28 February 2003: Volkswagen is introducing the world's most powerful diesel-engined passenger car at next week's Geneva Show - the Phaeton V10 TDI. This new model will go on sale in Germany at the end of March 2003, at a list price starting at E82,600.

28 February 2003: The Chrysler Airflite concept will be revealed next week at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show, featuring the styling of a coupe and the practicality and function of a saloon car.

28 February 2003: The fastest-growing car markets are currently Eastern Europe and the Far East, according to the 2002-2003 World Automotive Market Report published by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).

27 February 2003: The new BMW 7-Series 730d will be available in Ireland from the end of April or early May, priced E87,000. It is the first diesel car in the world to enter the market with a six-speed automatic transmission. It's also the first 7-Series to have a diesel option.

27 February 2003: More preview shots of what is generally accepted as the concept close to the next Opel Astra have been released.

27 February 2003: Ford of Ireland is forecasting a total sales of 1,500 Fusion cars for 2003, following sales of 450 of the vehicles in January.

27 February 2003: The BMW-owned MINI brand will showcase two new versions at Geneva - a howling 'works' version from Cooper, and the new diesel MINI with engines supplied by Toyota.

27 February 2003: Renault will unveil the first of two new Scenic MPVs at next week's Geneva show, a 5-seater, and a 7-seater Grand Scenic will come on line in 2004.

27 February 2003: Volvo is to show a concept car at Geneva which showcases new technology to demonstrate how a future large, luxury Volvo estate could be fast and economical - and smarter.

26 February 2003: Customers ordering a Morgan sports car can now expect delivery inside a year - a big improvement in supply for the hand-built classic.

26 February 2003: Peugeot's 307 Coupe Cabriolet will make its first appearance in full production guise at the Geneva Motor Show next week. It will be available in Ireland in the autumn, with a pair of 2-litre engine options outputting 138bhp and 180bhp resepctively.

25 February 2003: Vivian Noone from Cashel, Co. Tipperary has won the opening round of the 2003 Ford Rallyesport KA Rally Championship and finished in an amazing twenty sixth position overall, at the Suirway Forklifts Carrick-on-Suir Forestry Rally.

25 February 2003: Three Xsaras have been entered for Colin McRae/Derek Ringer, Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Carlos Sainz/Marc Marti on the Rally of Turkey, an all-gravel event that has been promoted to WRC status for the first time this year.

25 February 2003: Mercedes-Benz, through their main dealer MUTEC, has won the contract to supply Tesco Ireland with 45 new Mercedes-Benz tractor units for its distribution fleet in Ireland.

24 February 2003: Alfa Romeo returns to the Geneva Motor Show in the first week of March with no fewer than three world premières and lots of additions to the current range.The standard production models on the stand rub shoulders with racing cars, concept cars and cars outfitted with the TI sports kit.

24 February 2003: Pictured above is the 3-door 1.6 litre petrol engine wide body version of the Suzuki Grand Vitara whose enhanced specification is now standard on the Irish market.

24 February 2003: Opel has put a new turbocharged engine into its Speedster, giving the 2-seater sports car a 0-62mph performance of 4.9 seconds.

24 February 2003: Porsche will show their new 911 GT3 at next week's Geneva Motor Show, along with the Carerra GT.

24 February 2003: Rinspeed Design, the Swiss powerhouse for automotive concepts and emotions, once again presents a unique attraction at Geneva this year, the Rinspeed Bedouin.

24 February 2003: SEAT has introduced a new and improved roadside assistance package covering all new cars purchased and registered in Ireland from 1 January 2003, and at no extra cost to the customer.

24 February 2003: Traffic in Dublin is now so bad that car numbers have already exceeded alarming levels predicted for 2016.

22 February 2003: Ford has developed a new Sportka on the basis of the production of the new Streetka roadster which adds a new element to the company's smallest car.

22 February 2003: Renault will shortly unveil a $250 million investment to build more cars in Russia, to offset declining demand in western Europe.

22 February 2003: The new Opel Signum, which goes on sale in Ireland later this year, will have its world premiere at the 2003 Geneva International Motor Show. Orders are already being taken in Germany at an entry price of E23,000.

22 February 2003: Irish Ferries have introduced new sailing schedules with earlier arrival and departure times on their Dublin - Holyhead and Rosslare - Pembroke routes.

21 February 2003: Fiat's new supermini and its new compact MPV (above) will be the stars of the company's stand at the Geneva Motor Show the week after next.

21 February 2003: A special Opel concept car which will be shown at Geneva in two weeks' time - the GTC Genève - will use design cues which have already been seen in studies like the Snowtrekker and in production models like the Speedster and the Vectra.

21 February 2003: Ford is unveiling a Fusion Plus version of its Fiesta-based MPV at Geneva this year. It features exterior design enhancements including unique alloy wheels, a full perimeter body kit, and a unique front grille treatment, plus privacy glass.

