September 29: Happy Birthday, Chevy

How many of us will get to celebrate their 100th birthday? While you ponder that, let's celebrate that milestone birthday for Chevrolet trucks. Born in 1918 and over 80% of them are still on the road. Ok, that last bit is a slight(?) exaggeration, but in line with what most truck ads seem to state these days. Anyway, the old Chevy has seen one hundred years of truck changes and progress. Changes? Yeah, there have been a few. That old workhorse has gone from being an old workhorse to, in some cases a fashion statement. Who would have thought that back in 1918, when the local farmer started loading hay bales or pigs into his new Chevrolet? Ah progress.

Yep, the old Chevy doing what it was meant to do..........

........and what it has morphed into over its lifetime. It can be a fancy pants around town ride.......

..........or a rough and tough truck for a gun totin' good ol' boy........

Either way or as a basic work truck, the American pick-up and specifically the Chevy has a lot to celebrate. A bit of history, if you please......

A thumb nail shot of some of the changes this good old truck has had over the years, but really it was in the late '50's , that the car companies realized that there might be a place for a pick-up that was something more than just a work vehicle, enter the Cameo Carrier.......

A truck, that would never see duty on a farm or a construction site, but might very well show up at an antique sale, picking up a nice used divan for that testy old aunt Martha, who would never buy anything new.

And then in 1960, real style showed up on the trusty Chevy truck.......

Looking a little space age, but hey, this was 1960. Those strange shapes at the front of the hood were supposed to get folks used to headlight designs of the near future. Well, it took a while longer, but they weren't too wild compared to what we see today. But you can see that this truck was showing its social side.

Now, I know that comparing things from a few years ago is like being on another planet, but it's still interesting to compare. I just know you are dying to see how the interiors of these trucks have changed over a few decades.......

Did a Cadillac look this good back in the day? Heck, does one look this good today? Jump in this and head out to the country club, because you sure ain't going to dirty those butter soft leather seats or lovely carpets with anything resembling dirt.

Ah, yes, folks, Happy Birthday to an iconic pick-up truck. And to celebrate, Chevy is pulling out all the stops. Going over the top. Wild and crazy, might be an understatement, but those folks at Chevy are going to roll out what might be considered the biggest change to date........

For those of you who are not attuned to revolutionary, I'll tell you. On a couple of special editions, Chevy will use the classic bow tie emblem with the word Chevrolet within it. Just like long ago. Wow! Do those at Chevrolet know how to celebrate? I can hardly wait for the 200th.

Until next time........

September 26: What's up, Suzuki?

Think of Suzuki and what comes to mind? Probably if you are like 99.9% of us, this is the thought that is dug out of the far reaches of your cranium......

And being a Canadian, you would be correct to assume that Suzuki does nothing but cycles, after it packed up its meagre North American offerings and went back to its island home. And of course, you would be wrong. They wouldn't be the first car company to fail in the tough North American market. Around the world though, Suzuki has a varied product range of numerous four wheeled vehicles.

Looking elsewhere, we see some of the interesting cars and suvs that make Suzuki successful. Cars like the recently discontinued, darling little Alto Lapin........

Remember the Swift? You might, but not in its new set of clothes.......

Sold here as a Suzuki, a Chevrolet and a Pontiac, not too many North Americans think fondly of this little ride, that might best be described as better than taking a bus (depending, of course on your local transit system).  Seems to be popular everywhere, as I've seen many in Europe over the years. What's next? How about a hot hatch, the Swift Sport shown above? There's always room for more power.

Moving up a size, the new Baleno.......

Honda Civic sized and contemporary. Very nice lines, compared to say, the aforementioned multi-lined Honda. And, where would a Japanese company be without a tiny hatch? Say, something like Suzuki's Ignis.......

Cute? Sure and why not, cute sells. If it didn't, how would the tiny Jimny suv make its way in this world? Just enough room for the driver, a passenger and their thoughts about moving up to a bigger suv......

And being Suzuki fans, that bigger suv could be this S-Cross........

And with this one, there is room for the loving couple and their offspring, the result of that wild time on the beach, when they had their little Jimny. 

So, Suzuki is not just motorcyles. Moving ahead to the upcoming Tokyo Auto Show, it will show a full range of concepts, "full range" in this case meaning three........

