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Macgowan to Step Down as SMMT Chief at End of 2007

SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan will leave the Society at the end of the year. His decision to step down on 31 December was announced at an SMMT board of directors’ meeting. “It will be business as usual for the next seven months and I intend to leave at the top of my game,” commented Macgowan. “

“It has been a privilege working for the industry in this crucial role and I have enjoyed every moment of my nine years with the Society. However, the fact is I have reached a point in my life where I want to do a number of different things, not just one full-on job. Being chief executive of the SMMT is arguably the best job in the industry, but it is also all-consuming. So come 1 January 2008, I am going plural.”

SMMT president Graham Smith added: “Christopher is widely known and respected throughout the industry. On behalf of the SMMT I would like to thank him for his significant contribution, not only to the industry, but also to the effectiveness and strength of the Society. We will miss him and he will not be an easy act to follow.”

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NTDA Joins Right to Repair Strategy Group

Following on from the Right to Repair Seminar organised by the NTDA at Brityrex in Manchester earlier this month, the NTDA have been invited to join the powerful R2RC Strategy Group which will run the UK end of the Europe wide campaign. The Strategy Group is made up of representatives from the SMMT Aftermarket Section, the Automotive Distributive Federation and the Independent Garage section of the Retail Motor Industry Federation and other members of the Automotive Aftermarket Liaison Group

The main task of the group will be to manage the UK end of the campaign which will include lobbying of MPs in Westminster and MEP’ in Brussels.

Representing the NTDA will be the newly elected Vice Chairman of the NTDA David White of Kwik-fit who commented: “This issue is one of the most challenging for our sector and I look forward to representing the Tyre and Fast fit interests within this group which has a lot of work to do over the next few years”.

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Retrofitted Accessories “Can Cause Premature Battery Death”

Varta Automotive Batteries says that recent evidence from both sides of the Atlantic of a growing trend in premature battery failure caused by the retrofitting of power-sapping accessories has again raised the issue of like-for-like battery fitment.

RAC patrols attending more than half the call-outs in 2006 believe the use of in-car accessories has resulted in an increase in flat batteries. In the USA, a leading car customiser has experienced an increase in reported battery failures from customers who have add-on electronics such as i-pods and Sat Nav systems.
This incidence of batteries “dying young” is likely to have an increased impact on the aftermarket; recent SMMT figures show that sales of retrofitted in-car entertainment and Sat Nav systems grew between 2001 and 2005 from 100,000 to almost 1.9 million units.

Varta’s technicians warn that unless owners fitting these accessories upgraded their batteries to the same specification that would have been used by the vehicle manufacturer had the accessories been factory fitted, it could lead to premature battery failure.

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“Hello, I’d Like to Make a Super Complaint”

Did you know that the tyre business could be subject to a “super complaint” because of poor service in the wider automotive service sector? Did you know that it could cost you as much as £750 per depot if the government is forced to push external regulation on the business? During the recent NTDA conference in Marbella, this subject stood head and shoulders above the rest as most delegates were surprised to hear what a so-called super complaint might mean for them.

So what’s behind all this talk of an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) super complaint? Basically the National Consumer Council (NCC) believes that there are too many legitimate customer service complaints being made against the automotive service industry and the tyre trade is being tarred with the same brush in terms of potential consequences. The recent push for action from the consumer point of view also follows media reports highlighting the “garages don’t care” attitude fostered by many consumers.

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Truck Registrations up 10 per cent

Figures published last week by the SMMT show truck registrations grew 9.6 per cent for the rolling year, despite the massive distortion caused by the introduction of digital tachographs. If vans and other light commercial vehicles are included in the picture, the rolling year total drops, down 1.4 per cent to 390,202 units, but the total for the month of May is up 1.4 per cent to 31,293.

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Magazine Says ‘Garages Don’t Care’

Five months after the introduction of Automotive Kitemark system, there are only three accredited workshops for consumers to choose from. So far the British Standards Institute says it has received fewer than 100 applications from the UK’s 25,000 garages.

According to What Car, numerous mystery shop reports have all shown motorists are routinely overcharged, told they need unnecessary work or left with cars in a dangerous, un-roadworthy condition.

