iPhone users in the UK now have a useful tool to assist with correct tyre pressure inflation at their disposal. As part of October’s Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe has launched a free iPhone application that provides a manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure settings in both psi and bar upon entering vehicle registration details.
Autodata Limited has announced that it will once again be exhibiting at Automechanika in Frankfurt from 14 – 19 September. The company will be displaying its market leading technical information systems as well as launching Autodata Online 3, a leading edge online version of its technical information systems for workshops.
On May 20 Techking launched its redesigned corporate website, techkingtires.com. The company says the new site contains the latest Techking news, information on its complete range of products plus many other functions. The techking.com and techkingtires.cn addresses are now also directed to the new site.
Following the National Tyre Distributors’ Association’s (NTDA) annual general meeting yesterday (18 May 2010), the association has agreed to a number of major changes to its organisational and representational structure. The changes follow a review conducted by former chairman Peter Gaster during the last year, which found that a modified structure would better represent regional membership and that the association would benefit from better engagement with its suppliers.
So what has changed? According to the latest NTDA e-zine, the AGM accepted a change to the rules to completely revise the regional representation of its executive council. NTDA members will shortly receive a regionalised nomination form as “a prelude to a voting procedure to elect regional representatives from all eight regions.” The new approach will expand regional representation on the council and provide an on-going link with the smaller companies in membership. Nominations will only be accepted from companies who do not already have a right to a seat on council through their size.
The HiQ fast fit network has secured its first partnership with a large UK main car dealership, and the company believes this could pave the way for similar arrangements in the future and form part of the company’s attempts to revolutionise the way that fast fit is delivered to motorists. The partnership will see HiQ operate its services from Ford dealer David Harrison Ltd in Peebles.
With a March 17 release date and £14.99 price tag (€22.90 in Ireland and on the Continent), Michelin’s Main Cities of Europe 2010 guide covers 44 cities across 20 European countries. This latest edition of the publication includes one newly-added city – Salzburg, Austria – and a total of 3,257 establishments, including 1,542 hotels and 1,715 restaurants. The UK is represented by coverage of London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with 357 restaurants in the four cities included.
The internet has become a rich source of speculation over the disappearance of Uwe Gemballa. The founder of the Porsche tuning company Gemballa disappeared after arriving in the South African city of Johannesburg more than two weeks ago. According to German police reports, Gemballa telephoned his wife in Germany shortly after arriving on February 8, informing her to transfer a million euros to a particular bank account. Police say the 51-year old stated he’d had an accident and needed a large sum of money. Since then he has not been able to be contacted.
Movie deaths involving cars are nothing unusual. Be it driving into a canyon ('Thelma and Louise'), driving into other cars carrying sassy ladies (Quentin Tarantino’s quite horrible 'Death Proof'), or enjoying a crash a bit too much (David Cronenberg’s infamous twist on auto-erotica, 'Crash'), motoring fatalities have become a large and varied part of film history. But Quentin Dupieux, otherwise known as the French dance music producer behind ‘Flat Beat’ and its accompanying puppet Flat Eric, has filmed a twist we never saw coming: a slasher film in which the serial killer is – wait for it – a tyre. Named Robert.
TMS Motor Spares Ltd has installed the Autocat+ electronic parts catalogue from MAM Software Ltd. throughout its branch network for quick and accurate parts identification.
TMS, a founding member of the RAPID buying group, is the largest independent supplier of motor parts in South Scotland and Northern England. The company has installed Autocat+ at trade counters throughout its entire branch network, giving its sales staff access to the latest product information.
Those of you whose childhood memories stretch back to the 1950s or 60s will most likely remember the popular Michelin I-Spy books. During their heyday the I-Spy series had a cult following, with more than 1.5million children becoming members of the I-Spy ‘tribe’. They’ve been absent from bookshop shelves since 2002, yet those with fond memories of the books – and those yet to savour their delights – are in for a treat. Michelin has announced the return of the I-Spy range in time for Christmas.
Comments made during the launch of Michelin’s first global marketing campaign point towards a mixed outlook for the tyre market. Reuters reports Claire Dorland-Clauzel, head of communications and brands and a member of the group's management board as saying demand for passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres is improving in Europe and the United State, while signs of an upturn in the commercial vehicle tyre market are yet to be seen.
Bridgestone has announced the inauguration of its largest showroom in India, the Haryana Care Center in Faridabad, making the site a ‘Super Select’ showroom.
While the top level executives at Continental AG, Schaeffler Group and the panel of banks they owe huge sums of money to slog it out over who will run the companies, for many who work within their subsidiaries it is business as usual. And while one of the fiercest battles in German corporate history rages at the upper echelons of the business, Conti’s in-car division is apparently doing something right. According to a report released today by Frost & Sullivan, Continental’s AutolinQ in-vehicle connectivity and infotainment platform is set to “revolutionise the automotive world, ushering in new business models that are simpler, more flexible, and better set to maximise payoffs for all players along the telematics value chain.” However, questions of connectivity, the overall selling model, cross industry collaboration and application types must be ironed out first.
The debate on exactly what automotive components and add-ons belong in the “accessories” section of T&A has been raging since June 1946, and to perfectly honest it may continue to be discussed over morning coffee for many years to come. With any luck these caffeine-fuelled conversations will err in favour of a new development from Continental AG, the AutoLinQ. This hardware and software solution from the company’s Interior division achieves the far from insignificant feat of taking the humble motorcar online.
Conti poses a hypothetical scenario: You have flown off on vacation and are sitting in the sun, and suddenly something pops into your head…“Did I shut my car window?”
Continental Tire Canada has launched an all-new marketing support program through its website. The addition is dedicated to dealers and distributors, the company said, and offers POS signage, displays, communications material and merchandise. “Our goal is to support our customers the best way possible. After launching our on-line training initiative, Engage 360, in January, this marketing support program is the second Web-based marketing tool we have launched this year,” said Maiti Leinss, marketing coordinator.
Dealers can log in via the Internet or Conti’s extranet, using the same ID and password for all applications. While basic items will be offered for free, supplementary items can be paid for online, Conti said, with all orders eligible for co-op dollars. (Tire Review/Akron)
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