One car manufacturer has come over sentimental in its latest efforts to raise funds for Children in Need.

Bill Cook, who owns the Chelmsford Hyundai dealership, decided to save a Morris Minor Traveller and put it up for auction to raise money for the cause.

Now set to appear for sale on eBay, the car was originally destined for the scrap heap when a customer came in to relinquish the motor under the government’s scrappage scheme.

The vehicle is a 1098cc version of the estate model which is said to have copied classic American cars due to bearing a wood-framed rear end.

It has Rose Taupe paint combined with a red interior and was first registered on June 27th 1967, currently reading 77,000 miles on the clock.

The vehicle has been given the once over by a representative from the Morris Minor Owners’ Club (MMOC) and will be issued with an MOT due to expire in November of next year. The auction is set to end on November 27th.

According to the MMOC it currently boasts 14,500 members.

The novelty of having a new car can lead to reckless and dangerous drivers as young people try to impress their friends.

This is the warning from Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, who said that bad driving was often down to drivers’ attitudes and not poor training.

"We need to be talking to people who are 13 and 14 about developing the right attitudes towards driving, not leaving it until [they're] 17," he commented.

Mr Howard went on to say that part of the problem is that, once a person hits 17, they can be good at driving despite being not so good at school or playing sports.

His comments come after new research from the Co-Operative Insurance and Brake, which revealed that 30 per cent of young drivers have admitted to driving recklessly and illegally, despite the dangerous consequences.

A quarter of respondents admitted to driving without insurance, without an MOT certificate or without a driving licence.

A variety of Vauxhall car parts help to ensure that the Corsa is the most versatile vehicle in the manufacturer’s range.

This is according to the Sunday Times’ Jason Dawe, who believes that the Corsa is equally at home as a first car, a family car or a retirement car.

"The Corsa is a pretty good drive, with decent ride comfort and great visibility, factors that make it popular with driving instructors," he wrote.

Mr Dawe went on to note that today’s third generation Corsa has come a long way since the car was introduced in 1993. It is now much larger, at four metres long and 1.74 metres wide.

However, the Corsa "isn’t always reliable" and can experience certain faults, such as heater-fan problems, defective windscreen-wiper stalks and issues with the automatic transmission, he added.

Other owners have complained of failure of the handbrake lever mounting points on the floor.

The Corsa is manufactured at Figueruelas in Spain at the same factory that produced the Vauxhall Meriva.

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A self-confessed fan of Hyundai car parts, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond says he "starts to go a bit cold" when moving to the Santa Fe.

In his Daily Mirror column, Hammond writes that the Santa Fe is "not a bad motor", while it is also cheaper than some of its rivals thanks to its £21,495 price tag.

"It’s just not as strong a bargain as the little cars," he argues. "The latest version has a 194bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine and a manual gearbox. For an extra £750 you get an extra two seats."

Hammond did concede that the Santa Fe is "worth a look" because of its 20,000-mile service intervals and five-year warranty.

Following its introduction in 2001, the Santa Fe quickly became Hyundai’s best-selling model, contributing to the manufacturer’s success in the US.

Next year’s second-generation Santa Fe model is expected to feature a mid-cycle refresh, with slight tweaks to the vehicle’s exterior including new as new head and tail lamps and different wheels.

For all of your Hyundai spares, visit 247 Spares

A new version of the Audi A3 2.0 TDI is the greenest of its kind in the industry.

This is according to the manufacturer, which unveiled the common rail diesel and said it is the most economical and efficient at its sector level.

Various car parts have been incorporated in order to increase its eco-friendliness, such as engine start-stop technology and a recuperation system that is said to further reduce carbon emissions.

It does so by recycling some of the kinetic energy produced when the brakes are applied, storing it in the battery until required for acceleration.

"The ongoing Audi crackdown on emissions has yielded another efficiency breakthrough within the A3 range," said the company as it launched the motor.

Various specifications will be in showrooms, including an A3 Cabriolet 2.0 TDI, which has a combined rate of 61.4 miles per gallon and can reach 62 miles per hour from standstill in 9.1 seconds.

