American Car

NO SERIOUSLY!!! Obama is NOT a car guy...

2008-08-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

This week's NO SERIOUSLY is proof positive, we all need to be more informed about the auto industry. Here's Obama...who obviously is not.

Did you know that since the early 1990s, most cars do not need "regular tune ups". The old "tune up" has been dead for almost two decades. Cars today, go for at LEAST 100,000 miles before needing the so-called "tune up". Why? Better engine technology with revisions in fuel injection and computer software development have all but negated most drivers from doing anything but changing the oil.

But here's the democratic presidential hopeful talking about saving our world through "tune ups" and "tire pressures". Wow! Are the Dems really that uneducated? Or do they just think most Americans are? Better know who you are voting for this November. Hmmmmmm.

And, just so you know, most Dems are constantly writing legislation to ban our auto hobbies or at least, strictly regulate what we can and can not do with old cars, hot rods, race cars, antique vehicles, etc. It's scary! So check out my friends at SEMA and their action network and get involved.

Sitting around thinking our great country is just fine and "someone else" will take care of it is irresponsible and unpatriotic! Get informed and get involved before you wake up to a very different country someday.

And, just think about it...no one really knows who Obama is...yet he's gone from obscurity to possibly President in only two years....scary stuff! Watch this a couple of times and then imagine this man...President!

Chevy 2500 Diesel...I love this truck!

2008-08-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, GM can get this right...the Chevy 2500 diesel truck is really nice. I drove yesterday (the "office" work truck) and it's super! The ride is smooth for a heavy duty truck set up, and the interior and fit and finish are several notches up from previous GM offerings. The engine is quiet and the transmission shifts smoothly. You get the feeling that this truck can pull a house and still beg for more...try that in your Tundra!

Driving around in normal traffic, it feels really big, so you have to pay attention to your lane location and in navigating parking lots...but that's not a big deal. The steering is precise and communicates mandatory information to the driver. It's not BMW precise, but again, it's a truck. And, again, it's an improvement over previous steering feel. The HVAC controls offer varying fan speeds and quickly made short work of our recent Texas heat wave. Gotta love that!

Seating is comfortable for three men across and we all had plenty of leg/elbow room. The radio/CD combo had decent speakers, but then again, it's a work truck, so this was not the truck you are probably going to look at. Ours had a stake bed and dually wheels out back. It's for hauling. And hauling it can do. Smash the go pedal and the turbo diesel screams pushing you into the seat...no joke...with prodigious amounts of "I need that" torque.

All in all, the new Chevy 2500 heavy duty diesel is tops on my list for full-size trucking. It's built on a solid chassis, feels put together right, and it's very quiet and comfortable. By the way, it's a work truck! The award winning Chevy 2500 wins! GM 1, Toyota, 0.

Tundra...the truck that's changing everything...for Toyota's reputation maybe...

2008-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Tundra. Wow. Big truck, big engine, big towing, big commercials...and big problems.

I've seen a lot of people out here in Texas flocking to the new Tundra (which is not very attractive looking in my opinion) and claiming Toyota reliability as one reasonwhy they are leaving the Big Three. Problem is, they are being duped. The Toyota brand is NOT as reliable as everyone claims, and it seems their new star product...the Tundra, is having serious problems.

Notice the recent commercials from Toyota? They are focusing on the Camry (and it's reliability record). Also, check out the big rebates on the Tundra. Yeah, they've been there since February/March, so it's not just gas prices.

Hmmm...Ford, Chevy and Dodge are still "trucking" away in the American Car renaissance with good reliability ratings. That's a good thing. Toyota, on the other hand....is NOT! That's a good thing too!

In the meantime, here's a great Ford commercial!

Today, we wrap up our history lesson...Part 3

2008-08-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

...but we're not done, more Motor sports history and car reviews are coming this week!

Note the segment where the narrator talks about engineers showing up to an event to learn about cars and racing. Wow, I wonder if GM shows up anywhere these days? No joke, the Big Three, back in the day, used to garner quite a bit of engineering ideas by participating in racing and motor sports. They also connected with the buying public that way. The last several decades GM has been building cars by committee and bean counter hacks. Oh, they just flushed about $15 BILLION last month in sales...anybody at GM listening?

No Monday blues here...Part 2

2008-08-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the second installment!

Nice vintage Hot Rodding movie...Part 1

2008-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Pop some corn, crack open a cold Dr. Pepper and enjoy!

Drag Racing and Hot Rodding...truly American!

2008-07-31T20:15:00.001-07:00

We are going to spend the next several days rediscovering hot rodding and the early days of drag racing. It was an era of post-war American ingenuity at its best. A lot of modern technology, safety, and design stemmed from this "golden" era in our automotive history!

What Ford needs is another Shoebox, Part 2

2008-07-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here's part 2 from yesterday's post. Another great "vintage" historical video about Ford's company-saving 1949 "shoebox". Enjoy!

