Vauxhall MasterFit’s new Fixed Prices across a range of common vehicle repairs means Vauxhall owners can now enjoy unbeatable value along with the peace of mind that their vehicle has been repaired by the people who know their Vauxhall best.

The great value repairs are from Vauxhall MasterFit and are available at your local Vauxhall retailer and include brake pads, brake discs, clutches, cambelts and shock absorbers for a range of Vauxhalls three years old and over. All repairs are carried out with genuine parts expertly fitted by Vauxhall trained technicians and come with a minimum 12 month warranty – all for one simple set price with no hidden extras.

Front or rear brakes pads for Corsa, Astra, Vectra and Zafira models up to 2.0 engines are an attractive £99 fully fitted including VAT, and cambelt replacements are available from only £199 giving customers outstanding value, genuine quality and peace of mind.

Service Manager for Vauxhall Motors, Belinda Craik, said: “Vauxhall’s are known for their reliability, but drivers of older vehicles know that certain wear and tear parts will need replacing sooner or later, so our new Fixed Price Repairs are designed to offer Vauxhall owners incredible value and lower the cost of motoring.
She continues: “Our fixed price repairs remove the uncertainty that can often arise with vehicle repairs. Vauxhall owners know that the low price they see is what they’ll pay – no added costs, no hidden extras – just great value and the peace of mind of genuine parts fitted by our Vauxhall trained technicians for one simple set price.”

Fixed price servicing follows on from Vauxhall’s Lifetime Warranty, an industry first from the Luton-based company. VLW offers owners the reassurance of a comprehensive warranty that could last the lifetime of the vehicle. It applies to the first owner of any Vauxhall and continues throughout the life of the car until it reaches 100,000 miles.

For more information www.vauxhall.co.uk/warranty

The organisers of Rallyday, the UK’s premier rally show, had kindly offered the Race2Recovery team the opportunity to raise funds by selling and auctioning off rides in a variety of Qt Wildcats on the off-road course at the event. The campaign’s patron, former soldier and Top Gear Stig and accomplished race and performance driver Ben Collins was on hand to give four rides while Dakar drivers Harris and Qt’s Dave Marsh were also at the wheel.

In addition, several other Qt owners also came along to lend their support, giving rides to the public. These included former Dakar and Gumball rally competitor Ben Gott, who also brought one of his monstrous T5 support vehicles for display, which the team will be using to maintain its campaign on the Dakar.

The fleet of Wildcats ran almost constantly throughout the day, with a queue of eager fans awaiting their white-knuckle ride with anticipation. In fact, the only time that they stopped was when their thirst for fuel outweighed the team’s capacity for adrenaline. However, motorsport fuel supplier Vital Equipment soon donated enough fuel to the team to keep the five Wildcats running until the end of the day.

But it was not only the Wildcats that helped to raise funds for Race2Recovery’s goals. The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team gave R2R a passenger ride with WRC driver Matthew Wilson to auction off and MML Sports did the same, as passenger with former works driver Harri Rovanpera in its Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX R4.

If dodging the torrential showers at Castle Combe was not enough, the team moved overnight from Wiltshire to south Wales for the fifth round of the Britpart British Cross Country Championship, at Brynffyon. The mud at RallyDay had certainly challenged the team but the conditions at Brynffyon were even worse. However, the team was able to gain highly useful experience on treacherous conditions and immediately see the benefits from the all-new Ohlins suspension set-up, provided by UK distributor Auroks.

In addition, the team was amazed to be presented with a cheque for £1000 by Vonnie Kempster, the widow of respected competitor Ray, who died in 2010 following an accident while competing. The Race2Recovery team had taken part in the Ray Kempster Memorial Rally earlier this year, by invitation of the organisers and the rally had raised the money to support R2R in Ray’s name.

Commenting, Harris said: “This was an amazing weekend – there’s no other way to describe it. Two events over two days with very different objectives but we were lucky enough to have incredible success in both.

“The response the whole team received at Rallyday was nothing short of incredible. The public was so receptive and understanding, as were the organisers and everyone we met. We had members of the team out collecting donations and the visitors really dug deep to show their support.

“It was also fantastic to see so many people supporting the cause by taking rides in the Wildcats. Literally the only time we stopped was to get more fuel for the cars and then we simply carried on again. The energy and effort the guys put in to keep the cars going and getting passengers in and out was amazing and I’m delighted that everyone seemed to enjoy their ride and helped us to raise an incredible amount – far more than we could have hoped for.

“To go out and follow that up with the event at Brynffyion was interesting to say the least. I thought Castle Combe was starting to get muddy but it was like a racetrack compared with Sunday’s action. It was a long, tough and very wet weekend but incredibly rewarding and I am very grateful to everyone who made it possible.

