Standard Z95002 Distributor on 2040-parts.com

UK New car sales hit 394,806 in March 2013

The latest figures from the SMMT show that new car registrations in the UK in March 2013 hit 394,806, up 5.9 per cent over March 2012. The seemingly inexorable rise in new car registrations in the UK is continuing, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reporting sales in March 2013 up 5.9 per cent on March 2012, with a total of 394,086 cars registered. These figures mean that new car registrations have grown for thirteen consecutive month and are now at their highest level since the Government introduced the Scrappage scheme in 2010 to try and breathe new life in to the market and encourage buyers to opt for low emission cars.

Vauxhall Astra (2009): first interior photos

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 18 June 2009 15:15 Vauxhall has released the first interior pictures of the new sixth-generation Astra, showing that the inside of the five-door hatch has been heavily influenced by the bigger Insignia's. The architecture broadly follows that of the Insignia, with (at least in top-spec models) a high-set sat-nav system, sitting above the audio and air-con controls and flanked by the central air vents. The air vents themselves are more angular than the items you'll find in the Insignia, and the dash itself also appears more upright.

RCA's Dale Harrow: Car design more crucial than ever

As well as serving as head of the RCA's Vehicle Design Program, Dale Harrow is also a Financial Times columnist. His latest piece suggests the car is in the process of change, and at a rate beyond that undertaken in its first century of existence. Manufacturers have 'solved' the function of the car, and as reliability is no longer a concern for the consumer, design is now crucial.