F&I Management & Training

Lord Mandelson has revealed the members of the new automotive council which will help set a long-term plan for the development of the industry.

There are no car dealer representatives on the council.

Will the new Automotive Council be effective in speaking for the needs of the automotive industry without dealer group representation?

It had already been revealed that while the council would take into account all aspects of the motor industry, the members were more likely to have a strong representation from the manufacturer side.

The Automotive Council was announced earlier this month as part of the Government’s response to recommendations made in the industry-led report from the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT).

A supply chain council and a technology council will also be set up as part of the Automotive Council which will address the strategic challenges facing the car industry over the longer term.

The Automotive Council will be jointly chaired by Lord Mandelson and Richard Parry Jones (ex-Ford), who also led the NAIGT. The other members are:

• David Smith (deputy) Jaguar Land Rover
• Gordon Murray (deputy) Gordon Murray Design
• Joe Greenwell Ford
• Bill Parfitt GM
• Kenneth Keir Honda
• Trevor Mann Nissan
• Jürgen Hedrich BMW
• Graham Smith Toyota
• Jon Carling Aston Martin
• Franz-Josef Paefgen Bentley
• Dave Keene RDM Automotive/Niche Vehicles Group
• Gwenne Henricks Perkins Engines
• Andrea Paver Leyland Trucks
• Hermann Kaess Robert Bosch
• Nigel Stein GKN Auto
• Jerry Hardcastle Nissan
• Barry Dodd Addpower Technologies
• Paul Everitt SMMT
• John Miles ARUP
• Dave Osborne Unite
• Brian Collins chief scientific adviser, BIS & DfT

The first meeting of the Automotive Council is expected to be held in December.

DATED: 30.11.09

FEED: AM