Kuryakyn 9528 Alley Cat Air Cleaner on 2040-parts.com

Frank Sinatra's Cadillac, Steve McQueen's Chevy truck to cross the block at ‘Classic California' auction

Bonhams & Butterfields is having a star-studded auction this Saturday at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Lots of celebrity rides will cross the block at the event, which is being billed as a “Classic California” collection of cars, motorcycles and memorabilia. Here are some of the highlights: -- Actor/racer Steve McQueen's 1949 Chevrolet pickup will be offered for sale for the first time by his widow, Barbara Minty McQueen.

Off the line: Fun cars and social responsibility Autoweek op-ed stands the test of time

It's been almost 21 years to the day that Autoweek printed Matt DeLorenzo's column “Off the Line: There's room for fast, fun cars in diet of social responsibility.” And in those two decades plus, not much has changed except the vehicles themselves. For example, sports cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Huayra have astronomically high performance and safety levels; similarly, sport-utility vehicles that haul entire families (and most of their earthly possessions) achieve fuel economy similar to that of 1970s midsize sedans. To read all of DeLorenzo's thoughts and his case for automobiles, click the links to download the article.

Bentley Blowers take on the 2013 Mille Miglia

The first is the No.2 Team Car raced by Tim Birkin – one of the Bentley Boys – at Le Mans and bought back by Bentley in 2000. Perhaps best known for its tussle with Mercedes’ awesome 7 litre Kompressor at Le Mans in 2013, the car has been regularly put to good use round the world since Bentley bought it back. The second Blower was originally a Bentley demonstrator, completed in 1930, and has a Vandan Plas Open Sports Four Seater body and after its life as a demonstrator was sold off but bought back in 1997 and it too has been carrying the historical banner for Bentley around the world ever since.