Bonhams & Butterfields Auction Resounding Success
Carmel, Calif. - 20 August 2007 - Bonhams & Butterfields celebrated the tenth anniversary of its renowned motorcars auction at Quail Lodge on Friday, August 17th with resounding success.
VW R32: So fast you’ll need shorter songs
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hatchbacks, Volkswagen
To emphasize just how quick its new Golf R32 hot-hatch really is, Volkswagen has mailed out a CD to potential customers and dealers containing some very short road-trip songs. The album, simply titled ‘Short Car Songs,’ contains three short classics, such as ‘One Green Bottle,’ ‘It’s a long way to Tip,’ and ‘She’ll be coming around the mountain,’ and is aimed at grabbing attention for the new car and getting people into showrooms to check it out.
Don’t write this concept off as a waste perfectly good plastic just yet. Results on previous launches using this promotion have shown test drives going up 75% and sales up 25% on initial forecasts. All from simply mailing out a CD? Perhaps next time the songs should be distributed digitally via the iTunes Music Store.
[Source: Ads of the World via German Car Blog]
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Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: V6 ‘Vette, as in Chevette
Filed under: Hatchbacks, Chevrolet, Misc. Auto Shows
We saw a lot of cars during our weekend on Woodward Ave., but I only remember seeing one Chevette. And it just happens to be the only Chevette I’ve ever seen with a V6. Yeah, I know, it’s not unheard of to stick a 6-cylinder in one of Chevy’s first economy cars, but upon seeing this too-hot hatch I said, “That ain’t right.”
Phil of Berkley, Mich., bought this particular Chevette brand new in 1976. Twelve years ago, he decided it was just lacking something. But what? Oh yeah. It lacked two extra cylinders, a supercharger and, of course, nitrous.
He says even after all the mods, including side exhaust an some super-nonstandard rear tires, the thing is quite streetable and still gets 27 mpg.
Check out more photos of this V6 ‘Vette in our galleries.
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eBay Find of the Day: 1948 Tucker #46
Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action
click above image for a gallery of gorgeous Tucker pics
This almost never happens. One of the 51 Tuckers ever made is about to close its bidding on eBay. At $200,000, we did’t think any Tucker would go so cheaply, but this one is a bit different. As the description points out, this particular Torpedo is number 46 out of the 51 ever made. It has a genuine Tucker steel body from the factory, but since 1964 it has been using running gear from a 1964 Mercury Monterey Parklane. This Tucker now has a 390 engine, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, and even air conditioning. While certainly less valuable than a completely original car, it’s probably easier to maintain and more enjoyable to drive. Looks like it will be hella cheaper too, so maybe some industrious soul will find a way to reunite the car with a more appropriate drivetrain in the future.
Thanks for the tip, Mike!
[Source: eBay]
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Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: Reliving memories with options
Filed under: Convertibles, Chevrolet, Misc. Auto Shows
Charles Colombo learned to drive behind the wheel of his older sister’s 1950 Chevy convertible on the streets of Rochester Hills, Mich. That was in 1962, and even then, it wasn’t a bad first car. After high school, Charles left home for med school, leaving behind the Chevy, expecting one day to drive it again. Returning home for Christmas, however, Charles learned his dad had sold the car. For $50.
“Even then it was worth more than $50, wasn’t it?” I asked. He just chuckled. It took a while, but Charles got over losing his first car, and one thing that helped soothe the wound was finding another, better, 1950 Chevy convertible 20 years later.
Continue reading Charles Colombo’s story from the 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise after the jump, or see more photos of Charles and his 1950 Chevy in the gallery.
Continue reading Woodward Dream Cruise 2007: Reliving memories with options
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India’s Tata Motors cheap car could be good/bad for country
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchbacks
We told you last year about India’s Tata Motors’ plan to begin selling a four-door, rear-engined, VW Rabbit-sized vehicle for less than 100,000 Rupees, or about $2,400.
Right now, .8% of Indians can afford to own cars compared to 70% of Americans. Even so, India’s urban roads are already over-crowded, and urban planners as well as environmentalists worry that even a small increase in car ownership could be disastrous for the country.
Or it could be just the thing needed to spur the country’s economy. Optimists see the as-yet-unnamed super-cheap Tata spurring the construction of larger, more modern highways, as well as fueling stations, driving schools and car parts stores.
Either way, Tata will need to sell a whole helluva lot of ‘em since they will carry less than a 3% profit margin.
