Dodge Trk Dw 100-350 1993-90 on 2040-parts.com

Concils 'confident' over winter salt stockpiles

COUNCILS are confident they can cope with bad-weather conditions on the roads this winter. A survey shows that local authorities in England and Wales have stockpiled more salt for this winter than last. A total of 1.3 million tonnes was stockpiled for winter 2012/13 and the Local Government Association (LGA) shows that 95% of councils are either maintaining or increasing stock levels this winter.

Chrysler to close Pacifica Advanced Design Studios

The 20 designers at Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California will soon be finding themselves out of a job. The struggling North American automaker announced the closure of the facility on Friday, stating that the company is ‘leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance.' Responsible for many of the more successful designs hailing from Chrysler in recent times, including the Chrysler 300 sedan and the new Dodge Challenger musclecar, the Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center also yielded the Nassau concept car and the Pacifica crossover – bearing the same name as the west coast studios in which it was created. The work done at the Pacifica Advanced Design Center will be consolidated into the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills and continue to be led by Senior Vice President of Design, Trevor Creed.

Rinspeed to debut autonomous XchangE concept at Geneva motor show

Dutch coachbuilder Rinspeed has built a reputation for imagining and creating cars from 10 years in the future and making them a reality, either for well-heeled customers or for auto show crowds. So it came as no surprise when it revealed its newest project slated for the 2014 Geneva motor show, meant to preview the interiors of the self-driving cars of tomorrow. Yes, that's a Tesla Model S underneath with a (mostly) muted restyling of the front fascia, though it is really the interior that's meant to be the showpiece.