Show Preview: Frankfurt motor show 2011

The biannual Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, or the Frankfurt motor show, is again due to take place this September, swapping places with its sister show in Paris. One of the world's largest motor shows – certainly physically – the IAA is held at Frankfurt's Messe complex, and in recent years has been themed, with the last event in 2009 carrying the theme of ‘electrification', with virtually every manufacturer revealing a vehicle using the latest battery technology. Fittingly, the most notable unveil at that show was the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept, which was easily the most innovative and original car of 2009.

Saab finds a buyer

Bankrupt automaker Saab has found a buyer. But instead of picking up where the Swedish firm left off, the buyer plans to use Saab's resources for the production of electric cars. The new owners of Saab, a Chinese-Swedish investment group with Japanese backing called National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), did not release details on how much it paid for Saab or how much it planned to invest in the company.

'Selfless' motorway victim hailed

THE FAMILY of a Good Samaritan who was killed after coming to the aid of another man on a motorway have describe him as "generous and selfless". Spencer Bell, 71, from Bushey, Hertfordshire, had stopped to assist a man who had fallen from the Bucknalls bridge over the M1 near junction 5 at about 10.45am yesterday when he was struck by a vehicle. Hertfordshire Police confirmed the man who fell from the bridge was Alan Trethewey, 67, from Watford.