1937 Ford Pickup 1/2 Ton Truck Vintage Hotrod Ratrod on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

40 Years of Mmmm

In 1972, the Dow Jones closed above 1,000 for the first time, the Olympic Games in Munich were marred by the killings of 11 Israeli athletes, gasoline averaged 55 cents a gallon, Bobby Fischer became the world chess champion and the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam. It was also a notable year for German automaker BMW, as that year saw the birth of its famed M division.

New Nissan Qashqai: Price from £17,595 to £27,845

The new Nissan Qashqai (pictured) costs from £17,595 The new Nissan Qashqai is a big deal for Nissan as the old Qashqai managed to create a shift from hatchbacks to crossovers almost single handed. But the new Qashqai does look pretty convincing. Revealed last week, the new Qashqai is better looking and better equipped than the old model and, even though prices have nudged upwards, it seems to offer a more convincing package for family transport than before.