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New car sales up again in October (2013). Should hit 2.25 million by year end

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) tops the UK new car list in October It’s another growing month for car sales in the UK, with SMMT reporting that new car sales in the UK for October 2013 rose by 4 per cent to 157,314 and registrations for 2013 so far up 10.2 per cent to 1,952,238. This is the 20th month in a row that new car registrations have increased, forcing the SMMT to increase its forecast for total 2013 sales to 2.25 million. Topping the sales charts is once again the Ford Fiesta which sold 8,574 – 65 per cent more than the Vauxhall Corsa in second place.

Gerry McGovern to head Land Rover Advanced Design

Gerry McGovern has been named Director, Advanced Design for Land Rover, and will be working alongside Geoff Upex, who continues as Design Director for Land Rover. "Gerry is uniquely suited to this role," said J Mays, Ford Motor Company's group vice president of design. "He's already shown the world that he fully understands Land Rover's DNA, having led the team that designed Freelander.

Ford B-Max (2012) goes into the great wide open

Ford hopes a less-is-more approach will lure punters to its new B-max MPV, unique in the supermini segment for having a big hole in the central cockpit instead of a structural pillar. The result is a flexible people mover that's a doddle to load with kids or cargo, Ford claims, thanks to its pillarless opening and sliding rear door. The novel doors landed the £12,500 people mover in the same must-see company as Bentley's grotesque SUV concept and Ferrari's beautiful F12.