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David E. Davis, Jr.: Bob Lutz Checks Out, but I’ll Bet He’s Not Gone – Column

Erin Riches — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:24:26 +0000

Be it a sports car or a pickup, he cared passionately about how it looked and how it felt. Bob Lutz was a Marine aviator, and he wears his business suits like his Marine uniform—not particularly fashionable, but absolutely correct and appropriate. His grin is fierce, and heads turn his way when he walks into a crowded room. He owns a couple of fixed-wing aircraft and a couple of helicopters, which he uses the way we use sports cars or motorcycles (which he also owns and rides). His enthusiasm for cars was inherited from his father and his uncles. His father drove a 3.5-liter Jaguar SS sedan prewar, an Aston Martin DB2 postwar (which Bob now owns), and, later, an Aston Martin DB2 MkIII. One uncle used to visit the family home in Switzerland driving a Talbot 150 SS with the dorsal fin. Another drove an Alfa Zagato and a Chapron-bodied 1949 Delahaye purchased from Monegasque racing driver and entrepreneur Louis Chiron. A third drove a Talbot-Lago “Pourtout” coupe. Imagine the Lutz driveway when they all showed up for the holidays. Keep Reading: David E. Davis, Jr.: Bob Lutz Checks Out, but I’ll Bet He’s Not Gone – Column No related posts.

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David E. Davis, Jr.: Bob Lutz Checks Out, but I’ll Bet He’s Not Gone – Column

Ford Posts $2.1 Billion Quarterly Profit

Scott Mosher — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:34:47 +0000

Ford Motor Co. posted a net income of $2.1 billion in the first quarter of this year which is almost twice as much as projected by analysts. Last year Ford reported a loss of $1.4 billion in one of the worst economic years for the United States. The current revenue rose to $28.1 billion from $24.4 billion. Second quarter productions will be boosted says the automaker. This should be a good indication that the economy is starting to show signs of a return. Although we are nowhere close to where we need to be, it is a step in the right direction. Politicians will make claim that the “auto bailout” has actually worked as we will start seeing auto companies hire back employees and make growth as leaner and meaner companies. [source: autonews ] “Our plan is working, and the basic engine that drives our business results — products, market share, revenue, and cost structure — is performing stronger each quarter, even as the economy and vehicle demand remain relatively soft,” CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement. Ford can’t risk complacency and arrogance as it tries to complete a turnaround, according to Bill Ford. First-quarter U.S. sales totaled 1.08 million in 2000. This year’s tally was 441,708. “I’ve seen this movie before,” Bill Ford said in Detroit last week. “I know how quickly self-satisfaction can turn into self-destruction.” For now, Ford reaps rewards for going it alone and not taking a government rescue, McGinn said. Of 16 analysts covering the shares, eight say buy, six advise holding and two recommend selling, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In January 2009, one analyst had a buy rating while eight said hold and three said sell. “Ford just seems like it can do no wrong,” said John Wolkonowicz, an analyst at consultant IHS Global Insight. “The company is doing very well, and the stock is doing very well.”

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Ford Posts $2.1 Billion Quarterly Profit

Mazda Miata Black and Matte Debuts in Paris, Looks Just Like It Sounds

Laguna — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:06:25 +0000

While much of the U.S. is enjoying its first day of productivity following an overindulgence of Black and Tans for Saint Patrick’s Day, Mazda is busy in Paris with the unveiling of its Black and Matte special-edition Miata. Unveiled at the Salon du Cabriolet, Coupé, et du SUV, the flat-black Miata is meant to celebrate the Miata’s 20th French-market anniversary. There are no mechanical changes, although the Black and Matte is based on the folding-hardtop Miata, rather than the base roadster with its cloth top. This is perhaps the best tintop convertible in the business, as it folds quickly—just 12 seconds up or down—and stows into the same tight well as the softtop, eliminating the primary drawback of folding hardtops. Inside, however—and thankfully hidden in these photos—this Miata supposedly suffers from customization by Paris-based designer Laure Kczekotowska. We know we shouldn’t condemn the work without actually seeing it, but we see limited potential for an interior said to be studded with rhinestones, gems, and crystals. We’re fans of most any matte finish, but we won’t mourn too long—done!—the fact that this Miata won’t be headed to the U.S. No related posts.

