News - Page 2353

FIAT has released prices of the new Marea and Marea Weekend which go on sale in the UK on March 15. Prices for the 18-vehicle model line-up, which encompasses a choice of three petrol and three turbo diesel-engined models and three trim levels, start at £12,358 for the 1.6 SX saloon.

MERCEDES' new UK supremo Paul Halata is predicting another year of record sales as the car-maker's new supermini makes its show debut at Geneva. The new UK managing director, who took over from Hans Tauscher at the beginning of the year, said both car and truck sales would grow dramatically over the next couple of years.

NEARLY 40% of people want companies who use the roads for business to be taxed in order to fund improvements to public transport, according to a survey by Autoglass.

WOODCHESTER Investments looks likely to be the next takeover target for financial institutions looking to buy into the car leasing industry. The subsidiary of French Bank Credit Lyonnais is to be sold as a condition of its troubled parent company receiving financial assistance from the French Government.

FLEET demand for air conditioning in company cars has hidden cost implications, the RAC claimed this week, as it formed a new business partnership to launch a nationwide vehicle technician's training programme to counter a 'black hole' in the automotive service industry.

DUN & Bradstreet's in-house fleet team is to sell its services to other companies on a contract fleet management basis. The company, which specialises in business information systems, has its own fleet team handling around 1,100 vehicles.

FORD and Rover are the winners of the 1997 British Vehicle Security Awards, sponsored by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. The two manufacturers beat off fierce opposition from the world's leading motor manufacturers to scoop the awards, which are made annually to motor manufacturers which have made the greatest commitment to defeating vehicle crime in the past year.

THOUSANDS of company car drivers are being asked their views on company car taxation as part of an environmental research project. Businesses have been sent 12,000 questionnaires to distribute to drivers, asking for their opinions on possible options for changing the taxation system. So far 3,000 have responded.

THE 1997 Fleet News Awards is a sell-out with more than 1,000 people from the fleet industry scheduled to attend the fleet night of the year on March 26 at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

INTERNATIONAL merchant bank Hambros has become the latest major financial institution to enter the leasing and fleet management market, via a joint venture with Zenith Vehicle Contracts. The two companies have this week established Hambros Vehicle Solutions, in which Hambros has a 70% shareholding, and Zenith 30%.

KEY UK fleets have secured three-year warranty deals with leading fleet manufacturers which traditionally only offer one-year warranties, in some cases, receiving lower volume related discounts from manufacturers as a result.

VAUXHALL'S major rental and leasing manager Bill Hetherington has left the company after 33 years. Hetherington has taken early retirement to move to Bedfordshire-based Network Services Group, which undertakes a large amount of work in conjunction with Vauxhall, where he is working on a major new project, details of which are due to be announced soon.

THE European version of Honda's new 4x4, the CR-V, is due to make its debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show before going on sale in the UK in automatic form in June and in manual form in October.

SEAT has added air conditioning as standard to its six-car Cordoba model line-up - making it the UK's first sub-£13,000 sports saloon to offer the feature. Nineteen of Seat's 32 UK models now offer air conditioning as standard - the Toledo and Alhambra ranges are the other two model line-up.

THE fifth vehicle in the Renault Megane family - the cabriolet - will go on sale in the UK on June 1 following its preview at next month's Geneva Motor Show. The Megane cabriolet will come with a choice of a 2.0-litre 16v 150bhp engine or the 90bhp 1.6e unit found in the Megane coupe., which is expected to be the first choice for most motorists.

SAAB is to launch a new four-door premium saloon, the Saab 9-5, this year. The car will be presented to the international media in Sweden in June and will be on display at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September. UK sales are expected to start in October.

TWO directors of a car dealership group who masterminded a £12 million fraud were jailed for a total of eight and a half years on Friday at the end of a five-month trial. John Hayes, chairman and founder of Swithland Motors, and finance director David Sharratt forced staff into dishonest dealings in a bid to keep the sinking firm afloat.

AVON Rubber is set to sell its tyre business to the Ohio-based Cooper Tire and Rubber Company for £60 million.

FAST-GROWING dealer group Dixon Motors enjoyed another year of rapid expansion in which it posted record profits for the fourth consecutive year. In the year to December 31, 1996 the Hull-based operation reported pre-tax profits up 64% at £5.5 million (1995: £3.4m) on turnover up 86% at £262.6 million (1995: £141.0m).

PEUGEOT has released initial details of the restyled 306 and the all-new 306 estate which will be launched in the UK in the autumn. The new models will debut at next week's Geneva Motor Show with the restyled range of hatchbacks, saloons, cabriolets and sports models going on sale in the UK in April.

VAUXHALL is to unveil its restyled Corsa, featuring Europe's first three cylinder four-valve engine, and a new executive estate car which could be in production within the next two years at next week's Geneva Motor Show. The new-look Corsa will go on sale in the UK in early summer when revised prices will be announced and while it has been restyled front and back and has substantial suspension modifications the new engine is the most significant development.

ROVER increased prices across its range by an average 0.4% on Monday, although prices of 600 and 800 Series vehicles remain unchanged. Elsewhere amendments were made across the range with some models being reduced and others remaining unchanged.

DEALER and contract hire group Alexanders is to undergo major restructuring, including the launch of a daily rental operation and expansion of its leasing activities. Profits before tax struggled to £20,000 (1995: £221,000) on turnover of £119.4 million (1995: £113.4 million) for the year to September 30, 1996, prompting chairman Aleksandra Clayton to announce the move.

THE 1997 Fleet Motor Show is to have its own radio station - the first time in the 15-year history of the show that it has hit the airwaves. Fleet FM in association with Kwik-Fit Fleet will broadcast on 87.7FM within an eight to 10 mile radius of the show, which is being held from April 29-May 2 at Silverstone.

FIAT'S first serious upper medium fleet contender is set to go on sale in both saloon and estate form next month.

FORD is preparing to launch its most important model of the year at next month's Geneva Show. Based on the Fiesta platform, the Puma will be powered by a new 1.7-litre 125 PS version of the acclaimed Zetec SE engine with variable cam timing technology - a first for Ford.

VAUXHALL has stepped up its safety measures with the introduction of twin front airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners as standard on the 4x4 Monterey and side airbags as an option on Vectras on sale from this month.

CONTRACT caterer Gardner Merchant has reported savings of £75,000 in its first year of using PHH's accident management scheme. The company, which operates 1,000 company cars, switched to PHH on September 1, 1995, as it was not happy with the service provided by its previous accident management company.

THE Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association has attacked stringent requirements contained in a new approved repairer agreement issued by Guardian Royal Exchange.

FUEL companies say pump prices are set to stabilise, but the price war is far from over. BP group managing director Rolf Stomberg was reported to have said last week that the forecourt battle was over, followed closely by Shell UK chairman Chris Fay saying it was still on.