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Join AutoWeek and Dutch Mandel for 2011 Mille Miglia coverage

To celebrate the now-annual enthusiast extravaganza more commonly known as the Mille Miglia 1000 in Italy, AutoWeek is getting quality time in a legendary German coupe: the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, commonly referred to simply as the Gullwing. Our own Dutch Mandel is on the road in the Italian countryside. Check out his live tweets, photo galleries, reporting and event history at the AutoWeek Mille Miglia 2011 page.

1957 Ferrari sells for record $12.1 million at auction

A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa once again blew away the competition, setting a world record for cars sold at auction when it fetched an eye-popping $12.1 million on Sunday at an event on the grounds of the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. The Testa Rossa was one of just 22 produced from 1957 to 1958, and the Scaglietti design is marked by prominent pontoon fenders. The cars also were successful racers, winning 10 of the 19 international races they entered from 1958 to 1961.

November a strong month for car sales

U.S. auto sales--led by BMW, American Honda and Volkswagen Group--rose 15 percent to 1.14 million in November, exceeding analysts' forecasts and setting the stage for the industry to finish 2012 on a high note heading into the new year. The annualized industry sales rate, adjusted for seasonal trends, accelerated to 15.56 million--the highest rate since 15.59 million in January 2008.