Auctions

1988 Lamborghini Jalpa is for sale

The Lamborghini Jalpa has always existed just outside the spotlight, and that’s precisely what makes it interesting. Introduced during the final years of the V12-powered Countach, the Jalpa never tried to out-shout its headline-grabbing sibling. Instead, it served as Lamborghini’s smaller, lighter, and more approachable alternative—an entry point into Sant’Agata ownership that didn’t require full commitment to Countach theatrics.

That role didn’t earn the Jalpa instant icon status, but it did give the model lasting relevance. Today, clean examples are genuinely hard to find, which is why this 1988 Jalpa currently offered for sale stands out. It’s not just well preserved—it’s exceptionally so, showing just 5,900 kilometers and presenting in a condition that suggests it’s spent far more time being admired than driven.

Visually, subtlety was never part of the plan. Finished in Giallo Fly, this Jalpa wears one of Lamborghini’s most vivid yellows, applied not only to the bodywork but also to the wheels. It’s the kind of color that makes excuses for nothing and apologies for even less. Only seven U.S.-spec Jalpas were painted this way, making this one of approximately 100 federalized examples and among the rarest color combinations offered.

The car’s low mileage is backed up by the details collectors care about. It comes with its original tool kit and spare wheel, a clean Carfax report, and a clean New York title—boxes that are increasingly difficult to check on eighties Italian exotics.

Power comes from Lamborghini’s 3.5-liter V8, originally fed by four two-barrel Weber carburetors but now upgraded with fuel injection for improved drivability. Output remains at 258 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. While it lacks the Countach’s V12 drama, the Jalpa compensates with a lighter feel and a more cooperative personality—qualities that made it the most usable Lamborghini of its era.

Inside, the theme continues. Black leather seats are accented with yellow piping that extends across the door panels, center tunnel, and even the floor mats. A yellow Momo shift knob completes the look, delivering peak eighties excess without tipping into parody. It’s bold, cohesive, and unmistakably period-correct.

With modern Lamborghinis pushing ever further into six-figure territory—the new Temerario starts at nearly $390,000 in the U.S.—cars like this Jalpa represent a very different proposition. It’s a fully analog Lamborghini, built before drive modes and touchscreens, and one that offers genuine rarity without the astronomical price tag of the brand’s more famous models.

For buyers looking to own a piece of Lamborghini history rather than just the latest performance numbers, this Jalpa for sale isn’t merely an alternative—it’s an argument.

Source: Bring a Trailer

News

Mercedes-Benz Keeps the A-Class Alive—At Least Until 2028

Just when we were preparing to write the A-Class obituary, Mercedes-Benz tore it up and tossed it in the recycling bin. Thanks to stubbornly strong European demand, the brand’s smallest—and most affordable—car isn’t going anywhere. At least not yet.

Despite earlier plans to end production by the close of last year, the fourth-generation A-Class (W177) has earned itself a stay of execution through 2028. That means Mercedes will continue to field an entry in the premium compact segment, a category many luxury brands have quietly stepped away from while chasing higher margins upmarket.

Originally built in Germany at Mercedes’ Rastatt plant alongside the CLA, GLA, EQA, and B-Class, A-Class production is now shifting east. Starting in the second quarter, the compact hatch will roll off the line in Kecskemét, Hungary—a factory that’s become a quiet workhorse in Mercedes’ global manufacturing network. Opened in 2012 and employing roughly 4,500 workers, the Kecskemét facility already assembles the CLA Coupé, CLA Shooting Brake, and the electric EQB, among others.

The reasoning behind the reversal is refreshingly straightforward: people are still buying the thing. Launched in 2018 and refreshed in 2022, the current A-Class continues to resonate with European buyers who want a premium badge without committing to a midsize sedan—or a second mortgage. In Germany, prices start at around €38,000, which still counts as “entry-level” in Mercedes terms, even if that phrase feels increasingly theoretical.

As for what comes next, Stuttgart is keeping its cards close. There’s no official word on a direct successor, even though the current A-Class lineup includes both hatchback and three-box sedan variants. Still, Mercedes sales boss Mathias Geisen recently assured German media that customers shopping for more affordable Mercedes models won’t be left stranded.

