ABP Club Car Body Repair News - January 2014

Below is a news headline summary. The full bodyshop news stories appear on the ABP Club members' forum.

31/1/14 - 15:38		Allianz Commercial launches driver safety white paper for fleet and company drivers

31/1/14 - 15:28		CBI - "companies should publish their payment policies online...we need a universal culture of prompt payment"

31/1/14 - 15:23		Ageas - new advertising campaign aimed at brokers called "Hello to more products doesn’t mean goodbye to great service’"

31/1/14 - 15:07		India: Global-NCAP tests show that all of India's small cars scored zero in crash tests; safety-levels 20 years behind Europe

31/1/14 - 14:59		Direct Line Group - granted licence from SRA to operate DLG Legal Services (in conjunction with Parabis Law) as an ABS

31/1/14 - 11:09		Bluegrasscoms - VISION roll-out gathers pace

31/1/14 - 10:42		Ford issues Insight - a new quarterly e-magazine

31/1/14 - 09:47		BGL Group agree five-year deal with Towergate to manage motor claims

30/1/14 - 20:57		Renault & Nissan - confirm details of intergating Purchasing, R & D, Manufacturing & Logistics and HR to save £3.5 billion a year

30/1/14 - 20:42		GoUltraLow - new campaign launched by Nick Clegg to promote Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV)

30/1/14 - 18:02		VBRA - publish their response to the Competition Commission's "Possible Remedies"

30/1/14 - 14:59		WBC Automotive - invests £1.7m in new high-tech HQ in Bristol; 10 new staff taken on to meet demand

30/1/14 - 14:07		Ireland - Minister to introduce “Death Certificates” for written off vehicles and to deal with "clocking"

30/1/14 - 12:58		EU has secret plan for police to be able to 'remote stop' cars made after 2020

30/1/14 - 09:45		USA - Insurer parts procurement prohibition legislation reintroduced by Maryland

30/1/14 - 08:37		Claims - numbers fall since April's referral fee ban, but average damages paid out has increased; overall drop in net claims costs

30/1/14 - 08:30		Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) - new holding co; listed in New York and Milan; resident in UK for tax purposes; "organised" in Netherlands

30/1/14 - 08:23		Vauxhall - celecbrate 100th ATA bodyshop technician via the GM Academy and MISC

30/1/14 - 08:09		Lake Market Research - 2.5 million cars are still uninsured in UK; very few customers change insurer due to poor claims experience

30/1/14 - 07:16		Australia: Gemini acquire 2 more sites in Pert area and announce plans for 10 acquisitions

29/1/14 - 16:18		Road fuel prices - petrol and diesel at lowest price for 3 years

29/1/14 - 14:21		Nissan - new taxi-for-London will have final assembly in Coventry

29/1/14 - 14:16		MORE TH>N - launch telematics app for experienced drivers in conjunction with ingenie

29/1/14 - 09:34		BusinessCar Awards - winners include AA Accident Management, Zurich Insurance, Alphabet and Autoglass

29/1/14 - 08:08		AA - join British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA)

29/1/14 - 08:05		Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) - publish stats for last quarter on volume of complaints they have received relating to insurance

29/1/14 - 07:21		ABI - bill for insurers for storm and flood damage over Christmas 2013 and the New Year period set to cost £426 million

28/1/14 - 19:39		Drive Bristol Central first to sign-up for AutoRaise with S&B Automotive Academy

28/1/14 - 19:26		Farécla - sample G Sand fine abrasives, now all in one wallet

28/1/14 - 19:17		UK insurers continue to press for whiplash reforms despite the falling cost of motor premiums

28/1/14 - 10:57		Fix Auto UK - appoint Rashpal Bains as financial contoller

28/1/14 - 10:44		Government - official stats show UK economy is growing at fastest rate since 2007

28/1/14 - 07:49		ABP Club Spring B2Bs - Win tickets to the British Grand Prix 2014 with Brown Brothers Distribution

27/1/14 - 18:02		2014 British Bodyshop Awards - over 500 places booked in first two weeks

27/1/14 - 17:39		London parking wardens - Inside Out reveals the 'dirty tactics'

