Crane Lx 92 Coil Fireball Ignition on 2040-parts.com

Photo of the week (2008): Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 01 December 2008 14:32 Didn't make it to the 2009 LA Auto Show? Then you missed the ugliest Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe ever made (see our pictures, right). Faced with the prospect of arch-rival Bentley showing off its new Azure T – a 500bhp version of the ultra-expensive convertible – in the same hall, Rolls was clearly wondering how to compete.

Cash for clunkers: Is it ready for prime time in America?

One proposed solution to prop up new-car sales in the United States involves paying bonuses to owners of older vehicles who send their cars to the scrapyard and buy new ones. Proponents say that not only does the auto industry benefit, but so does the environment, as emissions decrease and fuel economy typically improves in newer models. Critics, however, say that scrapping older vehicles hurts collectors by reducing the number of older models available and also hurts those least able to afford to buy newer vehicles by driving up the price of used cars.

See craftsmen build the Maserati Alfieri

At Geneva earlier this month, Maserati debuted the Alfieri concept, a love letter to Maserati's first 100 years and a preview of the next few years, if not the next 100. Here, design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti shows how the Alfieri -- named after one of the five Maserati brothers -- was inspired by the 1954 Maserati A6GCS/53, as previously threatened, especially in the proportions. But like any car, the key is always in the proportions.