Having a Mercedes S600 stolen is not usually news - but when it belongs to the Mercedes Chief Executive and is supposedly bomb- and thief-resistant, it is rather embarrassing.

The specially modified £500,000 car was fitted with armour plating, tyres that work even after being shredded by gunfire and the latest security equipment. Apparently, Schrempp was driving the car himself and stopped for just 20 minutes, returning to find a (rather large) empty space.

It is thought the car was loaded on to a transporter and is probably now en-route to Russia, the usual destination for stolen top-of-the-range limousines. It may well have been stolen to order - clearly the thieves knew what they were doing and had some idea of the security features that would have to be disabled. According to Interpol, armour-plated cars are particularly in demand amongst the Russian mafia. It does seem a curious irony that the more secure a car is, the more likely it is to get stolen.

General Motors has officially confirmed that Cadillac and Chevrolet models will be sold in Britain through the Pendragon dealer network.

This is the second attempt in 10 years to establish the brands over here, but at least GM have learned one important lesson: they are not trying to do it themselves. This time, the cars will be imported to Europe through Kroymans Corporation, based in the Netherlands and then handled by Pendragon in the UK. Last time, GM attempted to sell Cadillacs through Vauxhall dealers, which was a dead-loss.

The first Cadillac and Corvette showroom, at a prestige site on Park Lane, was officially opened today (22 November). It was also announced that the CTS sports saloon will be available in right-hand drive from the beginning of 2005, with other models due to be available in right-hand drive in the near future. However, the XLR luxury roadster and the new Corvette, for which there are no plans yet for right-hand drive production, will also go on sale early in the New Year in left-hand drive form.

Over the weekend, MG Rover announced that it was close to completing a deal with the Chinese car manufacturer, SAIC.

The two companies are planning to set up a joint venture operation, 70% owned by the Chinese, to develop a new range of cars to be produced both in China and Birmingham. Speaking on the BBC, industry analyst Jay Nagley said that, "The motivation of the Chinese is to get access to western technology and a European brand. MG Rover is a tarnished brand but, as Skoda has shown, it is easier to turn around a tarnished brand than to create a new one."

Assuming there are no last-minute problems - something that can never be ruled out when dealing with China - the deal should be finalised early in 2005.

Honda has announced a series of minor revisions to the CR-V.

The visual changes are small: revised instruments, new grille, bumpers, front and rear light clusters and 16 inch wheels. Technical changes include uprated brakes, an improved 4WD system and, on the Sport and Executive models, curtain airbags. In March 2005, the 2.2 CDTi engine from the Accord will be added to the range.

Prices are £17,200 for the 2.0 SE, £18,750 for the 2.0 Sport and £21,400 for the 2.0 Executive. Diesel versions will carry a £1,400 premium.

  Car Production Drops

Car production fell sharply in the three months to October, led by a drop in production for the home market as one producer shut operations for a week, official data shows.

Total car production fell 4.2 percent in the three months to October compared with the prior three month period - the biggest such decline since January 2003 - and was down 5.1 percent on a year ago, the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.

Domestic car production slipped 15.6 percent in the three month period compared with the prior three months - also the largest such fall since January 2003 - and was down 16.0 percent on a year ago.

One large manufacturer closed down completely for a week during October, resulting in production of 4,000 fewer cars and a couple of large manufacturers were generally gearing down and producing fewer cars than they did a year ago, the ONS said.

"Home car production has fallen off in a big way," said Alan Castle, UK economist at Lehman Brothers.

"On the demand side we've seen pretty weak car sales through the summer and into the autumn so I suspect there's been some kind of feedthrough effect there," he said.

Production for export markets slipped 1.1 percent in the three months to October on the prior three months but was down just 0.3 percent on a year ago. Analysts said the statistics - which are volatile on a month to month basis - would have little impact on the outlook for overall manufacturing production in October.

  Jaguar Sees Losses to 2007

Jaguar will not break even until 2007 despite job cuts, its chief executive says, adding losses will run into "hundreds of millions" of pounds this year.

"There is no quick fix. It will take two or three years to stabilise this business," Jaguar Chief Executive Joe Greenwell told reporters after a parliamentary committee hearing last week.

Jaguar, Ford's luxury UK car unit, will make fewer cars in future and will focus on improving quality and profitability, he said. Ford announced plans in September to cut 1,150 Jaguar jobs as it scales back production at its Brown's Lane plant in central England and shifts production to another factory near Birmingham.

"Will there be a climate of rigour going forward? Of course there will," Greenwell said when asked by MPs whether there would be any more job cuts or factory closures. Jaguar spokesman Don Hume said afterwards that Greenwell was not implying that the company envisioned eliminating more jobs.

"As we stand, there are no further job cuts planned," he said.

Unions reacted with dismay to Greenwell's testimony.

"Ford executives painted a bleak future here today," said Derek Simpson, general secretary of the Amicus union.