| Headlines |
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| Pothole problems 01.03.10 |
| Half of UK drivers have suffered damage to their vehicles as a result of potholes, resulting in a claim on car insurance, a new survey reveals. |
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| Love for car repairer 01.03.10 |
| It’s interesting to see that the winner of the TheBestOf’s Most Loved car repair and serviving business in the UK is mobile repairer M J Fisher Mobile Vehicle Technician. |
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| ChipsAway move into Fifth Gear 01.03.10 |
| ChipsAway has unveiled Fifth Gear's Vicki Butler Henderson as the famous face that will become synonymous with the brand over the coming year. |
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| ChipsAway to go for PAS 125 02.03.10 |
| ChipsAway experienced operators Anatol Poyer-Sleeman and Paul Fabian are in negotiation on ChipsAway's behalf with representatives from BSI to achieve PAS 125 bodywork repair certification. |
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| Millionaire to speak at FPB event 02.03.10 |
| Growth through and beyond the recession will be the theme of a free event organised by the Forum of Private Business, which takes place on 17 March. |
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| Business rates deadline looms 03.03.10 |
| Small firms are being warned that they have less than a month left if they want to contest their business rates over the past five years. |
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| Female drivers put men in the shade 03.03.10 |
| Male motorists are almost one-and-a-half times more likely to have a driving conviction than female motorists, according to findings from the AA's portfolio of over one million insurance customers. |
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| NEW CAR MARKET REMAINS STRONG WITH SCRAPPAGE 04.03.10 |
| SMMT new car sales for February 2010 announced today, show that new cars sold in the month were 26.4 per cent up on February 2009, the eighth consecutive monthly increase. |
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| IAAF appoints Mike Owen to manage Garage Section 04.03.10 |
| The IAAF has announced a significant new member of its team, independent garage campaigner and organiser, Mike Owen (previous head of the RMIF Bodyshop Division). |
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| PPG Industries celebrate fully ATA Accredited Technical Team 04.03.10 |
| PPG Industries has cause for celebration as its Technical Team, the largest field based technical team in the UK, has now become fully ATA Accredited. |
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| US F1 out of 2010 championship 05.03.10 |
| The financial problems of new American Formula one team US F1 have resulted in them pulling out of the 2010 championship – a major setback for Bernie Ecclestone’s plans to win more support in America. |
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| Nissan join the ruckus 05.03.10 |
| Japanese car company Nissan are also starting a recall of 540,000 vehicles over fears of faulty brakes and petrol gauges. They, however, are pointing the finger at their US and Canadian parts suppliers. |
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| Toyota saga continues 05.03.10 |
| Suspicion is growing in Japan that certain American politicians are trying to make as big a deal as possible about the Toyota recall to cover up their own failings in the automotive industry. |
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| Digging up the roads 05.03.10 |
| ‘We have become one of the most road-work-afflicted nations in the world,’ said London mayor Boris Johnson, ‘and it’s a source of serious economic inefficiency.’ |
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| Toyota Director had noticed deterioration 05.03.10 |
| The Chief Executive of Toyota in Europe has admitted he noticed a deterioration in the company’s manufacturing ‘two or three years ago’ and should have ordered a ‘root and branch’ review of its operations. Toyota’s recall of 8.5 million cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles in recent months has shocked Japan, home of manufacturing innovations such as the kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement and ‘total quality management’. |
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| GM blame Toyota for recall 05.03.10 |
| General Motors has blamed Toyota as it became the latest manufacturer forced into a mass recall after uncovering problems with power steering that potentially affect more than a million cars. |
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| Insurance premiums set to soar 05.03.10 |
| The car insurer Admiral has said that premiums would continue to rise despite an average increase of 12% last year. |
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| Ferrari Hybrid 05.03.10 |
| As if recession was but a distant memory, the Geneva Motor Show is in full swing with a flurry of glitzy launches overwhelmingly dominated by green technology. |
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| Flexible renting 05.03.10 |
| ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR HAS announced the launch of Enterprise Flex-E-Rent – a long term vehicle rental solution designed to meet the growing needs of today’s businesses. |
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| Rise before the fall 05.03.10 |
| As the scrappage scheme draws to a close, new car sales have their eighth consecutive month of growth – more than 26% last month, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. |
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| Climate change is a matter of science 05.03.10 |
| The latest scientific research of the hot topic of the 21st century has revealed that climate change is a reality and that we are most likely to blame. Researchers found that there are no other natural phenomena which could explain the very real temperature rises found globally. It is only possible to explain once the huge quantity of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere by human activity is taken into account. |
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| Taking paint to the road 05.03.10 |
