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Metrocab, the taxi cab manufacturer, has suspended trading, putting 200 jobs at risk at its Tamworth factory. 22-Dec-2000 Goodyear is to close its Fordhouses tyre depot in Wolverhampton in early 2001 with the loss of 52 jobs, and a farm tyre depot in Coventry will also close. 21-Dec-2000 Ford is planning to step up its European restructuring programme by cutting the size of its 50,000-strong manufacturing workforce by up to 10% a year and by reducing transportation costs. 18-Dec-2000 Leicester City Council has approved plans from WE Sturgess for the development of a £3m Jaguar car dealership on Narborough Road. 15-Dec-2000 Pirelli, the Italian tyre company, is planning to relocate its treasury operations to London, which is expected to lead to a listing on the Stock Exchange. 14-Dec-2000 Lancaster Group is to close its Minories dealership in Carlisle, which sells Renault and Mitsubishi cars, with the loss of 40 jobs. 13-Dec-2000 Vauxhall is to stop manufacturing cars at its Luton plant with the loss of about 2,000 jobs over the next 15 months, as part of a worldwide restructuring programme by parent company General Motors that will result in 10,000 job losses. 13-Dec-2000 Accidentcare is to set up a new car breakdown service next year in partnership with Europ Assistance, and is also looking to move into non-motor care products. 12-Dec-2000 Wagon is in discussions to form a strategic alliance with Stola, the Italian manufacturer of vehicle bodies. 07-Dec-2000 Montupet is creating a further 40 jobs at its alloy wheels and cylinder heads factory in Dunmurry, due to rising demand for a low-emissions diesel engine. 29-Nov-2000 Ford is planning to form a joint venture with the Defence Evaluation & Research Agency to develop hologram technology for vehicle design and medical imaging. 29-Nov-2000 Minorplanet Systems is to raise £30m in a share issue in order to finance the expansion of its vehicle tracking business into the US. 29-Nov-2000 Quinton-Hazel, the Nuneaton-based manufacturer of automotive components, has been put up for sale by US parent company Dana. 29-Nov-2000 Vauxhall is to relocate up to 500 workers from car assembly plants in Bedfordshire and Merseyside to its new van joint venture with Renault in Luton. 28-Nov-2000 Triumph is to set up a motorcycle distribution network in Japan, including about 40 dealers. 27-Nov-2000 Howard Basford has announced plans to set up a new headquarters for its national vehicle recovery service at the Cheshire Oaks Business Park in Ellesmere Port, with the creation of 60 jobs. 24-Nov-2000 Ford is considering plans to invest up to £200m at its Bridgend plant to produce petrol engines for Jaguar cars, which would involve the transfer of work from Cleveland, Ohio. 23-Nov-2000 BMW is to seek planning permission for a £60m Rolls-Royce cars factory at Goodwood in West Sussex, which will build 1,000 units a year and create 350 jobs. 22-Nov-2000 Motorbikes4U is to raise £1.6m in a flotation on Aim in order to fund the expansion of its online motorcycling business. 20-Nov-2000 Anglia Motor Group is looking to sell off its five car dealership businesses across West Norfolk, due to ongoing losses. 17-Nov-2000 Visteon, the automotive design services company, has announced plans to set up a new regional headquarters at the Pipps Hill Industrial Estate in Basildon, employing up to 400 workers. 16-Nov-2000 Motorworld is to close its body and paint repair centre in Kidlington in January, and alternative jobs will be found for the 25 staff. 15-Nov-2000 Nidd Vale Group is to develop a £2m site in Harrogate to house its head office and Vauxhall dealership. 14-Nov-2000 Johnson Matthey has opened a new plant at Manesar in India to produce catalysts for cars and motorcycles. 13-Nov-2000 Unipart is to sell its share in the £20m Unipart Yutaka Systems exhausts factory in Oxford to Honda. 10-Nov-2000 CCM Motorcycles has secured £2m of venture capital investment for the development of new motorcycles and to expand its distribution network into overseas markets. 09-Nov-2000 The AA has bought petrolbusters.com for £0.25m, which will enable it to direct motorists to the cheapest garages. 09-Nov-2000 Minorplanet Systems is planning to supply satellite-based vehicle tracking systems in the US, in partnership with GE Capital Fleet Services. 09-Nov-2000 Hartwell Charles Clark is to close its Rover service and parts operations in Wolverhampton, with the loss of 13 jobs. 06-Nov-2000 Pocklington Coachworks is creating about 15 new jobs in North Yorkshire having won a £2.5m order to manufacture support vehicles for Toyota Motor Sport. 06-Nov-2000 Dixon Motors is to close its Ford dealership on Bury New Road, Salford, with the loss of up to 40 jobs. 06-Nov-2000 Pilkington has dropped plans to double its share of the US automotive glass market following the collapse of takeover talks with Visteon. 06-Nov-2000 Johnson Controls is to close its car seat covers factory at Silloth in Cumbria next spring, with the loss of 130 jobs. 03-Nov-2000 Stadco has confirmed plans to set up a £3m factory at the Boulevard Industry Park in Speke to supply metal pressings to Jaguar, with the creation of 50 jobs. 03-Nov-2000 Lotus, the sports car manufacturer, has raised £40m of public debt financing, prompting speculation that it could float on the London stock exchange next year. 02-Nov-2000 Lancaster is to close its Rover dealership in Colchester with the loss of up to 50 jobs. 31-Oct-2000 Bridge of Weir Leather, the Renfrewshire-based manufacturer of car upholstery, is to shed about 100 of its 374 staff. 