Friday, October 22, 2010
New MD at Land Rover
Land Rover has appointed Colin Green to the role of managing director of Land Rover UK, effective from 1 December 2010. He will replace John Edwards who has recently been appointed Global Brand Director, Land Rover as part of a restructure which will strengthen the voice of the customer at Board Level.
Colin Green (53), currently Land Rover global marketing director, has worked for Land Rover since 1979. He has overseen all global marketing activity for the last six years over the busiest period of product launch in the company's history and prior to that was UK marketing director.
As managing director, Land Rover UK, Colin will report directly to Phil Popham, who assumes his new role as Director, Global Sales and Service Operations, Jaguar Land Rover on 1 December 2010
UK car production up in September
UK car production increased again last month, industry figures have shown.
A total of 126,548 cars were built at UK factories in September, 5.8% more than a year ago, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
It added that this brought the total made so far this year to 937,891, a 35% rise on the same nine months in 2009.
The SMMT said investment in the UK car industry should remain resilient despite the impact of the government's public sector spending cuts.
Production of commercial vehicles at UK factories also rose last month, up 16.7% to 11,339.
SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "In yesterday's spending review, government outlined some tough decisions, but also committed to a strong growth agenda.
"Support for low carbon vehicles, skills and research and development will all help to sustain and encourage investment in the UK motor industry."
Toyota to recall over a million cars in US and Japan
Toyota has announced a recall of more than 1.5 million cars worldwide over brake and fuel pump defects.
The carmaker said the decision affected certain Avalon, Highlander and Lexus cars, including 740,000 cars in the US, 600,000 in Japan and 17,000 in the UK.
It wants to ensure that fluid does not leak from the brake master cylinder, causing the warning light to turn on.
The fault could cause the brake pedal to feel spongy, and braking performance to "gradually decline".
Toyota says that if the brake warning light is triggered, drivers still have another 200 miles to drive to find help before the brake performance deteriorates.
Toyota is not aware of any accidents because of the issue.
The models affected in the UK are some Lexus IS, GS and RX models built between 2003-2005.
The US recall affects 2005-06 Avalon cars, 2004-06 Highlander (non Hybrid) and Lexus RX330 cars, and 2006 Lexus GS300, IS250, and IS350 cars, according to the company's press release.
The recall also affects 33,000 cars in continental Europe, 60,000 in China, 30,000 in Australia and 50,000 in the rest of Asia.
Car-owners will be notified early in November, and the manufacturer will arrange for the brake master cylinder cup to be replaced with a newly designed version.
Volvo wins battle to change congestion scheme
London Mayor Boris Johnson announced yesterday all sub-100g/km CO2 and Euro 5 compliant cars will be allowed to enter the Capital’s Congestion Charge zone free of charge.
The move was a vindication of Volvo’s campaign against the old system, which it felt was unfair.
The old scheme allowed drivers of alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles to avoid the £8 entry charge despite emitting more CO2 than many conventional petrol or diesel engine cars.
The new rules mean that any car, regardless of powertrain, will be entitled to a 100 per cent discount on the charge.
Volvo’s current range includes three 99g/km CO2 models – the C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe models.
Motorists can register for the Greener Vehicle Discount from 4th January, subject to a £10 annual payment per vehicle, provided their car emits less than 100g/km CO2 and meets the Euro 5 standard for air quality.
With electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles set to arrive in the UK over the next 18 months, all of which will have significantly lower emissions levels than today’s cars, Transport for London said it would continue to monitor developments in the market and keep discount criteria under review.
Another review will be conducted in 2012, when officials will decide whether or not to reduce the 100% discount threshold to vehicles emitting under 80g/km CO2.
DATED: 21.10.10
FEED: MT
HR Owen sales rise 5.5% in September
New car sales at HR Owen, the London-based prestige group, rose by 5.5 per cent in September.
In its interim management statement the group said trading “remained challenging” although year-on-year sales during the plate-change month increased.
“Both used cars and aftersales continue to operate ahead of internal expectations,” it said.
“The group will remain in profit at the trading level for the second half of the year.”
The group has seen changes to its management team this year with the departure of long standing chief executive Nick Lancaster, and high profile board members including Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, and the subsequent appointment in September of his replacement Andy Duncan, the former boss of Channel 4.
The group said the strategy review, initiated earlier this year by chairman Jon Walden, will be released in time for its full year results in March 2011.
“The board recognises that significant challenges lie ahead but is confident that the group’s unique portfolio of luxury brands and a strengthened management team will provide a strong platform for the future development of the group.”
DATED: 22.10.10
FEED: MT
Thursday, October 21, 2010
M-B Retail Group wins National Training Award
Mercedes-Benz Retail Group has become the first ever automotive company to win a National Training Award.
The regional award was in the ‘large employer’ category and was presented in recognition of the extensive North London management development programme implemented in 2009.
The judges assessed the training scheme itself and visited the businesses involved to look at the physical impact it has had on the way the company operates and the changes it has brought about.
The winning North London programme was designed to create a change in the culture of the way the dealer group's retailers operated and was described as "radical".
Put together by market area director for North London, Simon Ackers and organisational development manager, Karl White, it focused on the group’s managers.
Whilst the programme was specifically tailored for Mercedes-Benz Retail Group’s North London retailers, it is now influencing training schemes being rolled out across the group.
White said: “We felt that the most effective way to implement this change in culture was to focus our efforts on the management team. If we could make the change at the top, we knew that through the structure of our business the changes would filter through to everyone who works for Mercedes-Benz North London and, most importantly, create a noticeable improvement to the customer experience.”
Simon Bartley, chief executive of UK Skills which manages the National Training Awards said: “Now more than ever it is essential for organisations to continue to invest in the development of their staff. The UK’s future, after all, can only be strengthened and sustained by people who have the skills needed to meet the demands of today’s globalised economy.”
Run on an annual basis on behalf of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills by UK Skills, the awards are also supported by Skills Development Scotland, The Welsh Assembly Government and the Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland.
Mercedes-Benz Retail locations are in Birmingham Central, Brooklands, Brentford, Bromley, Chelsea, Colindale, Croydon, Dartford, Epsom, Heathrow, Solihull, Stratford, Stockport, Loughton, Manchester Central, Macclesfield, Orpington, Park Royal, Romford, Tamworth, Temple Fortune, Watford and Whitefield.
DATED: 21.10.10
FEED: AM
Saab sales boss Hallmark quits to join Jaguar
Hallmark, 48, will have global responsibility for the Jaguar brand and will take up the post Dec. 1, Jaguar Land Rover said in a statement.
Hallmark, a former executive vice president of Volkswagen of America, joined Saab in March, two months after Dutch supercar maker Spyker Cars NV bought the ailing brand from General Motors Co.
His new appointment is part of a restructuring of Jaguar Land Rover's marketing and sales division after the company said last week that Jaguar Managing Director Mike O'Driscoll, 54, is retiring from day-to-day operations at the end of March 2011.
Other new board-level appointments, also effective Dec. 1, will see Land Rover Managing Director Phil Popham move to the role of Jaguar Land Rover's director of global sales and service operations.
Popham, 45, will have management responsibility for the global sales and after sales operations of both brands, overseeing the company's national and regional business units and the dealer network worldwide.
John Edwards will assume global responsibility for Land Rover as the SUV maker's global brand director. Edwards, 48, is currently managing director for Land Rover in the UK and Central Europe.
Mike Wright will take up a newly created role as executive director of Jaguar Land Rover. Wright, 57, is currently director of customer services. He will continue to focus on the development of financial services globally and special vehicle operations for both brands, and will take on additional responsibilities relating to the development of corporate strategies, JLR said.
All four executives will report to Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth.
A Jaguar Land Rover statement said the new organizational structure will accelerate the company's progress towards developing a strong and consistently profitable global premium automotive business centered on the Jaguar and Land Rover brands.
"These new appointments and the new structure significantly strengthen the marketing and sales organization for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands within the framework of one globally successful company," Speth said in a statement. "The changes will also ensure that the voice of the customer is heard even more clearly at the most senior level in the business."
DATED: 21.10.10
Used car finance sales up by more than a fifth in August
Sales of used cars using dealer finance rose by 21% in August when compared to the same month in 2009, according to the latest motor finance statistics from the Finance & Leasing Association.
However, sales of new cars to consumers and businesses using motor finance were down by 12% and 26% respectively. August is always a quiet month for the motor industry as motorists wait for the release of the new number plate in September. Next month's FLA figures will show us whether the new car market recovered in September.
Commenting on August's motor finance figures, Paul Harrison, Head of Motor Finance, said:
"Following the withdrawal of a range of incentives to 'buy new', consumers have returned to the used car market where lower prices are attractive and mean that buyers need to borrow less. However, despite strong growth this month it must be remembered that August 2009 was a weak month when the country was still in recession.
"While we expect sales of new cars, particularly prestige cars, to recover slightly towards the end of the year as consumers seek to beat the VAT increase, there is also the, as yet unknown, effect on consumer confidence of this week's Comprehensive Spending Review."
Vertu in the profits fast lane as car buyers return
The car market is thriving, the consumer is 'alive and well' and more buyers are able to get credit, the bullish boss of motor retailer Vertu Motors said today.
Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu, said: "Everybody thinks the consumer is dead, but our volumes, with new and used car sales up more than 6%, show that's not true.
"We had a used-car event this weekend, and we sold more cars than we've sold ever at one before. The South of England is more robust than the North."
Forrester said trading for the year now looked like it would beat expectations, in part because the credit market was 'easing'.
He added: "The percentage of finance rejections is down 3% over the last six months. That small percentage increase can make a big difference on the volumes we deal with."
Vertu posted a 24% rise in pre-tax profit to £5.2 million on sales of £511.1 million for the six months to September.
Three and a half years since its flotation, it gave investors news of a maiden dividend, 0.2p per share, to be paid in January.
Forrester brushed aside any fears over January's VAT increase. "Over the past two years, new car prices have increased 22%, I'm sanguine about the 2.5% VAT hike. It pales into insignificance," he said.