Starting at the top and going clockwise..........Being hip to what is necessary in our new electrified world, Suzuki will show the e-Survivor, which looks kind of like something created for a Mad Max redo. Then another cute hatch, the Xbee. Just another cute hatch? Think again, as this one is supposed to be a junior rough and tough off roader with a Toyota FJ Cruiser vibe. Maybe, maybe not, but not to worry, as we won't be getting it or any of the other Suzuki's. And to top it off, another take on Suzuki's uniquely Japanese tall small van, the Spacia, now with an in your face big rig front end. Hard for anything this small to be in anyone's face.

Gone from Canada and probably forgotten, but this pic might jog a few brain cells loose.........

This was our first Suzuki from way back in the late '70's. Disappointed that this brand has now folded its tent of somewhat neat vehicles and left our shores? Unikely, but interesting to see what might have been, if North Americans took to Suzuki cars and suvs, like they have to its bikes.

Until next time......

September 22: Cars & Coffee (and jerks)

Cars & Coffee. Not sure how this whole thing got started, but I have a niggling memory, that I read something once about a few people in California (where else?), who would bring out their interesting rides and get together for coffee Saturday mornings. Nothing formal, just a few car enthused folks out for caffeine and a chat. Now this idea has spread around the world and even Jerry Seinfeld has a TV show called Cars & Coffee. I guess Cars & Coffee sounds cooler than Stanley's Speed Shop Cruze In. Or whatever. Nice idea. A get together of like minded people with cool cars of no particular year, make or model. Just good folks.

One more thing these get togethers have in common.......

Yes, dear reader, there should be a section specifically for jerks. I subscribe to several car sites and every other day amongst all the new car info, there will be a video, showing the heroics of some jerk, who while exiting their local Cars & Coffee event decides to put on a bit of a show. And why not, I ask you? You have a great car, a captive audience and the inability to show what your ride can do.

The result?

Ouch, that has got to hurt (the pocket book). Only multiple thousands of dollars damage, in front of only hundreds (if you are lucky) people. And to top it off, one gets to go viral. Does it get any better? Hard to imagine.

Cold tires. Cold pavement. Lots of power. Mucho ego. Bad combo, folks. And there always seems to be a median stripe or a tree nearby to end the drivers' good times, as they spin helplessly out of control to the thrill of the crowd......

Price major repairs to a Viper lately?

And it ain't just American muscle hitting that immovable object.........

I'm not an expert in body repairs or damage, but I'd guess that anytime a car's rear wheels point in another direction, one could be looking at a little more than a weekend repair. And being a Porsche, that costly vacation may just have to be put on hold.

And the classic, "Watch out, here I come!" pics.........

A bit of damage. A bit of terror. And hopefully no injuries, although spectators have not been immune to damage, when good things go bad.

 And what montage would be complete without a Camaro in the mix.......

Jerks. Why not leave your local Cars & Coffee gathering with a substantial amount of over revving, but (and here's a novel idea) back off the gas before heading onto the street and into "What an idiot!" territory? Along, of course, with viral proof in perpetuity.

Cars & Coffee........

What better way to celebrate your local car culture than with an opportunity to bite the hand that feeds you? Think there might be some restrictions to jerk-like behavior at next week's get together? Count on it.

Keep watching for those exciting Cars & Coffee exit videos, since as long as there are cars and people, I can guarantee there will be someone who didn't get the memo.

Until next time.......

September 19: Another brave move?

This is the newest arrival from a South Korean company, that is trying really hard to break into the luxury car market. Anyone who has read my blogs before or who professes to be any kind of a car person, knows that I'm referring to Hyundai. Tough road ahead guys, as only thirty years ago, things didn't look any too rosy for this company. A lot can happen in thirty years, just look at a few of the big car happenings....

1) GM declared bankruptcy
2) Oldsmobile and Pontiac close
3) Taurus was the best selling sedan in North America

And the list goes on and on. Hyundai has become a strong competitor with great quality and designs. Next step, a move into the luxury car market. Success? Possible? Probable? Everything is possible. Many things are improbable.

A history lesson, my friends. Remember this.......

Honda, the company everyone loved, introduces its entry into the luxury car market. Sold in separate showrooms, the Acura looked like a reasonable bet to succeed. Now back thirty years ago, no one had gone from humble beginnings to luxury car status or maybe even had aspired to to so. Where are they now? Struggling to find their place in the market for cars, but successful with two well respected suv's.

Another lesson from Toyota.........

