AutoForum June 2012

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June 2012

I N F O R M E D

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A N D

I N N O V A T I V E

Catastrophic Static Failure

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS

The father of the muscle car bids farewell IN N OVAT I ON S

Inside New electronic architecture for EPS

Entry Level Cars – Competition Hots up Latest Component Export Stats MISA Wows Learners PAGE 1

AutoForum - June 2012

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PAGE 3

June 2012

CONTENTS 10

26

Cover Stories Entry level cars – Competition hots up

16

Latest component export stats

24

The father of the muscle car bids farewell

32

Misa wows learners

36

New electronic architecture for EPS

60

Catastrophic static failure

62

Trade Talk Highlights of global and local industry news

06

Dedicated to the late Carroll Shelby.

(January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012)

News Forum

36

Competition hots up in the entry level segment

16

Editorial

Have your say on the waste tyre issue

18

Ariva vehicle leasing launched by Imperial/JD Group

20

eTolls on hold – Now can you contribute to the costs?

22

Component exports – The winners and losers

24

Bye-bye Pothole Brigade

26

Reported NEDC and real world consumption – How to close the gap

28

BotY Awards this month

30

The father of the muscle car bids farewell

32

Spears and eTolls. What do they have in common? The answer is protests and TV time.

We certainly have seen a lot of South Africans voice disapproval in the last few weeks, and for the most part it has been a bonding exercise, between the average citizen, the unions and business, against government and SANRAL. For once the issue was not black and white. Sadly the latest debacle is less bonding, but whether you are for or against, you have to agree that the real winner is the fast food chain that made fun of it all. Luckily within the pages of this magazine you will find a lot more pressing information that relates to your business. So - enjoy the read

Auto Training 58

MISA Careers Awareness Programme makes an impact

36

Eco-mobility diploma course launched in France

38

MBSA inaugurates Trade Test Centre

40

BodyShop News Training success in the collision repair industry

42

2012 Insurer Survey

46

UK MBRs get repairing

46

EDITOR CLARE RUTKIEWICZ CONTRIBUTORS: AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS DAVE SCOTT ROY COKAYNE Colin Windell Graham Bush

ADVERTISING: GRANT WEST

WARWICK ROBINSON C: 076 727 8161 C: 082 855 7750 T: 011 466 3733 F: 086 627 1135 Simone Treki

C: 082 411 4668 PRODUCTION: KAZ NEL DATABASE ADMINISTRATION: HELEN SIMELANE EMAIL: INFO@AUTOFORUM.CO.ZA

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PUBLISHER: SWIFT PUBLICATIONS & OLYMPIC PARK TRADING POSTNET SUITE 174 PRIVATE BAG X11 HALFWAY HOUSE 1684

AutoForum has an ABC circulation of 12952 ABC (June - Dec 2011)

www.Autoforum.co.za I N F O R M E D

The verdict (and figures) are in - and April was a good one

48

Targeting your market

52

M&A key to global growth

56

Aer-O-Cure Alert Engine Parts Alfa International AUDI Parts Autocosmos/Electrolog Autozone Bosch BSE Diesel Electric Federal Mogul Champion First National Battery GMSA Highveld Garage Equipment Hofmann Megaplan Integrated Marketing Ital Machinery MED Midas Group / ACD MISA Motor Merchandise Parts Incorporated / Midas Group RAM Safeline Snap-on/John Bean Tenneco/Monroe Trade Fair Travel Trysome Victor Reinz VW Parts Wheelquip

Innovations New HD common rail system

58

New electronic architecture for EPS

60

Commercial Vehicles Catastrophic static failure

62

SA’s top truck

64

New Releases 65

After-Marketplace Directory Directory listings

I N N O V A T I V E

Advertisers Guide

Business Forum

Latest offerings of local products

A N D

66

32

44-45, OBC 49 17 51 65 5, 34-35 53, IBC 29 13 31 15 11, 23, 47 57 21 25 30, 40 2-3 9 63 41 39, 61 27 19 27 54 38 18 55 7 37

While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the advice and information given to readers, neither the editor, nor the publishers, can accept any responsibility for any damages, injury or loss which arise there from. The opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily shared by the editor or the publishers.

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum-- June June 2012 2012

www.AutoForum.co.za Chevrolet Sonic

Audi Q7

Top car interiors named US automotive magazine Ward’s Auto, recently announced the winners of its annual Ward’s Top 10 Interiors.

According to the magazine, automakers are now, more than ever, pushing their staff to create interiors that fulfil design, comfort and style criteria. It believes that carmakers simply cannot bank on what they have put to the market in the past and that the competition in the future will continue to become increasingly fierce. And it’s not only luxury vehicles that are pushing the limits in interior design.

Chosen from a list of 40 vehicles with new or significantly improved interiors, and covering a range of vehicle categories, the magazine’s editors rated the following tops, in alphabetical order, as there is no ranking in the competition:

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• • • • • • • • • •

Audi A7 Chevrolet Sonic Chrysler 300 Luxury Dodge Dart Hyundai Accent Hyundai Azera Infiniti JX35 Mazda CX-5 Range Rover Evoque Volkswagen Beetle

Some of the criteria used by the judges included ergonomics, safety, material selection, overall value and aesthetics as well as in-vehicle communication.

Visit vw.co.za and follow us on facebook.com/vwsa OGILVY CAPE TOWN 49911/E

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Wiperblades Part No.: JZW998002H Golf 4 1998 - 2006 Jetta 4 1999 - 2006 Price: R 138.92

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Rear Brake Pads Part No.: JZW698451 Caddy 2004 - 2007 Eos 2007 Golf 5 2004 - 2007 Passat 2001 - 2005 Price: R 571.79

Part No.: Beetle Golf 4 Jetta 4 Polo Price: R 439.71

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Front Brake Pads Part No.: JZW698151 Golf 4/5 1998 - 2007 Jetta 4 1999 - 2006 Polo 2003 - 2007 Beetle 2003 - 2007 Caddy 2004 - 2007 Price: R 399.00

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Trade Talk

AutoForum - June 2012

www.AutoForum.co.za

iPhone Speed Camera app Vehicle navigation system company, TomTom, announced last month that it had launched a new app that we expect will get most drivers pretty excited. The TomTom Speed Camera app for iPhone gives drivers access to fixed and mobile speed camera alerts. It is powered by the largest European driving community (read not available in South Africa) and its makers say it improves safety by keeping users informed about speed limits during their journey. Of course, the best part for its users is that it helps them avoid costly speeding fines and, in some countries, points on their driving license.

The app has a new dedicated user interface that is easy to use, and informs drivers of their speed, the speed limit, the type of camera ahead and the remaining distance to reach it. It features a colour-coded warning system that quickly and effectively alerts users if they need to slow down.

The app also includes real-time customer reports from drivers that share newly added or removed cameras with each other, and boasts 95% coverage of fixed camera locations and real-time updates for mobile speed cameras.

Unfortunately for South African drivers, the app is not going to be in our neck of the woods at this stage.

Bosch plans new facility in Romania The Bosch Group will soon be setting up a new automotive electronic control unit manufacturing and development plant in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The company has set aside a reported €77 million for the first phase of construction work, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year and comprises a 38 000 m2 facility. It expects to begin manufacturing in the middle of 2013, and predicts that the new facility will create around 340 work opportunities by that time.

The new location will be assigned to the group’s Automotive Electronics division, which manufactures electronic control units, semiconductors, and sensors for use in automotive technology and other areas, and which already has 17 manufacturing sites around the world.

BSE distributing Clarke The well-known Clarke range of repair equipment is now available locally through BSE Distributors, the local agents who are based in Edenvale. BSE has been servicing the industry for almost 25 years, supplying high tech manufacturer assembly line tooling, through a spectrum of products aimed at the workshop. “We have developed a reputation for quality and reliability,” says Mark Marcinko, adding, “Our clients know that they can rely on us and that the business is here to stay.” One of the factors contributing to this reputation is the company’s support policy, with a 24-hour breakdown turnaround, from receipt of the items, and 100% spares availability. “We actually make sure that a portion of any shipment is kept in stock, purely to supply customers with spares or swap outs where necessary,” explained Adam Marcinko. While the company has a showroom on the premises and sell directly to the end user, they are looking for distributors of their ranges, and are quietly confident that their high quality items, including the Clarke range, will warrant a wider distribution network, especially since they are aiming to price a number of these as competitively as possible.

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Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum-- June June 2012 2012

MISA Golf Day a hit In early May, AutoForum was invited to sponsor the 16th hole at the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) Golf Day, held at the Roodepoort Country Club. This was the first of a now annual event hosted by MISA, in support of their pilot project to effect positive change for the Hoërskool Die Burger, in White Ridge. It saw players gather from a wide range of sectors related to the motor industry, all keen to help raise funds for this worthy cause.

The enthusiastic team from AutoForum and The New Age motoring supplement - On the Road - embarked on setting up their sponsored ‘Pitstop’ at hole 16 early in the morning, taking full advantage of the perfect conditions. The hole proved a welcome break for golfers and caddies who were able to take a quick break while enjoying a shooter, GLACEAU vitaminwater or finger snacks before continuing their game, refreshed and ready for further great play.

As the sun descended and the temperature dropped, the gazebo and banners were packed away, allowing the AutoForum team to join MISA staff and golfers for dinner and a prize giving.

Congratulations to all winning teams and a special thanks to MISA for hosting this successful event. We look forward to seeing you all next year!

PAGE 10

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Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum-- June June 2012 2012

www.AutoForum.co.za

Quon sales make UD closer to 12% Share UD Trucks Southern Africa announced in May that sales of its new Quon were progressing steadily, with 67 units already sold. Of these, 20 of its new Quon Extra Heavy range were retailed in April, the first month of it being available in South Africa.

As CEO Johan Richards comments: “With the launch of the new range, the company aims to increase its market share in the EHCV segment to 12%. In addition, as the country’s top truck exporter in 2011, we are targeting an expansion of our current volumes into our export territories.”

Richards continued that the automaker has increased the number of Quon variants to 14, in an effort to cover more sub-segments within the EHCV market and thus meet market and customer demands. UD Trucks’ April EHCV sales consisted mainly of GW26 490 6x4 truck tractors and GW26 410 6x4 truck tractors.

Hyundai launches new HD Series In May, Hyundai launched its new and upgraded HD series, which comprises the new HD65 and HD72. The automaker highlights several new features, such as clean lines - which it says attests to the ‘functional’ nature of the vehicles - and Multi Focus Reflection (MFR) headlights. Other top features include a 50 degree Tilting Cab for easier servicing and checking; Semi-floating-type cab suspension for a gentler ride; space efficient, safe and ergonomic cabin; an Air Control System; backlit, clear, and easy to read instrument panel; easy access radiator reservoir and washer tank; and a lockable toolbox next to the chassis.

Key safety features include ABS with integrated EBD brake systems fitted as standard, and a propshaft safety catch which prevents the shaft from hitting the ground in case of breakage, protecting both the driver and passengers as well as other road users.

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Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum-- June June 2012 2012

www.AutoForum.co.za

Thumbs up for VWSA Health and Wellness Volkswagen Group South Africa recently announced that it has been recognised by the Global Business Coalition on Health (GBC Health) for its health and wellness programme.

“Wired” Sealing Technology Dana recently announced that it now equips two hybrid vehicles with top-quality Victor Reinz sealing technology, and as of the end of May, complete gasket sets will be available on the replacement parts market for the Toyota hybrid-drive models Auris and Prius. The company believes that this development has again proven its sealing competence in sustainable engine concepts.

Both the Auris and Prius hybrids are equipped with a 1.8 litre VVT-i petrol engine (2ZR-FXE) and boast an output of 73 kW (99 hp). The range of replacement parts includes the following Victor Reinz components: MLS cylinder-head gaskets (3-layer); cylinder head bolts; valve cover gaskets; valve stem seals; intake seals; and oil seals.

