I'm bored with all dis placement arguing. ... View more

This Plymouth Rocks !! ... View more

Said the Tatra salesman, "Zo, Herr Hagerty. Drive the Tatra- You will flip over it!. Czech it out! PS- Do you have Insurance?" ... View more

It was an accomplishment to just change men's deeply ingrained attitude toward women. I have a 1913 Ford Model T advertising booklet that says, "The simplicity of the Ford is one of its most popular features with the ladies. There is no shifting of gears- nothing of a complicated nature to confuse a woman." Ford Motor Company knew that with a Model T women need not worry their pretty little heads, assuming there was a man around to get it started. ... View more

The value of a car matters only if you plan on selling it. Original is best as my father ,who was a used car dealer, told me about 1952. Even if you are keeping it, a full change will cost a lot if completely stripped and if not, then every time you open the hood, maybe the door, the old color will jump out at you. A stone chip can show the original color and if your body man gets a call at work and forgets where he was prepping ( a not unusual occurence from my experience) the paint starts lifting down the road. The old saying that "the best makeup on a woman looks like she isn't wearing any" still applies. Speaking of color change ask me sometime about the orange XKE roadster with leopard skin top and interior I used to own. Talk about hard to sell! ... View more

meant "umpteen" ... View more

Great idea for an article How about Pontiac and Ferrari GTO. Morgan Plus 4 and current Morgan-Hino (I don't think they will get confused) Pontiac and Triumph Bonneville (bike) And the winner for ubiquitous- GT used by upteen brands deservedly and not so. ... View more

Charming article that brought back many memories. Thank you. Congratulations for retiring and keeping your sanity after a career as a warranty manager for some of the the most warranty intensive vehicles in history. But then, British Leyland's warranties were Egyptian style- "denial, denial"., Having eaten and slept British cars since 1951, my experience is they would say there was no WWII-. the French made that up! I could write an extensive article about B-L service.. Land Rover? No comment, but the old joke about Ford Premier Division's two happiest days: buying Jaguar/Land Rover and selling Jaguar/Land Rover. And there is a great joke extant about that sale as well. The Morris Minor (my father was a BMC dealer) was underappreciated. Rudolph Leiding, the head of VW when the Beetle was at the height of popularity, was quoted that immediately after the War the Allies helped VW get back on its feet and at that time VW's greatest concern was the Minor. Leiding himself said at that time the Minor was a better car and if the British had only focused on quality control and follow-up service, British Motor Corporation would be on top instead of VW. Early Minors cornered and stopped much better tham early Beetles. Neither was very quick (0-60? You get Social Security when you get to sixty). Of course, there then were large problems in Britain with labour and rationing. I always wanted a Morris Minor Traveler woodie or, even better, a Minor pickup. I would put twin exhausts up the back of the cab, mudflaps, and a sticker on the back like a real trucker that said, " Last year this truck paid $8.57 in gas taxes" . ... View more

In college I had a beautiful dark green 48 Ford Sportsman woody convertible. But it made me so confused- I didn't know whether to have it Ziebarted or Terminixed, so I got both. ... View more

Lord save us. That kind of money for one of these. This is, if ever there was, a GIGO car. Like computers: garbage in, garbage out. This was a terrible car and just proves the saying that the best thing about the "Good Old Days" is that they're gone. California wanted to ban these because because they were too slow and unsafe for freeways, They would race parked cars and the parked cars won half of the time. As a 64-year used imported car dealer, I've seen a lot of lousy, but this is the paragon of lousy. Subaru now builds one of the safest cars but they sit upright in bed at 2 AM when there's a whisper somewhere about these. As a footnote, an employee once showed me you can do a "wheelie" in a Subaru 360. It is quite tail heavy, so you put it in reverse in a big lot and go as fast as you can backwards. Then with both feet stomp the clutch and the brake and it will lift the front wheels off the ground. ... View more

