U K
B U S I N E S S
P A R K
home page


Motor 1998
2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
Click here for further details

Ryland is selling Toyota car dealerships in Stoke and Solihull to a management buyout for about £1.2m. 30-Dec-1998 GKS Automotive has opened a new 25,000 sq ft depot in Birmingham to supply automotive fastenings to Jaguar's Castle Bromwich production line. 22-Dec-1998 Dovercourt is to cut 40 jobs at its Ford dealerships in Colchester and other locations in Essex, due to the consolidation of the parts department and the centralisation of the warranty department. 22-Dec-1998 Ford and Jardine Motors are set to acquire Dagenham Motors for £30m, giving Ford control over its largest UK dealership. 22-Dec-1998 Car production was down 2.5% year-on-year at 150,357 in November, with production for export up 18% and production for the domestic market down 30%. 22-Dec-1998 Lear Corporation has postponed plans to build a car parts plant in Redditch, due to uncertainty over the future of Rover and the economic slowdown. 17-Dec-1998 The Ninkaplast factory near Cross Keys in Wales is set to re-open to manufacture car components, having been sold to the Moller Group of Germany. 17-Dec-1998 Lear Corporation is to close its car components plant in Nuneaton with the loss of more than 300 jobs. 15-Dec-1998 Rover will not launch the new 75 model until July, and the two-month delay is put down to difficulties in meeting BMW's strict rules on quality. 14-Dec-1998 Jaguar is to recall more than 4,000 cars due to a possible fault which could cause engines to over-rev. 12-Dec-1998 Rover workers have voted in favour of a package of job losses at the Longbridge car plant, in return for a £2bn investment by parent company BMW. 12-Dec-1998 Pendragon is in discussions to acquire Evans Halshaw, the car distributor, for about £80m. 11-Dec-1998 Arriva has dropped plans to sell its car leasing operation as it has not received a sufficiently high offer. 10-Dec-1998 Tomkins has expressed an interest in bidding for parts of BTR's automotive business, which may be sold off following BTR's merger with Siebe. 10-Dec-1998 ERF has reached agreement to build 2,000 trucks a year for Isuzu Motors Europe, which will create additional jobs at its plants in Sandbach and Middlewich. 10-Dec-1998 Scorpion, the Ripley-based performance exhaust specialist, is planning to create 50 new jobs over the next two years and build a 10,000 sq ft plant alongside its headquarters. 09-Dec-1998 BMW is said to be considering plans to switch Rolls-Royce production to Cowley in Oxfordshire when it takes control of the luxury marque. 09-Dec-1998 A committee of MPs has published the findings of its investigation into high car prices, and is calling for action against manufacturers who use private buyers to subsidise fleet car deals. 09-Dec-1998 LucasVarity has announced a review of its operations in order to work out the best way to build a global business, prompting speculation that it may result in the sale of one its core divisions. 09-Dec-1998 The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is to recruit an extra 300 staff in Swansea, and will expand its site by building new offices. 08-Dec-1998 Nastech Europe is to invest £9m in the expansion of its factory in Peterlee to produce a new type of steering column with integral electrical power, creating 150 jobs. 08-Dec-1998 Rover is considering three potential sites in the Midlands to set up a new parts distribution centre, and it would create up to 400 jobs when it opens in 2002. 08-Dec-1998 Trafficmaster is to launch a new device in April that uses a radio signal to prevent car theft, and aims to fit it to about 5% of new cars. 08-Dec-1998 New car registrations in November were similar to last year at 152,314 with imports taking a 68% market share, according to the SMMT. 05-Dec-1998 Avon Rubber is planning to spend up to £100m on acquisitions to expand its auto parts business, particularly in countries such as India, Mexico, France, Portugal and the Czech Republic. 04-Dec-1998 Airbags International is to create an additional 30 jobs at its vehicle airbags factory in Congleton by the end of the year. 04-Dec-1998 Mitsubishi has awarded a new car distribution contract to Walon, which will involve transporting more than 20,000 vehicles a year from the Royal Portbury Dock to 120 dealers nationwide. 02-Dec-1998 Holdcroft Group has announced plans to set up a new car sales centre at the former Chatfield Ford site in Stoke, creating up to 170 jobs. 02-Dec-1998 Reg Vardy has bought the Armley Road Vauxhall dealership in Leeds from Dixon Motors for £1.8m. 02-Dec-1998 Wagon has acquired a 20% stake in Aries Industries for £8m in order to expand its European car door and pressings business, while its precision engineering operation will be sold for about £15m. 02-Dec-1998 Volvo has announced plans to cut 5,000 jobs and, although the impact on UK operations will be limited, there is uncertainty over the future of the Irvine plant in Scotland. 01-Dec-1998 Peugeot is planning to introduce a third shift at its Ryton car plant early next year, with the creation of about 1,000 jobs. 01-Dec-1998 Manganese Bronze is cutting 75 jobs at its Coventry factory and 35 in Ipswich due to a slowdown in sales of new taxis. 28-Nov-1998 BMW has reached agreement with unions to secure the future of the Rover factory in Longbridge, and there are expected to be up to 2,5000 job losses. 27-Nov-1998 Honda is threatening immediate legal action against dealers selling unofficial imported motorcycles. 27-Nov-1998 Midland Industrial Plastics is to cut 50 jobs at its Stourport factory due to falling demand from Rover for car parts. 27-Nov-1998 Magna Exterior Systems is to cut up to 60 jobs at its car components plant in Banbury, due to a fall in orders from Rover. 26-Nov-1998 Lear Corporation is shutting down its car upholstery plant in Colne and production will be transferred to Birmingham, putting 350 jobs at risk. 24-Nov-1998 Torotrak has agreed a £0.5m licensing deal with General Motors for the development of its vehicle transmission system. 21-Nov-1998 GKN Hardy Spicer is to cut 90 jobs at its car components plant in Erdington, Birmingham. 20-Nov-1998 Kautex Unipart, a joint venture between Unipart and Kautex Textron UK, is opening a new £19m factory in Coventry to make plastic automotive fuel systems, creating 150 jobs. 20-Nov-1998 Lancaster is to open a new Volvo showroom in Huntingdon early next year. 18-Nov-1998 The Continental tyre factory in Newbridge near Edinburgh is planning to launch a cost-cutting campaign, but it is not yet clear how the 1,000 jobs will be affected. 17-Nov-1998 LDV and Daewoo have won European Commission approval for a £25m government grant to expand van production in Birmingham. 