27-Oct-2000 EasyRentaCar is planning to set up 30 rental sites across Europe by the end of 2001, and is in discussions with DaimlerChysler to take delivery of a further 13,000 Mercedes cars. 26-Oct-2000 Johnsons Honda is to open a new £2m car dealership at the Oxford Motor Park in Kidlington next month. 25-Oct-2000 Dockgate 20 Motorcycles of Southampton has been acquired by Thames Valley Harley Davidson. 25-Oct-2000 Lotus is to double the output at its plant near Norwich having won a three-year assembly contract from General Motors for the Vauxhall VX220. 23-Oct-2000 London Taxis International has announced plans to transform its Holyhead Road site in Coventry into a retail and business park, which would enable the company to relocate its factory to a larger site nearby. 20-Oct-2000 Corus has unveiled a new laser-welding facility that will produce body panels for BMW's new Mini and create 30 jobs, as part of a £30m investment at its Autolaser Technologies subsidiary in Wolverhampton. 20-Oct-2000 Ford has announced plans to retrain all 2,000 Land Rover production workers at its plants in the UK, Germany and Spain, in order to improve quality and reduce costs. 20-Oct-2000 BMW is looking to sell its Powertrain engine, gearbox and foundry businesses in Longbridge as well as its Swindon Pressings plant. 19-Oct-2000 TRW is to shed 95 jobs at its automotive spares operations in Solihull and Fradley, due to falling demand. 19-Oct-2000 Dixon Motors is to shed an unspecified number of jobs at its recently-acquired TC Harrison dealerships in Sheffield and Rotherham. 18-Oct-2000 Michelin is to shed 950 jobs when its Stoke-on-Trent factory stops producing tyres for new cars and vans next year, but 1,400 workers will be retained to make retreads for trucks, steel cords and moulds. 18-Oct-2000 Reg Vardy has awarded a £5.5m contract to Adonis to build a dealership for Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Maserati at the MetroCentre in Gateshead. 18-Oct-2000 North West Development Agency is in discussions with US motor industry logistics company Coughlin and metal pressings firm Stadco Pressings about setting up new sites at the Boulevard Industry Park in Speke. 16-Oct-2000 The Welsh Development Agency has announced that TRB of Japan is preparing to open a £6m factory to make automotive switches at the St Asaph Business Park in Denbighshire. 13-Oct-2000 Transrent is planning to expand its truck trailer hire and leasing business, having received a £20m investment from Aberdeen Development Capital and Penta Capital. 13-Oct-2000 Ford has announced plans to build a new diesel engine plant at Dagenham, as part of the previously announced £340m overhaul of the site. 13-Oct-2000 Lex Service is planning to sell or close its network of seven Autosales used-car centres, in order to reduce its exposure to the car retailing sector. 11-Oct-2000 Aston Green is to invest £7m in a new Volkswagen and Audi dealership in Reading, which will involve the relocation from existing sites nearby. 09-Oct-2000 Federal Mogul is to close its automotive research and engineering centre in Rugby with the loss of up to 176 jobs. 06-Oct-2000 Dovercourt Ford is closing its car dealership in Maldon, with the loss of up to 20 jobs. 04-Oct-2000 GKN has bought the remaining 35% of Albarus Transmissoes Homocineticas, the Brazilian driveshaft manufacturer, from joint venture partner Dana Corporation for undisclosed terms. 04-Oct-2000 Black Horse Vehicle Management is to close its Harrogate headquarters and move to the ACL Autolease offices in Birmingham, following the acquisition of ACL Autolease by BHVM's parent Lloyds UDT. 03-Oct-2000 Lex Service has won a £540m contract to own and operate 8,500 civilian vehicles for the Ministry of Defence. 03-Oct-2000 Johnson Controls is to close its car seat covers factory in Mansfield next year with the loss of more than 500 jobs, in order to transfer production to eastern Europe. 29-Sep-2000 Hodge Continental is setting up a new Chrysler and Jeep dealership in Swansea. 27-Sep-2000 Horners Motor Group is to set up new Skoda dealerships in Bury and Manchester, with the creation of up to 25 jobs. 27-Sep-2000 Reliant Motors is to stop producing the Robin three-wheel car in December, and its Staffordshire factory will be used to manufacture a new four-wheel sports car. 27-Sep-2000 Marlin Cars is seeking permission to expand its kit cars factory by moving into new premises in Crediton, Devon. 22-Sep-2000 Krupp Camford is to close its car chassis components factory in Bedford with the loss of 300 jobs. 22-Sep-2000 Pilkington is acquiring Ford's 51% stake in Shanghai FuHua Glass for £1.8m, in order to strengthen its position in the Chinese market for automotive glass. 21-Sep-2000 Goodyear has warned that 600 jobs may be lost at its tyre plant in Wolverhampton, unless workers accept a pay cut and new shift patterns. 20-Sep-2000 Ford is planning to invest £130m at its Land Rover factory in Solihull over the next year, in order to boost sales and productivity. 20-Sep-2000 Valeo is planning to close its automotive door locks factory in Blyth, with the loss of 250 jobs, and work will be transferred to plants in Halifax and Wales. 19-Sep-2000 Vauxhall has submitted plans to Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council for the £27m expansion of its Merseyside car plant to produce the new Frontera model. 18-Sep-2000 TI Group is planning to auction its automotive division, which produces fuel storage and delivery systems, in order to raise about £1.2bn. 15-Sep-2000 Calsonic has opened a new £4m facility at its automotive technical centre in Llanelli, which includes an advanced learning centre and a climatic wind tunnel. 14-Sep-2000 John Roe Motor Sales is to rebuild its Cromwell Road showroom and service centre in Grimsby, having been chosen by Toyota to offer a new concept in car retailing. 