A son gives his dying father an Imperial gift: Motoramic Dash

Welcome to the Motoramic Dash, a quick read of the top stories around the automotive world this morning.

Murray Pfaff was a major player in the custom car building community around Detroit well before he created his masterpiece a few years ago: the Imperial Speedster. Based on a 1959 Chrysler Imperial sedan, Pfaff shortened and narrowed the Imperial into a two-door roadster, a process that took 10,000 man-hours. In the video above, the Detroit Free Press rides along as Pfaff takes a road trip in the Imperial to surprise the man who inspired it -- his ailing father.

The whole story's worth a read, from how Eugene Pfaff helped located the Imperial to the work that Murray Pfaff launched to create a piece of alternative history that answers what Chrysler's response to the original Corvette might have been. That Pfaff not only managed to chop a car like a sushi roll but reassemble it into a realistic roadster has amazed auto show visitors for a couple of years, but no one enjoys seeing for the first time quite like Eugene Pfaff.

Other stories from around the automotive world this morning:

UAW freezes out rival in rebound: A great piece from the Wall Street Journal's Sharon Terlep on how one GM plant missed the industry comeback because it had the wrong union. (WSJ)

Beijing Auto Show warned over scantily clad models: Working on the Chinese interpretation of "do you come with the car?" (Bloomberg TV)

GM, Isuzu in talks on tie-up: Thankfully only for commercial trucks, because these two just don't do well together otherwise. (Reuters)

Automakers in arms race for bigger touch screens: By this measure, Tesla will rule the world with its 17-inch display. (USA Today)

Volt's real-world range leaves me impressed: Reviewer likes Volt. Commenters bash Volt for shortfalls, like not having a diesel. Who says Brits are any different than Americans? (Autocar)

Former Chrysler exec Dan Knott dies: A big loss for the Chrysler community. (Detroit News)