Marty Padgett's Inside Scoop on Auto News and Car Publications (Page 5)

Twelve Days of Christmas: Motor City Dream Garages

By Colin MathewsColin Mathews, December 17th, 2008

This Christmas, purchase the book that takes you on an intimate tour of 20 incredible garages throughout Detroit. In "Motor City Dream Garages," journalist Rex Roy gives you an intimate look at collections held by garages like Henry Ford's Fair Lane in Dearborn (referred to as "The First Dream Garage"), The Mopar Cathedral, the Big Red Barn, and The Racer's Garage. Each garage is visually and verbally unveiled, detailing stunning automotive collections inside the structures purpose built for them. Included are the garages of legends such as Bob Lutz, Larry Smith (chairman of the Meadow Brook Concours), and Kip Ewing (engineer behind the Ford... This Christmas, purchase the book that takes you on an intimate tour of 20 incredible garages throughout Detroit. In "Motor City Dream Garages," journalist Rex Roy gives you an intimate look at collections held by garages like Henry Ford's Fair Lane in Dearborn (referred to as "The First Dream Garage"), The Mopar Cathedral, the Big Red Barn, and The Racer's Garage. Each garage is visually and verbally unveiled, detailing stunning automotive collections inside the structures purpose built for them. Included are the garages of legends such as Bob Lutz, Larry Smith (chairman of the Meadow Brook Concours), and Kip Ewing (engineer behind the Ford... Read More

Tags: Enthusiasts, Gadgets/Products, Shoppers, Car Publications

Posted in: 2006, 2008, Ford, GT

Is GM's Biggest Problem Too Much Emphasis on Profit?

By Colin MathewsColin Mathews, December 17th, 2008

Were you aware that GM started development on the minivan a decade before Chrysler introduced that concept to the marketplace in the 1980s? Or that GM had invested considerable money into research and development of hybrid vehicles in the 1970s? The company also stopped development of a rotary engine it was to sell to AMC for use in the Pacer; the lightweight engine would have lent the porky Pacer the low curb weight it needed for good efficiency. And you all know the story about the GM's all-electric vehicle, the EV1, destroyed in front of distraught owners before the vehicle even had a chance in the market. Even former GM CEO Robert... Were you aware that GM started development on the minivan a decade before Chrysler introduced that concept to the marketplace in the 1980s? Or that GM had invested considerable money into research and development of hybrid vehicles in the 1970s? The company also stopped development of a rotary engine it was to sell to AMC for use in the Pacer; the lightweight engine would have lent the porky Pacer the low curb weight it needed for good efficiency. And you all know the story about the GM's all-electric vehicle, the EV1, destroyed in front of distraught owners before the vehicle even had a chance in the market. Even former GM CEO Robert... Read More

Tags: North America, Technology, Industry, Electric Cars, Politics, General Motors, Car Publications

Posted in: 2008, Hybrid, Green

Detroit's Problems with Small Cars Started Decades Ago

By Colin MathewsColin Mathews, December 17th, 2008

The New York Times' Autos section provides great insight into U.S. automakers' storied inability to create, build, and market successful small vehicles. The article, "Detroit's Small Packages Arrived, and Left, Early," starts the story with the steep U.S. recession of 50 years ago. Answering the question as to why GM, Ford, and Chrysler hadn't produced a small, economical vehicle before the '58-'59 recession (that brought with it an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent and plunging auto sales), the Times advises us to look back a decade earlier at the largely failed U.S. experiment in small autos. Conventional wisdom states that Americans just... The New York Times' Autos section provides great insight into U.S. automakers' storied inability to create, build, and market successful small vehicles. The article, "Detroit's Small Packages Arrived, and Left, Early," starts the story with the steep U.S. recession of 50 years ago. Answering the question as to why GM, Ford, and Chrysler hadn't produced a small, economical vehicle before the '58-'59 recession (that brought with it an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent and plunging auto sales), the Times advises us to look back a decade earlier at the largely failed U.S. experiment in small autos. Conventional wisdom states that Americans just... Read More

Tags: North America, Industry, Manufacturing, Politics, Styling, General Motors, Car Publications

Posted in: 2008, Chrysler, Ford