2013 Kia Optima Hybrid Battery on 2040-parts.com

All used up: Pre-owned sales rise as consumers seek new-car alternatives

Used-car sales took a leap upward in April, and the trend is expected to continue at least until midyear as pent-up demand for affordable pre-owned vehicles jacks up at least one segment of the car marketplace. Sales of new cars continued an unabated slide toward what analysts say is a 30-year low in the United States, but used-car sales showed strength as buyers unable to finance new cars shifted their sights to less expensive used models. As a result, retailers such as the large Penske Automotive Group reported that despite an overall decline in sales in the first three months of 2009, improving used-car sales kept them in the black.

Film Friday: 'Styling and the Experimental Car' takes us from Da Vinci to the Ford Mustang

Last time we popped into the Ford Design Studios, it was the late 1960s and everyone was strung out on black turtlenecks and jazz flute. We're traveling a few years further back in time today, but Ford Design Studios remains our destination. "Styling and the Experimental Car," released in 1964, doesn't start off like a modern promo piece might.

Hyundai to badge premium cars as ‘Genesis’?

Will Hyundai's premium cars - like the Equus (pictured) - get a Genesis badge? Reports from the US say that Hyundai is considering badging their premium cars as ‘Genesis’, although there will be no Genesis ‘Brand’. The rumours that Hyundai want to move in to Lexus and Infiniti territory by creating a luxury sub-brand – Genesis being the favoured moniker – have been doing the rounds for years.