Jaguar Land Rover profits up 34 per cent to £1.5 billion

Just four years after Tata took over what looked like a basket case in Jaguar Land Rover, profits have hit £1.5 billion. It’s become the norm for Jaguar Land Rover to report ever improving profits and sales, but the news that JLR made profits of £1.5 billion in the year to end of March 2012 is still amazing. Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata four years ago as it unwound its faltering luxury car brands, and as recently as 2009 JLR were almost begging for government help to keep going.

Ford Pinto caravan heads cross-country to celebrate the model's 40th birthday

As proof that there's a group of enthusiasts for just about everything, owners of the lowly Ford Pinto are taking to the roads in celebration of the car's 40th birthday. Pinto owners are driving from Denver to the Carlisle Ford Nationals in Pennsylvania this week, a journey of approximately 1,600 miles. Leading the caravan are Norman and Louise Bagi in their 1976 Pinto Runabout and 1977 Pinto coupe, respectively.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2008 jury

Michelin Challenge Design, known for enticing some of the world's most talented up and coming designers, has convened its 2008 panel of judges. The eight automotive design experts met July 16-17, 2007, at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, to select the vehicle designs and concepts for special exhibition at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. This year marks the seventh year for the international competition with a record 272 individual designers, teams, studios, and companies from over 50 countries submitting full-size vehicles, scale models and computer-generated renderings in support of the central theme, 'Safer.