Why Every Car Loves Corrosion Prevention

Whether you live inland, on the coastline, in the mountains, in a village or in a city, whether your vehicle is new or used; rust is a very serious problem for you flashy BMW (Toyota, GM, Ford etc). As my pal William from Toronto rust proofing center rightly says - all cars are subject to at least one of the following factors; rain, snow, sleet, salty air, high humidity, rocksalt, home garage mold, wet roads, atmospheric and man-made chemicals, car washing liquids, etc. - all of which speeds up the corrosion of your vehicle considerably.

Even you have treated your vehicle with expensive anti-rusting products on the surface of the vehicle the problem is not so easy to solve. Apart from the surface, topside and underside panels present very vulnerable areas too. This is what you need rustchecking and rustproofing for.

As my friend William explains, rust proofing is the process of applying rust-inhibiting products, waxes or sealers to the topside, underside and inside of the vehicle's body as well as any other corrosion-risky areas. This is similar but not identical to undercoating which treats only the underside of the vehicle. Rust prevention is something that every vehicle loves and needs!

Be Smart When Choosing Your Car Insurance Provider

Choosing a car insurance provider is not like buying a sandwich or a new pair of shoes. Car insurance is a big commitment, a large expense, and potentially a major influence on your life. Choosing the wrong insurer or benefits package might cause you to pay far more than necessary, or even cost you thousands of dollars in the event of an accident.

First off, use every resource at hand when choosing an insurance provider. Ask your friends what company they use, but remember insurance premiums are highly individualized, and one company that gives someone you know a great deal might not do so for you. Buy New Car

There are dozens of popular internet sites devoted to car insurance advice. Do your research. See what the best options are for you, and follow up on them. Other websites will generate quotes for you from multiple insurers. Using these sites is a great way to see how different companies compare. You'll save a great deal of money by taking your time and finding the insurance company that offers you the most affordable package.

Almost every reputable company has a toll-free number you can call where you can talk to a representative. Don't be shy about using these numbers. If you have a question, call and ask. Any company that is worth considering should take the time to help you find out what you need to know. Plus, talking with a representative will give you a taste of how well a particular company treats their customers. New auto

Once you find an insurance provider that offers you a reasonable rate, be sure the company is reputable and the insurance package you are considering is worthwhile. Do a quick internet search and find out what people are saying about the company. Are you finding lots of negative comments? Are they treating their customers unfairly? Be sure the company of your choice has a good reputation. One company might seem like the best option because of its low price, but if they have poor customer service or have a policy of refusing claims, you may not be happy in the long run. New Hybrid Cars

Another important thing to consider when choosing a car insurance provider is what type of insurance you want. Different companies cater to different needs. Some serve people after a bargain. Others serve more demanding customers who are willing to spend more.

Know what your needs are. Are you driving an aging economy car? Then you might not want a full coverage package that costs a lot of money. Consider buying liability-only insurance from a low-cost insurer. Are you driving a brand-new luxury automobile? Then find an upscale insurer that will give you top-to-bottom comprehensive coverage.

Remember, nearly all provinces in Canada legally require drivers to have some form of auto insurance. Insurance is not to be taken lightly. Ignoring it altogether can cause you to get your car impounded, lose your driver's license or even be thrown in jail.

Taking the time to buy car insurance from a reputable, quality insurance company can potentially save you thousands of dollars and lots of legal trouble.

There is a lot of choice when it comes to picking an auto insurance provider. The biggest decision to be made is whether or not to utilize a broker, or to purchase insurance directly from an agent. The best solution is to get a lot of quotes before you make a decision.

The Reports of the Minivan's Death are Greatly Exaggerated

When I was a kid, most families had a station wagon. It was the symbol of family-mindedness. In the days before widespread use (and laws to enforce it) of child safety seats, having a station wagon told people that you had children.



Most wagons held four or five, but the real station wagons held eight or nine. One or two seats in the cargo area of bigger station wagons allowed two or three kids to sit in the “way back.” Some seats faced each other but the way to go was for those seats to face backwards allowing the kids to make faces and hand gestures (like the international symbol for truck drivers to blow their horn) at the rest of the traffic.



Chrysler’s last big wagon ended production in 1978 when their full-sized cars were downsized and offered only as sedans. GM and Ford kept the large wagon after their downsizing efforts in 1976 and 1978, respectively.



Both GM and Ford offered three sizes of wagons in those days. For young families just starting out, GM had the Chevrolet Vega and Pontiac Astre/Sunbird wagons while Ford had the infamous Pinto and Mercury Bobcat. Mid-sized wagons were large enough in those days to offer rear seats as options. But at the top of the heap were the Chevrolet Caprice, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, Pontiac Bonneville Safari, Buick LeSabre Estate, Ford LTD, and Mercury Marquis…the big nine-passenger people haulers.