As Erwin Widmann, Dana’s Aftermarket Product Manager explains: “Hybrid drive technology and Victor Reinz sealing know-how make perfect synergy. The aim was to deliver the optimum sealing technology for engine repair work in order to ensure the Toyota hybrids’ outstanding emission values.”

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The acknowledgement was made at the annual GBC Health conference in New York in the category: Workplace/Workforce Engagement and VWSA was designated as a “Commended Company”.

It’s not the first such award for the company – at a previous conference it was awarded for its work in the field of HIV prevention. The latter programme was run under the leadership of company Doctor Alex Govender, who commented: “Volkswagen’s health and wellness programme looks at employees’ health from a holistic perspective. Apart from a biannual check-up for all employees, on site medical facilities as well as social services, consultation includes Aids prevention.”

“A healthy body as well as a healthy mind makes for happier and thus (more) productive employees. This ensures that our absentee rate is well below the target of 4% ... a prerequisite for building quality cars to customer expectation.”

Dr Govender chaired the conference’s session on Workplace Wellness and shared Volkswagen’s success story with delegates.

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AutoForum - June 2012

The latest global news

Competition hots up in the entry level segment - Roy Cokayne

C

ompetition in the already highly competitive entry vehicle segment of the new car market is about to hot up. That’s because General Motors South Africa (GMSA) has decided to reduce the price of its Chevrolet Spark by 7%.

The Spark was previously imported completely built up and the price reduction, effective from the end of April, coincided with GMSA commencing shipment of locally manufactured Spark models to dealers.

Malcolm Gauld, GMSA’s VP of Sales and Marketing, said the new price for the Spark was R107 500, inclusive of VAT. Gauld continued that there was an even greater saving for consumers who wanted to go a bit more upmarket with their trim level, by upgrading to the Spark LS. This model has been reduced by 9.7% to R116 500, inclusive of VAT, compared to the previously imported model. “This makes the Spark a serious contender in the entry level market and an excellent value proposition.”

Major competitors of these two Spark models are the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10, but both are imported completely built up. Toyota

PAGE 16

launched the Etios in May, its entry into the fast growing sub-B segment of the passenger vehicle market, which is expected to shake up the entry level car segment even further. The price of Etios models ranges from R115 800 to R126 600. Its main competitors are Volkswagen’s Vivo, whose base model sells for 106 100, and the Renault Sandero, whose base model retails for R109 900.

Calvyn Hamman, Toyota South Africa Motors’ (TSAM) Senior VP for Sales and Marketing, said the new Etios would bolster Toyota’s lineup in the entry level segment.

Hamman explained that the Etios would be sold alongside A and B-segment offerings in the form of the Toyota Aygo and Toyota Yaris, both of which are already major volume sellers in their segments.

Leo Kok, TSAM’s Senior Manager Corporate Communications, said at the Etios launch that it was one of TSAM’s key products for regaining their foothold in the passenger vehicle market and it anticipated selling 1 700 units a month. Kok said the Etios would be imported from Toyota’s plant in India and TSAM had

Roy Cokayne is a senior financial reporter for Business Report.

access to 20 000 units annually. TSAM believed about 20% of its Etios sales would be attrition from other Toyota products in the entry level segment, with 8% balance representing incremental sales for TSAM. The launch of the Etios is widely believed to have led to the price repositioning that has taken place in the entry level car market this year, as list price reductions in the country are virtually unheard of. Illustrating the growing importance of the sub-B car segment, Kok said sales by models in this segment had grown by more than 100% in the past year.

He explained that some of this growth was to the detriment of the B-segment, adding the overall entry level segment had grown 92% in the past year. This growth trend had been accelerating, driven by higher fuel prices and the threat of toll roads. Kok admitted Toyota was late in reentering the sub-B car segment, but there is still a lot of growth to this market and “we will help to accelerate this growth with the Etios”.

According to Gauld, the successful implementation of the localisation programme for the Chevrolet Spark had resulted in many advantages for the company. “One of these is a significant saving in costs and a degree of insulation from imported cost pressures. Another is improved manufacturing synergies with other overseas GM plants, such as GM Korea.”

“More important than these, however, is the opportunity to create a number of sustainable new job opportunities, both at our own manufacturing facilities and at component suppliers.” Gauld said important for GMSA’s customers was the fact that these benefits were being passed on into the market in the form of the price reductions, without any compromise to specification. “As a member of the global General Motors vehicle manufacturing community, GMSA is governed by the same stringent quality standards applied, without compromise, to all GM manufacturing plants,” he said.

Gauld added that the shipping to dealers of the first locally produced Chevrolet Sparks marked the completion of the second phase of a three-phase major investment programme at GMSA’s Struandale plant, to bring it fully into line with the government’s Automotive Production Development Plan (APDP) with a targeted annual local production of 50 000 vehicles.

He added that the first phase of the investment programme was completed with the introduction of the new Chevrolet Utility late last year, and the local production of the Spark - the second locally produced model in its line-up - represented the completion of the second phase.

Phase three involved the introduction of a new Isuzu light commercial model, which would be completed during the course of next year (2013), he said.

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - June 2012

AutoForum - June 2012

Have your say on the waste tyre issue

F

ollowing the industry commentary we reported on in our last issue (see AutoForum May 2012) regarding the issues surrounding the Waste Tyre Recycling, the RMI has now called on industry to have their say.

The organisation intends organising an urgent meeting that it hopes will invite comment and suggestions on the way forward regarding a sustainable and effective Waste Tyre Management strategy for South Africa. According to the RMI media release: “This comes amidst ongoing Industry speculation that the current process is fraught with risk that may be potentially harmful to both the Industry and the already cash burdened consumer.”

Parties the organisation hopes to attract to the forum include tyre manufacturers, importers, recyclers, dealers, industry associations, government, and parties that have expressed interest and submitted plans already, as well as the media and any other interested persons or bodies that express an interest.

“The situation as it stands is a concern warranting an immediate review of the process. Your mandate in this meeting will give direction to sustainable Waste Tyre Management in South Africa.”

The move comes after a number of plans were circulated and submitted to the sector, leading to vast confusion as to which was in fact the final plan and what had been approved by Government.

Waste Tyre Regulations were published in the Government Gazette 31901 dated the 13 February 2009, and so far three plans have been submitted: • REDISA Plan – Gazetted for public comment.

• RMI Plan – Submitted to the DEA, returned with comment from the DEA. • SATRP Plan – Submitted to the DEA, returned with comment from the DEA. The RMI believes that the process for possible approval of industry plans appears to be being delayed, whilst the REDISA plan is gazetted. It fears that this timing inconsistency by default may potentially ensure that the REDISA plan is the only approved plan, quite to the contrary of the regulations. It feels this further poses an avenue for coerced compliance to an approved plan, due to a lack of alternatives.

“In addition, the REDISA plan is written and motivated to be the only plan for SA. This is against the regulations that allow for multiple plans to co-exist. It will be of particular interest to note what the Competitions Commission’s comments are in this regard!”

At the time of going to press the details of time and venue were not confirmed, but watch this space and our website for updates.

For more information you can also contact the RMI’s National Director for the Tyre Dealers Association, Vishal Premlall, on 011 886 6300 or email vishal.premlall@rmi.org.za.

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AutoForum - June 2012

NEWS FORUM

Ariva vehicle leasing launched

by Imperial/JD Group - Roy Cokayne

A

ffordable motoring in SA has become cheaper for consumers, following the establishment of a joint venture between listed transport and mobility group Imperial Holdings and listed retail company JD Group.

through an innovative rental product. Smith expected the sub R150 000 price range to be the most popular.

The JV will trade under the Ariva brand name and will provide a full maintenance rental

The scheme, based on a full maintenance rental concept, will provide fixed monthly rentals - inclusive of many of the monthly costs of ownership over the period of the agreement,

product, specifically targeting the significant number of customers who have been unable to obtain traditional bank finance. Each group has committed to invest R75 million in the JV.

but without the associated risks of owning the vehicle. This fixed instalment arrangement is designed to protect customers from unpredictable cash outflows.

David Smith, MD of Liquidcapital, a financial services division of the Imperial Group, said they aimed to expand the number of consumers who could access affordable motoring

According to Smith, the fixed nature of the monthly rental - which includes insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance and accident management - provides a natural inflation

The scheme will provide fixed monthly rentals

PAGE 20

hedge, protecting the customer from increases in servicing costs, insurance premiums and interest rates.

He gave a price comparison using, as an example, a Kia Picanto costing R99 995 and bought on instalment sale over 54 months with a 30% residual value balloon payment, and at an interest rate of prime plus 3%. Smith said the real cost of buying this vehicle was R3 463 a month, while the monthly fixed cost using the Ariva leasing was R2 861, a monthly saving of R602.

He said they score all the declined applications and if a customer was approved, they calculated an affordable monthly rental. Based on that monthly rental cost, a customer chose from a list of 80 vehicles in different price ranges.

Manny de Canha, CE of Imperial subsidiary Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and an Executive Director of Imperial, said the target was to get to 100 vehicle leasing deals a month in the short term and 2 000 deals a month within the next two to three years. De Canha said the number of vehicle leasing deals concluded in SA was small compared to the US, where 60% of sales were via leases.

He said the myth about car ownership in SA was that if you bought a car on hire purchase you will own it after the period. However, banks would tell you most people sold their cars after 38 months, they were really renting it in a different form and there was no real car ownership in SA, he said.

According to Gratton Kirk, CE of JD Group, it was part of the group’s strategy to diversify away from its 100% reliance on furniture lending, which led to the acquisition of Penny Pinchers and Timber City and the automotive business of Unitrans.

Kirk said they saw their consumer finance operation as the glue that held together its retail footprint and was using it and its balance sheet to extend the group’s tentacles into furniture, automotive, DIY and building your own home and its existing consumer electronics and technology businesses.

He said the group had traded in the entry level customer market for 30 years and understood the dynamics around that market.

“Our gross book is R10bn. A year ago we launched personal loans and that is a billion Rand business today. In time we will have 50% of our business in furniture loans and 50% in non furniture loans.”

Bennie van Rooy, Group FD at the JD Group, said they were convinced many customers who did not qualify for finance in terms of the traditional banks’ criteria would be suitable candidates for Ariva’s rental solution.

PAGE 21

AutoForum - June 2012

NEWS FORUM

eTolls on hold – Now can you contribute to the costs?

T

he final costs of the disastrous SANRAL bid to launch eTolls on Gauteng drivers are now finally becoming public knowledge.

And it’s not just the costs to SANRAL that we need to worry about. What about the group that fought the battle in court? Who foots that legal bill?

OUTA, the organisation that took the saga to court and saved all South Africans cash in terms of not only road tolls, but also the additional fees that would have been included on all consumer goods to cover freight use of the toll roads, has now appealed to those same South Africans to help it cover the legal costs racked up.

As Wayne Duvenage, Chairperson of OUTA explains: “At the outset of our plan to take this matter to the courts, we had estimated a cost of around R1 million, but as the work and legal battle developed during the two months of March and April 2012 period, we realised the gravity and size of this case was far greater than we had imagined.”

Duvenage adds that additional legal resources were appointed to tackle the sheer volume of work required, with OUTA and the legal team working day and night, seven days a week for several weeks. The organisation has already received hundreds of calls and emails enquiring about where and how the public and businesses could contribute to funding these legal costs. “This was obviously extremely encouraging,” says Duvenage, “which I guess enables the public to connect even closer to the cause, giving them a feeling of being personally involved in what has become the people’s case.”

The final tally for the case amounted to around R3.9 million, which - after deducting the initial

PAGE 22

R800 000 sponsorship raised from SAVRALA members - means that an additional R3.1 million needs to be raised. And with the government having announced its decision to appeal the judgement against the tolls, that figure is sure to increase.

OUTA thanked all who have supported the cause to date and urges all Gauteng road users to contribute to the OUTA legal costs

fund raising drive through one of the following three options: 1. Direct deposit to OUTA banking account: ABSA, Rosebank (632005) Account # 4079154375.