17-Nov-1998 Lucas Rists is to recruit an additional 100 workers at its automotive components factory in Newcastle-under-Lyme, having won a contract to supply the new Rover 75 with wiring harnesses and fuseboxes. 16-Nov-1998 TRB, a division of Tokai Rika of Japan, is to set up a £6m automotive components factory in St Asaph, North Wales, creating 150 jobs. 14-Nov-1998 Commercial vehicle sales fell 3.9% year-on-year to 24,018 in October, with trucks up 6.6%, medium vans down 10.8% and small vans up 2.4%. 13-Nov-1998 Torotrak, the developer of a new automotive transmission system, expects to launch its first commercial product in 2003 and will rely on the payment of royalties as it will not manufacture in-house. 13-Nov-1998 Concept Automotive Services has bought the Cannock site of Car Group, the failed second-hand car dealer, which means it now has eight sites nationwide. 13-Nov-1998 Heil Europe is planning to invest £5m building a refuse lorry factory at Sandiacre in the East Midlands, creating 140 jobs. 13-Nov-1998 Lucas is to cut more than 70 jobs at sites in Shirley and Tamworth in the West Midlands, in response to the changing situation in the automotive industry. 12-Nov-1998 General Motors has taken over full ownership of IBC Vehicles of Luton from its joint venture partner Isuzu, which should strengthen Vauxhall's position in the panel van market. 12-Nov-1998 A £10m car retailing park is set to open in Portsmouth, including BMW, VW, Rover, Mitsubishi, and Audi dealerships, and more than 100 jobs will be created. 11-Nov-1998 Toyoda TRW Steering Pumps has moved into its new factory in the Neath Valley, where it will make power steering pumps and create more than 200 jobs. 11-Nov-1998 New car sales in October were down 0.9% on last year at 155,263, while the market share for UK-produced cars fell from 32% to 30%, according to the SMMT. 11-Nov-1998 Northgate Motor Holdings is setting up a new Belfast Self Drive depot in north Belfast to hold a fleet of 500 commercial vehicles, and more than 30 jobs will be created. 10-Nov-1998 LucasVarity has been defeated by shareholders in its attempt to move its stock market listing from London to New York, but says it will continue with plans to make a large acquisition within the next six months. 09-Nov-1998 Arntz Belting, the Derry-based fan belts company, is to place all of its 250 workers on a short time working week. 06-Nov-1998 Alstom is to cut 90 jobs at its St Leonard's car engineering works in Stafford. 05-Nov-1998 H R Adcock has doubled the number of workers at its Shepshed factory having won a contract to supply a seat adjustment component for the new Ford Focus. 03-Nov-1998 Scientists at the University of Nottingham have developed an air conditioning unit for cars that is powered by the heat from exhaust gases. 03-Nov-1998 Ford is giving its Dagenham plant two years to catch up with the productivity levels achieved at its other European operations, prompting speculation that more jobs will be lost. 03-Nov-1998 Honda is planning to set up a training centre for engine technicians in Reading. 03-Nov-1998 Laird has suffered a fire at its main car body seal extrusion plant in Germany. 03-Nov-1998 UEF Automotive is to cut 50 jobs at its car components factory in Bromsgrove, due to a fall in demand from Rover and Massey Ferguson. 30-Oct-1998 W Waters & Sons of Hertford has bought Vilton Cars for undisclosed terms, which will give it two Peugeot showrooms in Barnet and Southgate. 30-Oct-1998 Goodyear has agreed to make Dunlop tyres in the US, prompting speculation that Goodyear could be planning to announce a takeover of the Birmingham-based Dunlop business currently owned by Sumitomo. 29-Oct-1998 Newpress Plastics is to double the size of its Ebbw Vale factory and increase staffing levels by 40%, having won a contract to become sole UK agents for Polymer-Chemie's foams used in the automotive industry. 29-Oct-1998 Massingberd is to invest £3.5m developing a new Audi Centre at its Harrogate base and refurbishing its existing VW sites in Otley, Northallerton and Harrogate. 29-Oct-1998 AFN of Reading is to set up a new Audi centre in Portsmouth, creating more than 20 jobs. 28-Oct-1998 Johnson Matthey has announced an extension to its alliance with Ballard Power Systems of Canada, in order to continue the development of fuel cell components for car engines. 28-Oct-1998 The Office of Fair Trading is considering plans to refer the motor trade to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission, due to concerns that a monopoly may exist among manufacturers and traders. 28-Oct-1998 QDF Components is to cut 80 jobs at its cast-iron car parts plant in Victory Road, Derby, due to a fall in demand. 27-Oct-1998 Bond Street Saab is opening an approved used car centre called Saab Select in Anstey, which is said to be the first of its kind in the country. 27-Oct-1998 Pi Research has opened a new £2m research building at Cottenham to develop control systems for racing cars. 26-Oct-1998 Michelin is to invest £1m in the expansion of the retreading operation at its tyre factory in Stoke, and is also spending £10m on a corporate office block and £35m on a heat and power plant. 26-Oct-1998 Volkswagen has announced plans to invest £500m at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Crewe, including the development of new models and an increase in output of Bentleys. 24-Oct-1998 Le Profil Industries is expecting to make up to 50 job cuts at its plastic mouldings factory in Accrington due to recent cut-backs announced by the major car manufacturers. 23-Oct-1998 Ford is to cancel five shifts at its Dagenham plant in November and December in order to take 3,000 Fiestas out of production, due to falling demand in continental Europe. 23-Oct-1998 ATS Euromaster is planning to build a £7m tyre-fitting customer service centre in Birmingham, creating 250 jobs. 22-Oct-1998 Rover is planning to announce substantial cost-saving measures over the next few weeks, and there could be a large number of redundancies among the 18,000 employees at its Longbridge car plant. 21-Oct-1998 Reliant Motors is preparing to move its car manufacturing operation to Burntwood, Staffordshire, creating 100 new jobs, and it is also looking to open a factory on the Continent in order to co-operate with other small vehicle manufacturers. 21-Oct-1998 Lucas Body Systems is seeking voluntary redundancies in Burnley, prompting speculation that it could be looking to shed up to 20% of its 1,300-strong workforce. 19-Oct-1998 Rover is recalling about 20,000 MGFs due to a seat belt problem. 17-Oct-1998 The government has announced proposed changes to car import regulations that could enable non-franchised traders to sell hundreds of thousands of cheaper "grey" imports, mainly from Japan. 