SALES UP AS ARNOLD CLARK REVEAL NEW 10 PLATE DEALS

1st March 2010

Arnold Clark is celebrating the brand New 10 Plate registrations with exciting news that, despite the extreme winter weather conditions at the start of the year, car sales are up 3%. 

Sir Arnold Clark, chairman and chief executive explains the increase. "Incentives such as the Governments Scrappage Scheme, the Swappage scheme introduced by Toyota and Vauxhall and incredible deals on all new and used cars have all contributed.  In addition to offering unbeatable savings of up to £6300, Arnold Clark and other car manufacturers are offering some very attractive finance rates to help customers when banks are less than willing to advance funds independently.  There is a deal out there for everyone and Arnold Clark will help you find it."

ARNOLD CLARK TOP 10 PLATE SAVINGS

• Save over £6300 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 1.8 16v VVT (includes Scrappage)
• Save over £5800 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Vauxhall Corsa Special Edition 1.2i 16v (includes Scrappage)
• Save over £5000 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Vauxhall Astra 16v Exclusiv VVT 5 DR (includes Scrappage)
• Save £4975 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Nissan Pathfinder 2.5 DCi Acenta
• Save £4575 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI S 3 DR 90 PS
• Save £4000 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Renault Megane 1.6 Extreme 5 DR (includes Scrappage)
• Save £3455 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Mazda 5 1.8 Takara
• Save £2607 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Peugeot 207 Verve 1.4 8V (75)
• Save £1500 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi Style 194 BHP Turbo Diesel from £19,995
• Save over £2200 on list price on the Brand New 10 Plate Citroen C3 1.1 VT 5 DR

With these exceptional deals available at over 155 branches Arnold Clark is committed to finding you the right car at the right price.

Latest information on Toyota recall

17 February 2010

Arnold Clark has started to carry out the Toyota checks and repairs if applicable on the below cars.  Customers can contact their local Arnold Clark Service department to arrange a suitable appointment for their car to be inspected prior to receiving official notification from Toyota.  

Arnold Clark is now working extended opening hours at all sites to accommodate the needs of their customers. This includes all day Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

8 February 2010

Toyota has confirmed exactly which UK models will be the subject of its safety recall, detailed below, and is now receiving the registration details and the contact details of the owners or registered keepers of these vehicles from the DVLA.

Using the information from the DVLA, Toyota is immediately contacting the owners/keepers to inform them that their vehicle is among those covered by the recall and that it will need to be taken to a Toyota service centre for attention. The letter explains the issue and the signs drivers should look out for that might indicate their car has a problem. It also provides details of what to do in the event of problem arising, and where to find further advice and assistance.

A second letter will be sent to all owners/keepers inviting them to contact their chosen Toyota service centre to book a date and time for their car to be attended to.

To support this activity, Toyota has set up an additional website www.toyota.co.uk/recall and a telephone helpline 0800 1388 744 to provide information about the recall process and advice to owners.

Further information to follow as and when it is received from Toyota.

Toyota announces recall campaign in Europe

1 February 2010

Toyota Motor Europe announced today the recall of 8 Toyota models in Europe, to solve a potential accelerator pedal issue. The involved models and production periods are as follows:

• AYGO (Feb 2005 - Aug 2009)
• iQ (Nov 2008 - Nov 2009)
• Yaris (Nov 2005 - Sep 2009)
• Auris (Oct 2006 - 5 Jan 2010)
• Corolla (Oct 2006 - Dec 2009)
• Verso (Feb 2009 - 5 Jan 2010)
• Avensis (Nov 2008 - Dec 2009)
• RAV4 (Nov 2005 - Nov 2009)

The precise number of involved units is still under investigation, but may reach up to 1.8 million vehicles. No Lexus models and no other Toyota models are affected.

"Toyota's policy is to put its customers first, in all circumstances", said Tadashi Arashima, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe. "We understand that the current situation is creating concerns, and we deeply regret it. We would also like to reassure customers: the potential accelerator pedal issue only occurs in very rare circumstances. The announced action is a preventive measure aimed to guarantee the highest safety standards to all customers."

