Courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation Volvo Car Corporation is now ramping up production of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. After the initial batch of 1,000 model year 2013 cars, production will increase to 4,000-6,000 cars as of model year 2014. The assembly of the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid has been successfully integrated on the same line as the ... Read More »

I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China. Read More »

DETROIT – Preparations will soon be under way at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the Cadillac ELR, a luxury coupe featuring extended-range electric technology, General Motors North America President Mark Reuss said Tuesday. “The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology,” Reuss said in a keynote address at ... Read More »

Several Bugeyes at the recent Austin-Healey Conclave in San Diego. AH Sprites – enlarge By the mid-1950s, British sports cars were fairly common on American streets with MGs, Austin-Healeys, Triumphs and Jaguars selling in relatively large numbers. Each revision brought better performance, more creature comforts and, unfortunately, higher price tags. The back-to-basics, Austin Healey, debuting in 1958 represented a step ... Read More »

Your father, or maybe your grandfather, probably owned one. When Ford produced its 10th million Model T in 1924, 9 out of 10 of all cars in the entire world were Fords. Over 15 million Model Ts were manufactured, a record that stood for a half century until surpassed by the VW Beetle. The Ford Model T not only put America on "wheels", but the entire world. The Model T was so well known, Ford didn't need to buy any ads for it between 1917 and 1923. Read More »

With it long hood, short rear deck, the 240Z had just the right look. Datsun – enlarge With the 1970 Datsun 240Z, the Japanese auto industry arguably moved from follower to leader. Nissan copied no one with the Datsun 240Z. The 240Z was not Nissan’s first noteworthy sports car, as it was preceded by the Datsun 1600 and 2000 roadsters. ... Read More »

The minivan was "invented" 60 years ago with the first drawings of the Volkswagen Transporter. The first eight Transporters rolled off the assembly line in 1949 and were shown to the public in early 1950. Looking at the Type II, as designated by VW, it is hard to believe it is based on the VW Beetle that appeared in the 1930s as the KdF-Wagen (Kraft durch Freude - "Strength through Joy"). The Beetle was designated the Type I. Read More »

In the '50s and '60s , almost every European automakers tried to sell cars in the U.S. Volkswagen, Saab and Volvo are among the few that are still here. The rest disappeared because they were ill suited for American driving conditions or suffered from poor sales and service organizations. Read More »

Let's face it, natural gas vehicles may be very environmentally-friendly, but aren't that exciting to own and drive. This ho-hum image definitely doesn’t fit the PGO Cévennes Turbo-CNG roadster. The car was developed BRA GmbH, PGO Automobiles and gasmobil. Read More »

It's an idea that keeps coming back– a car that is equally at home in the water as on land. During World War II, the Germans built the Schwimmwagen or swimming car that was based on Volkwagen KdF Wagen, later the VW Beetle, via the Kubelwagen, the Nazis' VW-based Jeep. Between 1942 and 1944, over 15,000 Type 166 Schwimmwagens were built Read More »