Just in case you haven’t noticed yet, just-auto.com has a new look. Take a bow, the inhouse team that developed it all (including the systems we editorial bods use to publish stuff like this) and, unlike some ‘techies’ I have worked with, respond to constructive complaints with regular tweaks to the software rather than machine gun fire.

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On the news front, Toyota pulled the plug on manufacturing in Australia. Closing an assembly plant is something Toyota doesn’t do lightly and it’s a rare event. I’ve an Antipodean’s take on it here while my colleague Simon Warburton gives his view after talking to affected suppliers and unions.

As a kid drooling over new Holden Monaros, Ford Falcon GTs and, especially Chrysler Valiant Chargers from across the ditch, the idea that Australia would stop producing cars one day would never have entered my head. But the world has moved on – all hail the ‘free trade’ era no matter how one sided it is in reality. Just try selling built up cars in China, India, Russia, Brazil, Vietnam, etc which all still impose the same tariff barriers to ‘protect’ local factories in the same way Australia used to.

Jaguar Land Rover, once again, provided a useful quarterly boost to Tata’s profits and production of the venerable 1984-era Maruti 800 finally ended. Having clearly read last week’s TWTW, BMW announced new lighting technology and GM and its various JVs set an all-time monthly record for sales in China.

One other bit of just-auto news. We are running our annual just-auto outlook survey, so feel free to have your say on how the auto industry is shaping up. It just takes a few minutes to complete and we really appreciate your input.

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Have a nice weekend.

Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com