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Mazda Miata Black and Matte Debuts in Paris, Looks Just Like It Sounds

2010 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro vs. 2010 BMW 328i, 2009 Infiniti G37, 2010 Lexus IS350C – Comparison Tests

Jordan Brown — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:03:20 +0000

Tops down, prices up: Europe meets Japan at 50 grand. Let’s dispense with jingoism right here at the starting line. There aren’t any American entries in this four-seat-droptop derby because there aren’t any that fall into this price category. Okay, almost none. The base MSRP for Ford’s Shelby GT500 —$53,575—does slide in below the as-tested ticket for one of our four contestants. But even though it has rear seats, the super-Mustang lacks an automatic-transmission option, whereas our four test cars were all self-shifters with manumatic function. Keep Reading: 2010 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro vs. 2010 BMW 328i, 2009 Infiniti G37, 2010 Lexus IS350C – Comparison Tests No related posts.

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2010 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro vs. 2010 BMW 328i, 2009 Infiniti G37, 2010 Lexus IS350C – Comparison Tests

Back To The 80s: Outrunning The Tennessee Highway Patrol In A Shelby Charger [Retro]

Jordan Brown — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Those of you who remember Mopar restoration expert Randy ’s Tale Of Two Chargers might have a tough time believing this, but this man once owned a Tercel! Thankfully, he ditched it in favor of a Shelby Charger . Randy’s a good writer and he loves his Mopars, so we’ll turn the storytelling duties over to him. Enjoy: In the fall of 1987 I started back to college after a year hiatus. After getting my GI Bill worked out, I decided to buy a new car. Being a Mopar guy, I went to the Dodge dealer. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to choose from performance wise then. I test drove a Turbo Shadow. Yawn. I wasn’t really into trucks, and they were slow anyway. I reluctantly decided on a ‘87 Shelby Charger. Maroon with Silver stripes, Gray interior, sunroof, rear louvers, turbo 4 cyl and 5-speed. It wasn’t really fast, but it was better than the Toyota Tercel I had previously been driving. It did handle well in curves. You see, with my pride ‘n joy 69 Charger burnt, and all my other Mopars sold. I had been reduced to driving this little ‘81 Tercel that I usually had to roll off as it wouldn’t start on it’s own most of the time. Can you believe I sold a 71 383 Plum Crazy Challenger just a short time before? Ok, so it had no heater. I mean NO heater. The heater box was gone and it had rags stuffed in the firewall. I drove it all winter hanging my head out the window and scraping ice with my “Sears” card. It really wasn’t that bad a car, but it needed some work. It had 2.76 gears and would do 130 quite easily. It even had a little bit of pedal left. However, the nose would start to lift at those speeds, and I decided not to drive it that fast until I got a front spoiler or something. I called it my race car because it had soo much fiberglass stuffed in the quarters and rest of the body. But, it had pretty Purple paint and Cragar Wheels. You know, the kind that were Centerline knockoff’s, in chrome. Very nice. Oh, the shame. A Tercel. It was bright Yellow, so it stood out. You couldn’t miss it. Well, as luck would have it, I got a few dollars ahead and decided to have the local foreign car expert fix that dang starting problem. His name was Randy Also. He told me that Toyota didn’t make a rebuild kit for that carb that would fix the specific problem it had. Instead it would require a new carb. The new one was something like $350, which was way out of my budget at that time. So, he says he thinks he can do some machining and fix it for around $150, but doesn’t know how long it will last. I tell him to go ahead and do that, I’m gonna trade it anyway when I start back to school and the GI Bill kicks in. While it’s at the shop, he experiences a break-in and several cars have their stereo stolen. Mine was one of them. The only decent thing in that car was the stereo. I think it was some sort of current issue Pioneer. He tells me to give him a bill for the radio and his insurance company will reimburse me. Well, guess what? My radio was worth exactly