Could it be that there's a greater awareness among the motoring public about Vehicle Registration Tax which makes new cars here the most expensive in the euro zone? With an election approaching we hope that more and more of the motoring electorate will question its validity. VRT is totally against the spirit of European free trade.
For Michael Howe, the new managing director of Fiat Auto Ireland, it is "a tax on top of a tax and is in breach of the spirit of the open market concept on which the EU was founded". He wants VRT made an election issue. Both he and Paraic Mooney, the president of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, are warning that new car prices are set to go up here, ironically because of a planned harmonisation of pre-tax prices in all EU member states.
Tom Murphy Car Sales, Waterford has won the coveted Volkswagen Audi Conquest award for customer service. Presented to recognise quality in all aspects of customer care, the award is competed for annually by the 40-plus dealers who make up the Volkswagen Audi network here. Under the Conquest programme, dealership performance is assessed under a number of key headings over a 12-month period. These include customer reception and service matters, general housekeeping and upkeep of premises, service success rate, training, problem solving and telephone techniques. Visits by mystery shoppers also form part of the assessment process.
Fred van der Vlugt had a wonderful idea 40 years ago, a European-wide Car of the Year award. The result was an award which came to be recognised throughout the motoring world. Today it embraces 21 European countries, represented by 55 leading motoring writers. Sadly, Fred died this month aged 72. We remember him with affection.