Yamaha 800/1200r Rod Kit on 2040-parts.com

Volvo celebrates the seatbelt’s golden anniversary

By Freddie Fulton Motor Industry 12 August 2009 10:11 Today marks the 50th anniversary of the three-point seatbelt. It was patented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959, but the Swedes magnanimously opened up the tech to other car makers as they saw the real-world safety benefit of seatbelts in all cars. The design was so effective that in Germany the patent registrars listed it in the top eight inventions which have made an impact from 1885 to 1985.

VL Destino revealed - what became of the Fisker Karma

VL This is the new face of the Fisker Karma, the luxury plug-in hybrid whose parent company went to the wall last year. But it’s not only the Karma’s gap-toothed grin that’s disappeared: its plug-in hybrid powertrain has bitten the dust, too, replaced by a GM-sourced V8 – a supercharged lump boasting 638hp and 640lb ft. Called the VL Destino, the wilder Karma will be shown at this month’s North American International Auto Show, aka the Detroit Motor Show.

L'argus European Design Competition 2004 winners announced

With its 3rd design competition, French automotive magazine L'argus de l'automobile challenged design students in the European Union to express their creativity on the theme 'Imagine the convertible commercial vehicle'. With a total of 350 designs submitted, the competition was a resounding success, confirming the interest design schools and their students are taking in this forward-looking competition. Starting out from a light commercial vehicle, the candidates had to propose changes adapted to the specific needs of their user: their basic vehicle could for example be transformed into a helicopter for delivery services, into a work platform for engineers, into a workshop for joiners.