What the papers say: December 23

What car-related news is making the national press today? Find out here with our daily review.

Aid talks continue
Efforts to come up with a bail-out plan for the UK's car makers are continuing, reports The Guardian. The paper says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders wants another meeting with ministers to put its case for assistance.
The Guardian

Toyota's first loss in 70 years
The global car crisis deepened yesterday, as Toyota announced it was on course for its first operating loss in more than 70 years, reports The Guardian. The expected loss is blamed on sliding sales and the surging Yen. The announcement was Toyota's second profit warning in less than two months.
The Guardian

Toyota loss sparks fears for jobs
Thousands of jobs could be lost in the UK after Toyota's first operating loss in 70 years, according to The Times. The paper says that the sharp decline in profits and sales is likely to trigger redundancies at the manufacturer's plants in Derbyshire and Wales.
The Times

Global map of gloom
A graphic representing the global car industry crisis published in Guardian shows that production is expected to drop across the globe, with only China and India expecting small growth in 2009 of 1.9% and 2.3% respectively. Mexico is forecast to experience the largest drop (22%), while the UK is not far behind with an expected fall in output of 18.9%.
The Guardian

Sat-nav among greatest advances
The Daily Telegraph covers a report on the greatest technological advances of the past decade. Sat-nav was in at number three, closely followed at four by hybrid cars. Top of the list was wireless internet.
The Daily Telegraph

Mosquito helps cops catch car thief
Police in Finland have found an unexpected witness in their hunt for a car thief, according to the Daily Mail. Police searching a stolen car they had found abandoned, noticed a rather fat-looking mosquito, so they took a DNA sample from the blood inside the insect. The test led them to a man already known to the police, who now faces a court appearance.
Daily Mail

Crash-proof Volvo
The Daily Telegraph has a feature on Volvo's ambition to create the crash-proof car by 2010. Volvo says it wants to ensure that no-one is injured or killed in a Volvo by 2020.
The Daily Telegraph

Quick! Get me a limo
The Guardian takes a look at the luxury car business that is run by the wife of under-pressure counterterrorism police chief, Bob Quick. The Assistant Commissioner accused the Conservatives of being behind the campaign to undermine his investigation into the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green. Mr Quick was upset that his home address had been published in a national paper, but The Guardian points out that his wife's luxury car-hire firm advertises openly on the internet. Her fleet of cars includes Rolls-Royces and a Jensen Interceptor.
The Guardian

Police force splashes out on wrong fuel
The Times reports that the Avon and Somerset police has spent 23,000 repairing its cars after officers have filled up with the wrong type of fuel.
The Times

Hoard of gold found under car park
More than 260 gold coins have been found buried under a car park in Jerusalem, according to the Daily Mail. The 1300-year-old coins were found in the ruins of a 17th Century building from the end of the Byzantine period.
Daily Mail