A new car franchise is not a gold mine, Everything has a pat answer but nothing is simple. There are many reasons for anything. If you check, the bulk of the Cadillac dealers taking the buyout are multi-line dealers who don't rely just on Cadillac. The franchise is just plus business and this will kill its ROI. Example: as a friend in a small town relatively nearby found, when the OBD came out Chevrolet required him to buy a $10000 diagnostic machine which could be had elsewhere for much less but did not say Chevrolet on it. Pontiac also required him as did Buick to buy an identical machine for $10000 from each that had their respective decals. They also wanted him to build a new multi-million dollar facility and cancelled his franchise later when it became possible after the government bailout. Many dealers for GM and Chrylsr lost their franchises at that time because they balked when the guys in the ivory towers wanted them to spend a lot of money on some hairbrained "upgrade" of signage, corporate symbolism or gadgets.  They disappeared or became import dealers. GM spent most of the US taxpayer  bailout money in China. Mary Bara, CEO since 2014 has said that is their future. But the bailout made GM and Chrysler  quasi-government agencies. Before that you had to be Satan's little brother to lose a franchise but the new situation let them cut any dealers that did  not  or had not done  their bidding.  You are right that Cadillac lost its way (as it did with the likes of Cimarron and Catera). It was a symbol of luxury and prestige. An awful lot of people (sadly for the auto enthusiast) buy a car or truck to be seen in. You want others  to see you as you think you see yourself. That is why VW couldn't understand why people didn't buy the Phaeton. Because the buyers didn't want to spend $75000 when they weren't going to hear anyone say, " GEE, he's got a VW!". Admit it or not it's about "Look at me!". Are Rolls-Royce cars really magnificently better driving or trouble-free? Not from my experience. But they have that sign on the back that says "Look at me, I've got a Rolls!" If folks want a  l uxury car that is comfortable and trouble-free they buy an Avalon. But it doesnt have the cachet. Do most people drive their cars to the cars capabilities? My daughter has a car that can go 135 mph to drive around LA where rush hour traffic is more like 18 mph. Do buyers of Cadillacs buy because Cadillac is a high-performance race car?  I don't think so. They buy roomy,comfortable and "Look at me-I've got a Cadillac."  Something to strive for, not something  that  is "whazzat?" Actually the same for clothing, housing and location, and dogs- everything is image. They may say they appreciate it but deep down it is all about being seen as they visualize theselves.  In sum and there is still much more, Cadillac is faced with cities and states that are mandating electric vehicles in the future. Tesla has made an image of being cool  and eco-snobbish  while eco-friendly which is a good position. To a dealer  200-grand may seem like a lot for a fancy extension cord.  Hopefully an alternative will pop up where the cars aren't so expensive to buy and you can jump into it and drive more than 250-300 miles without  then having to stop and refuel for 30+ minutes. And electricity costs will go up- the old supply and demand. Like I said, no simple answers to anything -i ncluding this diatribe.   ... View more

Just what i need-another project. My wife says I never finish anything, but she's wrong, I have everything from 1974 done. I'm going to be president of the Procrastinator Society next year or the year after. ... View more

Ron Carlsten's answer to the Mustang Bullitt. Nice work ... View more

My favorite quote from the Rally was one year Pat Moss (Stirling's sister, married to Paddy Hopkirk) was a competitor and was being interviewed by reporters before the event and they asked her what she would do if she got stuck on some farmer's road.  They all spoke 'North American' English as opposed to 'English' English and were taken aback when she answered, "I suppose I would go and knock up a farmer". ... View more

My favorite quote from the Rally was one year Pat Moss (Stirling's sister, married to Paddy Hopkirk) was a competitor and was being interviewed by reporters before the event and they asked her what she would do if she got stuck on some farmer's road. They all spoke 'North American' English as opposed to 'English' English and were taken aback when she answered, "I suppose I would go and knock up a farmer". ... View more

My favorite Dodge experience was years ago when my dealership was selling a Dodge to a man who wanted to finance $1250. The bank called back and said he was NG but they knew his brother. If his brother would co-sign they would finance them. The man's reply? "You think I'd waste a co-signer on a Dodge?"   ... View more

$81000 for a Dodge Charger? And no family room or basement? That price isn't a car, it's rental property. ... View more

The ultimate automotive oxymoron. An electric Mog. Turn on those Hella floodlamps and cut your range in half. ... View more

For originality, Felix Wankel should be included. ... View more

Here's a link to more bizarre amphibious vehicles (not necessarily cars) https://youtu.be/jtHNRxVZy9g. And it comes complete with Hagerty advertising! ... View more

Years ago Werner Hartman, a bodyman friend in Cincinnati, stuffed a Crosley engine into an Isetta 300. It would lay two black rubber strips (kept the original two wheels with a very narrow track in back). But he never could figure out a cooling system- it would overheat in a few minutes. He was an odd person anyway. He had a wooden leg. When strangers would come into his shop he would sit and talk while crosslegged. He would keep pulling up the sock on his wooden leg and finally grab a hammer and nail the sock to the leg, freaking out the visitor. My father had one of the first Isettas in town. His trick was to nose into the curb in front of the bar and walk straight out of the front of the Isetta into the bar. ... View more

Great and insightful article, but some of us have dipped our toes in the camping pool and believe camping is driving for hours (or days) for conditions you wouldn't accept if you had stayed home. As for me, I just got an email that I have a free night at Red Roof coming. So I won't get to watch the next campsite as they pull up in a converted schoolbus and their eight kids put up their party lights and their custom carved "We're the Jones family from Johnson City, Tennessee" sign. ... View more

Love 'em all. Well maybe not the Dodge so much, as I always thought it looked like it was designed by a committee that wasn't on speaking terms.  The Astons ? Thumbs and big toes up. P-1800ES? You betcha! Woodie wagons are neat but they make me schizo- I never knew whether to have them Ziebarted, Terminixed, or both. ... View more

