Is it possible to establish gender through the car you drive? Apparently so, according to “luxury male grooming brand” The Bluebeards Revenge, which has compiled a list of the “World’s Manliest Cars” based on an email survey of 1,226 customers. In a break from removing stubble with the “lightweight yet comfortably substantial” Bluebeards Revenge Privateer Collection Mach 3 Razor, these arbiters of manliness voted the Dodge Viper 2014’s top representative of automotive masculinity.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has just released its ruling on a complaint made by TMD Friction regarding comparison results featured on the stopsecret.org website run by Unipart Automotive. Six brands of brake pads were tested by the VCA MIRA test centre using mean fully developed deceleration tests, an industry-wide recognised test for effective braking performance. The same vehicle was used for each of the tests with a human driver and onboard measuring equipment. Details of the nature and results of the tests were downloadable from the website and indicated that the Unipart brake pads produced the best results. TMD claimed that the advert was misleading as they believed the test used for comparison was unreliable.
June a good month for van sales; not so good for trucks
Commenting on the SMMT’s van and truck registration figures for June, Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association which represents commercial vehicle and franchised car retailers across the UK, said: “June has been a good turning point in the year for the commercial vehicle market, and we have seen a modest improvement in overall sales figures”.
During the first six months of 2014, a total of 1,287,265 new cars were registered in the UK. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says this figure represents 10.6 per cent year-on-year growth and is the best half-year total since 2005. New car registrations rose 6.2 per cent year-on-year in June to 228,291 units. SMMT sees the market as being on track for 2.4 million new car registrations this year, more than six per cent above the 2013 figure.
Following the news that Blackcircles.com opened its fourth PitStop Click&Fit tyre bay in Glasgow at the end of June, Tyres & Accessories spoke with the company’s founder and managing director Mike Welch in order to find out more about the company’s plans and hints that it is courting investment this year.
Just a couple of months before the Essen show, Silverline International Ltd became the UK distributor for the American Atturo tyre brand. So it was a pleasant surprise to bump into Silverline’s Chris Dawson during the Reifen show who explained the strategy behind taking on this brand.
Point S focuses on consolidation following growth years
Point S used the platform provided by the Reifen show in Essen to promote a new private brand tyre, a new Point S website and, of course, to meet with members and suppliers. Tyres & Accessories met with Fabien Bouquet, deputy managing director of Point S Development as well UK managing director John Cowderoy and network development manager Dean Dyoss to find out more.
Medium-sized businesses get a raw deal from UK tax system
Economic growth and job creation are being held back by a UK tax system the particularly hinders medium-sized businesses (MSB). A new report published by the CBI and Gran Thornton (“Stuck in the middle”) suggest that the tax system is acting as a brake on growth by disrupting cash flow, absorbing management time and dampening export ambitions. Therefore the CBI and Grant Thornton are calling on the Government to make a number of changes to the tax system, including to improve cash flow, widen access to R&D tax relief and to make it easier for MSBs to export.
Ex-servicemen seek sponsors for charity motorcycle trip
Two former servicemen who are undertaking a 15,000-mile charity motorcycle trip through 26 European capital cities have called for aid from sponsors in their endeavour. Harry Glover and Pete Bray, of 4/73 Special OP Battery and 22 SAS, are looking for sponsors to provide them with motorcycles for the journey.
UK multimodal transport and container handling specialist Roadways Container Logistics has renewed its contract with Tyrenet. The decision follows a one year trial with the network of independent tyre service providers. Roadways’ fleet of 900 truck and trailer units will be managed by Tyrenet for the next two years under the terms of the contract.
After three months of receiving the nominations from industry, the NTDA has named the finalists for the first Tyre Industry Awards. The industry association says that since it announced changes to the awards evening format, sponsors, nominees and attendees alike have shown “tremendous interest”. Award winners will be announced by the Rt. Hon. Michael Portillo at the 85th NTDA Annual Dinner on 8 October. The dinner is sponsored by Zenises and the NTDA says it is set to be a sell-out.
North Staffordshire-based independent tyre dealer, NSTB Group Ltd, has been acquired by Mr Tyre Ltd. Included in the deal are the companys three operational branches in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Tunstall and Longton, which are branded as North Staffs Tyre and Battery Autocentres.
Richard Burnett new Road Haulage Association chief exec
The Road Haulage Association has named Richard Burnett as its new chief executive. A logistics and supply chain expert, Richard joins the RHA from Samworth Brothers where he was managing director of Samworth Brothers Distribution, servicing the needs of its 14 bakeries and a number of external customers.
The Stafford branch of Mr. Tyre has become the tenth Hankook Masters site in the UK and the third Mr. Tyre depot, after Leicester and Lincoln, to join the Hankook Masters Program. Mr. Tyre and its 28 UK depots has been a Hankook customer for almost 16 years.
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