The event marks Parliament allowing motorists to drive without a man waving a red flag ahead in 1896. Hollywood drove a two-seater 1904 De Dion-Bouton

Mazda promises great performance, economy, safety and driving fun when the supermini reaches Britain early next year, priced from around £13,000.

Suzuki's new global city car offers very low CO2 emissions of 99g/km, 'class leading luggage capacity' of 254 litres and its AGS system also allows a low-speed 'creep' facility

Expect prices from around £25,500 to about £43,000 for the pumped-up CLA45 AMG, which will accelerate from rest to 62mph in 4.7 seconds, thanks to its 360 bhp, 2-litre turbo engine.

The model hasn't been seen in 35 years. It will cost £7,000 and manage up to 70mpg. Its features include heated seats and steering wheel

Acceleration from rest to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 168mph. The guiding principle, it says, was 'functional beauty'. The driver can also control wing deployment.

RAY MASSEY tests the new Land Rover Discovery Sport on the snowy roads of Iceland. With an impressive seven seats avilable and fantastic flexibilty this car is perfect for families.

It's Mercedes-Benz's its answer to rival BMW's X6 sports utility vehicle. It will be launched at the Detroit Motor Show next month. The new GLE Coupe is to get sporty styling and improved suspension.

Including the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, Coupe and Gran Coupe. The cabriolet will go from rest to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds. All petrol models will have a sports tuned exhaust system.

The Czech company beat rivals BMW and Range Rover to win the title. The original Skoda Fabia won the award 15 years ago as well. Since VW took over the firm, Skoda has shed its joke reputation.

It's a petrol electric sport hybrid with aerodynamic low slung features. It has a combination of the 550bhp twin-turbo V6 engine at the rear and two of its three electric motors fixed on the axle towards the front.

The Passat has been around for 42 years, the first model came out in 1973. The estate car is the fourth biggest-selling VW in the UK. The new model has keyless entry and heated seats.

Built with flexibility in mind, it also has a sliding second row of seats. There is a choice of five turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It is also the only car in its class to team four wheel -drive with seven seats.

The company have put a great deal of attention to detail into the new model of the Zetec which is both effortless and nimble to drive. Ford have listened to their customers and simplified the car's interior.

The new two-seater Aston Martin Vulcan will set you back £1.8million. The V12 engine is the equivalent of eight Ford Fiestas. The Vulcan will reach top speeds of 200mph and 0-60mph in three seconds.

Amid all the fashion models and cars at the Paris motor show, Kia's sports utility vehicle turned heads. The seven-seater promises improved ride, handling and crash safety, writes RAY MASSEY

The new prototype is a two-door 'crossover' aimed at young families but the final version will be a four-door petrol-electric hatchback crossover. It includes a permanent integrated child seat.

The Outlander PHEV can be charged overnight at home, run on electric-only power or operate in hybrid mode, switching between petrol and electric power, depending on which is most efficient.

Just as George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV.

In a stunt worthy of the latest Bond film Spectre — for which the firm is supplying many of the cars — the XF (pictured) was revealed in a dramatic stunt high over the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf.

The good news is that the five-door hatchback version will be built exclusively at the Swindon factory. Honda announced the Wiltshire works would benefit from a £200million investment.

Korea's SsangYong is launching a new sports utility vehicle from under £13,000 that promises value for money motoring for drivers who believe in watching their pennies.

Ray Massey drove the fully stocked four-wheel-drive 2-litre TFSI, which was adept at whipping around the Cotswolds in style. The range starts at £31,995 and the Audi can cost as much as £50,000

Cumberbatch was at the Shanghai Motor Show for the unveiling of the MG GS It will go on sale in Britain late next year.

It's been an electric week for motoring. A fleet of 100 electric vehicles was ferrying VIPs at the UEFA Champions League in Berlin last Sunday where Spain's FC Barcelona triumphed over Juventus.

The festival will feature cars from yesteryear, today and tomorrow. Since 1993 automotive extravaganza has become the nation's motor show. All major car makers brass will be attending.

As British Jaguars delivered guests to the annual WTA pre-Wimbledon Party, the Russian tennis star squeezed in a sneaky drive of the Porsche Boxter Spyder.

Having test-driven one for a week, I'm impressed with Volvo's exceptionally striking, high-tech and nimble XC90 sports utility vehicle.

Just in time for next month's new 65 plate, Honda has announced prices for its funky new third-generation Jazz, which goes on sale from £13,495.

Jaguar's elegant new products are leaping ahead to rival German companies such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The elegant new sports saloon XF is the latest to hit the road

Growing families may be contemplating a bigger car as the summer holidays give way to 'back to school' - and work. Korean car company Kia is preparing to unveil its new fourth generation Sportage.

Jaguar has unveiled its first sports utility 'crossover' vehicle, the F-PACE. The five-door five-seater is designed for families who need child seats in the back. It goes on sale next year, priced from £35,000.

The world's two foremost luxury car makers, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, will lead the charge of top British marques at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show. Bentley this week unveiled its first 4x4.

Jaguar Land Rover left its German rivals shaken and stirred with a star-studded James Bond car launch and a jaw-dropping stunt at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new model is predicted to sell for a quarter of a million pounds. The two-seater was designed by Scot Moray Callum and unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show ahead of going into production.

French giant, Renault, will release new model to Brits in autumn although it will go on sale on the continent in the summer. Renault bosses say it's aimed at those with an adventurous spirit.

The modified i8 coupe was developed with Toyota. It can travel 300 miles on one tank of hydrogen, with refueling taking about five minutes.

Amazing to think that Toyota is celebrating its 50th anniversary of sales in Britain.

For the British workers at the Nissan factory in Sunderland, it really will be 'to Infiniti and beyond' this autumn as the new upmarket Infiniti Q30 hatchbacks roll off the line and into showrooms.

The massive camper van, produced in Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Austria, has a 720-horsepower engine and comes with a £585,000 price tag.

The technology has been built into the Michigan-based car manufacturer's Sync systems and is powered by software built by Nuance.

What a week. And it's not over yet by a long chalk. The scandal sparked by Volkswagen caught cheating on its diesel emissions in America has a fair way to run

Dubbed the 'Flying Huntsman' by the team of British engineers who created it, the Defender Double Cab Pickup went on show at an exhibition in Peterborough earlier this month with more to follow.

Charge up your flux capacitors! We're going back to the future with Tesla Motors' unveiling of its gull-winged, all-electric sports utility vehicle.

Eyes will turn East this month for the Tokyo Motor Show, where cars that will soon be on sale in Britain share space with some of the most outlandish designs on the planet.

Sure, there’s good work in evidence but it’s all so derivative, so Audi, so VW, so keep it safe, so keep it in the family. Its crisp sharp lines doing nothing more than echoing those of the Audi A3 and VW Polo.

Oh, and by all means take a friend – there’s loads of room for a pillion and there are grab handles at the rear of the seat. Again, no additional qualification is required to carry a passenger.

The new Chelsea tractor is designed for fashionable, adventurous types who want wind-in-the-hair motoring.

The Swedish company has named its design for self-driving cars 'Concept 26' which it says aims to put the joy back into driving by letting people make the most of commuting.

Bosses at Kahn Automobiles are offering a £20,000 reward for help catching a hooded vandal who smashed a Bugatti Veyron's windscreen with an iron bar at the dealership in Leeds.