Banshee Billet Tie Rods on 2040-parts.com

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.

Meadow Brook concours crowns 1939 Delahaye and 1934 Packard best of show

Two long-gone luxury liners, a 1939 Delahaye and a 1934 Packard, won best-of-show honors Sunday at the 30th Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, standing out in a field of 250 pristine cars from bygone eras on a sun-drenched afternoon of nostalgia in suburban Detroit. The Delahaye 165 Cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi won in the European category, while the Packard V-12 Sport Sedan by Dietrich, a ghost of Detroit's luxury car-making past, returned to grab top honors among the American products. The Delahaye, a drop-dead gorgeous maroon showpiece dripping in chrome and set off with yellow headlights, also won the People's Choice award.

Mitsubishi Compact Crossover revealed

The new Mitsubishi Compact Crossover Mitsubishi is working to re-align itself in the market place. It wants to be seen as a manufacturer of ‘environment-friendly passenger cars & crossovers’ instead of an SUV focused manufacturer. It sees cars like the i-MiEV, Colt, Lancer, Grandis and Outlander as the future, although it intends remaining in the ‘Authentic off-roader’ segment with cars like the Shogun.