27/1/14 - 13:38		Good Garage Scheme - Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) clear Forté Lubricants over TV ad

27/1/14 - 11:27		ABP Club takes to the road for Spring Business-to-Business Forums and Expos

27/1/14 - 11:27		Thatcham's Peter Shaw to highlight technology in vehicles in keynote address at Motor Claims 2014

27/1/14 - 10:36		ABI - ABP attend launch of their new motor premium index showing that average premium paid fell 8.9% in last year to £370

27/1/14 - 10:08		ABI - comprehensive motor insurance cost fell by 9% in 2013

27/1/14 - 08:34		Renault & Nissan - to save $4 billion a year by combining the two companies manufacturing and R & D functions

27/1/14 - 01:55		Credit Hire GTA - two companies withdraw this month from agreement; The Motor Claim Line and Motor Support

26/1/14 - 11:55		ScheduleBoss - a new innovative business planning system is launched

26/1/14 - 10:44		USA: Ford - offers US dealer bodyshops 20% discount on special equipment to repair new aluminium F-150

25/1/14 - 10:28		Crash for cash - Fraudsters jailed for half a million pound scam

24/1/14 - 13:33		BMW - new 5-series, G30, (due summer 2016) will be a mix of high-strength steel, aluminium and carbon fibre

24/1/14 - 11:18		Growing pothole problems are costing motorists a staggering £1.2 billion per annum, says Halfords

24/1/14 - 10:40		HgCapital acquire majority stake in Zenith Vehicle Contracts to go with Leasedrive which they bought in December

24/1/14 - 10:34		Competition Commission - appeals against any decisions would be heard by the Competition Appeal Tribunal

24/1/14 - 10:21		North East Accident Repair Centres repositions its brand and launches new interactive website

24/1/14 - 09:28		AM magazine - finalists for their awards; to be held on Thurs 20 Feb

23/1/14 - 14:37		Mercedes - EU begins legal action over their continued use of the banned R134a refrigerant

23/1/14 - 14:28		Zurich - appoint Saad Mered as Chief Claims Officer for its global general insurance business

23/1/14 - 14:12		Smart bodyshop has a successful start

23/1/14 - 09:05		AA's latest Insurance premium index shows car premiums plunge by a record 14.1% over the last year

23/1/14 - 08:50		Women's Automotive Group looks to build on early success

23/1/14 - 08:37		ABP’s Tracy Jesson in wild mud run for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity

23/1/14 - 07:18		Aviva - finance director, Pat Regan, leaves after 4 years to join QBE Australia

23/1/14 - 07:08		Nationwide - trading update; improved performance in second half of year; increased fleet penetration

23/1/14 - 00:17		SMMT - UK car manufacturing hit 6-year high in 2013 with over 1.5 million made and 80% of them exported

22/1/14 - 15:35		Admiral teams-up with Wunelli in a bid to reward safer driving

22/1/14 - 15:00		Roberlo introces Flash to aid drying times

22/1/14 - 14:54		Markerstudy - it's a toy story as brokers receive customised mini motors

22/1/14 - 12:27		AW Repair Group bolsters customer marketing team

22/1/14 - 12:23		Government - unemployment falls again; average earnings up just 0.9% in last year

22/1/14 - 11:30		Glasgow - Commonwealth Game s this summer threaten major disruption; FTA running conference to help planning for affected firms

22/1/14 - 11:10		Competition Commission - BIBA publish their response submision; "no concerns with repair quality"... "claims management costs are too high"

22/1/14 - 10:51		Fitch Ratings - "stabilising UK motor premiums won't halt underwriting losses in 2014....expect increased focus on cutting expenses"

22/1/14 - 10:13		USA; minicars fare badly in latest IIHS "small-overlap" crash tests; Chevrolet Spark only one to get top rating

22/1/14 - 09:53		S & B Bristol - become second training provider to deliver the AutoRaise apprentice programme; briefing on Thurs 6 Feb

22/1/14 - 09:03		Does the Co-op's decision to retain its general insurance arm signal a revival?

22/1/14 - 08:43		Fix Auto Trowbridge - open for business

22/1/14 - 07:28		PSA Peugeot Citroen - board confirms deal to sell stake in business to Chinese Dongfeng Motor

21/1/14 - 23:36		USA: Ford - facing challenges with its new aluminium F-150 (the best selling vehicle in America)

21/1/14 - 23:36		USA: Ford - reveal tools and training plans for the 2015 F-150 vehicle

21/1/14 - 22:41		Chrysler - is now an Italian company as it is now wholly owned by the Fiat Group

21/1/14 - 16:37		Post mag - intelligent vehicle repair allocation; includes quote from ABP

21/1/14 - 16:25		Telematics - 296,000 live policies in UK in 2013 , up from 180,000 in 2012 say BIBA

21/1/14 - 12:41		Air Conditioning - BSI issues qualifications update

21/1/14 - 12:24		IFB - record numbers of insurance fraud reported by the public

21/1/14 - 12:14		'Mega trucks' up to 82 foot in length and 60 tonnes could enter Britain under EU proposals

21/1/14 - 11:20		Crash for cash caught on camera

21/1/14 - 10:41		British Bodyshop Awards - over 350 places booked in the first week - all but one premium tables have been booked!

21/1/14 - 10:21		Road fuel sales - hit all-time low in 2013; however petrol sales were all-time low while diesel sales were all-time high

20/1/14 - 22:51		Acromas - begins process of floating Saga by inviting its customers to become shareholders

20/1/14 - 22:00		Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) - Wendy Williamson (ex SMMT) to replace Brian Spratt as chief executive

20/1/14 - 20:44		USA: LKQ - have lawsuit filed against them by Chrysler for producing parts that infringe on patented designs

20/1/14 - 13:03		BSI announce process of PAS 125 becoming a British Standard - committee members published

20/1/14 - 12:55		Imperial Crash Parts acquires KGC Auto Panels & Paint Specialists

20/1/14 - 12:48		I Love Claims launches 'wear something day' for Rainbow Trust charity

20/1/14 - 10:41		Audatex - paint index changes due to imminent price increases from PPG, AkzoNobel and Axalta

20/1/14 - 10:35		Co-operative - have a change of plan and decide NOT to sell their general insurance business

20/1/14 - 08:00		Australia: Fraud - Vehicles suspected of being used in a "claim farming" scams.

20/1/14 - 07:33		Competition Commission - private motor insurance investigationh has so far cost over £1.3 million to conduct

20/1/14 - 07:21		H R Owen - trading update; 2013 results expected to be ahead of management's expectations

19/1/14 - 19:56		Cash for Crash - in-cab camera prevents fraud

19/1/14 - 19:43		Vehicles that contain the new R1234YF refrigerant

17/1/14 - 11:24		Trak Global Solutions - appoints Jason McSorley (ex Audatex) as insurance solutions director

17/1/14 - 11:08		Confused.com/Towers Watson - average comprehensive motor insurance premium in 2013 fell by 12.5% to £644

17/1/14 - 11:03		London - Mayor Boris Johnson announces that all new London taxis will need to be zero emission capable from 2018

16/1/14 - 18:53		Mirka's new high gloss solutions kit puts the shine into surfaces

16/1/14 - 16:26		Axalta Coating Systems releases 2013 Color Popularity Report

16/1/14 - 15:28		Ireland - Cartell welcomes swift action by Irish Government on vehicle write-offs

16/1/14 - 15:21		Consumer Intelligence reveals the fastest growing motor and home insurers

16/1/14 - 15:12		Two new insurance premium price tracking indexes launched - from ABI and from BIBA

16/1/14 - 14:52		ACIS signs an exclusive deal agreement with Sherwin-Williams for air dry technology

16/1/14 - 14:39		Ireland - new legislation to tackle written-off cars including a "death certificate" for vehicles or assessment of repairs

16/1/14 - 14:13		Industry Apprentice Council (IAC) - careers advice for school leavers is in a state of crisis

16/1/14 - 13:37		LKQ Corporation - comment on unusual trading volumes in their shares; expect 2013 results to be within latest guidance

16/1/14 - 12:11		Admiral - sign 3-year agreement with Auto Windscreens (part of the Markerstudy Group)

16/1/14 - 12:07		EurotaxGlass’s - appoints Dirk-Marco Adams to newly created leadership role of Group Sales Director

16/1/14 - 11:57		House of Commons Transport Committee - invite YOU to suggest subjects they should investigate; deadline 31 March

16/1/14 - 10:44		Clarification - HBC Vehicle Services now operates a total of 9 sites

16/1/14 - 10:28		It’s Moore for the Trade Group!