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‘Motor Industry of Great Britain’ Available from SMMT

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has published its annual ‘Motor Industry of Great Britain’ for 2005. As usual, the 220-page report contains a wealth of information and statistics concerning the world automotive industry. If you want to know how many cars per 1,000 population there are in Bolivia, for example, then this is the publication for you. (The answer, by the way, is ‘three’.)

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2005 UK Car Registrations Down 5 per cent

2005 saw the UK car market record the sharpest decline amongst the EU15 countries. While registrations were strong in December (158.866 units against 144,353 in December 2004), the 8.7 per cent increase disguised what was an undoubtedly tough year.

Germany, Europe’s largest car market, showed the opposite trend, recording an 8.8 per cent dip in December but 1.6 per cent growth over the year. 3,319, 825 new cars were registered in Germany in 2005. France showed the strongest growth in Europe with annual registrations increasing 2.7 per cent to 2,067,818 in 2005, despite slowing 1.4 per cent in December.

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Truck Sales on Target

Commercial vehicle registrations are “on track,” according to SMMT statistics that have recorded 394,738 registrations for the rolling year to September. Last month’s figures were slightly down at 0.6 per cent, but the year to date is up by 1.6 per cent.

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UK and European Registrations Figures Dip

Newly released registration figures show that total European passenger car registrations in May dropped 1.7 per cent to 1,290,933, across the continent, with UK numbers falling 3.4 per cent to 187,900 units. The figure also show that in the UK diesels cars now occupy 36.8 per cent of the market, the highest point so far in 2005. Convertibles have also increased in popularity, with the sector now accounting for a record six per cent of May registrations.

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The ‘Market Leading’ CV Show and ATS

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The Commercial Vehicle and Automotive Trade Show held last month, comprised of over 600 exhibitors, spread over 90,000 square metres and 11 halls making this year’s event the largest show ever held in the UK. Home to the UK’s road transport and automotive aftermarket businesses there were more car, van, truck, trailer, bodywork and road transport suppliers at the exhibition than at any other business to business show in Europe over the last year.

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Audit Confirms CV Visitors

The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) has confirmed that 26,843 visitors attended the 2005 combined Commercial Vehicle Show and Automotive Trade Show in April.

Demographic data, provided by visitor registration company CTS, shows that those 26,843 visitors had more purchasing power this year than at any previous CV Show and ATS says the SMMT. A detailed breakdown of visitors showed that 72.3 per cent were at owner, director or senior manager level.

The SMMT believes that these figures confirm the informal feedback from exhibitors during and after the event, suggesting that visitors and business leads were of a very high quality. Visitors came from across the UK and Ireland, with a further 1,000 from overseas, finding the NEC an ideal place for a business-to-business event of this type.

The 2006 CV Show and ATS will be on 25, 26 and 27 April, in halls 1 to 5 of the NEC.

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Car Production Up in April

Provisional output data released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics shows that UK car production rose 10.6 per cent, or 13,689 units, in April.

This puts the year-to-date total above the 2004 level for first time this year.

Both output for home and export volumes rose by over 10 per cent last month.

“Despite problems at Longbridge, today’s figures show that the UK still has a strong vehicle manufacturing base”, said SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan.

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SMMT Appoint New President

Roger Putnam, chairman of Ford of Britain, is to take up the position as president of the SMMT. He succeeds Tod Evans, former chairman, Peugeot Citroën Automobiles UK Ltd, in leading the motor industry trade association for the 12 months from June 2005.

Commenting on the announcement, Roger Putnam said: “I am proud and honoured to become SMMT president for 2005-06. The industry faces some significant challenges in balancing the needs of its customers, in coping with regulatory pressures, and in dealing with a challenging manufacturing environment. I want to play my part in ensuring that issues like skills, R&D and productivity are given the profile they deserve.”

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April New Car Registrations Fall Four per cent

179,457 new cars left showrooms last month, down 4.0 per cent on April 2004, according to figures released today by the SMMT. The diesel market rose 6.6 per cent in April, up 4.5 per cent over the year-to-date.

“On five of the last six occasions, new car registrations have received a boost immediately after a general election”, commented Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive. “However, March figures showed that the market had already started to pick up after a disappointing start to the year. April’s dip has largely been dominated by MG Rover but it seems that the crisis has not had a significant effect on consumer confidence across the wider industry. The market remains healthy with registrations expected to hit 2.45 million units by the end of the year.”

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