| PAINT DISTRIBUTORS, part of the CD-Group, are planning a series of Bodyshop Roadshows across Ireland with the topic of the show being ‘Make Profit - Work Smart’. |
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| Best companies to work for 08.03.10 |
| The automotive industry featured twice in the top twenty five companies to work for, according to the Sunday Times. |
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| 42% increase in cost of borrowing 08.03.10 |
| The recent economic downturn has seen banks massively hike up interest rates on personal loans in an attempt to discourage ‘bad debtors’ from taking out unsecured loans. |
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| Hamilton to push Button for championship 08.03.10 |
| Ex-Formula 1 racer Nigel Mansell believes that Lewis Hamilton will start the new season more strongly than new teammate and reigning world champion Jenson Button. |
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| Win £3,500 worth of free marketing! 09.03.10 |
| Bodyshops have until April 9 to enter a competition to win £3,500 worth of marketing, courtesy of Easi-Drive. |
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| Sales and marketing key to survival 09.03.10 |
| Small businesses are hoping to beat the recession by stepping up their sales and marketing strategies, a new survey from the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has revealed. |
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| IAAF recruit Hugh Roberts 11.03.10 |
| Hugh Roberts, Managing Director of Motor Trade Technologies, is the latest automotive representative to throw his hat into the IAAF ring and in particular, the IAAF-G (the IAAF’s garage sector). |
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| Bodyshop Solutions to support Vizion 11.03.10 |
| Vizion has appointed Bodyshop Solutions for the supply of high quality bodyshop equipment. |
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| Top ten unbelievable insurance claims 11.03.10 |
| For most motorists car insurance is not usually a laughing matter. Premiums can be very expensive, and it is not unusual for an annual policy to cost more than £1000. |
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| World Cup Facebook giveaway 11.03.10 |
| When the World cup kicks off, Castle Coachworks will be giving fans of the Castle Coachworks facebook page various different offers and savings depending on how well England progress. |
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| Call Zebra joins Institute of Customer Service 12.03.10 |
| Call Zebra has become the first accident management company in the UK to join the Institute of Customer Service. |
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| Downloadable anti-steering petition 15.03.10 |
| In response to high demand from repairers, Retail Motor Law (RML) has produced an anti-steering petition template which can be downloaded free of charge from www.retailmotorlaw.co.uk |
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| Jason Moseley to leave Thatcham 15.03.10 |
| Jason Moseley, Thatcham’s Chief Operating Officer, is leaving Thatcham to take a senior position in the industry. |
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| Jason Moseley joins Solera 15.03.10 |
| Solera has announced that Jason Moseley, formerly COO of Thatcham, will be joining its Global Data Organisation as Senior Director R&D. |
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| Top industry achievers honoured by the IMI 16.03.10 |
| The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) celebrated the achievements of automotive companies and individuals in the Skillmiles scheme at its Annual Dinner last week in the presence of the Institute’s Patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent. |
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| Dire straits for second-hand market 18.03.10 |
| A damning verdict on the UK's £24bn second-hand car market has been published by the fair trading watchdog. |
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| Land speed record holder raises the standard for IBIS 18.03.10 |
| In September 1997 an unknown Royal Air Force officer, Andy Green, literally rocketed into the record books when he drove his Thrust SSC jet car across the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, at more than 700mph, to take the world land speed record. |
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| Strategic agenda 18.03.10 |
| The first National Strategic Skills Audit published yesterday (17th March) by UKCES provides an insight on skills needs and identifies the sectors, occupations and skills that we need to prioritise to meet the changing needs of the UK economy. |
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| Thatcham drives ESC Euro NCAP data release 18.03.10 |
| For the first time, Euro NCAP can now release data on ESC (Electronic Stability Control) performance, thanks to the investigation and research work of Thatcham. The research centre evaluated over 40 new vehicles on the track, based on the internationally recognised GTR (Global Technical Regulation) procedure. |
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| Ingenia idea to beat unemployment 18.03.10 |
| The Office for National Statistics has highlighted that the number of people in employment fell by 54,000 on the quarter ending in January 2010 to reach 28.86 million, with all losses coming in full time positions. |
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| Mountain challenge for Sarah Sillars 18.03.10 |
| Sarah Sillars OBE, Executive Chair of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), and her daughter Rachael have started training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for BEN. |
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| Autofocus row continues as group clams evidence mounts 19.03.10 |
| Accident Exchange today said that the early indications are that 'four large and well known insurers and two firms of defendant solicitors' account for the most material number of cases impacted by what it claims is a 'systematic production of fraudulently submitted hire rate data' by Autofocus. |
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| Help small firms spearhead economic recovery, urges FPB 19.03.10 |
| Next week’s Budget should put in place radical measures aimed at helping small firms spearhead economic recovery, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB). |
