Author: Tom Seymour

Tom Seymour is an experienced freelance journalist specialising within the automotive and business sectors, with greater than 20 years’ experience reporting and analysing industry developments. As a daily contributor to Bauer Media’s B2B titles Fleet News and Automotive Management (AM), he covers topics starting from fleet operations and electrification to dealership performance, manufacturer strategy and the broader mobility landscape. Along with his writing, Tom presents and hosts webinars for AM, leading discussions with senior industry figures on key trends and challenges affecting the UK automotive retail sector. He also plays a central role in shaping and delivering content for the…

Vauxhall managing director Steve Catlin has left the business for private reasons after eight months within the role, prompting a restructure that can see Stellantis UK group managing director Eurig Druce take direct leadership of the brand. Druce had stepped in to steer Vauxhall before earlier this yr on an interim basis after James Taylor left to go up Nissan. As a part of the changes, Michael Auliar will join Vauxhall as business director early in the brand new yr, reporting to Druce. Stellantis said the shift reflects the importance of Vauxhall to its overall UK performance. Catlin (pictured left) had been…

JLR’s global design boss Gerry McGovern has made a sudden exit from the business, in keeping with widespread media reports.  McGovern, who was appointed to the JLR board in January 2021 in his role as chief creative officer, has been intrinsically linked to the brands for over 20 years, leading the teams liable for the modern Defender, the present Range Rover line-up and Jaguar’s re-launch and shift towards luxury electric models. It has been almost a 12 months to the day that the controversial and crowd pleasing Jaguar relaunch campaign went live. 7 McGovern’s widely reported exit from JLR has not been confirmed by the carmaker…

Mild hybrid used automobile sales reached a record share in October as a drop in prices because the summer boosted demand, in line with Indicata’s latest Market Watch report. Indicata reports that mild hybrids accounted for 10.5% of all used automobile sales in October, supported by strong performers resembling the Ford Puma. The fuel type now sells at almost double the speed of plug in hybrids, which took a 5.5% share, and one third greater than full hybrids at 7.1%. Despite the record sales, stock levels of mild hybrids continued to rise. In the beginning of November they accounted for…

Van Mossel Automotive Group has now broken into the AM100 after acquiring Breeze Motor Group and Ocean Automotive for an undisclosed sum. The deal covers nine dealership locations, two body repair centres and a parts distribution warehouse across Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole, Wimborne and Yeovil. The expansion follows the Dutch group’s entry into the UK with its acquisition of Jacksons Group in 2023. That deal gave the group a foothold within the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Isle of Wight. This latest take care of Breeze and Ocean is a component of Van Mossel’s European expansion plans to construct…

CarGurus has announced a limited-time dealer promotion offering free access to its premium listings packages. The promotion comes as market leader Autotrader faces criticism from sections of the dealer community following the introduction of its Deal Builder tool, which allows buyers so as to add a component exchange, apply for finance and reserve vehicles online. Autotrader said at the top of last week that fewer than 100 of its 14,000 UK dealer customers have cancelled because of this. While there may be obviously no direct reference to the present situation with Autotrader, the timing of the CarGurus’ offer might be trying to…

Consumer automobile finance recent business volumes rose by 5% in September 2025 compared with the identical month last yr, in accordance with recent figures from the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA). The worth of latest business increased by 9% over the identical period. Within the nine months to September 2025, total recent business volumes were 1% higher than in the identical period in 2024. The buyer recent automobile finance market saw each the worth and volume of latest business rise 11% year-on-year in September. Over the primary nine months of 2025, recent business volumes on this sector were 7% higher…

Quentin Willson, former automotive journalist and consumer champion, who also worked as a automotive dealer as a part of his profession within the automotive industry, has passed away after a brief illness, aged 68. He was a former presenter of BBC Top Gear, author and industry campaigner whose influence spanned latest, used, electric and classic cars. His family’s statement described him as a “national treasure” and “true consumer champion”. They said: “Quentin brought the enjoyment of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms. “The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not only learned but…

Manheim Auction Services, a part of Cox Automotive, has delivered a record-breaking third quarter, with business vehicle sales volumes up 23.2% on Q2. The corporate’s strong performance got here despite ongoing market challenges, as rising costs and longer vehicle lifecycles proceed to affect operators. Across its UK sites, vans sold faster than ever, averaging just 11.2 days to sell. First-time conversion rates rose to 85.2%, up 6.2% on the previous quarter, while average selling prices increased 5.1% to £8,590. July marked a milestone month, achieving Manheim’s highest-ever monthly sales. Used electric vans also saw rapid growth, with volumes sold up…

Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2025 highlights a reset within the automotive pecking order, with Tesla losing ground while Chinese EV makers BYD and Xioami have broken into the highest 100 for the primary time. The study, which puts a monetary value on the strength of brands, shows the automotive category diverging between legacy players tightening performance and fast-growing electrified challengers expanding their global footprint. Toyota topped the list, while Mercedes-Benz after which BMW made up the highest three when just taking a look at automotive brands. In accordance with Interbrand, Tesla’s brand value fell by 35% year-on-year, falling from twelfth place to twenty…