RADIATORGO: TRADE NEWS

Industry stalwart retires
Valued MTA Christchurch member Martin Brooks of Aceomatic Transmission Services has spent almost three decades doing his best to pass on his specialist knowledge to others in the industry.

Heartbeat of industry still strong
The motor trade continues to do reasonably well under Covid-19 conditions.
Peter Morton of Herbert Morton Chartered Accountants specialises in services for the motor trade and says most of his clients are managing well.

Smash Palace
There’s a world of automobile history planted in the paddocks around Horopito Motors, just waiting to be picked over.

Ohakune Automotive
Ever since Cameron Spooner was a child he loved diggers and trucks. At just 22, he bought Ohakune Automotive.

Hamilton Reunion
There was a lot to catch up on when around 30 former Hamilton MTA members and their partners met for a reunion recently.

Worry-Free Health & Safety
An online cloud-based system - HSE Connect can help small businesses manage Health and Safety, plus it's been designed specifically for workshops, dealerships and service stations.

Preparing for the recovery
Economist Tony Alexander shares some knowledge on the economic impact of the Covid-19 lockdown

A Family Tradition Continues
Nicholson United Autos, with its sites in Whakatane, Morrinsville and Rotorua, is celebrating 40 years of Nicholson family ownership

Nigel brings passion to fire truck project
Princess Diana, comedic actor Rowan Atkinson and a 95-year-old Dennis fire engine all have direct connections to Opunake MTA member Nigel Fraser

IAG Doing Own Repairs
IAG’s East Tamaki Repairhub has repaired over 2,000 vehicles since it opened in November last year. It concentrates on non-structural repairs which are completed, on average, within three days.

Happers Honda - The Tradition Continues
Happers Honda has a new building, but the site still marks three generations of family history and their passion for motorbikes.

Methven Motors - Work Hard, Play Hard
At Methven Motors there’s a ‘work hard, play hard’ atmosphere. Pet projects and passions are supported and the staff and business are an active part of the small rural community.

New Member Buzzing
South Auckland repairer Milan Motors recently joined MTA and its owners are keen to merge the benefits of the brand with their own community ethos.

Top Class Towing
Moving high-end cars around Auckland discreetly and safely is the specialty service provided by Exotic Towing.

Winter Run on Motorcycles
A strange thing happened after lockdown – sales of new and imported used motorcycles rocketed.

Dealerships doing OK
Post Covid-19 lockdown dealerships report better-than-expected sales. But many are holding their breath to see whether earlier dire predictions may still come true later in the year.

Otorohanga family firm
Pat Prescott Ltd moves into its third generation of family ownership with grandson Ryan at the wheel.

Motor trade 'forecast'
An accountant for motor trade businesses across the country, Peter Morton, gives his view of what is being seen in the books, post lockdown.

100 years of print
MTA's Radiator magazine has been printed continuously for a century, making it one of the oldest publications in New Zealand.

Historic times for Cooke Howlison
The Cooke Howlison dealership in Dunedin has been selling cars for 125 years and a member of MTA since it started.

Milestone marked
MTA Chief Executive Craig Pomare marks the milestone reached by Radiator magazine at a time when the Covid19 pandemic disrupts the print run, and the national economy.

ITS ALL AMERICANA AND MUSTANGS IN THE 'NAKI
The success of the Americana car festival in Taranaki has helped fuel the local sales of the Ford Mustang - something Energy City Ford has been happy to supply.

A HISTORY OF MOTORBIKES AND RACING
The family behind Motorcycle HQ in Pahiatua are specialists in side car racing as well as selling bikes.

HOLDEN IS LEAVING NZ
General Motors is closing down its Holden operations in Australasia creating a churn in the franchise dealer world and uncertainty for some.

Member: MR Motorcycles, Pukekohe
Catch up with Craig Brown and MR Motorcycles. Together they're building on the businesses already strong reputation within Pukekohe and Auckland and becoming a destination for customers wanting a great day out.

SUV sales still rising, can it last?
World wide, sales of SUVs continue to rise. But will growing international moves to curb climate change have an impact?

MTA Radiator magazine centenary
MTA's monthly magazine to members turns 100 in May. It is one of the oldest, continuously printed magazines in the country and we are getting ready to celebrate.

To PHEV or not to PHEV
There’s growing overseas evidence that a large proportion of PHEV drivers rely heavily on fuel and seldom charge their vehicles.

Stratford member wins ‘Excellence’
Central Taranaki Automotive took out three of the top awards at the recent
TSB Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Jet turbos, injectors and RVs
Braydon Hopping loves a challenge. He’s building a reputation in and around Marton for being the go-to guy for tricky auto electrical, or 12-volt problems.

A family business
Magan Motors in Christchurch is a true family business, with three generations on the tools and working in the same workshop founded by patriarch Allan Jackson.

Winning apprentices
The first of the 30 apprentices funded by MTA centenary scholarships are now graduating and taking up their new roles

Alarm for car recyclers
Metal recyclers who extract the metal from car carcasses are worried increases to landfill fees may make the process economically and environmentally unsustainable.