What Ford needs is another Shoebox, Part 1

2008-07-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Shoebox? What? Read on. After WWII, Ford started back into automotive manufacturing.

Historical factoid: Did you know that Ford built about 8,685 B-24 "Liberator" bombers, 57,000 aircraft engines, and over 250,000 jeeps, tanks, tank destroyers and other various war machinery...in three years! (Fords of the Fifties, Michael Parris, distributed by Motorbooks International)

You could probably win a lunch or two throwing down some of those numbers to your co-workers tomorrow in a friendly trivia game. But, back to our story.

Ford's grandson, Henry Ford II, was in his late 20s when he returned from the war and took over as head of Ford Motor Company. Henry II assembled a team of "young" (26-34 year old) team. This team known as the "Quiz Kids" were finance, business, law, or teaching professionals. After firing a lot of people, Henry II set out to save the company from financial disaster. He knew that Ford needed something cutting edge - something affordable and stylish. What his team came up with was the 1949 Ford. It was offered in several different body styles (to include a wagon) and sold like hot cakes. Ford was back on the road. 1.32 million of these '49 cars rolled out of dealership showrooms all across America. Ford was back!

So here we are and it's 2008. I think it's time Ford hired some young fresh minds, fired some others and find another '49-type car. I'm not talking about retro styling - which would be really cool. But I think what Ford needs now, is what Henry II brought then...Leadership and Vision!

So, enjoy tonight's video featuring Design and Testing.

NO SERIOUSLY! Chevy Volt prices continue to soar, shock!

2008-07-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

So GM announces the Chevy Volt prices will target the $40K range. $40K!!! Wait a minute. I thought ALL of us are putting out a carbon footprint. How many average working families are going to be able to plunk down 40 large for their next car? The car is not even ready for production yet and each year, GM tells us it's getting delayed and more expensive. What a great combo from the company that wants us to see green....leave our wallets??

Now I get it, GM wants to go "Green" on all of us who are sold on the "enviro-nutcases" who believe that each time we start our cars, a tree in some forest falls over and dies. Sure.......

Yeah, the same scientists who claim that fish - suddenly and without warning - decided to leave their 150 billion year old "water" habitat and grow legs. Mind you, it had no idea what legs were, but it just needed them. Mind you, it was apparently doing really well in the water. "Ah, what the heck, I think I'll give land a try," says the fish. Sadly, the fish flopped up on land and died for lack of water. I digress, or do I?

GM is trying to sell us on green technology with their Volt. Problem is, only a handful of people can afford one and it's not proven technology. Makes about as much sense as the last electric car that "flopped" on our shores and died....oh, wait a minute....
that was GM's too!!!!

Yep, that was a commercial for the EV1. You couldn't even buy one! Read more here. It was a total sham. A few super wealthy people like Tom Hanks have one. (I guess when the charge runs out, he just hops in his jet or calls his limo driver.)

Sorry GM and Mr. Lutz, but the Volt is just your latest politically "green" correct PR stunt. And it's not a very good one.

Mustangs and Chargers and Challengers, oh my!

2008-07-26T13:32:00.001-07:00

So I drove the 2008 Mustang GT (Arrow Ford) today and a 2008 Charger R/T (Star Dodge)...life's rough huh? The Mustang was quick, handled nice and was put together well...only problem being the quality of materials...not so much. Cheap feeling plastic (and lots of it) dampened my otherwise positive impression. Price tag? It was pushing 29 large, and didn't have all the options...which is okay, I prefer a more basic car.

Then it was off to the local Dodge dealership. The SRT-8 Challenger was there in all its hemi-orange glory, but you couldn't even sit in it. Bummer. I really love the styling and dimensions. (Future road test to follow). So I settled for the Charger R/T. It had a quality feeling interior but the driving dynamics were pretty....yawn...uninspiring. Yeah, the Hemi is nice and when you step into it, it pulls really hard...but that's it. Steering was numb and felt more tuned for boulevard cruising than hitting the windy roads...so, it's not for me.

But as I climbed in my 1991 Miata...something hit me. Other than the power, both of those cars didn't really move me. Sure the V-8 roar put a smile on my face and the rush of acceleration was intoxicating to say the least...but that's where it ended. While the driving dynamics are decent, the overall experience leaves you wanting more. Better materials and fit and finish. More driver involvement. Something that feels like it will last a long time.

The Challenger sure looked the part - body panel fitment was tight. Quality looking parts abound. It also looks very aerodynamic, which can't hurt in the mileage department. So, we'll see what Dodge does this fall and I will get behind the wheel of one...eventually.

But, I guess for now, I'll keep driving my 17 year old Miata. It never fails to put a smile on my face and make me happy. (Now, if I could only get a Hemi in there....hmmmmm)

Got Exhaust?