This is an ad for a Lincoln I sold over the weekend to a Chrysler engineer who wanted one like this since he was a kid- and he's happy. I sold it for the estate of a close friend and thought it would be tough selling a luxury car with a stick shift. Not at all. Several responses and sold in three days! Check the last lines. RARE BIRD !!!  2000 Lincoln LS 4door with a 5-speed. Yes, a stick and a clutch in a luxury car.  "Drive me to drinkin' with that HotRod Lincoln". This is not my car. I am selling it as a favor for the estate of one of my oldest friends who passed away 3 weeks ago. I got it for him in the first place, and finding one is no small feat. This is from the period when Ford owned Jaguar and this is basically a Jaguar S-Type with American electrics. Quick, agile, comfortable, actually defines the overworked term "Sports Sedan". I obtained it for Bob in December, 2001. He was always a car guy and when he passed he owned a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville (stick) that he purchased new, a 39 Ford street rod, a 67 Eldorado convertible, a 2016 Accord EX-L daily driver and others  He was a mechanical advice columnist for the national Cadillac Club newsletter. He was an expert on auto maintennce and any inspection of this Lincoln will show what good and regular care can do for a car. He was more than that- he was **bleep** about his cars. He always bought a "beater' to drive in the winter and kept his babies in the garage in any inclement weather, The brake calipers and rotors, always first to rust, are shiny like they are two months old. This is a great road car- before he became ill he and his lady friend would drive the Lincoln on long summer trips to visit car mueums and used it to once drive the length of Route 66. Actual 80, 571 miles, looks like 5000. Body, finish and interior sparkle like it's one year old instead of twenty. Perfect? No, the only defect I can find is the A/C needs a recharge. That's it. Tires, brakes, all mechanical and cosmetics excellent. Bad news? If you only have one leg or are a just plain shiftless person you won't be able to drive this. We want to get you in our clutches. Get on the stick and see what mint means. ... View more

From experience, if you get a car made by PSA and FCA you better belong to AAA. ( I have a Doctorate in Automobiles from Charred Tush University.) ... View more

There's an old saying, "The best makeup on a woman looks like she isn't wearing any". ... View more

Having been a used imported car dealer for over 60 years, where do I start? Here's a few.    Getting ready to restore a 1950 Riley 2.5, I found a parts car in St. Louis and had it trucked in. It arrived and wasn't a bad car but smelled gross. On the back of the driver seat was a map pocket. Sticking out of it was the remains of a cat that chased a mouse into the pocket. It had the mouse in its mouth but couldn't extricate itself from the pocket. God knows how long it had been there.    I often buy cars in Florida. I fly with my wife to pick them up and spend a few days, sort of a working vacation, and often invite friends along. I bought a Honda HR-V with low miles and nice. Quite happy with it but I kept seeing motion out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't see anything when looking closely. This went on for a week in Florida plus a couple of days to drive home. After I got back to my business we took the car apart to detail and under each of the covers over the bolts holding down the seats was a nest of roaches. We took the seats and carpets out and thoroughly cleaned them all but I never told my wife and friends what they had been sitting in for days.   I bought an old Cadillac at an auction about 100 miles away for a friend who also was a dealer. I drove it back for him but was embarrassed since it was a pink metallic with oversize wheels that looked like a drug dealer's car but that's what he dealt in.  As I drove along the freeway I felt the center armrest and found a slit in the armrest side. Idly sticking my fingers in I found a loaded nickle-plated .38 snub-nose revolver. I guess it didn't just look like a drug dealer car, it was.   There are lots more but these are ones that stick out in my mind. ... View more

Folks used to joke, quoting the Honda advertising of the time, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda"- and the horniest hillbillies on a Harley. ... View more

Let me qualify this comment that it was narrated to me by a close friend who got it from his friend, a top manager in the Allante project. The first pre-production car was flown from Turin to Detroit and finished to test drive. The first concern was noise and leakage where the top met the top of the windshield, quite unacceptable. So they flew it back to Turin for a design correction. It came back the following week and seemed acceptable. The manager said they were curious how Pininfarina had corrected it so fast and what was done. They pulled back the trim and there was the solution in the header, Newspaper was stuffed into the front of the top. ... View more

My bodyman's son is in the Air Force and works in the ground crew for C-5 Galaxy transports. The Air Force was ready to ground all the C-5s because the nose wheels were locking up and they didn't know why- but it was dangerous. This young man who grew up working on cars showed them how to jack up the nose wheels and spin them while holding a screwdriver to the hub and to his ear, thus verifying that it had a bad wheel bearing. The hi-tech experts were dumbfounded at this "revelation" and he got an award for saving the taxpayers who-knows how much money. Sometimes the old fashioned basics are the best as mentioned above. ... View more