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Ford Fiesta deliveries delayed, storm-damaged rail lines blamed

Ford Motor Co.'s shipments of the 2011 Ford Fiesta subcompact to U.S. dealerships will be delayed by 10 days to two weeks because of storm-damaged railroad lines. Key railroads in northern Mexico were severely damaged by Hurricane Alex on June 30 and later by Tropical Storm Bonnie, said Angie Kozleski, a Ford spokeswoman.

Used cars top consumer complaints list

SECOND-HAND cars bought from independent dealers topped the list of the 10 most-complained-about consumer issues between April and June. Citizens’ Advice consumer service dealt with 12,000 complaints about such vehicles, which equalled 8% of all cases it dealt with. The number was three times as many complaints as those made about used cars bought from private sellers and franchise dealerships.

Videos: Chris Bangle shares his views on design and the future of car design

Chris Bangle is a man that needs no introduction on these pages. Both revered and castigated, Bangle's work has undoubtedly been influential for a generation of designers. His unconventional practices – employed at a time when design was still largely segregated from other departments during the development process – yielded many avantgarde and contentious designs, but Bangle's fundamental understanding of the design process, creative vision and desire for change can never be cast in doubt. While Bangle shares his views on the future of the car in the video to the right, the video to the left provides an insight into the former BMW design chief's thought processes and gives us a glimpse into his home and studio in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.