2008-07-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

Cherry Bomb! No, it's not the latest weapon in the war on terror. But it is an American icon in the world of performance exhaust. And this year, they are celebrating their 40th Anniversary!!So, grab you a nice cold Dr. Pepper, pop some corn (with butter, dude!), and enjoy a little American automotive history on a Friday night!

I ran a set of Cherry Bomb glass pack mufflers on my 1969 Ford truck back in the day...and boy were these puppies awesome! Go Cherry Bomb! Go America!

Surfin' USA...

2008-07-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

More bad news from Ford today. It sure seems like Ford is playing catch-up. Even if oil prices had not spiked this past year, more consumers were turning to smaller cars. BUT Ford failed to follow market trending and take preemptive action.

That's interesting, because over the last several years, Scion, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Toyota ALL introduced affordable, economical cars. So where was Ford? Let's see. They left the small car market empty...save the Focus. Why?!?

If Ford's leadership actually ENGAGED in leadership, they would have seen the trend in the market of consumers gravitating towards practical and economical small cars and acted.

Tip for Ford: You get farther on your surf board when you are in FRONT of the wave!

An American who got it right...the Legend!

2008-07-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

These are really sweet cars. Got to sit in a new one down in San Antonio back in November. It doesn't feel too different from the regular GT...until you start to look at the details. And it's all in the details. After a few minutes, you start to realize that you are sitting in something very special. Then you pop the hood and see why! Here's a great video with Carroll Shelby. See? We can build exciting cars.

That was then....

NO SERIOUSLY!

2008-07-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

I've decided, I'm going to post a "No Seriously" article each week. An article from the automotive industry and car culture that really makes one respond to every one's jaw hitting the floor with, "No Seriously!" So, this month, we head to New Mexico.

There's Communism and Socialism and then there's Richardsonism....who? Bill Richardson (Democract), the governor of New Mexico. So here's your ELECTED leader talking about crippling our economy and damaging the auto industry with GOVERNMENT mandated 50 MPGs vehicles. Are you crazy?!?

And it sounds like he's bragging about this crazy proposal. It's almost like he's raising the bet at a card table. Someone says, "Oh yeah, how about 35 MPGs?" And Richardson shoots back with, "I'll see your 35 and I'll make it 50!" 50?!? Are you kidding me? Let's just avoid the oil and gas dilemma that HIS party created from the Clinton-era and make everyone suffer. Wait, "everyone" must suffer, sounds like Richardsonism again. Everyone must pay...yep, another Richardsonism.

Hey, I don't make this stuff up folks. Better get involved in the election process and vote! Because when you don't, lunacy abounds!

5.1 miles per gallon? Are you crazy?

2008-07-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

Ouch, but that's a super car from across the "pond". So what do we have? Well, it's Red, White, and Blue and it's called the Corvette.

See? GM needs to fix a few things, but we're talking about a $70K car built right here that, as you just witnessed, blows the doors off some serious cash-robbing super cars from Europe!!

Oh, by the way, the ZO6 knocks down...get this...24 MPGs!!!!! The Audi R8 manual gets a paltry 20 MPGs by comparison. And the ZO6 would absolutely KILL it on a track!

Why I left NASCAR

2008-07-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love racing. I grew up watching all kinds of racing, specifically NASCAR. Not every race, mind you. I didn't have a mullet dyed in my favorite driver's colors or anything...I just loved watching the cars fly around the track - especially Talladega and Daytona. Allison, Petty, Waltrip, Earnhardt...those days. I stuck around until the whole NASCAR bubble started over-inflating.
Suddenly every other hour on SPEED was NASCAR this or NASCAR that. The NASCAR craze was on...but a different fan came on board. The classic races turned in to the "AT&T 400" or the "iPOD 250" or the "Tofu 500" or the "Made in China 499".

Yeah, overnight, the great days sponsored by Winston - aaaaah, don't say that word, people will automatically start smoking until their lungs fall out - died. But you know what. Watching the WINSTON CUP as a kid, I never tried a cigarette once. Not once. Never lit up watching Winston Drag Racing either. Come to think of it, I haven't bought a NEXTEL or SPRINT product either...so the marketing is not working. But I digress.

Today, the commercialism of NASCAR is pathetic. "dot-coms" cover the cars, and instead of seeing an American cowboy light up while working cattle on the range...I'm bombarded with ads about some middle-aged dude's ED problem....oh fun!

Remember when the cars were "stock" cars. I know, a bunch of folks are going to go off and say the generation of cars I watched were not exactly stock...but they were realllllly close. Where's the V8 Camry with rear-wheel drive?