13-Sep-2000 Toyota is planning to set up a network of 80 dedicated dealers and recycling centres in the UK to handle its environmentally friendly Prius cars. 11-Sep-2000 BMW is to invest £230m at the Cowley car plant in Oxford to produce the new Mini, which will double the production capacity and provide a long-term jobs boost. 08-Sep-2000 John Clark Motor Group is planning to recruit 16 new staff in Aberdeen, subject to gaining planning permission for a new body shop, commercial vehicle dealership and parts distribution centre. 07-Sep-2000 Avis Europe is planning to set up a network of car hire centres across China over the next five years. 07-Sep-2000 Jaguar has announced plans to create 500 production jobs at its Halewood plant in Liverpool, in order to manufacture the new X400 car from March 2001. 06-Sep-2000 Motorpoint is planning to expand its imported cars business by selling vehicles at Granada motorway service stations across the country. 04-Sep-2000 Vauxhall is to outsource the distribution of its demonstrator fleet to the Reality division of Great Universal Stores, in a £50m five-year deal. 04-Sep-2000 The Welsh Development Agency has announced that Hitachi Cable of Japan has bought the former Lucas Varity TRW Power Steering Systems Plant in Ebbw Vale, saving 47 jobs. 31-Aug-2000 Sytner has acquired the Yarnolds motor dealership in Stratford upon Avon for £2m, which includes Ducati, Land Rover and TVR franchises. 30-Aug-2000 Kwik-Fit is planning to almost double its fleet of Hometune mobile servicing vans to 260 over the next two years, as part of a strategy to extend the service nationwide. 30-Aug-2000 Nissan is to seek major changes in the work practices at its Sunderland plant, including a move to 24-hour assembly, in order to win a £200m investment to build the new Micra car. 28-Aug-2000 Lola Cars has been chosen by Rover Group to design and build a new MG sports car to compete at next year's Le Mans race. 28-Aug-2000 BikeNet has raised £3m in a flotation on Aim in order to fund the expansion of its online motorcycle business. 28-Aug-2000 Zurich Financial Services is to close its two in-house car repair centres with the loss of 85 jobs, due to a fall in workload. 25-Aug-2000 Siemens is planning a £230m project to provide internet links between 19,000 garages and the Vehicle Inspectorate in order to combat MoT fraud, and the company will also use the system to develop an online marketplace for the motor trade. 25-Aug-2000 Breed UK is to shed up to 200 jobs at its seatbelt factory in Carlisle, following the loss of a contract from Renault. 24-Aug-2000 DaimlerChrysler is setting up a network of city centre retail outlets to sell the Smart car direct to the public. 21-Aug-2000 Stadco Tipton is to shed 85 jobs at its metal car parts factory in Tipton, reducing the workforce to 100. 18-Aug-2000 Sytner is planning to open a new Lexus car dealership in Leicester next year, with the creation of 20 jobs. 17-Aug-2000 Nidd Vale Group, the independent motor retailer, has bought a 1.3 acre compound in Knaresborough, which will be used for storage and pre-delivery inspection. 17-Aug-2000 Piolax is planning to double the workforce at its plastic car components factory in East Lancashire to up to 150 over the next three years. 16-Aug-2000 Sanderson Bramall is looking to expand its network of motor dealerships from 70 to 100 over the next three years, and has more than £30m to spend on acquisitions. 16-Aug-2000 Sainsbury has started offering new cars at all 430 of its stores, in partnership with Bank of Scotland. 15-Aug-2000 Jaguar is planning to set up a museum of classic Jaguars at the Halewood car plant, where production of the X400 is due to start next year. 14-Aug-2000 Honda has announced plans for a £450m assembly line to increase production at its Swindon plant from 100,000 cars a year to 250,000 by 2002, and much of the increased output will be exported. 14-Aug-2000 The Welsh Development Agency has announced that SPX Contech of the US is planning to set up a £19m car components factory in Welshpool, which will produce aluminium steering parts and create 200 jobs. 10-Aug-2000 Ford is planning to build a new car production plant and development centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire, in order to more than double the output of its Aston Martin subsidiary to 2,500 cars a year. 10-Aug-2000 Christian Salvesen has won a £60m contract to continue distributing automotive parts for General Motors in the UK and continental Europe. 10-Aug-2000 Sanderson Bramall Motor has bought Leedhams, the York-based Vauxhall dealership, for undisclosed terms. 09-Aug-2000 Ford has submitted a planning application to South Northants Council for the construction of a factory for its Jaguar Racing and Cosworth Racing operations at the Silverstone Technology Park, although other sites are still being considered. 04-Aug-2000 Schott is creating 30 new jobs at its fibre optics factory in Doncaster, having been approached by Hella to produce new automotive lighting products. 04-Aug-2000 Mayflower and Henlys are forming a joint venture for their bus manufacturing operations, which will include 3,300 employees at seven locations in Scotland and Yorkshire. 02-Aug-2000 Daewoo has confirmed plans to cut 113 jobs at its UK technical centre in Worthing, West Sussex, as part of a cost-reduction programme. 02-Aug-2000 Inchcape is to stop distributing Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the UK, having sold its 49% stake in Toyota (GB) to Toyota Motor for £42m. 01-Aug-2000 Manheim Auctions has formed a joint venture with the Scottish Motor Auction Group to operate a new £2m vehicle auction centre in Glasgow. 