Blogs

That's quite a reaction to the news that Andrew Page has bought Camberley Auto Factors.

The key member of the Parts Alliance was 'snapped up' today in a move which instantly gives Andrew Page a significant presence in the south.

One factor said: "They're coming, are they? Oh God, it's going to be a hell of a fight! It's a call to action I suppose, we'd better get ready."

I put 'snapped up' in inverted commas since deals like this aren't done on a whim, of course. It's tempting to think that the groundwork might have taken almost a year since Duncan Wilkes has also today been announced as Andrew Page's new non-executive Chairman. Wilkes' departure as the boss of the Halfords Nationwide Autocentre chain was signalled last August.

We've given away all of the 20 free tickets to September's Automechanika show now, but we can still help in getting you to the trade's biggest event. We've teamed up with show organisers Messe Frankfurt to bring you an exclusive travel package which can get you to the show in style. Read on to find out more.

CAT still has two pairs of Automechanika tickets to give away! Get in touch by emailing darren.moss@haymarket.com now to claim your free tickets. We'll be sending ticket vouchers out to the lucky recipients in the next few weeks. We'll also be arranging to meet up with all of our lucky ticket holders to get their thoughts on what promises to be an incredible show.

I love a good factory visit, and yesterday’s visit to the Federal Mogul facility in Nuremberg was very good.

The factory opened in 1924 and now produces 12 million pistons a year for the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.

CAT has gotten it's paws on ten pairs of free tickets to Automechanika. The show is shaping up to be bigger, better, and bolder than its 2010 predecessor. With thousands of visitors expected to descent upon Frankfurt this September, how would you like the chance to visit the show for free?

[caption id="attachment_7957" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Wilfred Leland Jnr, the grandson of Henry Leland, Cadillac co-founder, sitting in the Dewar Trophy shortly after the 1908 win"][/caption]

Halfords has got a bit of a roasting from Which? for poor levels of customer service this week.

It gives me the opportunity to tell you my number one favourite story about stock and customers service.

The small island of Cyprus has much to offer. Sun, sea, sand, and decent beer are just a few of its qualities. It also seems to have a thriving independent automotive aftermarket too, if the abundance of back-street garages are anything to go by. On a recent holiday to the island I got the opportunity to see a few of these workshops first hand.

As you can see, we've had a bit of a spring clean on our website. We're hoping the new layout will make it easier for more readers to find the content that matters. Aftermarket news takes pride of place at the top of our new homepage, while underneath you can find regular updates from the CAT Council, our know-how contributions and a new section

Congratulations to all of the CAT team members who ran Sunday's London Marathon for BEN, the automotive charity, and thanks for all of the generous donations so far. We had three direct entrants taking part - David Harris, Jonathan Whitehead and Martin Lee - and all finished.