Monthly Archives: May 2012

Diamond Jubilee: UK Automotive Industry Looks At 60 Years of Motoring Landmarks

From the arrival of flashing indicators and the launch of the iconic Mini, to crisis petrol-rationing and today’s highly efficient, low carbon technologies, Queen Elizabeth II has witnessed many changes over the past 60 years.

 

In celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), highlights some of the key automotive events through her long and continued reign.

 

1954: Flashing indicators became legal on Britain’s cars. These were either amber all-round or white at the front and red at the rear.

 

1956: Petrol-rationing was introduced, the result of the Suez crisis that closed the Canal to oil tankers. It remained in force until May 1957.

 

1958: Britain’s first parking meters were installed in London’s Grosvenor Square. Charges were 6d (2.5p) for half an hour and 1 shilling (5p) for one hour. The first stretch of motorway in Britain was also opened, the 8.2 mile long Preston by-pass, which today is part of the M6.

 

1959: A ‘triumph of front-wheel-drive packaging’ BMC’s Mini Minor was launched for under £500.

 

1961: Jaguar launched the E-TYPE which Enzo Ferrari called ‘the most beautiful car in the world.’

 

1964: Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon drove a Mini Cooper S that gave the British Motor Corporation its first victory in the Monte Carlo Rally. Production began at Vauxhall’s new factory at Ellesmere Port on Merseyside. Today it is one of the most efficient plants in Europe and will build the seventh generation Astra from 2015.

 

1967: A blanket 70mph speed limit was introduced on Britain’s roads. Breathalyser tests were first introduced for British motorists. This specified that if a driver’s alcohol limit was found to exceed 80mg per 100ml of blood, the individual could be liable for prosecution

 

.

1974: A 50mph speed limit was introduced on Britain’s roads to conserve fuel supplies.

 

1976: British supercar, the Lotus Esprit, went into production. Outstripping its own sales forecast the Elise was introduced in 1996, and by 2011 Lotus had built more than 90,000 sports cars.

 

1977: Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, a gift presented by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders for the Queen on her Silver Jubilee.

 

1978: Ford Bridgend plant in Wales commenced engine production – annual capacity has since doubled to one million engines today, while Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Centre opened in 2003.

 

1980: The last MGB, a pewter coloured GT, was built at Abingdon. Introduced in 1962, over half a million MGBs were built.

 

1984: A groundbreaking ceremony took place on the Nissan facility in Sunderland, now the UK’s largest car manufacturing plant and one of the most productive in Europe.

 

1986: British Leyland built the five millionth original Mini.

 

1992: Honda’s Swindon factory begins production and by February 2008 produced its two millionth car. The Toyota factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire, begins car production while its Prius brought hybrid technology to the mainstream both in the UK and globally.

 

1995: Petrol was no longer sold in imperial gallons but metric litres.

 

1998: VW purchased Bentley in Crewe and Rolls-Royce joined the BMW stable, both quintessentially British marques continue to be a success in markets around the globe.

 

2001: BMW began production of MINI Cooper and MINI at its Oxford plant, investing a further £500m in 2011 and heralding the two millionth Oxford-built MINI the same year.

 

2002: Nissan opened its European Design Centre in London. Bentley Motors presented Her Majesty The Queen with a new official State limousine on behalf of the UK motor industry, it became the fifth official State vehicle.

 

2003: The London Congestion Charge was introduced.

 

2004: Ford Motor Company completed construction of London’s first wind park, constructing two giant wind turbines at its Dagenham manufacturing site.

 

2009: The United Kingdom Automotive Council was established to enable government and industry to work closely in key technology areas sustaining levels of investment in skills, jobs and innovation.

 

2010: Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull plant produced the one millionth Range Rover.

 

2011: Production began on the MP4-12C at McLaren’s hi-tech plant in Woking. The year concluded with diesel cars taking a record 50.6% of the UK new car market and alternatively-fuelled vehicles selling a record 25,456 units as average new car CO2 emissions fall by more than 23% since 2000.

 

2012: Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with close to five million vehicles being built at the site.

 

The Social Media Trend

A new survey from America has highlighted the growing importance of social media for car dealers.

 

The survey found 69 per cent of car buyers use social media in their dealership selection process.

 

The 2012 Automotive Dealership Social Media and Online Reputation Study found dealers need to increase engagement with car shoppers on social networks and review sites during the car buying process. This was a trend highlighted at the Motor Trader Social Media conference in 2011.

 

The study measured usage trends on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, and surveyed almost 300 car buyers who purchased a vehicle in the last six months.

 

Some noticeable results from the survey, by Digital Air Strike, included 68 per cent of car shoppers admitting dealership reviews impacted which one they visited when looking to buy a car, and 50 per cent saying reading reviews affirmed their choice of dealership.

 

Alexi Venneri, co-founder of Digital Air Strike, said: “This study highlights the importance of social networks and review sites in the car buying process.”

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement Company, Douglas Stafford, works with many dealerships across the country, and recognises the importance of social media.

