F&I Management & Training

Audi is planning a small SUV crossover based on the next-generation A3, but VW’s Bavarian brand may have to find an alternative to the Q3 name because Nissan’s Infiniti has the commercial rights to the model badge.
Due within two years, it should be the third member of Audi’s 4x4 Q model family, joining the Q5, which is debuting in April, and the Q7.
Competing with Volvo’s planned XC30 in the premium sector, Ford’s mainstream Kuga and arguably Nissan’s Qashqai; the baby Q-car will be part of an unprecedented Audi model onslaught, which will expand its variant portfolio from 25 to 40 by 2014.
But Infiniti, which carried the Q prefix on its Q45 flagship and sells a large QX56 SUV in Russia, only allowed Audi to use Q7 and Q5 after an out-of-court settlement. It ruled that Audi could not use the letter on other models.

DATED: 14.02.08

FEED: AM

Peugeot Citroen has reported 2007 profits of €885m (£657m), nearly five times what it reported in 2006.
The result marked a successful first year for chief executive Christian Streiff, who took on his position with the company in February 2007.


Turnover was up 7.1 per cent, the report said, and vehicle sales were up by 3.8 per cent.

DATED: 14.02.08

FEED: MT

Nissan’s US-based luxury brand Infiniti is set to unveil its western European line-up at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
The brand has been trading in the USA since 1989 and will be staging the world premiere of the second generation of the FX performance crossover, as well as the rest of its line-up including the G Sedan, G coupe and EX coupe crossover.


The V8 powered Infiniti FX will be revealed away from the motor show on 4 March 2008 at a private ceremony attended by Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn.

DATED: 14.02.08

FEED: MT

UK’s largest car dealer could be the subject of a takeover bid.
Its share price accelerated 3.75p yesterday to 36.25p as rumours of a bid approach persist.

Reports in the financial press suggest rival Inchcape and Lex Services have been touted as potential suitors.
In November last year Pendragon announced it would miss its 2007 operating profit by £12m.
The giant dealer group, which has a turnover of more than £5bn, also reduced profit expectations for 2008 by £18m.
It blamed a weaker used car market in the UK and sluggish US sales, brought about by the south Californian fires, for the poor trading update.

DATED: 14.02.08

FEED: MT

Citroen has come up with a novel way of filling a long standing open point in west London by renovating its Slough headquarters and opening a dealership on the ground floor.
The move is part of a wider programme aimed at filling up to 15 open points this year.

Work is due to start soon on the site in the town’s busy Bath Road, which already serves as a motor mile for Ford, Mercedes, Fiat, Toyota, Audi, Honda, Jaguar and Renault dealerships as well as the Trade Sales car supermarket and the UK headquarters for both Fiat and Ferrari.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: MT

All new cars are to be fitted with automatic daytime headlights within four years as the UK Government falls into line with a European Union directive. Historically the Government has opposed the idea on the grounds that using lights in the daytime would increase fuel consumption and emissions. However, it has now conceded that it is unable to oppose the EU legislation. Responding to a Parliamentary question, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "The UK has been successful in arguing against the introduction of mandatory use of dipped headlamps during daylight hours by drivers of existing vehicles. "However, from early 2011 all new types of passenger cars and light vans will have to be fitted with dedicated daytime running lamps in accordance with the relevant European directive. By summer 2012, all new vehicles will have to be so fitted." The European Commission says that the lights increase fuel consumption by only 0.3% because they use separate bulbs that are less bright than headlights.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AW