For subject vehicles, there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

This issue is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn. This progressive wear, combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, can cause friction in the mechanism to increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position.

Toyota has identified a remedy for this issue, and is currently pursuing a final evaluation and confirmation procedure. As soon as the countermeasure is confirmed, Toyota will communicate to all customers and other concerned parties the details of the corrective action and of the implementation procedure.

A running change in production using different parts has already been implemented model-by-model for the models on sale in Europe, as part of Toyota's continuous quality improvement policy. Therefore there is no need or intention to stop production in Europe.

Only a limited number of incidents have been reported in Europe, and Toyota Motor Europe is not aware of any accident resulting from this issue.

Toyota is making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible.

Whilst this condition is rare Toyota advises customers who have concerns to contact Toyota GB Customer Relations on 0800 1388 744 for assistance.

Europe's best selling car is the safest too

1 February 2010

Europe's best selling car, the Volkswagen Golf is officially its safest car too - according to the latest round-up of results from EuroNCAP, the new car crash testing organisation of which the AA is a supporter and founding member.

EuroNCAP tested a total of 33 new car models in 2009 with each being awarded an overall safety rating based on combined performance in four areas; adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection, and 'safety assist' which currently covers electronic stability control, 'driver-set' speed limitation devices, and intelligent seat belt reminders.

The Golf Achieved the highest overall score in 2009, closely followed by two fuel efficient hybrid cars, the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. In fourth place was Hyundai's supermini the i20.

"More than 360 new car models have been tested in the 12 years or so since the EuroNCAP programme began which means that even first time car buyers can now take safety into account - alongside running costs, environmental impact and other factors - when buying a car."

Each rating is the result of testing up to a total of three cars, three front seats, four child seats and an array of spare parts per model. To achieve the overall rating, the car model is usually put through four crash tests, a component test and is assessed by an inspector who considers tests results and the safety equipment and features of the car.

For further information on the fantastic Volkswagen deals at Arnold Clark, visit your local Arnold Clark Volkswagen dealership.  

Toyota accelerator pedal recall in Europe

29 January 2010

Arnold Clark has received the below information from Toyota regarding the recent Toyota recall announcement.

There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

This is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn. This progressive wear, combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, can cause friction in the mechanism to increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position.

In case of occurrence, the driver may notice that the accelerator pedal is progressively harder to depress or is slower to return. A rough or chattered feeling may also be experienced when depressing/releasing the accelerator pedal.

Toyota will implement a recall in Europe for this matter. The details of corrective action and implementation will be communicated directly to customers with vehicles potentially affected.

The models and exact number of potentially affected vehicles is under investigation.

A running change in production using different parts has already been implemented model-by-model in the European production. Therefore there is no need or intention to stop production in Europe.

Whilst this condition is rare we advise customers who have concerns to contact Toyota GB Customer Relations (0800 1388744) for assistance ahead of the recall instructions being issued.

More information to follow as and when it is received from Toyota.

Swappage: Arnold Clark Welcomes Toyota's New, Improved Alternative to Scrappage

19 January 2010

With almost 290,000 motorists already benefiting from the Government Scrappage scheme, which comes to an end next month, Arnold Clark welcomes the news that Toyota is launching a Swappage scheme.

Under Toyota's new Swappage scheme, customers can still snap up a £2,000 saving on the price of an eligible new Yaris, Auris or Avensis. What's more, unlike the Scrappage scheme, Swappage is open to owners of vehicles between seven and 10 years old, that is, those registered between 1 March 2000 (W-plate) and 28 February 2003 (52-plate).

Sir Arnold Clark, chairman and chief executive comments, "Toyota's new Swappage scheme is excellent news for the motoring industry. With the Government's Scrappage scheme coming to end, Toyota is effectively extending this further, providing customers with fantastic offers on new cars and helping to increase the number of safe, low emission vehicles on the road."

The new scheme is available on new cars ordered up to 31 March and registered up to 31 July this year. Trade-in vehicles have to be DVLA registered, insured and have a current MoT certificate, and the person making the purchase must have been the registered keeper of the trade-in vehicle for the last 12 consecutive calendar months.

