Early cars, fashion on display at the Petersen

Automotivated, a new exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, traces the evolution of clothes worn in cars--from the bulky circus-tent stuff people had to wear to keep from freezing to death in the jangly, open-topped conveyances of 100 years ago, up to the height of the European Concours in the 1920s and '30s, when what you and your date wore was just as important to winning best of show as the styling of your Delahaye/Delage/Talbot Lago. “In the earliest days of the automobile, you were sitting on the car, you weren't sitting in it,” said Leslie Kendall, curator at the Petersen. So the first section of the exhibit shows people (mannequins dressed as people) in heavy, practical overcoats, scarves and goggles.

Musk improves Tesla Model S and battery service

Tesla is making changes to the Model S sedan's battery warranty and service contract. Company CEO Elon Musk detailed the changes to reporters on Friday via a conference call and Web press conference. First, the company is building a fleet of top-of-the-line Model S loaners for their customers.

Vauxhall Corsa SRi

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 08 June 2007 08:40 Vauxhall Corsa SRi: the lowdown Can't afford the VXR, but want something to spice up your Corsa? Vauxhall, or rather sister company Opel, unwrapped a new junior hot hatch at this week's Barcelona Motor Show. The new SRi model has many of the VXR's styling cues, but with a more wallet-friendly, lower-powered turbo engine.