LDV, the defunct British van maker, sold to SAIC, is making a comeback, with UK sales restarting.

SAIC Motor Corp. has started shipping Chinese-built LDV brand vans to the United Kingdom seven years after it acquired LDV Group, a bankrupt U.K. commercial vehicle maker.

On Dec. 29, SAIC Commercial Vehicle Co., a subsidiary of SAIC Motor Corp., initiated the shipment of 3,000 LDV V80 vans to the United Kingdom.

The vehicles will arrive in Birmingham. SAIC Commercial Vehicle says it plans to open as many as 10 dealerships in the United Kingdom to market and sell the vehicles.

The van is built on a platform that SAIC bought in 2009 from LDV Group. The vehicles are produced in Wuxi, a city 140 kilometers west of Shanghai. They are fitted with a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a six-speed manual transmission.

SAIC Commercial Vehicle has yet to disclose prices for the LDV V80 to be sold in the United Kingdom. In China, the van has a starting price of 124,800 yuan ($19,200).

The company also has developed a multipurpose vehicle dubbed G10 on the same platform purchased from LDV Group.

In China, the V80 van and G10 MPV are marketed under the Maxus brand. Outside China, they are distributed under the LDV brand.

In 2015, SAIC sold roughly 35,000 V80s and G10s globally. Exports of the two models were estimated at 4,900 vehicles. Australia is the largest overseas market for the two models.

SAIC also sells passenger vehicles under the Roewe and MG brands. The vehicles are developed mainly with technologies that the state-owned Chinese automaker bought in 2005 from bankrupt U.K. carmaker MG Rover.

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MG has revealed it has already beaten last years sales with a month to go, and 2013/2014 combined

MG Motor UK is thrilled to have reached 3,000 registrations for 2015 before the year-end.

Today, the British manufacturer has exceeded last year’s figures by almost 1,000, and this year’s figure has already surpassed 2013 and 2014 registrations combined. The increase in sales has been as a result of great deals, a continual expansion of the dealer network, and an ever-growing awareness of the brand.

Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing for MG, said: “We are delighted to have reached 3,000 registrations for this year. It is such a rewarding moment to exceed previous years, and we strongly believe that next year will be no exception; particularly with the 2016 MG3 and arrival of our new and exciting SUV.

“I would like to thank our dealer network for their continued efforts; it’s fantastic to be working with people who are so supportive of MG and always work hard to promote the brand.”

MG has been running some great deals throughout the year, with the most successful being the minimum £2,000 part-exchange offer. This deal, along with a fantastic product range that offers plenty of specification, contributed to the record registrations during what is typically a quieter time of year for car sales.

Rare, mega low mileage 30th anniversary Mini's going under the hammer,

A pair of low mileage Mini 30 special editions will be the star cars at Anglia Car Auctions’ forthcoming Classic Car Sale on Saturday 4^th April. The cars, from a production run totalling just 3000, have been in storage for 25 years. One has just 18 miles from new, while the other has covered 137 miles.

The Mini 30 was a celebration of the Mini’s thirtieth anniversary with 2,000 cars produced in Cherry Red Pearlescent, and a further 1,000 in black. 

The cars, from the same source, were registered with the same sequence of digits and have been stored in a heated garage since 1989. Both cars are completely original, retaining their original alloy wheels and unique Mini 30 trim.  Both cars still have their handbooks, brochures, and commemorative books by Rob Golding as originally provided by Austin Rover.

The black 18-mile car has an estimate of £11-15,000, while the Cherry Red 137-mile example has an estimate of £10-15,000. As neither have been driven since 1989, neither have ever been MoT’d.

A Mini 35 special edition is also available. One of only 200, the car was recently imported from Japan and is completely rust free. The guide price for this example is £4-5,000.

Anglia Car Auctions’ proprietor Lyn George said “These cars are bound to attract Mini collectors from all over, especially being such low mileage Mini 30s in pristine condition. Our April sale is historically very popular so we’re bringing in more catering, opening a second gate to make entrance for the public much easier and even have a block of Portaloos on order.”

The Kings Lynn auction house celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year as well as ten years of its successful classic car auctions.

Renault expects to produce between 3,000 - 5,000 Alpine sports cars per year.

A Renault executive today revealed the output expectations for the automaker's Alpine-badged sports car.

"In terms of scale, on average [annual production] volume will be about 3,000 cars, with a peak of 5,000 initially due to the novelty factor," Alpine head Bernard Ollivier told Reuters in an interview.

Renault plans to launch production of the sporty brand at the end of 2016 and start selling Alpine models in Europe and key emerging market economies the following year, Ollivier, interviewed on the sidelines of an auto festival in Paris, said.

No further details were revealed, but a spokesman told Automotive News Europe that the project is "on schedule," adding that the automaker is "on track to deliver the model to customers in about two years."