There are even greater savings available for customers who choose the British-built Toyota Avensis, with a further discount of £500 available on T₂ models and £750 on the TR and T₄ versions. For further new Toyota offers contact your local Arnold Clark Toyota dealership.

Toyota Unveils New Dedicated Compact Hybrid Concept

13 January 2010

Toyota has unveiled the FT-CH dedicated hybrid concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. 

The FT-CH is a concept that meets Toyota's strategy to offer a wider variety of full hybrid choices to its customers, in addition to the introduction of plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (EVs) in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets.

Toyota's European Design and Development (ED²) designers looked to capture the vivid, high-energy appeal of what has come to be called the 8-bit generation. Popularized in the early 80's, 8-bit microprocessor technology dominated the budding home video game industry. Today, 8-bit is considered a specific retro-style that is embraced by such things as 8-bit genre music and 8-bit inspired art. 

The direct reference to the 8-bit generation is meant to be fun and innovative, colourful and stylish, with strong appeal to young buyers.  Lighter in weight and even more fuel efficient than Prius, the concept specifically targets a lower price point than Prius, thus appealing to a younger, less-affluent buyer demographic. 

View the wide range of Toyota vehicles here or visit Arnold Clark's economical car range for further fuel efficient cars.

New Year, New Yaris

11 January 2010

Toyota's top selling Yaris enters 2010 as an even stronger market proposition, thanks to a class-leading combination of fuel efficiency and low emissions, backed up by enhanced equipment specifications and styling details.

Thanks to the successful application of Toyota Optimal Drive technologies, Yaris continues to set standards in its class, with every model in the range delivering sub-120g/km CO₂ emissions.

The 1.33 Dual VVT-i engine with Stop & Start demonstrates the all-round achievement of Toyota Optimal Drive. As shown in the table below, it gives Yaris more power and torque than its leading competitor models, while at the same time returning better emissions and fuel economy - 120g/km and 55.4mpg (combined cycle).

Similarly the 1.0 VVT-i petrol unit - three-time class winner in the International Engine of the Year Awards - and the 1.4 D-4D diesel maximise efficiency and emissions performance with refinement and driveability. Respectively they produce 118 and 109g/km of CO₂ (110g/km 1.4 D-4D with Multimode transmission) and return combined cycle fuel economy of 56.5 and 68.9mpg.

Toyota has a wide range of fuel efficient vehicles. Click here to view the fantasic savings on them at Arnold Clark Toyota.

Clutch the Cash

7 January 2010

Arnold Clark and Real Radio have teamed up to give listeners the chance to win one of the incredible sale cars mentioned throughout the competition and up to £3500 cash.

Simply guess the correct saving on one of Arnold Clark's Real Sale cars and win £250, guess within £1000 of the saving and listeners will win £100 AND also a place in the grand final to win a car.

Get ready to Clutch the Cash with Ewen & Roughy on Real Radio's football phone in from 6pm to 8pm weekdays from Monday 4^th January to Friday 22^nd January 2010.

The Big Cash Giveaway

To celebrate Arnold Clark's Real Sale a host of local radio stations are giving away up to £5000 cash.

To be in with the chance of winning £500 every day, simply answer five questions correctly. Listeners will also be given three lifelines to use, but using a lifeline will reduce prize money. The competition will run from 6am until 10am weekdays from Monday 4^th January to Friday 15^th January 2010.

Find out more from the radio stations below:

96.7 West FM

Northsound 1 (£1000 per day)

Tay FM

Moray Firth

Radio Borders

The Real Happy Song

Arnold Clark and Real Radio Northwest are giving lucky listeners the chance to win a host of fantastic prizes including £500, family weekend in London, a holiday for two to Portugal and many more prizes worth thousands of pounds.

Simply listen to the breakfast show between 6am and 10am weekdays for the Real Happy Song to be played in full, call 0845 002 1054 and name the title of the song and the artist. Listeners can also find a clue on www.arnoldclark.com if they miss the first play of the Real Happy Song.