2. Visiting the OUTA web site www.outa.co.za to log into the PayFast (secure online payment) options.

3. Contribute R20 by sending an SMS with the word NOETOLL to 40773.

The organisation has assured all parties that it will handle the received funds in an open and transparent manner and that once the target amount has been received, it will “turn off the payment channels to negate an oversubscription”.

After all the support OUTA received from the public in anger at the prospective tolls, it will be interesting to see if we as a nation are as fast to open our wallets.

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AutoForum - June 2012

NEWS FORUM

Component exports – The winners and losers - Roy Cokayne

E

xports of automotive leather have been overtaken as the second most import automotive component export, by engines and engine parts.

Catalytic converter exports were still, however, by far the biggest automotive component export last year, according to the latest Automotive Export Manual.

However, engine and engine part export values increased year-on-year by 14% to R2.88bn, from R2.47bn in 2010, overtaking exports of stitched leather seat parts. These declined to R2.19bn last year, from R2.99bn in 2010.

Shireen Darmalingam, a Standard Bank Research Analyst, said there was a concern that multinational companies were choosing to source leather products from suppliers closer to the major

PAGE 24

markets. There were also concerns the APDP, which will replace the MIDP from next year, may impact negatively on export orientated automotive component companies, such as those in the leather industry, said Darmalingam in a new report.

However, she said sectors that supplied the aftermarket should benefit from the shift to the APDP. The latter aims to provide a production incentive, rather than the export incentive available in the MIDP. The Standard Bank report did not provide any other possible explanation for the growth in engines and engine part exports.

However, two local motor manufacturers have made significant investments in their engine manufacturing facilities.

VWSA invested R400 million in its engine plant, part of a R4.5 billion investment in upgrading and expanding its production facilities over the four years to 2011.

Following this, VWSA announced in March 2010 it had been awarded contracts to export 30 000 engines to China and 8 500 engines to India.

FMCSA launched a R3 billion investment programme in 2008, with the investment split between its vehicle assembly and engine plants in Port Elizabeth. This investment increased the annual installed capacity of its engine plant to 220 000 machined components, of which 75 000 would be used for engine assembly for the Silverton plant, with the balance exported. The

upgraded and expanded plant started production of the next-generation Puma diesel engine last year.

According to Darmalingam, Naacam reported that the component industry was continuing its steady recovery after the recession, with the value of exports increasing year-on-year by 18% in 2011.

Total automotive industry exports, which include vehicle and component exports, increased to R82.2 billion last year from the R69.5 billion in 2010.

This comprised a 11.6% growth in the value of vehicle exports to R43.3 billion last year, from R38.8 billion in 2010. The value of automotive component exports increased 26% to R38.8 billion, from R30.8 billion in 2010. But Darmalingam said the total value of exports was still 20% below the peak reached in 2008.

The 2012 Automotive Export Manual revealed that the value of catalytic converter exports increased by 33% to R19.6 billion last year, from R14.7 billion in 2010, and was largely responsible

for the increase in the value automotive component exports last year. They accounted for 50.6% of the total value of component exports last year. South Africa supplies about 12% percent of the global market for catalytic converters and the popularity of catalytic converters, whose main purpose is to reduce harmful emissions from vehicles, continues to grow because of increasingly stringent emissions legislation in Europe and the US. Although SA exports about 32 automotive components, the value of these exports are dominated by only a handful of component categories. The top five automotive component export items by category accounted for 71.3% of the total value of component exports last year.

Other important exported automotive components included silencers/exhausts, which were valued at R2.14bn last year and tyres at R1.67bn. The manual said the focus of exporters tended to be on high value domestically

beneficiated automotive components that consumed as little transport and space as possible, adding that continuous efforts to grow SA industry’s exporter business was imperative.

Darmalingam continued that it appeared the APDP would go a long way in assisting the automotive industry to advance to new levels, but it was still a contested question whether the programme would benefit certain industries more than others. “Indeed, it appears that some benefits may be in favour of large firms. Nonetheless, all firms are in line to benefit from the new APDP programme.”

She stressed the replacement of the MIDP should not be viewed as a failure of the programme, but rather as a point from which to move on and encourage further development of the industry.

She said the APDP would offer the local automotive industry a sense of certainty through to 2020, which should encourage further growth.

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - June 2012

Bye-bye Pothole Brigade

L

the repair of potholes into a tender process.”

The free initiative, which has already repaired over 50 000 potholes in and around Johannesburg, was therefore forced to conclude its services as of June.

“While waiting for confirmation on the future of the pothole filling campaign with the JRA, we continued to work with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Roads and Transport on outlying main roads in Johannesburg and Pretoria. We also worked with the Ekurhuleni Municipality to fill potholes on the East Rand.”

ast month, insurer Dial Direct was forced to disband its Pothole Brigade initiative, a project it has already invested R1 million a month into. The company recently announced that although it believes that public-private partnerships have an increasingly vital role to play in South Africa, these partnerships are not clear-cut. It says it learned this when its own project became entangled in red tape and tender processes that never materialised.

Bradley Du Chenne, Senior Executive of Dial Direct Insurance, commented: “After long and careful deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to disband our highly-successful and value-adding Pothole Brigade. This is a terrible disappointment to us as well as to motorists of Gauteng.”

“We have not come to this decision lightly and it is by no means a reflection of the Brigade’s relevance, performance or success. Gauteng road users continue to be plagued by an ever-escalating number of potholes, however, our efforts have been continually thwarted and at the end of the day, the Dial Direct Pothole Brigade cannot be sustained without the buy-in and support of authorities.”

The project originated as a pilot project in conjunction with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), but that ended last October, “despite repeated calls to re-instate it”.

“More than 30 000 potholes were filled free of charge by Dial Direct in Johannesburg alone before the project came to a grinding halt after some City Service Providers complained that the initiative did not comply with the stipulations of the Municipal Financial Management Act. As such, the JRA had to formalise procedures and framework structures and needed to incorporate

PAGE 26

“Although these campaigns have been a marked success, the overwhelming majority of requests – 80% – came from motorists travelling on JRA serviced roads inside of the N14*.”

“With our efforts to deliver our pothole filling service where it’s most-needed being thwarted by red tape, we had to carefully weigh-up the true costs of this initiative not only financially but to our brand as well,” says Du Chenne.

Du Chenne concluded: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Trafficare who managed The Brigade on our behalf. We are also grateful to Lead SA for partnering with us. We certainly would have preferred the alternative, which would be to continue delivering pothole filling services in partnership with amenable municipalities in areas where these services are most-needed.”

Terry Volkwyn of media-initiated organisation Lead SA also expressed her frustration at the initiative’s discontinuance, saying: “We are also disappointed that Dial Direct was forced to close down the Pothole Brigade.

When we endorsed it at Lead SA, we wanted to stand up, do the right thing, and make a difference. There is little

doubt that we did. However, it’s clear that local authorities do not appreciate the response to government’s repeated calls for public-private partnerships.”

“Red-tape seems to be a common excuse. The Pothole Brigade saved the provincial government and municipalities millions of Rands. Now, ratepayers will again be forced to foot the bill. Dial Direct must be lauded for trying to make a difference and the non co-operation from authorities is a sad reflection on how this excellent initiative was undermined,” said Volkwyn.

She adds: “We have to ask the question why local authorities would want to pay for filling potholes while the private sector is willing to do it for nothing. This raises serious questions.”

Lead SA said Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Ismail Vadi, supported the Pothole Brigade from day one and continues to do so. * From Rooihuiskraal down to Krugersdorp, down to Roodepoort, across to Germiston, up to Bedfordview, up to Sandton, across to Olifantsfontein and back to Rooihuiskraal.

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NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - June 2012

Reported NEDC and real world consumption – How to close the gap needs to reduce its GHG emissions In order to limit the negative effects 80-95% below 1990 levels, the of climate change and to reduce deDiscrepancies between type-approval andby “real-world” fuel-consumption andby CO values 2 year 2050. Within that, a reduction of pendency on oil imports, the EuropeDiscrepancies between type-approval andat“real-world” and COto values least 60%fuel-consumption by 2050 with respect an Union (EU) has determined that it 2

1990 figures (70% with respect to 2008) is required from the transport sector alone, as it is the only sector in which GHG emissions have increased since

Figure 4.1. Comparison of annual CO2 emission levels according to manufacturers’ type approval values (weighted by number of user entries in spritmonitor.de), values reported by spritmonitor.de users (same weighting as for monitoring data manufacturers’ values) and officialCO CO2emission Figure 4.1. Comparison of annual levels according to manufacturers’ type approval values (weighted 2 by number of user entries in spritmonitor.de), values reported by spritmonitor.de users (same weighting as for manufacturers’ values) and official CO2 monitoring data

Figure 4.2. Percentage reduction in the average CO2 emission value of new passenger cars in Germany since 2001 according to different data sources: manufacturers’ type approval values (weighted by number of user entries in spritmonitor.de), values reported users (same as for manufacturers’ values) and Figure 4.2. Percentage reduction in by thespritmonitor.de average CO2 emission valueweighting of new passenger cars in Germany since 2001 official CO2tomonitoring datasources: manufacturers’ type approval values (weighted by number of user entries according different data in spritmonitor.de), values reported by spritmonitor.de users (same weighting as for manufacturers’ values) and official CO2 monitoring data

PAGE 28

2005 (+30% compared to -7% for all sectors). With this target set, it is clear that there is much focus on how various vehicles - both commercial and private – compare with regards to their emissions. At the same time, the data values quoted by auto manufacturers are well known to differ from so-called ‘real-world’ findings.

How much they differ, and whether this discrepancy has remained consistent over time, has not previously been reported.

A new paper from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has compared fuel consumption/CO2 values of passenger cars from different sources and aims at quantifying the discrepancy between laboratory emissions values and real-world values. Its aim is to determine if the gap between the two datasets has increased over time. Potential explanations for the discrepancies found are discussed and possible practical solutions for the future outlined.

According to the report, given the success of the EU CO2 performance standards for passenger cars, it is clear that the existing 2015 and 2020 targets have to be affirmed and additional post-2020 targets have to be set. This is in order to put EU road transport on a pathway to meet the long-term (2050) target, while allowing manufacturers sufficient lead-time to develop the required technologies for meeting the targets.

However, the performance standards only affect the type approval value for individual vehicles. That means it is of great importance to ensure that reductions in the level of CO2 emissions measured in the laboratory during the type approval test are also realised under real-world conditions.

From a consumer perspective, most drivers are aware that there is a gap between the fuel consumption they experience during everyday driving and the corresponding values that are listed in information brochures they obtain from their local car dealer, the Internet, or other media sources. As this gap increases, a part of the CO2 and fuel consumption reductions achieved on paper do not pay back to consumers in fuel cost savings. This could lead to a situation where official type approval values provided by the vehicle

manufacturers would lose credibility among consumers and where the willingness to invest into new vehicle technologies to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is reduced.

Based upon analyses of more than 28 000 user entries of the German fuel consumption database spritmonitor.de and more than 1 200 vehicle models tested by Europe’s largest automobile club, ADAC, the ICCT found that the gap between typeapproval and “real-world” fuel consumption/CO2 values increased from about 8% in 2001 to 21% today. It also found a very sharp increase in particular since 2007.

Potential reasons for this development were attributed to a number of factors, such as: increasing use of existing tolerances and loopholes in the determination of road load, vehicle weight, laboratory test temperatures, and transmission shifting schedules for type-approval; the inability of the current test cycle, the NEDC, to represent real-world driving conditions; and the increasing market share of vehicles equipped with air conditioning systems.

In order to eliminate existing discrepancies as much as possible and to ensure that future improvements in vehicle technology result in real-world reductions of CO2 and fuel consumption, a number of changes to the existing test cycle, test procedure and compliance testing were recommended by the ICCT researchers.

