Denso 210-5123 Remanufactured Alternator on 2040-parts.com

Monterey in a Mulsanne – a Bentley mission to Pebble Beach

After a ten-and-a-half-hour flight from London, the idea of steering headlong – and solo – into the early Los Angeles rush-hour traffic in a five-and-a-half-metre-long, left-hand drive Bentley Mulsanne (worth some £230,000 with extras) and on the other side of the road to which I am familiar, might seem a little daunting. But as soon as I sink into the super saloon’s big leather seats, Bluetooth my iPhone to stream some music via the Naim premium audio, turn up the air-conditioning and press the accelerator gently, all becomes well. LAX Airport may be my starting point but the final destination is the Monterey Peninsula towards San Francisco, some 400 miles northward, for the world-famous annual classic car show Pebble Beach.

Ford follows Hyundai with payment protection plan

Ford Motor Co., taking a cue from Asian rival Hyundai Motor, is offering to make car payments for buyers who lose their jobs. The program, called the Ford Advantage Plan, will cover payments for up to 12 months. The move is aimed at boosting sales, which have fallen 45.9 percent this year through February at Ford Motor and 39.4 percent industrywide as the U.S.

Classic car commercial: 1985 Chevy Astro van

You remember Chevy's answer to the Chrysler minivan, right? Of course you do. After all, General Motors built the rear-drive (and AWD) Chevrolet Astro for 20 years before finally putting it out to pasture.