We all remember our first car, and some of us have managed to hang on to that car for years. While we all have some kind of impression left on us by our inagural vehicles, Clarence Curtiss' story is far better than any yarn we could spin. The 1929 Ford Model A shown above was purchased by a 15-year-old Curtiss for $10 in 1938, and he's had it ever since. The most charming part is that Curtiss and his future wife Dorothy carved their initials into the steering wheel shortly after he'd bought the car, and they went on to be married for 56 years. To this day, you can see the characters scratched into the bakelite.

Though the A is unrestored and has racked up 200,000 miles, it's not entirely original. Way back in his teenage days, a Hudson Terraplane's powerplant found it way under the front bodywork. It seems that the A just didn't have enough speed to satisfy a young Mr. Curtiss. The Terraplane engine fixed matters, enabling the speedometer needle to twist itself deep to the right. Curtiss, who eventually owned Curtiss-Ryan Honda, still takes the Model A to car shows, and it's just one of the roughly 25 cars he owns.

Thanks for the tip, Matt

[Source: NY Times]

We doubt you'll be mourning the loss of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which, as we reported earlier this month, might be canceled rather than replaced in 2011. The compact hatchback never won resounding praise, and for good reason, was never sold in the US. The larger B-Class, however, is likely to be replaced in the same year, and could spawn a number of derivatives.

The current B-Class, which is sold to our hockey-loving neighbors to the north, is only offered as a five-door hatchback. The next B could be joined by a sportier hatch and even a roadster, with the potential for US importation. The latter was previewed in part by the Vision SLA concept shown at Detroit way back in 2000. Earlier reports also suggested the possibility of the next B-Class borrowing from the C-Class platform, which would mean rear-wheel-drive, in proper Benz style, instead of the front-drive of the current A and B.

[Source: AutoBild via Motor Authority]

Still looking for a way to impress that special someone with that million dollars burning a hole in your pocket? How about this, the "Prelude to a Kiss" Valentine's Day package at the Taj Hotel in Boston?

The whole shebang includes an overnight stay in the presidential suite, a romantic six-course dinner for two, plus a few extra perks including a diamond necklace with matching earrings for her, a set of gold cufflinks for him, and a Bentley Continental GT in black with red leather interior thrown in just for good measure. It also includes breakfast in the morning, rose petals on the bed, and ballroom dancing lessons.

The package will cost you $1,069,000, of which $193,000 pays for the Bentley and some $866,000 goes towards the bling. "Prelude to a Kiss" is right... if that doesn't do the trick, we don't know what will.

Want more information? Click here for a PDF on the full package.

Thanks for the tip, Stu!

[Source: German Car Scene]