One Steel Rally Wheel 70 Rambler/rebel on 2040-parts.com

Crunch watch Jan 09: the auto industry in crisis

By Tim Pollard, Ben Pulman and Gareth Evans Motor Industry 30 January 2009 12:39 Friday 30 January 2009• Honda is about to close the Swindon factory for four months when Friday's shifts are finished; the shutdown will affect 2500 of the 3700 staff, who will receive full pay for two months and then 60% pay for the next eight weeks (BBC News)• Porsche has announced a sharp drop in sales and likely profits. It forecasts a 27% drop in 911, Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne sales to around 34,000 units in the six months to the end of January 2009 (Financial Times, subscription required)• Ford wants Washington to do more to stimulate car sales, after posting a record loss of nearly $14.6 billion earlier this week (Detroit News)• Honda's quarterly profit has crashed by 90% – forcing the Japanese car maker to halve its annual profit target (Detroit Free Press)Thursday 29 January 2009• Ford of Europe is a bright spot in the Blue Oval's quarterly results today, making $1.06 billion pre-tax profit in 2008 (up from $997m in 2007). It's the first profit of more than $1bn since 1989 (Automotive News Europe, subscription required)• Volvo suffered a 'disastrous 2008' with a pre-tax loss of $1.46bn.

Duo of Chevrolet NAPCO 4x4 trucks to cross the block

Interest in classic pickup trucks has been surging in the past few years, introducing car collectors to a whole new world of desirable vehicles. And while the "rules" are still being written when it comes to what's acceptable in a restoration, there are clear favorites, with austerity and originality typically valued over luxury. As nostalgia for the trucks of the 1950s increases, so do the amounts collectors are willing to pay for the workhorses of yesteryear.

BMW wins 2008 International Engine of the Year

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 08 May 2008 10:21 BMW’s petrol twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight six has won the 2008 International Engine of the Year award. It’s the engine’s second successive victory and BMW’s record-breaking fourth consecutive win. BMW has scooped the top award in six of the last ten years.