“The whole team is also incredibly grateful to Vonnie for the generous donation that she presented to the team. Ray was an extremely well-respected racer and is, of course, sorely missed and we are very proud to accept this donation in his honour.”

The team’s next event will be the Scottish Borders Hill Rally in November. However, it also has plans to contest several stage rallies before the end of the year, to gain navigational and servicing experience and details will be confirmed soon.

For more information: www.race2recovery.co.uk

As a part of the ever growing society that has been affected first-hand by the devastation of cancer having had family members who had died as a result of the illness, Simon Vogel felt it was only right to give something back to MacMillan Cancer Support, especially after the help he and his family received in helping deal with this terrible disease by the charity. He said: “Having heard about the MacMillan 4×4 challenge back in 2003 during a telling of anecdotes over a camp fire I decided to investigate further and it immediately struck a chord having had several family members who had suffered at the hands of cancer. As such I started to put into action a plan to participate in this annual event.”

Having decided to take part in the challenge the next step for Simon was to find a co-driver and his good friend Mike Walker was the obvious choice. Simon states: “Having been best of friends for around 30 years Mike was my first port of call. He had also had family members who had suffered at the hands of cancer so he was only too happy to help raise money for this worthwhile cause.”

Having won the event on six occasions, a record that is envied by all their competitors, Simon and Mike hope to raise around £2500 for the charity and this year they have been fortunate to receive some donated photographs by the RAF which are signed by Richard Hammond after being taken when Top Gear featured the Bugatti Veyron versus the Eurofighter feature. As there are only four photos they are a real exclusive collector’s item.

This event itself, which was devised by Selwyn Kendrick, the British off-road championship organiser, is for all 4×4 enthusiasts and tests their navigation, orienteering and organisational skills not to mention their teamwork and endurance at driving both at day and at night. The event itself lasts for the whole weekend, covering over 1000 miles with a variety of stages throughout the route. Should you wish to sponsor Simon and Mike then please go to their just giving site – www.justgiving.com/2012macteam27

For more information: www.mac4x4.co.uk

EcoVelocity the ground breaking eco car show has joined forces with the organisers of Grand Designs Live and the shows will run side by side in May this year at ExCel London.

The company behind the very successful Grand Designs Live show and The Ideal Home Show, Media 10 have purchased a majority stake in IGME Ltd, the organisers of the eco-car event, EcoVelocity. The partnership will capitalise on the growing public trend towards a low carbon, sustainable lifestyle.

Giles Brown, Organiser of EcoVelocity and Managing Director of IGME Ltd commented: “This partnership is the perfect development for EcoVelocity, Media 10 have an enviable reputation for developing outstanding events and by running alongside Grand Designs Live, EcoVelocity immediately becomes part of a greater success story.

“What started as a joint promotion discussion quickly became a realisation that we could develop something to be much greater than the sum of individual parts. This helps resolve the age-old conundrum of how to attract affluent motorists to attend a motorshow as well as the holy grail of car show organisers – attracting female car buyers to visit the show!”

EcoVelocity will be a stand-alone event alongside Grand Designs Live and will continue with its own enhanced marketing campaign, which, with a considerably more accessible venue, will attract a much higher audience than in 2011.

Visitors to the show will be able to see and test drive the latest crop of eco vehicles which will include electric, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other CO₂-busting vehicles.  Once visitors have driven the cars on their shortlist they can visit Grand Designs Live to see what’s new and sustainable for their home.

Grand Designs will further promote EcoVelocity (and vice-versa), visitors to both shows will be able to pass freely from one show to another on a single ticket. Grand Designs Live had record-breaking visitor attendance of over 100,000 last year and with the addition of EcoVelocity, visitor numbers are expected to be higher.

Lee Newton, Managing Director of Media Ten Ltd, commented: “We are delighted to add EcoVelocity to our growing stable of events, it is the perfect fit with Grand Designs Live and the audience profiles are very closely matched.

“We recognise that homes and cars are two of the most important and high value purchases in most people’s lives and by bringing the two shows together under one roof provides eco-conscious visitors with the best of both worlds and great value for their ticket price.”

Metro remain a core media partner and will be promoting the event, and its exhibitors heavily through an advertising and editorial campaign. What Car? Magazine will be supporting EcoVelocity through its print and online community and will host their ever-more-important Green Awards from the show.

EcoVelocity also has extensive backing and support from a host of other national, regional and vertical media partners to ensure EcoVelocity becomes the most popular low carbon car show in the UK.

For more information: www.ecovelocity.co.uk

Britain’s congested roads can foil the best-laid journey plans, but Toyota are leading the motor industry in being the first manufacturer to offer motorists the benefits of TPEG digital traffic information.

