(Aston Martin)
Design competition honors luxury cars
Three Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the Aston Martin One-77 Sports Car (pictured at right) were awarded 2009 Good Design awards in the transportation category of the prestigious prize. The awards, sponsored by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, are an annual list of the world's most innovative and well-designed products. The Mercedes-Benz vehicles honored were the SLR Stirling Moss and the 2010 E-Class Coupe and Sedan.
--NWautos staff
(Associated Press)
Hyundai has to swap stars for Oscar ads
Hyundai may be the only auto company advertising during tonight's Academy Awards, but it will have to do so with out its normal voiceover star Jeff Bridges. The actor, nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Crazy Heart," was pulled from the spots because of an Academy rule that limits the use of nominees in ads during the show. He has voiced ads for the Korean automaker since 2007. He'll be replaced by seven other stars, including Catherine Keener, Kim Basinger and David Duchovny in seven ads airing during the show and one beforehand. The auto company says it plans to resume its normal casting after the broadcast.
--Associated Press
State Farm leads auto insurers in 2008
The Top 10 auto insurance providers ranked by premiums written and market share for 2008, the latest full-year information available:
1. State Farm Group, $30.1 billion, 18.3 percent
2. Allstate Insurance Group, $17.7 billion, 10.8 percent
3. Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group (includes Geico), $12.5 billion, 7.6 percent
4. Progressive Group, $11.7 billion, 7.1 percent
5. Zurich Insurance Group, $8.9 billion, 5.4 percent
6. Nationwide Group, $7.6 billion, 4.6 percent
7. Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, $7.2 billion, 4.4 percent
8. USAA Group, $6.3 billion, 3.8 percent
9. American International Group, $4.4 billion, 2.7 percent
10. American Family Insurance Group, $3.4 billion, 2.1 percent
--Associated Press
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