15-Oct-1998 Marshall Specialist Vehicles is planning to cut 220 jobs in Cambridge due to a fall in exports. 15-Oct-1998 Torday & Carlisle is in discussions to sell its automotive and marine engineering operations, in order to transform itself into an investment business. 14-Oct-1998 Mayflower has won government approval to continue with its £269m takeover bid for Dennis, the bus chassis maker. 14-Oct-1998 Scientific Generics, the Harston-based technology consultancy, is forming a new company called Absolute Sensors Limited in order to sell a new sensor to automotive and other industries. 14-Oct-1998 The Green Tyre Company of Middlesbrough is to set up a £4m factory in Shanghai to make puncture-proof bicycle tyres. 14-Oct-1998 Toyota has assured more than 100 UK-based automotive component suppliers that it will not switch purchases to continental Europe, as it believes that the strength of sterling is a temporary situation. 13-Oct-1998 Toad is to form an alliance with Autoglass to offer a "one-stop shop" for car crime victims, providing a mobile service to replace both glass and audio systems. 13-Oct-1998 Toyota has opened the new Corolla production line at its Burnaston plant, and the £200m investment has created 350 jobs and increased the plant's capacity to 220,000 cars a year. 13-Oct-1998 LucasVarity has won a 12m-a-year contract to supply the brake systems for the new light commercial van being built at the General Motors factory in Luton. 13-Oct-1998 Tallent Engineering has cut 90 jobs at its Newton Aycliffe car parts factory as one of its product lines is being phased out. 12-Oct-1998 Commercial vehicle registrations were up 3.3% year-on-year in September at 25,261, and year-to-date sales were up 9%, according to the SMMT. 10-Oct-1998 BMW is recalling 2.8m cars, including 200,000 in the UK, due to a problem with the radiator cap. 09-Oct-1998 Marshall's is said to be preparing to announce large-scale redundancies among the 500 workers at its specialist vehicles division in Cambridge. 09-Oct-1998 Renault is opening a new £1m Renault car import facility at Teesport, as part of a 15-year agreement with Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority. 08-Oct-1998 New car registrations rose by 1.6% year-on-year to 163,380 in September, but there have been claims that the figures are being distorted by the pre-registration of cars for which there are no actual buyers. 07-Oct-1998 Keddy Services, the Grimsby-based company that refurbishes company cars for Nissan and VW, is to expand its site on the South Humberside Industrial Estate and create more than 50 new jobs. 06-Oct-1998 Le Profil, the car trim manufacturer, has announced 12 job losses at its Accrington factory due to a downturn in production by major car manufacturers. 02-Oct-1998 Pi Technology, the Cambridge-based developer of software for the motor industry, is to create a further 120 jobs by forming a partnership with Ford-owned Visteon Automotive Systems. 02-Oct-1998 Ford Motor is discussing the formation of a motor retailing joint venture with Jardine Motors in order to gain greater control over its distribution network, and they may launch a bid for Dagenham Motors. 01-Oct-1998 LucasVarity has formed a joint venture with Thomson-CSF of France to develop radar sensors for vehicle cruise control. 01-Oct-1998 Rover has confirmed plans to cut back car production at Longbridge in December, and up to 8,000 workers will be paid to stay at home for an additional two weeks at Christmas. 01-Oct-1998 Dixon Motors has won approval to set up a £9m retail complex in Hull. 01-Oct-1998 Ricardo is looking to develop a presence in the German automotive consultancy market, either through acquisition or alliance. 29-Sep-1998 LDV has won a £14m order from Rover to supply body pressings for the new Discovery model. 28-Sep-1998 Cendant's £450m bid for the Royal Automobile Club has been referred to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission, as it would give Cendant a 47% share of the breakdown market. 25-Sep-1998 Nissan has confirmed plans to go-ahead with a £200m project to build a third model at its Sunderland car factory, and an extra 800 jobs will be created. 25-Sep-1998 The government is planning two large-scale pilot projects to determine the feasibility of imposing tolls on motorways and urban roads, and local authorities are being invited to participate in the scheme. 24-Sep-1998 Avis Europe is looking to expand its car rental business into Japan, China and India, either by seeking licensees or by taking equity stakes in existing companies. 24-Sep-1998 Reg Vardy is to open a Nissan car dealership in Stockton next year, creating 30 jobs. 24-Sep-1998 Unipres is to recruit a further 150 employees at its car parts plant in Sunderland, in order to support the nearby Nissan plant as it prepares to launch the new Almera in year 2000. 24-Sep-1998 Peugeot is planning to manufacture the new 206 model at a rate of 2,500 a week at its Ryton plant, compared to just 1,600 a week for the previous model, due to recent gains in productivity. 23-Sep-1998 Ford is to put its 5,000 Dagenham workers on a four-day week over the next few months in order to help shift its stockpile of Fiestas. 21-Sep-1998 Mayflower is in discussions with Daimler-Benz about a possible technical tie-up in the bus sector, which could lead to a series of worldwide joint ventures. 17-Sep-1998 Britax is planning to spend up to £100m on acquisitions over the next two years to expand its automotive components and car safety products business. 16-Sep-1998 TT is looking for acquisitions to expand its electronics business and benefit from rising demand from vehicle manufacturers for in-car electronic devices. 16-Sep-1998 Reliant Motor Company, the manufacturer of three-wheeled cars, is to move from Tamworth to Burntwood near Lichfield, and all 90 workers will be offered jobs at the new plant. 16-Sep-1998 Manganese Bronze is considering plans to build a new factory in the Coventry area to manufacture the TX1 taxi, which would mean quitting its existing site on the west side of the city. 15-Sep-1998 Elring Klinger, the German maker of car gaskets, is to cut 20 jobs in Redcar, blaming the impact of the strong pound. 14-Sep-1998 Jaguar Cars Worldwide is planning to set up a £1.5m showroom in Portadown, Northern Ireland, through its Charles Hurst franchise, creating 20 jobs. 11-Sep-1998 Arriva has added two new Peugeot franchises on Teesside with the acquisition of the former Minories dealership in Stockton and a garage in Hartlepool. 10-Sep-1998 Toyota is to build a new headquarters in Surrey, and has awarded a £25m contract to Japanese construction firm Takenaka. 