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Automakers rack up solid gains to finish 2010

Fueled by holiday and year-end discounts, as well as the introduction of new models, automakers finished 2010 on a high note by posting the year's best monthly sales in December. U.S. light vehicle demand climbed 11 percent last month to 1.1 million units--the best month of the year on a unit basis.

This day in Autoweek history: The 1976 Chevrolet Chevette

Today in Autoweek history, we look back to the week of September 20, 1975, when Corey Farley gave us a look at the new 1976 Chevrolet Chevette. The B-segment (for 1976, anyway) newcomer weighed in at a scant 1,998 pounds and carried an equally lightweight MSRP of $2,899. Farley described how the Chevette handled some of the rigors of testing, which included hauling four journalists and their camera equipment around the Black Lake testing facility in Milford, Mich.

Bene! Meet the SRT Viper GTS Sons of Italy edition

It seems automakers will badge-engineer anything to create special editions that do little for the benefit of the brand or for society. That's not the case for this uniquely swathed SRT Viper GTS whose color and its reason for being are truly noteworthy. This bellissima beast was created to benefit the Sons of Italy Foundation, a cause near the heart of parent company Fiat.