Not just a crash repairer
Christchurch firm, Hammonds Collision & Mechanical, have found ways to compete in a market which now includes competition from insurance company owned repairers.

Taking out the waste
Workshops are increasingly worried about their environmental footprint and try to recycle or dispose of products iin sustainable ways where they can. Extracting the oil from used filters and recycling the containers can be done through a variety of outlets.

Tyres to turbos - product stewardship
Tyres look set to become the first product to be subjected to a controlled product stewardship scheme in New Zealand. MTA raises the possibility of introducing a compulsory scheme for all parts of a car.

Popular MTA Board Member
The chair of the Colonial Motor Company, Jim Gibbons, finishes his final term as an member of the MTA Board in a few months and he leaves big shoes to fill.

Member profile: Qualitat European
Auckland repairer and parts distributor Qualitat European has new owners - but they are old friends - Vagn Dyson has worked there since he joined as an apprentice.

ESC Mandatory from March
ESC technology becomes compulsory in all used vehicles bought into New Zealand from next March. With the bulk of imports being small cars, this is going to have a big impact on what is shipped in from Japan. Dealers talk about what they expect will happen.

Gilmour & Suzuki - a winning combination
Dunedin's Emma Gilmour combines a passion for motorsport with a successful Suzuki dealership.

Autonomous vehicles in distant future
NZ will benefit from the technology being developed for autonomous vehicles, but is decades away from being ready for the actual vehicles.

Fuel theft soars
Over the past year, the number of fuel drive offs has soared and service stations are working harder to stop the thieves.

Is it fair?
Collision repair members are concerned by IAG's announcement it is to open its own rapid repair centre in Auckland later this year.

Chief Executive Craig Pomare's update
MTA looks into IAG's planned rapid repair centre, announces a free nationwide counselling service for members and offers access to the wider benefits of Our Auto information repair service.

Carterton members with fire in their blood
Two Carterton members are joined by their commitment to the local volunteer fire brigade and their adjoining businesses. One, Bryan Styles, has recently been awarded a QSM for his work with fire and emergency services.

Aucklander goes global
MTA Member Craig Burrows is about to take his business international, supplying 40,000 automated car parks to a man-made Malaysian island.

Crunch time for collision repair sector?
NZ sits on the edge of a new era for the collision repair sector. What does this mean and how will it affect businesses?

Students take on EV design and build challenge
MTA is backing a national project for school students that encourages them to design and build their own two and three wheeled electric vehicles.

Christchurch dealership supercharges Mustangs
Team Hutchinson Ford now has the national licence to turn the latest Mustangs into a high(er) performance Roush RS3.

MTA members take on new apprenticeship scheme
MTA's partnership with ATNZ provides businesses with a hassle-free way of taking on new apprentices.

Christchurch Yamaha dealer riding high
The Trevor Pierce Yamaha dealership has overcome earthquakes, debt and stress and will this year sell over 100 new bikes.

Kiwi designer does it again
Aucklander Alain Brideson teams up with Swiss-based mobility futurists Rinspeed to create a possibility for delivery and passenger services.

Minding your business
Mechanic/office admin/Vehicle Inspector/house and pet sitter, available for one or two weeks relief work at MTA member workshops.

CE Comment April
This month's overview of MTA highlights, including our response to the mass murders in two Christchurch mosques.

EV City Christchurch
This new company sells used imported EVs and is a big believer is sustainability. All it's vehicles are electric, including the dealership's vacuum cleaner and floor polisher.

Rutherford & Bond Toyota, Wellington
It's been a year of challenge and change for this busy dealership, with a refurbishment, rocketing hybrid sales, and a change in sales model.

Help when you need it
There's tight scrutiny on businesses these days, with health and safety, NZTA and a host of other agencies all wanting to see your paperwork. Here's a few people who can help.

CE Comment - February 2019
Craig Pomare discusses the NZTA WoF investigations, vehicle safety, a retail fuel market study, business continuity planning, and an MTA member who recently received the Queen's Service Medal.

Recognition for specialist repairers
Jaguar Land Rover has just appointed its first factory-approved authorised New Zealand collision repairers - three in the North Island and two in the South. Four are MTA members

Putting safety first
There’s strong support within the sector for the government to raise the standards for new and used vehicles entering New Zealand.

KEEN TO START
Over 30 would-be apprentices are now ready to start work through the new MTA-ATNZ group apprenticeship programme.

A DIRECTOR'S LEAVING NOTE
MTA Independent Director Mark Darrow steps down but remains with the auto sector.

BIG BUILD FOR TOYOTA
Toyota has just completed a massive extension to it's national parts warehouse and now begins strengthening the rest of the building.

Bristols restoration goes global
The team at Upper Hutt restoration specialists Bristols Group Ltd have just taken out the top honour at Australia’s largest and most prestigious motor show, Motorclassica.

Wellington Motorcycles ready for summer
Wellington Motorcycles are bringing in the latest Indian models and a variety of quality used imports from Japan in time for riders to make the most of summer.

Road test: The Camaro HSV
Check out the GoAuto review of the new American-made Camaro being converted to right hand drive in Australia by the HSV team.