10-Sep-1998 The British Independent Motor Trade Association has won a legal victory that will allow it to challenge government restrictions on imports of foreign cars. 10-Sep-1998 LucasVarity, the auto components company, is to move its stock market listing from London to New York, as it believes that US investors will allow it to make larger acquisitions. 10-Sep-1998 Antolin-Irausa of Spain is planning to build a £12m factory in Ramsgate, Kent, to make interior trim for cars, creating 230 jobs. 09-Sep-1998 Smith Knight Fay Group is set to open a new £1.6m Audi showroom and service facility in Bolton, as part of the company's £7.5m investment programme. 09-Sep-1998 Adwest Automotive is in discussions with an unnamed US producer of automatic gear shifts about the possibility of forming a partnership that would give Adwest its first significant presence in the US. 08-Sep-1998 Sales of new commercial vehicles rose by 1.8% year-on-year in August to 44,549, due to increases in panel vans and trucks, according to the SMMT. 08-Sep-1998 Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK has begun a £150m project to set up a new castings factory in Flintshire to supply cylinder heads for its Derbyshire car plant, creating 60 jobs. 08-Sep-1998 LucasVarity has confirmed that it is considering a move to acquire Mando, the South Korean car components company. 07-Sep-1998 EPC of the US is to build a £2.2m car parts factory in Blaenau Gwent, creating 72 jobs. 07-Sep-1998 Lucas SEI Wiring Systems is to cut over 200 jobs at its Swansea Valley plant due to the loss of a contract with Rover. 07-Sep-1998 New car registrations were down 3.8% in August compared to last year at 505,312 although year-to-date sales are still up 3.9%, according to the SMMT. 05-Sep-1998 Henlys and Volvo are in talks to jointly acquire MASA, the Mexican coachbuilder, and a deal should be completed by the end of the year. 02-Sep-1998 Leyland Trucks is to build up to 4,500 trucks a year for its sister company Daf of the Netherlands, creating about 300 extra jobs at its Lancashire plant. 02-Sep-1998 International Radiators, the manufacturing division of Partco, is to set up a new factory in the newly constructed Grove Park at Enderby, and 200 jobs will be transferred from the existing factory at nearby Narborough. 01-Sep-1998 Sherwood Commercial Vehicles has acquired Chatfield Truck, the troubled commercial vehicle division of the Potteries Ford dealership, for undisclosed terms. 01-Sep-1998 Ford's Bridgend plant has lost out in a bid to build the engine for the new mini-Jaguar, which will instead be built in Cleveland, Ohio, and the future of the plant may be in doubt unless it can secure the successor to the Zetec engine. 01-Sep-1998 Quicks, the nationwide car dealer and spare parts group, may have to shed up to 500 jobs due to a recent fall in sales. 28-Aug-1998 Dutton Forshaw is planning a £1m investment programme at its Jaguar dealership in Preston, in order to prepare for the launch of the new mid-range saloon car. 27-Aug-1998 Ford has warned the management and workforce at its Halewood factory that they must improve working practices within the next month in order to demonstrate that they can produce the new Jaguar. 27-Aug-1998 GKN has won a £30m contract to manage Chrysler's extensive pool of Autocrates, the containers by which car components are distributed across the US, its first move into the US automotive logistics market. 26-Aug-1998 Alba Diagnostics has opened its new premises in Glenrothes to produce what is claimed to be the world's smallest gas analyser, which is used to measure vehicle exhaust emissions. 26-Aug-1998 Thanet district council in Kent is planning to attract manufacturers of automotive components and pharmaceuticals as part of a strategy to regenerate the area. 26-Aug-1998 Group Lotus, the sports car maker, is to centralise its operations at a new £7m research and development centre at Hethel, which will result in the closure of its Ketteringham Hall headquarters. 25-Aug-1998 Red Dot Corp, the US producer of air conditioning for heavy-duty vehicles, is to open a European headquarters in Ipswich. 25-Aug-1998 Mayflower is acquiring a 40% stake in Metrotrans, the US busmaker, for £15m and will take a majority stake within two years. 25-Aug-1998 Nissan produced 98 cars per employee at its plant in Sunderland in 1997, strengthening its position as the most productive plant in Europe, according to a league table published by the Economist Intelligence Unit. 21-Aug-1998 Torotrak has had just a 2.6% take-up on its £50m rights issue, which could hamper the development plans for its revolutionary vehicle transmission system. 19-Aug-1998 New car prices are to be investigated by a House of Commons trade and industry select committee due to allegations from independent motor traders that prices are kept high by government restrictions on "grey" market imports. 17-Aug-1998 Ford is to link up with Norwich Union to turn its showrooms into one-stop shops for purchasing vehicles, tax and insurance. 15-Aug-1998 Land Rover is recalling over 14,000 Range Rovers due to possible problems with the cooling system hose. 15-Aug-1998 Henlys has increased its offer for Dennis Group, the specialist vehicle maker, to about £300m, which beats the latest bid from Mayflower of £255m. 15-Aug-1998 Volvo has increased its stake in the Henlys bus group to 3.3%, in order to support Henlys' bid for the Dennis special vehicles business. 14-Aug-1998 Glass's Group, the publisher of second-hand car price guides, is to be acquired by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, the US private equity firm, for £126m. 13-Aug-1998 Antonov has won a contract to develop a prototype transmission for the Opel Corsa range. 13-Aug-1998 Car Group has confirmed that refinancing discussions are under way, and it is believed that the Surrey-based dealer Concept Automotive is preparing a reverse takeover of Car Group. 12-Aug-1998 Commercial vehicle registrations rose 2.4% year-on-year to 9,105 in July, with trucks up 18%, small vans up 20% and medium vans down 13%, according to the SMMT. 11-Aug-1998 Toyota is said to be planning to double UK production of two of its most successful cars over the next five years, creating 2,000 new jobs at its Burnaston plant near Derby. 10-Aug-1998 Heywood Williams is selling Auto Windscreens to Inhoco 788 for £77m, in order to focus on its building products business. 08-Aug-1998 New car registrations rose 5.1% year-on-year in July to 37,896, raising hopes that 1989's record year of 2.3m cars might be beaten, according to the SMMT. 07-Aug-1998 Partco has rejected the merger approach from Finelist, citing the operational and financial risks that could result from such a deal. 07-Aug-1998 Concentric, the maker of car parts, is to undergo a management buy-out in a £87m deal, following a recent trend that has seen a number of smaller engineering companies go private. 