1967-1972 Chevy Truck Billet Aluminum Hood Latch Plate Eddie Motorsports on 2040-parts.com

Frank Sinatra's Cadillac, Steve McQueen's Chevy truck to cross the block at ‘Classic California' auction

Bonhams & Butterfields is having a star-studded auction this Saturday at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Lots of celebrity rides will cross the block at the event, which is being billed as a “Classic California” collection of cars, motorcycles and memorabilia. Here are some of the highlights: -- Actor/racer Steve McQueen's 1949 Chevrolet pickup will be offered for sale for the first time by his widow, Barbara Minty McQueen.

Ford improves top design on its 2015 Mustang convertible

Ford revealed details on its forthcoming 2015 Mustang convertible, whose top features several highly welcome improvements over the outgoing model’s, making it quieter, more compact and easier to operate. Though Ford continues to call the cloth top a two-layer design, it now sports a 10-mm thick cushion between the twill covering and the headliner layer, serving as both insulation and sound deadening. Ford says with the top up, the cabin is almost as quiet as the coupe’s on the road.

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) starts European sales

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (pictured) now on sale in Europe The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV landed officially at the Paris Motor Show in 2012 – preceded by a number of concepts before Mistubishi was happy – as a plug-in hybrid from Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi had promised the Outlander PHEV would go on sale in 2013 so, by the skin of their teeth, they’re starting to roll it out in European markets with the Netherlands up first followed by the Nordic countries – and the UK somewhere down the list. With 12,000 orders for the Outlander PHEV in Europe already, Mitsubishi are assured of a decent level of sales for their PHEV SUV, although those sales are driven by the daft tax breaks on offer for ‘green’ cars more than anything else.