Staffordshire Building Excellence Awards Nomination

5 January 2010

Arnold Clark Motorstore in Stafford has been nominated in the accessible development and sustainable development category of the Building Excellence Awards held by Staffordshire Building Control.

The £12 million custom-built site at Prime Point 14 is being highlighted as an example of outstanding quality construction. The highly innovative site has been built using the latest green technologies to reduce its environmental impact. As well as re-using harvested rainwater collected by syphonic drainage to operate its car wash and valet facilities, the development uses an energy efficient heating system which gathers heat from 100m below the site utilising a ground source heat pump.

The 74,000 sq. ft. building showcases 200 cars within the showroom and a further 800 nearly new and used cars on site.  In view of this vast site, and to save Arnold Clark staff walking on average a staggering 8 miles a day along over 4 miles of car rows,  Arnold Clark has invested in a system that uses the latest wireless technology to locate, track and control vehicle movements arriving at the Motorstore through to the customer purchase.  In fact, Arnold Clark is the only motor dealer in the UK to use this latest technology.

In conjunction with the building's architects, Opfer Logan, Arnold Clark will find out if the 12 acre site has won the accolade at an awards ceremony on Friday 29^th January.

Kia extends its seven-year warranty plan to all new cars

5 January 2010

Kia has announced from 4^th January 2010 every new Kia model will come complete with a seven-year warranty, previously only available on the Cee’d and Sportage models.

Russell Borrie, Arnold Clark Kia franchise manager commented, “This recent development puts Kia at the forefront of manufacturer backed protection for new car buyers. It also ensures customers have peace of mind as well as an extremely enjoyable motoring experience. The warranty is transferable which is an incredible boost for used car buyers.”

Kia has been one of the top car manufacturers to leave 2009 with increased sales, market share and profits due to their reliability and extensive range of models suitable for first-time drivers to families and an incredible aftercare package.

Arnold Clark has a fantastic selection of new and nearly new deals on the Kia range. Check out these savings and save thousands on cost new.

Huddersfield Grand Final winner announced!

21 December 2009

Arnold Clark Huddersfield is delighted to announce that Andy Clayton from Illingworth, Halifax as the winner of a brand new Renault Twingo worth over £8000.  After the two month co promotion, 'Win the keys to a car at Christmas' with The Pulse Radio Station, in a fun but tense night, Andy discovered his code unlocked the safe to win a brand new car and an early Christmas present!

Andy, the owner of Clayton School of Motoring said, "It feels so surreal, I can't believe I have won, I'm ecstatic!  What a time of year to win a car - an early Christmas present without a doubt!"

Ian Ferguson, Huddersfield Renault/Peugeot general manager said, "What a fantastic evening!  The air of anticipation was electric and all involved had a thoroughly good night!  We are delighted that the Renault Twingo has gone to a good home and maybe be used to teach future learner drivers."

The glittering grand final took place last night at the recently launched Arnold Clark Renault/Peugeot, 649 Leeds Road, with The Pulse Radio Station providing entertainment for 100 Pulse contestants and their invited guests.  The Pulse breakfast show presenters, Alex Duffy and Becky Holmes, compered the night and introduced Waterloo Road character, Paul Langley, played by actor Tom Milner onto the stage where he performed a trio of songs to entertain the awaiting guests.

Visit www.arnoldclark.com for a huge choice of over 10,000 cars, all with fantastic savings or visit Huddersfield Renault/Peugeot on 649 Leeds road or, alternatively, call the branch on 01484 412 000.

Buy a tyre win a car winner announced!

14 December 2009

The road surfaces during October and November are among the most dangerous for road traffic accidents and deaths and, in view of this, Arnold Clark found that with unfit tyres, the odds of an accident increased.

During October and November Arnold Clark dealerships throughout the UK helped motorists by giving away free tyre safety checks to all customers, they were also given the chance to win a brand new Fiat 500 when purchasing a premium tyre.

