Recently, my only truck-owning friend had a bumper sticker that read, "Yes, I have a truck. No, you can't borrow it." On the other hand, 20 years ago, I asked an elderly black neighbor if I could borrow his truck to move a shed to another neighbor's house. By the time I got home, he had pulled into my back yard and was loading it up.  ... View more

The Fit lives on in its cute-ute offspring, the HRV - same basic size and "magic seat," but taller and 500 extra cc's. Flip up the rear cushions and it's the perfect vehicle for old dogs - after I built a low step, mine could walk right it. Otto's gone now, but I still love my Ottomobile.  ... View more

Scouts sold petty well in Michigan's Upper Peninsula when I was growing up in the 1960s. Some doctors even splurged on their Suburban-competitor big brother, the Travelall. I remember radio ads with the mini-jingle:  "International Scout! Anything else .. is just a car."  ... View more

Tony Lapine worked on Corvettes and (to my eye) improved on them when he designed the Opel GT not long after "Generous Motors," as he called it, sent him to Germany. But when I interviewed him in the early 1980s he never mentioned being inspired by the Pacer!  ... View more