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Freeman Thomas: “it's easier to create your own rocket than create your own car”

The Industrial Designers Society of America's ‘Designing Innovation' panel discussion took place in San Francisco yesterday. The event was sponsored by Ford, with strategic design director, Freeman Thomas taking a place on the panel. Having parked a C-MAX Energi and new F-150 in the venue, Ford's influence weighed rather heavily, particularly in the early moments.

Studiotorino unveils Porsche Cayman-based Moncenisio

Studiotorino is an Italian coachbuilder, based in the city that its name suggests -- on the banks of the Po River, deep in the heart of Turin. It came to prominence thanks to a smattering of projects: a buttressed, fastback Mercedes-Benz SL, a Fiat 500 named after beloved Italian pulp hero Diabolik and a Maserati Quattroporte wagon that they appropriately renamed "Cinqueporte." But Studiotorino is also infatuated with the Porsche Cayman. To that end, the firm has introduced the Moncenisio, a Rhapsody in Blue rebody of the Typ 981 that aims to do for German sports cars what Figoni et Falaschi did for the Delahaye and what Porcubimmer Motors did for a BMW 3-Series.

Muscle-car icons immortalized in new postal-stamp set

Perhaps sensing that it's at risk of going the way of the carbureted big-block and leaded gasoline, the United States Postal Service is apparently willing to try anything to boost its bottom line. Though we're sure its recently announced line of postal worker-inspired apparel will be a runaway (and runway) success, we're glad to see the USPS reaching out to the automotive-enthusiast community with a new set of limited-edition stamps that commemorate the American muscle car. We told you about the stamps earlier this year, but we can now confirm the lineup.