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Scion considers moving upscale

Toyota's struggling Scion brand may move upscale to challenge entry-level luxury models coming from European automakers. The new lower-luxury niche includes Mini, the front-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz CLA arriving this fall and Audi's compact A3 sedan shown last week on the eve of the New York auto show. Scion has gone after young entry-level buyers since its inception 10 years ago but has lost its early momentum.

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Mustang named favourite classic

THE FORD MUSTANG has been voted Europe’s most wanted classic car with 37% of those polled saying they would love to have the American sports car in their garage. "Ford Mustang is more than a car, it’s the freedom of the open road and the spirit of performance driving," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. "Mustang has been a fundamental part of global automotive culture for almost half a century and is one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles." Launched in 1964, Mustang became an instant sensation and inspired millions of people.