TPEG, Travel Protocol Expert Group, is a key feature of Toyota Touch Pro, the most advanced version of the new Toyota Touch multimedia system. It works with a DAB digital tuner to provide more detailed, accurate and timely traffic information, co-ordinated with the vehicle’s satellite navigation. The result is more efficient journey planning, with drivers kept better informed about the location of roadworks, accidents and jams and the impact on their journey time. Armed with this information, they can also make earlier and better decisions on re-routing options.

Toyota Touch Pro makes its debut in the Toyota range as a standard feature of the 2012 Land Cruiser V8. It is also available as part of the Technology Pack option that is offered for the 2012 Prius T Spirit.

TPEG benefits

Until now RDS-TMC has been used to send traffic information to vehicle navigation systems, via analogue FM radio channels. Thanks to the higher bandwidth available with DAB digital radio, the new TPEG standard can be used to provide drivers with more detailed and useful traffic information, whether travelling around town or making long cross-country journeys.

Where RDS-TMC is limited to alerts about incidents, such as accidents or roadworks, the

10-times greater digital bandwidth means TPEG can give motorists more detailed intelligence about what is happening on the road ahead, with details of traffic speeds, the length of queues and the impact of a delay on overall travel time.

TPEG also offers pinpoint accuracy, being able to locate events precisely using latitude/longitude co-ordinates; RDS-TMC can only inform drivers of the general location of incidents and jams.

Overall TPEG can deliver traffic information and incident alerts five times faster than the analogue service, giving drivers more time to decide whether to programme a new route before they become caught up in tailbacks.

For more information: www.toyota.co.uk

On Thursday 21 June 2012 BEN the automotive industry charity launches its Summer Ball in conjunction with The Blades who are among the world’s best aerobatic pilots at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire.

A champagne reception will take place after two breath-taking aerobatics displays and will be followed by a lavish three course meal with wine. A string quartet will greet guests in the ballroom and will also be providing entertainment throughout the dinner.

There will be a full range of entertainment from taking to the skies in one of several classic flying machines on show to a silent auction where there will be the chance to bid on some unique lots.

The money raised from the BEN Blades Summer Ball will help provide vital care and support to thousands of colleagues and their dependents from within our industry who are in need.

Kelly Neal, BEN’s Events Manager said, “This event will offer boarding pass holders the opportunity to have an unique experience and enjoy a flight of a lifetime. At the same time this event will help to raise awareness for BEN and raise funds to provide financial and emotional support to our industry’s colleagues in times of need.”

For more information: 01344 294700 or www.ben.org.uk/blades2012

Europcar, one of the leaders in car hire services in Europe, is bringing customers a new level of access and convenience with the launch of the free Europcar app for iPhone. Now busy customers can make reservations and search for details on any Europcar location worldwide, at the touch of a button.

“In the modern age of smartphone technology and tablet computers, consumers demand products and services that they can access wherever they are”, explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar Group UK. “With the launch of the Europcar app, for iPhone, it’s easier than ever for our customers to book the car of their choice, even when they are out and about.”

The Europcar iPhone app also allows customers to view details on rates and promotional offers, to ensure they get the best possible deal for their car hire. They can also book any extras they might need, such as Sat Nav or child seats. Plus travellers can change or cancel a reservation – bringing them a new level of control in the palm of their hands.

iPhone users can reserve vehicles or search for details on any of Europcar’s 5300 stations across 150 countries worldwide. Once booked, vehicle hire is confirmed immediately over the phone, via sms or email. The service is available in seven languages, making it the ultimate in convenience for customers, wherever they go.

“As the market leader, it is important for Europcar to move with the times and continue to innovate to anticipate changes in the way customers use our service,” added Ken McCall. “The launch of the Europcar app forms part of our commitment to embracing new technology and meeting the ever-changing needs of our customers. For travellers on the move, the Europcar app offers convenient, quality car hire at their fingertips.”

For more information: www.europcar.co.uk

D8115 Matt Clearcoat and D8117 Semi-Gloss Clearcoat can be used alone to achieve a very low gloss finish, or mixed together to achieve a full range of low gloss levels for any body or trim finish.

Mixing ratios are simple, and since both products have the same activation ratio, they can be blended in any ratio required, to overcome any variation from vehicle to vehicle. This flexibility enables the bodyshop to make fine adjustments and allow for the normal gloss variation, due to colour, model, position of the repair on the vehicle, or bodyshop conditions.

Another benefit of the PPG low gloss clearcoat’s is that they can allow for basecoat blending. There is no risk of edge to edge colour variation compared to the OEM finish and the clearcoat’s can be applied to a convenient break line to enable a perfect match to the gloss level.

D8115 and D8117 can also be applied over rigid plastics, including wing mirrors, grills and bumpers without the need for special additives, providing a tough and durable finish.

