Firebird & Trans Am Muscle Car History on 2040-parts.com

Cash for clunkers plan revives trade fight

Import brand automakers and dealers warned on Thursday that a vehicle scrappage proposal before the Senate would violate trade agreements and could weaken the economy. The Senate could vote on the plan on Thursday, which would offer $10,000 to any moderate- or low-income consumer who trades in a car or truck that is at least 10 years old and buys a new one that is more fuel-efficient and "assembled in the United States." The trade-ins would be scrapped rather than resold. The U.S.-made mandate "smacks of the protectionism that led to the Great Depression," said Barbara Nocera, the top Washington lobbyist for Mazda North American Operations.

Cadillac ELR comes with free home-charging station

The Chevrolet Volt-based Cadillac ELR has never been associated with a low price of entry, but Cadillac is now offering an extra incentive to those looking to buy one. The company will provide a 240-Volt Level 2 home-charging station including installation with a new ELR. Cadillac hopes this incentive just might sway some buyers who have been thinking about buying the luxury gas-electric hybrid, or those who have been cross-shopping the ELR with the Tesla Model S.

Concept Car of the Week: Lincoln Sentinel (1996)

After a decade of the rounded forms of bio-design, car manufacturers worldwide wondered what the next big trend would be. Ford's answer appeared in 1995 with the breathtaking GT90 that inaugurated the experimental 'Edge Design' era, defined by its use of precise edges, tight lines and sharp graphics. The following year, Lincoln unveiled an evolution of the same theme, this time on a luxurious flagship concept rather than an open supercar.