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High-tech, remote-controlled Golden Sahara II custom car going for auction

Imagine a vehicle with automatic braking, remote operation, self-opening doors and a big screen on the dash. You're probably imaging a Tesla Model X, but we're actually talking about a car called the Golden Sahara II, a custom car originally built in the 1950s, and it's going for auction at Mecum's event in Indianapolis. According to Mecum, this custom car started out as a 1953 Lincoln Capri owned by George Barris, the man who created the original Batmobile. He didn't have it long before it ended up in a crash that led him to use it for a major custom project. He teamed up James Skonzakes, known as Jim Street, to create and pay for the build. In 1954, the car was finished with wild body work, actual 24-karat gold-plated exterior trim and a pearlescent gold paint created from fish scales. It carried the name of Golden Sahara, and it cost $25,000 to build. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In 1956, Street decided to invest a whole lot more into the car. He sent it to a shop in Dayton, Ohio where it was fitted with a myriad of high-tech features. These included a central control stick that could operate the throttle, steering and braking, push-button steering controls on the dashboard for both the driver and the passenger, a remote control for moving it slowly and for opening the doors. It had sonar antennae at the front for automatic braking, a TV in the center stack, a radio, a phone, and even a cocktail cabinet in the back and mink carpeting. All of these features were on display when Street appeared with the car on the TV show I've Got a Secret, seen above, as well as in a period news story in which Street's wife demonstrated the features including the light-up wheels and tires for turn signals. That clip is visible below. The total cost of the car, now called Golden Sahara II, was $75,000. Adjusted for inflation, that's nearly $700,000. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Eventually, Street stopped showing the Golden Sahara II, but he never got rid of it. It was recently found in his garage, and the car will finally go for auction in May at Mecum's Indianapolis auction. The car will be sold in unrestored condition, which looks to be fairly rough, but savable. It appears the remotes are still there, too. The car will be auctioned with no reserve, so it will have a new owner.

Ford's China sales keep falling, down 30% in third quarter

BEIJING — Ford's July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 30%, as the U.S. automaker continued to lose ground in a prolonged sales decline in its second biggest market. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker delivered 131,060 vehicles in China in the third quarter, Ford said in a statement. Ford's sales in China fell 35.8% in the first quarter and by 21.7% in the second quarter. In the third quarter, sales of the automaker's mass-market Ford brand fell 37.7%, while its luxury division Lincoln saw sales drop by 24.1%. It delivered around 421,000 vehicles in the first nine months of the year, according to Reuters calculations. Ford has been struggling to revive sales in China after its business began slumping in late 2017. Sales sank 37 percent in 2018, after a 6 percent decline in 2017. The automaker plans to launch more than 30 new models in China over the next three years, of which more than a third will be electric vehicles. It also said it would localize management teams by hiring more Chinese staff and aimed to improve relationships with joint venture partners. Ford has launched a series of new models in the third quarter in China, including Focus, Edge, and the electric Territory. In China, Ford makes cars through its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Jiangling Motors. It has said it would partner with Zotye Automobile Co to sell lower-priced cars, but there seems to have been little progress. In a series of moves, Ford named a new president for its main local venture, Changan Ford, in August and said it would enhance its partnership with Changan through research, production and marketing cooperation in September. Ford is also planning to revamp some of its existing manufacturing facilities with Changan to localize production of its premium brand Lincoln. Changan Ford's sales down by around 33.5% in the third quarter, according to Reuters calculations based on Changan's filings. Ford rival General Motors' July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 17.5%, to 689,531 vehicles. As GM and Ford China sales extend declines, U.S. car companies' market share of total China passenger vehicle sales fell to 9.5% in the first eight months of this year, from 10.7% in the year-ago period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Over the same period, German carmakers' share has risen to 23.8% from 21.6%, and Japanese automakers' share rose to 21.7% from 18.3%.

Lincoln reveals MKC compact crossover ahead of LA debut [w/video]

It used to be that if you wanted a luxury SUV, you had to go big. Just look at the first high-riders released by some of the major luxury automakers - Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX - and you'll see what we mean. But since 2009 the small premium crossover segment has grown a whopping 200 percent, so it's no surprise that each has followed up with smaller luxury crossovers. And this is the latest.
At the other end of the utility spectrum from the Navigator, the new Lincoln MKC is based on the Ford Escape (much as the old pseudo-premium Mercury Mariner was), but completely rebodied and luxed up to put it in another league. Although we're still not sold on Lincoln's family fascia, the grille treatment on the MKC is certainly one of the better variations on the theme to date. The Dart-like rear lights dominate the wrap-around tailgate, and the overall shape looks taut and upscale. The same can be said of the dynamically-designed interior, taking the concept revealed in Detroit earlier this year to production fairly seamlessly.
Power will come from a choice of EcoBoost four-cylinder engines with turbocharging and direct injection: a 2.0-liter with 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, or a slightly punchier new 2.3-liter with 275 hp and 300 lb-ft. Lincoln didn't disclose what transmission they'll be mated to, but did note that the MKC carries the brand's "signature" push-button gear shifter. It comes standard in front drive, but buyers who upgrade to all-wheel drive (or tick the right box) will also benefit from a new adaptive suspension Lincoln calls Continuously Controlled Damping. Other features include an approach-detection system that lights the car up and projects a Lincoln "welcome mat" on the pavement when you get close to the car, and a "bread-crumbing" feature that lets you track where your vehicle has been.