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The new version of the Halfords Car Parts Guide is now available in all stores. It contains selected highlights for the most popular cars owned in the UK from the 1.8 million part fitments available from Halfords. For ease of use the Guide is separated into simple sections, such as Electrical, Oil and Batteries. Produced twice yearly, the Car Parts Guide is tailored to fit the seasons, and as such this version features a large Winter section. Each new edition of the Guide also contains a competition to win up to £5,000 worth of parts, tools and storage. Entrants have to supply Handy Hints and Tips of the Trade, the best of which are featured in the Guide.
Mahle Streamlines Sales for All Aftermarket Products The Mahle Group is changing the way it services the global aftermarket by introducing a new division to handle the sales and distribution of all products to the aftermarket. This means that support for factoring groups and independent distributors throughout the world will be handled through a single sales organisation. Announcing the new Aftermarket Division at Automechanika, Christian Kühnhold, Director of the new Aftermarket Mahle Group, explained that the aim is to realign the organisation more closely to the spare parts business around the world. Mahle Aftermarket is establishing regional management structures in Europe, Asia, and North as well as Latin America, while a new company, Mahle Logistic GmbH, has been set up to co-ordinate distribution to the four territories. In Europe, a central warehouse for filters and engine parts has been built near Stuttgart. This new facility will directly support the company's central UK warehouse at Wednesbury in the West Midlands, where filters for air, oil, fuel and passenger compartments are held for the UK aftermarket. It was also announced at Automechanika that Mahle has become a partner in Teccom in order to utilise this e-commerce platform currently being developed for the automotive industry. The Mahle Group will be working to implement this new concept over the next few months. Bodyshop Direct Connects with Motor insurers Bodyshop Direct, the integrated computer management system from Partco Group, now interacts with the Motor Claims Management System, a new internet-based, electronic data interchange (EDI) system. The system transmits and receives claims, estimates, images, authorisation codes, messages and invoices between insurance companies and approved repairers providing fast, more efficient communication. The compatibility of the two systems allows insurers to send electronic claim notifications via the Motor Claims Management System, which will activate the claim logging screen within Bodyshop Direct. The estimate, along with images, is returned to insurers for inspection and authorisation is issued. On completion of the job, the final invoice can also be transmitted to the insurance company electronically, speeding up the entire claims process. The module allows insurance engineers to monitor each stage of the claim, receiving status reports to ensure the job progresses quickly. With opportunities to pre-set the delivery of information at specific intervals, the email technology offers the added benefit of being able to operate without disrupting the daily processes conducted on Bodyshop Direct. Partco Invests in Valeo Rotating Electrics Partco Group, part of the Unipart Group of Companies, has invested heavily in its Valeo remanufactured, OE quality rotating electrics range to grow the portfolio by 25%. This development is in response to the rising demand for starting and changing systems in the coming winter months, which enjoy an increase in sales of over 20% during this period due to the stresses and strains placed on the vehicle by the bad weather. Tenneco Highlights Dangers of Worn Shocks on Trucks Tenneco Automotive is urging fleet operators and truck owners to get their vehicles shock absorbers checked regularly in the light of new research to avoid the dangers and high costs of operating with worn components. Tenneco reports the findings of a test by the German Vehicle Inspection Agency (TÜV), which show that a truck and trailer fitted with 50% worn shock absorbers can have a breaking distance of up to 28.3% longer than the same vehicle fitted with 100% efficient 'new technology' Monroe Magnum shock absorbers, when cornering on an uneven road surface. The independent research also demonstrated that the same truck and trailer with worn shocks is more difficult to control in a collision avoidance manoeuvre, thereby extending the risk to the truck driver and other road users. In total, five different tests involving emergency steering and braking manoeuvres were used to determine the exact effects of shock absorbers on the handling performance of a modern truck. All the tests provide evidence that worn shock absorbers greatly reduce the driving safety of a heavy goods vehicle by minimising tyre to road contact. Also if a fleet's shock absorbers are not checked regularly, Tenneco warns, this could lead to high costs incurred in downtime as well as tyre wear or increased fuel consumption. ArvinMeritor Launches New Website ArvinMeritor has
introduced a new Internet site for its Light Vehicle Aftermarket Europe
Division www.arvinmeritor-eu.com will be the new platform of communication between ArvinMeritor Europe and its customers. It offers on-line information and services in five languages, including product news, marketing services, professional information, events and promotions as well as providing regular news on the group's various brands. An e-commerce site is also available for the Ansa Sport range. During the site's launch period, on each connection and during the site visit, points can be accumulated and redeemed in the gift shop. Powertrain Celebrates 25 Years Powertrain is celebrating its 25th birthday over the next year with a large range extension and a consumer-aimed parts promotion. It is marking the anniversary with the introduction of over 5,000 new part numbers and eight new catalogues, bringing the total range to 23,000 part numbers contained within 22 catalogues. It is also planning the introduction of a further six catalogues over the coming months. In addition, customers can take advantage of the Powertrain 'Powerplay 25' scratchcard promotion with every purchase of Powertrain products. This offers an instant win of up to £100 worth of Powertrain products. There will also be the opportunity to enter a grand prize draw offering 25 winners the chance to stay at a Cotswold manor hotel and have a day out involving rally course driving, JCBs, artic dumpers, fire engines and sprint races. Vauxhall Trade Club Launches Filter Offer Members of Vauxhall's Trade Club will be able to pick up free filters as part of its new promotion. Members purchasing four 5 litre cans of Vauxhall's mineral, semi-synthetic or fully-synthetic oil will receive eight VOF93 filters absolutely free. The VOF93 is Vauxhall's most popular filter, fitting the vast majority of petrol applications. Alternatively, members can choose five VOF28 filters for selected diesel applications. There are no limits to the amount of oil Trade Club members can buy or free filters that can be claimed in a single transaction. Nor are there any limits to the amount of times members can take advantage of the offer during the promotion. The campaign also includes a special offer for those customers in the market for 205 litre drums. Trade Club members will receive 20 litres of oil free for every drum purchased. Fourth Northern MasterFit Centre Opened by Pentagon Group The Pentagon Group has opened a new MasterFit service centre in the Derby area, giving it four centres in the north of England. The new four-bay MasterFit Centre in Burton-on-Trent joins existing centres already operated by Pentagon in Ashbourne and Derby, plus one in the Manchester area. Report Shows Fall in Profits for Automotive Goods Distribution A new industry report that examines the financial performance of leading players operating as motor goods distributors reveals a period of mixed results. On average, whilst sales have seen a modest increase of 7.5%, pre-tax profits have fallen by 2% during the three-year period under review. The report, published by the Prospect Shop, shows that all of the motor goods distributors profitability rations have followed the same pattern over the three-year period analysed - an increase between 1996/7 and 1997/98, then a dip in 1998/99 down to a three year low. The distributors' growth was described as reasonable. Average compound sales growth within the industry stands at 4%, while total assets growth shows an encouraging 7% compound growth rate for the period. Companies in the report that show exceptionally good sales growth figures for 1998/99 include Automotive Parts Distribution Ltd with a result of 288%, Pilot Industries UK Ltd with 93% and Harris (UK) Ltd with 53%. All three companies are wholesalers as opposed to retailers. Seven of the ten largest companies by turnover either matched or exceeded the average 4% sales growth figure for 1998/99. Partco Group returned the highest sales growth in 1998/99 at 46%, followed by Finelist Group PLC at 45%. Of the companies with growth lower than the average, only Yazaki Europe reported an overall fall in sales. Hide & Fidelity To Develop More Comfortable Seats
John Gorman, a chiropractor and engineer who developed pelvic support, now provides specialist materials and a consultancy service to aid Hide & Fidelity in adapting existing seats to feature this system. Pelvic support is believed to be much more natural and anatomically correct than lumbar support which is usually featured in standard car seating. Pictured are Andrew McKenzie of Hide & Fidelity (left) and John Gorman, developer of pelvic support. Exide has produced a new catalogue especially for its range of consumer products. The 16-page brochure features Exide's alkaline, zinc and rechargeable consumer batteries, listing sizes and applications in an easy-to-read format. Exide's Super and Premium zinc batteries are now available in new blister card packs with the option of shrink-wrap multi-packs on some Premium sizes. As well as batteries, the catalogue features Exide's range of automotive accessories such as the Heatflash lock de-icer, Dashflash pocket-sized light, as well as rechargeable and 12V quartz spotlights. |
New
Halfords
(previously
known as Arvin Replacement Products Europe).
Vehicle
interior specialists, Hide & Fidelity (Part of Birds (UK) Uxbridge)
reports that, thanks to a recent deal with Gorman Design, it now has
the capability to craft and rework customers' vehicle seats to incorporate
the benefits of pelvic support.