The CarGurus on line vehicle market place has bought the PistonHeads site from What Car? publishers Haymarket Media. CarGurus claims to be America’s biggest vehicles sales platform and the fastest growing in Britain for monthly unique visits, having launched here in 2015. It plans to retain the PistonHeads name while ‘applying its technology know-how to the platform.’ This will result ...

Cambria has taken on Chris Roberts as operations and business development director. He will be involved with developing the company’s regional presence in the North of England. “We are delighted to have appointed an individual of Chris’ calibre and I am confident that he will be an excellent addition to the senior management team. Chris brings vast experience to the ...

Hyundai’s UK president and managing director Tony Whitehorn is stepping down at the end of this year. No reasons have been given for his departure, which he announced to staff yesterday (December 2nd) but Motor Trader understands that he is not taking another position in the automotive sector. “He’s a fantastic boss, a fantastic character. It’s a personal decision, and ...

Recent IMI reports have painted a bleak outlook for motor trade recruitment of school leavers and apprentices. Just a quarter of parents reported that they would be happy for their child to take the vehicle technician route, compared to 59% who favoured their offspring pursuing an engineering career. These figures illustrate the work that still needs to be done to ...

October dealer part exchange, fleet and lease auction values all rose according to the latest BCA auction house Pulse report. “October was another record breaking month at BCA, with average values for fleet and lease cars and dealer part-exchange vehicles continuing to rise,” said BCA chief operating officer Stuart Pearson. “The used car sector remains a highly competitive environment with ...

Departing Volkswagen UK managing director Paul Willis, who leaves VW in December after 18 years, thinks next Britain’s new car market is healthier than recent figures suggest. “It’s very clear that there’s short term turbulence with WLTP availability and Brexit, but from my point of view the market this year will be between 2.3m And 2.4m, next year it will ...

Budget car maker Dacia has launched an online buying platform that it claims can handle the entire purchase process. Called Dacia Buy Online, it requires a four stage process and will take buyers through sales options including cash purchase, personal contract and hire purchase finance, part exchange, service and warranty options, specification and colour variations and home delivery. There is ...

Business volumes for point of sale new car finance fell by 16% year on year in September according to new FLA Finance & Leasing Association figures. The FLA also found that there was a 14% reduction in the value of business generated over the same period. Additionally, Q3 business declined by 4% by value and 6% by volume. “Recent trends ...

Inchcape UK’s first Used Car Centre has switched from a temporary location to a permanent site in Burton-on-Trent. Inchcape began the dedicated used vehicle sales operation in January, and the premises switch co-includes with taking on four additional staff. “The temporary site was a huge success but with the new premises being able to house at least 300 used cars, ...

Multi-franchise group Cambria has launched its second Lamborghini dealership. The site is in Tunbridge Wells. The facility, on Dowding Way, is adjacent to Cambria’s Bentley showroom and was opened with guests including Lamborghini chairman and chief executive Stefano Domenicali. Cambria already sells the Italian supercars from a showroom in Chelmsford, which opened in January this year. The Tunbridge Wells outlet ...