Autos

Flying cars aren't just science fiction anymore.

Woburn, Mass.-based Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its prototype flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle--dubbed the Transition--has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. Last month, it flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes. Commercial jets fly at 35,000 feet.

DETROIT -- General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed into financial ruin.

Americans are buying cars at the fastest pace in years and automakers are bringing out new vehicles that get rave reviews for safety and fuel economy.

Some analysts say the post-recession period may represent a new age for the industry, and that's made us a touch nostalgic for the days when the Detroit Three made more cars than they could sell and overseas companies thought American consumers were suckers for anything with a European name and styling.

In that vein, the Los Angeles Times asked the editors at auto information company Edmunds.com to put together a list of the 10 worst cars ever sold in America. The Times also asked David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' automotive test center, to weigh in. And then we gave our online readers a chance to vote on a vehicle to add to the worst 10 list. That vehicle replaces a 1917 Chevrolet that only the folks at Edmunds seem to remember.