13-385 Thermostat 160 Thermo King Carrier Transicold on 2040-parts.com

Richard Hammond’s Nova heads to Beaulieu

Ever thought car museums were lacking abused Vauxhall Novas? No, us neither – but Richard Hammond’s Nova SRi from Top Gear’s recent retro hot hatch challenge is heading to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. It joins the likes of the Hovervan from the last series, as well as the indestructible Toyota Hilux in the World of Top Gear.

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Breckland Beira

Norfolk-based Breckland - part of Hong Kong-based multi-national, Riche Holdings - will display a new hand-built, two-seat Beira roadster at the forthcoming London Motorexpo. Based GM's Kappa platform, the Beira features new front and rear body sections made from lightweight composites instead of steel. This not only enabled the creation of a distinctive nose section and pronounced fastback rear, but it also cut down on weight.