I'm also tired of the nightly NASCAR shows too. I mean, SPEED is infested with them. I know it's a money thing, as most all sports have sold out too, but at least let them race. The car of tomorrow is supposed to save lives and make racing safer.....hello!?! It's racing. If I wanted to see safe racing, I would head over to the nearest go-kart track. What's next, the car of tomorrow with mandated side curtain airbags? So, here's a few great clips from REAL NASCAR racing.

Case in point for the decline of NASCAR in this modern era...Jeff Gordon.

Enough said.

Insulting commercials...it's in the genes...

2008-07-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Even back in the day, Dodge and Chrysler were showering Americans with absolutely insulting commercials. They were playing on consumers' desire for affordable luxury...which they didn't provide any way. So here's an old classic "Cordoba" ad and a couple modern "Hemi" ads with some commentary...

Corinthian leather? There was no such thing.

Here we are led to believe that a puny little parachute would prevent a vintage rail dragster from accelerating...man, why don't you just advertise, "Yur stoopid, bye a Doj!"

Here we see the first "Hemi" commercial. But astute Mopar fans will notice that the car the new Hemi is supposed to beat up on is - tada - another Dodge -as in a Demon (or Plymouth Duster). Wait a minute. Why not a Camaro or Mustang or Toyota? Why bash your own brand by putting your own classic muscle car in there driven by two seemingly dim-witted individuals?

I'm almost certain the ad-hack that dreamed that one up drives an import car, has never turned a wrench in his/her life, and couldn't tell you the difference between a 1969 Hemi and a 2009 Hemi. Another interesting fact. I don't care if the Dodge Ram has 2 Hemis - it's not smoking a classic muscle car while pulling a 2-ton Charger on a trailer. The Slant-6 engines they put in those old cars were pretty stout pieces. Once again, we are led to believe it's sooooo powerful.

Bullitt....'nough said!

2008-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "classic car movie" like the 1968 hit, "Bullitt". Steve McQueen propelled the Mustang fastback to superstar status and Dodge even got in to the fun with the black Charger.

Ford is still building the iconic Pony car. Dodge...well, it's a 4-door Charger (what?). Perhaps the Charger will lose two doors...oh wait, that's the Challenger. Never mind. Dodge blew it with the Charger (and now dead, Magnum wagon-thingie), hopefully they will learn from this and not ruin a great nameplate. In the meantime, Ford has the Bullitt Mustang for 2008 - and it's in limited production...very limited. But that doesn't mean you can't go get a nice green Mustang and make your own Bullitt. That's ingenuity...and that's American!

If you have to ask, you are either a) not American or b) been under a rock for the last 40 years!

We CAN build exciting and performance oriented cars. Having owned several classic and modern Mustangs...I can say, without hesitation, that they are fast in a straight line, affordable, reliable, and American! Long live the Muscle Car!

(C'mon GM, get the Camaro rolling....)

20 year High School Reunion and Cadillac...

2008-07-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Wow!

That's all I can say about the new Hyundai Genesis. Hyundai?! Yes, the car company everyone laughed at in the late 80s and early 90s? Let's go back to 1988...

Let's jump from 1988 to today. And you know what? No one is laughing now. So why isn't Cadillac building something to compete with this new rear-wheel drive, luxury/performance car wrapped in a sleek, modern aerodynamic package? Not sure.

It's like the kid that got laughed at in High School just showed up for the 20 year reunion and everyone is taking notice. All I want to know is...where's ours?

Brokeback Auto?

2008-07-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

So GM announces some pretty bad news today...lots of jobs to be cut, but at least we have Gay Days! Wait a minute, GM is hurting financially and failing to live up to its promises to retired workers? But they have money for events like this...learn more.

How about just building better cars and trucks? Yet again, GM leads the way in wasting millions of dollars pandering to "special" groups and putting more efforts into being global-minded instead of being business minded. (Mind you, GM has not openly supported heterosexual families. They haven't spent millions on supporting homeschoolers, orphans, battered women, widows, or the elderly. Hmmmm. That sounds real "diverse" and "tolerant" doesn't it?

Well, let's see, since GM started its gay and lesbian initiatives, back in 1999, they've canned thousands of jobs, buried Oldsmobile, turned their backs on thousands of retired GM employees, watched stocks plummet, regurgitated the GTO, shut down production plants, and the list goes on.

But hey! At least they have Gay Days! Hey Rick! Here's your take on the 2007 outlook for GM...boy were you off. But at least you have Gay Days!

Beer and Peaches? What?

2008-07-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Not that I'm a Budweiser or Busch Beer consumer, but I'll admit it is sad to see yet another American institution going the way of the Edsel this week. Are any of the Big Three headed there next?

Well, in my usual, "support America through buying American" philosophy, the family and I ventured to a local Texas farm - Childress Agricultural Enterprises, LLC, to be precise. We picked a half-bushel of peaches......and I mean these little puppies rock! They are juicy, sweet and offer an intoxicating aroma. Can't wait for my wife to make some cobbler. Plus, it was good to show/teach our kids about where produce comes from.