In the face of mounting debts Carter & Carter is holding an extraordinary general meeting this week to ask shareholders to allow it to exceed its current borrowing limits and avoid administration.
The training company, which has an automotive division running apprenticeships for numerous car brands, said its “indebtedness going forward was likely to be higher than the performance of the business was able to support”.
Its debts have increased by £43 million in the last 12 months, and now total £129 million. The directors forecast this to increase further as extra working capital is needed, and predict it to peak at £175 million by the end of July.
At present, the com-pany’s articles restrict its borrowings from exceeding three times its capital and reserves. If it breaches this rule, it must repay the excessive debts. However, the directors warn it would be unable to do so.
They have warned that when it posts its financial results for the year to July 31 2007, Carter & Carter expects a substantial reduction in goodwill to lead to a corresponding drop in its reserves, which will result in a breach of the articles and lead the company into voluntary administration.
If the move is approved by shareholders, a major voluntary restructuring is expected to be announced in the next few weeks, depending on the successful outcome of talks with Carter & Carter’s lenders.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Sandicliffe Motor Group’s Eco-Drive, launched in January 2007, has already saved the company “tens of thousands of pounds”, said organising director Paul Woodhouse. The target is a 25% cut in energy consumption.
He is confident of recouping all investment in eco-linked initiatives within 10 years and believes customers are responding “by thinking of saving pennies in their pockets if not the planet”.
The sharp rise in fuel prices recently is making customers much more interested in CO2 figures. “The prospect of a 115g/km Ford Focus has a meaning for people which it would not have done even two years ago,” said Woodhouse.
When Sandicliffe launched Eco-Drive, managing director Reg Tutt forecast it would save the business money. This year the company will introduce more sophisticated methods of measuring whether savings are linked to the programme.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Tata Motors is planning to engineer a version of its Nano world car to meet European crash and emission standards before 2012.
Tata Nano project manager, Girish Wagh, told German newspaper Focus: "We will develop a follow-on model in four years that will fulfill the Euro V emissions standard and pass European crash tests.”
Wagh said the principal objective was to reduce the Nano's fuel consumption. The company will focus on reducing consumption from five litres per 100 km to three litres per 100km.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Nissan Europe has reported a record January with sales of 50,542 units, representing an increase of 71.9% year on year, a tenth consecutive month of inscreased sales.
Much of this increase year on year was attributed to the new models in the range. The Qashqai compact cross-over, which was launched in March 2007, resulted in 14,556 incremental sales in January. The new Tiida hatchback model sold 4,317 units in January in Eastern Europe, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Spain and Portugal will see the launch of Tiida next month.
Russia continues to perform strongly and almost doubled its volume year on year to 8,903 units in January up 95% versus last year.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Murry Linin has been appointed as the new dealer principal Marshall Cambridge Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge.
His arrival at the Newmarket Road showroom precedes the launch of four new vehicles in 2008.
First to arrive will be a redesigned version of the Chrysler Grand Voyager MPV, followed by an new version of the Jeep Cherokee. A convertible version of the Chrysler Sebring and the Dodge Journey ‘crossover’ vehicle will be launched later in the year.
Training as an apprentice aged 15, Linin’s career started with a job as a Volvo technician and later, a service manager. He has worked within the Marshall Motor Group for the last 13 years.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Ex-Inchcape Retail managing director Robert Hazelwood will become Skoda UK’s new director on March 1.
He joins Skoda from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, where he has been brand director for the past two years.
Hazelwood replaces Chris Craft, who was recently appointed director for Volkswagen UK, also effective March 1.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Jim O’Donnell will leave as head of BMW UK on March 1 to become president and chief operating officer of BMW North America.
Klaus Kibsgaard will take over as BMW UK MD, while O’Donnell will take up his new role in America on April 1.
Kibsgaard has been president of BMW Portugal since 2003. He said: "I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity to manage BMW’s third largest market.
"Jim and the management team at BMW UK have done a terrific job culminating in 2007’s record results. I hope to carry on from this high level and further the successful record for the BMW and Mini."

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

BTC has been appointed as the sole UK sales agent and trainer for the Close-It sales lead management software. And already, the Cheshire-based company has agreed a deal to implement the system in TG Holdcroft’s group of dealerships.
Previously Close-It handled sales and training in-house at developer Complete Automotive Solutions. CAS's products are used by more than 1,500 dealers.
BTC previously had a similar arrangement with rival sales management system eGoodManners. That contract ended late last year.
Andy Waterworth, a director of BTC, said he was convinced that Close it had a major role to play in helping dealerships to prosper in a challenging market. “A difficult economy is not the biggest threat facing motor dealers in 2008”, he said.
“It’s panic by management when dealing with customers, snatching at deals because they’re desperate for a sale and failing to apply the best practice basics like selling the car and the dealership instead of just the deal.
“Experience has shown that when market conditions are tough, and there are less customers around, it’s the dealerships with strong management controls and disciplines that tend to do well.
Waterworth said CRM tools can be highly effective in helping dealerships to sell more cars to more customers more profitably. Flexible systems such as Close-It can be tailored to the suit the individual business's processes.

DATED: 12.02.08

FEED: AM

Skoda UK has announced the appointment of Robert Hazelwood as brand director.
Hazelwood comes to the role from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, where he was brand director for two years.

He has swapped roles with Chris Craft, who was recently appointed brand director for Volkswagen, having been brand director at Skoda.

DATED: 11.02.08

FEED: MT

Audi dealers in the UK have seen profitability on new car sales soar 100 per cent in the last 12 months, according to Jeremy Hicks, the brand’s UK director.
He claimed margins were running at 2.3 per cent and had “doubled in pound note terms”.


Audi has vowed it will continue to build upon the record 100,000 new car sales it achieved in 2007. “We’ll do more this year,” claimed Hicks.

DATED: 11.02.08

FEED: MT

The SMMT’s new chief executive Paul Everitt aims to forge closer links with the RMIF as the motor industry braces itself for the challenges ahead.
In recent years the bodies representing car manufacturers and dealers have clashed – firstly over the adoption of the 2002 block exemption regulation and more recently over the establishment of a code of practice for the service and repair sector.

But Everitt stressed it was important the industry presented a united front going forward.

DATED: 11.02.08

FEED: MT

BMW has announced that its UK managing director is to relinquish his position.
Jim O’Donnell is set to take up a new position as president and COO of the luxury carmaker’s North American division.

Klaus Kibsgaard will replace O’Donnell from next month after leaving his current role as president of BMW Portugal.

DATED: 11.02.08

FEED: MT