Nib Harley Davidson Stock Insert Multi Fit Foot Board Operator on 2040-parts.com

Ford to sell Aston Martin

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 31 August 2006 02:39 The world’s two biggest luxury goods firms – including the conglomerate behind brands like Moet and Louis Vuitton – are locked in a battle to buy Aston Martin from cash-starved Ford. Ford announced today that the British sports car manufacturer would be sold and CAR has learned that Swiss-based Richemont and the French holding company LVMH have emerged as most likely to take on Aston despite having no previous experience in the car industry. Ford desperately needs to tap into the potential $700m-$1bn the sale of Aston could generate and hopes to finalise a deal by the end of the year.

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Button & Brawn – World Champions

Barricehllo, Brawn and Button celebrate the Brawn Success The Brazilian Grand Prix was chaotic even before the lights went out to start the race. Qualifying was a nightmare with a constant deluge of rain soaking the track and Button seemed to have lost all chance of a win when he started 14th, with team mate – and chief rival for the championship – Barrichello on pole. The race saw Barichello suffer a puncture; Trulli and Sutil almost coming to blows after a coming together that also pitched Alonso out; Raikkonen lost his front wing and suffered a puncture and Kovalainen left the pits with his fuel hose attached, which sprayed fuel on Raikkonen and set fire to his car.