If you are in Texas, you've got about two weeks left to get out and hand pick your own Texas peaches in a beautiful valley in Cottonwood, TX.

So get out, support the Childress family farms and enjoy some great tasting peaches! (They've got Pecans coming up....I'll get back with you on that!)

In the meantime, here's one for Anheuser-Busch....

Made in the USA!

2008-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Made in the USA. Man, what does that mean anymore? I hear folks say that the new Toyotas are made in the USA, by Americans...and so that makes Toyota American....whoa! That makes Toyota really good at getting our dollars and masking their goal to dominate the automotive landscape. Well, they are not American! They are a Japanese company. Profits go to Japan...hello?!? They block us from building cars in their country and hike import tariffs through the roof on our vehicles...but we just let Toyota walk all over us "so we can be global." Funny how other countries want a piece of our country...and they call it global, because we are too ignorant to figure it out. We need to buy American. The Big Three needs to get back to its roots...globalization has been going on for decades...and look where we are today. Hmmm. Perhaps, that's not the best idea. Meanwhile, Toyota, Honda and Nissan are not returning the favor, just taking advantage of our weak foreign economic policies and fattening their banks - and buying up America while they are at it. America is slowly fading into a hazy-used up fragment of what our country used to be...Free! Independent! American! So this post focuses on American Cars. (Even if the parts come from another country, and may even be assembled abroad.) At the end of the day, a Dodge, Ford, Jeep or GM built car brings profits and corporate identity to America. Perhaps the Big Three should outsource the UAW and bring back our jobs, our culture, our heritage...our great automotive history...before it IS history!

Italy has Ferrari. Germany has Porsche. Over here, we've got the muscle car. And they're back. (Hurry up GM with the Camaro!)

Well, it's Challenger vs Mustang. Great cars bringing back some great Americana to our lives again. Yep, you can smile and nope, it's not 1970.

So break out the ball and glove. Fire up the grill. Crank up the tunes. And let's go motoring! Maybe you should stop by a Dairy Queen or Tastee Freeze. Maybe you should invest in America!

Good things come in small packages....

2008-07-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Chevy Aveo.

I'm going to test drive one of these cars and report back soon! It's a pretty good looking car and according to a family member who recently bought one, well she loves it! She says it's peppy, practical, great on gas, well-built and the list goes on.....

Could this be a car that's paving the way for GM's compact revival?

GTO no.........

2008-07-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Pontiac, no Holden, no GTO, I mean Monaro, uh, er, whatever. Reintroduced in 2003, it never stuck. In fact it's already been killed off. Yep, the once great American Pontiac GTO - the car that started the muscle car era in 1964 is gone!

I think three key reasons killed it off...and these three reasons resulted in less than stellar sales. This is proof-positive that GM is waaaaaay out of touch with its heritage and American roots...have they outsourced those too?!?!

1) Lack of styling - connection with the original cars (see videos)

2) Lack of originality - it was a rebadged Australian built Monaro. Monar-what? Exactly!

3) Poor marketing - you can't take an unknown car from "down under" and simply rebadge it. We are talking about one of THE defining cars in automotive history. Where was the marketing? Hello?!?

Here are some great commercials

1966...

2005...

Should I stay or should I go? I guess it's "go".

Please GM! Build an affordable, well-built, muscle car and market it! Race it! Have some band write a song about it......oh wait, you already did that back in 1964. Well, DO IT AGAIN!!!

GM...got your head in the clouds with the Sky?

2008-07-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

I promised a Saturn Sky review. After reading my take on the Sky, check out the MX-5 (Miata) and Sky reviews from Edmunds. I've also tossed in a nice video discussing the cars BEFORE they were released.

First, understand the Saturn Sky is the twin to the Pontiac Solstice. I drove the turbo charged model of the Sky or the Sky Red Line. The car was bright yellow, definitely an eye-catcher. Walking up, you couldn't help but notice the panel fitment and soft top. Large gaps, mismatched alignment and a crinkled (go look at one) soft top took me by surprise. The side door sills are positioned too high, so you can't rest your elbow while cruising. That, and the low seating position, made the cockpit feel a little cramped. The modern, curvy dash is attractive, but the over-abundance of cheap feeling plastic is not. In fact, my 9 year old son commented that the interior felt flimsy. Lowering the top is an arduous task...not cool! You can't drop it at a stop light. The sales experience, as always at Saturn, was pleasant enough and soon we were mashing the go pedal on the first on ramp and quickly accelerating to speed. And speedy this car is! The turbo pulls hard, with little "lag" and before we knew it, we were topping the limit. So we backed off and settled into the posted "60". Wind noise and buffeting is really noticeable...too much of it. We found a nice twisty side road and exited the freeway to toss it about. Not good. The car's stiff ride did not allow for much spirited driving. The steering lack communication to the driver and the brakes are a little mushy feeling. Another painfully obvious sign of bean-counter influenced car making was the sub par tires. They squealed at every sharp turn - begging me to let off and just cruise around slowly. Which, I think, is what this car is better suited for. It's all about sporty looks - which it has - but fails to deliver on them. Some people say the Sky looks like a "baby Vette". I say, for the $30,735.00 starting price, go find a nice used Vette and keep about $5,000 in the bank! Sorry, but it's cloudy skies.....for Saturn.

