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.
British garage technicians are being offered the chance to star in a television series being made in Spain. ‘The Garage’ will follow the progress of an independent garage set in the expatriate community on the south coast of Spain. Endemol UK, the production company involved, was responsible for the highly successful ‘fly-on-the-wall’ series about a hairdressing and beauty operation, ‘The Salon’.
Kayaba has increased its original equipment business with PSA Citroen and Toyota, supplying shock absorbers for the Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and the Toyota Aygo. All three vehicles share the same platform and will be manufactured at the Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobiles (TPCA) plant at Kolin in the Czech Republic. Initially, the shock absorbers will be supplied from Kayaba’s factory near Pamplona in Spain, but this will switch to a purpose-built factory in the Czech Republic. This plant is due to begin production in February 2007.
In recent months the motorbike consumer press has heaped praise on Avon’s Viper Sport (see T&A February 2005) and Supersport tyres. Journalists from MCN, Superbike, Bike and TWO all attended the European launch of the Viper at the Catalunya GP circuit near Barcelona, Spain in February. The tyres were tested on a variety of bikes, which together clocked up around 3,000 miles on one of the world’s fastest and demanding circuits.
European passenger car registrations amounted to 1,709,616 units in March this year. The figure represents a decrease of 4.7 per cent compared to March 2004. According to the ACEA the statistics were affected by the Easter break falling in March this year, adding that there had been a, “sluggish economic environment in the first quarter of 2005.”
The UK felt a decrease of 5.1 per cent, along with Germany (-0.4%), Spain (-3.6%) and Italy (-8.6 %). France was the only country that posted a national increase, of 2.5 per cent.
The UK recorded 442,940 passenger car registrations in March compared with 466,954 last year.
150 vintage vehicles from 11 countries will attempt to resuscitate the spirit of the Gordon Bennett cup 1905, with the support of Michelin and SATCAR. The event, the ancestor of today’s Grand Prix and Formula One races, will be held during the 2005 Automobile Club d’Auvergne2-5 June.
Participants will travel to Clermont-Ferrand from Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Switzerland, Mexico and United States to cover the same track as a century ago, a 140 kilometre (90 mile) track at the foot of Puy-de-Dôme at the heart of the Auvergne volcano park.
The line up of cars will include the five vintage cars that actually took part in the Gordon Bennett Cup: two Napier Gordon Bennett (1903), a Mercedes 60 HP 2-Seater (1903), which entered history when Jenatzy won the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1903 in Ireland, a Pope Toledo Gordon Bennett (1905), and a Panhard Levassor Z40 (1905) which will run for the first time since it was revamped.
Plans are already well advanced for the NTDA’s spring conference, which is being staged alongside Brityrex in May. It will be the first time that the NTDA has organised an interim event between its major conferences and the occasion will serve as an opportunity to update its members.
John Tarbox, chairman of the organising committee, commented: “We felt very strongly that so much came out of our Marbella event we should provide an opportunity to update the industry on the different projects which came to the fore at that conference and also give those members, who did not attend in Spain, an opportunity to add their voices to the ideas already put down – and also add a few more.”
New research from independent market analysts Datamonitor suggests that Europe’s 146 billion euro light vehicle aftermarket is in decline. The analysts say that revenues could drop by one per cent compared with those of today – a 1.2 billion euro shrinkage.
Groupe Michelin has announced that it will increase earthmover tyre production capacity in both its Lexington, South Carolina, and Vitoria, Spain, plants. The capacity boost results from “unprecedented growth of the surface mining industry worldwide,” according to Michelin. The expansion plans complete production enhancements started by the manufacturer in 2003 and 2004.
Total European passenger car registrations remained virtually flat, falling 0.8 per cent year-on-year. According to the ACEA, the association that processes the figures, “the relatively slow start to the year has been mainly driven by the drop posted by new EU member states (-12.7 per cent). Among the five main markets the UK (-8.2 per cent), Germany and Italy (-3.7 per cent) all reported losses. Meanwhile France and Spain both recorded increases of more than 6 per cent.
As far as manufacturers are concerned, Fiat Group registrations continued to drop (16.9 per cent year-on-year) as did DaimlerChrysler’s (-4.9 per cent) and Hyundai’s (8.9 per cent). VW and PSA group registrations both remained flat at 193,000 and 172,000 units respectively.
Bridgestone Australia has announced that Mr Junichi Otsuka has resigned as a director of the company. The decision will take effect as of 18 February when Mr Otsuka will begin a new overseas assignment. In response Mr Shin Yamasaki, currently based in Spain, has been appointed as a director of the company from the same date.
Western European passenger car registrations totalled 14,516,879 units in 2004 representing a growth of 2.1 per cent. ACEA figures show that 1,043,669 units were recorded in December, a 7.7 per cent increase compared to 2003 figures.
Four of the five main markets posted increases for December, however the UK showed a decrease of (-0.5) per cent with 2,567,269 units registered in ’04 compared to 2,579,050 in ’03. Germany led those countries posting an increase, with a 21.5 per cent rise ahead of France, Italy and Spain.
Belgium, Finland, Greece, Ireland and Portugal also posted decreases.
Bridgestone will build a plant in Poland to produce rubber tracks for earthmoving equipment, the manufacturer announced today.
The plant is due to begin operating in July 2006 and will be located in the city of Zarow in the south western Polish province near Wroclaw. Production capacity is expected to reach about 26,000 tracks a year by 2007 and 12 million euros will be invested to achieve this.
Major French car manufacturers, Renault and Peugeot have selected Bridgestone for original equipment, the company has announced. Both manufacturers will fit 15 inch tyres to their new high-volume small cars.
Jenson Button and the BAR-Honda Formula 1 team will show will launch the team’s new vehicle, the BAR-Honda 007, by satellite link. The new car will be unveiled at the Barcelona circuit in Spain at 11am (UK time) on Sunday 16 January and for the first time, visitors to Autosport International will be able to watch all the action as it takes place.
Jenson is just one of three current Formula One drivers who are participating in Autosport International, Europe’s largest motorsport show. Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard will be coming along to meet his fans on Saturday 15 January and Williams-BMW’s Mark Webber will be there to sign autographs on Sunday 16 January. Other British racing stars attending the show include Eddie Irvine, Allan McNish, Jason Plato and Andy Priaulx.
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