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Shelby Cobra, Mercedes 300SL and 1947 Woodie from Petersen Museum headed to auction

The changes happening at the Petersen Museum have been making the rounds in major press, but it probably won't be until August 18, during Pebble Beach, when we get the full story on what's happening; that's where and when museum reps plan on announcing the way forward for the SoCal institution. In the meantime, the museum is still reorganizing its collection, and that means auctioning some of its showpieces at this weekend's Auctions America event in Burbank.
Three of the stars are a 1964 Shelby Cobra 289, one of less than 20 produced with a three-speed C-4 automatic transmission, a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL owned by actor Robert Stack and the last 1948 Ford Sportsman 'Woodie' ever produced. The Cobra, now restored to its original white exterior and red leather interior, was a factory demonstrator that first sold for $5,250. Showing just 38,950 miles on the odometer, its pre-sale estimate is $800,000 to $1 million.
The 300SL is actually a 1957 model but wasn't titled until Robert Stack took possession in 1960. The lead actor in the The Untouchables TV series used to drive by the Sunset Boulevard Mercedes dealership to ogle the car, but couldn't justify spending the money to buy it. When he and the producer of The Untouchables won Emmys for the show, the producer, who happened to be Desi Arnaz, bought the car for Stack. He owned it his whole life, it has been left as Stack drove it and still bears the California license plate "UNTCHBL."

Ford talking unibody Ranger replacement

Now here's some welcome news. Car and Driver reports Ford is seriously mulling a replacement for the recently deceased Ranger, but the successor to the compact pickup's throne may not look anything like what we've seen from the nameplate in the past.
While speaking at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Doug Scott, marketing manager for Ford Trucks, said there's still a market for a smaller pickup, but that buyers expect to see a larger differentiation between the smaller utility vehicles and their full size counterparts in price, capability and fuel economy.
According to Scott, that means a vehicle with a payload capacity of around 1,000 pounds paired with a towing capacity of 3,000 pounds and "a dramatic reduction in fuel consumption." But the biggest piece of that recipe is the price tag, and Scott says to keep the MSRP far enough away from the already cheap F-150, the answer could come in the form of a unibody design. Scott says target customers in this market don't care whether the truck has a traditional frame or not, so long as it's tough enough to do the job and has the capability they need.

Ford dealer gives James Robertson new 2015 Taurus

James Robertson, the 56-year-old Detroit native famous for walking 21 miles to work each day for the last 10 years, is behind the wheel again thanks to a gift from a Ford dealer. Robertson became an Internet sensation when the story about his daily ordeal came to light, and a GoFundMe campaign initially hoped to raise $5,000 to buy him a new ride. As of this writing, it has reached over $300,000. He didn't have to dip into any of that money to buy the new car, though. According to The Detroit Free Press, Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI, heard about Robertson's story of never being late to work and having perfect attendance. The dealer is donating a fully loaded, red 2015 Taurus to him. It's not one of our choices, but certainly nothing to sneeze at. Robertson started walking to work in 2005 when his Honda broke down. According to the GoFundMe page, his job is about 23 miles away, but thanks to Detroit's poor bus network, he covers about 21 miles of that round-trip trek on foot each day. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free Press, GoFundMeImage Credit: Ryan Garza / Detroit Free Press / TNS / Alamy Live News Auto News Ford Car Dealers Driving Sedan Detroit Michigan charity