From the VW People-Moving Dept.: Three-Row Crossover Moves Forward, Next Tiguan To Be More U.S.-Friendly

When we spoke with Volkswagen’s U.S. boss Jonathan Browning last April, he told us that the company was very seriously considering a three-row SUV. We can now confirm?though not by way of Mr. Browning?that the company is moving ahead with its Honda Pilot?fighter. The SUV almost definitely will be built in Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant [...]

Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton

This Day in History: Ford Model A goes on sale

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The Ford Model A doesn't get the historical respect of its 15-million-unit predecessor, the Model T, nor is it as beloved as the 1932 Ford V8 which followed. But when the Model A went on sale on December 2, 1927, it was an important transitional model for Ford.

Following the unparalleled success of the Model T, Ford had been reluctant to develop a new model, or even upgrade the T with features that were increasingly driving customers to other brands. The Model A was the first Ford to feature modern controls, with clutch, brake and throttle pedals, and a gearshift lever sprouting out of the center of the front floorboards.

Selling for as little as $365, the Model A was a huge success. Ford built almost five million units over five years. Had it not unveiled the A when it did, the Blue Oval might have met the same fate as many auto manufacturers of the 1920s that didn't see the other side of the Great Depression.

Surprisingly enough, this 84-year-old car can actually provide somewhat serviceable transportation today, although with limitations. While its four-cylinder engine provides fuel economy in the high 20's, Interstate travel is a bit beyond its meager 40 horsepower output. Mechanical drum brakes are the weakest point in the A's specifications, with a lack of climate control rating a distant second.

For more on what it's like to drive an A everyday, check out the 365 Days of A blog.

This Day in History: Ford Model A goes on sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the Munich Motorsport Coffee Table, In All Its Pantone Glory

Remember that time you woke up in the middle of the night with a great idea? Remember how you wrote it down, went back to sleep, and then never actually did anything about it? Consider Jason Phillips. His great idea was to build this awesome coffee table; it resembles something we once thought of in [...]

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire

STR unhappy to miss out on seventh

Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost said the Italian squad could not be happy with having missed out on seventh place in the standings after a disappointing end to the season. The Faenza-based squad was looking strong before the final three races of the year, when its form dropped after having closed the gap to Sauber to just one point ahead of today's race. Although Tost said the team's goal for the year was eighth position, he conceded having come so close and yet lose out to its rivals was not what his outfit wanted

Carl Edwards Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota

Brazil Sunday quotes: Pirelli

Paul Hembery: "This didn't turn out to be the race that most people expected, with the predicted rain holding off. At the last race of the season there were a few mechanical issues for some cars, but our tyres were completely reliable - as they have been all year, with no structural failures ? and we achieved our objective of having a performance gap of less than a second between the compounds, which should be the case next year as well

Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman

Past and Present Pros

While “Smoke” was dethroning Jimmie Johnson at Homestead-Miami Speedway, iRacing.com members had races of their own taking place every two hours around the 1.5 mile track. Much like their physical world counterparts, NASCAR iRacing.com Class A Series sim racers had to find the balance between a strong setup speed wise, all the while not eating-up those all important tires. With that being the case, it offered the chance for veterans to school the newcomers on how to balance their setup correctly, while driving it to perfection. However, some newcomers to the series did not stand idly by as the big boys drove to the front. NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship race winner Steve Sheehan started only one race on the week, but that one start was in a high enough [...]

Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann François Hesnault

Mercedes to change test approach in ?12

Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn says his team will not repeat the mistake of introducing a big upgrade package in the first race of the season without having tested it properly. The team decided to run with a basic aerodynamic package in the first tests of 2011 before introducing the upgrades it would race in the first grand prix of the season in the final test. Brawn believes that strategy left the team confused as there was too much to test, and he says they will not do that again next year.

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Brad Daugherty testing race truck at Martinsville this week

DAUGHERTY GETS UP FROM BEHIND THE DESK FOR THE DAY TO CLIMB INTO A RACE TRUCK AND TEST AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY HARRISBURG, N.C. (November 28, 2011) – - Brad Daugherty may be best known as a five-time NBA All-Star or for his work as an ESPN analyst for NASCAR?s top touring divisions. However, his passion [...]

Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther Yves Giraud Cabantous

STR unhappy to miss out on seventh

Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost said the Italian squad could not be happy with having missed out on seventh place in the standings after a disappointing end to the season. The Faenza-based squad was looking strong before the final three races of the year, when its form dropped after having closed the gap to Sauber to just one point ahead of today's race. Although Tost said the team's goal for the year was eighth position, he conceded having come so close and yet lose out to its rivals was not what his outfit wanted

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