FIAT Commercial enjoys another record year of sales in the United kingdom.

• Almost 15,000 FIAT Professional vehicles registered in the UK in 2014, a record total for the brand
• New FIAT Ducato was key to this success, doubling sales in this key segment compared to 2013 despite only hitting showrooms in May
• Prospects look positive for 2015 with a full year of new FIAT Ducato sales and the launch of new FIAT Doblò Cargo scheduled for March

FIAT Professional has posted record sales for 2014 with 14,927 units registered, an increase of eight percent compared to 2013 which was itself another outstanding year for the brand! The results are a culmination of five years of sustained growth, which has seen FIAT Professional grow by 83 percent since 2010 in terms of sales.

Key to the brand’s 2014 success is the new FIAT Ducato, which has managed to almost double volumes compared to 2013 and increase its market share in the UK’s largest LCV segment by an impressive 2.7 percent, despite only being launched in the UK in May.  

FIAT Professional has also increased the retail proportion of its sales by 45 percent, appealing to more user-choosers and owner-operators than ever before, thanks to FIAT Professional’s combination of reliability, versatility, low running costs, advanced technologies and outstanding customer care.

Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director, FIAT Professional UK, commented, “We’re very proud of increasing our volumes to record levels in 2014 and in particular our engagement with retail customers, more and more of whom are relying on their FIAT Professional vehicles to get the job done. 

The new Ducato coming on stream mid-year gave us a significant boost and we have similar expectations of the new FIAT Doblò Cargo when it goes on sale in March. Combine those two vehicles with the rest of the outstanding FIAT Professional range and we are very confident in having another successful year in 2015.”

Secretary of State for Transport visits Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars welcomed The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, to the company’s head office and manufacturing plant at Goodwood, West Sussex today. Mr McLoughlin was accompanied by The Rt Hon Nick Herbert, MP for Arundel & South Downs.

Mr McLoughlin was briefed by members of the Rolls-Royce Board of Directors on the company’s recent investments, including a major expansion to the manufacturing plant and the creation of 200 new permanent jobs in the last 12 months. The briefing also included details of the company’s continued success, with a fourth year of record sales in 2013 and development of the company’s worldwide dealer network, currently standing at 120 dealerships.

Mr McLoughlin toured the facility, taking particular interest in the company’s Bespoke operation and the hand craftsmanship demonstrated in the wood and leather shops. He took the opportunity to chat with employees, including a number of current apprentices. Mr McLoughlin was also able to participate in the manufacturing process, installing a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine on the grille of a customer’s car.

Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said, "The Rolls-Royce Motors Cars facility at Goodwood is state of the art, and I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet the team, tour the production line, and see for myself the incredible range of expertise that goes into producing these iconic British cars." ‎

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said, “It was a great privilege to welcome the Secretary of State for Transport to the Home of Rolls-Royce and to be able to brief the Minister on the extraordinary success of Rolls-Royce in recent years. We were deeply gratified at the interest shown in our business and for his warm and gracious words.”

On departing Rolls-Royce, Mr McLoughlin left for the Festival of Speed, a short drive from the manufacturing plant. Rolls-Royce is sited on the south-westerly corner of the Goodwood Estate.

F-TYPE #1 to Jaguar Heritage

• Jaguar, Jaguar Heritage and Coventry Transport Museum celebrate official opening of the all-new Jaguar Gallery
• First production F-TYPE presented to Jaguar Heritage
• Unique line-up of Jaguar heritage sports cars dating from 1930s displayed outside Coventry Transport Museum following historic procession through the city

Jaguar celebrated a historic event in Coventry today with Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ralf Speth presenting F-TYPE #1 to Jaguar Heritage at the official opening of the new Jaguar Gallery at Coventry Transport Museum.

Special guests at the opening of the new Jaguar Gallery also included Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, Jaguar Brand Director Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar Heritage Chairman Mike O’Driscoll, Coventry Transport Museum Chairman Joe Elliott and senior representatives from the city of Coventry and the UK motor industry.

In advance of the special ceremony, a unique collection of Jaguar heritage sports cars was driven in spectacular procession into Coventry.

Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director and Jaguar Heritage Trustee, said: “The new Jaguar Gallery is a fitting celebration of eight decades of design and technical innovation in our spiritual home of Coventry, and today’s presentation of the new F-TYPE offers a glimpse into Jaguar’s future too.

“We're investing £2.75 billion across Jaguar Land Rover in product development annually, and our Whitley headquarters, employs thousands of engineers and designers. All are fully focused on creating the next generation of Jaguar cars.”

Mike O’Driscoll, Jaguar Heritage Chairman, said:“The Jaguar Gallery shows Jaguar’s development and progress through the years – from the SS products of the 1920s to the present day with the stunning new F-TYPE.  We now have two public galleries, celebrating our rich heritage in making world-beating automobiles – the Jaguar Gallery here in our home city of Coventry and the Heritage Motor Centre at Jaguar Land Rover’s facility in Gaydon.

“These galleries represent fully active collections, and as Jaguar’s intention when manufacturing the cars, they continue to be used at iconic race circuits and Concours events all over the world.”

Joe Elliott, Coventry Transport Museum Chairman, said: “Coventry Transport Museum is proud to have this fitting new tribute to the City’s most famous export in the shape of the marvellous new Jaguar Gallery.  Our thanks to Jaguar and Jaguar Heritage for making it all possible, and now the Gallery is officially open we look forward to it being a great success as a new attraction at the museum.  It has opened in time for the long summer holiday and will serve to inspire a new generation in our great city.”

Led by the new F-TYPE, the historic procession into Coventry saw some of the rarest and most iconic Jaguar sports cars in a unique convoy through the city’s streets.  From a 1938 SS100 to a 2013 F-TYPE, with a further 14 models in between, the procession included record breakers, race winners, a number of ‘firsts’ and the sports car once voted ‘The Most Beautiful Car in the World’ (E-type), denoting a clear bloodline from Jaguar’s history to the present day – continuing a long tradition of innovation in design and engineering.

The new Jaguar Gallery at Coventry Transport Museum is titled ‘The Jaguar Story – A History of Design and Technical Innovation’ and is split into five sections covering: ‘The Early Years’ (1920s to 1940s), ‘The Post War Boom and Glamorous 50s’, ‘The Swinging 60s’, ‘Growth and Consolidation’ (70s to 00s), and ‘Jaguar Present and Future’ (2005 and on..).

In addition to the stunning collection of cars covering ten decades of Jaguar and the role of the company in Coventry history, the Gallery also references the many technology and design innovations behind these great vehicles.  Contemporary storyboards, film and spectacular imagery complement the sequential journey through the gallery, with historic artifacts to further illustrate Jaguar’s rich heritage.  

Among the guests at the reception to mark the opening of the Jaguar Gallery was the company’s legendary test driver, Norman Dewis, who celebrated his 93rd birthday this week.  Norman tested and developed over 25 Jaguar cars in his career, from the C and D-type through to XJ13, E-type, XJ-S, XJ40 and many more.  He was presented with a birthday cake at the event, which featured the XK120 that in 1953 broke the production car speed record in Jabbeke; achieving a phenomenal top speed of 172.4mph.

After the UK Government Expenses scandal, is this the next one, parking/transport expenses.

The British motoring magazine "Auto Express" has investigated our politicians, this time for motoring related expenses, for those who remember, back in 2009 the Telegraph group produced a report of ministers expenses claims, this involved members from all main parties, and concluded with a number of high profile arrests, and imprisonments, even the House of Lords was not exempt from the scandal, two Lords were charged and imprisoned.

Now, according to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority our wonderful politicians have fleeced over £4 million from the public's pocket, well, fleeced might be a strong word, as I am sure that they were all claimed in all honesty, but are they justified, as you can see below, a list of who and how much, and will this become another scandal.

The "gentleman" above Mr Khalid Mahmood claimed nearly £13k for using his own car, I find it quite remarkable that motoring charges can be added up at over £250 per week, especially when Parliament is open for 150 days a year, are these charges correct, has there been a mistake made, or is it something more, I leave it for you to judge but a top ten list of own car expenses is below.

"Auto Express" also worked out that the amount that was claimed by Mr Mahmood could have purchased him a brand new Dacia Sandaro Access at £5995 and then the remaining money would be enough to take him 53,840 miles, that's about 5 years of average driving, not bad is it ?

The second section for claims that "Auto Express" looked into was for parking expenses, these included parking at airports, staff parking and other "within constituency travel", personally I find it odd that not all the Scottish MP's are not claiming this amount, as surely they have the same if not further distances to travel, anyway, we all know parking charges are high in main cities, so lets see what's been charged to the public purse with these top ten.

Well, looky here, Mr Doran, another, like Mr Mahmood, Labour MP, was at the top of the claimers list for "parking charges", again thats about £100 per week, which is a great deal, like I said before, parliament is only open for 150 days a year, so where is he parking to get nearly double the second place.

Now the odd thing is and maybe I am wrong, but surely if you are claiming so much money in own car expenses, surely your parking charges would be high also, but none of the top ten are on the above list, but the claiming doesn't stop there there is another section, "toll/congestion charge", these are charges for using private roads and driving within congestion charge areas of cities where excessive amounts of vehicles were apparent, with Parliament inside the congestion charge area it is obvious charges will be claimed back, the Lady at the top is the biggest name in politics within these three lists.

Apparently Ms Becketts office confirmed that she applied for a yearly congestion charge, because “Mrs Beckett says she did not drive in London before 2010 and was unfamiliar with the charge. She was told the best thing was to pay for the entire year so she was always covered. She was unaware of other options. If there is an alternative, she’ll certainly be looking into it.” my biggest surprise there is that she actually did it her self and didn't get one of the staff to sort it out for her, but good on her for doing it herself, if indeed she did.

Did you notice that the top claimers on each list were from one political party, I did, it will be interesting, if indeed there will be an investigation in these claims, how Labour will approach it, if indeed it ever gets that far, teh remaining nine are :-

Stephen O'Brien and Khalid O'Brien appear on two lists, these are the only two that take up a place in the top ten on two lists, I fully understand that expenses have to be paid, and I have no issues with this, however, if anyone is found to be doing something that is not in line with guidelines or policy I am happy for them to be disciplined for it, If any of teh above are not legitimate only they will know, If none of them are dodgy, then that's great, I am glad that they know what they can claim for and that we the general public, again, have to put our hands in our pockets to pay for there days out.

Auto Express original report by Jon Morgan