2010-2012 Ford Fusion Oem Front Passenger Seat Motor on 2040-parts.com

MINI celebrates 100 years of car production in Oxford

MINI will be celebrating a century of car production in Oxford on 28th March 2013, 100 years since the first Bullnose Morris Oxford was produced. It’s 100 years since the first Bullnose Morris Oxford rolled out on 28th March 1903, since when 11,655,000 cars have been built – with as many as 28,000 people employed in its heyday – and even Tiger Moth planes and Iron Lungs built alongside 80,000 repairs to Spitfires and Hurricanes during WWII. What is now MINI’s Plant Oxford was founded by William Morris – and Morris Motors kept control until 1952 – and has been owned and run by BMC, then British Motor Holdings (when Jaguar arrived), British Leyland (when Leyland Trucks, Triumph and Rover joined), nationalisation in the 1970s saw a variety of names, Rover Group arrived in 1986 and was subsequently privatised and sold in 1994 to BMW.

Land Rover Defender Challenge by Bowler – the Defender goes rallying

The Land Rover Defender goes rallying (pictured) with Bowler modifications The venerable Land Rover Defender – now reaching the end of its shelf life – may not seem the perfect rally car. But a Defender tweaked and fettled with some Bowler Fairy Dust is another matter, and that’s exactly what’s happening with a new, one-make Defender Challenge by Bowler – and backed by Land Rover – which is aiming to put up to fifteen Defenders in to UK forest stage rallies and hill rallies in 2014. The Defender in question is a Defender 90 Hard Top with the usual 2.2 litre diesel, but sorted by Bowler to deliver 170bhp and 323lb/ft of torque (up from the regular 122bhp/266lb/ft) with a standard six-speed manual ‘box, MSA roll cage, fire extinguisher and Khumo tyres.

Skoda Fabia vRS 2000 (an open-topped vRS) at Worthersee

Skoda Fabia vRS 2000 Concept Yes, it’s Wörthersee Tour time again. Which explains why we have an OTT Skoda on display - the Skoda Fabia vRS 2000. Finished in the same striking green as the production Skoda Fabia vRS, the vRS 2000 is a concept car put together just for the GTI-Treffen event in Worthersee and is based on the Fabia vRS 2000 rally car and, as Skoda boss said, Worthersee “…is a welcome opportunity for us to show off our sports models and make sure that everyone knows that Škoda really has something to offer here.” It would have been hard to believe even just a few years ago that a car like the vRS 200 could ever come out of Skoda, but we’re now at the point where, if you can set aside badge snobbery, Skoda often has more to offer than parent VW.