Volkswagen Beetle/ghia/bus/thing Handcrank Bolt on 2040-parts.com

Volvo will market entry-level car to rival VW Golf

Volvo plans to offer a Volkswagen Golf competitor as part of a plan to expand the automaker's product line. Speaking in London last week, new Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby said the next generation of the entry-level Volvo “will be a derivation of the C30, a Golf competitor,” according to the Web site www.autocar.co.uk. He also said Volvo's brand positioning would shift toward “functionality and Scandinavian elegance” and away from sportiness, according to the Web site.

1933 Alfa Romeo wins 'Gold Cup' at Villa d'Este

A 1933 Alfa Romeo that its owner longed for as a youngster growing up in South Africa took home the "Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este" honors at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. The award is voted on by the attendees at the first day of the event, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. David Cohen said he often saw the Alfa Romeo 6C GS 6th Series when he was riding his bicycle as a boy in South Africa and could only dream of one day owning the car.

GM's Lutz to retire May 1

General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz plans to retire from the automaker effective May 1, according to a statement released by GM on Wednesday. Lutz, 78, had been serving as a senior adviser to GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre after shelving retirement plans to take charge of the automaker's marketing after it emerged from bankruptcy in July 2009. An outspoken executive who both challenged global warming and championed GM's all-electric Volt, Lutz is credited with revitalizing GM's product development efforts after being hired by former GM CEO Rick Wagoner in 2001.