Car Graveyard in Bastnas, Sweden

Deep within a Swedish forest lie 1,000 forgotten cars from the 1950s. The rusting vehicles are all that remains of a scrap yard set up in the wake of the Second World War. Back then it was the final destination for cars abandoned by American soldiers leaving Europe after the war. Two forest-dwelling Swedish brothers ran the scrap yard until the 1980s before they abandoned the site in the 1990s, leaving the forest undergrowth to claim the cars. Today, rusting classic cars including vintage Opels, Fords, Volvos, Buicks, Audis, Saabs and a Sunbeam litter the natural undergrowth.

Photographer Svein Nordrum ventured into the dense woods to snap some pictures of the abandoned vehicles. He said: "It is very quiet in there. It is a strange feeling when you’re there, as if you’re on the edge of the world... The forest is very dense. You can only see a couple of cars at any one time - the rest disappear into the woods. The cars are now a part of nature in a way. The trees grow all over and through the cars, with branches sneaking through windows and over the bonnets."

 
The 1,000 corroded vehicles are collectively worth an estimated £100,000 in scrap. However, efforts to remove the cars from the forest have been thwarted. Nordrum said "Some people in Sweden want to remove the cars, but environmentalists keep stopping them. Apparently birds and other animals have made nests in the bodywork."

The car graveyard is in the mining country of Bastnas, a town in southern Sweden. Hikers have discovered trees growing around bodywork and moss covering seats and steering wheels.

Save Gas Money In Eight Simple Steps

With gas prices skyrocketing and living wages stagnating, it's only logical that we would try to stretch every dollar a little further. That includes certain habits to get the most out of each tank of gas when we fill up. But have you heard about these lesser-known yet expert tips to help maximize each tank for longer periods of time? Check out these eight steps below:

Step 1. It's ok, enjoy your air conditioner on the highway. Consumer Reports says that AC's gas-guzzling reputation is undeserved. And, at higher speeds, opening the windows or sunroof can hurt on gas miles by increasing drag.

Step 2. Don't fill up your tank until you're practically on empty; the less fuel you're toting, the lighter your car, and the more you will save on gas.

Step 3. After filling up your car, turn the nozzle upside down before you remove it from your tank. You'll get another half a cup of gas that's stuck in the hose that will save on gas.

Step 4. Tighten your gas cap after filling up so you don't let any precious fuel evaporate. Try to park in the shade. This will also help save on gas by preventing evaporation.

Step 5. Put your car in overdrive for highway driving. It lowers your RPM, or revolutions per minute, which saves you gas money. Check your owner's manual for the recommended speed at which you may use overdrive. If you're due for new tires, get radials; they improve gas miles by two or three percent saving you gas money.

Step 6. Stay in one lane as much as possible; weaving uses up more gas miles.

Step 7. Use cruise control when you're on a flat highway, where it can increase gas miles by 7%. But don't use it on uneven roads, where it's not efficient.

Step 8. Turn off all electronics and climate controls before you cut the engine. With the extras off, your engine won't have to strain so hard to restart, leading to better gas miles.

Millennials skip showroom, use social media for car-buying

When 20- and 30-somethings go car shopping, they’re likely to ask their friends for help – their Facebook friends, that is. The youngest generation of car buyers is far more likely to turn to social media for advice than head for the showroom, according to an eBay Motors study.

More than nine of 10 so-called millennials -- "Generation Y" babies born between 1980 and 2000 -- turn to the Internet when shopping for a new car or truck, according to the eBay research.

They aren’t alone. A separate study found that the majority of buyers now go online to begin the car buying process – and more than half will be strongly influenced by what their friends have to say on Facebook.

94 percent of millennial car buyers gather information online;

More than a third use mobile devices to do that research, compared to 19 percent of older car shoppers;

Only 13 percent of millennials view visiting a dealership as their preferred method of shopping, while 25 percent of older buyers prefer to go to a showroom.

The study, based on responses from over 1,000 U.S. adults, also found that millennials are more comfortable using portable devices than older drivers when researching a possible purchase. One of five of these young motorists reported that they would be open to going through the entire purchase on a mobile device, according to eBay Motors.

Millennials aren’t alone. The survey found that two of three older motorists say technology is changing how they shop for a car.

That’s supported by the Automotive Social Media and Reputation Trend Study which finds 81 percent of buyers read reviews to narrow down the right car or truck, a figure that has grown substantially in the past six months. The study, by research firm Digital Air Strike, named Cars.com, Edmunds.com and Yahoo! among the most influential sources of reviews. It also noted social media outlets Facebook, Yelp and Google Plus.

Twenty-four percent of those surveyed indicated online reviews are the single “most helpful” factor in the final choice of a vehicle. According to the study by Digital Air Strike, “There is a 59 percent probability that a consumer will trust a review from a Facebook friend more than reviews on other sites.”

Meanwhile, the survey of 2,000 shoppers found that 43 percent said they would use Facebook to search for a local dealership.

While there has been a lot of debate about the effectiveness of Facebook advertising, the Automotive Social Media study found that clicks on dealership ads jumped to 39 percent from 16 percent between October 2012 and April 2013.