what his bill was for. We made a deal, even swap. He didn’t report it on his insurance and I didn’t pay for a “modified” carb. I went to the local cheapie electronic store and bought a “Bestco” cassette stereo for around $20 and installed it. I threw the box in the back seat. It worked well enough, for $20 it was awesome. So, I drive the Tercel to college and trade it on the Shelby Charger within a couple weeks of being there. I didn’t get a good deal. Think I paid $12K for it. I was just a kid and they saw me coming. Reeled me in hook line and sinker. Live and learn I guess. When I left in the Charger, they couldn’t get the Tercel started. Snicker, snicker. I saw it about six months later at a “‘tote the note” car lot in town. I stopped to be sure it was the same car. I think I got $500 trade-in and they wanted $3500 for it on the lot. I knew it was mine by the dented gas filler door and Bestco box in the back seat. Yep, they never moved it. Well, I laughed it off and went about my business. I wish I could tell you the Charger was a great car. It wasn’t. It had lots of mechanical issues and the dealer was awful to deal with. Yet, another learning experience. Anyway, one winter day in ‘87, I stayed in my hometown over the weekend a little too late. In order to get back to school in time, I had to get up around 4 or 5 in the morning and haul butt back to college which was about 3 hours away. I’m hauling butt down I-75 and around the Ooltewah, TN. exit, a light Blue Dodge Diplomat gets on the interstate behind me. The State Trooper’s drove these during that time period and I was pretty good at spotting the headlights and grille from a distance and slowing down. So, as he pulled on the interstate behind me, I noticed the grille and slowed down. He pulled around me. I noticed the guy driving was in civies (civilian clothes) and the car had a normal Tennessee state license plate on it, not a government service plate like police cars usually did. I also noticed it had one single antenna on the decklid. Looked like a cb antenna. So, I thought to myself, “This guy is a businessman with a cb. I’ll just follow him.” He takes off and runs it up to 80 mph. I park it about 2 car lengths off his bumper and stick with him through the very light traffic. He starts to go faster. And faster. And faster. We get up to 110. We are now zig zagging through traffic and tractor trailers at 110. I’m still 2 car lengths off this bumper. Did I mention the little car handled well? We went that way for several miles. Somewhere before the transition to I-24, he suddenly slows down and pulls up beside me. I look over and he’s looking at me real mean. I shrug it off, drop my car into fourth and pull away from him. I get some distance on him, and drop the speed down to 80. He pulls up beside me again, and we repeat the same sequence of events with me leaving him behind. On the third time, I’m thinking, I’ve offended him somehow and he is probably going to flip me the bird or something. He pulls up and this time his dome light is on. He has a badge in his hand and is motioning for me to pull over. Oh no, I’m in big trouble now. I just knew I was going to jail. I pulled over and he pulled a few cars in front of me. I got out and, was standing by my car. He got out and said, “Tennessee Highway Patrol. Son, you need to slow that thing down.” I started babbling and explained I was going to school on the GI Bill and was late for finals. I thought he was just someone to follow and make some time. He asked how he could tell I was really a student. I showed him my parking pass hanging from the rear view mirror. He said, “That’s a fine running machine you got there. Slow it down, I’ve got a drug bust to go to.” And with that, he walked off. I was shaking the whole way back to school and drove 55. I was sure he had radioed up ahead and said, “If this kid comes through speeding, throw him under the jail !! ” It was an odd encounter. I guess he was scared I was going to blow his cover, or was maybe one of the bad guys. Maybe he realized stupid college kids are not as big a threat as drug dealers. Don’t know, but standing on that interstate in the cold early morning darkness, I realized that following him was probably not the brightest thing to do. If by some strange chance he ever reads this, I want to say thanks for not throwing me in jail, or writing me a huge ticket.

