Hot on the heels of Zipcar's announced expansion, Seattle-based Flexcar yesterday revealed investments from and board memberships for two close-to-household names: Steve Case (formerly of AOL) and Lee "Not Snoop Dog" Iacocca (formerly of Chrysler, pre-Daimler era). The money (undisclosed but apparently significant) will allow Flexcar to double its fleet, open up in five new cities in the next 16 months, and double its membership levels.

While we're not normally all that interested in celebrity corporate executives, an investment like this is a big, flashing neon sign that car-sharing is set to get big. No doubt the threat of $4/gallon gas and $100/barrel oil will make even die-hard solo drivers think again about their car habits, and car-sharing is well-positioned to assist a transition towards greater use of public transit.

(Thanks, Joseph Willemssen)