“Yeah, man…I mean, I LIKED football and all, but cars are just movin’ today, son. It’s like this; the rain comes, dampens everything a bit, but it always clears. Sure, we got puddles to deal with, but we also got these Ford F350s to roll right through those puddles. It’s just like our industry. Tough as nails for a bit, sure, but now we’re feeling alright.” Continue reading
Author Archives: Steve K
Nissan to Offer Datsuns at Ridiculously Low Prices
To begin with, let’s offer a pinch of perspective about the emerging markets that Nissan is planning on reintroducing the Datsun to. Back in 2010, 808 people out of 1,000 owned a car here in the U.S. In India, only 38 did. As an automotive executive, that 770 person gap makes your mouth water (and makes environmentalists very nervous at the same time). Continue reading
Automakers May Begin to Focus More on Hybrid Technology
The advantages of electric vehicle cars over their gasoline and diesel-engine brethren (quick-snap acceleration, sleepy quiet riding, and Market Basket-cheap operating costs), haven’t been enough to win over consumers. Automakers have taken notice, and may decrease development significantly. Continue reading
Sly New Fuel-Saving Trick About to Make Its Way Into Newly Manufactured Vehicles
For those of you of the cab riding persuasion in green American cities, you should be aware of this trick because of all those stops and starts from signs and lights. Continue reading
FREE October ARC Test Drive Event Features Over 100 Models
The ARC Test Drive inaugural Test Drive Event at Riverhead Raceway is (literally) speed dating with cars. And, even better, all the potential mates are trophies. Continue reading
Luxury Automakers Bet on Sports, Help Fund Washed-Up NFL Stars’ Poor Buying Decisions
If you’re a sports fan, get ready to see a whole lot more of BMW and Mercedes on your television screen over the next 18 months. The companies are using big-time sports as an advertising platform, leveraging the gotta-see-it-live nature of sports-watching to their advantage. Continue reading
New Jersey Considers Ticketing For Unharnessed Pets in Cars
New Jersey’s state revenues are $100 million short of budget projections. The state has the country’s second-highest mortgage delinquency rate, and its credit rating was just cut by Standard and Poor’s. Continue reading
Nine New Models (of the Brand Spanking Type) From Buick and GMC
Buick and GMC are doing pretty well out there in the rough and tumble auto industry. So far this year, both GM brands have sold a combined 400,000 new vehicles. If this pace continues for the brands, each will record its third consecutive year of sales increases. There are also some other interesting things occurring for Buick and GMC. Continue reading
Report Finds Children Follow Their Parent’s Driving Habits
Our country and culture are not above egregious public service announcements. NBC’s “The More You Know”, anything spoken by Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe on MSNBC, and billboards come to mind. Continue reading
Ford to Recall Its Edge Crossover
I can’t stand Aerosmith and Steven Tyler is obnoxious. So it follows that writing about the Ford Edge inevitably pushes the internal play button on Aerosmith’s 1993 hit “Livin’ on the Edge” in my head (it was, incidentally, Aerosmith’s most successful single on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, reaching #1.) Continue reading
Companies Begin to Charge For Electric Vehicle Charging
In business school, professors like to proclaim that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” I hated that saying (and still do), because Boston University gave us a bunch of free lunches when we had seminars or when they threw us happy hours. I also got a ton of free lunches when I worked for a mortgage company and everyone was buying all those houses back in 2002 and 2003; our parent company was making so much money we had catered lunches in our kitchens every day. It was magical. Continue reading