Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ makes €9,856,000

It’s the annual  Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este festival of supercars and classic cars this weekend, and poart of that is the RM Auctions sale at Vella Erba, on the banks of Lake Como, with a 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ smashing the world auction record by fetching €9,865,000. The 375 MM is one of three works cars entered in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans and has a good history including 24 Hour of Spa, the Carrera Panamericana, and winning the 12 Hours of Pescara, has been driven by World Champions Hawthorn, Ascari, and Farina and won numerous awards at many events including Pebble Beach, Goodwood Revival and the Louis Vuitton Classic. But it wasn’t just the 375 MM that sold at a strong price, with other notable lots fetching good prices, such as a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, for €1,120,000,  a 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 at €426,600, a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster for €1,114,400 and a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupé Aerodinamico for €2,184,000.

Chuck Jordan memorial: A car life well-lived

Family and friends gathered at the GM Heritage Center in Warren, Mich., to celebrate the life of the late Chuck Jordan, who retired as General Motors vice president of design in 1992 and died on Dec. 9, 2010. While many of the 200 or so present remembered working with Jordan during his career that began at GM in 1949, the ceremony also made clear that he'd lived a rich and active life in retirement.

2011 Kia Picanto revealed

The 2011 Kia Picanto teased in a sketch ahead of Geneva 2011 Kia are on a bit of a roll at the moment (as are sister company Hyundai) with cars like the new 2011 Kia Optima and the new Kia Sportage taking Kia’s offerings to a much higher level in terms of design and style. And perception of quality. That upwards march looks set to continue with Kia’s version of the Hyundai i10 – the 2011 Kia Picanto – which is due to launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011.