Tag Archives: Volkswagen

Detroit 2012: The View from Afar

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

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 →

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Them and Us – Epilogue

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

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 →

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The Class of 1982

Posted on November 6, 2011 by

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 →

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Five (Not So) Favorite Vehicles I Ever Experienced

Posted on October 22, 2011 by

I try to be a positive person when it comes to the automobile. But, sometimes, you end up getting a heap of scrap. What can an automotive person do after experiencing a piece of…garbage?

We drove them once in our lives. Vehicles that gave us fits, drain our pocketbooks and put us in arrears with our creditors. These were vehicles where even the dealer you bought it from would refuse to take back – even under a Lemon Law.

Trust me, I feel your pain. I had my share of automobile nightmares. Maybe I had more than the usual motorist – if not the same. In my time, I’ve experienced suicidal radiators, suicidal valve heads, suicidal gaskets, suicidal power steering pumps, over-torqued wheel bolts – and so forth.

And, one wonders why I do not own a vehicle. Continue reading →

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Frankfurt 2011: Fünf Lieblinge von IAA

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

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 →

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Five Favorites for Going Back to Campus

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

2007 Ford Focus

Ah, college. To be an undergrad again…

Every college town – big and small – face the same onslaught of students coming back from the summer to resume academic life again. The future of our country bound for a college across town or on the other side of the country with their cars filled to the gills with everything for their dormitory or apartment. The parents tag along with a case of tissues hidden amongst the rest of their child’s stuff.

It is uncertain whether the tissues are meant for seeing their precious child off…or, seeing their savings fly out the window in tuition, student expenses, entertainment (your definition varies here) and a vacation to South Padre Island. Continue reading →

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Five Favorites: What To Get Someone Turning 50…

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

Tweet “See! No black balloons or a coffin cake!” Photo by Randy Stern Today is a very special occasion in the Stern family: My brother Matthew turns 50 today. It is an important age in a person’s life. For the … Continue reading →

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Another Five Favorite Dream Drives

Posted on June 5, 2011 by

Tweet Oh, to put this to the test on a dream drive! 2011 Hyundai Elantra photo by Randy Stern Over the years, I’ve been writing about dream drives with various automobiles in certain situations. It allows the brain to run … Continue reading →

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Them and Us (Part 2)

Posted on May 23, 2011 by

Tweet Diversity happens here…among many places. Photo (c) 2011 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. If marketing drives a consumer decision, can there be anything else to convince a cultural group to be loyal to a particular brand? There are a lot … Continue reading →

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Five Favorites from the 2011 Auto Shows

Posted on March 21, 2011 by

Tweet Just teasing… All photos by Randy Stern This auto show season was the absolute best in my writing career. It yielded more than I had expected, which is always a good thing. To wrap up both the Chicago and … Continue reading →

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