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Honda cutting production in Swindon again – 500 jobs at risk

Honda is cutting another 500 jobs in Swindon It’s only a year since Honda announced 800 job cuts at Swindon (which eventually was 550) and now they’re about to cut a further 500 as weak demand – particularly in Europe – sees the Swindon plant producing just half the cars it could. The plan is to cut shifts from 3 to 2 a day, which will result in the loss of 340 permanent jobs and 160 temporary ones, and production will be centred on just one production line to increase efficiency and flexibility. The Swindon Plant – which builds the Civic, Civic Tourer, CR-V and Jazz (and the Civic Type-R from next year) – has been hard hit by the slump in European sales in the last five years and, despite still strong UK sales, production levels of 120,000 cars a year – just half of the Swindon capacity – are not enough to sustain the current staffing levels.

Caterham Seven 165 prototype stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

2013 marks 40 years of Caterham Cars since what was originally a Lotus dealership took over production of the Series 4 Lotus Seven in 1973. Now, at Frankfurt 2013, the British manufacturer is debuting its newest model – the Seven 165 prototype – set to become the entry-level version and the lightest, most efficient Caterham ever when it goes on sale in the UK in 2014. We like the fact that you will be able to buy a Caterham for less than £17,000 and still be able to embarrass much more expensive machinery when the going gets twisty.

Part-worn tyre sales under the microscope again

SALES of part-worn tyres are about to hit the agenda again following a study from charity TyreSafe that found 98% of potentially dangerous part-worn tyres were being sold illegally. As a result the organisation has stepped up to take part in the forthcoming Trading Standards conference at the end of June, after a successful trial last year. Running for three days from 30th June at the Harrogate International Centre, the event is the biggest gathering of trading standards officers and enforcement professionals in the UK.