Front Valance 65 66 Ford Mustang on 2040-parts.com

Turin Dream Exhibition

The 'Dream' exhibition currently taking place at the Giovanni Agnelli Pavilion Esposizioni in Turin is a stroll through almost 60 years of creativity, which convinced the world of carmakers - and consumers - to accept new stylistic features; demand greater performance and safety; and to create new ways to adapt car interiors to the many demands of business and leisure. One of the main events commemorating Torino 2008 World Design Capital, there are 54 one-off examples and three-dimensional objects on view in the 12 galleries, piazza and atrium, including projects from local design schools Instutito Europeo di Design (IED) and the Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design di Torino (IAAD). IED is showing two projects created by students on its post-graduate course in Transportation Design: the Fiat Panda from 2007 and the 2008 BMW ZX6 - a thesis project created selected as the main photo of the exhibition.

The Mini is 50 years old today

  Today - 08/05/2009 - is the 50th anniversary of the first Mini rolling off the production line. To celebrate, and for a bit of free publicity (see, we’re playing the game) BMW has shipped the first Mini to roll of the production line back to Cowley to celebrate (picture at the bottom). 621 AOK, a Mini Minor, in Old English White, looks as fresh as the day it rolled off the production line half a century ago (although I wouldn’t mind betting it doesn’t have it’s original sills – they always rusted through – or copes with its original distributor and leads – one splash of rain and the car ground to a halt!).

Volvo Concept Coupe (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Swedes have done emotional coupes before – like the C70 and the legendary P1800 – but the Volvo Concept Coupe is the first from its new designer, Thomas Ingenlath. Recruited from VW, Ingenlath says that the concept, which is underpinned by the new SPA platform (which stands for Scalable Platform Architecture) that will be used on the 2014 XC90, is both a nod to the past and a signal of intent for the future. You’ll be able to see it at the Frankfurt motor show in September.