 

Douglas Stafford also has its own Facebook page and Twitter page, @douglasstafford which features regular news and information updates about the company.

 

KIA PICANTO – Honest John’s most popular small car

The Kia Picanto has been voted ‘Most Popular Small Hatchback’ at the 2012 honestjohn.co.uk awards fending off strong competition from both mainstream and premium brands.

 

The awards are determined by the number of users who search for a car’s review on the site in the year running up to the awards. Dan Harrison, Editor of honestjohn.co.uk said: “This award shows that the value-packed Kia Picanto has captured the imagination of our users. Big car features, low running costs and a huge warranty have all contributed to it being the most popular small car on the site over the past 12 months.”

 

Commenting on the award, Michael Cole, Managing Director of Kia Motors UK Limited said: “We know that honestjohn.co.uk is an important source of information for consumers visiting our showrooms so I’m delighted that Picanto has proved so popular for Honest John to have given us this award. Picanto has proved popular with critics and customers alike since the latest version went on sale last June but awards from customers themselves are the highest accolade,” added Cole.

 

The Honest John website receives around 1.5 million visits per month from consumers seeking advice on buying, selling and running cars. Since it was established in 2000, “Honest John” himself has answered in excess of 625,000 queries from UK motorists.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford have been working in partnership with Kia since the beginning of the year. The company is delighted over Kia’s recent success in being voted ‘Most Popular Small Hatchback’ for 2012. Douglas Stafford has been providing clients with performance improvement programmes for over 22 years. They have built up a wealth of expertise in this specialist field that continually provides benefits to its clients.

 

Mercedes Launches New Showroom App

Mercedes Benz dealerships across the country have been issued with iPads, which will be used to link with special display models of the all new B-Class through a dedicated showroom app.

 

The app uses 3D imaging which appears to layer information directly onto the display car.

 

Mercedes say the easy-to-use app will allow customers to use the iPad and visualise car features that would otherwise be impossible to show. Each showroom will have a designated B-class display model and digital map on the floor and customers will be encouraged to point the tablet at the vehicle to highlight key features.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford are currently working in partnership with Mercedes Benz, and like Mercedes, Douglas Stafford strive to be at the forefront of technological advancements in its industry. The company provides clients with the very latest in on-line reporting tools and the option of digital HD quality video mystery shopping.

 

Van Servicing Website Launched for Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz UK has launched an aftersales website for van drivers. The new site https://www.mercedes-benzvanservicing.co.uk/allows drivers to book vehicle services, MOTs and repairs online. It uses the individual vehicle specification, age and mileage to provide users with a price for a service, MOT and different range of repairs.

 

Ian Dutfield, customer services director of Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles, said the website pricing was transparent and competitive. “We hear sometimes about the misconception that work carried out by a specialist dealer can cost more, but we’re completely transparent with our pricing.”

 

Over a third of the workshops are open 24 hours a day throughout the working week, and over 90 per cent operate at least two shifts daily.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford works in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. The key services provided by the company include performance improvement through mystery shopping, customer research, performance coaching and improving business performance through tele-marketing. To find out what the company can do for you contact Douglas Stafford on 0800 783 1913.

 

Volvo appoints new UK managing director

Volvo Car Corporation has appointed Nick Connor as managing director of Volvo Car UK as well as its Ireland and Iceland subsidiaries.

 

Nick Connor has worked for Volvo in the UK over the past 16 years, most recently as sales director but previously as group solicitor and company secretary. Connor said: “Being asked to lead such an important and well-recognised brand at such an important time of its recent development is a great honour and responsibility. Volvo’s new ‘Designed Around You’ brand strategy is developing very positively and the new V40 five-door hatchback, due in showrooms in the summer, is arguably the most important car for Volvo in terms of volume development for the last decade.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company, Douglas Stafford, works with Volvo Cars London. The company has been providing clients with performance improvement programmes for over 22 years. They have built up a wealth of expertise in this specialist field that continually provides benefits to its clients.

 

Help at hand for fleet managers as Volkswagen launches new website

Volkswagen Fleet Services has launched a new website which is designed to save fleet managers time and money when creating company car policies.

 

A series of customer focus groups were held in 2011, where it was made clear that the fleet manager’s role is becoming increasingly complex. With fleet work now impacting on HR, asset management and operations departments, it means that those responsible for company cars are actively looking for guidance and information to help them manage what is likely to be their second most expensive asset after staff.

 

One of the new areas featured on the site is ‘Calculators and Tools’, which offers a BIK and P11D tax calculator, Residual Values comparison tool and a BlueMotion Whole Life Cost calculator, coupled with a function allowing Volkswagen models to be evaluated alongside benchmark competitors. All the new changes contain the right tools to help fleet managers’ day-to-day tasks easier.

 

Commenting on the launch of the new website, Rob Taylor, fleet marketing manager for Volkswagen Fleet Services, said: ‘We’re delighted to have launched our new fleet website which takes on the same theme and humour as our new ‘We’re with you all the way’ advertising and online campaign. The content and functionality are the results of research with our key fleet customers, and have been designed in response to their open and honest feedback. Fleet managers have an increasingly demanding role, and we hope this will make their lives a little easier.’

