Four Seasons 77497 A/c Compressor on 2040-parts.com

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Fuji Heavy Industries celebrates 60th birthday

Fuji Heavy Industries, the corporate parent of Subaru, celebrated its 60th birthday a few days ago. The storied multinational company makes everything from wind turbines to airplane parts, and conducts business in more than a hundred countries. Even though the origins of the company date back to 1917, the Fuji Heavy Industries we know today was formed in 1953.

Mercedes SLS David Coulthard Golf Ball catch – now on video

The recent golf ball catching Guinness world record set by David Coulthard and Jake Shepherd finally turns up on video. In another of those ‘We didn’t know there was a world record for that’ stories, we reported earlier this month that a new Guinness World Record had been set for the furthest golf shot caught in a car. A Mercedes SLS AMG driven by David Coulthard had managed to catch a golf ball driven down the runway at Dunsfold by professional golfer Jake Shepherd.