Alfa Romeo Spider Hood Release Handle & Wire on 2040-parts.com

Happy 80th Birthday, Syd Mead!

Take a poll among car designers to name their greatest influence, and one name is sure to appear at the top of the list: Syd Mead. The car designer, illustrator and futurist has inspired generations of the men and women who shape the cars we drive or admire. Syd has created the designs for the movies Blade Runner and Tron, while the illustrations published in his books such as Oblagon and Sentury (sought-after collector items today) depict the vision of a future dominated by superior technology and aesthetics.

Is Chrysler still American? Yes, it is

Last week, we mentioned that the Secret Service was soliciting bids for a new presidential limousine. Among the criteria for a replacement for "The Beast" was the following: "This solicitation is restricted to Major Domestic U.S Automobile Manufacturers, who have their primary headquarters located in the United States of America." Well, with that came the suggestion that Chrysler -- now entirely underneath the banner of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles -- reports to somewhere far, far away from its nominal H.Q. in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Wulin Gaowa on GM’s new Chinese Advanced Design Studio

Following on from our story in September about Wulin Gaowa's appointment to GM Design as Director of its China Advanced Design, the company has released more details about the new studio and an interview with the designer. The company's "future hub for automotive design in Asia" will move into its new home in July 2012. The studio will be located at GM's GMIO and GM China Headquarters in Shanghai.