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Carroll Shelby is honored for business skills

Mention the name, Carroll Shelby, and lots of words come to mind: racer, car builder, automotive legend, pilot, transplant recipient, entrepreneur, perhaps even rascal.

One thing is probably true, the plain-speaking Texan is a bit of all of these – and more. And despite a life-long series of illnesses, anyone of which would have crippled a weaker man, Carroll Hall Shelby, at 85, is still going strong. So it’s probably no surprise he’ll be receiving the latest in a long line of honors, today, as Automotive Executive of the Year.

Check out this profile of Carroll Shelby on thecarconnection.com:

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:10 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Report: Some auto safety gear's value limited

Some pricey new safety gear that automakers have billed as technological breakthroughs that will save lives may have only limited protective value, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concludes in a report out Thursday, according to USA Today.

Federal safety officials and many automakers have hailed the "crash-avoidance" devices as their best hope for lowering the annual U.S. death toll in crashes from the current 42,000. Unlike safety belts and air bags, the new devices are designed not to lessen injuries from a crash but to prevent one in the first place.

But some of the devices may not work well, the IIHS says, because some drivers are likely to ignore the warnings, turn them off or drive with less care. Automakers are installing devices that warn you, for example, if you leave a lane without signaling, alert you to blind spots and detect other vehicles — and sometimes apply the brakes if you don't.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:01 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas prices pass $3.40 a gallon, are expected to rise higher

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices pushed past a record high $3.40 a gallon Thursday, fulfilling expectations that they'll keep climbing toward $4 as the summer driving season approaches, according to the Associated Press.

At the pump, the average national price of a gallon of unleaded gas rose 1.9 cents overnight to $3.418 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Diesel fuel also hit a new record of $4.146 a gallon after jumping 1.7 cents overnight, the survey said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:59 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0