Translation: the A-Class may be living on borrowed time, but Mercedes isn’t quite ready to abandon the gateway drug that brings new buyers into the three-pointed-star ecosystem. In an era where luxury brands seem eager to forget how they built their audiences in the first place, keeping the A-Class alive feels almost… rebellious.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

NEW CARS

Ceer’s Radical Crossover Breaks All the Rules

Crossover design has become an exercise in creative risk management. Most automakers either sharpen the edges and call it “rugged” or soften everything into a jellybean and hope no one notices. The result is a global fleet of tall hatchbacks that blur together in traffic, differentiated mostly by badge placement and headlight signatures.

Ceer didn’t get that memo.

Spotted testing ahead of its eventual production debut, Ceer’s upcoming crossover looks like it escaped from a design studio that locked the accountants out. This thing doesn’t just stand apart from the segment—it barely acknowledges the segment exists at all.

The first thing you notice is the windshield. Actually, “windshield” might not be the right word. This is more like a panoramic slab of glass stretching improbably far up and over the front of the vehicle, creating a dramatic wedge-shaped profile that looks closer to a concept car than a showroom-bound crossover. Ceer has already confirmed it will be the world’s largest windshield, supplied by Isoclima, a company with experience in high-end automotive glass.

Dimensions haven’t been disclosed, but the technology baked into that glass tells you this isn’t just a styling flex. The windshield uses an infrared-reflective triple-silver coating designed to reduce solar heat absorption—an essential feature for a vehicle developed in Saudi Arabia, where the sun doesn’t mess around. An acoustic interlayer helps keep road and wind noise out, while a wide color band across the top acts as a built-in sunshade. It’s dramatic, sure, but also purpose-built.

Move past the glass and the design only gets stranger—in a good way. The crossover rides on triangular wheels, a detail that suggests either a bold aerodynamic experiment or a designer who finally got tired of circles. The doors appear to be butterfly- or gullwing-style units with integrated glass panels, reinforcing the futuristic vibe and making traditional crossover doors feel instantly outdated.

Thick side skirts and black cladding ground the design visually, while the lighting elements are slim and sharply defined. Digital side mirrors—still controversial but increasingly common—add to the high-tech look. At the rear, the crossover wears an angular tail with a sculpted liftgate and a shelf-like license plate recess that looks intentionally architectural rather than decorative.

In short, this is not a vehicle designed to disappear into a mall parking lot.

Details beyond the styling remain scarce, but the backstory is anything but. Ceer was launched in 2022 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, backed by the country’s Public Investment Fund. The mission is ambitious: design, manufacture, and sell a range of vehicles—sedans and SUVs included—primarily for Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region.

Rather than going it alone, Ceer formed a joint venture with Foxconn, best known for building iPhones, not cars. Foxconn was tasked with developing the vehicles’ electrical architecture, while BMW licensed component technology to the project. At the time, Ceer suggested its first vehicles would arrive in 2025. That timeline has slipped, but the broader plan remains intact.

Construction is underway at Ceer’s manufacturing facility in King Abdullah Economic City, and the company has continued to assemble a serious supplier list. Last year, Ceer announced a powertrain deal with Hyundai, which will supply integrated electric drive systems combining a motor, inverter, and reduction gear. More recently, the company revealed a separate agreement with Rimac Technologies for high-performance drive systems, hinting that speed—and not just sustainability—is part of the vision.

Exactly how those partnerships will translate into real-world performance remains to be seen, but the intent is clear. Ceer doesn’t want to be another regional EV startup quietly cloning established players. This crossover alone suggests the company is aiming for visual shock value first, differentiation second, and market acceptance third.

That approach is risky. Radical design can age poorly, and concept-car theatrics don’t always survive the realities of production regulations and cost targets. But it’s also refreshing. In a segment drowning in cautious conformity, Ceer’s crossover looks like a reminder that electric vehicles don’t have to be appliances—and that new players sometimes have the freedom to take risks legacy automakers won’t.

Whether Ceer can turn that ambition into a polished, competitive production vehicle is still an open question. But if nothing else, this crossover proves one thing: Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown automaker didn’t come to play it safe.

Source: Ceer; Photos: Baldauf

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