Garage Trader ROI Vol 2 2018

GARAGE IRELAND Vol 1 2018

BRAKE AND CLUTCH RE-LINING NOW AVAILABLE FROM CU-VE-SO

NEW HBA CUSTOM BUILT DISTRIBUTION CENTRE GARAGETRADER

NEW SUZUKI FRANCHISE FOR DUBLIN

JAGUAR SOFTWARE CENTRE TO CREATE 150 JOBS

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TAKE A LOOK INSIDE... www.garagetrader.co.uk

garage ireland Vol 1 2018

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2018

Brake and ClutCh re-lining now availaBle from Cu-ve-so Brak

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new hBa Custom Built distriBution Centre garageTRADER

new suzuki franChise for duBlin

Jaguar software Centre new hBa to Createdis150 JoBs Custom triBut

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Bui ion Cen lt tre

new suz

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2018 Vol 1 ROI

subscriptions: (UK £18.00 Outside UK £27.50)

News

4: Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie has reported that the age of the fleet in Ireland is falling while the size of the imported fleet reaches an all-time high 5: Insurance premiums remain the number one financial concern for Irish motorists according tothe latest Motoring Report from Carzone. Fuel was the second biggest concern followed by motor tax

People

TO ADVERTISE IN THE MAGAZINE CALL: (028) 9278 0099 REGARDING EDITORIAL CALL: (028) 9278 0101 General Manager Gladys Greer gladysgreer@greerpublications.com

Editor

Pat Burns patburns@greerpublications.com Publishers James & Gladys Greer Designed by Shaun Byrne, Design Stics Unit 34 Crescent Business Park, Lisburn, BT28 2GN Tel: 028 9278 0108

Greer Publications © 2018. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Greer Publications.

7: Suzuki Ireland has announced the appointment of Agnelli Motor Park for its new franchise in Dublin. The state-ofthe-art 128 square-metre, six-car showroom on Greenhills Road is the fourth Suzuki retail location in the city, and brings the total number of dealers representing the brand to 22 .

10: HBA in Keady hold a special Open Day to mark the launch of their new warehouse.

43: Rory O’Donnell from Rory’s Auto Spares in Donegal answers our Factor Ten questions 46: Cyril Morrison, Parts Manager at Charles Hurst Belfast is in the Driver’s Seat

Special Features 22: Braking – we look at the latest developments from Brembo, Textar and Juratek 30: Workshops – spraybooth safety tips from 3M while a new resistance spot welder from Car-OLiners is installed at Wrights of Dromore accident repair centre 36: Batteries – always a top seller for the aftermarket as the most common cause of vehicle breakdown across Europe remains battery-related

COMMENT

Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie has expressed its concern that a UK interpretation of its consumer protection laws could see the number of company imports coming into Ireland shoot up.

One million UK car buyers unknowingly bought an ex-rental or company car in the UK in the past 12 months. Now the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled the fact a vehicle was an ex-fleet vehicle constitutes “material information” and should be disclosed to the consumer. The issue raised its head after publication of a guidance note issued by the ASA in the wake of its criticism of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK and Glyn Hopkin in October 2017 for advertising two ex-fleet cars for sale without disclosing that they were previously used for business purposes.

One of the difficulties for the UK dealer network is obtaining information the vehicle in question was an ex-fleet vehicle. While this information is readily available in the Irish market – a Cartell.ie Car History Check will tell if an Irish vehicle was a company vehicle or a taxi/hackney and its tax class – it isn’t obtainable in the same way in the UK. While ex-fleet cars are generally accepted as good purchases given that they will have been well maintained, it is vital that Irish dealers pass the information on to customers.

- Pat Burns, Editor

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NEWS

Age of cars dropping, imports rising

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ehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie has reported that the age of the fleet in Ireland is falling while the size of the imported fleet reaches an all-time high.

Cartell.ie first tracked the average age of all native private vehicles in Ireland (excluding imports) for each month between 1999 and 2017. Between January 2017 and November 2017 the fleet age has fallen by 75 days. Next Cartell. ie tracked the age of imported vehicles into Ireland for each month between 1999 and 2017 and found that between January 2017

to November 2017 the age of the imported Irish fleet has fallen by 112 days as buyers are bringing in newer vehicles.

The overall age of the imported fleet has fallen in 2017 but still stands higher than the native fleet.

The age of the native fleet currently stands at 8.62 years while the age of the imported fleet stands at 9.02 years: which is the youngest recorded age for the imported fleet since July 2011. The overall age of the private fleet in Ireland (native and imported) stands at 8.7 years (3,181 days): representing a decline of 80 days since January 2017.

New MD for Citroen Ireland Pat Ryan, MD of Citroen Ireland

Cartell.ie next looked at the size of the imported fleet in Ireland for every month between 1999 and 2017 and found that the size of the imported fleet is now at an all-time high with 480,606 vehicles registered in Ireland after previous registration in a different country.

The size of the private fleet (native and imported) stood at 2,289,922 on 1st November 2017.

John Byrne, Legal & Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie, says: “The size of the private fleet in Ireland continues to grow but the age is declining: imports are reducing the age of the Irish fleet as

Finance Outstanding on the rise

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artell.ie has also reported that the proportion of vehicles offered for sale (across all years) with finance outstanding is 14.3% - up from 12.5% in July 2017 and 11.5% in January 2017. From a sample of over 5,906 vehicles offered for sale and checked via the Cartell. ie website in 2017 it was found that overall levels of finance have increased 24.3% in 12 months since January and 51% in 18 months since June 2016 when the rate recorded was 9.5%.

John Byrne, Legal and Public Relations Manager, Cartell.ie,

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.M. European Motors Ltd., importers of the Citroën and DS Automobiles brands in Ireland, has announced the appointment of Pat Ryan, as Managing Director.

Pat will report to Paul Tunnicliffe, Automotive Development Director, I.M. Group.

Pat joins with almost 20 years’ experience in the automotive industry. Pat began his automotive career working with automotive supplier Jatco TT, before taking the role of Project Manager with automotive consultants Ricardo, consulting with Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi. Having completed an MBA with UCD, Pat moved 4- GARAGETRADER

buyers move up the years and bring in a car from the UK. Possibly buyers are importing newer vehicles without retiring older vehicles in the fleet – this may explain why the age is declining while the size is still increasing.

The imported fleet now stands at nearly half a million vehicles.

Buyers should be careful when importing a vehicle as it may carry a hidden history from another country – such as where the vehicle was previously written-off or still has finance outstanding on it, or was clocked.”

says: “In terms of the overall picture 14.3% of all vehicles checked with Cartell.ie so far in 2017 have finance outstanding.

This is up from 11.5% in January and 9.5% in June 2016. These are very significant jumps. To give you some idea where we are coming from the levels of finance outstanding was 7% in December 2014 meaning the rate has doubled in three years. A buyer is advised to check a vehicle for outstanding finance as the finance house owns the vehicle until the last payment has been made – the bottom line is that you can lose the vehicle.” back to Ireland, where he initially worked for Nissan Ireland in Sales and Training roles. For the past 7 years he has worked with Volkswagen Group Ireland where he held various positions including Network & Programmes Manager, Head of Sales for VW passenger cars, and most recently Head of Group CRM. Pat succeeds Chris Graham who has held the position since October 2015, establishing I.M. European Motors Ltd. as the new distributor for Citroën and DS Automobiles.

Chris has been appointed Managing Director, Subaru UK.

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NEWS GT

INSURANCE PREMIUMS TOP CONCERN FOR IRISH MOTORISTS

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nsurance premiums remain the number one financial concern for Irish motorists according tothe latest Motoring Report from Carzone.

Fuel was the second biggest concern followed by motor tax.

The bi-annual index which examines trends in the Irish motoring market finds that 3 in 4 Irish people have noticed an increase in their insurance premium in the last year and a third have downgraded their policy due to the cost.

The Carzone Motoring Report is compiled by analysing data from the 70 million searches carried out on Carzone from June to November of this year, as well as an in-depth survey of 2,030 Irish motorists.

Running costs

Just over a third (37%) spend between €120-€200 running their car each month while 15% say they spend in excess of €300 per month keeping their car on the road. Over half (56%) believe the cost of running their car has increased in the last year.

Going electric

The demand for electric cars is increasing in Ireland, 16% of those surveyed said they would consider buying an electric car in the near future. In fact, the number of searches for electric cars on Carzone has increased by over 180% year-on-year in 2017.

This could be due to the fact that a new zero percent rate of Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) incentive on electric vehicles makes them more attractive for businesses. Being kind to the environment was the number one reason why people would switch to an electric car but a lack of available charging points was the key factor in not making the switch. 82% say they do not have access to a charging point

at their workplace and for rural dwellers availability of a charging point is an issue. Just 30% of those living rurally have a charging station less than 5km away.

Over half (54%) would consider buying a hybrid in the near future but only 16% would consider going fully electric. Over two thirds (69%) believe it will be more than 10 years before electric cars make up more than half of the cars sold in Ireland.

The long commute

Over a third (34%) of motorists polled have seen their commute time increase over the last 12 months with 1 in 5 spending over an hour commuting to work each day. Almost three quarters (72%) travel to work in their car and 88% use their car every day. Despite availability of public transport, 69% of those surveyed who live in an urban area drive to work.

Buying a car

The outlook for the motoring industry remains positive going in to 2018 with 34% planning to purchase a brand new or used car next year. Of those that are planning to buy a used car, a significant 30% intend to buy a relatively new model looking at 151 or above. Of those planning to buy a car in 2018, 35% intend to do

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using their savings, 28% will take a loan from the Credit Union and 17% plan to use PCP. When shopping around for a car 74% of those surveyed carried out their buying research online and 77% purchased vehicles from dealerships. The research carried out also cited that urban dwellers update their car more often, with one in five purchasing a car every three years. However, one in four rural residents revealed that they update their car every five years.

Over half (58%) have considered purchasing a car from the UK and men are more likely to purchase a car from the UK than women (68% vs 43%). Price and higher spec vehicles were the key reasons motorists felt they could bag a bargain in the UK but on the downside the hassle of purchasing from the UK and the lack of after sales service were key deterrents.

Irelands Firm Favourites The Volkswagen Golf remains the most searched for car on Carzone, which is clearly a firm favourite for Irish drivers. The most searched for new car continues to be the 172 Mercedes Benz-E Class. Black remains the most popular colour choice (31%) followed closely by white (23%) and blue (8%).

As the interest in electric and hybrid cars continues to grow, the

most popular electric and hybrid makes and models searched on Carzone are, the Hyundai IONIQ and the Toyota Auris.

Commenting on the latest report, Eoin Lally, Operations Director Carzone said: “This our ninth edition of the Carzone Motoring Report, where we examine trends and new topics in the Irish motoring industry, such as electric cars and how Brexit may impact car sales in Ireland.

“Rising insurance premiums remain the key concern for drivers with a third downgrading their policy as a result of these increases. Fuel and motor tax are also amongst the top financial concerns for Irish motorists. However, the outlook for the motoring industry remains positive going in to 2018 with 34% planning to purchase a brand new or used car next year.

“Our research delved into the topic of electric and hybrid cars this year, which revealed that 70% of drivers would consider purchasing an electric or hybrid car in the near future. Irish drivers are becoming more environmentally conscious with the majority stating that the main incentive to purchase is that it’s better for the environment.”

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NEWS GT

New Suzuki franchise for Dublin

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uzuki Ireland has announced the appointment of Agnelli Motor Park for its new franchise in Dublin. The state-ofthe-art 128 square-metre, six-car showroom on Greenhills Road is the fourth Suzuki retail location in the city, and brings the total number of dealers representing the brand to 22.

The contemporary and spacious premises in Tallaght house Suzuki’s entire model range, spanning the Celerio city car to the flagship S-Cross crossover, and the accessible external forecourt offers a further selection of Approved Used models. Agnelli Motor Park’s Suzuki customers are hosted by an experienced team with dedicated leasing and finance specialists, and

visitors to the site equally have access to a hospitality area complete with Wi-Fi and refreshments.

Furthermore, Agnelli Motor Park is a Suzuki Service Centre that adheres to Suzuki’s Service Promise.

Customers will benefit from, amongst other advantages, pricing that is transparent, the use of genuine parts during any maintenance or repair work, and a complementary health check on every visit.

Declan Maguire, Network Development Manager for Suzuki and Michael Kerslake, Dealer Principal of Agnelli Motor Park.

Dale Wyatt, Director of Automobile at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “Agnelli Motor Park is one of the busiest motor retailing outlets in Dublin and brings over 20 years’ experience of delivering

exceptional service to local motorists.

Therefore the group was seen as the perfect fit to fulfil our objective of going into next year with an even

stronger brand presence in Ireland.

We look forward to a long and successful working relationship with Agnelli Motor Park.”

Skoda specialists set for Barcelona

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ix Škoda employees from across Ireland have been selected to represent Ireland at the international finals of the Škoda Challenge in Barcelona later this year, having battled it out at the Irish National Final before Christmas.

Team Škoda Ireland will compete against 35 countries at the International Finals, which are in their eighth year. Ireland will be represented by Paul Bruton and Marc Gorman from Cork, along with Darragh Smith from Cavan, Robbie Matthews from Naas, Eoghan Watson from Dublin and David Mullane from Galway.

The ŠKODA Challenge has become a prestigious benchmark for measuring the qualities of the best employees in the global ŠKODA network and Ireland will be represented in six different categories: Parts & Accessory Sales Person; Service Advisor; Service Technician; Sales Consultant, Diagnostic Technician and new for 2017, Sales Manager.

Paul Bruton is a Diagnostic Technician with over 22 years’ experience, all of which have been spent with Noel Deasy Škoda in Cork. This is the second year

that Paul has won, having won this category last year.

This is Marc Gorman’s first time entering the competition and won the Sales Consultant Category having only joined Noel Deasy Škoda earlier this year.

Previous to this Marc worked in sales for a tyre supplier having started his career as a mechanic in the Naval Service.

David Mullane won the Service Advisor category for the second time having previously been successful in 2014.

Dave has over 20 years’ experience in the motor industry, having worked in various dealerships both in Ireland and abroad before moving to Monaghan and Sons five and a half years ago.

Darragh Smith won the Parts & Accessory Salesperson category for the second time in a row.

Darragh started in Brady’s Škoda,

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Cavan four years ago, training as an apprentice technician before moving to the Parts Department in September 2016.

This is the first year that a Sales Manager category has been included in the national final and Robbie Matthews from Western Motors Škoda is the inaugural winner. Robbie joined Western Motors in November 2007 and became Škoda brand manager in

October 2012. Robbie has a track record of performance having previously being named as Škoda Salesperson of the Year in 2013.

Eoghan Watson started his career in Crash Repairs before commencing his motor technicians’ apprenticeship in, 2006. He joined Annesley Williams in 2013 as a Service Technician and has worked for the last four years.

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NEWS

JAGUAR LAND ROVER HAS CONFIRMED PLANS TO OPEN A SOFTWARE ENGINEERING CENTRE AND CREATE 150 JOBS IN SHANNON.

The new Jaguar I-Pace

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orking alongside Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering team in the UK, the Shannon facility has an important role to play in realising the company’s vision for electric and automated driving vehicles. It will develop new technologies to support electrification and selfdriving features on future Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover has selected Shannon as it is globally recognised as a centre of excellence for current and future software engineering talent.

Nick Rogers, Executive Director of Product Engineering, said: “Technical innovation lies at the heart of Jaguar Land Rover and our innovation is continuous. The new facility provides an exciting opportunity for us to pioneer future autonomous and electrification technologies. The heart of our business will always be in the UK. The creation of a team in Shannon strengthens our international engineering capabilities and complements our existing team of more than 10,000 engineers based in the UK.” Supported by the Irish Development Agency, the Shannon team will start by developing the next generation of electrical architecture as well as exploring

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advanced driver assistance systems features for future vehicles.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen said: “This is a great boost for Shannon, Co. Clare and the Midwest Region. Jaguar Land Rover are iconic brands which have endured through innovation and staying ahead of their competitors.

This new software engineering centre will bring 150 new high quality jobs to Shannon. The region has much to offer with qualified and talented people and I wish Jaguar Land Rover and its team well in its endeavours.”

CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan said: “This is excellent news. Having a globally recognised company of such international standing will greatly enhance Shannon’s reputation as a Centre of Excellence for such business.

The 150 jobs will be of significant benefit to Clare and the Midwest region. Attracting investment into regional locations is a key focus for IDA Ireland and this project shows how the particular strengths of regional locations can be harnessed to attract investments. I wish Jaguar Land Rover every success.”

As a part of this development, Jaguar Land Rover has agreed a

partnership with online education provider Udacity, which specialises in courses such as automated driving, artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics. These courses will provide the skills to support Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering capabilities and ongoing technological innovation.

Jaguar Land Rover is working towards a cleaner future and all new vehicle lines will be offered with the option of electrification from 2020, giving customers even more choice. It will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across the model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles. The first fully electric performance SUV, the Jaguar I-PACE, goes on sale in 2018.

Jaguar Land Rover is developing fully- and semi-automated driving technologies to offer customers a choice of an engaged or autonomous drive, while maintaining an enjoyable and safe driving experience. The company’s vision is to

make automated driving viable in the widest range of real-life, on- and off-road environments and weather.

Jaguar Land Rover is looking for software engineers with experience in a range of disciplines such as artificial intelligence, safety critical systems and vehicle architecture.

Nick Rgers, Exective Director of product Engineering at Jaguar

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NEWS GT

SUZUKI IRELAND AWARDS S

uzuki Ireland has recognised three dealers within its network for their contribution and loyalty to the brand at its recent award ceremony, which took place at the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin.

The long service awards were presented by David Kateley, General Manager for Sales Operations at Suzuki GB PLC, and Michael Mc Barron, National Sales Manager for Ireland at Suzuki GB PLC, to the following dealerships against the backdrop of the all-new Suzuki Swift supermini: 30 years of service: Railway Garage (Castlecomber, Kilkenny) Gerry Caffrey Motors (Terenure, Dublin 6 W) 10 years of service: Mongey Plunkett Motors (Finglas, Dublin 11) Michael Mc Barron, National Sales Manager for Ireland at Suzuki GB PLC, said: “We would like to congratulate the recipients of the long service awards, and for their commitment to Suzuki over

the decades. These businesses have delivered exemplary sales performances, and always go the

B

Merit by the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI). The Bridgestone Order of Merit and the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit

extra mile for customers. We are proud to have them within our network, and we look forward to

many more years working with them.”

BRIDGESTONE SPONSOR GOLF ORDER OF MERIT ridgestone has been announced as the new title sponsor for the men’s and boys’ international Orders of

recognise the highest performers in Irish golf across the season.

Bridgestone has a long association with golf internationally including the Bridgestone Invitational in the US and through its golf equipment company, Bridgestone Golf. More recently in Ireland and the UK, Bridgestone Tyres has sponsored events on the European Challenge Tour including L-R - Alex Gleeson, Colm Conyngham (Marketing and Public Relations The Northern Manager, Bridgestone Tyres, Ireland), Ronan Mullarney and Caolan Rafferty.

Ireland Open,

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The Bridgestone Challenge (UK) and has also been an official partner of the European Tour’s British Masters.

“As Ireland is arguably one of the most successful golfing nations on the planet, it is logical for Bridgestone, a significant supporter of international golf, to become involved in sponsoring golf in this country. We hope our support for emerging golf talent can play some role in helping Ireland to remain centre stage in international golf in the future,” said Colm Conyngham, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Bridgestone Tyres in Ireland.

“We believe our technologically advanced range of tyres will be attractive to both golf players and fans; we hope to increase our customer base in the golfing community going forward,” he added.

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NEWS

EX-COMPANY CAR INFLUX TO IRELAND WARNING FROM CARTELL

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ehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie has expressed its concern that a UK interpretation of its consumer protection laws could see the number of company imports coming into Ireland shoot up.

One million UK car buyers unknowingly bought an ex-rental or company car in the UK in the past 12 months. Now the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled the fact a vehicle was an exfleet vehicle constitutes “material information” and should be disclosed to the consumer.

The issue raised its head after publication of a guidance note issued by the ASA in the wake of its criticism of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK and Glyn Hopkin in October 2017 for advertising two ex-fleet cars for sale without disclosing that they were previously used for business purposes. The ASA in its ruling in that matter stated: “We considered that if a dealer was aware that a vehicle was ex-fleet because it had previously been used for business purposes, then that 42- GARAGETRADER

was material information likely to influence a consumer’s decision to purchase it. Furthermore, if a dealer knew that such an ex-fleet vehicle was used by multiple users, then that too, was material information for consumers to make an informed decision.”

Following the ASA ruling in October 2017 Gateshead Council Trading Standards ruled against Peugeot Citroen Retail UK in January for an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 when a customer bought a car in January 2017 for around £10,000 and was told at the time of sale that the car had had one previous owner, when in fact the previous owner was an international car hire firm.

The company pleaded guilty to the offence and were fined £5,000 plus costs of £500. The court also ordered the company to pay the customer £1,000 in compensation.

Cartell.ie is concerned that the fallout from the Hopkin decision and the Peugeot Citroen Retail UK case may result in an influx of exfleet UK vehicles into Ireland.

Jeff Aherne, Director, Cartell. ie, says: “Our biggest fear is that if the UK motor industry fail to prevent this situation escalating it will be the courts and other regulatory bodies setting the value of second-hand cars rather than the marketplace. The levels of compensation for loss in value potentially awarded in the wake of the Peugeot Citroen Retail UK case could be on a scale which would make it financially attractive to move ex-fleet vehicles out of a developing two-tier UK market and into Ireland – where the benefits of ex-fleet vehicles are better understood”.

Impact on Irish Market

“While the cross-border flow of used vehicles ebbs and flows with exchange rates and other factors, the risk of ex-fleet vehicles flooding into Ireland could have an impact on used values, which are tracked monthly by Cartell.ie in the “Trade Retail Guide”. A UK Trading Standards decision causing

a significant increase in company imports is not something we want to see as the impact on the Irish car market – and particularly on used values – would be large,” Aherne concluded.

One of the difficulties for the UK dealer network is obtaining information the vehicle in question was an ex-fleet vehicle. While this information is readily available in the Irish market – a Cartell.ie Car History Check will tell if an Irish vehicle was a company vehicle or a taxi/hackney and its tax class – it isn’t obtainable in the same way in the UK On the question of values: fleet vehicles are actually seen as a good used car purchase. These vehicles are generally well maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ schedules and are in good condition. Cartell.ie would not be in agreement then with the ASA ruling in the Hopkin case when it dismissed the argument that exbusiness single use vehicles might be at least as well maintained as ex-private vehicles.

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FACTOR 10

Rory O’Donnell, Managing Director of Rory’s Auto Spares Ltd, Donegal

What was your first job?

My first job was in my aunty’s bakery packing orders for customers.

What was your first car and what do you drive now?

My first car was a Mk 1 Fiesta 957cc. I now drive a Skoda Superb.

What music did you listen to on a recent car journey?

Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Picture This.

Drymark, Donegal and still having a successful business 20 years on.

What one law would you make, change or amend?

What is the one thing you wish you could do better?

What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?

Press the pause button, “get organised” then press play and continue life in a more organised fashion.

Plenty! I went to the Hot House Flowers concert in Omagh at the age of 16 with no lift home. Tried to hitchhike but ended up walking for 8 hours to get home.

I would enforce the penalty points for drivers with defective headlight bulbs. It’s very dangerous on the road.

What is your biggest achievement?

Opening Rory’s Auto Spares in

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What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?

Manchester United Football Club

What is your favourite film?

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NEWS

ELECTRONOMOUS HEADS FOR KILLARNEY

Quentin Willson, former ‘Top Gear’ presenter

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n international lineup of experts from the automotive and technology industries will gather in Killarney, this May for Electronomous, the annual forum for topics including electric vehicles, connected car technology, autonomous vehicles, cyber security and more.

The conference, organised by vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie, will discuss how technology is changing all aspects of the automotive world including the rapid development of mobility solutions, as well as other key industry processes such as insurance, finance and sales.

The main attraction of Electronomous is a panel of globally-renowned speakers,

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including Marcus Rothoff, Head of Volvo’s Autonomous Driving programme; Uwe Puetzschler, Head of Car2X at Nokia; Barry Napier, CEO of Cubic Telecom; and Gareth Dunsmore, Electric Vehicle Director with Nissan Europe, to name just a few. The event will be hosted by Quentin Willson, former ‘Top Gear’ presenter and awardwinning motoring journalist.

According to Jeff Aherne, Director of Cartell.ie: “Technology is disrupting all aspects of the motor industry. Electric is replacing combustion and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are paving the way to Autonomy. This is an opportunity for all those with an interest in the space to

understand what is coming”.

Commenting on the event, Quentin Willson said: “Electronomous is a major future transport event with industry-leading speakers, experts and fascinating debates.

If you’re interested in the new era of personal mobility – it’s unmissable.”

Some of the confirmed attendees for Electronomous 2018 include Volkswagen, IBM, Toyota, BMW, Honda, Applegreen, Valeo, TomTom, Audatex, the European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The event will begin with a high-profile ‘Electric Drive’

from Dublin to Killarney on the afternoon of 2 May, with TV & Motoring broadcaster Kirsteen O’Sullivan leading a fleet of electric vehicles on a 300km road trip in the company of motoring journalists and special guests. The drive will give members of the public a chance to see the range and capabilities of EVs for themselves.