16/1/14 - 10:15		Farécla launches new improved G3 Ultra Premium Compounding System

16/1/14 - 09:46		Morelli Group Supporting Apprenticeship Programme

16/1/14 - 09:41		ACEA - 2013 was the worst year since 1995 for new car sales in Europe; down 1.7% to 12.31 million

16/1/14 - 08:58		CTS Vehicle Services achieves PAS125 success

16/1/14 - 08:48		UK now has over 7 million drivers over the age of 65, representing 19% of all drivers

16/1/14 - 08:35		British Bodyshop Awards - over 250 places booked within the first 48 hours

16/1/14 - 07:13		Cambria - trading update; performance "substantially ahead" of last year

15/1/14 - 22:01		AutoRestore - announce performance figures for last 6 months of mobile and fixed sites combined

15/1/14 - 12:26		Toyota - worldwide hybrid sales exceed 6 million vehicles; UK sales are over 130,000

15/1/14 - 12:18		Tyres - Michelin launch new EverGrip tyre that improves as it wears and comes with 60,000 mile warranty

15/1/14 - 11:28		IAEA - speakers confirmed for 2014 conference on Sat 10 May, includes Rob Smale; delegate fee £10

15/1/14 - 10:31		Canada: RSA Canada - adopts Audatex Integrated Claims Management solution

15/1/14 - 10:19		Ireland - Cromax flies the Topaz colours at Dublin airport

15/1/14 - 09:12		'Why did I bother with car insurance when my prang with an uninsured car left me with a £600 repair bill and a hole in my no-claims'

15/1/14 - 08:22		Plimsoll - new report analysing 824 UK bodyshop businesses says 233 are struggling to survive; overall average profit margin is 1.1%

14/1/14 - 21:27		DWS Automotive Repair Solutions invests in its people via the AutoRaise multi-skill apprenticeship programme

14/1/14 - 19:50		AkzoNobel and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. team up in Europe

14/1/14 - 19:38		Markerstudy ‘wages war’ against fraud onboard HMS Belfast

14/1/14 - 19:24		Gladwins Cambridge achieves Honda approval

14/1/14 - 19:05		Morelli Group extends contract with Nissan

14/1/14 - 13:46		Ford - on the road to the driverless car which is "still some way off"

14/1/14 - 13:40		Jaguar Land Rover - join consortium to develop solutions to reduce driver workload

14/1/14 - 13:32		Annual inflation rate – CPI falls to 2.0% for year to Dec 2013; RPIJ unchanged at 2.0%; RPI up slightly to 2.7%

14/1/14 - 09:26		Glass’s predicts 2014 new car registrations

14/1/14 - 09:24		China - Axalta Expands Waterborne Coatings Capacity

14/1/14 - 07:18		Moneysupermarket - trading statement:; profits expected to be up 26% on turnover up 10%

14/1/14 - 07:14		Quindell - trading update: expect to meet upper end of market expectations on profitability; year end cash balance of circa £200 million

14/1/14 - 01:11		Merceds - at least 2020 before Mercedes launches a “fully autonomous” car

14/1/14 - 00:41		Ford - launch 2014 Write-off Avoidance programme; open to ALL bodyshops with PAS125

13/1/14 - 21:13		BCA (British Car Auctions) - hit new record in 2013 with over 600,000 vehicles sold

13/1/14 - 19:46		USA: Ford - their top-selling vehicle, the F-150 pick-up, moves to an aluminium body, reducing weight by 320kg thus saving fuel

13/1/14 - 17:45		British Bodyshop Awards - Tuesday 13th May 2014 - Early bird bookings now open

13/1/14 - 14:24		Worst pothole season ever; claims for pothole damaged cars increase 22% in 2013 at a total cost of £729m

