Press Releases

Steam Power conference features technology, world record attempt pending

The latest developments in steam power technology will be the focus beginning Jan. 13 when the International Association for the Advancement of Steam Power and the Steam Automobile Club of America partner for a three-day conference at the California Auto Museum in Sacramento, California. Participants include steam automobile owners and developers, modern steam locomotive experts, small steam power plant developers and manufacturers, engineers and enthusiasts. Several steam-powered automobiles will features, including a car designed to break the world land speed record for a steam-powered vehicle. It will attempt to break the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2012. Cyclone Power Technologies, the company that created the engine for the car, is the lead sponsor for the conference. The Cyclone

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Fiat set for North American return with three 2012 models

Fiat marked its return to the North American market with the unveiling of the 2012 Fiat 500 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show and showcasing the carmaker’s ingenuity to build a small car through simple design like it did 50 years ago. Fiat 500 Pop Designed for the individual who wants Italian style, efficiency and personalization options, the new Fiat 500 Pop includes a manual transmission, 15-inch steel wheels with chrome-accented wheel covers and all-season tires, seven standard air bags, air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3 radio with auxiliary audio input, power windows, power door locks, power heated mirrors, speed control and reconfigurable Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) with trip computer, miles-to-empty, average fuel economy and tire-pressure monitoring display (TPM). Fiat 500

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New hot rod photography exhibit, book gets Jay Leno video praise

Harholdt’s photographs of builders, known as sculptors with sheet metal, magicians with motors, paragons of paint, reveal their stories and passion for automobiles as works of art. In addition to the photographs, local hot rod enthusiasts have contributed to The Art of the Hot Rod. Ray Bracey of Calvert County has loaned a Richard Petty stand up/ cut out in addition to other memorabilia and parts; Jon Edwards of Town Creek Shop has contributed a 1931 Ford Model A left front fender as well as antique fittings and other hot rod souvenirs.  J.W. Langley has loaned his 1970 Triumph TR-6 and Howard Pouncey has loaned his 1934 restored Ford Pick-up for the exhibition. The Art of the Hot Rod, on

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BMW, Hyundai get only 5-star grades in new NTHSA ratings system

The upgraded ratings system will now evaluate side pole crash testing and crash prevention-technologies. Also, for the first time, it will utilize a petite female crash test dummy to simulate crash scenarios involving female vehicle occupants. Ratings for 33 of the 55 vehicles to be tested under the new system this year were announced, with the BMW 5 Series 4 DR RWD and the Hyundai Sonata as the only vehicles receiving a 5-star overall rating score under the new ratings system. Twenty-eight other vehicles received a 4-star overall rating score. The full list of newly rated vehicles as well as safe driving statistics, vehicle defects, safety recalls and passenger safety, are available at the official website for the federal government’s

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Motor Trend showcases Buick on magazine's cover for the first time in nearly three decades

The issue includes two Buick features: a drive review of the new 2011 Regal called “International Rescue” and “Trading Places,” a comparison of the 2010 LaCrosse and the 2010 Lexus ES350, in which LaCrosse emerges the winner. The Century T-Type was the last Buick featured on the cover of Motor Trend in August of 1982. In his review of the 2011 Regal, Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus Mackenzie writes: “The Regal is the first Buick in history with internationally chic sheet metal and sophisticated road manners to match and it’s truly likely to appeal to young, affluent, trend-setting import buyers.” Available in dealerships this spring, the Regal is the next chapter in Buick’s transformation. The vehicle features a standard 2.4L Ecotec

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Ford Fusion selected Motor Trend's Car of the Year

After tallying the judges’ feedback, the redesigned Ford Fusion came out on top. The 2010 Ford Fusion range demonstrates impressive bandwidth, from a fun-to-drive entry-level model with a four cylinder engine and six speed manual transmission, to a high-tech, highly fuel efficient hybrid, to a sporty version with a 3.5-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive. According to Motor Trend’s editors the 2010 Ford Fusion offers a “sweep across one of the market’s more hotly contested segments.” The extensively revised and redesigned 2010 Fusion is a better, smarter, nicer, comfier and greener car than its predecessor. “It looked, felt and drove like an entirely new machine,” the magazine’s editor noted. The For Fusion took top honors from a field of 23 diverse

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Old Cars Weekly: Global database for vintage, race cars

With a foundation of facts on 5,000-plus makes and 15,000 models, Old Cars Report makes available the massive databases accumulated over the past four decades by the publishers of Old Cars Weekly and Old Cars Price Guide. Current market pricing, market trends, historic values, recent auction prices realized, historic data on your make and model car, condition rating scales, photos. Old Cars Report has got it all on a scale that has never been attempted. To get started, visit oldcarsweekly.com and click on the Old Cars Report. Select the make, model and year of the car you want to learn more about. If you aren’t sure of one of those categories, we offer a guided search to help you find

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Dubious honors for old Honda Civics, Accords: Thieves' favorite cars

Beauty is in the eyes of thieves. That’s the ruth in terms of stolen cars since the most No. 1 hot-wired car in the United States is a 1995 Honda Civic. According to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB, the Civic is followed by its older sibling, the 1991 Honda Accord in terms of susceptibility to thieves. According to the report, published in Forbes Magazine, “junkers” like older Honda Civics and Accord are more valuable to thieves because they can easily strip the cars and sell the parts on the street. According to the  NICB, a car is stolen in the United States every 2.5 seconds. Here’s the list of the top 10 most stolen cars

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Car Manufacturers’ Decree: Green Is Cool, Just Not The Color Green

Few trends are more trendy than “going green.” But in the automotive industry, the concept and the color don’t match. According to recent study from DuPont, only two percent of new vehicles built in North America in 2007 were painted green. Green was even a less popular choice than yellow, which accounted for three percent of manufacturers’ color choice. While green cars are far from the rage, cars painted white are now the North American industry leader. For the first time in eight years, according to a report on MarketWatch.com, white overtook silver as the most popular color choice, with a 19 percent of the market. Silver was second, not far behind white, with black as the third most popular

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