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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.

Dealers mobilize to protect their margins from automaker subscription services

Six individual auto brands — Lincoln, Cadillac, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Volvo — have established or are trialing a vehicle subscription service in the U.S. Three third-party companies — Flexdrive, Clutch and Carma — run brand-agnostic subscription services. And three automakers — Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and General Motors — have also launched short-term rental services. Dealers, afraid of how these trends might affect their margins, are building political and lawmaking campaigns to protect their revenue streams. So far, three states are investigating automaker subscriptions, and Indiana has banned any such service until next year. It's certain that those three states are the first fronts in a long political and legal battle. Powerful dealer franchise laws mandate the existence of dealers and restrict how automakers are allowed to interact with customers to sell a vehicle. On top of that, Bob Reisner, CEO of Nassau Business Funding & Services, said, "Dealers and their associations are among the strongest political operators in many states. They as a group are difficult for state politicians to vote against." In California earlier this year, the state Assembly debated a bill with wide-ranging provisions to protect against what the California New Car Dealers Association called "inappropriate treatment of dealers by manufacturers." One of those provisions stipulated that subscription services need to go through dealers, but that item got stripped out when dealers and manufacturers agreed to discuss the matter further. In Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a moratorium on all subscription programs by dealers or manufacturers until May 1, 2019, to give legislators more time to investigate. Dealers in New Jersey have taken their campaign to the state capitol, asking that the cars in subscription programs get a different classification for registration purposes. Automakers run the current subscription services and own the vehicles. Sign-ups and financial transactions happen online or through apps, leaving dealers to do little more than act as fulfillment centers to various degrees, with little legal recourse as to compensation amounts when they're called on to deliver or service a car. That's a bad base to build on for business owners who've sunk millions of dollars into their operations.

2020 Lincoln Aviator pricing can fly sky high: Configurator is up and running

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is priced at $52,195 to start, Lincoln announced today as the crossover's configurator went live. Revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show late last year, the Aviator is the newest entry in Lincoln's SUV lineup. It slots in below the Navigator but above the Nautilus. Five different trim levels will be offered at the start, with two powertrain combinations as well. The most expensive Black Label Grand Touring SUV will set you back a cool $88,895. Even the base engine in the Aviator is quite potent. It's a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 making 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The plug-in hybrid version is even more powerful, as it keeps the same gas engine but adds electric power to bring the final tallies to 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Hello Germany, says Lincoln. Lincoln differentiates between the plug-in and normal Aviator with the Grand Touring designation. The cheapest one of these begins at $69,895. That's a hefty price increase compared to the base model, but the power increase plus ability to run an unspecified number of miles on electric only is a pretty hefty benefit. As we take a look at others in the segment, the Lincoln is priced competitively in base spec. Specifically, the Aviator undercuts the Germans by a decent amount. The 2019 BMW X5 starts at $61,695. Mercedes has the redesigned 2020 GLE starting at $56,695. And the Audi Q7 begins at $54,545. Every one of those cars is underpowered compared to the Aviator at those price points. That said, you probably won't want just the base Aviator. Stepping up just one level to the Reserve trim at $57,285 nets you features like a 14-speaker Revel audio system, 360-degree camera and quad-zone climate control. Going up to the pricey Black Label ($78,790), you'll get the 30-way heated/cooled seats, 28-speaker Revel audio system, Panoramic roof and all the fancy materials that go with Lincoln Black Labels. If you tack on every option you can to the high-zoot version, it'll crest $90,000. Lincoln says orders for the new Aviator can be placed in February, and vehicles will be arriving to dealers in the summer. 2020 Lincoln Aviator View 27 Photos Related video: