Federal Signal Twinsonic Mounting Brackets on 2040-parts.com

Bill Ford steps down

By Angus Fitton Motor Industry 06 September 2006 08:50 Bill Ford is set to step aside as chief executive of Ford Motor Company. Replacing him is 61-year-old Alan Mulally, previously the boss of Boeing's commercial aircraft division. Ford stepped down as part of a major management reshuffle designed to reverse the ailing fortunes of the world’s third largest car manufacturer.

Frankfurt auto show: Mercedes-Benz previews the electric B-class

Mercedes-Benz revealed an electric-powered B-class with range-extending capabilities at the Frankfurt motor show. This rounds out the company's line of standard gasoline- and diesel-engine versions in the second generation of the multipurpose fiver-seater. Set to go on sale in selected markets in 2013, the B-class E-cell Plus is propelled by a 136-hp electric motor that draws electricity from a lithium-ion battery mounted low within the car's MFA platform structure.

The fall and rise of the budget car

Twenty years ago, the classic bargain brands like Lada seemed to be going the same way as the Soviet empire that spawned them. Woefully dated and badly made, only a weirdo would have bought a new Lada rather than a second-hand model from Ford, Vauxhall or VW. However, one of the big trends in the car industry today is the re-emergence of bargain cars.