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Tag Archives: Ford
Five Favorites for a Pigskin Party
If this was any other year, I’d be happy to celebrate my birthday on Super Bowl Sunday.
Not this year, I’m afraid. It is not because the Minnesota Vikings went into complete retrograde. Just my interest in the National Football League waned severely this year, thanks to the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the constant frustration with the state of cultural relations with most major professional sports leagues.
Frankly, I could care less who is playing in this year’s Super Bowl. If it is your team that will be on the field inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis – good luck!
Still, football was one of sports for the longest time. I recalled some memories from the game – in attendance, of course. In some cases, they involved automobiles.
On this special Super Bowl/birthday edition of Five Favorites, let me log back into time to see what crazy automobile-related events transpired around the pigskin and the 100-yard field. Continue reading
Detroit 2012: Quandaries from Afar
It was tough picking just nine from a plethora of debuts from the North American International Auto Show. Detroit yielded plenty of excitement, tempered with some criticism. I, for one, had my share of concerns and quandaries.
It was also tough to stay balanced here. Continue reading
Posted in Auto Show Coverage, Automotive Industry
Tagged Acura, Buick, Ford, GM, Honda, Lincoln
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Detroit 2012: The View from Afar
No, I was not there this year.
If you read my Twitter, you’d probably wondered if I were to show up at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unfortunately, the stars did not align properly. Yet, I was asked by fellow journalists, media relations people and other industry support people whether I would make the trek to the Motor City for this very important exhibition of the automobile. Not this year. I will someday.
Because of the speed of information available online and the ability to see video and images from the show readily, I was able to ascertain the big debuts and the most curious appearances at Cobo Hall. This helped in my coverage last year from my home in the Twin Cities.
Of course, there’s nothing like being there. You get to see and touch these new products ahead of consumer sale. You get to see whether you’d feel comfortable behind the wheel of one. That’s why we go to auto shows, right?
Without further ado, here are my picks from NAIAS… Continue reading
Posted in Auto Show Coverage, Automotive Industry
Tagged Acura, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen
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Them and Us – Epilogue
In May on V&R (and in October in Lavender), there was an article looking at the corporate view of the interconnection between the automotive industry and the LGBT community. It spurred plenty of discussion offline on how this information either helped both sides of the question – or, whether it truly mattered at all.
As an update to these articles, the Human Rights Campaign just released their 2012 Corporate Equality Index. Continue reading
Posted in Automobile Lifestyle, Automotive Industry, Consumer Advice
Tagged Chrysler, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen
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Five (More) Favorite “Forbidden Fruit” Experiences
Tweet 2012 Chevrolet Orlando Photo (c)2011 General Motors Canada There are times when I truly enjoy stepping back and consider the possibilities. Our universe is one where it can be done – even if you’re asleep in your own comfortable … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Fuels and Propulsion, Automobile Lifestyle, Five Favorites, Road Trips
Tagged Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Ford, Skoda, Toyota
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Your Turn: Saying Good-Bye to Twin Cities Assembly
Dan R. was one of the last workers left at Ford’s Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Saint Paul on Friday, December 16. His several years working the line gave him a good living. However, the final day of production prompted him to feel the moment… Continue reading
Five Storied Drives
The holiday season is a time for family. It is also peak travel season for any of us who seek family anywhere humanly possible. The roads are jammed with vehicles full of people and the presents they’ll give to one another. The lyric is right when they describe this as “the most wonderful time of the year.”
When families gather around, they’re on the road involved in an epic drive to their destination. Or, they’re sitting down for a story or two. Of course, I am reminded that things have changed since I was a kid. Television and video games have replaced stories of Santa, the birth of Jesus and the oil lamp at the temple in Jerusalem. Forza 4 and Gran Turismo 5 yield to no religious tradition or fable of a magical chubby bearded fella in a red velour suit.
So, let me tell you some stories… Continue reading
Posted in Automobile Writing, Five Favorites, Travel Writing, Vehicle of The Year Award
Tagged Buick, California, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Iowa, Mazda, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
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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
Los Angeles 2011: The Auto Show that’s 23 Miles from Victory & Reseda
It’s true – I grew up 23 miles away from the site of this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
So, how did I get 1,935 miles away from it? Why was I not there to cover it? Long story…but the show did yield some spectacular debuts. Some of these world premieres were well worth the wait.
It is a good thing that the Los Angeles Auto Show found resonance in its timeslot in November. The show itself puts the West Coast in the spotlight for our industry. November in Los Angeles is a great time to soak it all in – just before the Thanksgiving crush.
I’m talking about those of us in and around the automotive industry. But, for those of you who are planning to attend the show…what a way to spend turkey week! Continue reading
Posted in Auto Show Coverage, Automotive Industry
Tagged Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Mazda, Subaru
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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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