These included: improving not only the NEDC test cycle, but also the test procedures; creating compliance testing procedures to ensure that prototype/early-production vehicles used for type-approval are representative of the mass-production vehicles that are delivered to customers later on; including test procedures for air conditioning systems - it is important that this procedure be as realistic as possible and that the efficiency of air conditioning units be taken into account for future CO2 emission legislation; and revisiting the definition of vehicle test weight and switching to a step-less approach.

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AutoForum - June 2012

NEWS FORUM

Last year’s winners of the 2010 Sewells Businessman of the Year title flanked by Tania Barlow, MD of Sewells Group South Africa and Dennis Anderson CEO of Sewells Group. They are, from left, small category winner Riaan Smit from BB Auto Polokwane, large category winner Pieter Maree of NTT Toyota Vryheid, and medium category winner Gordon Ferris of Galactic Auto.

BotY Awards this month

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his year’s Sewells Businessman of the Year (BotY) awards banquet will take place on Thursday 7 June in Gauteng, and once again is sponsored by WesBank and supported by the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA). The awards have been in existence since 1998 and are described by Sewell’s Group MD, Tania Barlow, as the industry’s way of recognising global best practice performances.

According to Barlow, a key by-product of her company’s automotive sector business management and consulting activities is the production of detailed key indicator benchmarks, which can be used to measure dealer performances globally and locally.

She comments: “It has long been recognised by motor dealers and manufacturers worldwide that good business performances are only achieved by automotive retailers who can continually succeed in satisfying customers across the five traditional departments (new cars, used cars, workshops and F&I – financial services).”

“Two recent observations can make us distinctly proud of the performance of our South African retailers: this month we carried out a direct comparison of key indicators of dealer performances in seven countries where Sewells operates (Australia, China, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand). Earlier this year we hosted a large dealer study group to the 2012 NADA Convention in the United States and were again able to look at our dealers’ performance numbers against some of those revealed by six different Las Vegas motor dealers whom we visited. In both cases we could see how well our retailers compared with these global colleagues. It was very pleasing!”

Last year saw the awards introduce stratified selection procedures to nominate dealers from each of three categories – large, medium and small. This will be continued for this year’s awards, meaning that there will be three distinct Businessman of the Year titles given out for the best performances during 2011, in each of those categories.

PAGE 30

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NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - June 2012

The father of the muscle car bids farewell - Warwick Robinson

W

hen I was a little kid I fell in love for the first time. I can’t remember the exact model or even the colour, but I remember thinking that it was the best looking machine that could ever be made to run on four wheels. I knew then and there that one day, I had to have one.

It turns out that it was a Shelby Cobra 427. I had a similar feeling when I first saw a poster of the fastback GT350 that Steve McQueen drove in Bullit. Only later would I be able to connect the dots and learn about the man behind the legendary cars that I, like so many before me, had fallen madly in love with.

The thing is that Shelby did not design the cars, he did not conceive the lines and fashion the panels, but what he did was give them soul, starting with serious horsepower under the bonnet.

He took a proven design concept and elevated it to a legend. He introduced performance levels that turned already successful cars into every boy’s dream, no matter their age.

Carroll Shelby died last month, after what could be said was a fairly good innings - by anyone’s measure. Not too bad for a former chicken farmer, hotshot racer and arguably the father of the muscle car phenomenon.

Born in Texas in 1923, Shelby first trained as a pilot and then became an instructor himself, without actually leaving the US during the Second World War. According to his official site he

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was known for corresponding with his girlfriend of the time by dropping notes stuffed into his flying boots over her farm.

After leaving the military, Shelby apparently started a dump truck business followed by a foray into chicken farming, which somehow led him to his first official race - a drag race in a Ford flathead-powered hot rod. Only months later in 1952 he took the win in his first ever road race, in an MG-TC, which he also pitted against Jaguar XK 120’s to win twice - on the same day.

As he started building a reputation on the track, he attracted more and more attention, not only for his antics, such as using his farm overalls as his racing trademark, but also from Aston Martin’s Racing Team Manager. John Wyer invited Shelby to co-drive an Aston-Martin DBR3 at Sebring in Florida, in which he nailed a podium finish. Next came a co-driver spot with Aston Martin at Le Mans in June 1954, an invitation from Austin Healy to consult on their cars for the Bonneville flats contest, and a race seat drive in a number of Ferraris. He was named Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1956 and 1957 before his first win at Le Mans in 1959, co-driving an Aston Martin DBR1/300.

The same year he started working on cars for the major American brands, presenting a Corvette performance concept to GM, that ultimately never went into production. Due to a deteriorating heart condition, Shelby completed his

last race in 1960, winning the driving championship as a swansong. But that is where the really interesting part of the story begins. After starting a racing tyre dealership as well as a racing drivers academy, he became aware that UKbased AC cars needed to source new engines for their vehicles. He suggested dropping a V8 into the chassis, and apparently after a dream revealing a name for the car, presented a pearlescent yellow Cobra CSX2000 on the Ford display at the 1962 New York Motor Show.

The legend was born, and dealers began placing orders through the newly formed Shelby American.

1963 saw the cars come into their own with victory over Corvette Stingrays for a first and second place win at Riverside, preceding a four car entry into the FIA race in Sebring, where, although the Cobras set the fastest laps, Ferrari still took the podium. The legendary cars were to begin a rivalry between the Shelby and Ferrari camps. This is said to have originated from Henry Ford II’s promise to “kick Ferrari’s ass” after his attempts to acquire the brand were rejected out of hand by Enzo Ferrari.

In September of that year, the Cobra’s took back the lead with Dan Gurney becoming the first American driver to win an FIA race in an American car at Bridgehampton. Shelby simultaneously started the devastatingly effective Daytona coupe project, with the express aim of creating a car capable of reaching 200 mph down the straight at Le Mans. The Cobra’s dominance peaked

Carroll Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012)

in 1964 with wins over the Ferrari GTOs as well as fourth overall and first in GT class at Le Mans.

At this point, Ford asked Shelby to develop a high performance fastback Mustang for them, a reaction to the Corvette Stingray, GTO and Barracuda in the performance war playing out in the market. The first Shelby GT350 race and street versions were built starting a long relationship with Ford involving increasingly high performing Mustangs as well as the GT-40 project. The fleet of Shelby Cobras and Mustangs took more and more podiums, ultimately nailing a “take-that” 1-2-3 win at Le Mans with the GT-40 in 1966, vindicating Ford’s competition against Ferrari.

The next few years were the glory years with various iterations of the hugely successful cars, but all good things come to an end with Ford terminating its relationship with Shelby in 1970. The challenging responsibilities of its performance partners started giving way

to environmental challenges that, while less exciting, were becoming more pressing in a world only starting to feel the fuel price and emission pressures.

Shelby actually spent time in SA after closing the Shelby Racing company and spent years developing his “chili” brand spices and making wheels, before joining the Dodge team resulting in the wonderfully named Omni GLH (Goes Like Hell) and the infamous Viper.

Through the years his heart had continually been an issue and in 1990 Shelby had a transplant, the experience started a legacy to complement his automotive contributions. His Heart Fund for children in need of transplants later became the Carroll Shelby Foundation with a broadened mission of charitable work including education in automotive technology. Accolades such as Lifetime Achievement Awards, induction into the Intl. Motor Sports Hall of Fame and Automotive Executive of The Year were heaped on the man as time went on, and after official retirement he continued

to be part of the industry which he had such a huge influence over.

With the re-invigoration of the muscle car phenomenon after 1999’s “Gone in 60 Seconds” Shelby cars became a firm part of the new millennium’s pop culture, specifically with the updated GT500 lookalike “Eleanor” from the movie. 2005 saw the partnership with Ford come to life again after the first new generation Mustang GT500 was launched and new “Eleanors” keep turning up in any petrolhead’s dreams.

The man who became the legend seemed to retain a portion of his casual Texan farmer’s demeanour throughout the adventure that was his life. In an interview discussing the $600 000 the first 2007 car fetched at auction raising funds for his foundation, Shelby laughed about the millions raised at the original Daytona Coupe auctions - “There ain’t nothin as worthless as a used race car. Boy, now I wish we had kept some of those cars!”

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AutoForum - June 2012

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Auto Safety

AutoForum - June 2012

AutoForum - June 2012

Automotive safety news

MISA Careers Awareness Programme makes an impact

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AUTO SAFETY

he Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has distinguished itself over the past number of years by the social outreach and upliftment programmes that the Union conducts on an ongoing basis.

Part of this strategy is to create awareness among senior learners of the wide array of career opportunities that exist in the retail motor industry. As Dana de Villiers, CEO of MISA, quite aptly puts it: “One of the challenges in the retail motor sector is to expose young people to the industry and for them to understand what it actually entails to replace and maintain the approximately 8 million vehicles driving on South Africa’s roads, and that these activities create wonderful career opportunities in our industry. Careers include financial accounting, legal advisors, human resources, engineering, motor vehicle maintenance, motor vehicle sales and support services, automotive body repairers and spray painters. As a country we also have a huge challenge with the high rate of youth unemployment and MISA is committed to play a leading role in resolving this to the benefit of society in general and the youth in particular.”

To this end, MISA organised a Boy/Girl Child At Work Day, which took place in various main

- Robert Kaiser

centres in South Africa on 12 April, whereby groups of selected learners were given the opportunity to visit establishments in the motor industry and were exposed to a stem to stern experience of the operations of their host companies. This proved to be an eye-opener for learners who stood in awe of the processes and functions in vehicle dealerships, workshops, and collision repairers, judging by the feedback received from learners who participated in the programme.

The event was sponsored by the merSETA, as well as Henkel SA, who supplied overalls to learners that visited collision repair establishments. The companies that participated in the programme and opened their doors and hearts to the youngsters, were (in no particular order): Greater Johannesburg, Centurion and East Rand: Sanrose Motors & Panelbeaters, Carello Autobody, Kyalami Autobody Specialists, Arnold Chatz Cars, McCarthy Nissan, Grand Central Motors, Honda Midrand, Wonderwaters Multi Franchise, Renault Centurion, Edenvale Multi Franchise, International Trucks, UD Trucks Magnis, MAN Truck & Bus, Northcliff Auto, IC Auto, Renault Clearwater, Multifranchise Princess Crossing, Monument Toyota West Rand and Constantia Kloof, Audi Centre Sandton, Audi Centre West Rand, Northcliff Multifranchise and Mark White Nissan.

Carello Autobody

Monument Toyota Constantia Kloof

PAGE 36

Robert Kaiser has been intimately involved in the motor industry for the past 25 years. He established Retail Motor Consultants in 2002, a consultancy providing relationship management, marketing and staff recruitment services as well as apprenticeship management programmes and through an associated company, unique Black Economic Empowerment transformation programmes for both large and SME businesses.

Bloemfontein: Oranje Toyota, Magnis Trucks, Imperial GM Bloemfontein Durban: Hyundai Umhlanga, McCarthy Toyota Kingsmead, McCarthy Toyota Durban North, McCarthy Audi Durban, McCarthy Volkswagen Durban Cape Town: Chrysler Jeep/Dodge Century City, Mercedes-Benz Century City The success of the day and the impact it made on learners is apparent when one considers the feedback received

by MISA from learners. Curtis Peters wrote: “MISA really made my dreams come true. The experience I had yesterday was one of a lifetime. I want to thank MISA for giving me more direction in one of our interests, because I am now really thinking of becoming a salesperson and selling cars for a living.” Nico Mostert said:“Graag wil ek u bedank vir die voorreg om gister na Corello Auto te kon gaan. Dit was ’n avontuur om daar te wees. Die lekkerste was om die werk te doen en meer te leer en ook om nuwe dinge te leer van nuwe motors en maniere om hulle reg te maak.

Die mooiste van als was die gebou en werkswinkel wat so mooi in stand gehou word en skoon is. Dis lekker werk maar ook nie maklik nie. Ons is ook baie dankbaar vir die geskenkpakkie wat ons ontvang het.”

