Mercedes to sell Sprinter vans through its own stores

Mercedes-Benz USA is getting back into the commercial-van business Jan. 1 and will appoint up to 120 dealers to sell Sprinter vehicles. That means Mercedes will yank the Sprinter from nearly 350 Dodge dealers who now carry the van.

Concept Car of the Week: AMC Amitron (1967)

While the American auto industry spent most of the late ‘60s creating huge barges powered by monstrous engines with loud decals on disco paint jobs, AMC believed in the future of compact cars, fuel economy, and go-faster stripes. Designed under Richard Teague's supervision, the quirky Amitron was unveiled in 1967 in a hotel in Detroit. Measuring less than 2,200mm long, it is 350mm shorter than a Smart Fortwo and its wide track gave room for three passengers seating abreast.

Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Aerotech (1987)

In late 1984, Oldsmobile management had so much confidence in the potential of its new inline four-cylinder engine Quad 4, that a small team was assigned to the creation of the Aerotech, a research vehicle designed to demonstrate the engine's performance by setting a new world speed record. Ed Welburn, then assistant chief designer, was mostly working on the 1988 Cutlass Supreme but his passion for race cars made him the ideal candidate to be handed the assignment by Oldsmobile 2 studio's chief David North. Inspired by Le Mans racers such as the Porsche 917LH and Jim Hall's Chaparrals, he designed a long, flowing car that immediately seduced design director Chuck Jordan and GM management.