Ford Lincoln Mercury Clarion With Sync Navigation Radio Programming Service on 2040-parts.com

Best new car sales in six years

RECORD new car sales achieved a six-year high in 2013, the motor industry has announced. A total of 2,264,737 new cars were registered in 2013 - a 10.8% rise on the 2012 figure and the best annual total since the pre-recession year of 2007, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The 2013 total was boosted by a 23.76% rise, to nearly 153,000, in sales in December - the 22nd successive month of increases.

Top Gear 'regrets' Clarkson remark

TOP GEAR'S producer has apologised after broadcasting a "light-hearted" joke by Jeremy Clarkson that sparked a complaint of racism. The episode, which was filmed in Burma and Thailand and shown in March, featured a scene where the motoring show's stars built a bridge over the River Kwai and as an Asian man walked over it Clarkson said: "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it." Somi Guha, an actress who complained to the BBC, said the use of the phrase was an example of "casual racism" and "gross misconduct". The BBC2 show's executive producer, Andy Wilman, said: "When we used the word slope in the recent Top Gear Burma Special it was a light-hearted word play joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it.

Ford recalls more than 465,000 vehicles

Ford Motor Co. said it is recalling more than 465,000 vehicles in several popular models -- including the 2013 Ford Fusion sedan -- after discovering problems with fuel-delivery modules, engine-block heaters and missing steering-gear parts. A Ford spokeswoman said today that three different recalls for several of its best-selling cars were sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week.