After a successful two month campaign with our tyre partners Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli encouraging motorists to increase their road safety by purchasing a premium tyre, the Service department at Arnold Clark is delighted to announce Mr Mark Thacker, from Stafford Motorstore as the winner of the 'Buy a Tyre, Win a Car' competition.

Delighted Mr Thacker said, "I am thrilled to win a car, over the moon, ecstatic!!  I cannot believe my luck, this is certainly an early Christmas present."

The five other finalists also won a selection of excellent prizes.  Mr and Mrs Sim, customers of our Dumbarton Renault/Nissan dealership discovered they had won a top of the range Navman Satellite Navigation system, while Mr Moulds and his son Glen went along to the Ayr Fiat branch to discover they had won a new Sony cyber-shot digital camera.

Arnold Clark Cumbernauld Kia were delighted to invite their customer Mr Copland to the branch to collect a new Sony Playstation Portable, while Mr Rowe of Newcastle Ford/Seat and Mr Griffin of Dundee Renault/Nissan both walked away happy with a new Walkman MP3 player.

Andrew Hutton, group service manager commented, "We are constantly trying to increase motorists' safety on the roads and the 'Buy a Tyre Win a Car' competition gave us the opportunity to educate customers on the benefits of several types of tyres and also give customers the chance to win fabulous prizes from a brand new Fiat 500 to a Sat Nav, Playstation Portable and Sony Walkman."

The advantages of choosing a premium tyre over a budget tyre is added safety, value for money, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions and compatibility and performance.

Arnold Clark has over 120 service centres across the UK, for further information, contact your local Arnold Clark Service centre.

Volkswagen Polo is Car of the Year 2010

4 December 2009

The Volkswagen Polo has been named Car of the Year 2010. The competition was tight this year with the Toyota iQ in second place, separated by only ten points, while the Vauxhall Astra proudly took third place.

Seen as a scaled down Golf, the VW Polo is the first Volkswagen Car of the Year in 18 years, following the Golf's win in 1992.

A good all rounder, the Polo is fully capable of accommodating at least four adult people in comfort. It's exquisite interior design, practical sizing  and unprecedented quality ensures this small VW is a winner.

Energy efficiency is also an important point for potential customers, with the current trend for downsizing. The Polo offers an interesting line of engines. The new 1.6 litre TDi diesel engine perfectly suits the size of the car, while among the petrol engines is a lively 1.2 litre TSI with turbo which also balances performance and fuel economy. The Polo is offered in two kinds of Blue Motion derivatives, both with diesel engines. The 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine with 75 HP is homologated for an average fuel consumption of 3.3 litre/100 km, equivalent to an emission of 87 g/km of CO2.

A winner all round.

To see Arnold Clark's fantastic range of VW Polo's click here.

Motoring costs have fallen

19 November 2009

According to RAC’s annual Cost of Motoring Index, the cost of motoring has fallen 5%(£123) in 2009 to £2,219, although a recent poll by RAC found eight of ten motorists still believe the cost of running their car his risen.

If you feel your motoring costs are too high, then why not swap to a more environmentally friendly car. At Arnold Clark we have a vast selection of eco – friendly cars, both kind to the environment and kind to your pocket.

Why not check out the stunning and sporty Seat Ibiza Ecomotive, boasting C02 emissions of only 99g/km and low annual road tax or the funky Hyundai i10 with £35 annual road tax and an average of 54.3 mpg.

Browse Arnold Clark’s economical cars section and enjoy low road tax, low running costs, more mpg and a little extra cash in your pocket.

Scottish Car of the Year Award 2009 - winners announced

17 November 2009

Members of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) voted at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2009 in front of 200 guests in St Andrews this week.

The triumphant manufacturers in there winning categories were;

Top Small Car - The Volkswagen Polo

Best Hot Hatch - The Ford Focus RS

Best Drop-Top  - The BMW Z4 Roadster

Best Family Car - The Mazda 3

Best MPV - Citroen's C3 Picasso

The eco-friendly award was shared by Honda's Insight hybrid and BMW.

For further information on all of the above cars search now!

Service and Roadside Assistance for only £99

13 November 2009

Arnold Clark Ford will be offering all three years or older Ford owners a service and one years roadside assistance for only £99.

