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Neil Young to auction model train collection, classic cars

LOS ANGELES — Rock singer Neil Young is selling some of his most prized possessions — part of his model train and classic car collections. The Canadian folk-rock star is putting more than 230 of his vast collection of Lionel trains and some of his cars up for auction in Los Angeles in December. Some of the trains have estimated selling prices of up to $9,000, Julien's Auctions said on Thursday. Young, 71, known for his Woodstock-era songs as well as "Ohio," "Heart of Gold" and many, many others, has been a passionate model train enthusiast for more than 20 years. His collection and vast layouts at his California ranch took off in the early 1990s as a means of connecting with his son Ben, who has cerebral palsy, Young said. Young is also selling some of his classic car collection. They include: A first-in-production 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark convertible 50th anniversary special edition, with a steering wheel hub saying "customized for Neil Young," that has a pre-auction estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. A 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood Imperial eight-passenger limousine (estimate $30,000-$40,000) with the Cadillac crest styled "Broken Arrow" emblem on the rear passenger door, referring to both the Buffalo Springfield song and his ranch of the same name in Portola Valley, Calif. A 1948 Buick Roadmaster Hearse built by Flxible (estimate: $8,000-$10,000) used by Young and his band, The Squires, to haul equipment to gigs in the early 1960's. Dubbed "Mortimer," it's decorated with backstage passes and bumper stickers, and it inspired Young's song "Long May You Run." A 1941 Chrysler Series 28 Windsor Highlander two-door, three-person coupe (estimate: $15,000-$20,000), considered Chrysler's most prestigious model in its day. (For a closer look at Young's lifetime interest in cars, here's a New York Times interview from 2012, which includes an anecdote about the time he ate road tar. Or his memoir "Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars," in which he recounts every car he ever owned, and describes how he wrote the lyrics for "Like a Hurricane" in the back of a friend's 1950 DeSoto. He promoted the book in this NPR interview. He also tipped us off to the return of the Lincoln Continental, and is known for his LincVolt plug-in biodiesel 1960 Lincoln.) As for Young's train collection, he designed a remote control that allows multiple trains to run at once, and a device that delivers realistic railroad audio to help his son get the most of out the hobby.

2022 Buick Envision Plus three-row crossover is like an Envision, plus

Buick exited the sedan segment when it axed the Regal, but it's going all-in on crossovers and SUVs. It released a dark preview image that gives us an early look at a three-row family-hauler named Envision Plus. Announced only for the Chinese market as of writing, the Envision Plus is — as its name implies — positioned above the Envision in the company's range, though it's smaller than the Enclave. It's mechanically related to the crossover it shares its nameplate with, but it appears to receive a specific design with a new-look front bumper and a more upright grille. It also wears a boxier silhouette that allowed Buick to add a third row of seats. Extra seating aside, we expect the Plus will offer an interior close to the standard Envision's, which we described as "a scaled-down take on the Enclave's interior" in February 2021. Similarly, Buick will likely offer the Envision Plus with the same turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the smaller model. It produces 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the front or the four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Buick will release more details about the 2022 Envision Plus in the coming weeks, and it will unveil the model at the 2021 edition of the Shanghai auto show opening its doors on April 21. While the company hasn't confirmed plans to sell its latest crossover in its home market, we wouldn't be surprised if it arrives here before the end of 2021. Auto shows were put on hiatus in 2020, at the height of the on-going coronavirus pandemic, and the upcoming Shanghai show is the first major industry event in over a year. In addition to the Buick people-mover, we'll discover Toyota's first global electric car. It will arrive as a near-production concept close in size to the hot-selling RAV4. Related video: 2021 Buick Envision Running Footage

Buick Cascada dies the death everyone expected

Four months ago, the Grim Reaper came for the Opel Cascada. Groupe PSA, which bought Opel from General Motors in 2017, announced the two-door convertible would be phased out. On sale here since 2016 as the Buick Cascada, GM told us it had nothing to say about PSA's announcement. On Friday, the U.S. automaker spoke up, telling Automotive News the droptop "has reached the end of its originally-planned lifecycle and 2019 will be the last model year offered. Dealers have been notified and many will have stock through the rest of this year." Buick paid big money to advertise its first convertible since the 1991 Reatta. Buick threw money at Super Bowls ads and a gaggle of celebrities two years in a row. And when sales began in 2016, Buick enlisted The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper for a series of television and online spots. U.S. dealers have been instructed to file final orders this month, and production will continue at the factory in Poland until this summer. Yet the fact we're in February and dealers are predicted to have stock for the next ten months says everything necessary about the state of play. The brand sold roughly 17,000 units in three years, and both 2017 and 2018 saw sales declines of more than 25 percent. Buick didn't expect huge sales from the import, though, and the Cascada earned conquest buyers. A spokesman said, "The Cascada has played its role in the portfolio perfectly, outselling many other premium convertibles while bringing in [6 of every 10] buyers from outside GM." Last we heard, the LaCrosse ceases production next month. Unless the situation changes before the end of the year, Buick will have only the Regal on its passenger car books come 2020. GM will only have two convertibles in its portfolio worldwide, the Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette. Related Video: