1960 Vintage Blaupunkt Radio For Porsche 356 on 2040-parts.com

Ford S-Max Vignale concept unveiled

Remember the Ford Mondeo Vignale concept from Frankfurt? It's basically a posh Mondeo, but Ford would like us to think it's a bit more than that. Vignale is Ford's attempt at going upmarket – taking on German premium brands with 'Vignale lounges' in special dealerships and specially trained 'relationship managers'.

Third Tesla Model S catches fire

Update: According to an Automotive News report, "NHTSA said it will contact local authorities about the latest fire 'to determine if there are vehicle safety implications that merit agency action.'" The agency had previously backed away from an investigation after determining that vehicle defects were not to blame for the fire in early October. Just after Tesla Motors reported a $38 million third-quarter loss and within a few weeks of two other car fires, a third Model S sedan reportedly burned on the highway near Smyrna, Tenn. The Tesla Motors Club forum supplied photos of the crash, which occurred around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon, in addition to intense speculation on the cause of the fire.

Cost of garage labour falling

THE AVERAGE labour rate at both franchised and non-franchised garages has fallen compared to 2012, according to new figures. An annual survey of 12,000 cases conducted on behalf of Warranty Direct has concluded that the average labour rate in 2013 is £74.70, a fall of 9.84% from £82.86 in 2012. Less encouraging is the overall trend of rising labour rates, with the average having increased by 33% over the last ten years.