Regular readers of the automotive retail trade press won’t have failed to have noticed the plethora of articles speculating on the future shape of the industry. Some are expensively researched by...

TrustFord, the blue oval’s largest dealership group globally, has made the significant, strategic move of selling four London outlets to the Gates Group in a strategic move, described by CEO and...

The balance of stocking diesel, petrol, hybrid and alternative fuel used cars is set to become a more important issue for retailers over the course of 2018. VRA chair Glenn Sturley said: “Dealers...

Our reformatted ‘brand insights’ column for 2018 looks at retail activities across the sector, offering insight and detail from OEMs and retailers alike. We kick off this month with Volvo’s...

With increased pressure on new car sales, and numbers already starting to dip, could the used car market fill the void in 2018? By Ian Allen The long forecast lowering of new car sales is now underway...

Predicting the future is simultaneously a fool’s game, and a necessary evil that we all need to do when setting budgets and planning ahead Over the last few years, the political world has shown that...

The convergence of disruptive technologies, government policies and new business models will usher in a new era of multidimensional competition in the automotive market. A shift from buying cars to...

One in seven (14%) dealers see the expansion of the different types of vehicles on offer and maintaining stability (14%) as the two biggest opportunities for the year ahead. One in ten see the...

Aftersales is often looked on as the poor relation of the automotive industry. Unlike the sales departments where bright, sleek, new or pre-owned models are being dangled in front of the eager public,...

By now, there is little doubt that the car industry is facing the biggest transformation in its history. Drastic shifts in consumer buying and ownership patterns, coupled with the introduction of...

In mature markets including the US and Europe, estimates suggest the spare parts business is increasingly the main driver of profits, accounting for between 25% and 40% of OEM profit margins and...

Peugeot is demonstrating that customers can use its ‘Order Online’ system anywhere to buy a car, by providing a portal to the ecommerce platform within a London phone box. Dubbed Peugeot Russell...

With consumer trust vital to the mass adoption of autonomous vehicles, there is still a lack of confidence in the technology, with 55% of respondents to a new Gartner survey revealing that they would...

Laws require large companies to publish details of several elements of their pay structure by April 2018 By Lynda Ennis When we see the players at the top end of the world of football such as...

There is a paradox in the modern day automotive purchase: a wealth of mobile data to understand how to reach prospective customers at moments that most influence their decisions, but a decreasing...

August 2016: Amazon launches ‘Amazon Vehicles’ – a new section of its website that includes specifications, prices, images, videos, and customer reviews for thousands of new and classic cars. In...

The government has announced that new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040. The move follows hot on the heels of a similar announcement from France’s ecology minister with the...

Those of you who bother to read my ramblings will know I am often critical of the pace of change in automotive (not of the products, though, which continue to evolve beautifully), and the willingness...

The future of the car industry has never been under as much pressure from so many different directions as it is right now, with authorities, the consumer and the environment all likely to have an...

When science fiction wants to show a glimpse at the world of transportation in years to come, more often than not it takes us to a highly evolved version of a city, and rarely ventures to more rural...