(A Tata Indigo Marina is pictured)
[Source: Sunday Herald]
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Spy Shots: Facelifted Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Aston Martin
Click over to see four large images at AutoGespot!
Our friends from the Netherlands are back at it, capturing a hot new car before anybody else. Sporting U.S.-spec orange side markers, these special Vantage V8s made a brief appearance and started rumors that we might be in store for a sportier new version of the already fantastic Vantage from Aston Martin. They don’t look like the Rally GT or Prodrive editions we saw at Goodwood, and are definitely not the N24s we talked about and saw at Pebble, but beyond that we have only speculation.
Sporting a minor facelift, some DBS lenses out back, a little less bling on the mirrors and thicker rocker panels, could this be the long-rumored RS edition? If so, we could be looking at a V8 Vantage that weighs a significant 300 pounds less and has 80 hp more than the current model. While we love the current car, those changes and the styling differences we see here, might make this thing just about perfect. It would certainly match up better with the likes of an Audi R8, Porsche Turbo and others that have the standard V8 Vantage in their crosshairs.
Thanks for the tip, Sam!
[Source: AutoGespot]
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Frankfurt Preview: Citroën C5 Airscape - full details, hi-res gallery
Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show, Convertibles, Euro, Green, Citroen
Citroën has officially released everything its got on the C5 Airscape Concept that leaked out a few days ago, and it turns out our guess that it incorporated a soft top beneath its tonneau cover was wrong. The C5 Airscape will actually shade its occupants with a folding hard top made out of lightweight, strong and certainly expensive carbon fiber.
Billed as an “executive cabriolet”, the C5 Airscape is a four-seat hard-top convertible with expressive styling that looks less like a concept and more like a production ready prototype. Its length is accentuated by a sharp crease running the vehicle’s length that also incorporates a strip of chrome acting as a door handle for both sets of doors. The cabin is covered in rich looking Chocolate Brown leather and reportedly features just as many chrome accents as the exterior, though Citroën didn’t provide any interior shots.
The concept rides on unique 19-inch alloy wheels that are turned by a 2.7LHDi V6 engine producing 208bhp and augmented by what Citroen calls an ‘UrbanHybrid’ system. Much like the mild hybrid system used by GM, Citroën’s set up incorporates a reversible alternator-starter and super capacitors that can both power accessory systems like the A/C and stereo, as well as give the diesel engine a shot of extra torque when needed.
The C5 Airscape will officially debut in Frankfurt next month and gives us a preview of the new C5 sedan, which we expect to meet next March in Geneva.
[Source: Citroën]
Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: Citroën C5 Airscape - full details, hi-res gallery
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Citroën introducing C4 BioFlex in Europe
Filed under: Economy, Euro, Green, Hatchbacks, Citroen
Click images for photo gallery
With favorable tax incentives for biofuel-powered vehicles popping up across Europe, European manufacturers are making moves to take advantage of them. Renault recently launched its BioEthanol Megane hatchback, and now Citroën has unveiled is entry, the C4 BioFlex, which will go on sale in France next month. When it arrives, the stylish 5-door will be priced identically to its gasoline-only stablemates and will benefit from the same trim levels, as well.
Since Citroën already sells flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil, it didn’t have to go to great lengths to source the powerplant in the C4 BioFlex. The 1.6L engine is imported from the Ethanol-happy South American country and makes 110 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque when run on E85 compared to 107 HP/108 lb-ft on gasoline. Performance when driven on gasoline only is said to be no different than what’s experienced in the C4 1.6i 16V petrol-engined car. As is the case with other flexible-fuel vehicles, the C4 BioFlex can be operated on any fuel blend containing up to 85% Ethanol. It does consume more fuel than the gas-only car (24 mpg vs. 33 mpg), but Citroën claims that it’s ultimately cheaper to run because of the price difference between E85 and gasoline.
Pricing has been set at €18,650 for the Pack trim, €20,000 for the Ambiance trim, and €22,140 for the Exclusive model.
[Source: Citroën]
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Funniest No Parking sign EVAR
We think the group who posted this “No Parking” sign must really mean it. Not content to just give a warning, they spell out the consequences of disobeying their request. And it’s in quite explicit terms so nobody should have any doubt about the outcome should they choose to ignore the suggestion to park elsewhere.
We’ve all seen funny road signs like these in our travels, real or virtual. Post some links to your favorites in the comments if a pic exists online.
[Source: Flickr via Digg]
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