07-Aug-1998 Foreign car importers are asking the government to tighten the controls on "grey market" imports from the Far East and Europe, to ensure that these cut-price cars meet UK regulations and standards. 07-Aug-1998 Mitsubishi Motors has told its UK dealers to introduce sharp increases on the price of parts and servicing to customers with cars that have been imported by unofficial channels, in an attempt to reduce the impact that these cheap "grey" imports are having on their business. 06-Aug-1998 The AA is selling its Home Assistance business to Aon Risk Services for undisclosed terms and closing its 142 high street shops with the loss of about 850 jobs, as part of a strategy to focus on its roadside assistance services. 06-Aug-1998 LucasVarity is looking to sell its truck brakes business for about £100m, and has created a new division called LucasVarity Automotive in order to bring together its remaining vehicle operations. 06-Aug-1998 Minorplanet Systems is to raise £4.7m in a share placing in order to expand its vehicle fleet management systems business. 06-Aug-1998 Lex Service is planning to buy out Lombard North Central's stake in their car leasing joint venture for up to £128m, and is now interested in finding a new partner to help develop the business. 01-Aug-1998 Henlys is to merge with Dennis Group to create a £523m group that will have the strength to compete in the rapidly growing US market for the manufacture of bus bodies. 31-Jul-1998 Zevco has unveiled the prototype of a new London taxi that is powered by a fuel cell combining oxygen from the air with hydrogen, producing no exhaust fumes. 31-Jul-1998 Jaguar Cars has won a £43m aid package from the EU to produce the new X-400 model at Halewood, which could result in the creation of 1,000 new jobs. 30-Jul-1998 BMW is paying £40m to the Rolls-Royce aero engines group for the rights to use the Rolls-Royce name and will set up a factory in the UK to build a new range of luxury cars, despite the fact that Volkswagen recently acquired Rolls-Royce Motors. 29-Jul-1998 Rover is to reduce production by more than 26,000 cars below planned levels from September to the end of the year, with output of the slow-selling Rover 400 being cut by more than a quarter. 28-Jul-1998 Car Group, the used-car retailer, is in refinancing talks with a leading financial institution that is interested in taking a stake in the company and offering financial packages to its customers. 25-Jul-1998 Rover is to cut about 1,500 jobs, begin four-day working at three of its UK car plants, and increase the number of components bought from abroad due to the effects of the strength of sterling. 24-Jul-1998 The government has unveiled its new transport white paper which is aimed at boosting investment in public transport, and funding will come from additional costs for motorists such as charges on workplace parking spaces and possible tolls on motorways and trunk roads. 21-Jul-1998 Finelist has made an approach to merge with Partco, which would create a combined business with a 17% share of the car parts market. 18-Jul-1998 First Technology is planning to develop a car-safety system that automatically alerts the emergency services following an accident, using satellite technology and fuel cut-off sensors. 16-Jul-1998 Pressac is acquiring G Cartier, the French manufacturer of relays and electronic control systems for vehicles, for £63m, in order to benefit from the growing use of electronics by the automotive industry. 16-Jul-1998 Car Group is planning a review of its car supermarkets business following a fall in demand and a fall in its share price. 15-Jul-1998 Sales of new commercial vehicles rose by 27% to 25,171 in June compared to last year, with buses up 35% and heavy trucks up 27%, according to the SMMT. 14-Jul-1998 Car prices in the UK are the highest in the EU, according to survey by the European Commission which highlights major differences in neighbouring countries where prices should be similar. 11-Jul-1998 BMW has given one year's notice that it will cancel its contract to provide engines and other components for the new Rolls-Royce Seraph, in response to Volkswagen's acquisition of the luxury car maker. 10-Jul-1998 UK motorcycle sales, including maintenance, rose by 44% to £377m in the first quarter of 1997 compared to last year, with a trend towards larger machines, according to the Office for National Statistics. 10-Jul-1998 Torotrak has announced details of the rights issue that will raise £50m for the development of its Infinitely Variable Transmission system, which it expects to be used in 80% of automatic gearboxes within 10 years. 09-Jul-1998 Rover is to buy more car parts from suppliers in continental Europe due to the effects of the strong pound, but has denied rumours that it would consider moving production abroad. 08-Jul-1998 Lookers has paid £3.3m for the assets of the Toyota and Daihatsu business of Rylands, Belfast. 08-Jul-1998 New car sales were up by 12% at 169,800 in June compared to last year, with sales in the first six months up 8% at 1.13m, according to the SMMT. 07-Jul-1998 Volkswagen has completed the acquisition of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, but the price it pays will be £49m higher than previously expected because the net operating assets of the luxury car company have been recalculated. 04-Jul-1998 Vauxhall is to increase production of the Astra by 20% to 160,000 cars a year by adding a third shift at its Ellesmere Port factory, creating 1,000 jobs. 03-Jul-1998 MEPC is buying Partco's vehicle parts distribution centre in Milton Keynes for £10m, and Partco will use the money to implement its recently-announced distribution development plan. 01-Jul-1998 The government's transport white paper is to include plans for charging motorists who drive into city centres within the next two years, with the money being re-invested in local public transport. 01-Jul-1998 The EU has negotiated a new deal to cut car pollution, in which indicative targets for sulphur content in fuel in 2005 will be converted to mandatory standards. 01-Jul-1998 Minorplanet Systems is forming an alliance with GE Capital Fleet Services for the supply of vehicle fleet management systems, and is also planning a rights issue in which GE Capital will participate. 30-Jun-1998 Group Lotus is to undergo a review of its business which could result in the sports car and engineering company moving into new areas such as the production of racing cycles and four-wheel drive sporting vehicles. 25-Jun-1998 Car component makers in the West Midlands could be facing a 30% fall in sales over the next three years unless they move quickly to cut costs and improve quality, according to a report from KPMG. 22-Jun-1998 Members of the Royal Automobile Club have voted in favour of plans to sell off the club's motoring arm, but Cendant will not be able to acquire the operation until after a second member's meeting in August. 