Mercedes-Benz

The Monterey Car Week auctions left the collector car world in a state of shock. Sales totals were expected to be similar to 2018 when 850 cars sold for US$370 million but when the hammer fell for the final time in Monterey, just 770 cars had fetched $245 million – a shortfall of 80 cars and $125 million, or 34 percent down. Here's a car-by-car glance.

Frankia doesn't just name its new camper van "Yucon" to send visions of epic trips amidst colossal mountains and glacial turquoise dancing through your head. Naming the Sprinter van after Canada's sparsely populated westernmost territory also emphasizes the sheer feeling of size and space inside.

Mercedes-Benz Classic, the restoration arm of Mercedes, has reconstructed the streamlined race car from 1932. The SSKL will be showcased at Pebble Beach as part of the event's "125 Years of Motorsport" theme. A 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 n combination coupe (W 142) will also be shown.

A leading name in custom camper vans, Outside Van developed one of its latest customs with a different purpose in mind. The Next Gen van is a prototype designed to optimize and centralize weight, using new strategies and experimental components, all without skimping on comfort or features.

Last year, Mercedes debuted the Sprinter Connected Home to highlight its new MBAC touchscreen and app control system. A year later, the first production motorhomes with MBAC make their world premieres, showing how the tech can streamline #vanlife at campgrounds and off the beaten path.

The Monterey Car Week auctions always throw up some remarkable cars that won't fetch a million dollars, but are nonetheless, automotive treasures. This article is designed to allow the automotive enthusiast/investor to get a clear picture of the breadth of automotive offerings.

This week marks the 125th anniversary of the first motor race, held between Paris and Rouen, a distance of 126 km. Twenty-one cars started, 17 finished, of which six were steam powered. Victory was shared by a Peugeot and a Panhard & Levassor, averaging 21 km/h (13 mph).

We've seen a number of solutions aimed at automatically parking the car so that drivers don't have to. Bosch and Daimler say that their app-controlled system is the first fully autonomous, completely driverless parking service to be officially approved by authorities for everyday use.​

​Porsche’s circular 12.6 km (7.8 mile) test track at Nardò in Italy has been renovated and is again open for business. More than just the banked high speed test track, the Nardò Technical Center contains 20 test tracks on over 700 hectares, and has been used by 90 automotive companies in the past.

Mercedes redesigned the GLC-Class crossovers in 2016 and has made a few changes for the 2019 model year. We drove the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid Merc and found it to be a fun drive thanks to efficiency not being its focus. It’s enjoyable and luxurious with a couple of quirks to keep it interesting.

Hymer's Ducato-based Free camper van is already a standout, an adventurous van with flip-away rear bed, vibrant graphics and sleeping space for two singles or a family of four. Hymer now brings that same level of fun and flexibility to a more premium camper, launching a Free on a Mercedes Sprinter.

Future instafamous #vanlife couples will be able to skip the time-consuming build-out and get on the road more quickly. Moving from concept to reality this year, Hymer's DuoCar S has been optimized for adventurous twosomes, with a spacious floor plan, convertible rear bath and smart power system.