- Cox challenges BCA-Aston Barclay takeover
- MotoNovo appoints KC to battle FCA
- Government opens driverless cars consultation
- EU to push back petrol sales ban to 2040
- WEEK AHEAD: NFDA Driving Digital
- Mansion owners who can’t afford tax face interest bill
- Ministers urged to close FCA tax loophole
- Norway nears 100% new EV share
- Zeekr to launch in Germany with direct sales
- OPINION: Should retailers care about autonomous vehicles?
Cox challenges BCA-Aston Barclay takeover
Manheim owner Cox Automotive has given evidence in the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into Constellation Automotive Group’s acquisition of Aston Barclay, arguing the deal would significantly weaken competition in the UK vehicle auction market.
Constellation, owner of BCA, had previously told the CMA that Aston Barclay was a “failing” business with no realistic future other than collapse. It claimed the market is much broader than traditional physical auctions, with competition from regional operators, dealer-to-dealer platforms, OEM systems and digital-only remarketing channels. In a response to the CMA’s investigation, Constellation also argued that BCA is now largely an online business and no longer directly comparable to Aston Barclay’s traditional auction model.
Cox has strongly disputed this in a submission to the CMA’s investigators last week. It said there is no clear evidence that Aston Barclay was about to fail and that other purchasers, particularly smaller rivals, could have acquired its sites. Cox argues Aston Barclay is one of only three auction businesses operating at genuine national scale, alongside BCA and Manheim, and that losing it as an independent player would leave BCA with excessive market power.
Cox also rejects the claim that digital and proprietary platforms are true substitutes for physical auction networks, citing the importance of logistics, inspection and storage services.
The CMA has now opened a Phase 2 investigation into the takeover where the watchdog gathers evidence from the companies involved, their customers, rivals and other stakeholders.
At the end of Phase 2, the CMA typically has three options: to clear the deal, clear the deal with remedies, or block the takeover entirely.
MotoNovo appoints KC to battle FCA
South African bank First Rand, which owns MotoNovo in the UK, has appointed both a Kings Counsel and economic advisors to fight the FCA’s redress scheme.
In a statement from First Rand about the discretionary commission redress scheme consultation, the bank said: “To ensure the group’s response to the FCA’s current consultation process is appropriately comprehensive, it has appointed senior legal advisors, including a Kings Counsel, and economic specialists. The consultation document is lengthy and complex and requires a detailed response to several critical considerations.”
First Rand listed several considerations it believes are not being handled correctly by the FCA including the interpretation of the “applicable legal judgements” and the proportionality of the proposed redress scheme.
First Rand added: “Of particular concern relates to the UK Supreme Court’s conclusion that the determination of an unfair relationship between a creditor and a debtor requires the court to consider all matters it regards as relevant. The group’s view is that the current FCA proposal appears to consider each matter in isolation and not as a combination and then applies this approach on a backward-looking basis to 2007.
“Secondly, the group has consistently said that it believes the scheme goes beyond what can be deemed proportionate and that any redress anchored on unfairness should not result in the complete loss of more than the cumulative profits made over the period by either the group or the industry.”
Government opens driverless cars consultation
The Department for Transport has opened a consultation on how driverless vehicles will be adopted and regulated in the UK.
Road users, the automotive industry and retail groups are encouraged to share their views on the framework for safe deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs), which the DfT claims will create up to 38,000 jobs and unlock an industry worth £42 billion to the UK economy by 2035.
A passenger piloting scheme will launch in the first half of 2026 to gather further evidence for the framework.The consultation is in two sections, the first looking at “getting AVs on the road” and the second covering “once AVs are on the road”.
EU to push back petrol sales ban to 2040
The UK will face pressure to rethink its automotive net zero commitments as the EU is set to push back its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by five years 2040.
“I have it on good authority that the EU is going to add five years on to the current 2035 to make the date 2040,” said former Vauxhall chief Tim Tozer. Another leading executive said OEMs have had it confirmed to them the ban will be pushed back, reports The Sunday Times. The date of an announcement is still to be confirmed.
The UK has committed to outlawing the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
WEEK AHEAD
Tuesday, UK retail sales
Wednesday, NFDA Driving Digital
Friday, UK GDP
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DATA INSIGHT
Mansion owners who can’t afford tax face interest bill
8%: Late payment penalties for those who can’t afford to pay the government’s new property tax. Owners of properties worth more than £2m will pay the annual levy from April 2028; it will be charged on a sliding scale from £2,500 a year to £7,500.
Ministers urged to close FCA tax loophole
£2bn: Ministers are being urged to close a loophole that will allow UK banks and lenders to avoid paying £2bn in tax on payouts to moor finance scandal victims, reports The Guardian. Under current law, operations that are not banks can deduct compensation payments from profits before calculating corporation tax.
Banks have been blocked from claiming this since 2015 – but motor finance arms are considered “non-bank entities”.
GLOBAL AUTO
Norway nears 100% new EV share
Nearly 19,500 new cars were registered in Norway in November – and only a few hundred were not electric. It gave Norway a November EV share of 97.6%. Tesla commanded a 31.2% market share, reports electrive.com.
Zeekr to launch in Germany with direct sales
Geely brand Zeekr will launch in Germany in January 2026, two years later than planned. The Zeekr X, 7X and 001 will be sold through a direct distribution model, described by Zeekr as a “digital ordering model, supplemented by personal contacts”.
OPINION
Opinion: Should retailers care about autonomous vehicles?
The DfT’s driverless cars consultation may only be a small news story in today’s Auto Sunday, but it’s going to be a big issue in the coming years, not just for all road users, but also retailers.
This consultation is the start of a regulatory framework that will influence how cars are sold, serviced, insured and ultimately owned in the UK.
For retailers in particular, it raises three strategic questions.
First, which vehicles will arrive first and who benefits from being early?
Every major technology shift creates winners and losers among the first movers. As the rules take shape, some brands and models will gain approval sooner than others. Retailers aligned to those manufacturers could see early demand, premium pricing and reputational advantage.
The other unknown is where those first movers will come from. Traditional OEMs are investing heavily in autonomy, but Chinese manufacturers have already shown how quickly they can move in EVs and software-led vehicles. If they lead here too, network representation could carry a real first-mover advantage.
It is also unlikely that the early adopter looks like today’s typical private buyer. Driverless technology could be most attractive to people with mobility challenges or reduced independence. That may force retailers to rethink not just what they sell, but how they sell.
Second, who is the customer in a driverless world?
If autonomous vehicles still require a ‘driver in charge’, then the retail model remains broadly familiar. But the moment a car needs no driver at all, ownership may shift away from individuals and towards central operators running driverless taxi or shuttle services.
In that scenario, the transaction starts to resemble a fleet deal rather than a traditional retail sale. Fewer buyers, larger volumes, sharper commercial terms and a heavier focus on uptime, servicing and total lifetime cost.
Third, where does liability sit?
However safe they are predicted to be, autonomous vehicles will still be involved in accidents. Particularly in the early years when that happens, scrutiny will turn to maintenance, servicing, software updates and compliance.
In theory, that should favour franchised retailers and approved repairers, who can demonstrate adherence to manufacturer standards and a clear service history. But how far will regulation go? Will it extend to tyres, calibration work, body repairs and subcontractors? These unanswered questions matter for every aftersales operation.
This consultation may seem small today, but it is laying foundations. Retailers have years, not months, to prepare – but the strategic direction you choose now could determine your place in the driverless future.
Tristan Young
Editorial Director
Get in touch: tristan@autosunday.co.uk
ISSN 2977-6597