Author: Randy Stern

September 22, 2019

Historiography: A Personal History of Road Tripping

This year, it seems that I am indeed living my best life as a road trip journalist. Or, at least that is how things are transpiring. It has been an extension of the things I love – driving and travel. Road tripping stokes the fire of discovery, curiosity, and adventure.

September 19, 2019

Commentary: What James Corden Said (And Why It Matters to Car Folks)

We've all seen this, as we see ourselves thinking we can fit – or gracefully exit – a supercar. Its never easy for a larger body to get in, sit down, and exit a car with a very small cabin. Or, something that looks like we can fit in and find ourselves wedged in-between the steering wheel and the seat.

September 17, 2019

On The Dial: Laughing With The Radio

Comedy on the radio is a funny business – sort of. Right now, SiriusXM is the main purveyor of comedy programming in the road business with eight channels to listen to, plus an additional channel for online and streaming listeners. In all, there are nine stations where you can laugh for butt off across North America.

September 15, 2019

My Favorite Misbegotten Vehicles

Think about the idea of intention and purpose. A designer, an engineer, and an executive – oh, yes, let's not forget the folks in accounting – are all involved in the process of creating a vehicle. Once everyone signs off on it, they have to campaign for its success. Even the marketing folks have to be on board with selling it to everyone – dealerships, the communications folks, and, ultimately, the consumer.

September 9, 2019

Commentary: Four Seconds of Summer

We certainly learned a lot. If one thing that can be measured is how much the news that is reserved for magazines and newspapers can be quickly transmitted through social media. How Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become the primary channels of enthusiasm.

September 4, 2019

Commentary: Nuovo Cinquecento non è più in America

The Nuovo Cinquecento was an interesting piece of automotive culture. It's arrival into the European market in 2007 sparked a revival for the brand with its retro design onto a modern platform. Fiat was turning around and creating better vehicles for the markets it served by that time. The 500 was indeed the one layer of the cake that truly made it great.

September 3, 2019

Historiography: From Victory And Optimism

The 1950s lifted this victorious country out of austerity and rationing. We had to do so in order to survive a massive war fought on two major fronts. Once our troops came home, our country began to climb out of this period and into overdrive. We were optimistic of the future thanks to our victory in the war.

August 27, 2019

Not Just Any Colorado ZR2…

In the case of the pickup truck, there are many opportunities to customize one to ratchet up the cool factor. Any truck with four-wheel-drive can get a lift or level of its suspension, knobbier tires with custom wheels, skid plates for the frame, accessories for the exterior and inside, and then some. Some have even tweaked the engine for more performance and swapped out the transfer case and differentials to match the increased performance from underneath the hood.

August 25, 2019

V&R Stories: Breaking My Own Rules

Rules are meant to be broken. One hard and fast rule I have as an automotive journalist/content creator/whatever the hell you want to call me today is to never drive another person's vehicle. It does not matter who it is and what kind of vehicle he or she may have…