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Tag Archives: Buick
Five Favorite….Captive Imports?
Captive imports…and why did they exist anyway?
At a time when the call was to tune down the horsepower and prepare for an oil crisis, a recession and a never ending war overseas, domestic automakers figured it was high time to build another round of compact cars. By going smaller, there were two routes to take: Build them domestically or import them from a global partner somewhere. Three out of the four North American automakers chose the latter.
Chrysler had been selling Simcas and Sunbeams alongside Barracudas and Imperials through the 1960s. Simca and Sunbeam were a part of growing European operation for the Pentastar. In turn, Chrysler looked high and low to match the incoming compacts from General Motors, Ford and American Motors. They went across both the Atlantic and Pacific for their answers. Ford sold some European products at their dealerships in the past – the Cortina was the most popular and the Capri was a mainstay at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. GM sold Opels at Buick dealers, but would soon play the captive import game as early as 1976.
You could also stretch the captive import involvement to AMC – that is if you include the subcompact Metropolitan that was jointly developed between Nash and Austin. They actually sold Metropolitans with the Hudson badge for a bit. At one time, Mitsubishi imported the Hyundai Excel for some of its dealers in the USA. Continue reading
Five Favorites from Auto Show Seasons Past
Next year will mark ten years since I covered my first auto show. No, seriously…
It is a momentous occasion since working press at an auto show has evolved from covering what’s new on the scene as a place
Yet, sometime within the last month or so, someone on Twitter called press days at an auto show as sort of a “circle jerk.” I get his frustration, as covering the industry certainly has changed over time. Traditional media has been threatened by the likes of myself…and we’re being threatened by outlets that can distill the news even quicker.
Still, there is room at the table for all of us – and we’re networking with each other all the time. In fact, the industry and the press are interconnected in ways unimaginable when it was strictly the traditional media covering the industry.
In retort to that Tweet that called auto show press days a “circle jerk,” I still believe that we need a day to meet with our industry counterparts, enjoy the excitement of vehicle launches and provide varying perspectives on the industry back to you – the readership.
Since the first major USA show is coming up at the Los Angeles Convention Center; this actually calls for a Five Faves post! This posting revolves a single question: What five vehicles made my auto show press coverage experience worth the effort?
That would mean logging back top the 2002 Chicago Auto Show – the one I covered with Midwest Ursine/Tillery Publications along with current Windy City Banner publisher Tom Wray.
I did come up with five vehicles over the past ten years. Here they are… Continue reading
Posted in Auto Show Coverage, Automobile Writing, Automotive Industry, Five Favorites
Tagged BMW, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, MINI, SRT
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The Class of 1982
Thirty years ago…a lot happened.
The list can go on forever, but I will concentrate on the most important thing overall: Graduating high school. As I realize today that I am indeed on the latter side of my forties, remembering every moment of that year seems a bit difficult these days.
Thankfully, there’s Google. Not for what I exactly did in 1982 – but, rather, the trivial parts of that year.
At the onset of graduation, I ended up the responsibility of car ownership. The 1972 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan of my mother’s was in my care. I was free to do what I please with it – replace tires, fuel up daily, baby the car when it overheated…and so forth.
By that time, I truly grasped the idea of the automobile and its inner workings. At least it was getting there. Sports, cars and music filled my time in-between studies and various plots to go somewhere else. Girls? Well…you probably know where that went by now.
As a public service to the Reseda High School Class of 1982, I offer this little glimpse at our senior year through the windshield of the automobile industry.
Continue reading
Posted in Automobile History, Reseda C'1982 30th Reunion
Tagged 1982, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Datsun, Dodge, Ford, GM, GMC, Lincoln, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen
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Five Favorites from 1977
Tweet 1977 Cadillac Coupe deVille. Photo (c) 1976, 2011 General Motors Corporation Thirty-five years ago, automobile dealers in North America anticipated a major change in their fortunes. Or, was it all about product all along? 1977 was a watershed year … Continue reading
Posted in Automobile History, Five Favorites
Tagged Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Datsun, Dodge, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac
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Frankfurt 2011: Fünf Lieblinge von IAA
Oh, to be in Frankfurt in September…
Frankfurt? Why would I want to be in Germany, let alone Europe? I have not been to the old world…ever. Is that a bad thing to say?
Opportunities…I had a few. But, I stuck to my “discover North America first” travel mantra for too long. I’m not a young man, anymore… Continue reading
Posted in Auto Show Coverage, Automotive Industry, Five Favorites
Tagged Buick, Ford, GM, Mazda, Opel, Porsche, Skoda, Vauxhall, Volkswagen
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It Was a Good Day…
Tweet A starting point – 2011 Chevrolet Volt. All photos by Randy Stern In a single day, I met various GM executives, employees, interns and my main contact at the company. I also met some great people and vehicles at … Continue reading
Posted in Automobile Reviews, Automotive Industry
Tagged Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC
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When GM Comes to Town
This weekend provided a quandary for the automobile enthusiast. Should one head to Southeastern Michigan, making the pilgrimage to Woodward Avenue for the Dream Cruise? Or, should one live it up on the Monterey Peninsula at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance?
Me? I can’t afford either journey.
Yet, opportunity knocked at the right time. My regional media relations contact for General Motors mentioned via e-mail about the Open House events the company are sponsoring at three dealerships in the Twin Cities. He invited me to check it out, provided that I meet with him when they throw the doors open on Saturday morning at one of the events.
I accepted his invitation. And, I’m glad I did. Continue reading
Five Favorites for the Woodward Dream Cruise
Name the biggest display of automotive history to ever roll down a single street?
Normally, such an event is called a “cruise.” By calling it a “cruise,” it means a display of cars of yesteryear where you can expect brutal exhaust noise and the rumbling of very large engines. The vehicles on display are indeed impressive, from old-school hit rods to today’s tuner specials.
Not everywhere has such as “cruise.” During the “Back to the ’50′s” weekend here in the Twin Cities, there is normally a “cruise” of the vehicles displayed at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds to Porky’s, an old drive-in on University Avenue in St. Paul. However, the construction of the Central Corridor and the closure of Porky’s have altered plans for the annual event.
Still, there is one cruise that refuses to yield to any road construction or transit development. The cruise takes place in the city where the automobile remains the economic engine for a city and its region. The street is a long one stretching from the banks of a river connecting two Great Lakes to somewhere towards the center of the lower half of the state. Continue reading
Five Favorites to Take on a Track Day
Track days. They are a simple test between human and machine.
The subject of track days came about during a discussion on advanced driver education programs. There has been a push to create driver education programs for teenagers by teaching them advanced, but necessary skills. Car control is a huge piece of the puzzle, as teenagers need to understand how their vehicle can react when presented with a dangerous situation. It used to be called “defensive driving,” but teaching these skills on controlled environments raises this concept to new levels. Continue reading
Skin Deep
You’d think that after a couple of postings that there may have not been any conclusions made regarding the relationship between the automotive industry and the GLBT community. The questions asked over the past couple of weeks simply remain unanswered. Yet, for every unanswered question, there are a few more to ponder about.
The survey conducted for the “Them and Us” series was a telltale sign of how the GLBT community has gone beyond being selective of their products based on the industry’s relationship with their culture. It also revealed a want for knowledge and awareness of which automobile brands would welcome them into the showroom and provide them with unprejudiced sales and after-sales care. Continue reading