GM should have done their homework by studying the roadster market. Which should have been real easy. Just go buy a few Miatas (or MX5s) and tear them apart. You can surf the web and find literally thousands of Miata sites. For crying out loud, Miata has its own Spec Racing series in motorsports. Plus it's the number one selling sports car of ALL time. Just a few internet clicks and you've got a verifiable "Miata for Dummies" best seller on your hands.

Hello GM???

Who dropped that ball? Who didn't rip one of these top selling Miata roadsters apart and study it? Probably the same engineer hack who designed the superfluous and annoying soft top!

Come on GM, put some passion and focus in your products. Today's American car buyer is educated and discriminating. 19" chrome rims, flashy paint, and some curves will not cut it anymore. We want a REAL American roadster. We want to buy American!

Hmmmm, the Sky sounds like another failed car in GM's recent portfolio....but that's for tomorrow!

Chrysler Pacifica gettin' the Boothill?

2008-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

What do Boothill and Chrysler's Pacifica have in common? Apparently, one's headed to the other. Check out this article from leftlanewews.com. If it proves true...that's going to be a sad day.

My wife and I own a 2006 Pacifica, FWD and seating for 5. We just returned from New Mexico and even with driving all day...you don't get tired in this crossover SUV. We carried our luggage, toys, two kids, one dog, a dog kennel, a furniture item, and misc. stuff. Everything fit under the tonneau cover and there's plenty of leg room for everyone. The rear A/C ducts are great for passengers. This car, I mean SUV, is great on gas too - with the A/C going we managed a decent 22 MPG combined! That's up and down the mountain roads, driving all over Albuquerque traffic and a couple of trips out to Rio Rancho for sight seeing and great eats. It's an affordable alternative to the big gas-guzzling utes out there right now. The Pacifica is one of the safest SUVs too!

But, here we go again - America builds a great product (we've had no issues in 35,000 miles) fails to market it correctly and then talks of killing it off. Why not put a hybrid powerplant in it like Saturn, GM, and Ford?

Way to go Chrysler! It shows how out of touch you are with the American consumer. Let's see four door Chargers, way overpriced, gas-hogging Dodge Challengers and we've got another tombstone readied for the American Car Cemetery across the street from Boothill for what could be a great SUV for families that don't need to tow 5000 lbs and traverse the Rubicon Trail:

Here lies Pacifica, dead on the floor. Too good, too late
'cause they won't build no more!

Oil Independence Day?

2008-07-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

We are spending a few days traveling in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico and I found this great picture of a local hiking trail from Donald Peterson, abqstyle. Great shot Donald!

As we celebrate the 4th of July, I want to first and foremost say a big heartfelt "Thank you!" to the men and women who are defending our great nation around the world and here in the USA! Yes, the 4th of July is about our country's independence, but when you take a look at the world today, you will easily find many countries working hard to steal away our independence. And since this blog is about the American car renaissance, I hope our nation's leaders will begin to seek REAL energy independence from foreign interests. Check out this great article dating back to 2005 from the Weekly Standard. It's entitled the "Axis of Oil".

Some environmentalist groups, many in Congress, and countless lobbyists throughout Washington D.C. are trying to sell America on all of this new "alternative fuel" technology. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is turning to oil. Why? Oil is already here and we have plenty of it in our country and right off our OWN shores! So why are we not drilling? Hmmmm.

Today, the enemies of America are not poised with weapons drawn and bayonets held high. They are not wearing uniforms and amassing tanks and planes to destroy us. No. It's being waged in the economic theater. We had better start electing some REAL leaders in this country before we look back at July 4th, 1776 with longing because we are no longer INDEPENDENT!

The itsy bitsy spider...

2008-07-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

My wife and I saw this spider web on a brand new Chevy Trailblazer at the local dealership...four days ago! I stopped by on my way to work this morning to see if it was still there - and it was!

Looks like no one has looked at this shiny new SUV in quite sometime.

It seems some folks are not struggling too bad in the housing market these days...if you're an arachnid! Yes, GM is in a slump...and it's bad, but that's why we are all here...why I'm writing this blog everyday. To make a change. To dust off the webs and start the restoration of America's automotive industry.

Look at this and you've got eight more reasons why, GM needs to start moving mounting inventories. In the meantime, are they working on anything new and fresh? Maybe the Chevy Volt?

