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Mini is the UK’s Slowest Depreciating Car

That vital tool of the used-car trade, Glass’s Guide, has today revealed that the Mini 1.4TD is the slowest depreciating car in the UK. For the second year running, the Mini tops the table, although even it has slipped a bit – retaining 63.2% of its value over three years, a fall of 7.8% since last year. Mini Diesel - Lowest depreciating car in the UK Glass’s cite the reasons for the Mini’s success as its strong image, a perception of quality and its reasonable running costs.

Who's Where: Ken Okuyama parts company with Pininfarina

Pininfarina, the Turin, Italy-based automotive styling house, has announced that its design director, Ken Okuyama, has left the company. In a tersely-worded statement Pininfarina said, "The Company's decision comes as a result of the various external activities Ken Okuyama was carrying out beyond his responsibilities within Pininfarina." Ken Okuyama had been Design Director at Pininfarina since July 2005. During this time, Okuyama's most high-profile work was the Maserati Birdcage prototype, created to celebrate 75th anniversary of the Italian styling house.

2006 Michelin Challenge Design seeks vehicle designs for California market

Michelin issued a call for entries to the global design community this week to kick off the 2006 Michelin Challenge Design, one of the industry's fastest growing vehicle design forums. In the last four years, Michelin Challenge Design has been the catalyst for students in design universities, design firms, professional designers from top OEMs, and individual designers from all over the world to have their work exhibited at a major international auto show in support of a central theme. Last year, submissions were received from 50 countries worldwide with selected designs displayed at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in January.