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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.

2013 VW Beetle Convertible: Price from £18,150

After a reveal in October, the New Volkswagen Beetle Convertible has debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will cost from £18,150 in the UK. In fact, not only does the Beetle refuse to go away, it’s selling better than the ‘old’ Beetle ever did, with 230,000 Beetles built since the Beetle was revived eight years ago, only 100,000 fewer than the old Beetle sold in its 31 year history. And the new VW Beetle promises to be more appealing than the first iterations of VW’s revival of the Beetle, with their strapline for the latest model setting out its intentions clearly: ‘Less Flower – More Power’.

Bentley Branches Out Into Home Furnishings

NOT content with wheeling out an ever improving line of super-luxury cars, Crewe-based Bentley has chosen to add luxury furniture to its sales catalogue. Designed to furnish luxury homes, company bosses are keen to stress that the collections combine Bentley’s inherent qualities of craftsmanship, heritage and tradition, exclusivity and style, with the exacting design of a leading European furniture maker. Buyers of the furniture can expect the same attention to detail and exacting high standards as those with the means to purchase one of Bentley’s cars.