A growing number of drivers are choosing to service their cars themselves, despite not having the necessary skills.

A new study by Kwik-Fit highlighted that over a third (35 per cent) of car owners now carry out their own services, despite the fact that 69 per cent of drivers are not confident about doing so.

The research also found that there are a rising number of cars going un-serviced, with 2.5 million fewer cars being serviced at a garage in the past 12 months compared with the previous year, as drivers seek to cut costs.

"Car owners shouldn’t rely on the MoT to pick up faults as this mainly focuses on safety factors. A proper service will highlight issues which could cause a future breakdown and also cover areas too complicated for most DIY mechanics, such as timing belt replacement," commented David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit.

He added that while the tough economic climate has led to motorists wanting to cut costs, missing a service can cost more in the long run if things go wrong.

Recent research by fast.MAP, on behalf of MyTyres.co.uk found that less than 50 per cent of motorists have checked the tread depth of their tyres in the last month.

Fiat has announced a new project aimed at celebrating the production of 500,000 of its Fiat 500 city cars.

It will create a special showcar, the Fiat 500 Thousandth, which will be covered by 1,500 photos of Fiat 500 customers, celebrities and fans.

People are able to ‘book’ a place on the car via the Fiat500.com website, with 70 per cent of the spaces on the car being reserved for Fiat customers.

In addition to their pictures, people can attach a small message describing their relationship with their vehicle or a link to a YouTube video or Facebook message.

"The Fiat 500 Thousandth will be the first ‘collective car’, a further confirmation of the spirit of the original model with potential customers being involved from the earliest stages of design," the firm commented.

Once the car is complete, it will feature at a number of upcoming events and international motor shows.

The 500,000th Fiat 500 was a 69 HP 1.2 litre version with Start&Stop, finished in Funk White and was built at the firm’s Fiat Auto plant in Tychy, Poland.

A growing number of drivers are choosing to service their cars themselves, despite not having the necessary skills.

A new study by Kwik-Fit highlighted that over a third (35 per cent) of car owners now carry out their own services, despite the fact that 69 per cent of drivers are not confident about doing so.

The research also found that there are a rising number of cars going un-serviced, with 2.5 million fewer cars being serviced at a garage in the past 12 months compared with the previous year, as drivers seek to cut costs.

"Car owners shouldn’t rely on the MoT to pick up faults as this mainly focuses on safety factors. A proper service will highlight issues which could cause a future breakdown and also cover areas too complicated for most DIY mechanics, such as timing belt replacement," commented David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit.

He added that while the tough economic climate has led to motorists wanting to cut costs, missing a service can cost more in the long run if things go wrong.

Recent research by fast.MAP, on behalf of MyTyres.co.uk found that less than 50 per cent of motorists have checked the tread depth of their tyres in the last month.

Fiat has announced a new project aimed at celebrating the production of 500,000 of its Fiat 500 city cars.

It will create a special showcar, the Fiat 500 Thousandth, which will be covered by 1,500 photos of Fiat 500 customers, celebrities and fans.

People are able to ‘book’ a place on the car via the Fiat500.com website, with 70 per cent of the spaces on the car being reserved for Fiat customers.

In addition to their pictures, people can attach a small message describing their relationship with their vehicle or a link to a YouTube video or Facebook message.

"The Fiat 500 Thousandth will be the first ‘collective car’, a further confirmation of the spirit of the original model with potential customers being involved from the earliest stages of design," the firm commented.

Once the car is complete, it will feature at a number of upcoming events and international motor shows.

The 500,000th Fiat 500 was a 69 HP 1.2 litre version with Start&Stop, finished in Funk White and was built at the firm’s Fiat Auto plant in Tychy, Poland.

With the Le Man 24 Hours just five weeks away, Audi driver Allan McNish is preparing with a full ‘dress rehearsal’ in Germany next Sunday (May 9th).

The Scotsman has won the event twice in his illustrious career and he will be joined by eight teammates, who will all be driving the latest Audi R15 TDI Plus sports-prototypes in a 1,000km preparation race at Spa-Francorchamps.

"We’ll face our fiercest rivals for the first time this year, the factory Peugeot team, which also has a three-car entry at Spa and then Le Mans in June," McNish said.

