Record expected for Auto Union sale

By James Mullan Motor Industry 07 February 2007 09:21 A rare 1939 Auto Union Type D grand prix car is tipped to tear up the record books this month when it goes under the hammer – for an estimated price of up to £7.8 million. Auto Union developed the Type D racing car with a mid-mounted 3.0-litre 12-cylinder engine; in 1939, it was modified with the addition of a twin supercharger, increasing power 420bhp to 460bhp – enough for a top speed of 205mph. This particular car won the French and Yugoslavian Grand Prix in 1939, but at the end of the Second World War it was transported from East Germany to the former Soviet Union by Russian occupation forces as spoils of war.

Skoda Citigo (2011) first official pictures of Skoda's Up

It's all about economies of scale these days, so don't be surprised that Skoda's whipped the covers off its take on the new Up city car just days after Volkswagen unveiled its own at Frankfurt. The new Skoda Citigo (see what they did there?) is the Czechs' sixth model line and will go on sale in UK dealers in summer 2012. Skoda Citigo: the lowdown The four-seater Citigo naturally shares most of its engineering DNA with the Up.

Spyker Cars to change name, shift focus

Spyker Cars is changing its name to Swedish Automobile N.V., and its new Chinese partner, Pang Da, is waiting for authorities to approve the investment in Spyker and Saab. Known for more than a decade as a producer of exclusive muscle cars, Spyker sold off its sports-car business in February to focus on Saab. The company bought the Swedish automaker a year ago when General Motors was on the verge of shutting Saab down.