March 25: Strange times

These are certainly strange, frightening and worrisome times. There must be something I can blog about, that will bring a smile to your and my faces and make us forget about today's world for a few minutes. Ok, let me give it my best shot.

Start with one plain Jane old Fiat sedan, the 124........

Back in its day (from 1966 to 1974), this car provided good, solid transportation for those pasta loving Italians and once it was time to end production in its home country, the 124 started showing up just about everywhere, like Poland, Russia, Turkey, India and other countries, being built under licence almost to the current day.

So what? Just a regular sedan. Nothing objectionable at all.  But, if this was Fiat's Jekyll, take a look at their Hyde for our Humourous Car of the Day shot........

 

This is the 1958 Fiat 600 Multipla Mirafiori. Strange in the extreme. Build a few to transport VIP's around the Fiat works back in its day. Give them a laugh.

Good ol' Fiat, always up for a good time, when it came to design. In case you were wondering, the glass top was easily removed, so that Fiat's visitors wouldn't bake under that clear roof......

 

Interesting fact..........the bumpers were made of wood! Go figure (please).

Lest you think that this was just a bad day in the design studios, Fiat also made the Marinella......

Ok, I hear you, "Barry, these were way back in the fabulous '50's, when many and any strange thing was built in the name of fashion(?) or whatever future those wacky designers envisioned.".

No so fast with those comments, as Fiat apparently loves to have the Multipla held up for ridicule or comic relief, as this recent model shows.......

If you are reading this blog while eating, I apologize. Picture the designer sitting back, looking at their sketches and saying, "What a beauty!". Of course, not every design has to be a beauty contest winner, but what were they thinking??? This one would even be passed over for the Miss Congeniality award.

Yeah, I know, designers have bad days (weeks, months, years?), so let's finish off with one Fiat that looks so good, that maybe all those other images will be washed from your memory banks......

But maybe not!

Until next time and please stay safe........

March 17: 2/3 of a good car show

What better way to start my St. Paddy's Day blog than with the emerald green(?) "Brutally Sexy" out of South Carolina.

This low and slow, but somewhat strange looking custom truck was built for the 2019 Hot Wheels Legends Tour. You build a car to compete with other customs, show up at the Las Vegas' SEMA Show in November and whoever wins, gets their creation reproduced as a Hot Wheels. And of course, bragging rights. A good way to spend a few hundred thousand bucks advertising your company, in this case Chad's Custom Dreams. Hey, it got me to write about it.

This car showed up at last weekend's Motorama Custom Car show in Toronto. Running from Friday to Sunday, but that terrible virus shut it down a day early, so this was 2/3rds of a good show. Lots of interesting stuff.

My favorites of the show? A knock off of the good guys' car in that '70's cult classic Two Lane Blacktop (Google it)...........

......and my favorite wheel of all time, another classic, the Torq Thrust........

 Where else but at a custom car show would you see things like this from Indiana..........

An old Soviet military vehicle? Not quite, this is a 1956 Volvo military car or something with a million mods. Called Sugga (Google it as well). A perfect ride for Indiana Jones.

Other oddities, from this rat rod truck of some sort........

 ........to this strange custom, probably based on a '30's car and created out of a drug induced haze.......

..........to this very powerful rod made to look like a spark plug.........

Dumb? Ingenious? Absolutely and also very creative, but this is what turns up at these custom car shows. Also an exhibition of guys building a stockcar, that they hoped to finish during the show. Fat chance, but by Saturday evening, they might have gotten 2/3rds of it done.

And what show would be complete without a few vehicles mounted on tasteless, but wildly extravagant rims? No picture could do these 24 inchers justice. Luckily I wasn't eating at the time.

No matter what I write or ridicule, you just can't argue with the craftsman (person) ship that goes into these creations.......

A good way to spend two or three hours of my leisure time last Friday wandering aimlessly around with a friend, checking out creations from the sublime to the absolutely nuts. Tiring? To a point. This tiring........

Not really, but this dead to the world pooch, put his trust in his fellow person that he wouldn't be stepped on as he slept the morning away.

Until next time.........

This brings up a question of when "next time" will be? I'll do my best to maintain my weekly schedule, but in these strange times, one never knows what the next day will bring.

Keep well. Stay safe.

March 10: Cadillac Ascending? Descending?

There was a time when Cadillac ruled the world. No, really.

Every social climber or pretend shooter (including yours truly) had to have a Caddy to show that they had arrived. Every tinpot dictator was driven in a Caddy, before Mercedes arrived back on the scene. When one of my brother's friend's dad got a new Caddy in good ol' lunch bucket Saint John, New Brunswick, it was big news. Might have been the only one in town. When I was a buyer at Sears' (remember them?) head office in downtown Toronto, both the chairman and the president had chauffeured, dark blue Fleetwoods. And little shooter, Barry, drove a Coupe de Ville. No paltry Lincoln for us.


The good old days (seriuously?), when GM ruled the car world and could do no wrong. Or at least, if they did, it would be swallowed up by all their rights.

