Inside the industry with Michael McAleer
• The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) are holding a safety seminar at Rochestown Park Hotel,in Cork on November 20th entitled "Occupational Hazards from Company Vehicles". It aims to raise the profile of the hazards facing those who drive for a living and ask safety professionals to consider the workplace of drivers and their working environment.
Speakers will include members of the Garda National Traffic Bureau, the Health & Safety Authority, the National Roads authority, a number of companies, such as Eircom and Hibernian Insurance as well as the Institute for Advanced Motorists.
• Renault plans to increase its purchase of diesel engines from Japan's Isuzu Motors Ltd. by some 50 per cent. Renault aims to buy about 5,000 three-litre engines a year from the Japanese company for use in its newly unveiled minivan, Espace IV.
This is in addition to the annual purchase of about 10,000 three-litre V-6 engines the company began buying from Isuzu in February for its executive class Vel Satis, according to reports in an Asian business newspaper.Isuzu will produce the engines for sale to Renault at its Kanagawa plant, west of Tokyo. Isuzu has supplied diesel engines to other firms such as Opel.
• Another week, another Ferrari victory. Fans of the prancing horse can see Mihcael Schumacher's F2000 Ferrari in which he first won both the driver's and manufactuerers' world championships.
The car will be at Donohoes Motor City on Kylemore Road, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and not as previously published here. The visit is part of the dealers celebrations of two years as a Fiat and Alfa Romeo main dealer.
• Former world rally champion Colin McRae will drive for Citroen next season after Ford confirmed they will not be renewing the Scotsman's contract. McRae's current deal with Ford expires at the end of the season.
• Daewoo Motors completed legal procedures on Monday to turn over its key assets to GM more than two years after the proposed sales. A South Korean court approved a debt restructuring plan by creditors to write off more than 80 per cent of Daewoo's debt, officials said. Daewoo Motor was declared bankrupt two years ago with total liabilities of what creditors estimated at 19 trillion won (€15.6 billion).
• The Irish section of the BMW Car Club are holding an open day in Motor Import Ltd next Saturday, October 5th, with the opportunity to see some of the older classic models.Club members can also take part in a concourse event. Those interested in attending can contact Brendan at 01-2169227/purcellb@hotmail.com or Kevin at 091-741100 .