Ford Model T Starter on 2040-parts.com

Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta (2009) first pictures

A bespoke Ferrari built by the Italian supercar manufacturer's secretive Special Projects department has undergone its first shakedown test at the Fiorano test track. The Pininfarina-designed P540 Superfast Aperta was comissioned in 2008 by the necessarily wealthy Edward Walson, son of John Walson, the inventor of cable television. Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, the one-off machine was inspired by a Carrozzeria Fantuzzi-designed model featured in the 1968 Fellini film Toby Dammit. 'I had always dreamed of designing sports cars,' said Watson. 'When I saw this film the decision came of its own accord: one day I would have 'my' Ferrari.

GM to slash global vehicle platforms by more than half, to 14, by 2018

General Motors says it will cut the number of vehicle platforms it uses globally by more than half over the next decade, in a bid to reduce complexity and save on product-development costs. “More of our components will be common, and more of our vehicles will be on global architectures,” GM CEO Dan Akerson told analysts on Tuesday. His remarks came as GM kicked off a series of presentations online, billed as its 2011 Global Business Conference.

Volkswagen wants Karmann

VW wants to buy Karmann Just like all the other specialist coachbuilders out there – Zagato, Pininfarina, etc – life has not been a bed of roses for a long time for Karmann. Once a great way for wealthy owners to ‘Customise’ their cars, the specialist coachbuilders have relied more and more on relationships with big car makers to survive. None more so than Karmann, whose hopes for survival rested on VW divvying up an order for electric cars.