Hats off to MISA for being so proactive by reaching out to learners, touching their lives and promoting understanding of the retail motor industry as a serious player in the SA economy and an industry of choice for career seekers.

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AUTO SAFETY

AutoForum - June 2012

Eco-mobility diploma course launched in France

W

ith ever-increasing focus on electromobility and alternately fuelled vehicles, more and more expertise in the field will be needed by automakers, fueling companies and governments alike. In response to this need, the Renault Foundation has launched a new training course that, it says, is the first professional diploma in eco-mobility.

after-sales service; onboard IT systems; and charging infrastructure.

Applicable to students with two years’ further education, and in partnership with the IUT technology institute in Mantes (Université de VersaillesSaint-Quentin), the automaker aims to finance a training programme for students already involved in work-study programmes to enhance their employability. It will also prepare them for midmanager job positions in the fields of electric vehicle design, production and

Students will be selected “on the basis of social criteria” which Renault says will “better foster equal opportunities”.

Applicants must hold a two-year degree in further education or a French levelthree (Niveau III) approved diploma and be interested in science and industry.

The ability to speak French is probably a good idea too. Registration is open until 16 June 2012, on the following site www.iut-mantes.uvsq.fr. Click on the

PAGE 38

As Hélène Mairesse, Deputy Director of the Renault Foundation, explains: “This programme enables us to bring our industrial vision to the academic world in strategic areas such as electric vehicles.”

training course page.

The first 20 students will enjoy an 11-month internship, split between one week of classroom learning for every two weeks of hands-on experience at their host company.

The team in charge of the project at the foundation will adapt to the students’ needs during and after the formal programme, through collective and individual training sessions.

The programme also involves a coaching system to ensure students the best possible chance to find a host company in order to sign their internship contract and also to help them integrate into the job world once they have their diploma in hand.

PAGE 39

AutoForum - June 2012

AUTO SAFETY

MBSA inaugurates Trade Test Centre

L

ast month Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) officially launched its Trade Test Centre, which it explains is the first decentralised Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA) accredited facility of its kind in the region.

The automaker has so far invested more than R3 million into establishing the centre, and has plans for even more investment later this year to help ensure it has the latest equipment for its learners.

The new facility adds to the existing Technical Training Centre established some thirty years ago.

As VP for Human Resources, Johann Evertse, explains: “MBSA can proudly claim a significant contribution to not only creating opportunities for people who would otherwise not have received technical training, but also to alleviating the shortage of qualified artisans in the Eastern Cape. It was this courage and foresight of leadership at the time that still underpins the value system that MBSA practises today.

Subsequently the centre has evolved into a facilitator for wider employment in the Border Kei region, and provides much needed training relief in this area.”

The centre has already trained more than 9 000 people, with 2 000 of them as apprentices, as well as in excess of 4 000 people who have received multi-skill training and 600 managerial trainees.

The testing centre currently accommodates millwright and automotive electrician trades and will in future also incorporate electricians.

PAGE 40

Body repair insight

In association with BodyShop News Asia and Australian BodyShop News

Contents Training success 42 in the collision repair industry

46

UK MBRs get repairing

47

2012 Insurer Survey

PAGE 41

AutoForum - June 2012

BODYSHOP NEWS

BODYSHOP NEWS

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Training success in the collision repair industry

T

he need for skilled technical staff in the collision repair sector, and the lack of training facilities and infrastructure to provide for this need, is a standard agenda item wherever industry businessmen meet. It is also a fact that, despite this widely acknowledged need, many businesses lack the will and enthusiasm to do anything about this. Training is, as we know, not a low cost item on any company budget and requires substantial investment in resources and time. Coupled with this is the challenge to find the right person in whom to invest. Businesses that do want to train find that public sector training facilities serving the collision repair industry are few and far between. Truly, a challenging scenario.

It is against this background that one has to salute the STI Group, a small group of Cape Town-based collision repairers, for not only recognising the challenges, but actually doing something about it. Their story is an excellent example of what can be achieved by a resolute group of employers who realised that they could address a burning industry issue by becoming involved, rolling up their sleeves, digging into their pockets and working together to achieve a common industry objective, whilst at the same time creating career opportunities for capable youths in previously disadvantaged communities. Their efforts led to the

- Robert Kaiser

establishment of a training centre, known as First Car Care College.

This centre is situated at 378 Voortrekker Street, Goodwood. Its success has been such that it enjoys ongoing support from big business, notably BASF and Mutual & Federal, and is a fully-fledged training college with FET status and merSETA accreditation. Hundreds of youngsters from previously disadvantaged communities who were carefully selected to identify the appropriate potential for technical training have, over the past 10 years, been successfully trained in spraypainting and automotive body repair. The training courses offered are NQF Levels 2-4 in Spraypainting, as well as Automotive Body Repair. Students have the option of undergoing training under the Learnership system (completing all the required NQF levels) until they qualify as artisans, or participating in an initial, trade specific, Competency Based Modular training programme.

Having completed the initial training, the students produced by the college are ideal candidates for formal indenturing as apprentices in the respective trades, shortening the time period for producing qualified artisans. The firms who founded the college have, in this way, solved a huge challenge for themselves

“We approached the challenge in the only way we knew how: as entrepreneurs” “The founding members believed that we, as industry entrepreneurs, should deal with the challenge of training in the way we would deal with any business venture, namely as entrepreneurs. I believe that this approach is one of the keys to the success we have achieved,” says Theo von Solms, Chairman of the Governing Board of First Car Care College. “Another crucial factor in our success is that we have, over the past 10 years, had staunch support from important big business partners and here we need to acknowledge, in capitals, the unwavering support of BASF and Mutual & Federal Insurance, who recognised our resolve to make a difference in an area where there is such a need and who put their weight behind us. Without them, we would not have been able to achieve what we have and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their continued involvement.”

Accredited Trade Test Centre for Spraypainters The fully equipped workshop and spraypainting facilities at First Car Care College positioned the college as an ideal facility to serve as a Trade Test Centre for both Spraypainters and Panelbeaters and the college is proud to boast full merSETA Trade Test Centre accreditation. “Our accreditation as a Trade Test Centre for Spraypainters and Panelbeaters was a milestone in the development of our training centre, in that it heralded our expansion into service delivery to the entire collision repair industry in the Western Cape,” says hands-on college Director Jacques Erasmus. “ We have the capacity to be a key regional player in the training of skilled labour in the collision repair sector and are excited by the recognition of the value proposition that is First Car Care College and the rapidly increasing utilisation of our services by the industry.”

Computer Literacy Training First Car Care College has recently branched out further in offering workplace-focused computer literacy training and has a fully equipped training facility, which can accommodate up to 10 learners in one session. “Our aim is to keep classes small to give maximum opportunity for learners to receive individual attention, which makes the training programme much more meaningful. Practice has vindicated this approach and we receive very positive feedback from learners who have successfully completed the programme as well as their employers,” says Erasmus.

Surely a great success story, which just proves that where there is a will, there is a way. Give a challenge to entrepreneurs and see what happens.

First Car Care College is situated at 378 Voortrekker Road, Goodwood, Cape Town.

Jacques Erasmus may be contacted at 021 591 8199 or 073 196 4973.

BODYSHOP NEWS

in being able to source their requirements for trained staff with proven potential. Students are not only employed by the founding members, but are also snapped up by the industry at large as and when they become available for employment. The end result is a huge value add for the collision repair industry and significant upliftment for promising learners from previously disadvantaged communities. who are given not only employment opportunities, but the potential for building a solid and rewarding career in the collision repair sector.

PAGE 43

AutoForum - June 2012

PAGE 44

PAGE 45

BODYSHOP NEWS

AutoForum - June 2012

AutoForum - June 2012

2012 Insurer Survey The South African Motor Body Repair Association (SAMBRA) is currently tallying the results of the 2012 Insurer Survey.

Aimed at motivating improved relations between motor body repairers and insurers, the ‘Best Insurer’ awards, which were initiated last year, are now run annually.

Conducted independently by the Greenfields Institute of Business, insurers are rated by research participants on a number of factors determined as key by the motor body repairer sector (MBR). These include: building relationships with the MBR; covering quality parts; speed of processing claims; means of dealing with problems encountered; communication; staff friendliness and helpfulness; support of green practices; services offered, labour rates and paint rates covered; quality and method of assessments and assessor knowledge; as well as assessment turnaround and payment time.

The survey was conducted online by members of the sector, and we look forward to the results, which we will publish in this section.

UK MBRs get repairing

R

epairers in the UK that are aiming to improve their efficiency and maximise profits are being urged to repair, not replace, under a new scheme being championed by that country’s insurers’ research centre, Thatcham.

The scheme - entitled ‘Ready2Repair’ - is described as having been designed to “maximise repairers’ profits, strip out delays, improve key to key time and delight customers”, by encouraging the practice of sustainable repair.

According to Thatcham, during a typical repair, the first step is damage assessment, following which parts are ordered and the vehicle sits idle in the workshop with nothing being done to it and potentially preventing other cars being repaired. The practice of sustainable repair can prevent this dead time while ensuring that bodyshops get full value from the existing repair skills within the business. Results from an earlier pilot of the programme found that by choosing to repair rather than replace, key to key time can be reduced by as much as 50% and the cost of replacement parts by a similar figure.

Bodyshop Director at BP Rolls, Paul Smith - one of those who took part in the pilot - is a keen supporter of the concept. “Repairing what can be repaired and returning the customer’s vehicle in an efficient manner should be the driver for all bodyshops.

Managed correctly and with the right investment in people and equipment, this approach will improve your business, both in terms of customer service and profitability. Our key to key time has fallen from 10 days to five days in the last 18 months, increasing our capacity to repair more vehicles.”

As part of the scheme, Thatcham has developed specific training in the three key areas, which are now courses that can be undertaken by repairers in the UK - Panel, Plastic Repair and Vehicle Damage Assessor. Each course is designed to cover essential repair processes within the chosen discipline and identify appropriate equipment that will enable technicians to repair nonstructural areas of the vehicle, rather than waste time waiting for new parts and then fitting them.

Each course is also supported with exclusive access to specially designed repair recommendations, covering the most common repair scenarios on volume selling vehicles and demonstrating exactly where repair, rather than replace, is appropriate, achievable and safe.

PAGE 46

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47 Only repair your vehicle at a GM Approved BodyPAGE Repairer!

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Business Forum

AutoForum - June 2012

Business insight

The verdict (and figures) are in - and April was a good one - Colin Windell

T

hat pure common sense prevailed in the way in which Judge Bill Prinsloo dealt with the now famous and historic interdict hearing that resulted in the suspension of eTolls, is well documented. What happens further is pure conjecture at this stage – but could have a significant impact on car sales.

While welcoming the formation of a Ministerial Committee to deal with the GFIP eTolling crisis, OUTA Chair Wayne Duvenage has called for the terms of reference to be widened to investigate the many unanswered questions with respect to SANRAL’s dealings in all contracts and concessions related to the GFIP construction and the tolling thereof.

“We trust the Ministerial Committee will consult widely and seek input from

PAGE 48

OUTA and other organisations opposed to the eToll process, thereby ensuring all matters are raised and investigated with absolute sincerity. Absolute sincerity without prejudice is, however, best obtained through the appointment of a high-powered independent investigation and inquiry, which the Minister would be wise to consider.”

“The committee’s enquiry would also be wise to extend its investigation to include the Wild Coast Consortium, in light of social worker John Clarke’s recent revelations in the Sunday Times, concerning the behind the scenes deals with respect to the N2 Wild Coast Toll road a decade ago,” says Duvenage.

“If people think OUTA’s high court challenge is simply about defending the commercial and institutional interests

of our alliance members, they are mistaken,” Duvenage said. “It is about the values enshrined in the constitution of especially ‘democratic governance, social justice and fundamental human rights’ as the Preamble states.” (Just days later, Nazir Alli - SANRAL’s CEO announced his resignation, after which OUTA commented that it imagined that “the eTolling matter may have been a catalyst to this situation”.