Long for those times, Bucko? No coronavirus or crazy Saudi prince wrecking havoc on the planet. No US president, who should be run out of office on a rail or just given a bus ticket back to New York city.

Come now, get serious, things are pretty good these days. But back to Cadillac. I wonder what they are thinking?

Seems Cadillac has a hard time doing most things right these days. From once being on the very top of the mountain, with the pretenders not even at base camp, they are working hard to make themselves viable yet again. Quick, name a Cadillac model. If you said Escalade, join the thousands who think that is the only Caddy worth driving. Their sedans, once the mainstay of everyone's car business, are hunting for a market.

Check out these two Cadillac models.........

2018 ATS

2020 CT4

The top one is the well reviewed ATS introduced way back in 2013. Great car. I had one and loved it. Needed more back seat room, but so did its competition. Strong initial sales followed up by year after year of diminishing returns, so it was cancelled in 2018. Nice try, Cadillac.

But was it really cancelled? Change some trim and rename it the CT4 in the bottom picture.

Same car, but with the current Caddy grille and taillights. Who knew? Still trying to ascend to the entry level luxury car podium. Maybe knock off one of the perennial favorites, BMW, Mercedes and Audi? Tough job, folks, but give Cadillac a couple of gold stars for trying.

Of course, their real star is the all new (over worked car business term, but in this case accurate), CT5.....

Something not quite right about the design in my opinion, but at least it stands out. Can it replace the once popular CTS? Very good question, BT, but we'll have to wait for that answer.

These two are valiant efforts, but anyone who is half awake and not quarantined, knows that to make it in today's car world, one has to be flogging a truck, i.e. an suv. Or several. Cadillac is trying............

XT4

XT6

XT5

A plethora of suvs, one for every size, budget, taste. And these don't include the Grand Marshal of Cadillac's suv armada. The Big Kahuna. The star of every red carpet photo shoot. A drum roll, please........

Of course, I'm referring to the darling of the BIG suv class, the Escalade. Comes in two sizes, but one enormous status. In most driveways of the wealthy, this behemoth will stand beside and overshadow one of the German luxo trio sedans. Would its owner ever consider a Cadillac sedan to accompany it? Unlikely. About as unlikely as Trump giving Putin a good hard slap, instead of a passionate embrace.

The latest news from Cadillac? Last week they unveiled, but only to journalists, their new line up of EVs. No cameras allowed for these soon to be released (end of 2020) new models. Models to help push Cadillac closer to the top of buyers' thoughts, when a new luxomobile is being considered.

Cadillac is trying hard to re-establish their brand, but if they are ascending, will they ever reach the greatness of the past, when ads like this were their norm.......

Until next time........

March 3: Mexican Bentley?

Hands up all you readers who have heard of Laguna Bacalar. 

 Of course, I can't see you, but I'm fairly confident in saying that almost everyone is sitting on their hands. Mexico is one of my favourite sun vacation spots and most of our trips have been to the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mayan Riviera. My point? Never in all my time there have I ever heard of the Yucatan's Lake Bacalar.

Now to cars, everyone has heard of Bentley...........

.........but have you heard of the Bentley Bacalar. Neither had I until the past couple of days, when this ultra exclusive new model was supposed to be unveiled at the ill fated Geneva Auto Show. Now logic tells me that Laguna Bacalar, which is five hours south of Cancun, must be one very fancy and exclusive locale. Bentley doesn't name their cars after landfills.

How exclusive? More about that in a moment, let's see what this Bacalar looks like.........

Yes, it's gorgeous, so that Mexican laguna must be pretty awesome as well. Some stats.......the power plant generates a what used to be impressive 650 hp, but don't expect to ever see one at your local or any other drag strip. Forget about calling your financial adviser, since only twelve are being built and all have been spoken for. No doubt a couple for the Sultan of Brunei, then some Arab sheiks and maybe one for Drake. Dammit! The price? Actually it's a relatively economical $1.9 million US. Less than those ubiquitous Bugattis.

 A family auto? Possibly, if your family is made up of hobbits, who don't mind sitting on the rear package shelf, since this rare auto is for two of the beautiful people and only two. When was the last time you saw a two seater Bentley? Maybe long before I was born. Another distinct feature? No top. Bring an umbrella and a stylishly shady chapeau.

As expected the interior is ne plus ultra, using trim of 5000 (!!!) year old river wood. Relax, Bentley didn't butcher some ancient tree for the Bacalar, this stuff was found on the ground. Who looks for trees like this and thinks, "Oh, this will work."? And where would you look for a 5000 year old wood lot, anyway? 

 Seeing a car like this makes me realize that I've wasted my time making a meagre living, when I should have been inventing a new cell phone or a super quick delivery system or even discovering rap. Oh well, a life well wasted.

Can't afford the car? How about a vacation in Bacalar? A quick check shows reasonable accommodation, so at least, when someone mentions this Bentley, you can reply, "Of course, I've vacationed in Bacalar, but I needed a four seater car."

Or you can call Bentley and get your name on the list for their next exclusive ride.

Until next time......