1957 Chevrolet Full Size Hubcap on 2040-parts.com

Great races inside November's car-sales numbers

November was a big month for car sales in the United States, up 14 percent from November 2010 to 994,786 units. Analysts expect car sales to total 12.8 million units for the year. Here's a look at some of the trends behind that big number.

Man-made Modern Luxury Materials in Cars

Luxury, within the context of a car interior, has been closely related to the use of wood and leather for over a century. These natural materials have a familiar organic, tactile quality that are intrinsically desirable attributes for most people and, in today's mass manufactured plastic world, they also assume a luxury or premium quality. Throughout the last century, metal, leather and wood have also been progressively supplanted by bakelite, vinyl and then polymer-based plastic materials in car interiors as well.

Freightliner reveals new truck concept [w/video]

Freightliner Trucks has unveiled a new concept vehicle, dubbed the Revolution Innovation Truck, at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show. Freightliner has built upon the first Innovation Truck, unveiled in 2009, and has updated the cabin with the latest technologies while keeping the essential day- and night-time functions of the tractor unit. The Revolution Innovation has been aerodynamically optimized, with a sloping hood, low-mounted grille and an integrated, raised over-cab roof.