01-Aug-2000 Porsche is considering plans to relocate its Calcot head office in Reading, where it employs 85 staff, in order to redevelop the site as a Homebase DIY store. 31-Jul-2000 Sturgess Motor Group is planning to open a new Jaguar dealership in Leicester, which will create up to 15 new jobs. 31-Jul-2000 Neath & Port Talbot County Borough Council has announced that Hi-Lex Cable Systems of Japan is planning to set up a car components factory on the Baglan Energy Park in Port Talbot, with the creation of 150 jobs. 28-Jul-2000 Ford has started reorganising its Southampton factory to prepare for the assembly of a new Transit van. 27-Jul-2000 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is considering plans from Banks Group for the construction of two car dealerships, two call centres, a hotel and offices on a 37-acre site at the Preston Farm Industrial Estate. 27-Jul-2000 Direct Line is to create more than 250 call centre jobs at its Green Flag vehicle recovery business in Pudsey and Leeds. 27-Jul-2000 Dixon Motors has taken over the Peugeot franchise in Grimsby from Crystals, and all 23 Crystal employees will be given training at Dixon's new £11m distribution centre at Thorne. 19-Jul-2000 Coach Europe, the Leicester-based coach dealership, is to relocate its 30 staff to a new £2m headquarters at the Enderby Business Park next year. 19-Jul-2000 Prodrive is to set up a new company to promote a new World Rally Championship designed to rival Formula One, in a move supported by the leading car manufacturers. 18-Jul-2000 Interleasing has bought eight Carland used car sales sites around the country through the acquisition of Concept Automotive Services, giving it a direct route to market for ex-fleet vehicles. 18-Jul-2000 Rockingham Motor Speedway has agreed to stage a US-style ChampCar race in 2001 at its new £50m motor racing complex being built near Corby. 13-Jul-2000 United Engineering Forgings is to invest up to £10m at its Sheffield factory having won a £45m order to supply engine crankshafts to Iveco and New Holland, and the deal will also secure jobs at its plants in Bromsgrove and Lincoln. 12-Jul-2000 Meritor Automotive is to shed 70 jobs at its factory near Alcester, in order to transfer production of heavy axle and brakes to sites in Italy and Sweden. 11-Jul-2000 Michelin is launching a recruitment drive in North Staffordshire, in order to help fill about 230 vacancies that have arisen from the closure of eight UK sales offices and the centralisation of the operation at Riverside Park in Stoke. 11-Jul-2000 Sumitomo is to close its automotive electric wiring factory near Sunderland with the loss of 400 jobs, but will retain a technical centre at the Houghton-le-Spring site. 10-Jul-2000 HR Owen has been awarded the nationwide franchise to sell Lamborghinis, and will operate the dealership from its West London site. 07-Jul-2000 The National Assembly for Wales is planning a £3m programme of support for the automotive components industry, in order to improve supply chains between parts manufacturers and buyers and invest in training and efficiency schemes. 07-Jul-2000 Automotive Sealing Systems is to close its rubber seals factory in Dunstable with the loss of 400 jobs, and a smaller site will be set up nearby employing about 130 people. 07-Jul-2000 Northgate is expanding its network of vehicle hire companies from 35 to 40 and the number of branches from nine to 60, as part of a strategy to double the size of the business within five years. 06-Jul-2000 Westfield Sportscars is opening a new unit at its Kingswinford factory to carry out servicing, repairs and race preparations for its two-seater kit cars. 05-Jul-2000 BMW is to cut 400 jobs to reduce the size of the engine and gearbox works still under its control at Longbridge, ahead of the expected sale to new Rover owner Phoenix. 05-Jul-2000 Autoliv is to shed 80 of the 700 jobs at its airbags and seatbelt components factory in Havant. 04-Jul-2000 BG is planning to set up a centre of excellence for the development of natural gas vehicles in the South East of England, in order to co-ordinate sales and marketing of the technology around the world. 03-Jul-2000 Hawtal Whiting, the automotive design consultancy, is considering the possibility of putting itself up for sale following a review of strategic options. 30-Jun-2000 Delphi Automotive Systems is to introduce a new internet-based logistics system at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port site, in order to co-ordinate deliveries from 73 suppliers across Europe. 29-Jun-2000 Leyland Trucks is to increase commercial vehicle output by 25% this year, assembling 12,500 trucks at its plant near Preston. 28-Jun-2000 Lawrence of Kemnay is to be divided into two new companies, with one specialising in car retailing and servicing and the remaining Vauxhall dealerships being transferred to new owners. 28-Jun-2000 Toyota is conducting an internal review of purchasing at its UK plants that will result in more car parts being bought from continental Europe. 23-Jun-2000 Turkington Holdings is planning to set up a £4.5m auto village in Portadown, which will be a four-acre one-stop shop for everything associated with cars. 23-Jun-2000 Lemark Auto Accessories is to relocate its ignition leads factory from Redditch to Nottingham in July with the loss of 30 jobs. 23-Jun-2000 Vauxhall is to transfer 500 engine workers at its Ellesmere Port plant to a new joint venture with Fiat, and negotiations are taking place with unions. 22-Jun-2000 Hygate Transmissions is to close its transport gear systems factory in Bath in September with the loss of about 100 jobs. 21-Jun-2000 Ford is opening a £1.5m research facility at Oxford University's Begbroke science park to develop new metal-moulding technology for the creation of tools for stamping out body panels. 