21 February 2003: Honda has released more details of its new petrol-electric Civic IMA which comes available in RHD in May.

20 February 2003: The Ford Focus-based MPV, the C-MAX, will be available in Ireland later this year, following its upcoming introduction at the Geneva Motor Show.

20 February 2003: One of Ireland's biggest selling and most dependable SUVs, the ubiquitous Isuzu Trooper which began life back in 1982, is reportedly in run-out mode.
  

20 February 2003: PSA Peugeot-Citroën and the Ford Motor Company are introducing new 1.6-litre and 2-litre common rail direct injection diesel engines, which have been developed in the second phase of their cooperative venture. They are scheduled to gradually equip both partners' model lines in the second half of 2003.

19 February 2003: Newly appointed Republic of Ireland football manager Brian Kerr has been presented with the keys of a new Alfa 166 by Michael Howe, Managing Director of Fiat Auto Ireland.

19 February 2003: Work on the largest tyre complex on this island is to get under way within the next few weeks, members of the press were told on Monday last when they turned up at the historic sod turning ceremony for the new Bridgestone HQ and Distribution Centre at Fingal Bay Business Park, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.
 

19 February 2003: The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate will arrive in Ireland in July, with a price tag probably around E3,000 or so more than the equivalent saloon version.

18 February 2003: The Opel Vectra has proved itself a hot number by winning a Winter Test of 19 cars arranged by the Finnish motoring magazine Tekniikan Maailma.

18 February 2003: Although Fiat Auto Ireland only expects to sell around 285 copies of its new Stilo Multi Wagon in Ireland this year, or around 10 per cent of total Stilo sales, the company believes it represents the new way forward for a Fiat that will return to being a force in the market.

17 February 2003: Top Irish International racing driver Michael Keohane from Clonakilty, Co Cork, has landed a works Lola F3 drive in the 2003 British Championship. The deal means that the 22-year-old will drive for the Irish owned Sweeney Racing team who are the official factory Lola F3 team for the British series.

17 February 2003: Toyota is to introduce the Lexus brand to Japan as a 'global premium brand for the 21st century'.

17 February 2003: National Safety Council Chief Executive Pat Costello has voiced his concern at the growing incidence of oil spills occurring on roads nationwide and the serious threat such incidents pose to road safety. In the past fatalities and serious injuries have resulted following oil spills on roads.

17 February 2003: Irish Ferries remind motorists that time is running out for those wishing to take advantage of their half price fares sale to Britain.

14 February 2003: Audi dealers in Ireland who handle the flagship A8 model have committed to taking 70 units of the latest version of the luxury car during 2003. Which means there are at least 70 strong expressions of interest out there for the new car.

14 February 2003: Men are more likely to spend money on their motors than to lavish luxury on their ladies according to the RAC. The research is British, though, and has not been replicated in Ireland.

14 February 2003: Motorists in Britain are starting to vent their anger at the ever increasing use of speed cameras by attacking the cameras themselves.

13 February 2003: Volvo has has refreshed its S80 flagship five years after the launch of the car that changed the whole perception of the brand. The changes include mild exterior refinements and a number of under-the-skin improvements, and will relate to cars being manufactured from mid-April.

13 February 2003: The Ford Rallyesport KA Rally Championship once again returns for its fifth consecutive season, with all 15 Pirelli-shod Ford KA’s starting with the Carrick-on-Suir Forestry Rally on the 23rd of February next. 

13 February 2003: Ford had a very happy sales month in Ireland in January, with its models leading no less than four segments – ‘minis’, superminis, compact family cars and large family cars.

13 February 2003: Though Volvo Car Ireland managed to double its initial allocation for the new XC90 SUV, buyers will still have to wait over a year before they get one, because all 125 available for 2003 have been pre-sold.

13 February 2003: Toyota Ireland has announced a major sponsorship with the GAA which will benefit player funds and see Toyota become ‘The official car supplier to the GAA’.

13 February 2003: MG Rover has moved into the car derived van (CDV) sector, with vehicles derived from the company’s Rover 25.

12 February 2003: GM's 'fuel cell guru', Dr Larry Burns, is sticking to his guns in his forecast that there will be fuel cell-powered cars in mass production by 2010 - like the Hy-Wire prototype above.

12 February 2003: Peugeot’s current television advertisement for the 206 has finished in first place in an on-line poll run by the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘You and Yours’, to find ‘The Nation’s Favourite Ads’.

12 February 2003: Fiat is to invest more than E400 million in retooling its Val de Sangro plant in central Italy to produce a new line of light commercial vehicles jointly developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

11 February 2003: A design study to feature at the Nissan stand at the Geneva Motor Show in March may point the way towards the brand's next compact family car, essentially the replacement for the current Almera.

11 February 2003: Mazda is talking with Suzuki and 'other manufacturers of small cars' with a view to them providing the Ford-owned company with a sub-supermini car.

