NICK Reilly, chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors, has been appointed president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. He succeeds John Neill, chief executive of Unipart Group, and will lead the SMMT for the next year.

Reilly said: 'I look forward to working with my counterparts in all sectors of our industry to show the vital contribution we've made, and will continue to make, to the creation of wealth and prosperity for the economy.'

Meanwhile, the society is trying to slim down its organisation by offering staff the options of voluntary redundancy or early retirement. A harsher economic climate for the industry, partly due to car buyers staying away from dealerships for much of last year, was blamed for the re-think.

A spokesman said: 'Like any organisation representing an industry, there are inevitable cuts during difficult times.'