The service includes:

• oil change
• new oil filter
• new air filter

Vehicles will also receive a free visual health check that provides customers with an easy to understand summary giving a red, amber or green status for vital components and systems.

The free visual health check examines:

• brakes
• clutch
• seat belts
• tyres
• steering
• transmission plus many more.

Competition Winners

23 October 2009 

Arnold Clark is delighted to announce the winners of two recent nationwide competitions.

Held in conjunction with Real Radio to celebrate the launch of the new Arnoldclark.com, the Risk it for a Biscuit competition winner is Kenny Marsh from Liverpool. Kenny, chosen from the 1000s of entries that correctly identified the location of the Risk-it biscuit on the Arnold Clark website, will receive a brand new Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB with £100 top up.

Three additional prizes were also up for grabs to anyone who registered to receive fantastic offers from the Arnold Clark mailing list and the lucky, randomly chosen three are:

1^st - Natalie Coglan, County Durham - Nintendo Wii

2^nd - Martin Malone, Glasgow - iPod Touch

3^rd - Roy Grant, Perth - Tom Tom Satellite Navigation System

Arnold's search is best!

20 October 2009

Arnoldclark.com has scooped the Best Used Car Locator at the Annual Auto Trader Click Awards for the third consecutive year.

The incredible award winning search engine allows users to search for car make, model and engine size, mileage and even how much they want to spend on a car down to the last pound.  The website was re-tuned and re-launched this July with even more captivating features than ever before, however it is the sophisticated used car locator that is turning heads.

The top five reasons why Arnold Clark's online search facility is the best are:

1. The ability to search for your desired car directly from the home page with returned results providing the exact number of that particular vehicle that Arnold Clark has in stock, and in real time. This saves time by taking the customer directly to what they are looking for.

2. A detailed Advanced Search function catering for almost every customer requirement including car CO2 emissions, fuel economy and road tax costs.

3. A Keyword Search allowing users to search for their ideal vehicle with unique features such as leather interior, body coloured bumpers, metallic paint or MP3 connection.

4. A clever Budget Calculator which allows customers to enter their desired monthly or weekly payment, and the Arnold Clark search facility will ascertain which cars are within budget for users.

5. A personalised showroom for each customer is available enabling users to compare vehicles they are interested in before enquiring. Chosen vehicles can then be viewed side by side and compared on areas such as mileage, CO2 emissions, fuel economy and road tax.

A delighted Sir Arnold Clark said, "To win the prestigious Auto Trader award for the best motor dealer search engine three times in a row is an incredible achievement.  I would like to congratulate all the staff for ensuring it remains a step ahead of the competition.  Arnoldclark.com is constantly improving its services to allow customers to search for a new or used car, tailored to their specific needs, with over 15,000 offers available all with huge savings."

Arnold Clark wins Apprentice Employer of the Year

9 October 2009 

Arnold Clark adds another prestigious accolade to the awards cabinet. Announced last night at a glittering awards ceremony in Glasgow, Arnold Clark in conjunction with its sister company and training provider GTG Training, accepted the Glasgow Business Award for Apprentice Employer of the Year.

Sponsored by Glasgow City Council, this award acknowledges and celebrates employers' commitment to developing their workforce through apprenticeships. Arnold Clark and GTG Training demonstrated their commitment to workforce training, embedded a training culture throughout and displayed a range of apprenticeships frameworks supporting future training and apprenticeship development.

With youth unemployment spiralling to its highest level since records began with one in six under-25s out of work, Arnold Clark recognises the importance of investing in the future's workforce, annually employing and training over 450 Modern Apprentices in its custom built training centre, GTG Training.

It has been a busy time for Arnold Clark, GTG and the Modern Apprenticeship programmes with 120 new apprentices recently commencing their course at the South Street training centre as part of the recent recruitment drive which saw Arnold Clark announce its 700 new vacancies across the Group.

