Standard Motor Products Ac65 Idle Air Control Motor on 2040-parts.com

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Chevrolet Corvette gets Centennial Edition package for 2012

Chevrolet marks the brand's 100th anniversary and its racing heritage with a Centennial Edition trim package for the 2012 Corvette. The package will be available on all Corvette models, from the base coupe to the ZR1 supercar. Chevrolet is auctioning off a 2012 Corvette Z06 with the Centennial Edition package on April 9 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Peugeot confirms BB1 for production

Peugeot has confirmed it will build a production version of the BB1, the concept car that's a cross between a car and a scooter. Coming less than a week after it unveiled the SR1 – a roadster concept car that’s supposed to be a line in the sand for Peugeot design – the announcement came as the 200-year old French car company launched its Marque plan that'a aimed at rejuvenating the brand. The five-year scheme has three goals: to move Peugeot up three places in the world car market; to establish the company as a benchmark for style; and to make it a leader in mobility services.