Cabinet then announced its intent to appeal the court’s granting of the interdict.

OUTA confirmed that it had received the affidavits from Treasury, SANRAL and four others, who had lodged papers in the Constitutional Court to appeal the interdict against eTolling of GFIP. Duvenage commented that: “OUTA’s legal team is assessing the affidavits and is preparing responses to defend

Colin Windell is the Editor of Fleet Magazine.

PAGE 49

AutoForum - June 2012 the appeal.” At the time of writing, the organisation had already had three meetings with MEC Ishmail Vadi, the second of these included (and was chaired by) ANC SG – Gwede Mantashi, to discuss and explore understanding of each other’s views on the best funding mechanisms for GFIP.) Nevertheless, the interdict granted in the North Gauteng High Court to halt the introduction of eTolling in Gauteng, was a momentous occasion and a rather historical event for South Africa.

It revealed the need for improved engagement with the public by authorities, when embarking on projects that have a profound impact on its citizens.

The ruling has also engendered much discussion on the subject of the ‘user pay principle’ and has the nation debating the merits and true meaning of this issue.

There is a strange notion that proponents of eTolls (mainly from the state) believe each city’s roads are finite and are only of benefit to the users who live there.

“The fact imports and exports arrive and depart through our ports and along the freeways of Durban, PE or Cape Town, has an immense benefit to so many outside these cities, yet this seems to be overlooked and of little consequence,” says Duvenhage. “Additionally, if the wheels of business are productive in Gauteng - the province that generates far more to the central treasury than it receives in return – the rest of the nation’s citizens should be elated. Gauteng, in effect, supports the building of roads, schools, hospitals and so much more in other parts of South Africa and so the better Gauteng works, the better we all are.”

And herein lies the rub.

Endlessly and mindlessly taxed citizens – and remember just nine million pay the bill – have to run out of money at some point. The same applies to companies. That point is getting dangerously close.

At that point, purchases stop.

PAGE 50

We are not quite there yet, and vehicles sales continue to show growth and the figures released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) show new car and commercial vehicle sales in April registered relatively strong gains compared to the corresponding month last year.

Aggregate Industry sales improved by 4 034 units or 10.5% to 42 617 vehicles, up from 38 583 units in April last year.

This was well above the growth rate in industry total sales of 6.9% for the first four months of the year.

Overall, 90.7 % or 36 671 units represented dealer sales, 4.1% to industry corporate fleet sales, 2.8% represented sales to the vehicle rental Industry and 2.4 % sales to Government. From a seasonal perspective, sales to car rental companies were expected to improve from June 2012 onwards, as the car rental industry started to re-fleet.

Sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini buses, at 11 028 units during April 2012, reflected an increase of 741 units or 7.2% compared to the 10 287 light commercial vehicle sales during the corresponding month last year, while medium commercials went up 12.5% and heavies by 2.9%.

“April, typically one of the shorter trading months of the year, showed growth year-on-year when comparing daily retail sales rates,” says Malcolm Gauld, GMSA’s Vice President Sales and Marketing. “This rate may well be over-stated when factoring in last year’s supply constraints resulting from the natural disaster which affected Japan in March 2011.”

“One can also see a high percentage of the current market activity being driven by new model launches and highly competitive trading positions. The short-term outlook suggests this trend may continue, with indications that it will moderate to deliver single digit industry growth for the year.”

In April 2012, 29 517 new passenger cars were sold in South Africa, a decline

of 24.3 % when compared to March 2012 and a growth of 12.1% against the same period in 2011. The month-onmonth sharp decline was caused by the number of holidays during the month of April and was amplified by strong new car sales in March.

“The somewhat more robust performance of the new car market so far in 2012 is reflected in similar developments in the broader economy. The Reserve Bank’s leading indicator of economic activity has been improving slowly but steadily since August 2011.

It is currently back at a level equivalent to April 2011, suggesting modest but sustainable and ongoing growth through 2012. The RMB/BER business confidence indicator for the first quarter 2012 is in positive territory and the Kagiso purchasing managers index remains in expansionary territory,” says Mike Glendinning, Director: Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa.

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PAGE 51

AutoForum - June 2012

Targeting your market

A

target market is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts, and ultimately its merchandise, towards.

Companies that try to be all things to all customers are sure to fail. Here is a business guide from Inc.com on how to focus on your target market.

Huge, profitable companies like Walmart and Amazon didn’t start as the all-encompassing retailers we know today. Each debuted with a very specific focus that helped them find and nurture a strong customer base. Walmart originally catered to shoppers in rural areas where there was a dearth of options for low-cost goods; Amazon famously limited itself to just books for years before expanding into selling everything from DVDs to motorcycle gear.

Whatever market you’re in, you’ve likely got a lot of competition and static standing between you and the consumer. Narrowing your focus to one specific demographic or slice of the marketplace gives potential customers a reason to notice you in the rest of the fray.

“If you’re not differentiating yourself in the marketplace, what happens is the consumer looks at price as being the motivator,” says Susan Friedmann,

PAGE 52

- Graham Bush

author of the books Riches in Niches and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Target Marketing. “And they look at the cheapest.”

its coffee, even though it also sells pastries, tea, and accessories, because it has positioned the company as an authority on good coffee.

If you don’t know specifically which customers you are speaking to, you are actually speaking to no one, says Tammy Lenski, a business mediation expert who has advised clients about successful business through target marketing. “The big danger is that without a target market, it’s like standing in a park shouting in the wind,” she says. “When you have a target market, it’s like standing in a park and talking to a specific group of people.”

“If you’re an expert in your field, people will pay the price tag on whatever product and service you offer,” Friedmann says.

That means you can’t be afraid to exclude certain types of consumers from your marketing or to target your advertising at small groups. Some customers will feel left out, but those are the sacrifices necessary for a successful business, says Greg Head, founder and CEO of New Avenue, a strategic marketing firm.

You can build up credibility by offering information for free through your company’s website or blog: things like tips, industry information, or niche data that will help consumers think of you as a reliable expert in that area, she says.

“Your credibility comes with giving away information,” she says. “If this is the value I’m getting for free, what will I get if I pay for it?”

Entrepreneurs who do this successfully often start by following their passion, Friedmann says. She recalled a massage therapist who loved cycling and found a successful practice traveling with bike tours.

Become an expert in one area One way to hone in on a specific sector is to become an established resource in one area. Starbucks, for example, is able to charge premium prices for

“If you can marry your passion with your profession, that’s a really strong niche market,” she says.

Graham Bush is one of Southern Africa’s leading retail gurus, and over the past 30 years has inspired thousands of businesspeople. He has a relaxed style, and along with his humour delivers powerful and motivational talks and presentations. www.thebushkitchen.co.za

PAGE 53

ADVERTORIAL

AutoForum - June 2012

In the News

One in four cars has worn

M

shocks…

any customers neglect to ask for their shock absorbers to be checked when they take their car in for a service. They hav e the oil tested, tyre profile, depth and pressure and, of course, bra kes all looked at but leave out sho cks – an essential part of the safety triangle of stopping, steering and stability. Most people are not eve n aware of the potential dangers of worn shock absorbers or that the safety of their vehicle, its occupants and other road users is serious ly compromised.

You can do your customers a service by making sure their shocks are ship shape when their cars are serv iced or when their tyres are replaced.

Sur veys indicated that one in four cars are driving with worn shocks – and the drivers are totally unawar e of it. In general, Monroe - the manufac turers of Monroe and Rancho in Sou th Africa - recommend checking shock absorbers every 20 000 km and, if nec essary, replacing both shocks on the same axle. Philip Lutz, Marketing Man ager Southern Africa - Aftermarket Ride Control, urges motorists to hav e their shock absorbers replaced eve ry 100 000 km for maximum perform ance and safety. He adds: “Every second time a regular customer comes in to have their tyres replaced, the fitment centre should convince the vehicle own ers that they also needs to replace their shocks, as tyres are replaced about every 50 000 km.”

Effects on safety and comfort of worn out shock absorbers • Increased braking distance: According to tests carried out by TÜV Rheinland, the braking distance of a fully loaded car at 70 km/h (with a driver and three passengers) reaches 11.3 meters (Automotive Safety Cen tre, Milan).

• Aquaplaning: With half-worn shocks, vehicle aquaplaning already star ts at 109 km/h in wet weather, whi le if the shocks are perfectly efficient, aquaplaning will star t at 125 km/h (TÜV Rheinland).

• Increased tyre wear: After 9 000 km a car with 65% worn shocks causes a 10% increase in tyre wear com pared to the same car equippe d with

PAGE 54

perfectly efficient shock absorbe rs.

Premature tyre wear translates into increased replacement and runn ing costs, but above all a major redu ction in safety (research study by Mon roe at the Centro Tecnico Pirelli).

• Failure of ABS/ESP: Worn shock absorbers influence the function ing of the anti-lock braking system and the electronic stability program me.

• Decreased road holding: Dur ing cornering or under hard brak ing, the tyres will be unable to prov ide sufficient grip, resulting in a loss of control.

• Headlight dazzle: Worn sho ck absorbers make the car bounce more, which makes it harder to see, increases driver fatigue and blin ds oncoming traffic.

• Car sickness: Worn shocks can be a reason for travel sickness bec ause they are no longer able to abs orb the vibration of the car body.

• Towing: Worn shocks prevent increase pitching or cause inst ability while towing.

To assist our customers in che cking vehicles’ shocks, we have imp orted two additional new Monroe Expert suspension testers, which have been allocated to different provinces for events.

The suspension testers (worth R14 0 000 each) are there for the using, as a service to our customers. Please contact your Monroe District Manage r if you want to run a suspension test ing event at your fitment centre.

Don’t forget that vehicles that have done more than 150 000 km often will also need to have their spri ngs replaced. For a list of the high quality spring applications availab le from Monroe, contact your local Mon roe representative, or phone 011 574 5603 (email: khansjie@tenneco .com).

Remember, worn shocks and springs also translate into sales and, of course, profit.

Check your customer’s shocks every time they come in for tyres, brak es or exhausts, and help Monroe to keep the road a safer place.

For more information abo ut Monroe shock, spring s and other components, visit www.monroe.co.za or contact Tenneco South Africa on 011 574 5603.

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PAGE 55

AutoForum - June 2012

M&A key to global growth A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers has found that automotive mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity was strong in the first half of 2011 and then tapered off in the second half of the year. This followed the European sovereign debt crisis and the natural disasters in Japan and Thailand. The publication, entitled ‘Automotive M&A Insights: Driving Value’, also found that 594 automotive deals were completed

capital that financial institutions had to lend. This resulted in automotive deal activity that was less robust than in the first half of 2011.

Following a boom of economic growth in 2008/9, China and India were faced with escalating inflation rates in 2011.

In order to combat this, both countries adopted measures to drain liquidity from their markets and increase interest

The report also found that despite challenges in 2011, share of disclosed deal values for European and US targets increased from 55% in 2010 to 72% last year. European targets led the trend, with the largest share at 39% of disclosed deal value, compared with 24% in 2010. Deal volume focused on targets in the European Union with a 43% share in 2011.

As soon as the macroeconomic environment improves, we will likely see an increase in deal activity last year, with a disclosed value of $45 billion. This reflected an increase on 2010, which had 520 completed deals, totalling a disclosed value of $25 billion.

At the same time, the European debt crisis and reduction in economic forecasts, coupled with changes in the financial regulatory environment, also increased the global cost and availability of capital. Capital requirements imposed by the US and European stress tests further reduced the availability of

PAGE 56

rates. As a result, economic growth and automotive sales in these two large markets slowed considerably.

Without the anticipated rapid growth from these two markets, declines in Europe and other markets significantly lowered expectations for recovery of global auto production and sales volumes, which directly impacted the attractiveness of automotive sector M&A.

