1964 Ford Thunderbird Mild Custom... Flake/panel/candy Paint!!! on 2040-cars

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IIHS says these are the safest cars of 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed its annual list of Top Safety Picks, an award that highlights automobiles it says offer "superior crash protection." A new and still more significant award, the Top Safety Pick+ honor, is given to those vehicles that earn good ratings for occupant protection in four out of five areas of measure. And while some 117 vehicles were given the TSP seal of approval for 2013, just 13 passed muster for TSP+.
To be fair, IIHS only evaluated 29 vehicles with its new testing procedures for TSP+ (we'd expect that the number of qualified cars will rise substantially for 2014). Luxury and Near Luxury midsize cars were the first groups evaluated, followed by midsizers in the Moderately Priced Cars category - unsurprisingly, it's only midsize cars that you'll find among the class this year.
Only two luxury sedans made the list of 13 for 2013: the Acura TL and Volvo S60. The other 11 cars on the list included entries from domestic, Japanese and German car makers: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord (sedan and coupe), Kia Optima (but not its close kin, the Hyundai Sonata, strangely), Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Suzuki Kizashi and the Volkswagen Passat all made the grade.

Ford F-150 could be affected by tornado-damaged supplier in S.C.

The disruption caused by a tornado that severely damaged a South Carolina auto-parts plant and killed a contract security guard last week could be felt by more automakers than just Ford and affect more than just its best-selling F-Series pickup, which is due for an update. And there’s still no estimate for when operations might resume at the plant. The Detroit Free Press reports that the BorgWarner plant in Seneca, near Greenville, makes transfer cases for F-150 and Super Duty pickups, the Ford Explorer and Expedition, Transit cargo vans, and Lincoln Navigator and Aviator SUVs. ItÂ’s also a supplier for the Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra trucks. Transfer cases shift power from the transmission to the front and rear axles in four-wheel-drive vehicles. BorgWarner says it still has no update for when it might partially or fully resume operations. The tornado that ripped through the area in the western part of the state on April 13 tore the roof, walls and signage off the factory and killed a 77-year-old contract worker when the security building he was sheltering in collapsed. Only four or five others were inside the plant, which has been idled because of the coronavirus outbreak, when the tornado struck. In an SEC filing on Friday, Ford said it has sent employees to the site to help BorgWarner and assess the damage to FordÂ’s tooling. “Initial assessments indicate that the Ford tooling was not materially damaged in this incident,” Ford said in the filing. “We do not have sufficient information to estimate when the facility will be back on-line or whether or the extent to which this incident will impact our plans to resume production of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles.” A Fiat Chrysler spokeswoman also told the Freep the company was working with BorgWarner on recovery plans. A Toyota spokesman told Autoblog that "we are collaborating with BorgWarner to help restore production for transfer cases for Tundra assembly. We are confident that theyÂ’ll fully recover over time." Like other automakers, Ford shut down production at its U.S. plants last month as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic. But Ford hasnÂ’t yet said when it plans to reopen its factories. FCA is targeting May 4 to resume production. Models like the F-150 and Lincoln Navigator are major sources of profit for Ford, which estimated it lost $2 billion in the first quarter.

Seinfeld's Porsches, '61 Ferrari lead the way at Gooding Amelia Island sale

If you're in the market for a sports car with celebrity provenance or just an incredibly well-preserved high-performance machine, then you'll want to check out Gooding & Company's Amelia Island auction in Florida on March 11. The highlight of the sale is likely 18 cars, mostly Porsches, from Jerry Seinfeld's collection, but there's more to see than just the comedian's sporting metal. While several of Seinfeld's cars carry auction estimates in the millions, they aren't the most valuable at the sale. That honor falls on a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, which could sell for between $15 million and $17 million. This one is among the 37 examples with covered headlights, and it has some theatrical provenance after appearing in the Sophia Loren film Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. If your tastes skew more American, then one of 31 Ford GT40 MKI road cars is also among the lots. Gooding expects the rare coupe to sell for between $3.2 million and $3.6 million. Ford originally used this GT40 for dealer promotions, but it eventually fell into private hands. Even today, its multiple owners have only covered around 3,200 miles in it. Gooding also expects a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe with a body by Murphy to bring $2.5 million to $3 million. The auction house claims this might be the "most original" example left because of a history of owners who kept it for long periods – and the vehicle never needed a complete restoration. Some lots carry more attainable estimates like $35,000 for a 1962 MGA. You can check out all the listings on Gooding's online catalog and some of the highlights in the gallery above. You've probably read the news about Seinfeld's Porsches, but here's a refresher: The collection includes amazing cars like a 550 Spyder, 917/30 Can-Am Spyder, and a 718 RSK. Related Video: