Volkswagen turnaround boss Ferdinand Piech dies aged 82 August 27, 2019 Former Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piech, who has been credited with turning the firm into the global powerhouse in the 1990s, has died aged 82. The grandson of Beetle pioneer Ferdinand Porsche, Piech became Volkswagen chief executive in 1993, transforming it from a medium-sized car maker to an international power. Read more: Former VW boss Martin [...]
Conservative billionaire David Koch dead at 79 August 23, 2019 US billionaire David Koch, a major conservative donor, has died, according to media reports. The controversial industrialist who alongside his brother Charles used his influence and money to help Republican causes, passed away age 79. Read more: Land of the car? Trump slams Ford for backing stricter emissions rules Charles, 83, confirmed his brother’s death [...]
Pressure on England to beat Ireland as Eddie Jones names probable World Cup XV August 22, 2019 For England’s third World Cup warm-up match, against Ireland on Saturday, Eddie Jones has selected a team that almost looks like his first choice XV for the tournament. Only Mako Vunipola coming in for Joe Marler at loosehead prop could make this side stronger. But there is a concern over how reliant England have become [...]
Land of the car? Trump slams Ford for backing stricter emissions rules August 22, 2019 Donald Trump has found a new target for his Twitter ire: the global automotive industry. The US President yesterday mounted a series of attacks on car makers for snubbing his plan to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules, singling out Ford for instead siding with a California state deal which proposes stricter emissions standards. Read [...]
Wales show resilience to bounce back and beat England in physical affair August 19, 2019 For those who say World Cup warm-up matches should not count as Tests, this was anything but a friendly. More than 73,000 came to watch Wales beat England 13-6 on Saturday in a hugely physical battle at the Principality Stadium that saw tempers flare and the hosts become the world’s No1 side. Warren Gatland warned [...]
Electric car charging points outnumber petrol stations August 15, 2019 The number of electric car charging points in the UK now exceeds petrol stations, as an increasing number of Brits turn to electric vehicles (EV). Read more: Car sales stagnate again in July but electric vehicle market share surges There are now 9,300 charging locations, compared to 8,400 petrol stations, according to new data released [...]
Lookers profits splutter as dealership tries to contain sales practice issues August 14, 2019 Problems continue to mount for British car dealership Lookers, as the London-listed firm today said it expects costs to rise as it tries to address problems found with its sales practices. The small cap firm this morning posted a sharp drop in profit for the first half of the year, after car sales were affected [...]
The David Brown Mini Remastered is a small car with a big price tag August 6, 2019 My first car was a Mini. If you’re fast-approaching middle age, yours probably was too. I bought my (t)rusty 1983 Mini City for £325, sprayed go-faster stripes on the bonnet and shoehorned a subwoofer into the boot. After passing my test, I enjoyed one day of glorious freedom, then crashed it in Croydon. Result: a [...]
Business confidence declines in London but firms look to hire August 2, 2019 Business confidence for firms in London fell in June, according to the latest business barometer from Lloyds Bank, but job creation plans nonetheless saw a significant uplift. Read more: Confidence among UK business leaders falls after months of gains Companies were marginally less confident about their business prospects and also reported less optimism about the [...]
Bank of England downgrades UK second quarter growth to zero as Brexit looms August 1, 2019 The Bank of England said UK growth ground to a standstill in the second quarter of the year due to the unwinding of Brexit stockpiling and car plant shutdowns as it chose to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.75 per cent today. In its latest gauge of the economy, released today, Threadneedle Street downgraded its [...]