Exchange & Mart ceases publication

Well, in print, at least. When I was nowt but a lad, the only place to find a car for sale, beyond your local garage or local classifieds, was Exchange & Mart. It was the bible for the UK car buyer.

2013 Astra Convertible spied on video – The new Vauxhall Calibra / Opel Manta?

2013 Astra Convertible Spy Vauxhall and Opel have now managed to reveal much of the new Astra Model range – with the Astra GTC debuting at Frankfurt last month being the latest – but there’s still the drop-top Astra Convertible to come. The 2013 Astra Convertible – which may arrive as the new Vauxhall Calibra – has been caught on video testing ahead of an expected debut at Paris in 2012, before going on sale across Europe in 2013. Looking very much like the GTC with a cloth top, the new Astra Convertible loses the tin-top of the old model and gets a folding canvas top in the name of economy, lightness and dynamics.

Karmann-Ghia Coupé redesigned by Brazilian students

The winners of the Karmann-Ghia Brazilian student competition to design a modern interpretation of its classic Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Coupé have been revealed. Over almost 60 years the German-Italian company has become an important supplier of car bodies and tooling in Brazil, but the market has lacked a model carrying the Karmann-Ghia badge since the '70s. The original coupé, which inspired the contest, was launched in Brazil in 1962 and remained in the market for 10 years before it was replaced by the Volkswagen SP – considered the first car completely developed in the country.