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Back To The 80s: Outrunning The Tennessee Highway Patrol In A Shelby Charger [Retro]

UK extends Scrappage incentive until March

Jake Holmes — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:44:00 +0000

Filed under: Government/Legal , UK , News The government has extended the UK scrappage scheme until the end of March. Originally the government had said that the scheme would run until the end of Febuary or until the £400 million put aside for the scheme had run out. As there is still some money left the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has moved the deadline back by 30 days. “Against the background of the economic downturn the scrappage scheme has proved a great success, driving UK car sales, protecting jobs and supporting the supply chain for car manufacture at a time when this sector needed it most,” said Business Secretary Lord Mandelson. “If you’re considering buying a new car, you should place your order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, because the budget is strictly limited,” he added. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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UK extends Scrappage incentive until March

Spyker’s plans for Saab revealed

Jake Holmes — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:12:00 +0000

Filed under: News Saab will launch an all-new 9-3 in 2012, and explore the potential of a smaller “9-1″ model as part of Spyker’s strategy to revitalise its new acquisition. The Saab Business Plan revealed by the company today also confirms that the new 9-5 saloon will be officially launched this summer, followed by the 9-4X crossover in early 2011. Spyker believes it can rebuild the Saab brand as an independent, performance-orientated niche car company around these four models, although extra money will have to be found if it decides to go ahead with a 9-1 range. Continue reading Spyker’s plans for Saab revealed Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Spyker’s plans for Saab revealed

Ford Posts Profit, Mulally Does The Happy Dance [Carpocalypse]

Erin Riches — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Ford said today it earned a profit of $2.7 billion in 2009, a stunning improvement over its historic, $14.7 billion loss in 2008. It’s the company’s first full-year profit since 2005. But, they’re not out of the woods yet. Don’t get us wrong, it’s an impressive number, especially for a year that saw industry sales drop to their lowest level since 1982. But it’s also not entirely indicative of the financial health of the company. The year-end results were buoyed by a $4.7 billion one-time gain the company booked in the second quarter after recapitalizing a chunk of its debt, and benefited from a total of $2.6 billion in other special items for the year. Ford’s also still losing almost $1.5 billion from the automotive side of the business — which means they’ll still need to make cuts if they’ll want to survive even given an assumption of U.S. auto industry sales predicted at 11.5-12.5 million vehicles. But, Ford is predicting that’s what they’ll do as the company said it now expects to be profitable for full year 2010 on a pre-tax basis excluding special items, for North America, total automotive and total company, with positive automotive operating-related cash flow. We’re just wondering how they’ll do that given cutting further into some departments — say, engineering and product R&D — to achieve those savings will definitely hinder new product development. [via Ford ]

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Ford Posts Profit, Mulally Does The Happy Dance [Carpocalypse]

Did The 1964 Pontiac GTO Lead To GM’s Downfall? [Question Of The Day]

