New car registrations continue to rise – up 6.6% in July 2014

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) topped the UK sales chart again in July 2014 There must come a point (mustn’t there?) when new car sales/registrations slow down in the UK, but there seems little sign of it happening any time soon. For the 29th month in a row, new car registrations in the UK rose again in July 2014, up by 6.6 per cent on the same month in 2013, hitting a total of 172,907. So far in 2014, new car registrations have risen by 10.1 per cent to 1,460,172, with the SMMT predicting that new car registrations for 2014 will end up 8.1 per cent up on 2013 at 2,450,000.

Ford Fiesta – Good. Fiesta advertising – not so good.

The billboard on a US Fiesta Display (click for bigger image) We have to hand it to Ford. They have handled the introduction of the Fiesta to the US market in a very clever, 21st century way. Their Fiesta Movement campaign paid big dividends and delivered a record level of awareness for a relatively unknown little car in the land of the V8 gas guzzler.

Cadillac Ciel concept

The Cadillac Ciel concept, a four-seat convertible, has just been revealed at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. "The Ciel is about the romance of the drive," says Clay Dean, global design director of Cadillac. "It emulates the great touring cars seen on the greens at Pebble Beach, but with a modern flair that projects Cadillac's vision for the future." Interior design manager Gael Buzyn says, "Simplicity and lightness ensure nothing distracts from the open driving experience, while the color and materials lend the feeling that the vehicle's environment blends with the surroundings." The four-door Cadillac Ciel concept was developed with a long, low proportion, reminiscent of classic automobiles, while the interior features Italian olive wood, machined aluminum and hand-tipped leather.