Harley Davidson Rear Drive Sprocket on 2040-parts.com

GM's historic Willow Run plant closes

After 68 years of arming the nation and putting America on wheels, the Willow Run manufacturing plant in southeast Michigan closed on Thursday. The 5-million-square-foot powertrain plant, owned by Motors Liquidation Corp., the remnants of the former General Motors Corp., has fallen victim to GM's 2009 bankruptcy and subsequent restructuring. About 300 workers left at the plant will either “retire, transfer to another campus or go on layoff,” said Chris Lee, a spokesman for the reorganized General Motors Co.

Chevrolet Prisma

While Europe moves onto the fourth generation Opel Corsa, GM do Brasil has used the second series of the B-segment car as basis for the new Chevrolet Prisma. Unveiled at the recent Sao Paulo Auto Show, the small four-door sedan uses the 12-year old platform to compete with the Dacia Logan, which will go on sale in Brazil next year along with a host of rivals from China. The styling is largely derivative, the rear in particular owing to Ford and Honda products.

Black cab fares to rise

BLACK cab fares in the capital are going up and could rise again as early as next January. From April 5, London taxi fares will increase by an average of 0.7%, Transport for London (TfL) announced today. TfL said the below-inflation increase was the lowest since it took responsibility for licensing taxis in 2000 and the rise equated to just 9p more on an average fare.