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Man spent $75 on a truck that lasted 38 years

Absurd as it is, some buyers today are worried about getting their car to last throughout the term of their seven-year car loan. Minnesota resident Bob Sportel has the opposite issue: his Chevrolet truck seemingly won't die. Sportel needed a cheap ride to get to work when he took a job at a farmer's co-op 38 years ago, so he bought a rusty 1957 Chevy pickup for $75 from a farmer; at the time, the 20-year-old truck was almost as old as Bob was. After nearly four decades of daily driving and an estimated 300,000 miles, Sportel is still driving the truck today. Bolts secure a fender, Bondo secures the lights, what looks like a whole roll of duct tape keeps him sitting on the bench seat instead of in it. For a 58-year-old pickup that's never seen a garage or a new coat of paint – but did get its oil changed four times a year – that's not bad; Sportel thinks his repair bill hasn't got above $1,000 for the entire time he's owned the truck. He still has no plans to get rid of it, saying, "It just becomes a part of you." You can watch his story in the video above. News Source: KARE11.com Chevrolet Truck Classics Videos

Weekly Recap: Electric Rapide concept showcases Aston's future

Aston Martin showed off an all-electric Rapide S prototype this week and announced an agreement with investment firm ChinaEquity to explore development of a production version of the sports sedan. The car could arrive in about two years if the project advances, and it would be built in Gaydon, England. The concept car, called the "RapidE" was developed with Williams Advanced Engineering. The electric Rapide is meant to highlight British innovation, and it was revealed during a state visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping to the United Kingdom. Spec were not available for the concept on display. "The car we showed in London is a fully running concept but not yet defining [of] our choice of battery, motor, inverter, etc," spokesman Simon Sproule said. "Now that we have a clearer path for producing the car, we will be defining all the parameters." Aston Martin has been vocal about its electric ambitions this year, and Sproule told us at the New York Auto Show that an all-electric Rapide could cost $200,000 to $250,000 or more. "It's a study, but we're serious about it," he said. Some reports have indicated the electric Rapide could pack as much as 1,000 horsepower. Aston considers electric technology the strongest play for modernizing its powertrains and meeting emissions standards around the world. Hybrids and all-electric models can offer high outputs and strong torque delivery, which is in keeping with the Aston's image as a sportscar maker. Company brass prefer this option over dropping down to four-cylinder engines. And yes, V8s and V12s remain part of the plan. The electric push is part of Aston's future strategy to remake its lineup, which includes refreshing its sportscars, building a production version of the electric all-wheel-drive DBX concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show, and adding a four-door Lagonda. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Domino's serves up purpose-built delivery car Domino's revealed a purpose-built pizza delivery car based on the Chevy Spark. It's called the DXP, for Delivery Expert, and it can handle up to 80 pizzas. The pies stay warm thanks to an oven located behind the driver's seat, and the DXP is sauced up with a puddle-lighting feature that projects the Domino's logo outside of the car. Power comes from the Spark's stock 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 84 hp that gets up to 39 mpg on the highway. Chevy dealers will be trained to service the DXP.

Chevy Corvette Stingray picks up another award, this time from Automobile

The new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has picked up another buff book accolade after capturing Road and Track's Performance Car of the Year award. The seventh-generation of America's sports car (sorry Viper, Mustang, et al.) has been named Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year.
Automobile's award to the Corvette over competitors is the mirror image of its rival Motor Trend, which named the Cadillac CTS its car of the year over the C7. The CTS was, according to the Automobile team, the closest contender to the mighty Stingray. Great news all around for General Motors it seems.
As for what pushed the Corvette past its distant, four-door cousin, Automobile commended its excellent, 6.2-liter V8 calling the car's performance "simply awesome" while also remarking that it is easier to drive fast than ever before thanks to steering and chassis tweaks. Following a theme set by other publications, there were also plaudits for the interior, of all things, with the buff book complimenting the car's ergonomics and material quality, while also praising the standard seats.