19-Jun-2000 Aston Martin Lagonda is investing £5m at its factories in Newport Pagnell and Bloxham, while it continues to look for a third site for a new model. 19-Jun-2000 Fowlers is planning to expand its motorcycle dealership and distribution centre in Bristol, having sold its 10 other stores to Bikes-uk for about £25m. 19-Jun-2000 Reg Vardy has acquired Horncastle Ford, the Reading-based car dealership, in a £2m deal that will involve the transfer of 230 staff at four locations. 12-Jun-2000 Leoni Wiring systems is to close its automotive wiring systems factory in Accrington in November, with the loss of many of the 550 jobs. 12-Jun-2000 Johnson Matthey has expressed an interest in buying Degussa's automotive catalyst and precious metals division, but any such deal could face opposition from competition authorities. 09-Jun-2000 Pendragon is to close its Evans Halshaw Vauxhall and Nissan showrooms in High Wycombe later this month, with the loss of up to 100 jobs. 09-Jun-2000 Honda is to reduce the number of UK car parts suppliers in order to source more from continental Europe, and has also announced plans to reorganise its dealer structure and export Swindon-made cars to the US and the Middle East. 06-Jun-2000 John Roe Motor Sales is planning to set up a £2m Lexus car showroom in Hull, with the creation of 20 jobs. 06-Jun-2000 Jaguar is planning to increase its dealer numbers by up to 20% over the next three years, as part of an expansion that will also see the Jaguar brand move into new areas beyond sports cars. 02-Jun-2000 Ruthven Motor Company, the Inverness-based Mercedes Benz dealership, has been acquired by John R Weir, and the business will be expanded and relocated to a newer facility in the town over the next three years. 01-Jun-2000 Mayflower has agreed a £19m deal with Razorback Vehicles of Australia to manufacture vans at its plants in Coventry and elsewhere. 01-Jun-2000 Scuffs has secured £7.8m of venture capital in order to develop a nationwide network of vehicle refurbishment sites. 30-May-2000 BMW is planning to set up a £63m factory to produce Rolls-Royce cars near the Goodwood racetrack in West Sussex from 2003, with the creation of 350 jobs. 30-May-2000 Pilkington is to buy out a number of minority stakes in its automotive glass operations held by Nippon Sheet Glass, and in return the Japanese company will acquire a 10% stake in Pilkington's equity. 26-May-2000 Daewoo is planning to restructure its UK car business, which is expected to lead to job losses at its technical centre in Worthing. 25-May-2000 Virgin is to launch an online car retailing operation, and aims to sell 24,000 new cars in the first year at discounts of up to 30%. 23-May-2000 Pipers Vauxhall is planning to build a new car showroom and workshop on the outskirts of Tonbridge, with the creation of 15 jobs. 23-May-2000 Avon Rubber is to close its automotive engine parts plant in Croydon with the loss of 150 jobs, in order to transfer work to France and the Czech Republic. 23-May-2000 Trafficmaster is planning to create 200 new jobs, partly to help with the development of its new internet-based fleet management service. 23-May-2000 Ford is to create 360 new jobs in the UK by making it the centre of its Commercial Vehicle Engineering operations, which will help to offset job losses caused by the end of vehicle production at Dagenham. 23-May-2000 Ford is considering plans to base its new design studio at Broadwick House in London's Soho. 22-May-2000 Dunlop is to stop producing Dunlop-branded tyres for cars and trucks at its Birmingham factory with the loss of 600 jobs, following a decision by parent company Goodyear to restructure its European output. 19-May-2000 Motability Finance, the operator of vehicles for disabled people, is to set up an office in Bristol with the creation of 130 jobs. 19-May-2000 QDF Components is to close part of its car brake components factory in Derby with the loss of about 180 jobs, and the site's remaining operations will be restructured. 19-May-2000 Schrader Electronics is to invest £6.7m at its Antrim factory to increase output of a car tyre pressure monitoring system, with the creation of 40 jobs. 17-May-2000 Renault is considering plans to close its parts warehouse in Swindon with the loss of 200 jobs, in order to relocate the operation to Nissan's distribution centre near Rugby. 16-May-2000 Brands Hatch Leisure is said to be in discussions with SFX Entertainment about the possibility of moving the British Formula One Grand Prix to Donnington Park from 2002. 15-May-2000 JL French is looking to recruit 200 new workers following a £20m expansion of its automotive castings factory in Witham, Essex. 15-May-2000 Ford is planning to restructure its Dagenham car plant by ending volume car production with the loss of 3,000 jobs, and the site will be developed into a global hub for diesel engine production at a cost of £400m. 12-May-2000 Avon Rubber is considering plans to close its vehicle components factory in Croydon with the loss of 167 jobs, and production will move to France and the Czech Republic. 12-May-2000 Ruthven Motor Company is to shed up to 44 staff at its showroom and garage in Inverness, after Mercedes withdrew its franchise. 12-May-2000 Dutton Forshaw has won planning permission to build a new Audi showroom in Battersea, London, for its Dovercourt subsidiary. 12-May-2000 Minorplanet Systems is forming an alliance with British Telecom to develop the next generation of vehicle tracking systems. 09-May-2000 Autoliv is planning to close its steel and plastic automotive components factory in Chichester, with the loss of more than 100 jobs. 05-May-2000 Vauxhall is investing £130m at its IBC Vehicles factory in Luton to produce a new range of panel vans, with the creation of 500 jobs, and a further £32m will be spent on improvements to car production. 