13/1/14 - 14:13		RSA - company could get €35m fine from Irish Central Bank plus their employees in Ireland could face fines up to €1m

13/1/14 - 14:00		DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), the new combined VOSA and DSA - puts its inspectors through new IMI programme

13/1/14 - 10:22		HBC Vehicle Services opens third site in further expansion

13/1/14 - 10:10		R-M - X-Ray certification for R-M's National Head Trainers

13/1/14 - 08:39		Jaguar Land Rover - delivers best ever full year global sales performance with sales up 19% to 425,006

13/1/14 - 07:53		FCA - impose £34.5m fine on Homeserve

13/1/14 - 01:18		Lotus - "material uncertainty" over future as accounts reveal car sales fell 40% with a loss of £159m in the y/e Mch 2013

12/1/14 - 21:18		Motor Codes - reviews progress in 2013

12/1/14 - 20:57		Lexus - new RC coupe on sale at end of year will have paint finish that uses 4 base coats

12/1/14 - 18:52		New hair thickening shampoo from L'Oreal uses Filloxane, also used for fixing cracks in car windscreens

12/1/14 - 18:35		Speed cameras on M25 have not worked for 5 years

11/1/14 - 11:17		Bradford taxi driver challenges Council on policy on repaired taxis

10/1/14 - 14:48		Euro Car Parts opens third national distribution centre ahead of schedule

10/1/14 - 10:08		APU and Merseyside Police confirm intelligence sharing on motor-related fraud

10/1/14 - 10:02		Karl Vella Group appoints Owl to drive PR programme

10/1/14 - 09:55		ACIS introduces online Health and Safety system to assist in driving best practice

10/1/14 - 09:50		Competition Commission to open a data room for MSXI vehicle inspection report data

10/1/14 - 09:06		Volkswagen's Porsche, Audi and Bentley brands post record sales

10/1/14 - 08:16		Motorcycles - UK sales of new powered 2-wheelers fell 2% last year to 91,900

09/1/14 - 18:31		GB Refinish Supplies appoints Mooney as Sales Director

09/1/14 - 18:00		Penning Group consolidates total supply agreement into LKQ Coatings and ECP

09/1/14 - 17:36		BMW Group - seeking a further 160 apprentices including body panel / paint apprentices at dealers

09/1/14 - 16:23		Admiral Group Sells Further Minority Stake In Comparenow.com

09/1/14 - 16:03		Just Car Clinics consolidates to form a ‘Super Bodyshop’ offering in the North East

09/1/14 - 15:19		Thatcham - appoint Hadstrong to handle its PR strategy

09/1/14 - 14:12		Arriva Buses -start bus route from next week in Milton Keynes using electric buses that are recharged without cablles

09/1/14 - 12:05		Marshall Leasing chooses In-Car Cleverness as telematics partner

09/1/14 - 11:18		Quest Automotive Products UK appoints Paul Tredgold as Managing Director

09/1/14 - 11:07		Financial Ombudsman - plans no increase in levy paid by financial services industry; expects to handle 32,000 insurance cases next year

09/1/14 - 10:58		ABP Club National Meeting - Tuesday 25th February 2014 - an invitation to attend

09/1/14 - 10:58		What Car? - annual awards names new Nissan Qashqai as their Car of the Year 2014

09/1/14 - 10:53		Volvo - global rating results and awards confirm their leading safety position

09/1/14 - 10:37		U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO) - vehicle manufacturers and sat-nav firms could be storing and sharing your location data

09/1/14 - 10:18		The ultimate E –Types choose Glasurit for the ultimate finish

09/1/14 - 09:58		MyLicence project - car insurance premiums will come down as Government puts all driving licence records online

09/1/14 - 09:41		EuroNCAP - identifies top performers in their 2013 crash tests; overall safest car is the Chinese Qoros 3

09/1/14 - 07:20		RSA - findings from PwC review of their Irish issues; "irregularities isolated to Ireland"; "Group Control Framework was appropriate"

09/1/14 - 07:10		RSA - trading update: "performing in line with expectations"; "will re-emerge as a stronger group during 2014"

08/1/14 - 14:29		Bentley - sales to grow by 50% between now and 2018; SUV to launch in 2016; hybrid launch in 2018

08/1/14 - 14:03		SMMT – 2013 new van sales up 13.1%; new truck sales up 23.0%; highest commercial vehicle sales for 5 years

08/1/14 - 13:53		Fuel prices - petrol and diesel ended 2013 at a lower price than at the end of 2012; in fact lower than end of 2011

08/1/14 - 12:04		Remove My Car - calls for DVLA to present clearer guidelines when disposing of a vehicle.

