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The real Bond car: Aston Martin that inspired 007 for sale

A gadget-packed Aston Martin that’s said to have been the inspiration behind James Bond’s Aston Martin in Goldfinger has been revealed in London prior to going up for auction at Blenheim Palace in July. The 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been expertly restored by its current owners – who actually didn’t know the car could have inspired Fleming until they began restoring it. Years of research – and the nine-month nut and bolt renovation – followed, producing what auctioneers believe is a car that, if the right people are in the auction crowd, could make the owners very rich indeed.

Umea Institute of Design degree show 2009

Masters students from Sweden's Umea Institute of Design recently exhibited their final-year projects at the university's annual degree show. Featuring the work of both graduating diploma students and those completing the first year of their MA in Transportation Design, this year's exhibition brought together a diverse range of themes, ranging from futuristic interpretations of existing brand DNA to new concepts in car production, usage and forms. These are the highlights.

Nissan Titan still has a future

Even without a deal to team up with Chrysler Group on a new pickup, Nissan Motor Co. plans to keep the Titan truck in its lineup and develop a new range of models on its own. "We will do the next-generation Titan in-house," Larry Dominique, Nissan North America Inc.'s vice president for product planning, told Automotive News last week at the Detroit auto show.