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Early Mercedes sells for £720,000

ONE OF the oldest surviving Mercedes cars has sold at auction for an astronomical fee. The Mercedes Simplex 28/32 HPs Phaeton eventually sold for £720,000 at the Coys auction house True Greats sale in London. Still in complete and roadworthy condition, the car was reported to be in superb, drivable condition before its sale, which was the first time it had been auctioned in its near-109-year life.

News watch November 2012: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Friday 30 November 2012• Europe's trade ministers are looking at a free-trade pact with Japan, despite resistance from EU car manufacturers. Currently Japanese cars attract a 10% tariff upon import to Europe.

College Exhibition: Coventry University Degree Show 2007

Undergraduate students from Coventry University's Transportation Design program had their initial show in the end of May this year, but the range of projects was so vast that a selection of work from the annual degree show was then chosen and displayed in Coventry Transport Museum on June 15. Car Design News was there to see what had been selected. Inspired by the Alfa BT4B with which Niki Lauda won the Swedish Formula One Grand Prix in 1978, Stephan Everwin created a modern interpretation of the 'Fan Car'.  Its rakish lines all culminate in a smooth aerodynamic shape that incorporates a huge fan between the rear wheels creating a massive vacuum under the car providing downforce at high speed.