I don't think so. Americans are not ready for 40 mile (before you have to recharge it) plug-in cars. Most of us devour more juice with our iPods, Tom Toms, and Blackberries than this concept car could muster on a short commute. 40 miles?!? Are you kidding me? Am I for all this new technology? Sure. But it needs to work, be reliable and not cost you an arm and a leg to operate. Can you see the headlines:

"Utility bills skyrocket to record levels as people flock to buy electric cars!"
"People turn to $6.00 a gallon unleaded gasoline to heat their homes!"
"Environmentalists scream increased electricity consumption will result in catastrophic polarity shift plunging Earth nearer to the sun!"
"Top research scientists suggest installing shag carpets in electric cars and issuing fuzzy slippers!"

No, we need REAL solutions...and we need them now. I think this is a result of a lack of vision on the part of leadership over at the Big Three. You know those guys whose names all start with CEO? Or perhaps it's just years of corporate greed and lousy customer service adding up. Either way, I don't care if your new fandangled car is powered by dirty socks - if it's boring, unreliable, and poorly assembled, it's not going to sell!

Hmmmmm. Charlotte? Is that you? Where's Wilbur?
(Click photo to zoom)

Report cards are in...looks like summer school is too!

2008-07-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

The June sales report card is in and the grades for GM are hardly anything to get excited about. (Not looking any better for Ford and Chrysler!) Saying Toyota "did worse than expected" is like saying, "...but little Timmy got a D too!"

Ok, so some analysts are making GM out to be a real winner with the sales figures news hitting the wire today...but I think they need to take a long, hard look at the cumulative effects over the last three to four years before we start tootin' any horns. Toyota is still creeping up - the Big GAS drinking Tundras are selling like crazy. Check out the report cards:

Auto sales report, June 2008

Going back to my post from yesterday, I want to further discuss passion. Stepping into the local Chevy/GMC/Cadillac dealer this past weekend, I noticed a lot of dusty trucks and cars. The man who first approached me gave me his business card and said it was "repellent" for any other salespeople. He laughed. It was kind of funny...but then it was kind of sad. I guess the sales force is getting desperate these days - or was he modeling GM's leadership?

GM needs to focus on getting back in touch with the American car buyer. Sure, we love the retro-thing with the new Camaro (although several days late and quite a few dollars short!) but how about something fresh? How about something unique? How about some American ingenuity? Or has that been outsourced to some third world country too?

Come on GM! Not only CAN you do better, you BETTER do better. Where's the new "gotta have it" car? Like the iPod, GM needs something that screams passion. And I don't mean something that only drives 5 mph onto a twirling stage with smoke and beat driven music. I don't mean a car that costs 45 large. GM needs a bread and butter car that will knock the socks off American buyers and get the rest of the industry to sit up and take notice. We are all really tired of the rehash and redos.

Where's the passion? GM....hello....anybody home? Oh look, a note on the door and it reads:

The third problem...Passion!

2008-06-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

That's passion! Need I say more? The bean counters and account hacks should leave the passion and designing to the experts who do it. Instead of money-managing a design, ask the creative questions on how to make a certain design element more affordable. This cost-cutting mentality and bean-counter driven product development is killing off the American automotive industry. Don't get me wrong, you've got to face the cost development issues, but let the designers work within the boundaries...unbridled. I'm amazed at how many uber-cool cars roll out onto the world stage at International Auto Shows each year, only to see some slashed-up, dumbed-down, mutant of a version when it hits production.

Let's take a look at Apple's iPod. Hey, it's more expensive than the rest...but it's super cool and has a designer element that screams contemporary, modern, sleek, gotta have it! Apple is selling boatloads of them and the consumers are not balking at the higher prices. In fact, Apple sells basic models by the loads too. (Kind of like a sporty car without all the frills...it's the same car, it just doesn't have every option known to man on the purchase order.)

Wait a minute! BAM! It's 1964 again and Ford, er, Lee Iacocca is about to release THE future American icon...Mustang. Everyone who ponied up to the snack stand at the Big Three ball park, got a great deal. Sure, some folks got more cheese and jalapenos on their nachos...but they ALL got nachos. Why? Because of its simple and emotionally charged design. It had PASSION!!

If you have to ask...you can't afford it!

2008-06-29T19:18:00.001-07:00

Last post, we discussed the lack of a quality sales experience. Let's take a look at the next one.

2) Lack of affordability

The articles below discuss some of the contributing factors toward the financial woes of the Big Three. After reading these articles, you'll see what I mean about "lack of affordability". It's not about a big rebate at the dealership. No, I'm talking about inherent costs - manufacturing, health care, labor (unions), advertising, etc. The Big Three MUST reduce the costs of building its products - increase affordability. When they start making cars affordable, they will start to thrive in the marketplace.

