Chrysler, VW lead February sales gains

U.S. auto sales led by Chrysler Group surged 16 percent in February, giving the industry its strongest showing in four years in a fresh sign that the recovery is gaining more traction. Total light vehicle sales rose to 1.15 million units as the seasonally adjusted sales annual rate hit 15.1 million.

2014 Volvo S80 grabs IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus+

The second-generation Volvo S80 has been with us since 2008, and just a year before its scheduled replacement with an all-new model it has managed to grab a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The S80 now joins its XC90, XC60, and S60 siblings in receiving this accolade, which was instituted just last year when the IIHS created a new type of crash test called the small overlap test. The small overlap test is designed to recreate a rather typical road accident scenario, one which hadn't been added to the roster of crash tests by most vehicle organizations.

This Week in 1958: Montgomery, NY, hosts Governor's Trophy Race for the third year in a row

Fifty-five years ago was the third consecutive year that a former Air Force base in Montgomery, N.Y., served as a racetrack. The Governor's Trophy Race was a growing event and spectators only had to travel 75 miles from New York City to see race legends like Carroll Shelby compete. Nearly 30,000 spectators came to the two-day event in 1957, and race organizers were expecting even more in 1958.