2007 Toyota Prius Black Steering Wheel Oem. on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: Remembering the dearly departed

-- With news that Toyota is leaving the great state of California for the greater (by landmass, anyway; your own opinion may vary) state of Texas, it's worth reminding ourselves that Toyota in America started as one lonely building on 6000 Hollywood Blvd., having taken over a former Rambler dealership. (The site is still a successful Toyota dealership.) That first year of sales in 1958 saw 287 Toyopet Crowns and one Land Cruiser sold -- more as curiosities than as practical transportation, we'd wager. -- At any rate, Toyota's move from California to Texas is moving from "one of the most eco-friendly states in the union," according to Ward's Auto, "to the U.S.’s equivalent of China." -- Ten years ago today, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the line at Lansing Car Assembly.

Win some goodies from the VW Motorsport collection

Carlos Sainz won the 2010 Dakar rally car category in his VW Race Touareg 2, and now VW’s motorsport division is gearing up for the Nurburgring 24-hour race. To celebrate El Matador’s win, and in anticipation of an epic race at the ‘Ring, CAR is giving away a collection of Volkswagen Motorsport gear. Click here to enter our competition Up for grabs are a Motorsport Rain Jacket (worth £35), the Motorsport Function Jacket (£60), the Motorsport Sports Bag (£40) and a 1:43 model of the Scirocco GT24 racer.

Italy auctions government cars

OFFERS started rolling in on unneeded government Alfa Romeo, Lancia and BMW cars, which prime minister Matteo Renzi is auctioning off on eBay as a sign of his seriousness in tackling government waste. Renzi has pledged to sell 151 vehicles by April 16, saying he was taking a cue from the former mayor of Florence - himself - who auctioned off four cars early in his term. Besides cashing in, the government will save on upkeep, maintenance and running costs.