2005 Ford Econoline E150 E250 E350 E450 Van Estate Green Touch Up Paint on 2040-parts.com

Ford Start concept (w/ Gallery)

Ford unveiled the Start concept at Auto China last week. Designed at Ford's California-based Strategic Concept Group under the direction of Freeman Thomas, the concept demonstrates that a compact car can also be pragmatic and functional. "I'm an enthusiast of minimalism but it should not be cold," Thomas said of the design when we met him in Beijing.

Chevrolet at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 02 October 2008 18:40 General Motors’ Chevrolet stand was buzzing at Paris with two world debuts – the Chevrolet Cruze production saloon and Chevrolet Orlando seven-seater show car – plus two important European production unveils: the electric Volt and Camaro muscle car. All Chevrolets from now on will be global models and reflect a new ambition for quality, as GM’s global vice president of design Ed Welburn told CAR. 'Chevrolet is raising the bar where it matters the most – in the value segment.' The Cruze is a Skoda Octavia-sized four-door on the new Astra platform with reasonable exterior styling and a genuinely high standard of interior fit and finish.

Mercedes-Benz Bionic car at MoMA

Unveiled in June 2005, the Bionic car was developed by designers, engineers and biologists working hand in hand. Its template was a sea dweller from tropical latitudes: Ostracion Cubicus - more commonly known as the boxfish. Despite its unusual-looking shape, the fish is extremely aerodynamic and can therefore move using a minimal amount of energy.