2000 Volkswagen Passat Manual/book on 2040-parts.com

Classic car commercial: 1985 Chevy Astro van

You remember Chevy's answer to the Chrysler minivan, right? Of course you do. After all, General Motors built the rear-drive (and AWD) Chevrolet Astro for 20 years before finally putting it out to pasture.

Jaguar C-X17 concept (2013) Jag 4x4 at Frankfurt motor show

Here it is then: Jaguar’s brave new future, the C-X17 crossover concept car, unveiled of the eve of the 2013 Frankfurt motor show. Officially, it’s nothing more than a Frankfurt-bound design study to show off the talent of Jaguar’s new ‘iQ Al’ modular aluminium platform. But with the luxury crossover market in overdrive and armed with a contender that looks this sharp, you can bet this is far more than a statement of intent...

First customers are key to EV sales success, execs say

Word of mouth is a key element to generating buyers for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Today, it's the early adapters, tech-savvy buyers who are embracing the technology and buying the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt and the battery-powered Nissan Leaf. But for these vehicles and similar models to go mainstream, anxiety about the technology needs to be eliminated.