Simpson Neck Brace on 2040-parts.com

Visionary tech

Ignore the marketers: There's nothing new under the technological sun. Cost and reliability concerns may have hindered the early adoption of these auto-tech breakthroughs, though you'd never know it based on their present-day ubiquity. 1941: Crossovers The combination of a fully enclosed, carlike body and all-wheel-drive underpinnings got its start with the Volkswagen Type 87 Kommandeurwagen.

July 15: Bars and potholes

Last night I wound up leaving the office around midnight. With traffic finally cleared off the Santa Monica Freeway I flew down the road at between 105 and 115 km/hr. That's 65 to 71 mph.

American Elegance: Duesenbergs and drag cars return for concours at Meadow Brook

Cackling and rumbling, roaring and growling, the pair of vintage drag racers rolls onto the brick courtyard--a silver 1965 Dodge Coronet and a gaudy orange '66 “Gas Ronda” Mustang. They're two of the headliners at this year's Concours d'Elegance of America at Meadow Brook. They were followed moments later by a Bugatti Veyron, which almost silently slipped into view, thanks to the clandestine output of its 1,001 hp.