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50 Years of the BMW 'Neue Klasse'

In a year that sees the celebration of the ever-seductive Jaguar E-Type and the characterful Renault 4, it would be easy to overlook other cars also reaching their half-century, especially a mundane three-box saloon. However, the BMW 1500 isn't any less significant. When launched at the 1961 Frankfurt International Motor Show, intrigued and inquisitive visitors were forced to wait 30 minutes just to catch a glimpse of the car.

Jeep’s ‘Ugly is the new appealing’ Cherokee costs from £25,495

The new Jeep Cherokee (pictured) is now on sale in the UK The new Jeep Cherokee debuted at the New York Motor Show in 2013, giving Jeep a new, smaller SUV with ‘good to be ugly’ looks to mop up the still growing demand for SUVs of all sizes. And now it’s going on sale in the UK. Based on the same underpinnings as the Alfa Giulietta, the new Cherokee comes in at a more affordable price than its big brother, but if you want the entry-level  2.0-litre Longitude 140 you’ll have to make do with front-wheel drive.

Bentley W12 (and Audi and VW) engine production centres on Crewe

The VW Group W12 engine will now only be made by Bentley in Crewe It’s probably not something you’ve paused to think about much, but if you did you’d assume that the Bentley W12 engine – fitted to the Flying Spur and Continental GT as well as the Audi A8 and VW Phaeton – was made only in Crewe. But you’d be wrong. In fact, the W12 for Bentleys are made in Crewe but those used in the Audi A8 and VW Phaeton are actually built by VW at their engine plant in Salzgitter.