Inside the industry with Michael McAleer
FORD OFFERS SERVICE DISCOUNT: Ford dealers are offering all owners of Ford cars of three years or older a standard service and safety check for €78.
The offer runs until the end of December and covers brakes, shock absorbers, suspensions, steering and tyres. Michael Quinlan, customer service manager, Ford Ireland, says it should hold particular appeal for drivers facing the National Car Test.
JAGUAR CUTS X-TYPE PRODUCTION: Jaguar is scaling back production of its X-Type model (below) to avoid a backlog of unsold cars, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The X-Type, launched just over a year ago, has become one of Jaguar's most important models. According to the article, Jaguar sold a total of 80,321 cars this year (through the end of July) and 46,800 of those were X-Types. Target sales of 150 units here are expected to be met. Jaguar is to stop production of the car for one week in October and may reduce the number of shifts making the car to one from two for six weeks by the end of the year. The X-Type is positioned against some tough competition, particularly the BMW 3-series.
BMW TURNS TO CRIME: BMW has enlisted the help of Scottish crime writer Val McDermid to promote the MINI. McDermid has written an open-ended novel about a theft of modern art in Barcelona. BMW has launched a hunt for a team of Irish sleuths to join Lorraine Keane in Barcelona in November to solve the crime.
IRISH STUDENTS FOR TOP MOTOR SPORT COURSE: Three engineering graduates from the University of Ulster have being accepted into the leading motor sport course in Britain. Karl Graham, Alan Russell and William Caldwell are to attend Cranfield University to study motorsport engineering and management.
NASSER FOR FIAT?: Word has it that former Ford executive, Jack Nasser, was spotted recently in Turin, Italy, home of the troubled Fiat Group. On business or pleasure, we will have to wait and see.