1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue Owner's Manual on 2040-parts.com

Essex boost for car loving home buyers

An Essex council is to make garages and drives bigger on new homes For most of the last decade the UK Government has waged a war on the motorist. Endless speed cameras, which are in reality just tax-raising  machines and have little to do with road safety; never-ending fuel tax rises; congestion charging; spiralling parking charges; road-charging schemes and the only coppers you see have a speed gun so non-speeding untaxed and uninsured drivers never get caught -  pushing up costs for the rest of us. But one of the most stupid, head-in-the-sand policies was the idea that new houses should encourage people to forsake their cars by making garages too small and off-street parking almost non-existent.

Ken Block thrills Gymkhana fans in Austria

Ford action-motorsports star Ken Block says he was thrilled after more than 25,000 fans attended the first stop of his Gymkhana World Tour in Vienna, Austria, on July 17. The American Internet sensation--his Gymkhana series represents some of the most-viewed videos on YouTube--is combining his World Rally Championship campaign with his three-event tour, which will also make stops in Los Angeles and in Melbourne, Australia. "Ever since we filmed the first Gymkhana video, I have wanted to be able to bring this type of action to a place where people can watch it live, and Gymkhana World Tour does exactly that," Block said.

Daimler-Renault alliance approved, report says

An international alliance between Daimler and Renault has been approved by the companies' boards and is set to be announced on Wednesday, Bloomberg is reporting. The pact would allow the German and French automakers to collaborate on a range of products, including small cars, commercial vehicles and engines. AutoWeek first reported on the alliance last week.