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

Why we love Maximum Bob: A column by Dutch Mandel

In announcing that he will leave General Motors at the end of this year, product czar Bob Lutz bows out gracefully and elegantly and does it in the style that forged his legend. It's also a move made none too soon and if not hastened by Beltway functionaries, then punctuated by it. But make no mistake: Bob Lutz is not running from the fight engulfing Detroit and the rest of the automaking world.

Studebaker trees: Dead company, living advertisement

Some of you may have seen this already; it’s been popular on the map sites for a while. But those who don’t know about Bendix Woods County Park west of South Bend, Ind., feast your eyes on 5,000 pine trees, planted in 1937, spelling Studebaker when viewed from high enough. Bendix Woods park was formerly the Studebaker proving grounds, and much of the track surface is still visible in satellite photos.

Packard 1108 Twelve wins Pebble Beach concours

The 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve that won the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in a perfect coat of dark green paint was once a lowly taxi cab prowling the streets of Puerto Rico in roughly applied red and orange livery. "A gentleman named Ricardo Ricasta bought it in New York in 1934 and the car returned to Ricasta's original home in Puerto Rico for a while," owner Joseph Cassini said. "When he passed away and the family had no interest in the car, it became a taxi cab for a while." Imagine hailing a cab in downtown San Juan and this magnificent Packard rolls up.