1963-68 Corvette Steering Wheel on 2040-parts.com

The no-show cars: a reader rant on mad concepts

Instigated by Harley Earl at General Motors in the late 30s with the quaintly named Buick Y-Job, show cars, or concept cars, were presented to an excited public eager for new things. As the world recovered from a depression and then a war, these vehicles pointed to a better future that many people believed in, including the people who produced them. And, although many of the concept cars of the 50s, with their Jetsons plexiglass roofs and notional nuclear powered engines seem ludicrous now, in their time they weren’t that cynical.

Toyota recalls 35,000 cars

CA MAKER Toyota is recalling more than 35,000 UK cars after it discovered faults that could deactivate airbags, cause seats to move while driving or, in a rarer case that involves undue force, break steering columns. The three separate issues affect some RAV4, Hilux, Yaris and Urban Cruiser models, Toyota said. The Japanese company said there had been no reports of accidents, injuries or fatalities linked to the issues from anywhere in the world, but it was recalling the 35,124 UK-registered vehicles in line with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) code of practice.

Vettel makes history with fourth consecutive F1 world championship

SEBASTIAN VETTEL further cemented his place in Formula One history by becoming the youngest driver to win four consecutive world titles. At the age of just 26, Vettel is now a serious threat to the record haul of seven crowns won by Michael Schumacher, who was six years older by the time he claimed his fourth championship. There was simply no stopping Vettel and his joy of six successive wins secured the world championship.