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| ATA reaches 20,000 22.03.10 |
| 20,000 technicians have now passed the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme, offering a highly visible and successful solution to the lack of consumer confidence in the automotive repair industry. |
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| Pagani Zonda S Superclaim 23.03.10 |
| It isn't very often that repair costs for a motor insurance claim exceed £30,000, but there has recently been a claim for a Pagani Zonda S Supercar that looks set to break the £300,000 mark! |
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| Anticipation over Budget grows 23.03.10 |
| The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is urging the Chancellor to use tomorrow�s Budget to support long-term investment, employment and technological development in the UK motor industry. |
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| Prepare to pass 23.03.10 |
| Getting PAS125 accreditation is an expensive, but necessary investment. Feedback from the ATA assessment centres shows that candidates who simply turn up are ill-prepared and fail, which is a waste of time and money for everyone involved. However, candidates who have had pre-assessment training are the ones who are more likely to pass first time. |
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| Post-scrappage for Skoda 24.03.10 |
| Skoda has announced details of its post-scrappage ‘Happy Swapping’ scheme. |
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| Clean Air? Take Care! launched 24.03.10 |
| The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) has officially launched the Clean Air? Take Care! campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of exposure to hazardous substances such as dusts, fumes and solvent vapours, which could cause occupational respiratory diseases. |
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| Allainz win Darren Bent claim 24.03.10 |
| Allianz Insurance, advised by Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP (BLM), succeeded in the high profile appeal of Darren Bent v Highways & Utilities Construction Limited and Allianz Insurance. The appeal related to the issue of the production of rate evidence in credit hire matters. Lord Justice Jacob, Lord Justice Leveson and Mr Justice Briggs allowed the appeal, sending the case back for a re-trial. |
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| 'Cost effective' car salvage auctions 24.03.10 |
| Anyone thinking of buying or selling a car may want to think about heading to an online car salvage auction, according to AdivorBlog.com. |
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| Motor and insurance bureau's unite 24.03.10 |
| The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) have enter into a support services agreement. |
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| Green shoots showing automotive recovery 24.03.10 |
| The rate of business insolvencies for the automotive industry fell from 0.13 per cent in February 2009 to 0.09 per cent in February 2010, according Experian. |
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| Air-con regulations due 24.03.10 |
| Trade Group are informing anyone involved with air-conditioning servicing about the new F-Gas regulations that require all personnel handling and recovering fluorinated refrigerant gases, to have the new refrigerant handling qualification by 4 July 2010. |
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| IAAF receives BSI support 24.03.10 |
| BSI has voiced its support for the IAAF, as it believes the IAAF will play an essential part in supporting and acting as a voice for independent garages. |
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| Touring Car fans hit £50,000 charity target 25.03.10 |
| HiQ has heaped praise on thousands of British Touring Car Championship fans after they helped to raise £50,000 for Breast Cancer Care. |
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| Young Craft Awards heats kick off in Nottingham 25.03.10 |
| Yesterday saw the first of the Young Craft Award regional heats take place, as four young painters gathered at South Nottinghamshire College to face some tough painting challenges. |
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| Compensation for late policy payments 26.03.10 |
| Law Commission has launched a consultation called Damages for Late Payment, suggesting English law should allow policyholders to claim for damages caused when insurers delay paying claims. |
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| Entire Zurich network PAS 125 accredited 29.03.10 |
| ZURICH’S APPROVED REPAIRER NETWORK, consisting of four of the largest accident repair groups in the UK (ADR, DWS, Nationwide and Sewards), is now fully BSI PAS125 accredited. |
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| Elite fully aligned with PAS 125 29.03.10 |
| Elite Incident Management has today announced that their PAS 125 accident management repairer network, consisting of 90 repairers, is the first in the UK to provide national coverage. |
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| Mixed signs for bodyshop industry 30.03.10 |
| In encouraging news for the UK Accident Repair Centres industry, 140 of the top 495 companies in the market are growing at more than 10% per annum and making healthy profits. However, according to industry analysts Plimsoll, while many of these companies are breaking new ground and leading a sustainable recovery in the market, there are 75 other companies whose headline grabbing sales growth masks something much more sinister. |
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| Imminent end for scheme 30.03.10 |
| The vehicle Scrappage scheme ends tomorrow, 31 March, having provided a stimulus to the automotive sector during a difficult economic period. The scheme lifted the market from the lows of early 2009, with around 20% of all new car sales since May 2009 attributable to the scheme. |
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| Legal questions answered by RML 30.03.10 |
| Retail Motor Law has launched a new debate service, an online forum where automotive-related legal issues can be raised, debated and clarified. |
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