The extraordinary renaissance of Triumph has seen the iconic British manufacturer overtake Japan’s Big Four to become the UK’s biggest-selling motorcycle marque.

Nissan Motor said last week that it expected to more than triple net profits this year as Japan’s third-largest carmaker prepares to launch its all-electric vehicle in key markets.

The Spitfire and the Hurricane would not have flown without them, the Second World War would have sounded very different without their distinctive rumble overhead, but victory and peace marked the beginning of the end of the golden age of the aircraft propeller. Until now, perhaps — because in a corner of an airfield in Gloucestershire, a very British industry is making a comeback. Moreover, its renaissance is being driven not by nostalgia but by 21st-century pragmatism.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) is weighing a dramatic about-face on plans to close one of its three UK production plants.

· By 31 March, 372,401 new cars had been registered through the scrappage scheme. · Scrappage accounted for 12.2% of all new car registrations in March. · The scheme accounted for 3.2% of the total van market in March, with 6,577 new LCVs registered through the scheme since it began in May 2009. · Average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme were 132.9g/km, 27.1% below a scrapped car’s figure and 9.6% below the overall new car market average.

The passing of the Digital Economy Bill in Parliament, which enables government plans to migrate analogue radio to digital services from 2015, has prompted industry to reinforce its call for a collaborative approach between broadcasters, the automotive sector and government to drive consumer awareness and ensure an efficient and effective migration for vehicle manufacturers and motorists.

China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has said it will expand its line-up of MG models built on platforms used by its Roewe models.

Commenting on today’s Budget, SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt said, “Measures to encourage more and better priced lending to consumers and businesses, alongside additional support for investment in low carbon vehicle technologies are further evidence of the new priority given to UK motor manufacturing. There is disappointment that the introduction of first year VED rates has not been deferred, but the doubling of the annual investment allowance will give a lift to the commercial vehicle market.”

General Motors is close to reaching a joint-venture agreement that will keep its van plant at Luton open beyond 2013, the company's European boss has revealed.

Hopes that Britain could become the hub of a global green motoring revolution were boosted yesterday when Vauxhall indicated that its Ellesmere Port plant could become the home of the new electric Ampera.