04-May-2000 Donington Park in Derbyshire is to host a weekly auction of "grey" market car imports, and the project is being led by the British Independent Motor Traders Association with the creation of 100 jobs. 04-May-2000 Leoni Wiring Systems is shedding up to 90 jobs at its Staffordshire factory, blaming a fall in demand from Rover. 04-May-2000 Hendy Lennox of Southampton has expanded its Ford dealership with the acquisition of Doves of Fareham. 04-May-2000 Benfield Ford has acquired the Knaresborough Road Ford dealership in Harrogate, and will take on all 50 of the staff. 03-May-2000 BMW is planning to build up to 200,000 cars a year at Rover's Oxford plant, with production of the new Mini starting in the autumn and new BMW models following a few years later. 27-Apr-2000 The government is considering plans to create a cluster of high-tech companies at Longbridge, in order to reduce the impact of up to 19,000 job losses at the Rover car plant and its suppliers. 27-Apr-2000 Trafficmaster is to build a new headquarters at Cranfield in Bedfordshire, and Marriott has won the £5.9m building contract. 27-Apr-2000 Tivoli Autos, the Portsmouth-based Seat car dealership, has closed down, and a buyer is being sought. 27-Apr-2000 Volkswagen is switching its UK spare parts contract from Unipart to TNT, which will involve the transfer of up to 420 staff at five warehouses. 25-Apr-2000 Ford is to announce a major European restructuring in May that is expected to confirm that car assembly will end at Dagenham in November 2001, putting more than 3,000 jobs at risk. 25-Apr-2000 Nissan is aiming to achieve cost savings of 30% at its Sunderland plant in order to retain the contract to build the Micra, and component manufacturers are being asked to make similar savings. 19-Apr-2000 Atlantic Ford has created 40 new jobs with the opening of a new £2m dealership in Stockport. 12-Apr-2000 The government has announced measures to force car manufacturers to offer discounts to dealers, following a Competition Commission report that found that private buyers are paying too much for new cars. 11-Apr-2000 MSF Ford is to close its Ford dealership in Southport with the loss of up to 60 jobs, and the site will be sold off for redevelopment. 11-Apr-2000 Lotus Cars has announced plans to launch a new model called the Exige, and will build 700 units a year starting in June. 10-Apr-2000 Johnson Matthey has announced plans to build a £10m autocatalyst plant in Royston, in order to produce 3.5m catalysts a year. 10-Apr-2000 Honda is planning to build 20,000 of its CRV sports utility vehicles at Swindon over the next year, in order to absorb excess capacity at the plant. 10-Apr-2000 TRW Automotive is to shed up to 120 jobs at its car components factory near Lichfield, in order to relocate its packaging contract to bases in Oxford and Droitwich. 06-Apr-2000 Krupp Camford Pressings is planning to shed 140 jobs at its car parts plant in Llanelli, due to a fall in demand from Rover. 05-Apr-2000 Magna Interior Systems is shedding 70 jobs at its car parts factory near Bath, due to a fall in demand from Rover. 04-Apr-2000 Vehicle Technology, the Nottinghamshire-based manufacturer of commercial vehicle bodies, has been bought out of administration by Boniface Engineering of Thetford, saving 20 jobs. 04-Apr-2000 Lotus Cars has started a recruitment drive for 100 engineering jobs in Warwick and Norwich. 04-Apr-2000 Perry Group is planning to expand its Network Services accident management and Nationwide body repair businesses, and reduce its focus on retail vehicle sales and lower-margin fleet sales. 04-Apr-2000 Ellen Group, the credit hire and accident management company, is to set up a 200-seat call centre in Manchester in June. 04-Apr-2000 Autologic is acquiring a £6m stake in Edmunds.com, the internet-based supplier of information for car buyers that is planning to launch a UK service in October. 03-Apr-2000 Honda is to cut car production at its Swindon plant by more than 50%, and workers will be redeployed on training schemes and machine tool assembly for a new production line. 03-Apr-2000 Scania is to set up a £1.3m truck sale, repair and maintenance centre in Sheffield, with the creation of 30 jobs, and further staff will be relocated from its existing Scanlink centre in Barnsley. 03-Apr-2000 Reg Vardy, the car dealer, is to relocate its Sunderland head office to the Doxford International Business Park next year, with the creation of more than 100 new jobs. 31-Mar-2000 TRW is to shed 40 jobs at its car airbag sensors factory at Rainton Bridge near Houghton, but 26 new jobs are being created at its engine valves factory in Washington. 31-Mar-2000 JC Dix Engineering of Waterlooville has received a £1.5m investment that will enable it to open a new factory to produce components for other industries outside the motor racing sector. 28-Mar-2000 Honda has announced plans to recruit a further 1,000 workers at the second car assembly plant being built in Swindon. 23-Mar-2000 DC Cook is to launch an online version of its car dealership business, offering discounts on cars imported from continental Europe. 22-Mar-2000 Montupet is to expand its Dunmurry car components factory in Northern Ireland with the creation of 130 jobs, following a £16m investment in equipment to produce two new engine heads. 22-Mar-2000 Scuffs is planning to open 16 vehicle refurbishment centres this year, as part of a strategy to build up a network of 250 outlets eventually. 21-Mar-2000 Dixon Motors is forming a joint venture with Direct Line to sell new and used cars on the internet, using its £11m distribution centre in Doncaster as a base. 16-Mar-2000 Essex Ford is to relocate its Basildon showroom to a new £7m site on the A127, making way for the development of a £20m cinema and retail complex that will create about 100 jobs. 16-Mar-2000 Trafficmaster is to spend £40m expanding its traffic information system across Europe this year. 15-Mar-2000 Century International, the Hemel Hempstead-based car hire company, has been bought out of administration by an unnamed venture capitalist and will be renamed Century Car Rental. 14-Mar-2000 One Stop Car Shop is planning to set up a network of 25 high-street car outlets and a Sheffield-based call centre over the next three years, with the focus mainly on used vehicles. 13-Mar-2000 North Norfolk District Council is to consider plans from Trident Cars to build a sports car factory on the former RAF Sculthorpe site near Fakenham, which would create up to 100 jobs. 09-Mar-2000 Bentley Motor Cars of Crewe is said to be preparing to create up to 1,000 extra jobs, in order to manufacture a new medium-sized Bentley model after the Rolls-Royce name transfers to BMW in 2003. 08-Mar-2000 TRW is to cut 450 jobs at the former LucasVarity car parts plant in Burnley. 03-Mar-2000 Dura is to shed about 90 of the 430 jobs at its car parts factory in Rearsby, prompting speculation that some production may be moved to France and Germany. 03-Mar-2000 City Ford of Cambridge is merging with EMG Holdings to create a combined Ford dealership for East Anglia called EMG Ford. 03-Mar-2000 Lotus is planning to set up an engineering centre in Michigan, which will employ 50 people and provide design consultancy services to the US motor industry. 02-Mar-2000 BMW has confirmed plans to start building a new Rolls-Royce model in 2003, and is considering five potential sites in England for the required workforce of several hundred. 01-Mar-2000 EasyJet is planning to launch a European car rental company called EasyRentaCar, and expects to be offering up to 30,000 A-Class Mercedes by the end of 2001. 01-Mar-2000 Pendragon is to create a further 150 jobs at its Sherwood Business Park call centre in Nottinghamshire, following the launch of a £4.5m internet-based car dealership. 29-Feb-2000 Proton is planning to expand its car dealership network by 50% to 60 outlets this year. 29-Feb-2000 Ricardo, the automotive engineering consultancy, is investing £5m in four engine test beds in the US. 29-Feb-2000 Burmah Castrol has announced a deal to become Hyundai's preferred supplier of lubricants and the sponsor of the Hyundai FIA World Rally championship team. 29-Feb-2000 Prodrive, the Banbury-based motor sport group, is to set up a test track and engineering centre near Warwick. 25-Feb-2000 Avis Europe is linking up with Navidec to sell ex-rental cars via the internet, and will invite other companies to sell cars through the web site. 25-Feb-2000 Lex Service has acquired a 30% stake in the Autohit automotive web site company for £5m. 25-Feb-2000 Coleman Milne at Westhoughton has set up a new factory for sister company Mellor for the production of van conversions. 22-Feb-2000 Johnson Matthey has announced plans to build an autocatalyst factory in the Shanghai area of China. 22-Feb-2000 Ford is to cut 1,500 jobs at its Dagenham plant due to a fall in sales, and the future of the site is being reviewed. 18-Feb-2000 Knowsley Council is considering plans for the expansion of the Boulevard Industry Park, in order to provide additional space for component manufacturers to supply Jaguar's Halewood plant. 17-Feb-2000 Direct Line is to set up a £50m internet site to sell cars and motor accessories, and is seeking partnerships with existing motoring suppliers. 17-Feb-2000 Mitsui Components Europe is to recruit 80 workers this year for its new £6m car door components factory in Capel Hendre, Carmarthenshire. 16-Feb-2000 Kwik-Fit has announced plans to double the size of its chain of car service outlets to more than 4,000 within five years, through organic growth and acquisitions in Europe and Asia. 16-Feb-2000 Minorplanet Systems, the supplier of vehicle tracking systems, is acquiring a 51% stake in Firstnet Services, funded by a £10m share issue. 14-Feb-2000 Johnson Matthey is seeking permission to expand its production facilities in Royston by converting the former Cresswell Lighting premises, and is expected to use the site to manufacture automotive catalysts. 11-Feb-2000 Mercedes-Benz has confirmed plans to manufacture the Vision SLR sports car at a new £200m McLaren complex being built in Woking, and expects to produce 500 vehicles a year and create 250 jobs. 09-Feb-2000 Nissin is planning to set up a new warehouse in South Marston Park in order to distribute components for the Honda factory in Swindon, with the creation of an unspecified number of new jobs. 08-Feb-2000 AP Hydraulics is to shed 190 jobs at its Leamington factory due to the planned shutdown of Mini production in June, and new equipment will be installed to manufacture brake callipers and hoses. 04-Feb-2000 Ford is planning to restructure its European arm in order to cut costs, which is expected to involve plant closures and a review of supplier and distribution activities. 03-Feb-2000 MSX International is opening a new £10m European headquarters in Basildon, in order to supply engineering and business services to the motor industry. 02-Feb-2000 BMW is to relocate the sales and marketing division of its Rover subsidiary from Warwick to its Bracknell headquarters, which will affect more than 300 staff. 01-Feb-2000 Finelist, the car component distributor, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 01-Feb-2000 Honda Motor Europe has appointed architects Rothera Goodwin to design a new £5m European headquarters at Langley near Slough. 28-Jan-2000 Solihull Council is considering plans from VDO Mannesman of Germany for the development of a new production and warehouse facility for its car electrical systems business, which will create up to 60 jobs. 28-Jan-2000 Perry Group has acquired International Motor Parts, the Belgian internet-based supplier of panels, lights and mirrors, for undisclosed terms. 28-Jan-2000 TH White is building a new Land Rover dealership next to its existing premises at Wootton Bassett near Swindon. 28-Jan-2000 Riders Garages has won permission to set up Plymouth's first Jaguar dealership at Langage Park, Plympton, with the creation of about 15 jobs. 27-Jan-2000 Rover is said to be facing the possibility of a £1.2bn buy-out from a consortium of UK and US venture capitalists if parent company BMW decides to sell the business. 27-Jan-2000 Bruhl UK is to shed 86 of the 700 jobs at its car components factory in Tipton, as a contract to supply engine parts to Ford has ended. 26-Jan-2000 Tallent Engineering is said to be planning to cut up to 100 of the 900 jobs at its car parts factory in Newton Aycliffe, following a fall in demand. 21-Jan-2000 LucasVarity is to shed more than 400 jobs at two automotive parts factories in Birmingham, in order to reduce losses at the sites. 20-Jan-2000 Wessex Land Rover is to set up a new £2m Land Rover dealership at Port Solent this summer. 20-Jan-2000 A group of about 20 leading franchised car dealers are devising plans to import cheap new cars from continental Europe, thus backing the boycott of new car showrooms by the Consumers Association. 19-Jan-2000 Northgate has opened six new van hire depots to take the total to 37, and three more are due to open in the coming months. 18-Jan-2000 British Car Auctions is to set up a new auction centre in Spain this spring, on the main N11 motorway between Madrid and Guadalajara. 17-Jan-2000 Rover is planning a £40m railway scheme at its Solihull manufacturing plant, including a 2.5-mile line and terminal facility to link to the West Coast main line. 17-Jan-2000 Eurofleet has opened a new 20-acre vehicle preparation site in Livingston, in order to handle the rising volume of vehicles being hired at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. 17-Jan-2000 Lex Service has acquired a 50% stake in fleet management software company Tranman Solutions for undisclosed terms, and hopes the move will help its tender for a 10-year contract with the Ministry of Defence. 17-Jan-2000 Monroe is to close its shock absorber factory in York with the loss of 392 jobs, following a decision by parent company Tenneco to reduce its structural overcapacity. 17-Jan-2000 Jaguar is to create permanent jobs for 250 contract workers at its Castle Bromwich plant, due to the success of the new S-type model. 15-Jan-2000 Kingsmead Motor has won planning permission to relocate its Bath-based Ford dealership to a new showroom in Lower Bristol Road. 14-Jan-2000 Wakefield Council is to consider plans for the construction of a car supermarket at the Calder Island development, which would create 55 jobs. 14-Jan-2000 Simpsons of Swindon, the Subaru, Isuzu and Proton car dealer, is to set up a third site in the town in order to offer an after-sales and fast-fit franchise service. 14-Jan-2000 Van Diemen of Norfolk is in negotiations to supply the complete grid of single-seater cars for Mexico's Copa Corona motor racing championship. 14-Jan-2000 The Welsh Development Agency is planning a 600-acre engineering park for the motor sport industry at Pembrey near Swansea, including a technical centre to enable companies to share facilities such as aerodynamics and rapid prototyping. 14-Jan-2000 Reg Vardy has announced plans to launch an online car dealership in March, and expects personal buyers to shift from car ownership to contract hire. 13-Jan-2000 Aston Martin Lagonda is seeking potential sites around the country for a new plant to build the next generation of sports cars. 12-Jan-2000 Ford is to build a £20m design centre in London, and the exact location will be revealed in a few months time. 12-Jan-2000 Proton is to lease out its car import centre at Royal Portbury Dock near Bristol to Seaking Automotive, in an effort to generate more work for the site by bringing in additional car firm contracts. 12-Jan-2000 Michelin is to cut 473 of the 2,700 jobs at its Stoke-on-Trent tyre factory by the end of the year, but £11m will be invested in buildings and equipment. 12-Jan-2000 BMW is preparing plans for a new shake-up at its Rover subsidiary, which is expected to lead to further heavy job losses, an integration of dealership functions, and a cut in the proportion of UK manufactured parts. 11-Jan-2000 Williams Grand Prix is considering plans for a flotation or sale of part of the business, and the group is estimated to be worth more than £125m. 08-Jan-2000 Clarks of Stourbridge is to move its Volkswagen dealership to larger premises in Audnam, creating 13 new jobs. 07-Jan-2000 EasyJet has confirmed plans to move into the car rental market with a fleet of up to 5,000 vehicles, and claims that prices will be about a third of normal rates. 07-Jan-2000 Inchcape is investing £6m in the development of a European version of the Autobytel online car retailing business, which will act as an intermediary between customers and dealers in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. 07-Jan-2000 Dunlop is to stop producing truck tyres and moulds at its Birmingham plant, with the loss of 650 jobs. 07-Jan-2000 Brencliffe, the Burnley-based car products manufacturer, is planning to create an unspecified number of new jobs following the acquisition of chamois leather producer County Chamois. 05-Jan-2000
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