Auto News 5

Giorgetto Giugiaro is the Car Designer of the Century, according to 132 (relatively) young automotive journalists back in 1999. Their grasp of automotive history seems to have been concentrated in their own adult lifetimes, however. Whether GG's influence is greater than Battista "Pinin" Farina's or Harley Earl's is very much open to debate, but there is no question that he is one of the most prolific designers alive. "I have designed cars for every major company but Honda, and one day I will do that," says the Maestro. The merging of his firm Italdesign with Volkswagen may signify an end to his half century of intense activity, but he remains a powerful and highly influential force in automobile design.

You've likely heard the Roger Penske quote that the best way to make a small fortune racing is to start with a big fortune. It turns out that Penske's observation is true even in racing's scrappiest series, the 24 Hours of LeMons. Senior web editor Phil Floraday's misfit team (read: not bankrolled by this magazine) bought a $300 1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro wagon and then put in more than ten times that amount getting it ready to race. Result? They won the Index of Effluency (awarded to the team whose finishing position furthest exceeds judges' expectations), turning the $5644 worth of parts, labor, and entry fees into a check for $1501.