Check out these articles on some of the financial problems infesting the Big Three. Perhaps it is time for a new solution? This just in...the current approach is NOT working!

Ford

GM

Chrysler

The Big Three...

2008-06-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

...reasons why the American automotive industry is in dire straits - meaning lousy sales. We will analyze these over the next several weeks.

Here are my Big Three reasons:

1) Lack of passion
2) Lack of affordability
3) Lack of a quality sales experience

First, let's look at lack of a quality sales experience. Why number three first? In my opinion, it's the easiest to fix.

Just drive into a car dealership and you are liable to find the following sales person. Description: loud/obnoxious, thinks they are funny, doesn't listen, over-eager to sell you, lack of product knowledge, over-eager to sell you, doesn't listen.

Problem: It's not the 70s or 80s anymore. The American automotive industry must stop using old sales models for a modern and entirely different "car-scape".

Solution Premise: What consumers want is straight-forward, to-the-point, don't-waste-my-time experiences. They want sales people who are educated on products - not just focused on sales goals!

Support Experience: Living in Abilene, we recently visited the local Saturn dealership. The young sales person who "wanted to help me" ended up needing way more help...particularly in product knowledge. He told us the new Saturn Sky was like a baby-corvette. Notice, he didn't ask what we thought...he just told us. Next, he said the new four-door - yes, he said four-door - Corvette would hold more people than the Sky, but would be way more expensive. I almost laughed out loud. I walked away feeling cognitively assaulted having heard this man speak. As we drove off in the Sky (review coming soon) my son remarked, "Wow, that guy is selling cars? He doesn't know much about them!"

Solution: The American automotive industry needs to take a good hard look at WHO is selling their cars. You can build a great product, invest in snazzy advertising, but it really comes down to the person-to-person transaction...who's representing the product. That person blows it and you've lost the sale. Wretchedly greedy dealerships and slack sales people with a culture of fattening the profit margins with incredulous "dealer" profit tactics are killing off some great products coming out of Detroit.

Summary: Detroit, revitalize your sales force and dealership experience! There are plenty of talented, educated, and motivated people out there looking for work that is meaningful in nature. Go find them! Hire QUALITY people who want to be a part of the American car renaissance.

Then can all those washed up, worked at 9 dealerships in the last 8 months, unscrupulous sales people or manager hacks! Yep, you heard right - can 'em! (Surely some cut rate furniture store peddling lead-infested garbage from China has openings!)

Welcome to American Car!

2008-06-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a certified car nut...no seriously, certified. The list of cars I've owned over the years reads like an IHOC (International House of Cars) menu. Fiat? Yep. Mazda? Sure. GM? Try Saturn, Chevy, and Pontiac. How about Chrysler and Dodge? You bet. Toss in Audi, Toyota, Jeep, VW and a token Ford and you've got it. That's just the modern vehicles. Let's talk classics - '65, '66, '70 Mustangs, a '72 240Z, a '79 Trans-Am (no mullet) and a '74 Charger. I watch Formula 1, NHRA Drag Racing, Indy cars, American Le Mans, and almost any type of four-wheeled competition. Oh, I can't forget about the salt flats of Bonneville and hot rodding.

I've been out to California and blasted up the Pacific Coast Highway in a Shelby Cobra replica - the Superformance 427 big block variety. I've cruised on Route 66 in New Mexico and downed a juicy green chile cheeseburger and a chocolate shake from the renowned 66 Diner in Albuquerque. I've corner carved in the rolling hills outside of St. Louis, MO, chasing my friend in his Porsche 914. I've sat with my son in 100+ degree heat in Denver, CO watching monstrous 8,000 hp Top Fuel cars blast down the quarter mile. I've been to countless car shows and met some seriously cool car nuts who call themselves the Donut Derelicts - again, California.

If you point to most any car, I can tell you what it is. Actually, I could probably bore you with technical information and perhaps a few other bits of that car's place in automotive history. My specialty area is American Muscle cars from the '60s and '70s. My last resto project was a super sweet '66 Mustang.

So when I say I'm a certified car nut, I truly mean it. And that's why I started this blog...my love for cars. But I'm not just another car guy killing time and taking up internet space with his passion. No, this is something entirely different.

The "Big 3" automakers are in trouble...and I mean big trouble. You don't have to venture far off the automotive journalism path to see it. Slumping sales, massive discounting, the ever-increasing import market share, and multiple-failed sales schemes are poised to drive the big rusty fork in the sinking chest of the American automotive industry - Spartan-style.

Bean counter driven marketing and cost-cutting measures have failed to solve the problem. Outsourcing, rightsizing and almost every other global economic "-sizing" buzzword have failed. So the obvious question is why? Why are we here and how did we get here? It's time for change and I hope this blog will be a positive part of that change - the return, no, the renaissance of the American Car!

- Rich