20-Jun-1998 Torotrak has published details of next month's £400m demerger from BTG, which will include a rights issue to raise £50m for the development of its revolutionary transmission system for vehicles. 20-Jun-1998 Car production was up 8.7% year-on-year in May at 134,442, with output in the first five months up 4.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics. 19-Jun-1998 The government is planning to set up a network of three traffic control centres to provide information on traffic congestion, in partnership with motoring organisations and electronics companies. 17-Jun-1998 Arriva is planning to sell off its car leasing business, which has been hit by falling second-hand car prices, in order to focus on its bus operations. 16-Jun-1998 Pendragon, the car dealer, has secured a £33m loan through a private placement in the US, which will help fund the development of market-area partnerships with car manufacturers. 16-Jun-1998 Britax is acquiring Public Safety Equipment, the US maker of sirens for fire engines and police radar systems, for £75m, and believes that PSE's radar technology could be used in the next generation of car mirror designs. 16-Jun-1998 Ford has suffered severe disruption to its Fiesta production line at Dagenham, following the failure of an unnamed supplier to deliver door latches on time. 13-Jun-1998 Car Group is to continue with its opening programme for car supermarkets, despite a warning that its profits will be hit this year by falling demand for used cars. 13-Jun-1998 Commercial vehicle registrations rose by 3.5% year-on-year in May to 24,568, with trucks up 23%, medium vans up 5%, and small vans down 4%, according to the SMMT. 12-Jun-1998 General Motors has warned UK motor component suppliers that they risk losing out on contracts to supply parts for its new models, unless they make productivity gains to offset the strength of sterling. 12-Jun-1998 Peugeot-Citroen is considering plans to build a Citroen sister car to the Peugeot 206 at its Ryton plant near Coventry from early next century. 12-Jun-1998 Honda Motor of Japan is to invest a further £450m at its Swindon factory to build a compact hatchback, creating about 1,000 jobs. 11-Jun-1998 The government is to launch a new car registration system that will involve the age identifier on the plates being changed twice a year instead of once, in order to smooth the sales bulge that currently takes place each August. 10-Jun-1998 Creative Group of Redditch is planning to resurrect the Jensen sports car brand, with the launch of a new model by the end of 1999. 08-Jun-1998 Volkswagen has bid £120m for the Cosworth racing-car engine business currently owned by Vickers, which could mean the end of Cosworth's 30-year relationship with Ford. 06-Jun-1998 New car registrations rose 1.7% in May compared to last year to 172,851 units, and registrations in the first five months are up 7%, according to the SMMT. 05-Jun-1998 LucasVarity is looking to make a large acquisition over the next year, and is currently in talks to acquire Mando, the South Korean supplier of brakes. 05-Jun-1998 BTG is to raise £50m in a share placing for its Torotrak vehicle transmissions business, in a move that will give Torotrak greater independence as it further develops the fuel-efficient gearless transmission. 05-Jun-1998 Mercedes-Benz is warning UK automotive component suppliers that they risk losing future business unless they become more proactive, improve quality, and become more customer friendly. 02-Jun-1998 The Transport Research Laboratory has announced the latest results on a series of car crash tests for 12 small family cars, and the Renault Megane, the Audi A3, and the new VW Golf scored maximum points. 29-May-1998 Proton of Malaysia is buying a further 16% stake in Group Lotus International, the UK sports car and engineering business, to take its stake to 80%. 29-May-1998 The Rolls-Royce aero-engines company has warned that it will not make it easy for Volkswagen to win the rights to use the Rolls-Royce Motors name should it succeed with its bid to acquire the luxury car maker, as it is supporting the alternative bid from BMW. 29-May-1998 Hill Hire, the truck and trailer rental group, is planning to open three more regional centres over the next two years and is currently looking for sites in the West Midlands and the south west. 27-May-1998 Vauxhall is recalling more than 34,000 Corsa cars and vans due to possible engine wiring problems. 23-May-1998 Rover is creating 1,000 jobs in order to produce its new executive car at its Cowley plant in Oxford, and is expanding capacity to build 150,000 units a year. 21-May-1998 Nissan has warned that it may have to source more components from continental Europe for its Sunderland car plant, unless the sterling exchange rate falls to about DM2.50. 19-May-1998 UK motorcycle sales reached 9,980 in April, up 10% on last year, with year-to-date sales up 20%, according to the Motor Cycle Industry Association. 18-May-1998 Direct Line, the telephone-based insurance company, is launching a motor breakdown service called Direct Line Rescue, which will offer rescue cover based on the type and age of vehicle and roadside garages will be used to attend the breakdowns. 16-May-1998 Car Group is opening a car retail site in Manchester offering 1,000 nearly-new vehicles, and will also open sites in London and the Sheffield-Nottingham area later this year. 15-May-1998 Unipart and Halfords have both announced plans to move into the vehicle fleet management sector, using their national networks of car servicing and repair outlets to offer a "one-stop shop" for fleet managers. 14-May-1998 Airflow Streamlines, the vehicle engineer and motor dealer, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 14-May-1998 Vauxhall is launching a range of cars that can be fuelled by liquefied petroleum gas as well as petrol, and will target companies that want to use environmentally friendly vehicles. 12-May-1998 BMW has decided not to renew its contract with Unipart for the distribution of parts for Rover cars when it expires in four years time, but Unipart's role as a components supplier will not be affected. 07-May-1998 DC Cook is planning to acquire Pendragon's motor activities in Derby for £6.9m. 07-May-1998 Inchcape has taken over the UK import franchise for the Italian Maserati sports car, and hopes to sell up to 600 cars a year. 06-May-1998 Vickers has been in discussions with Ford about the possibility of forming a strategic partnership for its Cosworth specialist engines business, which is seen as a way of preventing a possible bid from Volkswagen. 