2000 Ford Explorer Hood 2142211 on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Rags to riches, Beetles to Porsches

-- Joseph MacDonald parked his 1965 Beetle in front of a restaurant 41 years ago, and that was the last time he saw it. He might yet see it again today, as his stolen car -- now painted white, and with even more rust -- will reunite with him, through the providence of border patrol officers actually performing some due diligence. Jason Torchinsky -- who knows a thing or two about stolen Beetles -- notes that he was lucky enough not to have waited 40 years for his car to come back.

Chevrolet Colorado concept

General Motors' Chevrolet brand is previewing the next generation midsized Colorado pickup truck in concept form at the Bangkok International Auto Show. The venue was chosen to debut the truck due to the Thai market's prevalence – it is the world's largest market for midsize pickups. Despite being a show vehicle, the basic proportions and form are said to convey the vision for the next-generation Colorado, whiuch is said to build on Chevrolet's 'strong truck DNA and award-winning heritage.' With a design calling on the inherent strength of Chevy trucks, it is unsurprising to see the exterior boast a broad shouldered and squat demeanor.

Global Automotive Forum hosts designer roundtable meeting in Chengdu, China

The second Global Automotive Forum took place last week in the Jiaozhi international conference center in Chengdu, one of the most important economic and transportation centers in Western China. The two-day event was based around the theme of 'Crossing from Producing to Innovation Country' and was attended by more than 80 people from the global automotive industry. While most of the sessions revolved around the greater automotive industry in China, Car Design News was asked to organize a session of the forum centered on design, which included a 'roundtable meeting' for designers.