Electronomous will also feature a series of pop-up ‘Tell Talks’ over the course of the event, offering a deep dive into a range of automotive / technology issues in the company of international experts.

Electronomous 2018 takes place at the INEC, Killarney, Co. Kerry, on 2-3 May 2018.

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New Car Sales holding steady but diesels in decline - SIMI

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fficial statistics released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that the total new car registrations for the month of February were steady, as registrations were very much in line (17,081) when compared to February 2017 (17,089), while new cars registrations year to date remain -3.5% (54,143) down on the same period last year (56,092).

The new Commercial Vehicle sector showed a mixed result between Light and Heavy Commercial Vehicle registrations.

New Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) registrations were up 6.13% (2,634) on February 2017 (2,487) and year to date are up 6% (9,356).

While New Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HGV) have declined 10% for the month of February (243) compared to the same month last year (270) and are down 11% (646) year to date.

Imported Used Cars have increase by 14.4% February 2018 (8,903) and year to date are 17.3% (17,964) ahead of 2017(15,317).

Commenting on the figures SIMI Director General, Alan Nolan stated

“New car registrations for the month of February delivered a steady performance when compared with the same month last year, however registrations overall remaining 3.5% down year to date. The increase in the light commercial vehicle sector reflects the strong economic growth for businesses, particularly in the local economy, while HGVs which may be more impacted

by Brexit concerns, remain down 11%. The Brexit impact is also visible in the continued growth in used car imports which were 15.7% up in February.

The Diesel market share is continuing to move back toward more traditional levels in new car sales, having reached an artificially high peak of 73% in 2014, it is currently standing at 57% so far in 2018. As a consequence of this shift, as SIMI had previously indicated, the average CO2 emissions for new cars registered this year have increased by 2.1%.”

Alan Nolan SIMI

Johnson & Perrott join SEAT

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EAT Ireland has today announced details of a significant strategic development for the brand as the renowned Johnson & Perrott Motor Group has joined the SEAT dealer network.

Johnson & Perrott Motor Group have acquired Cashman Car Sales, an established SEAT dealership based in Midleton, Co.Cork since 1985. They will continue to operate the business from the existing site on the Cork Road, Midleton until mid-2018 when the franchise will relocate to the landmark Johnson & Perrott Mahonpoint premises beside the intensely busy and popular Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Business Park.

Johnson and Perrott officially

join the SEAT dealer network this month and are already working with the experienced team in Midleton in showcasing the latest SEAT models for 2018 including the all new SEAT Arona and all new SEAT Ibiza, as well as the award winning SEAT Ateca SUV. Founded in 1810, Johnson & Perrott Motor Group is one of Ireland’s leading motor retailers and is owned by members of the Whitaker family, 5th and 6th generation descendants of Mr. James Johnson, who purchased the business in 1860. Mr. Johnson led the company’s venture into the world of automobiles in 1903 when he sold his very first motor car. Today, having recently passed its 200th anniversary, the Group has interests in vehicle hire, motor

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dealerships and fleet management.

On joining forces with SEAT, George Mills, Managing Director of Johnson & Perrott Motor Dealerships said; “We are delighted to join the SEAT dealer network at such an exciting time for the brand.

We look forward to being part of the SEAT team and showcasing the SEAT range to our loyal and new customers in Cork. We have noticed SEAT’s remarkable success in recent years as well as its growing high-quality product range, and are very confident the brand will be even more of a success in Cork under the umbrella of Johnson & Perrott Motor Dealerships”.

Niall Phillips, Brand Director of SEAT Ireland added; “Cashman Car Sales have provided their

customers with an excellent customer experience over the years serving the Midleton and general Cork area and I’ve every confidence that with Johnson & Perrott SEAT taking over the mantle that we will continue to delight our customers in the region.

The addition of Johnson and Perrott Motor Group to our dealer network is a real coup for the brand. They are an organisation synonymous with the motor industry and their experience and expertise will be of tremendous benefit to SEAT in what is an exciting period for us.

They are coming on board at a time when the brand is on an upward curve and boasting the greatest product range in its history and we are confident they will be of real strategic benefit to SEAT.” GARAGETRADER - 45

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