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Arizona auctions: Scottsdale sales net an estimated $157 million

WITH VIDEO -- Five days of sales staged by auto auction companies in the Phoenix area pulled in a combined estimated total of $157 million, according to Hagerty Insurance. The five companies staging auctions--Barrett-Jackson, Gooding & Co., RM Auctions, Russo and Steele and Silver Auctions--offered 2,887 lots for sale and sold 2,325 of them, an 81 percent sell-through rate. A 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione at the Gooding auction was listed as the top single sale with a price of $2.09 million, Hagerty said.

Videos: Volkswagen's exterior and interior designers highlight the Up's design elements

We've enjoyed the design of Volkswagen's new Up since we first saw the vehicle in concept form at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show. Devoid of any extraneous detailing, the simple, product design aesthetic is pared back to represent the crux of VW's design philosophy: pure, simple and solid.  The result is a harmonious design that stands out from the pack, with simple surfacing and subtle detailing; the Up's design is pure and minimalistic, which serves to exude quality in the product. Inside, the vehicle is brimming with space-saving design details.  From an IP devoid of central air vents to a thin headrest that visually extends the height of the interior, the Up is a success story in space efficiency, but it is also finished to a high level using quality materials.

2013 Ford Kuga goes in to production

The new (2013) Ford Kuga crossover – which debuted at Geneva in the Spring – has now gone in to production in Spain ahead of first customer car deliveries. Ford has announced it’s finally started to churn out the new Kuga at its plant in Valencia, and that the Kuga will be heading to Ford’s UK showrooms to get customer cars out in the new year. Despite starting production of the new Kuga, Ford still hasn’t come up with prices for its compact crossover, but says they will be available before the end of the year. On offer in the new Kuga is a range of new technology including the kick-to-open tailgate, Active Park Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring Torque Vectoring Control, SYNC and the first use of Ford’s EcoBoost engines in the Kuga (although no sign yet that the 1.0 litre EcoBoost will be added to the Kuga).