08/1/14 - 11:56		BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) - give their views on the 2014 market

08/1/14 - 11:33		Honda (UK) - launches new 5-year aftercare package

08/1/14 - 10:51		Total Accident Management - relaunches bespoke dedicated accident management service for SMEs

08/1/14 - 08:15		RSA - analyst from Berenberg Bank suggets that Aviva could get a 'quick fix’ by buying RSA

08/1/14 - 01:53		Police officer, Sugra Hanif, stole Police computer records of 2,500 road accident victims and sold them to injury lawyers for £800 each

08/1/14 - 01:37		Competition Commission - to consider the implications of the Appeal Court ruling on RSA's subrogation model; insurers baffled by decision

08/1/14 - 01:06		RSA - UBS bank suggests Finish insurer Sampo could make a consortium bid, disposing of UK business to Aviva or Zurich

08/1/14 - 00:47		RSA - confirms impact of Irish problem was £200 million; RSA board to receive PwC report on Wed morning

07/1/14 - 17:58		Selling private cars 'including tax' to become illegal

07/1/14 - 14:10		Post mag - communication within the motor claims process; includes quotes from ABP

07/1/14 - 13:39		Key appointment for Bluegrasscoms total loss avoidance programme

07/1/14 - 09:21		Toyota - "fuel cell electric vehicles will be in our future sooner than many people believe, in much greater numbers than anyone expected"

07/1/14 - 09:12		SMMT - new car market in 2013 recorded best performance in five years; up 10.8% to 2.26 million

07/1/14 - 07:24		RMI IGA - UK Motorists Forking Out Hundreds On Unexpected Car Repair Costs

06/1/14 - 23:07		Co-operative Banking Group - to be subject of an enforcement investigation by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)

06/1/14 - 22:03		Honda (UK) - link up with Motor Codes to publish customer satisfaction ratings with dealership "service and repairs"

06/1/14 - 21:36		London - TFL propose 15% increase in Congestion Charge to £11.50 a day

06/1/14 - 19:54		Crash for cash - fraudster jailed for 10 months

06/1/14 - 17:02		Colad introduces pump spray coding rings

06/1/14 - 15:14		USA: LKQ - finalise acquisition of Keystone, a US specialty aftermarket equipment and accessories provider

06/1/14 - 14:56		LKQ's £2.5 million investment in UK’s first paint NDC scheduled to open in February

06/1/14 - 14:22		Italy: Solera - acquires 100% of Autosoft S.r.l., Italian connectivity platform for claims processing

06/1/14 - 14:14		Chevin - add vehicle damage report to their FleetWave software to record minor accidents

06/1/14 - 13:59		Salvage / dismantling / recycled market - a summary of 2013

06/1/14 - 13:47		IMI - selected by Malaysian government to deliver automotive training on hybrids and electric vehicles to colleges

06/1/14 - 13:24		Ageas - extend partnership with Vauxhall to include vans; "vehicle can be covered with Vauxhall approved repairs"

06/1/14 - 12:32		ABP Club - no increase in membership fees for 2014; the fifth-year in a row

06/1/14 - 12:10		Five Star from Cromax gets a bold new look

06/1/14 - 12:07		Highways Agency - propose permanent mandatory 60mph limit on 34 miles of M1 between junc 28 and junc 35a as part of "improvements"

06/1/14 - 08:57		USA - Texas collision repair centre hit by upside down car

06/1/14 - 07:28		Karl Vella Group - appoint Mike Sarsfield to new post of Group Operations Director

05/1/14 - 14:29		USA: Quest Automotive Products announce Mark Flint (md of Po-Spray) as new VP of sales and marketing for Pro-Spray and Matrix System

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