90 91 92 93 94 Lexus Ls400 R. Corner/park Light 33828 on 2040-parts.com

Carmel kicks off concours craziness

Consider the Monterey car week begun! The Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours-on-the-Avenue launched with its best-ever crowd and what many were calling the best-ever show for the free-to-the-public event held every Tuesday before the Pebble Beach Concours on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. Eighteen blocks total were shut to traffic and jammed with collector cars, everything from classic 911s celebrating that car's 50th anniversary to Ferraris, Trans Am racers and a whole block of Shelby Cobras.

Mercedes-Benz scores double wins at German Design Council awards

Mercedes-Benz took home two design trophies from the 2014 German Design Council awards, winning Special Mentions for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class and the Ener-G-Force concept vehicle. The German Design Council traces its history back decades, and every year dozens of experts evaluate more than a thousand entries, with just a fraction of them being automotive designs. This year 30 well-known design experts judged approximately 1900 submissions, assessing a variety of design elements in picking their top choices, and this year a duo of Mercedes-Benz vehicles won the praise of design gurus.

2013 Australian Motor Show axed

This year’s Australian Motor Show in Melbourne has been cancelled by its organizers three months before its planned opening. Falling attendance figures played a big part in taking the decision, as did what is seen as a lack of manufacturer support. The Australian International Motor Show Joint Venture's event director Russ Tyrie said the decision was taken "based on a consensus view of the automotive industry to focus limited marketing budgets in 2013 on firm-specific activities, rather than an industry-based motor show." The Volkswagen Group's decision not to attend may well have acted as the final nail in the coffin along with Hyundai's hesitancy despite initial support.