Alpines have not been made since 1995. The new sports car will have a rear-mounted engine and be built at Renault's plant in Dieppe, northern France.

News of the revival coincides with Renault's celebration of the Alpine brand's 60th birthday. To mark the occasion, Alpine has created the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, a virtual racing car that will feature in the Gran Turismo 6 video game.

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UK RECALL #3 - URGENT - Various Vauxhall/Opel models MUST NOT BE DRIVEN - Please read.

Vauxhall is advising customers of any ADAM and Corsa/Corsavan models registered since May 2014 that around 3000 of these vehicles have been manufactured with a steering system part that does not meet Vauxhall’s specification. As a precaution, these vehicles should not be driven prior to inspection.  

Vauxhall puts the safety and convenience of its customers first and as this condition concerns their safety, the company is taking immediate action. From Saturday September 27th, owners will be able to find out if their vehicle is affected by going to the Vauxhall website homepage (www.vauxhall.co.uk) and clicking on the ‘Safety Check for ADAM and Corsa’ button for further information. Alternatively customers can call the Vauxhall Customer Assistance Centre for advice on 0800 026 0034 between 09.00 and 17.30hrs. 

The company became aware of the condition during routine quality control at the vehicle manufacturing plant. The company is not aware of any accident or injury related to this condition.

USA - Limited Edition Veloster RE:FLEX, available now.

Only 3,000 Units of The Veloster RE:FLEX Edition Will be Available

The 2014 Hyundai Veloster RE:FLEX Edition, the newest member of the Veloster lineup, is available now in Hyundai dealerships. The Veloster RE:FLEX Edition delivers a combination of unique features, exclusive Ice Pearl colour availability and a limited production run to appeal to Veloster intenders.

“Compact sporty customers are often looking for limited-edition models with even sportier styling,” said Scott Margason, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The new Veloster RE:FLEX not only delivers, but the highly prized limited editions are equipped with additional unique features and exclusive colours that will make proud owners boldly stand out in the crowd.”

The Veloster RE:FLEX Edition was unveiled at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, and with only a limited production run of 3,000 units, promises buyers that they will own a truly unique Veloster model. RE:FLEX features black or red full leather seating, projector headlights with LED headlight accents, LED taillights, LED illuminated door sills, 18-inch alloy wheels with a PVD chrome finish, chrome hood accents, chrome door handles and RE:FLEX badging on the exterior and floor mats. All RE:FLEX models use the Gamma 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine and six-speed EcoShift® dual-clutch transmission.

Veloster continues to attract Hyundai’s next generation of buyers, earning numerous accolades including the Polk Automotive Loyalty Award, Bloomberg’s “Best Economy Car” and one of the 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000 of 2014, according to Kelly Blue Book’s KBB.com for the third year in a row. To see the full Hyundai Veloster lineup, visit: www.hyundaiusa.com/veloster.  

The Veloster RE:FLEX DCT has an MSRP of $21,650, excluding $810 freight, and includes all of the Veloster DCT Style Package equipment excluding the panoramic roof.

BENTLEY #3 - Bentley boosts profits and turnover.

• Operating profit increased to record £139.7 (€167.7) million
• Strong result from Bentley’s record sales year
• Profit margin reaches 10%
• Strong growth expectation for 2014

Bentley Motors today posted a significant growth in profit and turnover, its strongest ever performance, as the company outlined its financial results for the year ending 31 December 2013.

Operating profit improved to a record £139.7 (€167.7) million, up 66.9% on the 2012 figure of £83.7 (€100.5) million. Turnover grew by 15.5% to £1.40 (€1.68) billion, the highest in Bentley’s history. Profit margin increased from 7% to 10%.

Bentley’s continued success across the globe gathered pace, with exports contributing to 88% of total turnover, with a total export value of £1.23 (€1.48) billion.

This success has continued into 2014, with global deliveries to customers growing by 13% to 1,408 cars by the end of February. 

Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said: “Customers all over the world continue to be very enthusiastic about Bentley. The luxury car market is not static. We will continue to make sure that Bentley will meet the changing needs of our discerning customers. Just two weeks ago we introduced the new Continental GT Speed and the new V8 Flying Spur. In 2016 we will offer the first SUV in the luxury sector and one year later we will bring plug-in-hybrid technology into the luxury market. We are on the back of a record year and given the start we have made to 2014, we are confident that Bentley will have another good year, with strong growth.”

Bentley delivered more cars than ever before in 2013, 10,120 cars, a global growth of 19% over the 2012 figure of 8,510 cars.

The US remains Bentley’s largest market, with a share of 31% of global deliveries, followed by China with 22%, with Europe accounting for 15%.

Bentley’s home market, the UK, also performed extremely well, taking 14% of global deliveries, while the increasingly important Middle East region delivered 12% of the 10,120 cars.

To the end of 2013, Bentley had 193 dealerships, up by 20 over 2012, in 54 territories, and expects to increase this to 220 by the end of 2014.

BENTLEY #2 - The first look at the uber luxurious Bentley SUV

Bentley Motors today releases the first picture of the Bentley SUV, due to hit roads in 2016.

It will be the most luxurious and powerful SUV on the market, setting it apart from any other SUV, true to the brand hallmarks of luxury, performance, quality and craftsmanship.

Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, Chairman and Chief Executive at Bentley Motors, commenting at a press conference in London, said: “It will create a completely new segment in the SUV market.”

The SUV forms part of Bentley’s £800 million investment in new model and facilities development in the next three years. The company anticipates a minimum annual sales volume of 3000 SUVs. 

Fiats 500L lands in North America

• The ship carrying the first 3,000 units docked in the port of Baltimore (United States) on the 23rd May. On the 26th May it completed the delivery of the remainder of its cargo to the port of Halifax in Canada.
• The vessel set sail on the 10th May from the port of Bar in Montenegro, where its cargo of 500L cars had arrived by train from the Kragujevac plant in Serbia, the largest vehicle manufacturing plant in South-East Europe.
• The Fiat 500L is the only model in its segment with constantly growing sales in Europe despite the difficult economic climate. Nearly 34,000 units have been sold and registered since its launch.

On the 23rd May, the ship carrying the first 3,000 Fiat 500L units for the North American market has docked in the port of Baltimore (United States) to unload its first consignment. The vessel then set sail for the Canadian port of Halifax where it completed the delivery of the remainder of its cargo on the 26th May.

The 3,000 cars were first taken by train from the Kragujevac plant in Serbia to the port of Bar in Montenegro, where they were loaded on the 10th May, ready for their trip to the coasts of America.

Production of the North American 500L model began at Kragujevac, the largest car factory in South-East Europe, in March. Last February, Fiat was awarded the prestigious title of 'Companybest 2012' by a jury from Autobest, the organisation for the automotive industry in emerging European markets, precisely for its investment in the reconstruction of the Serbian plant, which is now one of the most modern car factories in Europe.

Fiat Automobiles Serbia (FAS) plans to produce between 110,000 and 150,000 units in 2013 to satisfy demand from over 100 markets around the world, including North America, Asia and the Pacific region, where the Fiat 500L model is about to be launched. To cater for expansion in production and ambitious export plans for the Fiat 500L, the Serbian plant has taken on around 600 extra workers. The plant currently employs just over 3,000 people and gives work to a further 1,200 in supplier companies.

Elegant, innovative and environmentally friendly, the Fiat 500L is destined for certain success. It is compact on the outside but spacious on the inside, exceptionally versatile and boasts all-round protection, certified by the prestigious EuroNCAP 5 star safety rating. It is the only model in its segment with constantly growing sales in Europe despite the difficult economic climate. Nearly 34,000 units have been sold and registered since its European launch in late 2012.

These impressive figures confirm the great potential of the 500L. The car can be described as Fiat's 'City Lounge' as it effectively combines characteristics you would normally consider to be mutually incompatible: the compact external dimensions typical of the B segment, with the performance, generous interior and rich equipment typical of the C segment.  All this comes at an accessible city-car price and with added value you cannot find elsewhere: the distinctive personality of the Fiat 500, a real Italian design icon.

The 500L stands out for its reduced emissions and fuel consumption, wide range of passenger space configurations and excellent flexibility in luggage carrying solutions. In fact, it boasts the best passenger space index in its class. Panoramic windows also guarantee the best visibility in the segment. Running costs and performance are another two best-in-class features. The range has also been complemented by the recent addition of two new engine options (the 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet II and the 105 HP 0.9 TwinAir Turbo)  and the new Trekking version, offering a distinctive off-road look with raised suspension to cope with rough ground, as well as "Traction+" Fiat's innovative and intelligent system for additional front traction control. M+S tyres fitted as standard equipment will also improve grip over slippery surfaces. All this without compromising the space and functionality of the basic 500L, the Fiat 'City Lounge' designed to deliver life's little pleasures and its greatest emotions: kids, friends, travel, music and community.

One fascinating fact: the 3,000 Fiat 500L units shipped to North America are equipped with the brand new 160 HP 1.4 MultiAir Turbo engine. This engine has been specially developed for the North American market and boasts the highest specific power, highest absolute power (160 HP) and highest torque (250 Nm) in its class. It is available with a manual, six-speed gearbox or six-speed dual dry clutch automatic transmission - another exclusive for this class of engine - so the North American Fiat 500L delivers excellent performance and great driving pleasure. These enviable characteristics are made even more interesting by typical European handling and precise, responsive steering.