1963 Ford Galaxie, Tail Light Lense, And Back Up Light Very Good on 2040-parts.com

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Kia Rio (2011): first sketches of new supermini

It never rains, it pours in Kiaworld, it seems. Not long after showing us the new Kia Picanto city car last week and the KV7 concept car at this week's 2011 Detroit auto show, today Kia publishes these first design sketches of the new Rio. It's Kia's supermini to compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and VW Polo.

Czech Car Maker Offers A Vision Of Its Future

SKODA has long since cast off its budget car image, but just in case you remain on the fence regarding the Czech firm’s premium market aspirations, it’s revealed a smart new concept car ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, called the VisionC. The five-door ‘coupe’ is said to be positioned in-between existing Octavia and Superb models, and has clearly been influenced by cars such as Audi’s A7 – another large, premium coupe-like model. As Skoda continues to grab a larger share of the market it’s also keen to steal buyers from existing firms selling ‘affordable premium’ models.