Earlier this week, Audi announced it is to premiere its new A8 model in Miami.

Vauxhall might be worth a look this winter for anyone interested in the carmaker’s "dramatic efficiency drive".

Upon launching its new range of Corsas, the company outlined some of the factors making certain models much more eco-friendly than ever before.

Describing the vehicles’ engines as "ultra economical", all bar one delivers more than 50 mpg when used with manual transmission.

The diesel ecoFLEX Corsa, meanwhile, can reach 76.3 mpg on its combined cycle.

However, the manufacturer maintained that emissions and the cost of running the car are not the only benefits for drivers who hit showrooms this season to buy one of them.

Various features, such as cruise control and air-conditioning, have been added as standard to some motors in the range, so those into gadgets and gizmos might do well to check out what is available.

Earlier this month, Vauxhall outlined some of the ways people can avoid getting stressed on the roads this Christmas.

Ideas included fitting a roof box to make more space inside the car.

The price of a new motor is the most common reason for people to argue about buying one, new research has revealed.

Carsite.co.uk said these "carguments" occur between over one in four couples who venture onto the forecourt.

The next most popular reason for getting into a dispute was the style of the would-be purchase.

Some 18.9 per cent of the respondents bicker about colour, while 14.4 per cent say performance and engine size is the main cause of beef between them and their partner.

Alistair Jeff from Carsite.co.uk said the recession is not over yet, so many households are still closely monitoring their expenditure.

"It’s one of the biggest investments a couple can make together. So it’s perhaps no surprise that money is the biggest cause of contention in the car buying process," he explained.

Consumers looking to buy a new or used car this winter might want to shop around for the relevant insurance cover and make certain they pick the most suitable deal.

The current Mazda line-up is the best ever, according to the manufacturer.

Speaking as the launch of the Mazda2 in North America was announced, chief executive officer and president Jim O’Sullivan said the range spanned all significant areas of the market.

He said the upcoming model to be introduced in the States was good value, lots of fun and stylish to boot.

"It will be the definition of Zoom-Zoom," he added, referring to the company’s branding.

The Mazda2 is set to be unviled at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, which takes place from December 4th to 13th.

Since its original launch in 2007, it has won 48 awards.

News of the Mazda2 follows success for the Mazda3 earlier this week.

It was named as the best family car of the year at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards.

Factors such as its comfort, style and economy were noted as contributing to the win.

Nissan has been given an award for an environmental component of its marketing strategy.

The company’s e-bulletin and media portal was set up in January of this year in a bid to inform people of its green activities.

As a result, it has been given the International Green Apple Silver Award to mark its display of environmental good practice.

The nod was given by the Green Organisation, which said Nissan’s idea was class-leading – not just in the motoring industry, but across all sectors.

Roger Wolens, national organiser of the awards, said the carmaker’s example was "innovative" in terms of sharing and interacting with the media.

"It also highlights just how committed Nissan is," he added.

The news follows the publication of concept sketches by the manufacturer for its light commercial electric vehicle.

Based on the NV200, it is aimed at enabling ambulance drivers to easily enter areas where there is a restriction on carbon emissions.

Winter might not seem like the most obvious time to buy a convertible – but it could be a financially savvy move, one company said this week.

Autoquake.com said many models in stock are currently selling for lower prices than they were two months ago.

For example, used Peugeot convertibles have dropped by an average £960, Renaults are down £1,307 and would-be Audi convertible drivers can snag a used model for £1,923 less than they would have done in September.

And despite the bad weather, Britain’s climate proves convertibles are just as usable for most of the year.

"There are 15 wet days in December," said Autoquake.com founder Fredrik Skantze. "That’s just three more than in July. Even if the weather turns, modern drop-tops are well insulated against the cold."

However, he went on to suggest that interested buyers should act sooner rather than later, because prices will start to pick up again in January and rise through spring.

Those who decide to go for a convertible might want to check out online car insurance options, as this can be a good way to compare the market and see the most competitive prices.