Bosal 251-007 Exhaust Bolt/spring-spring on 2040-parts.com

The fall and rise of the budget car

Twenty years ago, the classic bargain brands like Lada seemed to be going the same way as the Soviet empire that spawned them. Woefully dated and badly made, only a weirdo would have bought a new Lada rather than a second-hand model from Ford, Vauxhall or VW. However, one of the big trends in the car industry today is the re-emergence of bargain cars.

Suncammer jams at Detroit Autorama

Let's say it's the hands. The difference between the North American International Auto Show in January at Detroit's Cobo Center, and Autorama in February at Cobo, is the hands. The auto show has well-manicured hands, soft hands, hands attached to high-powered executives and numerous public-relations people.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake & New Mercedes A Class UK debut at MotorExpo

MotorExpo London 2012 The Jaguar XF Sportbrake, new Mercedes A Class, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and new Kia cee’d get a UK debut at London’s MotorExpo. Traditional car shows have died something of a death in recent years, with just a handful of car shows round the world still attracting big numbers. Car ‘Events’ have become the order of the day with stuff like Goodwood and Salon Prive offering car lovers a proper petrolhead experience instead of static displays of untouchable cars in industrial units.