Sir Arnold Clark was also once an apprentice and a RAF Trainer during WWII, therefore he understands the importance of training for individuals, businesses and the economy and comments, "I truly believe that training is the foundation of any business and I am thrilled that we have been awarded with this honour. As a company we heavily invest in training our employees and support Modern Apprenticeship programmes, helping to build the workforce of the future."

The programmes at Arnold Clark and GTG Training offer individuals the chance to gain skills and qualifications in various different occupations.  From motor vehicle technicians and vehicle refinishers to business administrators and customer services, there are a huge number of career paths to choose from, whether apprentices are coming straight from school, from further education or are already in employment.

Prius proves the economy doubters wrong

6 October 2009

Toyota has delivered proof positive that not only can the new full hybrid Prius meet its official fuel consumption figures, it can do even better.

Results from its participation in the FleetWorld MPG Marathon, Britain's leading independent test of fuel economy, show Prius sipping petrol at a rate of 84.05mpg, 16 per cent better than the official combined cycle figure of 72.4mpg.

This exceptional tally was achieved over a 350-mile route made up of the kind of roads encountered by ordinary motorists every day. The real-world driving conditions showed beyond doubt that Prius can deliver excellent economy on the open road, as well as in urban areas where its ability to run on electric motor power alone comes into play.

New Prius, which went on sale in the summer, is not only exceptionally fuel efficient, it also achieves the lowest CO₂ emissions of any family car, at just 89g/km. At the same time it is more powerful than its predecessor, thanks to a new, highly efficient 1.8-litre petrol engine in its Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain. Improved aerodynamics also play a key role in its cleaner and more fuel-frugal performance, with its drag coefficient trimmed to a best-in-class 0.25.

The MPG Marathon, which took place over two days last week (30 September and 1 October), also saw the Toyota iQ and Yaris models in action and both outperforming their official consumption figures. The one-litre petrol iQ finished with an average 78.69mpg and the 1.4 D-4D diesel Yaris achieved 86.18mpg, both cars much smaller than Prius, highlighting the unique abilities of the world's best selling hybrid.

For further information on the Toyota range contact your nearest Arnold Clark Toyota dealership.

Arnold Clark is Pioneering Indoor-Outdoor Vehicle Tracking

23 September 2009

Arnold Clark Automobiles is the first automotive company in the world to use the Cisco network and AeroScout Vehicle Tracking solution to transform automobile sales and service at its Motorstore in Stafford.

The flagship dealership, located in Stafford, maintains an inventory of 1,000 cars for sale at any given time on a 12-acre lot and 74,000 square-foot showroom.

In the past, Arnold Clark staff physically searched for cars that met a buyer's specific requirements, an extremely inefficient process that often resulted in customers losing interest and leaving for another automobile dealership.

"We have a customer's attention often for less than 10 minutes from when they arrive on the lot. If we can't find what they're looking for within that time, then they move on. And, with more than 1,000 cars at our Stafford dealership, we needed a better way to serve our customers and track our inventory," said Eddie Hawthorne, managing director at Arnold Clark Automobiles.

Now, a car that arrives at the dealership is affixed with an AeroScout Wi-Fi tag and its information and specifications are entered into the inventory management system within one hour, versus the one to three days that the old process required. When searching for a car, Arnold Clark sales staff enter customer requirements into the inventory management system, and the AeroScout solution instantly locates the relevant cars on the premises, whether indoors or outdoors.

The AeroScout Vehicle Tracking application is also used to locate customers' cars brought to the dealership for maintenance and repair service. Arnold Clark can track any car throughout the service process, improving staff efficiency and customer satisfaction in its service department. Initial results show an increase of 3 percent more cars serviced each week and a savings of 10 minutes per associate, per car serviced.

"We've seen compelling results with the wireless and mobility solution from Cisco and AeroScout, and plan to roll it out to more U.K. dealerships, and eventually standardise it companywide," continues Eddie Hawthorne.

The Cisco Context-Aware Solution and AeroScout components also help prevent inventory shrinkage and theft. AeroScout Exciters placed throughout the dealership trigger the Wi-Fi tags to alert personnel when an unauthorised car leaves the dealership, so that they can respond accordingly.