Suzuki Wagon R 2005 Steering Wheel [0970100] on 2040-parts.com

The Hongqi L5 is the most expensive Chinese car you can buy

China's oldest car company rolled out its first vehicle on Aug. 1, 1958; it was a chrome-lined black sedan designed -- like the pastiche of 1950s cars it resembled, including the Packard-esque Chaika -- to strike equal amounts of fear and inspiration into the revolutionaries. In Chinese, "Hongqi" in means "red flag," the most potent symbol of the Chinese Communist Party, making it a fitting name for a company that supplied the apparatchik.

Cars, Harleys among items to be sold in dealer bankruptcy auction

Three cars, five Harley-Davidson motorcycles and five boats are among the items from bankrupt Minnesota car dealer Denny Hecker being auctioned off to raise money for creditors. The item list for the May 25 auction in New Germany, Minn., includes a 2004 Cadillac Escalade, a 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible and a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero SUV. This is the third sale of Hecker's possessions since last August to raise money for creditors.

BMW hires former General Motors EV expert Weber, sources say

BMW AG has hired former Opel product chief Frank Weber, sources at both companies told Automotive News Europe. It's a move that gives the world's leading luxury carmaker a huge boost in electric vehicle expertise as Weber was the lead engineer for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. BMW plans to launch its i3 full-electric car and its i8 plug-in hybrid in 2013.