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford work in partnership with Volkswagen. During its 22 years of business it has consistently been at the forefront of technological advancements. Its in house information technology team provide clients with the very latest in on-line reporting tools and the option of digital HD quality video mystery shopping.

 

Ford Focus is “Car of the year” at the 2012 Honest John Awards

The Ford Focus is “Car of the Year” as well as the “Most Popular Small Family Car” at the 2012 honestjohn.co.uk awards, with the Mondeo and C-MAX also picking up category wins as they are crowned; “Most Popular Large Family Car” and “Most Popular MPV” .

 

The honestjohn.co.uk awards are not awarded by judges or a panel, but instead are decided by Honest John website users. The cars that fans search for most on the site and are therefore of most interest, are declared the winners.

 

Dan Harrison, editor of honestjohn.co.uk, commented: “It’s no surprise to see the Ford Focus claiming the honestjohn.co.uk Car of the Year award for 2012. Ford is a hugely popular brand on the site and from the time the Focus was first reviewed, it’s regularly topped our monthly chart as the most searched for car and it shows no sign of slowing down. With the Focus ST coming later this year, we predict that there will be even more interest in the Focus on honestjohn.co.uk. The Ford Mondeo is just as impressive given that it is several years old. However, our users show that it’s still a very popular car which continues to get more site traffic than many newer family cars.”

 

Honestjohn.co.uk was set up in 2000 to help consumers with advice on buying, selling and running cars. Since then “Honest John” himself has answered more than 625,000 questions, with the site receiving around 1.5 million visits per month.

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement Company Douglas Stafford have been working in partnership with Ford for over eight years. The Company are delighted at the recent success of the Ford Focus winning ‘Car of the year’ at the 2012 Honest John Awards. Douglas Stafford has been providing clients with performance improvement programmes for over 22 years. They have built up a wealth of expertise in this specialist field that continually provides benefits to its clients.

 

Volkswagen Group creates new Customer Quality Director role

With effect from June 1, Alison Jones is promoted from her current position as Head of Operations at Audi UK into the newly created role of Customer Quality Director on the Volkswagen Group UK Board of Management. Alison will lead the Group-wide drive to improve the quality of customer experience at every touch point, and will report directly to Volkswagen Group Managing Director Simon Thomas.

 

The Customer Quality Director will support all sectors of the Volkswagen Group in the UK in the pursuit of optimal customer service standards, while each brand will retain front line responsibility for its customer base. Simon Thomas commented: “As a previous Head of Contact Strategy, Customer Service and Aftersales in Volkswagen and Head of Operations in Audi, Alison has extensive experience and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.”

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford work in partnership with Audi and Volkswagen and would like to wish Alison every success in her new role. Douglas Stafford strongly believes in customer satisfaction and supplying people with a quality service. The company has been providing clients with Performance Improvement programmes for over 22 years.

 

Monkeys Go Nuts For The Toughest Car Challenge

 

There was plenty of monkeying around when Hyundai set its new family car the ultimate wear and tear challenge this week, over 40 Safari Park Baboons were set loose on Hyundai’s New Generation i30 Hatchback.

 

The car has been specially-designed for families and their ‘little monkeys’ in the back, with extra strong materials used to build the interior, easy wipe plastics, tough fittings and a special high quality steel used for the bodywork.

 

Baboons from Knowsley Safari Park were chosen for their well-known love of tearing park visitors’ cars apart – most famously Wayne Rooney’s vehicle when he visited the Merseyside attraction last year. And it was monkey business as usual when Hyundai parked its i30 family car in the baboon enclosure, as it was immediately besieged by dozens of the park’s primates. But 10 hours later the car emerged virtually unscathed.

 

The monkeys simulated the punishment that the children of a typical family subject a car to: jumping up and down on seats, pushing and prodding buttons and opening and closing storage bins. They even checked the durability of cup holders with plastic drinking beakers! Outside, the paintwork was smeared and scraped, but the hard-wearing paint protected the car from significant scratches and chips. Meanwhile, other baboons tested the fabric of seats by eating their lunch in the car and some played with their toys in the i30’s sizeable boot.

 

Felicity Wood, i30 Product Manager at Hyundai, said: “At Hyundai we believe in new thinking, which is why we decided to take a new approach with this durability test. You have to be pretty brave to subject a car to the most rigorous quality testers in the world, and the monkeys certainly gave our New Generation i30 a thorough examination. The fact that it survived with only a few scrapes is testament to the way a modern Hyundai is designed and engineered. We really do give a monkey’s about building tough cars!”

 

To give something back to monkeys for their help, Hyundai has donated £1,000 to one of Knowsley’s supported charities, the Primate Society of Great Britain, which dedicates its work to conservation and captive care of new and old world monkeys, gibbons and apes.

 

Performance Improvement and Mystery Shopping Company Douglas Stafford have been working alongside Hyundai for over four years. The key areas the company specialises in are Mystery Shopping, Market Research, Training and innovative Tele-Sales Programmes.