TPG BEEFS UP ITS BID FOR FORD BRANDS:Bob Dover, a former chief executive of Jaguar and Land Rover, is advising TPG Capital on its potential bid for Ford's UK luxury car brands.
The addition of Mr Dover to TPG's approach for two of Britain's best known car brands emphasises the US group's interest in the carmakers.
Two other former senior Ford executives, Jac Nasser and Sir Nick Scheele, have joined rival potential bidders One Equity Partners and Ripplewood, respectively.
AUDI KEEPS THE CANVAS:Audi has opted to ignore the trend towards folding metal roofs for its next generation A3 convertible, opting for a canvas top.
The new car, due to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in September, was spotted testing near the company's headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany.
The look of the A3 Cabrio is not very surprising, with the front looking like the current A3 generation, but the rear end seems to have been styled after the new A5.
DAIMLER CLEARS NAME CHANGE:DaimlerChrysler has cleared an obstacle to renaming itself Daimler, after striking a deal with Ford Motor, whose Jaguar brand owns the name.
The deal, agreed about three months ago in conjunction with the German carmaker's sale of control of its US Chrysler unit to Cerberus, but not widely reported, saw it pay an undisclosed "financial consideration" to Ford, according to reports.
Jaguar acquired the name in 1960 when it bought a British luxury car manufacturer named after pioneering German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, whose German company was to become part of Daimler-Benz. Shareholders are due to vote on the name change on October 4th.
DANGERS OF BADLY KEPT TYRES:A new survey indicates that a significant number of Irish motorists need to be encouraged to take responsibility for the replacement and general upkeep of their tyres.
Conducted over a month in Fast Fit's branches, the tyres on more than 10,000 vehicles were examined and the results suggest that nearly a quarter of drivers wait until the tread depth is below the legal minimum before replacement.
A third of the cars were also found to have tyres inflated to the incorrect air pressure.