Lexus has become the darling of those who like the idea of a luxury car as a sofa, an image they are working hard to change. Lexus has become the business school case study as a way to do things right, since they are the most successful of the "economy" brands to make the leap to sought after luxury name plate.

And then there is Nissan's Infiniti.......

Infiniti tried to sell to our heart strings. The initial ads showed rocks and streams and buds, but no cars. What did they think they were selling? A concept? An idea? Well folks, it sure wasn't a car, as the early sales showed. Infiniti has never really made the leap with anything but the G37, which after being established for many years in people's minds became the Q50. I'm in the car business, deal with these brands everyday and I'm still confused about which Infiniti is which.

And now with these other companies' successes and failures to emulate, Hyundai is making the leap to luxury status with the Genesis brand. Separate showrooms and very good cars. Some might say great cars. Next up, the camo'ed model shown above, the G70.......

 Just introduced at last week's Frankfurt show and enroute to North America next Spring as a 2019 model. Ready to take a run at BMW's 3 Series, Audi's A4 and Mercedes' C Class. For the time being, I'd hate to lead the lonely existence of a Genesis salesperson. Waiting expectantly for the next open minded client to come hesitantly thru the showroom's doors. Standing in line at the food bank, until sales ramp up enough to pay those never ending bills.

The big question.......can Genesis make the leap to luxury brand status for Hyundai? It's a rocky road, but they have plenty to history to follow. Whose sales will suffer due to the Genesis's success? With a strong corporate car face, good looks and great reviews (so far), this struggle will be fun to watch.

My advice? Get your Genesis, but lease it. Don't you dare take the risk of buying one. As always, time will tell.

Until next time......

September 15: Merry Old England, part 2

Question of the day......you have a palace, which has been your family home for years and you want to have a few folks over on the weekend. Now, keep in mind that you won't know most of these folks and they'll be roaming the grounds and the inside of your humble pile. What would be an excellent way to attract these commoners to your palatial digs? Great idea, hold an exotic car show. Those pricey rolling supercars will fit right in with your home's excessive early 18th century vibe.

So, here we were on the day after, just a week ago Monday, checking out the Churchill family's Blenheim Palace on the way to Oxford with our very long time British friends from Windsor (relax, it's not who you think). I love those old English estates, but this car guy's eyes lit up when we came across the remnants of the annual Salon Prive' (Google it) and what remnants. If I thought that chrome Lambo, shown in my last blog was something.......well, be still my heart.

To start, here was what I came across in the parking lot........

Just the car for the tree huggers amongst you, as this Porsche 918 is a plug-in hybrid. Save on your gas bill, even as you deplete your bank account to the tune of over a million bucks. Being a conservationist has its benefits.

Or how about a gem like this Jaguar concept........

Subtle in a "Hey, look at me!" way. How many of you even knew that this car existed?

Sick and tired of the traffic around around your local burg? Why not saddle up this track only Aston Martin Vulcan? By the way, this wild child has a Toronto connection, as some of the work on it was done by Multimatic, who also built the limited edition One-77.

Get away from the car, kid. That scratch will cost your folks your college education.

Favour a more streetable Aston and with a common place Ferrari thrown in?

Back to those, what I think are strange, European supercars, that go like a North Korean rocket, but have looks that are questionable at best and super ugly at worse. And who cares that Lewis Hamilton drives one?Expensive? Goes without saying, old chap.

 

And for those observant ones, you'll notice a couple of garden variety Ferrari F40's lulling in the background.

Koenigsegg? Rolls off the tongue like phegm on a "day after" morning, but high powered and high priced.........

Rare, of course, and just the car for those who live in a Ferrari infested 'hood.

What a treat for this car guy. Seeing cars that I'd never seen before and thought I never would. And, I also got to tour a very British estate. A nice compact 2000 acre spread in the English countryside. Who says this little island is over crowded?

All you Zagato lovers start drooling........

Another of those, "I didn't know it even existed." cars for many of you. Did I? Good question, but like the Jag concept, I think I've seen this one in one of my numerous strolls thru the inter web. Beautiful, beautiful car.

All I can say, is thank goodness, that I wasn't at the Blenheim Palace on Sunday. Keep those defibrillators handy, as supercar overload might well have stopped "this ol' heart of mine" (with thanks to the Isley Brothers). And special thanks to my loving wife and my good friends, who stood patiently by while I hyperventilated.

Merry old England! There's nothing like it.

Until next time........