Jordan Brown — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Now before you all die from brain bubbles because one of the Greatest Symbols Of The American Way Of Life is a-gittin’ blasphemed, take a deep breath and hear me out. Cool as the ‘64 Goat was, it poisoned GM. We all know the story about how John DeLorean and his henchmen evaded the sclerotic, super-conservative General Motors bureaucracy long enough to sneak the GTO into production as a Tempest option package; by the time the old farts on the Fourteenth Floor knew what was happening, big profits were rolling in. Success! But what was the GTO, really, aside from a successful evasion of GM’s “no huge engines in midsize cars” policy? It was a standard first-gen GM A Body with a Catalina engine, some hood scoops and special badging, and slightly beefier suspension bits… and brilliant advertising aimed like a libido-seeking missile straight at the just-entering-adulthood Baby Boomer generation. Prior to the GTO, nearly all of Detroit’s factory hot rods were either full-sized, strip-club-owner-grade behemoths with the craziest goddamn V8 in the stockpile (e.g., ‘57 Chrysler 300C with the 390-horse Hemi) or full-on drag race monsters not intended for the general public (e.g., Ford Thunderbolt). These cars were expensive, but that was due to the expensive goodies you got when you bought one. Not so with the GTO. The GTO only cost a few bucks more to build than the base Tempest (the GTO’s 389-cubic-inch engine was just a larger-bore version of the Tempest’s 326), but the hardtop listed for $2,963 versus $2,345 for the 98% similar Tempest two-door hardtop… and that was just the beginning of the free money for GM, what with all the options that GTO buyers tended to select. Jackpot! When your business battles for decades to scratch a few pennies of extra profit per unit with its bloodied fingernails and suddenly you manage to pull six hundred bucks- more than 25% extra- out of thin air, per car , simply for the cost of some chromium gingerbread and a few extra advertisements… well, it’s time to do a radical readjustment of your priorities! Yeah, sure, we all knew about that stuff. But who cares that GM printed a bunch of money by riding a generational wave on a snazzy marketing surfboard? The muscle car was awesome! 200-proof Concentrated Essence Of America! Let those commie Yurpeans have their communal kitchens and Self-Criticism Cadres! Let the Japanese build legions of tedious road robots! Burnouts in the 7-11 parking lot, baby! At this point I’m going to have to lay blame on give credit to (allegedly) retired automotive-journalism vet Jay Lamm for the following theory: The GTO taught GM management that American car buyers don’t give a shit about the cars themselves. Don’t waste billions on R&D (unless it’s for, say, a doomed-from-the-start Wankel engine project) on new product, the way you did with the small-block Chevrolet V8- just find the Next Big Thing and cash in on it as cheap as possible! In fact, GM management got it terribly wrong, but it took them decades- during which their idiotic schemes were abetted by well-intentioned Midwestern “Buy American No Matter How Crappy” patriotic enablers- to figure out that (A) it’s impossible to predict the Next Big Thing with any accuracy, and (B) Americans have way better bullshit detectors than marketing gurus and focus-group drones would have us believe. When I was 17, I was able to score a not-far-from-running ‘67 GTO, complete with Hurst dual-gate shifter and mixed bias-play and radial tires, for $113. I loved that car. It made me feel ten feet tall. Much as I hate to admit it, Mr. Lamm is correct: the GTO, and damn near all its competitors, sucked as a motor vehicle. Four-wheel drums, low-bidder suspension components, and 335 horsepower? GM had (and still has) some of the best engineering talent in the world, but why waste their brainpower on a genuine from-scratch redesign of the A Body when buyers didn’t care? Even by the standards of the time, these cars were a nightmare to drive, especially when your right foot felt like it was cast from pure depleted uranium from the moment you heard that mighty engine roar. Even in drag racing, most 1960s muscle cars were hard-pressed to crack the 14s in the quarter-mile as delivered from the factory; buyers had to perform all manner of tire, suspension, and (in most cases) engine upgrades to get their cars set up in a way that gave them a chance to keep up with the old-school hot-rodders in their Olds-engined ‘40 Fords. In fact, the 1960s factory muscle car did irreparable damage to the tradition of American hot-rodding. Before the GTO, some dude with the scent of Eau de 90 Weight behind his ears and a jones for power-crazed hoonage would build his own muscle car. He’d buy a two-year-old Falcon or Del Rey or whatever, sell the original engine to some square, and then stuff the hairiest land-yacht powerplant he could find in the engine compartment. After the GTO, why, you didn’t have to know how to wrench on cars at all! So what do you think? Was the GTO the first step on The General’s long journey to disaster? If you’re seeing parallels to GM’s decision to drive fulll-throttle down the SUV Highway during the boom economy, you’re not alone. Did the GTO lead General Motors on a path to doom? ( polling )

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Did The 1964 Pontiac GTO Lead To GM’s Downfall? [Question Of The Day]

Naive Connecticut Residents Think BMW Mannequin About To Commit Suicide [Ad Watch]

Scott Mosher — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The BMW Billboard Wars continue, but this time it’s BMW versus the naive residents of Bridgeport, Connecticut who believe this mannequin is going to commit suicide. Do they also think they teddy bear is going to jump? According to the Hartford Courant , BMW of Bridgeport has used this billboard along I-95 with different mannequins on numerous occasions to send messages about their business. Because the area commuters are unobservant and easily spooked, local 911 dispatchers are being told to inform them it’s fake and it’s been up for a while. [ Courant via BMW Blog ]

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Naive Connecticut Residents Think BMW Mannequin About To Commit Suicide [Ad Watch]