Honda UK snatches back Ramsey to run car division

Honda UK has appointed Ewan Ramsey as general manager of cars. He will report to Honda UK group managing director Ken Kier, who is also executive vice-president of Honda Europe, but will oversee the day-to-day running of the car division.

Honda UK has appointed Ewan Ramsey (pictured) as general manager of cars. He will report to Honda UK group managing director Ken Kier, who is also executive vice-president of Honda Europe, but will oversee the day-to-day running of the car division.

Marketing director Simon Thompson will report to Ramsey. David Strangeway, whom Ramsey replaces, moves to head the car sales operation for Honda Europe.

Ramsey, who joins Honda in the new year, is managing director of DaimlerChrysler Retail. He worked at Honda in the 1990s, before joining Inchcape and then DaimlerChrysler.

DaimlerChrysler has chosen director of network development Neil Williamson to replace Ramsey as managing director of its retail network, which operates DaimlerChrysler’s retail outlets in London, Birmingham and Manchester. Williamson will report to president and DaimlerChrysler UK chief executive Wilfried Steffen.

Honda is hoping to emulate the success of its multi-award winning “Cog” and “Grrr” campaigns with two ads being developed by Wieden & Kennedy.

The car maker is believed to be investing &£3m in the ads. The first, understood to be called “Impossible dream”, is based on a driver who finds himself in control of a series of vehicles that transform into each other, growing in size as they do. What starts out as a tiny car turns into a boat, then a hot-air balloon. The second spot is thought to be called “Choir”.