11 February 2003: A new short history of Ford's manufacturing and assembly of cars in Ireland between 1919 and 1984 has been published in association with the RIAC Guinness Seagreave Archive.

11 February 2003: The Maranello Concessionaires Racing Team supported by Ferrari UK is to return to GT racing in March.

11 February 2003: Honda's operations in Europe are likely to return to profit in the year ending March 31, earlier than expected. The extent of the profit is expected to be around E30 million, against a loss of E290 million in the previous year.

10 February 2003: Reigning World Champion Marcus Gronholm celebrated his first win of the 2003 season on the Swedish Rally yesterday. Marcus and Timo Rautiainen took the lead on Friday’s stage two and maintained their advantage until the end of the rally, finishing 50.8 seconds ahead of Subaru driver Tommi Makinen.

10 February 2003: A senior international motoring figure has called the Government to replace our penal Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) with levies based on emission levels.

10 February 2003: Citroen have ended the Swedish Rally with Colin McRae and fellow Citroen Xsara driver Sebastian Loeb sharing the Rally Drivers’ Championship top spot with 12 points each. The team itself is now Number One in the Constructors’ Championship with 24 points.
 

10 February 2003: The new CLK-Class Cabriolet will be presented to the public for the first time at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

10 February 2003: Volvo in Ireland is to absorb the controversial VRT increase on cars with engines between 1901cc and 2000cc until the end of March, and will refund the VRT element to customers for any cars registered from 1 January.

10 February 2003: Two new versions of the BMW 7-Series are due in Ireland at the end of the month.

10 February 2003: Daihatsu has freshened up the Sirion supermini-class car and it is now available on the Irish market at E12,995.

10 February 2003: The production version of the Porsche Carrera GT will be on public display for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

09 February 2003: Fiat is to launch two new cars at the Geneva Motor Show in the first week of March, one of which the company describes as 'the compact car of the future'. The other will be an MPV in the B segment. Both are likely to be featured with the new 1.3-litre turbodiesel developed by Fiat in association with GM.

07 February 2003: The new smart roadster and roadster-coupe will be available in RHD in September, though as yet there is no Irish distributor for this car which is already receiving rave reviews from those who have driven it.

07 February 2003: Hyundai is the latest major carmaker to commit to research into fuel cells as an alternative power source for cars.

07 February 2003: Freddie Vaugh Car Sales, main Citroën Dealer in Ferbane, Co Offaly has sponsored ‘You’re A Star’ local contestant Simon Casey by providing him with a brand new Citroën C3 1.1 litre LX courtesy car.

06 February 2003: Mazda in Ireland has a target of achieving more than four per cent of the national vehicle car parc, to 60,000 vehicles.

06 February 2003: The cost of commercial vehicles which have been converted to 'double cab' style so a second row of seats can be installed is to increase in July.

06 February 2003: Volkswagen's next Passat launch has been put back, according to company sources, until the late autumn of 2004.

06 February 2003: Blizzard conditions throughout Ireland are making driving conditions extremely dangerous warns RAC. Some roads are impassable, especially over the high ground and RAC is urging motorists not to venture out unless their journey is absolutely necessary.

05 February 2003: Early-warning radar beacons for motorways could prevent motorway pile-ups in fog or rain, according to researchers.

05 February 2003: The Volkswagen Group is recalling 530,000 VW, Skoda and Audi cars to replace engine ignition coils that have been failing at a higher than normal rate. The recall is global.

04 February 2003: Ten days after its resounding triumph in Monaco, Team Citroën Total turns its attention to Sweden for the second step of its first full World Rally Championship campaign.

04 February 2003: Figures released by the Society for the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show 32,787 cars were registered in January, an increase of 5% on January 2002.

04 February 2003: A Dublin couple have won a trip to New York, courtesy of their local Audi dealer, Annesley Motors.

03 February 2003: The latest version of the Mazda MPV, just introduced in Ireland, has a 136ps 2-litre turbodiesel engine option in addition to its familiar 2-litre petrol unit.

03 February 2003: Citroën’s 'Drive a Better Deal Today' promotional offer has now been extended until the 28 February. New car buyers can continue to avail of cash savings from E1,500 up to E2,500, and Gallic Distributors say the extension is due to 'unprecedented demand'.

03 February 2003: The Peugeot-Citroen PSA Group is to begin manufacturing a new range of small engines in 2005. The project is a joint one with BMW.

01 February 2003: BMW has recalled 164,000 of its X5 SUVs worldwide due to a fault with the brake hose. The move is expected to cost the company up to E5 million.

01 February 2003: Abolishing Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) would lead to a compensatory increase of two cents on the standard rate of income tax.

01 February 2003: Bridgstone Tyres has renewed its sponsorship with the Jordan Grand Prix Team.

01 February 2003: Clare Sports Partnership in conjunction with An Garda Siochana and Clare Co Council have come together to promote physical activity and road safety.