04-May-1998 Volkswagen is said to be planning to make an offer of at least £400m for Rolls-Royce Motors, and is determined to enter discussions with Vickers before the rival £340m bid from BMW is voted on by shareholders in early June. 02-May-1998 LDV, the van maker, is said to be considering a flotation once it has completed a £160m expansion programme with Daewoo to boost production from 20,000 to 80,000 vehicles. 30-Apr-1998 Silver Shield is to raise £2.15m in a rights issue in order to buy eight franchises for its windscreen replacement business. 29-Apr-1998 Vauxhall has agreed an innovative three-year pay and productivity deal with workers which includes an extra 0.5% pay in the third year if the average sterling exchange rate falls below DM2.70, thereby securing the future of its car plants at Luton and Ellesmere Port. 24-Apr-1998 RAC has shortlisted six potential bidders for its motoring operations, which indicates that a trade sale is now more likely than a flotation. 24-Apr-1998 Dennis Group has pulled out of its bus supply joint venture in Malaysia due to the effect of the economic crisis in south-east Asia. 24-Apr-1998 Car production rose 14% year-on-year in March to 162,379, with output for export up 16% at 96,081, according to the Office for National Statistics. 23-Apr-1998 BTR is acquiring a 70% stake in Saiag, the Italian automotive sealings company, for £41m, in order to consolidate its position in the European market and provide access to emerging markets such as China. 22-Apr-1998 LucasVarity has won a $50m a year contract to supply brake systems for Chrysler's sports utility vehicles in the US. 22-Apr-1998 Rover has agreed a flexible working arrangement for the new BMW engine plant in Warwickshire, which will involve workers being credited or debited with the hours worked above or below a 37-hour week. 22-Apr-1998 The Royal Automobile Club has seen a big rise in the number of membership applications as people are attracted by the possibility of a windfall bonus if the motoring services operation is floated. 18-Apr-1998 Vauxhall is expected to pledge a £500m investment in its Luton and Ellesmere Port plants if unions agree to a new pay deal, productivity improvements, and changes to holiday and shift patterns. 18-Apr-1998 Jaguar is to call its new compact sports saloon the S-Type, and it will be launched at the Birmingham Motor Show. 17-Apr-1998 Commercial vehicle sales reached 30,902 units in March, up 27% on last year, with trucks up 25%, light vans up 30%, panel vans up 28%, and buses and coaches up 17%, according to the SMMT. 15-Apr-1998 The RAC is to conduct a consultation process with its full members to determine whether to consider splitting its motoring services from its social activities. 11-Apr-1998 LucasVarity is considering a bid for Mando, the South Korean brakes maker, but it is likely to face competition from other western car parts groups. 08-Apr-1998 New car sales were up 18.5% at 213,374 in March compared to last year, well up on industry forecasts. 07-Apr-1998 Mechadyne International is planning a flotation on Aim in order to raise up to £25m to fund marketing and research for its specialist automotive engine technologies. 06-Apr-1998 Vauxhall has agreed a package of reforms with unions that will secure the future of its Ellesmere Port and Luton car plants and result in the introduction of Japanese-style working practices. 06-Apr-1998 The RAC motoring organisation has rejected an attempt by its chairman to convert it from a membership organisation into a fully commercial business. 04-Apr-1998 Tracker Network, the operator of a stolen vehicle recovery system, is planning a full stockmarket listing following a good increase in profits. 03-Apr-1998 LucasVarity is looking to spend up to £1bn on acquisitions and is particularly interested in businesses that will enable it to supply integrated brakes and suspension systems. 01-Apr-1998 TI Group is acquiring S&H Group, the US automotive power steering and air conditioning company, for £212m, and will combine the business with its Bundy division. 31-Mar-1998 Vickers has received four bids for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars - from BMW, Volkswagen, the Doughty Hanson venture capital group, and a consortium that includes Rolls-Royce enthusiasts - and hopes to finalise the sale next week. 28-Mar-1998 Autologic is planning to expand its car distribution business in continental Europe and has identified a number of potential opportunities. 28-Mar-1998 Peugeot has indicated that Citroen cars may be made at its Coventry plant at some time in the future, just as they are at some of its other plants. 27-Mar-1998 Tomkins has acquired Schrader-Bridgeport, the US tyre valves and fluid control components maker, for £112m, and will combine the business into its Gates and Stant subsidiary. 24-Mar-1998 Evans Halshaw is planning to add a further 10 car dealerships to its network this year, including five Ford outlets. 20-Mar-1998 Kwik-Fit is looking to expand its car parts business into other European countries, including Germany and Scandinavia, and has also announced plans to double the number of staff selling motor insurance in the UK. 20-Mar-1998 Daewoo of South Korea is forming a £160m joint venture with LDV of Birmingham to build up to 80,000 medium and heavy vans per year, creating about 2,000 jobs. 19-Mar-1998 Henlys is looking to spend up to £80m to expand its North American coachbuilding business, either through acquisitions or through its joint venture with Volvo. 19-Mar-1998 General Motors is said to be considering plans to close its Vauxhall car assembly plant in Luton as part of a cost-cutting programme. 19-Mar-1998 Britax International is looking to sell its car leasing operation for up to £70m. 18-Mar-1998 Trust Motor Group, the vehicle retailer formerly part of Barr & Wallace Arnold Trust, is still in talks with potential purchasers, including a possible management buy-out. 18-Mar-1998 Sales of new commercial vehicles reached 22,081 in February, up 11% on last year, with the strongest growth in trucks of more than 3.5 tonnes, according to the SMMT. 10-Mar-1998 Pendragon is planning to spend about £40m this year on acquisitions and the expansion of its car dealerships, while there will also be further rationalisation following the recent acquisition of dealerships from Lex. 10-Mar-1998 Federal-Mogul of the US has been told by US regulators that it must dispose of T&N's bearings business if it wants to go ahead with the £1.5bn acquisition of T&N, the UK car parts company. 07-Mar-1998 New car sales reached 177,133 in February, up 8.3% on last year, indicating that 1998 could be an even better year than 1997, according to the SMMT. 06-Mar-1998 LucasVarity is setting up a joint venture with TRW of the US to develop automotive electric steering systems, and production will start at the Holford Drive factory in the West Midlands in 2000. 