It has been announced that John Ball is to step down in May as MOT chairman of the Retail Motor Industry Federation. He said "I have very much enjoyed my time as chairman of RMI MOT and having played a lead role in defeating the frequency challenge, the effort has been more than justified.
Saab Automobile Parts AB has signed an agreement with the administrators of Saab Automobile AB allowing them the use of Saab’s press and body shop plant, including the specialist tooling, for the manufacture and assembly of body parts. The decision has been welcomed by Saab Parts UK, which said that the restart of in Trollhättan for parts manufacturing would allow parts availability to return to the levels experienced before production was halted. The UK parts supplier has been trading for almost four months, and the company says it continues to grow its network of authorised repairers.
TyreSafe has sealed the deal on another new member. Tyre sealant supplier Air-Seal Products joined the tyre retailers and distributors, car manufacturers, insurers and public bodies promoting tyre safety already in the not-for-profit organisation. “Air-Seal Products will be a valuable addition to TyreSafe, says chairman Stuart Jackson. “Indeed, it seems particularly appropriate that Air-Seal should join TyreSafe as its products are designed to prevent punctures and have a heavy emphasis on making driving safer.
Main dealers don’t spring readily to mind when the average motorists thinks of affordable online tyre purchasing, yet Audi says that its approved centres throughout the UK offer competitive tyre fitting. Indeed, the company says that during March quotes given by its Audi Centres and Audi Authorised Repairers were, on average, four per cent cheaper than the leading national online tyre supplier on a like-for-like basis. To help drivers work out the fully-fitted cost of new tyres purchased through its centres, Audi has introduced a new online tyre quotation tool at www.audi.co.uk/tyres.
Collision-avoidance technologies, which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver 'blind-spots', should be made mandatory for all UK buses and lorries by 2015, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The 'Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society' report also calls for automated emergency response systems to be integrated into all new road vehicles within the next two years. These systems automatically alert emergency services in case of an accident – even if a driver is unconscious – as well as providing the exact location of the accident using Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
"Car production held firm in March contributing to 12.3 per cent growth during the first quarter of 2012. Challenging economic conditions in mainland Europe are a concern, but the sector continues to win business in important and faster growing export markets,'' said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. "The prospects for the UK motor industry are extremely good with new investment, commitment and jobs being created by global automotive companies.''
Snap-on has announced the release of the new 12.2 software download for its best selling ‘family’ of hand-held diagnostic tools and now including coverage of the Kia and Suzuki models.
“Continued and committed software development ensures that Snap-on customers’ diagnostic tools remain consistently powerful and productive in the workplace,” says Mark Ost, UK sales director for Snap-on Diagnostics. “Our new 12.2 software download has built yet again on the previous software releases to provide profitable features to help the workshop technician deal with the sophisticated technology used on today’s modern vehicles.
Thule, the world’s largest manufacturer of car roof systems, accessories and roof boxes, has launched its 80-page 2012 catalogue, including its new 520l Excellence box. UK business manager, Peter Barker commented: “The new catalogue for 2012 includes truly innovative products, developed to the high standard our customers expect from Thule.”
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CES (UK) Ltd has released the latest version of its Workshop Essentials catalogue. Expanded to 112 pages, the catalogue features brands, such as Comma, Wynn’s, Kent Car Care, Sealey and Ring Automotive. Inside the catalogue there are thousands of consumables, tools and cleaning products that are typically used every day by technicians.
Bridgestone’s run flat tyre line-up recently expanded to include the first Firestone-branded tyre in the segment, the Firehawk SZ90μ, and the company has explained that the strategy is to open up the “value-oriented” market segment to the technology. The Firehawk SZ90μ uses the same technologies as the rest of Bridgestone’s run flat tyre range, allowing drivers to continue driving on a flat tyre for up to 50 miles at a speed of 50mph. The bead is filled with a rubber compound that acts as a filler, controlling heat build-up created during run flat driving.
BiGDUG’s tyre racking is up to 30 per cent cheaper than other market competitors. That’s the claim being made by the Tewkesbury-based commercial and industrial racking company. The tyre system itself is said to be boltless and “easy enough for anybody to construct.”
Vehicle data expert, HPI, is offering motor dealers online access to information that will enable their customers to buy a car that will safely and legally tow their caravan. Many motorists are unaware that if their car is incorrectly matched to the caravan they are towing they may be stopped, fined £1,000 or gain three points on their licence. Towsafe, powered by HPI, has been providing a car and caravan matching service for over 10 years and now dealers can use this as a robust tool to secure a sales opportunity and increase customer satisfaction levels, whilst meeting their Duty of Care obligations.
When Carl Steele from Lincolnshire was found guilty of causing in excess of a quarter of million pounds worth of environmental damage during a two year tyre dumping stint, you could be forgiven for thinking the justice system would force him to pay his debt to society.
As Tyres & Accessories reported at the time, the 33-year-old was indeed sentenced to 15 months in November. However he has now been released after serving just five months of his sentence. Perhaps the most ironic part of the story is that despite amassing an estimated £2.5 million through illegally dumping tyres in Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Worcestershire and Yorkshire he only has to pay back £122.
The March 2012 edition of Tyres & Accessories, which contains features on the international wholesaling business and 4×4 tyres. To find out how to read the virtual magazine copy of this issue, just click more…
The UK distributor for TSW replacement alloy wheels in the UK, Yokohama HPT, has added four new wheels to its portfolio. All four new wheels – the Mugello, the Rivage, the Galvez and the Bilbao – are available now from the Milton Keynes-based company.
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