NEWS

CAR production was up by almost 15 per cent in March reveals the SMMT’s latest automotive manufacturing data. Total car output rose by 14.8 per cent in March 2011 and was up 13.0 per cent over the year’s first quarter. Engine production in the UK also increased by 6.5 per cent in the month and [...]

SEAT is celebrating a cluster of impressive sales records – including its best March ever in the UK it has been revealed. The Spanish marque is celebrating not only its best-ever March in absolute terms, but also record market shares for both the crucial month of March and the entire first quarter of 2011. The [...]

ALFA Romeo has recorded the largest percentage sales increase for the key month of March it has been announced. According to March 2011 new registration statistics from the SMMT, Alfa Romeo recorded a positive percentage change in its new car sales – a 66.35 per cent increase – higher than any other manufacturer for the [...]

THE Ford Fiesta has regained its position as the nation’s best-seller the lastest SMMT figures reveal. More than 19,600 units of the Ford supermini were sold in March – up from fourth place in February – and these figures also strengthened the Fiesta’s year-to-date registrations – it is now number one in both March sales [...]

MARCH saw new car registrations fall by 7.9 per cent the latest figures published by the SMMT reveal. 366,101 new 11-reg cars were registered in March, representing a 7.9 per cent fall on 2010. March bettered expectations, though – up 5.9 per cent on 2010 with scrappage volumes excluded. Registrations in quarter one fell 8.7 [...]

Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive MD, will be one of the headline speakers at the SMMT’s 2011 summit. At the 2011 SMMT International Automotive Summit, Sheriff will speak on the plenary panel, ‘The changing face of car retailing’, and will explain why McLaren Automotive chose to adopt a franchised dealer network to sell its ground-breaking supercar, [...]

THE latest research from the SMMT reveals that the average dealership could save £10k a year by cutting its energy use. The findings, published in the ‘Dealer Energy Efficiency Guide’, written by an independent energy efficiency expert on behalf of the SMMT in conjunction with the RMI and the Carbon Trust, shows ways dealers can [...]

FEBRUARY saw automotive manufacturing in the UK continue it’s strong growth, the latest figures from the SMMT reveal. Car output rose by 15.1 per cent in February and the month was up 12 per cent over the year-to-date. UK engine production also increased by 10.2 per cent in February and rose 11.1 per cent over [...]

THE SMMT’s tenth annual new car CO2 report shows there’s ongoing reductions in average emissions of new cars. The report reveals that 2010′s figures drop by 3.5 per cent on the previous year to 144.2g/km CO2 (equivalent to about 50mpg), down by more than 20 per cent since 2000. In 2010, almost 40 per cent of [...]

FEBRUARY saw new car registrations fall  7.7 per cent the latest figures published by the SMMT reveal. Registrations fell to 63,424 units but the figure is ‘less than expected’ with the month’s outturn being six per cent above the SMMT’s forecast figures. Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: ‘The UK motor industry is looking for [...]

THE Volkswagen Golf was the surprise winner in February’s sales tables, SMMT figures reveal. Sales of VW’s mid-sized hatchback topped more than 2,700 – up from fifth place in January. The Corsa followed in second with 2,617 sales, while January’s winner, the Ford Focus, dropped to third registering 2,483 cars. The Ford Fiesta fell to [...]

THE Ford Focus regained the number one spot in January’s sales tables, SMMT figures reveal. Sales of Ford’s mid-sized hatchback topped more than 7,500 sold – up four places on December’s figures. The Fiesta followed in second while December’s winner, the Vauxhall Astra, dropped to third. The Griffin-badged hatchback’s younger brother, the Corsa, fell to [...]

JANUARY saw new car registrations fall 11.5 per cent the latest figures published by the SMMT reveal. Registrations fell to 128,811 units with the month on par with the SMMT’s figures. However, registrations were up 8 per cent if cars sold as a result of the scrappage scheme are not included. Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, [...]

SMMT has confirmed Stephen T Odell as the keynote speaker for their 2011 International Automotive Summit. Odell, Ford Group vice president and chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe, will address the automotive industry’s third annual summit in Westminster, London, on June 28, 2011. The SMMT has announced that Odell will ‘discuss the breadth of [...]

FORD of Britain boss Nigel Sharp predicts the UK market will grow more than official SMMT figures estimate in 2011. Speaking exclusively to Car Dealer at the launch of the new Focus, he said he expects new car registrations to exceed the 1.93m the SMMT expects. As the boss of the country’s biggest selling brand [...]

THE VRA brought together business leaders to discuss the news of the contraction of the UK economy. More than 150 companies from car makers and auctions, to data providers and car leasing companies attending the inaugural Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) conference in Oxfordshire today to discuss today’s news of the UK economy contracting by 0.5 [...]

THE SMMT have published the full regional new car registrations figures for December in the UK. Excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, 124,415 cars were registered in December in the UK; 2,019,792 cars in total in 2010. In December England lead the way with 107,29 cars registered, followed by Scotland with 9,943, [...]

SMMT figures reveal that the 2010 market rose by 1.8 per cent compared to 2009′s figures. 2,030,846 units were registered – 35,847 up on 2009′s market – but sales in 2010 were still the second lowest in a decade. The fleet market also rose by more than 10 per cent, but due to the ending [...]

FORD was once again the clear winner in 2010′s new car registration figures with the Fiesta taking top honours. 103,013 Fiestas were registered during the year, and the car was the best selling new car for the second successive year. Vauxhall’s Astra finished in second place which clocked up 80,646 registrations in 2010, followed by [...]

TODAY motorists can benefit from the ‘Plug-In Car Grant’ of up to £5k when buying any qualifying ‘green’ car. Cars producing less than 75g/km are entitled to the grant which consists of nine cars, three of which are available to buy now. The grant comes into effect from today one month on from the announcement [...]