Over 70% of fleet managers say the cost of vehicle repair influences the choice of vehicles in their fleet, according to new report ‘Fleet Managers, the pressures, challenges and opportunities.’ Being green is also a key factor with 56% making choices around the composition of their fleet based on protecting the environment. With more than 90% of motor accidents the result of human error the … [Read more...]
Retail News
Newslines 11 August
Tough labour laws in France mean that Ineos stands to pick up an idling Daimler plant in Hamach in a distressed sale for €500 Million to build its forthcoming Grenadier 4x4 after suspending plans for a new factory outside Bridgend. If the sale falls through, Ineos may return to South Wales but there is another option on a struggling Nissan site in Spain as well. The Proton brand could resurface … [Read more...]
Behind the Wheel: Driving towards a cliff
Tens of thousands of more jobs are likely to disappear from the UK automotive sector before the end of the year, writes Robin Roberts. Some 11,349 jobs so far axed following lockdown will grow and despite this week’s 11% rise in new car registrations the outlook is bleak. That’s because the first upturn in showroom sales came at the end of three months when all showrooms were in … [Read more...]
Beware of holiday ‘hang ons’ with car hire
Holidaymakers planning to hire a car in the UK this summer should check the price of the car hire ‘extras’ they need, as the cost at the rental desk can differ by hundreds of pounds. That’s according to a study of Sixt, Europcar, Enterprise and Hertz in eight UK cities includding Swansea by iCarhireinsurance.com, provider of stand-alone car hire excess insurance. The cheapest place to hire a … [Read more...]
Wales leads UK car sales recovery with Vauxhall Corsa
New car sales in Wales have recovered better than the rest of the UK. Welsh figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show a 39.22 % rise in July compared to the same month last year and brings the running total for this year to just 34.55% below the first seven months of 2019, also better than other regions. Dealers in Wales recorded 7,728 new car sales in July … [Read more...]
Tradelines 5 August
The car market turned upside down in July, said Sean Kemple, MD of Close Brothers Motor Finance. The bounce back from near-zero sales in April to a 11% uplift in July reflects the momentous release in pent-up demand because there is usually a summer slump, but 2020 has been anything but normal. Right now it’s the used car market where the real growth is taking place, reports Alex Buttle, … [Read more...]
New car sales rise in hoped for lift to market
Pent up demand after lockdown eased is thought to have driven a rise in new car registrations last month. Figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders due to be released later this morning are expected to show an 11% rise compared with the same month in 2019. December saw the last increase but it was a blip after a year of decline. The new car sales market has struggled with … [Read more...]
One-off Bristol sports car up for sale
Car enthusiasts are getting a once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy a unique one-off four-year-old British sports car, and it could cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Bristol Bullet roadster is among items being disposed of by joint liquidators of Britsol Cars, which folded earlier this year. Jeremy Frost and Patrick Wadsted of Frost Group Ltd appointed as Joint Liquidators, have … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Gordon Murray T50 supercar revealed
Gordon Murray’s T50 Supercar has been revealed. Just 100 versions of the £2.36 Million ex-works made to measure three-seater with gull-wing doors will be available from January 2022 and they are expected to be snapped up. The model celebrates Gordon Murray’s 50 years in motor sport and road car design and engineering business which has seen him working at the sharp end of F1 and then use his … [Read more...]
Hybrids are mystery to a third of drivers
A survey by DesperateSeller.co.uk has revealed that 30.9% of UK consumers simply don’t understand hybrid cars. A poll on the used car website in July 2020 asked “What is a hybrid car?” and gave three options: a) One that can use at least two means of propulsion; b) One that does NOT have an internal combustion engine; and c) One that can run on both petrol and diesel fuels. Of 1,190 … [Read more...]