Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

GM grants Saab a reprieve, CEO Henderson resigns

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 02 December 2009 15:51 The board of General Motors has granted Saab a lifeline – by extending the deadline for bids on its stricken Swedish patient to 31 December 2009. GM has been trying to sell Saab for the past year, and the Swedish car maker has been under court bankruptcy protection since February 2009.GM chief executive officer Fritz Henderson also announced he was to stand down. His interim successor is hard-nosed GM chairman Ed Whitacre – meaning that GM Europe and the US mothership have both lost their bosses in a matter of weeks.

Dacia won’t build a car smaller than the Sandero

The Dacia Sandero (pictured) will remain Dacia’s smallest model In austere times, budget buys sell. Which is why Dacia is having so much success with its compact Sandero and Duster SUV. With prices on the Sandero starting at just £5,995 and Duster SUV prices as little as £8,995 (although you’ll have to pay £10,995 for a 4WD version), car buyers are buying Dacias as quickly as Renault can build them, with sales in a European market that shrank by 7 per cent last year up by 18 per cent to 90,000 cars for Dacia.

UP Design Vittoria concept

Former I.DE.A styling manger, Umberto Palermo, unveiled his Victoria concept at the 2012 Qatar motor show. Responsible for both the institute's ERA and Sofia concepts, Palermo has now set up his own design consultancy, UP Design. The Vittoria concept has classical front-engined, rear-wheel drive proportions with a long hood and cab rearward layout.