NEWS

SMMT figures show May new car sales rose by 13.5 percent but the SMMT expects the market to now start declining.
The May rise is the 11th successive one and saw the Ford Focus displace the Fiesta as the UK’s top car.
However, now the scrappage boost has ended, the SMMT is predicting a modest decline in [...]

THE SMMT hosts its annual test day every year at Bedfordshire’s Millbrook in May – and, once again, yours truly attended!
It comprises of major manufacturers brining their model range to Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedford and letting all of us journalists drive them on closed circuits and on the open road!! Sound like fun? [...]

SMMT and RMI experts have teamed up to help car dealers navigate the maze of new CO2 emissions red tape.
The government Carbon Reduction Commitment initiative went live in April and is set to affect many UK car dealers.
It applies to any business using more than £500k of electricity every year, and offers financial incentives to [...]

CAR production in the UK rose by 44 percent in April as fortunes for the industry continue to improve.

To date, car production is up nearly 65 percent this year.
It looks like the commercial vehicle sector is finally benefitting, too – UK build rates are up over 44 percent this year.
‘Output in April is up across [...]

CAR production will return to 2007 levels in 2014 with an EU market of 20.4 million motors predicts the SMMT.
This is a much more positive outlook than estimated a few months ago.
‘Although vehicle production volumes across Europe fell by more than 2.8 million units in 2009,’ said the SMMT’s Paul Everitt, ‘there is increasing confidence [...]

SCRAPPAGE scheme registrations are almost complete as the SMMT announces its latest update.

Total registrations are now 395,500 – tantalisingly close to the 400,000 official total.
Cars make up 388,540 of these, with 6959 LCVs also being registered through the scrappage initiative. This follows the ending of the scheme in March.
SMMT chief exec Paul Everitt said: ‘The [...]

NEW car registrations in the UK rose for the 10th consecutive month in April by 11.5 per cent.
Volumes were up on a very weak April 2009 with scrappage accounting for just eight per cent of that.
The news comes in the same week the SMMT revised its overall estimation for the UK car market upwards to [...]

THE SMMT has revised its forecast for UK car registrations UP to 1.9m units after a strong start to 2010.
It says total new car regiustrations are still anticipated to dip on last year, but added van sales are likely to rise.
It predicts new car sales will dip 3.6 per cent to 1.9m units – but [...]

UK car production rose a record 90.2 per cent in March – the fifth consecutive monthly increase in a row.
Output for home and export markets increased with cars built for the UKL market more than doubling – accounting for 27.6 per cent during the first quarter.
‘UK automotive production continued to make progress in March with [...]

SMMT chief Paul Everitt has called upon support for the UK car industry from any new UK Government.
To help politicians make the right decisions, the trade body has thus launched its own manifesto.
This will, he says, ensure many of the successful schemes that have already been running will continue to strengthen economic recovery.
It is a [...]