Vintage Taylor Instrument Co Navigator Compass Boat Car Truck on 2040-parts.com

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.

Mitsubishi ASX at Geneva

The new Mitsubishi ASX Crossover will launch at the Geneva Motor Show Another new Mitsubishi 4×4, I hear you say? Well, yes and no. We told you recently about the Mitsubishi RVR, Mitsubishi’s new offering in the small Crossover/SUV sector – think Ford Kuga or VW Tiguan or Hyundai ix35.

Concept Car of the Week: Fiat Ecobasic

This week we're celebrating if not the most glamorous then certainly one of the most relevant concept of the last decade, the Fiat Ecobasic. The car was first shown at the 2004 Geneva motor show as Fiat investigated how to replace Giugiaro's ancient but brilliantly utilitarian Panda. The brief was: cheap to produce, cheap to own and friendly to the environment.