Porsche 356 Wireing Harness 1958 on 2040-parts.com

Maintenance 'favours' end up costing more

GETTING help from family, neighbours or friends for basic car maintenance tasks costs the UK public an estimate £300million a year, according to a new survey. Over 2,000 people were surveyed on behalf of Halfords Autocentres and one in six said they regretted asking for help in the first place. 45% who subsequently had to pay a professional to rectify mistakes were left with a bill in excess of £100.

Vauxhall Astra (2009): the first sketches

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 September 2008 09:00 Vauxhall has just issued these first official sketches of the new Astra ahead of its launch in 2009 at next year's Frankfurt motor show. Although heavily silhouetted, we can make out an evolution of today's mid-sized hatchback. This sketch is of the coupe-style three-door Astra, but there will again be a more upright five-door and indeed a whole suite of other Astras to fit every pocket.

The last Volvo XC90 rolls off the production line to make way for the all new 2015 XC90

The last Volvo XC90 rolls off the production line in Sweden. When the current Volvo XC90 arrived in 2002 it staked a claim as the perfect family SUV, a role it’s managed to hang on to – more or less – even though the XC90 is now long past its sell-by date. That’s because the 2002 XC90 was so cleverly conceived in the first place, with family-friendly ease of access to the back row of seats, inflatable side curtains for all three rows of seats, an integrated adjustable booster cushion for children, safety belt tensioners for all seats, easy to drive, decent looking and almost classless.