019 Peking to Paris, aiming to finish a 13,840 km journey it started in 1907. The first Peking to Paris (P2P) ran in 1907, five competitors accepting a seemingly impossible challenge. Amongst them was a French three-wheeled Mototri Contal piloted by an ambitious duo, Frenchman Auguste Pons and Oscar Foucauld. A story of … [Read more...]
Newslines 19 February
The BMW X5 and MB C-Class were the most stolen cars last year. Tracker said they swopped places in the course of 2018 and the third most taken was the BMW 3 Series. Ahead of the 19-registration plate being released on 1 March, research* from GoCompare Car Insurance reveals that if they were to buy a new car today, 27% of motorists would choose to buy a hybrid or electric powered … [Read more...]
Honda to close Swindon factory?
Honda will close its Swindon car plant by 2022, says Sky News. It established its only European factory in Wiltshire in 1985 without any UK Government aid, employs 3,500 people and makes about 100,000 Civics annually for the UK and export. It also takes components from a number of Welsh and UK companies, notably in South and Mid-Wales. Now Sky News has reported the plant will close in … [Read more...]
Electric Mini is a new classic after 60 years
Sixty years after the iconic Mini first hit the streets, a British technology company has unveiled the first production electric classic Mini at the London Classic Car Show. The Swind E Classic Mini combines a fully-restored body and bespoke powertrain developed in-house by industry leaders Swindon Powertrain, specialists that have been providing engineering expertise to automotive and … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 February
GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that 34% of drivers illegally use their mobile phone while in their car, with the figure rising to a shocking 58% of 18-24 year old drivers. More drivers are tempted to use their phone waiting in traffic, with the number of drivers using their phone behind the wheel reducing to 25% while actually moving but the corresponding figure for 18-24 years olds … [Read more...]
New car sales will stagnate this year, say makers
This year, EU car sales will stagnate at 2018 levels in terms of units sold, staying close to the 15 million new registrations mark recorded last year, according to new forecasts by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Although 2018 was the fifth consecutive year of growth, the pace of growth has slowed down significantly over the last few years, amounting to a slight increase … [Read more...]
“Fronting” could see you facing a judge
1 in 10 parents of young drivers are risking a trip to court and a criminal record for ‘fronting’ their child’s car insurance policy, new research has found. GoCompare Car Insurance commissioned the research amongst 1000 parents of children aged 17-25 who have passed their driving test. 10% of the parents admitted that they had insured their child’s car in their name in order to save money. A … [Read more...]
More drunken drivers on roads as police diminish
The number of people killed in road accidents where the driver was over the drink drive limit has risen 45% in two years. Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport estimate there were 290 deaths in 2017 compared with 200 in 2015. There were 230 fatalities in 2016 – so the annual increase is 26%. Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of breathalyser firm AlcoSense said, … [Read more...]
Welsh racer’s eastern delight
Former Welsh video gamer Jann Mardenborough continues his incredible career as a professional motorsport racer for Nissan in 2019 – his eighth season taking on and beating some of the world’s best drivers on the real world stage. Mardenborough won Nissan’s GT Academy competition in 2011, beating thousands of gamers from around the world to earn a drive at the 2012 Dubai 24 Hour race. The … [Read more...]