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The first Volkswagen Beetle in America looked like this

On Jan. 17, 1949, the Holland America Line Westerdam pulled into New York Harbor from Rotterdam carrying the seed of an automotive empire. It had been only four years since Volkswagen resurrected operations in Wolfsburg, the factory heavily ruined by Allied forces and now under the command of Major Ivan Hirst.

Cars, Culture and the City

When you think of American cities associated with the car it is Los Angeles of course that leaps first to mind, thanks mostly to Hollywood, and Detroit second. But New York turns out to have been vital in the history of car design, as I found researching an exhibition Cars, Culture and the City at the Museum of the City of New York as guest curator over the last few months, working with the museums curator architecture and design, Donald Albrecht. The show has just opened, on March 25.

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan has revealed the production version of its latest Pathfinder SUV, first seen in concept form at this year's NAIAS in Detroit. It moves away from the outgoing model in terms of form language, introducing a far more organic and car-like aesthetic. The 2013 model is almost 230kg lighter than its predecessor with a monocoque bodyshell that allowed Nissan designers to create a more aerodynamic exterior without losing headroom or trunk capacity.