Dodge Nv4500 4x4 Cast Iron Tailhousing on 2040-parts.com

Insurance interest costs motorists millions

BRITISH drivers are paying £682 million more than they should be for their car insurance by paying monthly. Most insurers charge a high rate of interest for the privilege of spreading payments out over the year, with the average pay-monthly customer hit by an additional £88. Almost a third of people (31%) pay their car insurance by monthly direct debit, market research from Consumer Intelligence has discovered.

London Taxi maker Manganese Bronze bought by China’s Geely

China automotive giant Geely has bought Manganese Bronze – makers of the iconic London Black Cab – in an £11.04 million deal. The iconic London Black Cab has been an accident waiting to happen for years, as under investment in making the Black Cab fit for the 21st century saw competition – like the Mercedes Vito Taxi and the Nissan NV200 Cab – start to offer serious competition to the taxi that identifies London. Despite an investment by China’s Geely – when Geely bought 20 per cent of Manganese Bronze, makers of the Black Cab – and the bulk of the Black Cab being produced in China and bolted together in the Midlands, the final nail in the coffin for Manganese Bronze was the recall of 400 TX4 cabs over a steering fault.

Ford Fiesta [w/Gallery]

The facelifted Ford Fiesta features design cues that bring it in line with the latest Ford global design language and concept vehicles. The biggest changes are to the front of the Fiesta, where its trapezoidal grille has moved further up the front mask and is flanked by new headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, as well as a new 'power-dome' hood (ironic given the new 3-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine). These changes allign it with the new Fusion/Mondeo that will also make its debut in Paris.