According to Paul Elie, US Automotive Transaction Services Leader: “The auto industry is primed for growth in M&A in the next few years. Since the second half of 2011, dealmakers have approached the market with increased conservatism given the looming economic challenges in the EU and uncertainty in the regulatory environment. As soon as the macroeconomic environment improves, we will likely see a wave of pent-up demand resulting in increased deal activity.”

The PwC report also shows that M&A deal volume among vehicle manufacturers declined 5%, with 86 deals closing in 2011, compared to 91 deals in 2010.

Disclosed deal value in the vehicle manufacturing segment increased slightly over 2010 to $15 billion in 2011, from $12 billion in 2010. It also found that M&A deal activity among component suppliers increased 9% to 303 deals closed, compared to 278 in 2010.

Disclosed deal value in the supplier segment grew to $10 billion compared to $4 billion in 2010.

Other automotive segments such as retail, aftermarket, rental/leasing and wholesalers realised a significant growth of 36%, totalling 205 deals in 2011, compared to 151 deals in 2010. Disclosed deal value significantly increased by 131%, totalling $19 billion in 2011, compared to $8 billion in 2010.

In terms of a regional snapshot, share of disclosed deal values for European and US targets increased from 55% in 2010 to 72% in 2011. European targets led

the trend with the largest share at 39% of disclosed deal value compared with 24% in 2010. Deal volume was also focused on targets in the European Union with 43% share in 2011.

Share of disclosed deal value for US targets was uncharacteristically high in the first half of 2011, accounting for 49% of global disclosed value. However, the trend reversed in the second half of the year, with the US targets’ share of disclosed deal value declining sharply to less than 20%.

Consistent with historical trends, the European Union was the largest regional acquirer in terms of disclosed deal value and deal volume during the first half of 2011. However, the continued sovereign debt crisis reduced the EU buyers’ share of global deal volumes from 45% in the first half to 38% in the second half.

Additionally, the report found that increasing competition from foreign companies is driving locals to pursue

M&A deals as a strategic alternative to developing in-house technology.

Key technologies in propulsion, safety, advanced electronics, and materials will likely experience the greatest interest among emerging Asian players.

Elie continues: “As soon as there is more confidence in the market, we will likely see an increase in deals aimed at acquiring talent, technology capabilities, and market access as strategic buyers position their businesses for long-term success.”

Looking ahead, global automotive deal activity is positioned for growth in the next few years - largely attributable to a rise in fiscally sound strategic buyers with significant cash reserves and private equity buyers with large amounts of uninvested capital and a need for investment exit strategies. Equally important is the growth in light vehicle output, which is expected to reach 79.7 million units in 2012 and 86.2 million units in 2013, according to PwC’s Autofacts.

PAGE 57

AutoForum - June 2012

INNOVATIONS

AutoForum - June 2012

The latest automotive technology

New HD common rail system

INNOVATIONS

D

PAGE 58

elphi has launched new high pressure heavy-duty common rail systems that, it claims, combine class-leading injector design, configurable pump layout and sophisticated air and fuel control strategies as well as a highly-flexible, modular solution for engines between 7 and 16 litres displacement.

The new heavy-duty common rail system will be available in three configurations: two so-called Distributed Pump Common Rail Systems (DPCRS), in which the pressure is provided by a number of separate pumping units, and a Remote Pump Common Rail System (RPCRS), which is similar to traditional common rail layouts.

The technology - which has been in development since 2005 - initially runs at 2 700 bar injection pressure, but can operate at up to 3 000 bar, which means that it will meet the requirements of future legislation that might limit the permissible CO2 emissions from heavy commercial vehicles, beyond Euro VI. As Engineering Director, Delphi Heavy-Duty Diesel Systems, David Draper explains: “For Delphi, Euro VI represents evolution, not revolution. We have substantial experience with very high pressures and already manufacture some of the most sophisticated control valves available. Combining this with innovative new architectures and control systems has allowed us to significantly reduce the cost of Euro VI compliance for our customers while continuing to improve fuel economy and CO2 emissions.”

The company explains that DPCRS technology is ideal for engines currently using Electronic Unit Injector (EUI) systems or Electronic Unit

Pump (EUP) systems, thanks to the installation envelope remaining the same as that for Delphi’s current products. The ultra-high rail pressure is provided by a flexible number of separate pumping elements that can operate from either cam-in-block (F2P system) or camin-head (F2E system) engines. The overhead cam arrangement allows all high-pressure elements of the system to be contained within the rocker cover and neither system requires significant change to the castings of an engine already using EUI or EUP. Of particular interest is the use of a latching outlet metering valve (OMV) on each of the pumping elements - a first in the heavy-duty diesel market. The new technology also features digital control of the pumping elements by their individual OMVs that produces an exceptional transient response, typically 0.2 s for a 2 000 bar increase. It also means selectable displacement functionality.

Delphi continues that the improved spray penetration and in-cylinder mixing achieved with high rail pressures results in significant reductions in smoke and NOx emissions, when operating at high EGR levels. Its own engine tests have demonstrated a 50% smoke reduction combined with engine-out NOx levels less than 2 g/kWh. Says Draper: “The key challenge for the Euro VI injectors is ensuring exceptional fueling accuracy at very high pressures, with no significant change over the lifetime of the system. Our new system has been proven to comfortably meet our service life target of 1.6 million km.”

Advertorial

New Version of Bosch ESI[tronic] workshop software released with simplified operating concept • ESI[tronic] 2.0 released with simple, clearly structured interface, • Switch between different types of information with just a click of the mouse, • Standardised ESI[tronic] interface for passenger and commercial vehicles.

B

osch has made a number of changes to the operating concept of the world’s leading workshop software ESI[tronic], making it much simpler to use and giving it a clearer structure. The new interface of ESI[tronic] 2.0 takes the user to the information they require in fewer clicks of the mouse. The system search provides a clear overview of all control units listed by topic, along with all stored errors. Shortcuts allow the user to quickly switch between the different types of information that the Bosch workshop software package offers, for example between the control unit diagnosis and the troubleshooting instructions - and vice versa. What’s more, the ESI[tronic] software packages for passenger cars and trucks now run on a single, standardised interface. The data for ESI[tronic] 2.0 can be updated on a regular basis via online updates, meaning the

workshop always has access to the most up-to-date information.

Less Time Spent on Diagnostic Tasks and Troubleshooting ESI[tronic] 2.0 makes it much easier to use a KTS diagnostic tester, in particular for service tasks, thereby making it more cost-effective too.

But even diagnostic specialists will find that all the ESI[tronic] functions for comprehensive troubleshooting and for conducting repairs on electronic vehicle systems are more clearly laid out. The user can now switch from the diagnosis screen with the read-out fault memory entries, straight to the troubleshooting function, and from there to the component testing screen. In doing so, the mechanic obtains all the relevant information regarding the fault or vehicle system on which he is currently working. With just a click of the mouse, the mechanic can switch back and forth between the different information screens.

When switching to the parts catalog to perform the replacement part search, the vehicle identification code is transferred across as the catalog itself runs on the familiar interface.

World’s Leading Workshop Software – Bosch ESI[tronic] Some 75 000 vehicle workshops in over 100 countries are subscribed to the modular software package, which is available in 24 different languages. In Germany, around two thirds of workshop mechanics use the ESI[tronic] software from Bosch.

The software includes diagnostics data and troubleshooting instructions, repair instructions, test values and work units, as well as wiring diagrams, service schedules and technical data. Each year, around 1 400 new systems are added to the ESI[tronic] data, with as many updates being made to details of existing systems.

Exciting News for workshop owners regarding ESI[tronic] 2.0 launch in South Africa from June 2012 for a limited period of time, any workshop will qualify for a more than 25% price reduction on the KTS 540, 570 promo models with the purchase of a ESI[tronic] 2.0 Mechanical, Electrical or Master packages. For more information contact one of our Bosch or Beissbarth wholesalers (terms and conditions will apply).

PAGE 59

AutoForum - June 2012

INNOVATIONS

New electronic architecture for EPS

INNOVATIONS

U

S-based Nexteer Automotive recently announced that it has developed what it describes as “an innovative electronic architecture for its electric power steering (EPS) systems”. The company believes that this breakthrough will make integration of new electronic features faster and provide greater functional safety.

The company explains that the architecture gives manufacturers a single, customisable 12-volt platform for all passenger vehicle types, from low-cost micro-cars to the highestspecification luxury SUVs. “The industry’s migration from hydraulic to electric power steering as a key part of CO2 reduction strategies has led to record orders for Nexteer’s premium-feel EPS technology in the past two years,” said Laurent Bresson, Vice President Global Sales and Marketing. “The new architecture’s ability to deliver higher rack forces and customised electronic functions will help EPS migrate into new applications, creating further growth for Nexteer and exciting career opportunities for our expanding team.”

As Bertram Moeller, Network Leader Systems Engineering Europe, explains: “The architecture will enable manufacturers to introduce new, increasingly complex steering functions.

Instead of using standardised architectures for different vehicles classes, the single, highly flexible architecture adapts to suit individual customer requirements and future-proof platforms. The architecture also allows us to provide more power to the EPS, so that it can steer any passenger vehicle using a standard 12-volt supply.”

ISO 26262 has been a major driver of this technology, with compliance made more important after recent high-profile competitor product recalls. At the same time, a rise in the number of more complex functions, such as lane-keeping assistance, where multiple systems communicate, has increased the need for new communication structures, such as dual CANbus and FlexRay. Moeller continues: “A few years ago, customer specification sheets contained just two or three steering functions, whereas a list of 20 is now common. The first full implementation of the new electrical architecture enters production in 2013.”

Steering, along with the brake system, is a safety-related vehicle system and is also the primary interface with the vehicle and road surface. The company feels that its in-house software expertise enables it to deliver complex functions based on electronic control of the motor and its diagnostics that improve the driving experience and vehicle performance.

“Functions such as pull compensation, which keep the steering straight on crowned roads, and wheel imbalance rejection, which filters uncomfortable wheel vibrations, have significantly reduced warranty issues for Nexteer customers,” adds Moeller. “The new architecture provides the processing power, functional safety, robust vehicle communication and standardised software required to introduce further functions such as lane-keeping assistance that coordinate with other vehicle systems. This intelligent approach will make it simpler for OEMs to offer customers new functions throughout vehicle lifecycles.”

But why electrical architectures for EPS? The introduction of new functional safety standard

PAGE 60

Richard Rettenbacher is the Eastern Cape Automotive Advisory for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

PAGE 61

AutoForum - June 2012

COMMERCIAL

Footplate for air-suspension trailer

PAGE 62

Catastrophic static failure

T

elescopic trailer supports, also known as landing legs, were alluded to in AutoForum’s April 2011 issue, under editorial covering the sad state of trailers entitled “SA’s orphan fleet: Landing leg malfunction is a costly exercise when a trailer is loaded…”. Man is a keen observer of legs of the opposite sex, but totally overlooks the vital role that trailer support legs provide for cargo security and trailer combination safety.

The general perception is that major accident losses only occur on the road when a vehicle is on the move, but a catastrophic trailer support failure can happen in the yard and static position, just when no one anticipates it.

And it’s a disaster – any personal injuries in a loading yard will involve Occupational Health & Safety Act investigations and could choke other transport operations. On-the-road failure will amount to staggering expenses and lost income in terms of recovery costs and downtime delays.

- Dave Scott

Trailer-support failure is instant – it’s not a process of slow bending moments but a swift collapse of both load and trailer after a truck tractor has been uncoupled. So then, why do trailer supports fail, causing damage, downtime and injury?

A sound starting point is to observe loading and unloading operations. Trailer supports often take a side-thrust beating from forklift trucks during loading. This can cause cracks in the trailer-support structure that appear in the cross-bracing and trailer chassis attachment areas.

Safety is not negotiable. Why, then, do we let badly trained forklift drivers inflict untold damage to trailer supports when they bash trailer side rails, resulting in trailer supports being subjected to high side load forces? Continued abuse damages them to the point that trailer supports cannot retract properly and when forced to retract, damage occurs in the trailer-support gearbox winding mechanism.