Spa is the second round of the Le Mans Series (LMS), with McNish and Italian teammate Dindo Capello having won the Paul Ricard LMS event earlier this month.

The Le Mans 24 Hours is the world’s oldest sports car endurance race and has been held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France.

An auto parts manufacturer has announced that it is creating 100 new jobs as the UK car industry continues to grow in strength, the Express & Star reports.

ThyssenKrupp Tallent, based in Cannock, Staffordshire, had to shed more than 300 jobs during its lowest point of the economic crisis, but this latest news suggests it is returning to good health.

The firm is looking for recruits to join its factory team, which produces structural under-body parts for many leading car brands, and some of the jobs will be permanent, the news provider said.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, told the newspaper: "Headline figures demonstrate a steady improvement in home and export markets.

"But the industry will continue to face tough market conditions with the scrappage scheme closing and limited access to finance and credit."

The car parts manufacturer also has factories in India, Belgium, the USA and China.

The future of Donington Park appears bright once more after its owners announced that it could be hosting motorsport again by August, ThisisDerbyshire.co.uk reports.

For a time it was feared that the famous racing venue would never reopen after closing for the second time in its history when its owners went into administration last autumn.

But this latest development, announced by Kevin Wheatcroft, son of the track’s late owner Tom, has raised hopes of a Donington revival.

"We wanted to reassure fans that we are still working hard to get things up and running again. We have already drained the tunnel under the circuit and moved the top soil back on to the circuit," said Mr Wheatcroft.

"But the main work replacing the track will start in May and hopefully be finished in August. Providing we obtain the necessary racing licences then we will see racing again before the end of the year."

In October last year, Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone revealed that Donington would not be hosting the 2010 British Grand Prix.

Sustainable mobility remains a strong priority for Volvo, according to the car manufacturer’s Sustainability Report.

It has introduced seven DRIVe models, diesel cars with enhanced fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than normal, while it also plans to start series production of a plug-in hybrid model by 2010.

The Volvo XC60, an eco-friendly SUV compact, has enjoyed continued success as the Swedish firm’s best-selling model in 2009, receiving several international awards along the way.

"Our commitment goes beyond the tailpipe emissions of our cars – we believe that our responsibility starts with our supplier chain, through production, use and recycling, encompassing a holistic environmental approach," said Stephen Odell, the company’s president and chief executive officer.

The company recently announced all its new models would include pollen filters to ease the suffering of Volvo drivers with hay fever.

Earlier this year, the Volvo S80 executive saloon and V70 premium estate models were modified to produce CO2 emissions as low as 119g/km.

Rising petrol costs are not hampering the market for luxury used cars, according to Glass’s.

Despite prices recently exceeding the previous record of 120p for a litre of unleaded petrol, the sales of luxury car, prestige SUVs and supercars have not been negatively impacted.

Those vehicles require more fuel than many other cars on the road, meaning the cost to run them has risen more sharply but that doesn’t seem to be putting buyers off.

"Given the series of fuel price increases, it is perhaps surprising that there has not been any kind of backlash in the premium sectors this time around," said Adrian Rushmore, managing editor of Glass’s, a used car specialist.

"In fact, the sector that could be described as the most fuel inefficient appears to be thriving, namely the prestige 4×4 sector that has recorded price resilience not seen in any other area of the market."

In March, petrol prices rose to an average price of 119.9p, breaking the all-time high set in 2008.

Skoda has seen its profits boosted by increased sales in the first three months of the year.

A year-on-year comparison revealed a 25 per cent jump in the number of vehicles delivered for the Czech Republic’s bigger car manufacturer, with post-tax operating profit up from CZK 787 million (£26.7 million) to CZK 2.7 billion.

The company’s improved performance is largely down to a growth in the Chinese market, with sales up a huge 121.9 per cent, while there was also a rise in European sales, particularly in central Europe, where it recorded a 12.9 per cent rise.

Its Octavia and Superb models both experienced strong sales growth during what has been a very strong start to the year for the firm.

"The sales results show that the markets in Western Europe are recovering from the economic recession. The only exception is Germany, where the automotive market slumped by nearly 25 % over the first three months as compared with the same period of last year," said Reinhard Fleger, of the sales and marketing department at Skoda Auto.

Earlier this year, the car manufacturer’s UK branch won the Human Touch and Customer Care award for the fourth time in five years.