Cequent Tow Ready Pulse Preventer on 2040-parts.com

Land Rover confirms end of Defender production

It's been all but a foregone conclusion for some time now, but Land Rover has confirmed to our sister publication Automotive News Europe that the aging Defender won't live to see 2020. Originally conceived as an agricultural machine, the first Land Rover prototype used scavenged Willys Jeep bits left over from World War II. American kids of a certain age may have been captivated by the Land Rover's mystique while watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom back in the '70s.

Toyota will push safety in ad blitz

Its image still bruised by driver complaints about unintended acceleration, Toyota Division has decided to revamp its marketing message and shift the focus to safety in a big way, top executives said last week. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s sales fell 34 percent in August and are down 1 percent for the year--it's the only major manufacturer with a decline for 2010. Executives admit consumers have doubts about the safety and quality of Toyota vehicles, so they are planning an advertising blitz to counter that perception.

Zagato celebrates Aston Martin Centenary with Zagato DBS & DB9 Spyder

The Aston Martin e DBS Coupé Zagato Centennial (pictured, built for a Japanese entreprenuer Zagato and Aston Martin have a long history of working together to produce very special limited editions of AML cars, from the beautiful DB4 Zagato to the recent V12 Zagato. So it’s entirely appropriate – as this is Aston Martin’s Centenary year – that Zagato produce an Aston Martin Special Edition to mark the event. In fact, they’ve gone one better by producing two special Astons for the centenary – the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Centennial and the Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Centennial.