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Famed 1931 Duesenberg Whittell Coupe on the block at Gooding Pebble Beach auction

Gooding & Co. is set to auction what it claims is "America's most elegant automobile," a 1931 Duesenberg Model J by Murphy, at the company's 2011 Pebble Beach auction in August. Not to be confused with any run-of-the-mill Duesenberg Model J, this particular car is known as the Whittell Coupe after its owner, California playboy Captain George Whittell Jr.

First Sight: Hyundai i30

Hyundai invited Car Design News for an exclusive sneak preview of the all-new i30 last week, ahead of its global debut at the Frankfurt motor show today. The event was held in Frankfurt's renowned Cocoon Club (the venue will also play host to this year's Interior Motives Awards, which takes place this coming Wednesday night), and was chosen because of its interior décor – something Hyundai's European Design Chief, Thomas Buerkle, likened to the Korean company's 'Fluidic Sculpture' design language. "We have been inspired by nature and beautiful shapes," Buerkle told the audience of journalists at the launch.

Mercedes-Benz considering Aston Martin buyout

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly considering a deal to buyout sports car manufacturer Aston Martin, fuelling rumours that the canned Aston Martin Lagonda SUV concept from 2009 (pictured above) could once again be back on. The move would see Merc increase its current 5% stake in the British brand following a deal announced last year to supply AMG engines for Aston’s next generation of sports cars. On Bing: see pictures of the Aston Martin Lagonda SUV concept Find out how much a used Aston Martin costs on Auto Trader It’s no secret the firm has been toying with the idea of a premium SUV following the Lagonds concept, so with Mercedes technical expertise and existing model range, it opens up potential new models to Aston Martin.