05-Mar-1998 Partco, the car parts distributor, is looking to expand by acquiring further small independent companies, although it does not rule out a large deal. 04-Mar-1998 Daimler-Benz has decided against making a bid for the Rolls-Royce luxury car business, and will instead develop a rival to Rolls-Royce called the Maybach. 04-Mar-1998 Inchcape is planning a £700m demerger, including its South American bottling business, its Far East marketing services business, the sale of shipping services and the sale of its Russian bottling business to Coca-Cola, in order to focus on its core motor distribution business. 03-Mar-1998 Vickers may have to reduce its £400m expectations for the sale of the Rolls-Royce luxury car business, as BMW is believed to be offering less than £300m. 02-Mar-1998 General Motors is to close its Delphi Automotive Systems wiring harnesses plant in Coventry with the loss of 460 jobs, and production will be transferred to Portugal. 28-Feb-1998 The consortium of Rolls-Royce owners preparing a bid for the luxury car company claims to have raised sufficient funds to launch a high offer, but there has been a split with the original Rolls-Royce Acquisition Committee which may launch a separate bid. 27-Feb-1998 Autotronics is planning to float on Ofex in order to raise about £0.5m for the development of its TyrTrak system. 23-Feb-1998 Car production reached 152,242 units in January, up 2.6% on last year, with output for the UK market up 12.7% and output for export down 4.2%, according to the Office for National Statistics. 20-Feb-1998 Federal Mogul of the US is said to be struggling to win regulatory approval for its £1.5bn acquisition of T&N, the UK car parts company, and may not get clearance before the Takeover Panel's deadline of March 6. 19-Feb-1998 Alexanders Holdings, the Scottish car retailer and fleet manager, is in talks that could lead to a takeover offer being made for the company. 17-Feb-1998 Caradon has sold its Fabricated Steel Products car parts business in Canada to Krupp Automotive for £77m, in order to focus on its core building materials business. 17-Feb-1998 The government is to warn the European motor industry that it must speed up the introduction of self-imposed measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions, in order to avoid the introduction of regulatory alternatives. 16-Feb-1998 The European Commission has accused car manufacturers of cashing in by failing to reduce car prices in the UK despite the strength of sterling, and proceedings might be taken against them. 14-Feb-1998 Wagon Industrial has acquired Blaimer International, the Czech auto pressings company, for £4.7m, and Magista, the Dutch shelving company, for £1m. 12-Feb-1998 Commercial vehicle sales rose by 9% to 23,590 in January compared to last year, with heavy trucks up 38%, according to the SMMT. 10-Feb-1998 Nakagawa Sangyo of Japan is to set up a factory to make fibreglass components for car exhausts in Corby, creating 120 jobs. 09-Feb-1998 Kyoshin Shoji of Japan is to build a factory to make foam for car interiors in Mansfield, creating 70 jobs. 09-Feb-1998 Honda Motor has confirmed plans to increase car production in the UK with output at its Swindon plant rising from 109,000 units in 1996 to an expected 130,000 units this year. 06-Feb-1998 New car sales rose 12% to 232,055 in January, compared to last year, with imports up 15% and UK-produced cars up 7%, according to the SMMT. 06-Feb-1998 Quicks has acquired a Ford dealership in Dundee from Tayford Motor for £1.5m. 04-Feb-1998 Land Rover is to support a £122m investment programme to expand its dealer network, which will include new showrooms, workshops, off-road courses, and the creation of 1,200 jobs. 03-Feb-1998 Vauxhall is said to be considering the closure of its Luton car factory following GM's decision not to make the new Corsa there. 02-Feb-1998 Land Rover is adding a further 400 jobs at its Solihull plant to cope with strong demand for the new Freelander vehicle, and the company is expecting production to reach 80,000 units a year. 27-Jan-1998 British Vita is to set up a plant in Brazil to make foams for the vehicle industry, in its first move into South America. 26-Jan-1998 Aisin Seiki of Japan is to build a £5m car parts plant in Birmingham to produce oil and water pumps for Toyota, creating 100 jobs. 23-Jan-1998 Brooks, the classic car auction house, is setting up its first US subsidiary in San Francisco next month as part of a plan to become a global business. 19-Jan-1998 LDV and Daewoo are expected to get the government go-ahead later this month for a joint venture to make vans in Birmingham, but they may not get all of the £40m aid applied for. 17-Jan-1998 Finelist, the automotive parts retailer, has acquired two companies in the east Midlands - Emergency Spares and Motaparts - for a total £3.1m. 14-Jan-1998 Sales of motorcycles and mopeds were up 37% last year at 93,289 according to the Motor Cycle Industry Association, and further growth of at least 10% is expected this year. 14-Jan-1998 Sales of small vans rose 12% last year to 80,540, while medium vans were up 12% at 130,484, and trucks over 3.5 tonnes were down 9% at 45,617, according to the SMMT. 14-Jan-1998 At least seven potential bidders have emerged for the Rolls-Royce luxury car business - BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler-Benz, Toyota, Mohammed Fayed, a consortium involving Bernie Ecclestone, and the Rolls-Royce Action Committee. 13-Jan-1998 Toyota has confirmed plans to invest £150m at its Deeside plant in north Wales to make engines for the new car that will be built in France, creating 310 jobs, and the move could prompt Japanese component makers to set up UK subsidiaries. 10-Jan-1998 LucasVarity has reached agreement to buy the remaining 66% of Freios Varga, the Brazilian brakes manufacturer, for £70m. 09-Jan-1998 Wealthy Rolls-Royce owners have formed the Rolls-Royce Action Committee and will attempt to prevent BMW's acquisition of the luxury car maker by raising £680m to buy the company themselves. 09-Jan-1998 New car registrations in the UK were up 7.2% at 2,170,725 in 1997, the third highest year ever, with December registrations up 8.3% at 84,634, according to the SMMT. 08-Jan-1998 Ford has announced that Halewood will be used to produce the new Jaguar X400 small car, which will safeguard 1,800 jobs on Merseyside and create up to 400 engineering jobs in Coventry. 07-Jan-1998 CarLand is opening its first secondhand-car superstore at the Lakeside retail park in Essex, and plans to open 10 stores this year with the creation of 1,200 jobs. 05-Jan-1998 The information below comes from the UK Activity Report. Click here for further details Copyright UK Business Park 1995-2007