These new PPG Low Gloss Clearcoats have excellent application properties and are both easy to apply, and fast to denib which leads to reduced process times and improved bodyshop productivity.

For more information: email ukmarketing@ppg.com or visit www.ppgrefinish.com

As the nation comes together to highlight the talents and skills of apprentices and celebrate their importance to businesses across the country during National Apprenticeship Week, John’s achievement demonstrates the value many young people place in vocational learning.

The new Apprenticeship framework was introduced in April 2012 in line with the Government’s request to improve the quality of Apprenticeship provision across all sectors. The new framework was developed in consultation with the sector to ensure it met the needs of the industry.

John has achieved his Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair (Light Vehicle) in less than half the time of many of his peers due to the support given by his employer, training provider and the Suzuki Apprenticeship training team.

Commenting on his achievement, Fraser Brown, General Manager at Border Cars said: “We’re delighted that John is the first young person to have achieved his Apprenticeship on the new framework. Apprenticeships are a valued part of our business as it allows us to ensure our future workforce has the skills and knowledge needed to work in our ever evolving industry. John is a valued member of the team here and we would like to congratulate him on his success.”

With over 11,000 young people choosing to start an automotive Apprenticeship, the latest official statistics show that right across the board; Apprenticeships are playing a key role in lifting skill levels in the UK workforce and giving thousands of young people, like John, a successful start to their careers.

John received his certificate of achievement at a presentation attended by representatives from the IMI, SPX, the organisation who delivered the training and Suzuki. John is one of the many automobile, motorcycle, ATV and parts advisors who are due to graduate with Framework 1 qualifications from the Suzuki Apprentice Programme this year.

Andy Webb, Operations Manager at SPX said: “Framework 1, with its combined focus of knowledge, skills and competence meant that John and SPX worked hard to ensure compliance to the new qualification standards. SPX used their comprehensive tracking system to support John with accurate feedback on his progress. We’re proud to have worked with John, Border Cars Carlisle and the IMI in this considerable achievement of this first ever Framework 1 qualification at level 3 in motor vehicle maintenance and repair. We would like to wish John and Border Cars Carlisle every success for the future and look forward to working with Suzuki, Border Cars and their future apprentices.”

In recognition of his achievement, John has also been awarded membership of the IMI at Associate level. As well as a whole host of member benefits, John will also have access to the industry’s Professional Register. The Professional Register represents individuals who have proven they have the right qualifications and knowledge to practice professionally within the automotive sector. These individuals are continually maintaining their standards by committing to and carrying out continuing professional development (CPD).

For more information: http://bit.ly/yfCPk3

Thatcham’s Automotive Academy has teamed up with The IAEA (Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors) to launch the first recognised apprenticeship scheme for Vehicle Damage Assessors (VDA) in the UK.

The move comes following unprecedented demand from the industry for this kind of apprentice programme and combines the reputation of Thatcham as the UK’s premier provider of body and paint apprenticeships, with the IAEA, who are solely dedicated to representing the interests of over 1500 automotive engineer assessors.

The result is the new Thatcham IAEA Assessor Apprentice programme, which whilst addressing concerns over a developing skill and age gap within the industry, also offers a unique opportunity for a new generation of VDAs.

The programme will provide fully funded apprenticeships for 16-19 year old bodyshop assessors, who will complete a two year block release programme. Upon successful completion, candidates will gain an IAEA qualification equivalent to apprentice Level 4 as well as a full NVQ Level 2 apprenticeship in M.E.T. (Mechanical, Electrical, Trim). Whilst focusing on the very specific skills of Vehicle Damage Assessment, this apprentice programme has been designed to include modules on customer service, panel and paint, producing a new breed of bodyshop assessor or insurance engineer, with an all round appreciation of vehicle assessment and repair.

Alan Doughty, IAEA Education Officer, explained further, “As technology within the construction and make up of modern vehicles continues to advance it has become increasingly imperative to recognise this changing landscape and consequently the role of a vehicle assessor, ensuring that those coming into the industry have the skills in place for the future.  This apprenticeship will provide learners with a relevant and sought after industry qualification as well as a solid starting point to support them in their future progression within the automotive sector and as such we are delighted to be working with industry recognised experts, Thatcham.”

Lesley Upham, Commercial Director – Repair Sector, at Thatcham, said, ” Thatcham’s Automotive Academy have many years of experience delivering practical and industry relevant apprenticeships in the automotive sector and have developed facilities and technical knowledge that are second to none to support these programmes. Given the obvious industry demand it is very exciting that we now have the green light to deliver a VDA apprenticeship and even better that we have the full backing of the IAEA in ensuring that the programme is highly relevant, with a firm focus on the specific skills required for modern vehicle damage assessment.”

For more information: www.thatcham.org