Top Trumps are back...
Top Trumps are back - but this time the prize is better than simply getting all the other cards off your mates. Collect these special British Motor Show Top Trumps and you could win a new car worth up to 100,000. The promotion is being run with Shell Optimax fuel - collect all 24 cards to be in with a chance of winning.
The Euro 2008 football...
The Euro 2008 football championship kicked off without any of the home nations involved, but British stars were scoring on the automotive front in June.
Rumours of a new Ford Capri have been surfacing for years, but in a great, new-look Auto Express, we exclusively revealed blue oval bosses were finally in a position to green light the project a move that would mark the return of a Brit classic.
Our images showed Ford wasnt planning to build just another coupé in the mould of the slow-selling Probe and Cougar. No, they confirmed it was working on a Mercedes CLS-style four-door version.
Our story said the Mondeo coupe would have a sleeker, sportier profile than the saloon, yet would still boast four doors and space for a full complement of passengers. We also reported that the blue oval was planning to equip the car with modified suspension with electrically controlled dampers for a sporty driving experience.
Lean, green, mean machine (Issue 1,016)
Another Ford grabbing Auto Express headlines in June was the Focus RS. Although it would be one more month before blue oval bosses unveiled the 222bhp newcomer at the British Motor Show, our amazingly accurate images showed that the firms designers werent holding back on the styling front.Thanks to a dramatic front bumper, rally-style arches and a rear spoiler, the RS immediately earned the distinction of being the meanest, greenest Focus ever.
Top marque announces baby (Issue 1,015)
Rolls-Royce, one of the most secretive car makers around, broke with tradition in June when it announced plans for a new small model. We reported that the ң175,000 RR4 would be built on a heavily modified BMW 7-Series platform with power from a lightweight twin-turbo V8. Chief designer Ian Cameron told us: The RR4 has a more informal presence than the Phantom, with a greater emphasis on driving. Expect to see the production model unveiled late next year.
Lid lifted on Brit supercar (Issue 1,016)
MG fans may have had very little to cheer in recent years, but our exclusive revelation that the ill-fated SV-R was about to appear in cabriolet form came as a surprising piece of good news. Our report also carried a first drive of the SV-R coupé, which was finally returning to dealer showrooms after William Riley the owner of MG Sport and Racing snapped up components and the rights to build the car following the liquidation of MG Rover back in 2005.
Flying high with world-first TV commercial (Issue 1,015)
Another TV advertisement first for Honda came with the airing of the worlds first live commercial. Dubbed difficult is worth doing a quote often used by the companys founder Soichiro Honda the commercial marked the launch of the new Accord. Filmed high above Spain, the three-minute ad featured skydivers forming shapes of technology fitted to the car. Sadly, hours later the plane crashed, killing the pilot and a skydiver.
Parking tax shock for city workers (Issue 1,017)
Nottingham commuters got an unwelcome shock in June when the local council announced it was planning to introduce the UKs first Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). The controversial scheme would tax spaces at a flat rate of ң350 per year, and an employee using their company car park would have to pay the bill out of their wages. Unsurprisingly, a number of businesses affected by the toll said that they planned to relocate.
Eco showcase (Issue 1,015)
Persuading drivers to become more interested in environmental issues got a lot easier this month when the admittedly bizarrely titled Sexy Green Car Show threw open its doors. Held at the Eden Project in Cornwall, the expo was a showcase for manufacturers and conversion specialists, and it was a hit with visitors. Even sports car maker Lotus got in on the act with an Elise that runs on petrol, bioethanol and methanol. The show moves to the ExCeL centre in London for 2009.
SUVs in rough (Issue 1,016)
Rising fuel prices and the credit crunch delivered a double blow to US 4x4 maker Hummer in June. We reported that the situation was so bleak parent company General Motors was looking to sell the firm on at a knockdown price. And although demand for the new H3 (below) was holding up in the UK at the time, sales have since collapsed.
New stinger tracks crooks (Issue 1,015)
RISING numbers of petrol station forecourt drive-offs were stopped in their tracks when a clever new stinger was launched. The spikes in Drivestop not only puncture a fuel thiefs tyres, they fire a microchip tracking device into the rubber to help trace them! The technology, which costs ң10,000 to fit, is set to save filling station owners thousands of pounds in lost income.
Insurers rated and slated (Issue 1,017)
AFTER revealing the UKs best and worst car makers and dealers, our Driver Power report looked at the nations insurers. Based on information supplied by 32,000-plus motorists, it showed NFU Mutual was the favourite cover provider while AXA, Norwich Union and Budget all struggled. And 83 per cent of drivers said price was the main factor when picking their cover.