1999 Ford Roush Mustang Stage 2 Ii 281 Ci Smefi Imp Info/specs/photo 15x9 on 2040-parts.com

General Motors board recommends selling Opel to Magna-led group

General Motors Co.'s board has decided to support selling a majority stake in Opel to a group led by Canadian auto parts giant Magna. The move caps weeks of high-stakes maneuvering on both sides of the Atlantic that saw nationalism, labor issues and--perhaps most critical to GM, the use of its technology--all come into play. Magna and Russian lender Sberbank will get a 55 percent interest in Opel, the linchpin of GM's European operations for 80 years, as well as its British sister brand Vauxhall.

Alfa owners throw a party for iconic brand

Alfa Romeo turns 100 on June 24, and the Capital Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) is celebrating the famed Milanese maker's centennial with a weeklong series of festivities called “Alfa Century 2010.” Centennial celebrations take place June 21-27 in numerous locations throughout the world including in Milan, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and during the Monterey weekend. But the Washington, D.C.-based AROC Capital Chapter's birthday bash represents the largest Alfa-exclusive commemoration in the United States. Chapter president Harlan Hadley said he expects a terrific turnout of Alfa Romeos from all eras of “Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili” (A.L.F.A.) history.

Videos: Chris Bangle shares his views on design and the future of car design

Chris Bangle is a man that needs no introduction on these pages. Both revered and castigated, Bangle's work has undoubtedly been influential for a generation of designers. His unconventional practices – employed at a time when design was still largely segregated from other departments during the development process – yielded many avantgarde and contentious designs, but Bangle's fundamental understanding of the design process, creative vision and desire for change can never be cast in doubt. While Bangle shares his views on the future of the car in the video to the right, the video to the left provides an insight into the former BMW design chief's thought processes and gives us a glimpse into his home and studio in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.