New car sales in UK still growing – up 14.8% April 2013. Driven by PPI Claims?

It is quite hard to fathom just how UK new car sales (well, registrations) continue to rise inexorably against a backdrop of otherwise stagnant economic activity, but they do. April 2013 has seen a total of 163,357 new car registrations, up a huge 14.8 per cent on April 2012 and the best figure since 2008, and these sales figures are not being driven by fleet buyers but by private motorists – private sector registrations grew by 32.3 per cent in April and are up by 15.2 per cent year to date. Not surprisingly, it’s the Superminis that are performing strongly – although all sectors are showing a rise – and it’s the Ford Fiesta that continues to be the best seller in the UK with sales of over 8,000 in April and over 42,000 so far in 2013, and the rise of superminis has also seen an increase in sales of petrol-engined cars thanks to the wave of small capacity, frugal petrol options.

Ford cars become personal valets

It's alive! Well, sort of. Ford has developed a car that can not only seek out empty parking spots, but park itself, too—all sans driver.

Vauxhall Vectra renamed as Insignia

By Motor Industry 03 December 2007 09:46 Vauxhall has renamed its Vectra replacement, and like we all thought, it's going to be called Insignia. According to Vauxhall the Insignia name represents 'a new name for a new era', and we'll see if Vauxhall is telling the truth when the covers come off the new car at the British Motor Show in July 2008. It's a big claim for Vauxhall, but the teaser shot (above right) shows that at least Vauxhall seems to have gotten the design of the Insignia right.