Dave Scott is a member of the S.A. Guild of Motoring Journalists, and is a monthly contributor to the press on transport and trucking related subjects. In 2002 and 2003 Dave Scott was the S.A. Guild of Motoring Journalists winner of the category ‘Business Motoring’. As a member of the S.A. Institute of Tribology he takes a keen interest in the application of lubricants to road transport maintenance and the cost of ownership.

His key writing focus is on fleet management including the technology of trucks and road transport.

Swing clearance is critical

The trailer is then operated with trailer supports that, not fully retracted, can hit an obstacle or the road surface, due to insufficient clearance, with serious consequential damage.

Popular South African super-link and inter-link trailers have long front-overhangs forward of the leg-gear to the extent that these trailers are inclined to pivot over the leg-gear and topple forward, resulting in trailer-support damage. In the interest of safety, why not place a steel trestle under the trailer to prevent such accidents and losses?

Here are a few horrors to ponder over: • In recent fleet audit, we revealed a trailer with cross-bracing secured with plastic cable ties in the landing legs! Can you imagine the impact and result that cross-bracing, 1.2 m long and constructed of 100 x 50 mm channel iron, will have coming through your windscreen or through the door of your motor vehicle on the freeway?

• We often come across trailers where the trailer mounting brackets or legs are so badly bent from previous damage that it appears they will collapse when subjected to any extra load or force. Yet these supports are continually used in operating conditions, without any regard for safety or outcome when they do collapse.

A sloppy attitude towards the number and quality of bolts used on trailer supports also drives us nuts: THE INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE • Trailer supports are supplied with 10hole mounting plates - why then are

only six bolts used, or worse still, sometimes only four?

• Bolts must be a minimum grade 8.8, preferably 10.9 – why are untraceable mild steel bolts used?

• Bolts with an excessively long shank are frequently used. Even if the bolts have the correct torque, or tightened by means of standard spanners, the nut reaches the end of the thread, but the bolts remain loose. Bolts are prone to shear under these conditions, with costly results.

Also don’t over-look trailer support feet.

There are a variety of footplates available for telescopic trailer supports. It all depends on the type of operation and unloading/uncoupling surface that will be most frequently encountered. Trailers equipped with air-suspension require a footplate that differs from that of a steel suspension trailer (see picture and caption).

Trailer-support inspection and maintenance should be scheduled and not on an ad hoc basis – it’s a simple yet necessary exercise. During manufacture, landing gear is supplied with adequate initial lubrication. Re-lubrication should occur approximately bi-monthly (depending upon operating conditions) by using the grease nipples provided for this purpose. Prior to lubrication, wind the legs down as far as possible and, during lubrication, slowly wind them up.

And then inspect the supports. During routine maintenance all securing bolts must be checked to ensure that

the landing legs and bracing are still securely fixed to their brackets. The mechanical functioning of the landing legs can be checked by winding the legs down in both high and low gear.

The vertical movement for one turn of the crank handle is approximately 1 mm and 10 mm for low and high gear respectively.

Finally, what about training? Drivers and crew need instruction – especially if a driver ‘donates’ uncoupling to his assistant. Good quality trailer supports are equipped with a two-speed winding gearbox. When operating landing gear under load, low gear (low speed) must be selected. The high gear selection is only to be used during free travel of the leg in mid-air. Landing gear should be lowered in high gear until the footplates make contact with the ground surface before uncoupling a semi-trailer. Only then select low gear to take up the load-strain on the semi-trailer.

And you thought telescopic trailer supports were a minor issue? Think again!

TRADE UNIONS ARE NOT ALL THE SAME !

JOIN MISA AND EXPERIENCE PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Membership is open to all Office -, Stores -, Sales – and Clerical THE INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE

employees, Artisans and Apprentices in the Motor Industry.

(011) 678 6328, (041) 364 0102, (031) 207 7548, (051) 447 5339, (021) 551 2822

PAGE 63

AutoForum - June 2012

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

SA’s top truck

C

onsulting, research and risk management services company PMR Africa, recently held its annual awards ceremony to highlight the top truck in SA. The award results are based on the findings of telephonic interviews with a random national sample of 180 respondents including fleet owners, managers, controllers and transport managers in the private and public sectors, as well as trucking journalists. In the interviews, respondents rate the various commercial vehicle manufacturers and distributors across 28 attributes, on a scale of 1-5, and list the make, as well as type and number of vehicles they operated in their own fleets.

The top scorer, for the third consecutive year, was Hino with an average score of 4.27 points in the combined category (trucks above and below 10 tons), which saw the commercial automaker thus claim another Diamond Arrow.

It also ranked highest in the below 10 ton category, with its 300 Series and Dyna range, scoring an average of 4.23 points. The brand was rated third in the large truck category with an average score of 4.21 and qualified for a Silver Arrow.

The full results were as follows:

COMMERCIAL

Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers – Over 10 tons

PAGE 64

Mean score

Award eligibility

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA)

4.3

Diamond

MAN Truck & Bus South Africa

4.25

Gold

Hino South Africa

4.21

Silver

UD Trucks Corporation

4.15

Bronze

Volvo Trucks

3.65

Bronze

Mean score

Award eligibility

Hino South Africa

4.23

Diamond

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA)

4.14

Gold

Hyundai Commercial Vehicles

4.13

Silver

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

4.07

Bronze

Isuzu Truck South Africa (Pty) Ltd

4.05

Bronze

UD Trucks Corporation

3.91

Bronze

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd

3.86

Bronze

Mean score

Award eligibility

4.27

Diamond

Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers – Under 10 tons

Combined Results for Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers Over 10 tons and Under 10 tons Hino South Africa Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA)

4.2

Gold

Isuzu Truck South Africa (Pty) Ltd

4.19

Silver

UD Trucks Corporation

4.12

Bronze

Mean score

Award eligibility

4.38

Diamond

Dealerships for Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers Hino Parow

New Releases

AutoForum - June 2012

www.AutoForum.co.za

FNB launches high frequency chargers First National Battery (FNB) recently launched a range of high frequency motive power battery chargers to the South African market. The modularly designed chargers are supplied by Enatel Motive Power and are uniquely flexible, making them ideal for almost any motive power battery charging requirement, whether 24V, 36V, 48V, flooded, gel or AGM battery technology.

The high frequency charger systems are specially designed to charge traction batteries and boasts power conversion technology that allows the chargers to operate at up to 95% efficiency. This also means that they use up to 20% less energy, while being a fraction of the size and weight of traditional chargers.

Enatel Motive Power recently won the Innovative Hardware Product Award at the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards, in recognition of its high frequency charger systems - a huge endorsement of the innovative charging methods and acknowledgement of the unique features of the chargers.

For more information, contact First National Battery by visiting its website at www.battery.co.za or call toll free on 0800 1112 600.

AutoZone's new support channels AutoZone has launched a new range of customer support channels, which will see its customers receive product assistance seven days a week.

The range includes the Pit Crew support line 0800 11 22 111, which provides technical support for customers who have purchased AutoZone products. Customers can also email the crew at cic@autozone.co.za or get help via its mobi SMS service on the number 41746, or even just access the new website, which provides vehicle servicing and installation tips at www.autozone.co.za

PAGE 65

AUTOFORUM

DIRECTORY LISTING

After-Marketplace Directory

To advertise your listing in AutoForum After-Marketplace Directory Contact us on 011 466 3733 or Email: info@AutoForum.co.za

AUTO ELECTRICAL Auto Cosmos - Electrolog

Electronic Parts (Electrical) Catalogue

012 327 6210

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Bosch

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 651 9600

First National Battery

Industrial & Automotive Batteries

011 741 3600

MED Motor Electro Diesel

AutoElectrical Components & Accessories

021 505 4000

Parts Incorporated Africa

Automotive Components & Accessories

011 879 6000

Trysome Auto Electrical

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 823 5650

Highveld Garage Equipment

Air Conditioning Specialists

012 330 0540

Macs Automotive

Air Conditioning Equipment

011 498 0700

Snap-on Equipment

Diagnostics Equipment

0861 762 766

Aer-O-Cure

Spray Booths, Chassis Straighteners & Welding Equipment

011 444 6454

BSE

Body Shop Equipment

011 452 9688

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Highveld Garage Equipment

Pressure Washers & Vacuum Cleaners

012 330 0540

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

Aer-O-Cure

Electronic Chassis Straighteners

011 444 6454

Beissbarth

Wheel Alignment Equipment

011 651 9600

Bosch

Diagnostic Equipment

011 651 9600

Diesel Electric

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

08600 03227

Highveld Garage Equipment

Engine Analyser & Diagnostic Scanners

012 330 0540

Macs Automotive

Air Conditioning Diagnostic Equipment

011 498 0700

NAPA/Midas Group

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

Snap-on Diagnostics

Diagnostics Equipment

0861 762 766

Wheelquip

Wheel Alignment Equipment

021 949 0010

Industrial Interlocking Floors

011 873 1292

Aer-O-Cure

Tools & Garage Equipment

011 444 6454

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Beissbarth

Wheel Alignment Equipment

011 651 9600

Bosch

Diagnostic Equipment

011 651 9600

BSE

Body Shop Equipment

011 452 9688

Diesel Electric

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

08600 03227

Highveld Garage Equipment

Tyre & Lifting Equipment & Tools

012 330 0540

Hofmann Megaplan

Complete Range of Garage Equipment

011 472 7279/5954

Integrated Marketing

Sales, Service & Repairs to all Equipment

011 974 2202/3

Ital Machinery

Brake & Clutch Machinery

011 483 3737

John Bean - Snap-on Equipment

Wheel Service Equipment

0861 762 766

Macs Automotive

Air Conditioning Equipment

011 498 0700

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

NAPA/Midas Group

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

Snap-on Tools

Tools & Garage Equipment

0861 762 766

Wheelquip

Wheel Service Equipment

021 949 0010

Alert Engine Parts

Distributors of Quality Parts

021 590 8250

Alfa Brake Drums & Discs

Brake Drums & Discs

011 608 0801/3

AUDI Parts

Genuine OE Parts

086 043 4838

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Bosch

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 651 9600

Diesel Electric

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

08600 03227

Federal Mogul Champion

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 630 3000

First National Battery

Industrial & Automotive Batteries

011 741 3600

GM South Africa

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

080 042 2777

Macs Automotive

Air Conditioning components

011 498 0700

MED Motor Electro Diesel

AutoElectrical Components & Accessories

021 505 4000

Midas

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

NAPA/Midas Group

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

Partquip

Steering, Suspension & Driveline components

011 634 7600

Parts Incorporated Africa

Automotive Components & Accessories

011 879 6000

RAM

Belts & Hoses

011 248 9400

SABAT

Batteries

08600 SABAT

Safeline

Brake Pads

011 549 7333

Tenneco/Monroe

Shock Absorbers

011 574 5603

Trysome Auto Electrical

Electrical Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 823 5650

Victor Reinz

Aftermarket Parts

011 432 2667

VW Parts

Genuine OE Parts

086 043 4737

U D Trucks

Genuine OE Parts & Vehicles

0800 008 800

Auto Cosmos - Electrolog

Electronic Parts (Electrical) Catalogue

012 327 6210

Bosch

Automotive Training Courses

011 651 9600

Diesel Electric

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories, Vehicle Service & Repair

08600 03227

MED Motor Electro Diesel

AutoElectrical Training Courses & Catalogue

021 505 4000

Misa

Staffing Association

011 678 6328

Technica

Automotive Training Courses

011 879 6065

Trade Fair Travel

Travel Packages

031 916 1414

AIR CONDITIONING

BODY REPAIR EQUIPMENT

CLEANING EQUIPMENT

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT

FLOORING Tuff Floors GARAGE EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

PARTS MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS

SERVICES

PAGE 66

PAGE 67