Marty Padgett's Inside Scoop on Auto News and 1999

Safety Group Points To Jeep Grand Cherokee Fire Concerns

By Bengt HalvorsonBengt Halvorson, October 5th, 2009

On Friday, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA to initiate a defect investigation that could potentially cover hundreds of thousands of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from model years 1993 through 2004.

According to the group, on these older Grand Cherokee models, the plastic fuel tank actually extends below the bumper, so it's more vulnerable to being punctured in an rear-end or rollover accident. The rear sway bar link bolt is just over an inch away from the tank, according to research from the Motor Vehicle Fire Research Institute (MVFRI), and could puncture the tank in a crash.

"The design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles...

On Friday, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA to initiate a defect investigation that could potentially cover hundreds of thousands of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from model years 1993 through 2004. According to the group, on these older Grand Cherokee models, the plastic fuel tank actually extends below the bumper, so it's more vulnerable to being punctured in an rear-end or rollover accident. The rear sway bar link bolt is just over an inch away from the tank, according to research from the Motor Vehicle Fire Research Institute (MVFRI), and could puncture the tank in a crash. "The design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles... Read More

Tags: Safety, Accidents

Posted in: 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, Jeep, SUVs / Wagons, SUVs, Grand Cherokee

Taxpayers Help Automakers: Whom Would You Bet Your Money On?

By Colin MathewsColin Mathews, November 3rd, 2008

In the December issue of Automobile Magazine, editor Jamie Kitman excoriates American auto manufacturers. He claims they should've seen the handwriting on the wall with the energy crisis of 1973 and started making better small cars then. And if you call the new-for-1979 Chevy Caprice (some 600 pounds lighter than its forebear) a better "small car" as the company did back then, well then I suppose they did their job. That basic B-body platform lived on for years, most recently enjoying its last hurrah under GM's 1996 full-size sedans and wagons (Buick Roadmaster, Chevy Caprice, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser). Those wagons gave way to--you guessed... In the December issue of Automobile Magazine, editor Jamie Kitman excoriates American auto manufacturers. He claims they should've seen the handwriting on the wall with the energy crisis of 1973 and started making better small cars then. And if you call the new-for-1979 Chevy Caprice (some 600 pounds lighter than its forebear) a better "small car" as the company did back then, well then I suppose they did their job. That basic B-body platform lived on for years, most recently enjoying its last hurrah under GM's 1996 full-size sedans and wagons (Buick Roadmaster, Chevy Caprice, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser). Those wagons gave way to--you guessed... Read More

Tags: Europe, North America, Industry, Manufacturing, Enthusiasts, Politics, Shoppers, General Motors, Cars We Love, Car Publications

Posted in: 1999, 2008, Audi, Chrysler, Ford, Volkswagen, Diesel, New Golf

31st-Anniversary 7 Series Featured in Neiman Marcus Christmas Book

By Marty PadgettMarty Padgett, October 7th, 2008

Moneyed fans of the BMW 7 Series, your chance to be one of 31 individuals who pick up a brand-new 750Li from Germany and drive it through the French Riviera is nigh. Courtesy of the folks at Needless Markup Neiman Marcus, in conjunction with the team at BMW Individual, special 31st-anniversary 7 Series BMWs may be purchased exclusively through the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The $160,000 price tag includes the "fantasy driving experience," in which customers will take delivery of their specialized 7 Series from Munich next April and then set off on a multicity luxury tour in the south of France. While living the high life on the Riviera,... Moneyed fans of the BMW 7 Series, your chance to be one of 31 individuals who pick up a brand-new 750Li from Germany and drive it through the French Riviera is nigh. Courtesy of the folks at Needless Markup Neiman Marcus, in conjunction with the team at BMW Individual, special 31st-anniversary 7 Series BMWs may be purchased exclusively through the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The $160,000 price tag includes the "fantasy driving experience," in which customers will take delivery of their specialized 7 Series from Munich next April and then set off on a multicity luxury tour in the south of France. While living the high life on the Riviera,... Read More

Tags: Marketing, Enthusiasts

Posted in: 1999, 2009, BMW, Buick, Sedans, Luxury, Riviera