1955 55 1956 56 1957 57 Pontiac Star Chief Chieftain Safari Bonneville1950's Gm on 2040-parts.com

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

Skoda Citigo Sport LOOKS Sporty

The Skoda Citigo Sport has been revealed as a sporty take on Skoda’s little city car, with more aggressive looks and lowered suspension. So Skoda are making a virtue out of the lack of any power boost for the new Citigo Sport by calling it the ‘Seemingly Powerful’ Citigo with sporty styling, lowered suspension and new interior. It looks the part, it just doesn’t go any better than the standard Citigo with its 1.0 litre 60PS engine.

Chevrolet Volt leads satisfaction survey

The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has topped Consumer Reports' latest owner-satisfaction survey after its first year on the market. The magazine said 93 percent of respondents who own a Volt said they would definitely purchase one again, making it the highest-rated car in the annual poll. Two second-place finishers, the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911, drew the most-favorable grade from 91 percent of buyers.