A History of the Automobile, Part I

Ever wonder who first planted the seed for the idea behind your speedy coupe or beastly SUV? The history of the automobile takes root in humble origins:

It all began with several Italians who recorded designs for wind-driven vehicles. First among them was Guido da Vigevano in 1335, who created a windmill type drive to gears and thus to wheels. Vaturio designed a similar vehicle which was also never built. Later, Leonardo da Vinci designed a clockwork-driven tricycle with tiller steering and a differential mechanism between the rear wheels.

In 1712, Thomas Newcomen built his first steam engine. It had a cylinder and a piston and was the first of this kind to use steam as a condensing agent to form a vacuum and with an overhead walking beam, pull on a rod to lift water. The steam was not under pressure, so Newcomen's lift would have only been limited by the length of the rod and the strength of the valve at the bottom. It was not until 1765 that James Watt developed the first pressurized steam engine, which proved to be much more efficient and compact than the Newcomen engine.

The first recorded vehicle to move under its own power was designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and constructed by M. Brezin in 1769. A second unit was built in 1770 which weighed 8000 pounds and had a top speed of 2 miles per hour on the cobblestone streets of Paris.

Above, you will see the first model on its first drive around Paris, when it hit and knocked down a stone wall. This unsteady prototype also had a tendency to tip over forward unless its weight was counterbalanced with a canon in the rear, for which purpose it was built to carry out.

Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin Formalize Technical Partnership

The development of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin has been a long time coming. The news dates back to 2008, and over the five years since was supposed to lead to a rejuvenation of both the Maybach and Lagonda brands. That program never quite took off, but the tie-in was forged afresh in July when the two automakers signed a letter of intent over a renewed partnership. And now that partnership has been formalized.

In a deal just announced, Mercedes-AMG will build a new V8 engine for Aston Martin that will power a new generation of luxury GTs for the British marque, presumably to replace the 4.7-liter V8 in the Vantage. The relationship appears to be similar to the one already in place between AMG and Pagani, only in this case, will involve Daimler taking as much as a five-percent stake in Aston Martin and an observer seat on Aston's board.

The technical partnership is also set to lead to the supply of electric and electronic systems, and could incorporate "additional areas of cooperation in the future." For the official press release, check out the full article on Autoblog.

Fascinating Holiday Traditions Around the World

Early December to New Years is holiday season when a variety of traditions and events take place all over the world. You're likely well aware of the holiday traditions in your own country and those passed down in your family, but there are some other really interesting ones that take place in other countries. From running around mostly naked to burning down a 43-foot tall goat, it's not the standard Santa and reindeer you're used to.

The Gävle Goat in Sweden 

The Gävle Goat is a 43-foot high goat that's been put up every year in Gävle, Sweden since 1966. As much of a tradition as it is to put up, it's also a tradition to try to burn it down. As of 2009, the poor goat has been burned 24 times - in 2005, two guys dressed as Santa Claus and a gingerbread man burned it down and in 1970, it didn't even last a full day before it was torched. 

Red underwear run in Spain 

In La Font de la Figuera, there's been a tradition for several decades to run through the streets wearing only red underwear on New Year's Eve. They should also be purchased for you by someone else. Be prepared to be quite cold -- the average temperature of a Spanish December is 54.5 degrees.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Dinner in Japan 

Eating KFC is certainly not odd, but in Japan, Christmas means eating food from the restaurant. It's actually recommended to place their orders for Christmas dinner two months ahead of time. They sell "Christmas Barrels," which include salad, fried chicken and chocolate cake -- in some locations, they sell out of the barrels. They eat the meals from December 23 to 25, in which the restaurants earn about 50% of the total sales in an average month.

Beach Party in Australia 

While Americans are usually bundled in jackets in December, Australians are busy frolicking in the warm weather. In December, the average temperature in Sydney is a balmy 77.2 degrees while in NYC it's a bracing 41 degrees. Bondi Beach can have upwards of 40,000 people spending time there on Christmas Day.

Eating Kiviak in Greenland 

Those in Greenland have a rather interesting cuisine on Christmas Day. They eat Kiviak, which is when raw flesh of Auks is put into sealskin for months until decomposition sets in. It's considered a delicacy in Greenland.

Terrifying commutes from around the world

Tired of rush-hour traffic? Exhausted from hour-long drives to work? These people's commutes will make yours look like a walk in the park!

1. Anyone who has to drive along the North Yungas Road in Bolivia. Where's that horse and buggy when you need it?

2. Anyone hoping to get on this train in Beijing. Claustrophobia is a valid excuse for being late to work... we hope.

 
3. Anyone who constantly has to risk their life by driving under the Devil’s Nose. Must be quite a sight when it rains.

4. Anyone who has no choice but using a zip line to get to town in Colombia. For a handful of families living there, zip lines are the only way to cross a river and not a source of recreational amusement.

5. Anyone who has to cross the Hussaini Bridge in Kashmir. The bridge divides a village in two - on one side are houses, on the other are farms. What was that old saying about a house divided?