And then the world changed in 1983.



The ailing Chrysler Corporation introduced the “maximum space passenger car.” Advertising called it the “Magic Wagon” and corporate engineering called it the T-115, but everyone knows it as the minivan.



Introduced as the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, the minivan turned the marketplace on its ear. It was styled like the full-sized Dodge and Plymouth vans but on a 3/5 scale. Like its larger brethren, the minivans had removable seats in the second and third row for better cargo capacity and a sliding door on the passenger’s side for better access in tight quarters. Like the station wagons it would come to replace, it was based on a car powertrain for better gas mileage, it had relatively compact dimensions so it would fit in a garage, and a low center of gravity for better handling.



Chrysler had an immediate success. The four-cylinder minivans got better gas mileage than the full-sized wagons from GM and Ford while still carrying up to seven passengers. GM and Ford were behind the times.



GM introduced the Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari while Ford brought out the Ford Aerostar. Instead of being “maximum space passenger cars,” the Big 2 came out with small vans. They were trucks, not cars.



Sales were good for GM and Ford, but not the overwhelming success that the minivans were for Chrysler. Traditionally an “also ran,” Chrysler held more than half of the marketplace for this new type of vehicle even after Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, and Mitsubishi joined the fray.



It took a few years before the other manufacturers actually understood what a minivan was. GM introduced the “dustbuster” minivans in 1989. Nissan and Mercury teamed up to sell the Quest and Villager starting in 1992. Ford followed with the Windstar in 1994. Chrysler had the corner on this market for over ten years before Toyota and Honda actually introduced similar minivans, and still Chrysler held the lead.



Aside from the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, Chrysler has had no serious competition in this market for nearly a quarter century. This segment sells about a million vehicles a year in North America and three manufacturers make up nearly all of it. Sure GM still makes minivans and Hyundai and Kia have tossed their hats into the ring, but the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country remain the best-selling and third best-selling nameplates in this field.



And everyone is proclaiming the death of the minivan.



Minivans have acquired a bad reputation. It’s not because of anything they do poorly, more to the point that they do something well…haul lots of kids. Everyone knows the “soccer mom” label that has been given to the drivers of minivans, and this has gained a negative connotation.



SUVs and, more so, “crossover utility vehicles” have been replacing minivans as the vehicle of choice for parents. These vehicles look more rugged (read: “outdoorsy”) and can have up to three rows of seats. They just fail to have the interior space or handling qualities of minivans. But the neighbors are typically more impressed by an SUV or CUV than a minivan, so utility loses out to prestige.



When people ask about vehicles to recommend, I refuse to name SUVs. Unless you’re going off-road or hauling something, these (typically) truck-based vehicles offer nothing to the average driver aside from bad gas mileage and a higher propensity for bad handling. CUVs only improve the gas mileage and handling slightly. But minivans usually top my list, especially if the person has multiple kids and/or large pets.



If someone takes my recommendation, I’ve done something to convince them of the utility benefits over the “soccer mom” branding. So far, everyone has been more than satisfied with their choices. And when the handymen of the group realize that a full sheet of plywood or drywall will fit inside of many minivans (something that most SUVs or CUVs cannot claim), they’re even happier with their choice.



Concepts by Ford (rejected) and Chrysler (delayed and then approved) became the 1984 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Today, their descendants are still the primary vehicle choice for families.



You can keep your Ford Edge and Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot. I’ll keep my Chrysler Town & Country. And whether I’m hauling kids or adults or plywood or a mattress, I’m sure I’ll be doing it easier and more comfortably than anyone in those newfangled CUVs.



The minivan is NOT dead yet.

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

On one automotive forum that I frequent, there is a discussion of which car brands should be the next to leave the US market. Poster after poster lists their choices and the reasons why they believe each should no longer sell their wares in the US. Most of the opinions are based on biases formed from personal experiences with these brands…some of which are quite out-dated. But it’s an interesting discussion.

My opinion, as a car fanatic, is that more is better than less. I’m an American and proud of it. I wish American manufacturers were not losing market share to the imports, but it’s not, in my opinion, completely undeserved. But I would not want any brands to go away to simply save a domestic brand name (domestic jobs, however, are another topic for another time).

With the Chinese brands knocking at the door, this discussion takes on added fervor. Many of the people involved in this discussion believe that the Chinese are the next wave of automotive competition to beat up the American companies, and I have to agree. Where the Japanese were laughed at just 40 years ago, today they’re among the most admired automotive manufacturers in the world. The Korean brands were in the same boat just 25 years ago and today Hyundai and Kia are respectable names in many parts of the world.

Along with a few Indian companies, Chinese companies are looking to the US for market expansion.

Many people have heard of Chery since they have been in the news for the past few years while they prepare to enter the US market. Today, Chrysler is working with Chery to produce an entry-level Dodge product for the US market. And Chery will take what they learn from Chrysler to become a global brand on their own.

There’s also Nanjing and Shanghai and Great Wall and Geely and a dozen others that are looking across the Pacific. Nanjing owns the MG brand and will, most likely, use that name in its global expansion. Shanghai has been working with Volkswagen and General Motors for a number of years to increase their hold on the Chinese market, but exports aren’t too far away especially since they bought out the Rover side of the former MG Rover company, but need to establish their own brand name (they’re currently using Roewe, almost pronounced “wrong way”) since the Rover name did not come with the package. Great Wall has light trucks and Geely has economy cars and both have eyes on the US market. Brilliance and Wuling and Landwind could be in the next wave as well.

But, from what I’ve seen, none of these companies are ready for the US market quite yet. The Japanese entered the US market with cars too small for American tastes but quickly tailored their products with US buyers in mind…and raised their quality to class-leading levels. The Koreans learned from the mistakes made by the Japanese and brought true entry-level product to the US. Although they made their own mistakes along the way, they were competitive players in just over 25 years from producing their first car (the Japanese took about 40 years. The Chinese seem like they’re on the 20 year plan, which would bring them to a competitive nature in just a few more years.

Once in a while, one of my cars impresses someone. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s a nice feeling that someone likes your choice of car. The only person who really matters about my choice of car is me. And that’s how it should be with everyone’s choice. The fact that I don’t care for a single guy buying a Ford SuperDuty just to commute to his office doesn’t matter as long as the owner of that big pickup likes his choice. This laissez faire attitude should extend to brand names as well. If Isuzu finds enough buyers for their products, more power to them…it’s a capitalist marketplace. Not too many would be sad to see Isuzu (or Mitsubishi or Suzuki or Buick or Mercury or…) go, but the reduction in choice would be a sad thing.

So here’s hoping that we see a return of Alfa Romeo (discussed for a year or two from now), Citroen and Peugeot (oft-rumored), Fiat, and MG. Perhaps then the Americans can bring back Duesenberg and Packard and Stutz and AMC and Edsel and…

Okay, maybe I've gone a bit too far.

Me, My Father, and My MG

One late December afternoon, my friend and I were driving around rural Bedford County Pennsylvania. It was winter break from college and we were exploring. We were driving on roads I was vaguely familiar with since my summer job working with PennDOT. And this was a particularly out-of-the-way region of the county.

We passed under an old brick railroad overpass and emerged to find a nice little house situated there. Aside from it being an older home with a little porch out front and a garage out back, I don’t recall too many details about it. I do, however, remember the little car parked in the yard right next to the road.

Snow covered the faded orange MG Midget. The body had some rust, but was in good condition. The roof had a hole about 18 inches across where snow could cover the vinyl seats. The inspection sticker expired a year earlier and the useless rear window sported a University of Miami sticker.

It was love at first sight. “It needs me,” was my first thought. But I was just a poor college student.

A few months later, school was over for the year and I was working in a local quarry. My bank account sported a positive balance in the triple digits. And my mind returned to that house next to the railroad tracks in Everett. I had to find it.

I retraced my steps and found the MG just as before, but this time without the snow. The home owner told me the whole story of the car.

Mr Ritchey’s daughter had purchased this car and used it for a few years. She parked it in the yard and there it sat for years. A gentleman purchased the car for $400 but could not drive it away. Another failed attempt to take it left the car as an oversized lawn ornament in Mr Ritchey’s property. Until I arrived.

I was given the name and address of the car’s owner and I promptly contacted him. My letter, in my best legal-ese, stated the current state of affairs. This poor car had been left at Mr Ritchey’s house and was the responsibility of the new owner. Mr Ritchey, as I so eloquently wrote, could have the car removed at the new owner’s expense. And I felt that it was in his best interest to sell it to me for $250; a $150 loss to him.

My letter was mailed on Monday. On Friday of that week, the owner of the car called me. He had moved away from the address I was given and the US Postal Service had taken all of three days to find him. He accepted my offer with no conditions. We planned to meet the very next day.

All of this planning had been made without the knowledge of my parents. I was old enough to buy a car, but I didn’t think my parents would appreciate this project car darkening their doorstep.

Just as I was planning to make the roadtrip out to buy the car, I told my mother. Since I didn’t have a checking account, she took my $250 and wrote a check for the same amount. And, against her better judgement, she sent me on my way.

The following Tuesday, I had planned on having the car delivered to my friend’s house where I would work on it. That afternoon, my mother called me at work to request that I tell my father about the car.

Let me back up a step or two.

My father was a powerful man. He stood only about 5’10 but his rounded chest hid his 220-pound heft. He experienced many ups and downs to that point from plucking chickens for a living to his position as Captain of the State Police. I learned much from his past experiences and I tried to show my maturity by demonstrating that I’ve listened to (and heard) all of his stories and warnings. But my father was not a car person and only tolerated my love of all things automotive.

I called Dad. I explained that I had purchased a car and that I wanted to have it brought home. He immediately went into defensive position.

What did I pay for it? How could he complain about a $250 car that I had an MG expert look at?

Did I have a notary sign the proper documents? Yes…the seller and I found a notary and that’s where the money changed hands.

How was I getting the car moved there and how much did I pay for it? I hired a rollback truck to haul the car about 10 miles for $10 (this still astounds even me).

He had no more questions. He said, “bring it home.” And so I did.

I arrived just seconds before the car. My father walked out of the house with his stern look of disapproval. I had nothing but a shi---, er, crap-eating smile on my face.

The poor little car was off-loaded and parked in front of the house. And then my father took charge.

He moved the car to the backyard. We immediately put it up on cinderblocks and took off the tires. We surveyed the car to find out what our next steps should be.

We removed a wasp’s nest. We removed the old carpeting and seats. Replaced the battery and transmission. Replace a burned valve. Replaced the carpeting and various other old pieces.

We eventually got it running. Those moments working on or driving that car with my father will always stay with me. My father passed away a number of years ago but I still have that car.

The car still talks to me just like it did when I first saw it that December afternoon. It yells from its shed (which itself cost a few times more than all of the money I’ve put into the car) to take it out and drive it around. It’s currently on its third “restoration” since I’ve owned it. And I plan to drive it around in memory of my father. While it was my first car, it was his last.

If you see a faded orange MG puttering around with its driver smiling ear-to-ear, give me a thumb’s up!

Another Saturday, Another Car Show

“Put 100 cars in a parking lot and I’ll have a good time.” This is my standard answer when someone asks what I thought of a particular car show.

In most areas, you can find three or four car shows in any given weekend. You can probably find a dozen or more within driving distance on any particular Saturday between May and September in the United States. Unfortunately, I have other things in my life that prevent me from attending each and every one of the shows that are within range in this rather car-show-rich region. So I get rather picky about the shows I attend.

Among my favorites are the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the Burn Prevention Concours d’Elegance of the Eastern United States, the Fall AACA Meet and flea market in Hershey (Pennsylvania), and three particular Carlisle shows.

I have a special place for the Burn Prevention show. It remains one of the best Concours events in the United States even though new shows of this type are popping up left and right. In 2000, I was honored when I was asked to judge at this show. For the next six years, I worked the field judging the vehicles in attendance and it’s a great way to view these cars; especially when you are teamed with one or two other car fanatics who see things you miss (and vice versa).

When I judge a car show, I want to disagree with my fellow judges. As the first judge announces that his/her choices are car A, car B, and car C, I just want to offer another choice by pointing out the significant points of car X or car Y. Like I said, these are car fanatics and usually the best cars are car A, car B, and car C and cars X and Y are not nearly as nice. But when you can persuade a fellow judge to see your point of view, it just boosts your confidence in your judging and debating skills.

This year, I was unable to attend and judge the Burn Prevention show. As I was realizing this, I started looking for other shows that could replace it in my schedule. I couldn’t possibly go an entire summer without a concours event, could I?

Fortunately, there was another regional car show. The five-year-old York County Heritage Trust Concours d’Elegance fit into the calendar just right. I contacted the show and found that my judging background could be of assistance to them as well.

My team of judges included an architectural and automotive restorer and a former public relations person for a few import brands. As is always my desire, I was able to learn quite a bit from these two very knowledgeable gentlemen. Details about Rolls-Royce and Porsche flowed in my own private little automotive history class.

Our category was European cars after World War II. The cars listed in our category that intrigued me most included the Lotus Cortina and Jaguar saloon, the latter of which never actually made it to the show. A couple of Volvos and a Jaguar were also in the group. But the stand outs were a white Bentley S2 sedan and a 1976 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible.

The Bentley and Rolls-Royce were obviously in a class by themselves and picking a winner between them came down to nit-picky things. Both cars were in spectacular condition; the Bentley was fully restored while the Rolls-Royce was all original.

Positive aspects of the Rolls-Royce included a few that I saw as negatives. The owner told us that the 1,800-mile car had never been in the rain and the car’s top had never been put down. My thoughts go back to a long-held mantra of mine: “if you’re not going to drive it, sell it to someone who will.” Cars are meant to be driven. While some of them might be pretty…some can even be considered to be artwork…they’re still just transportation. Driving them is part of the enjoyment of ownership. A convertible top that has never been folded is like having a piece of chocolate that you can’t eat.

As we continued to look at all of the cars to pick Best of Show, we came across a classic Cadillac V16. This long black Caddy had all of the makings of a show winner. Lines of a car that manufacturers couldn’t possibly produce (which is why the body was custom-built by a coachbuilder). Engineering that was absolutely unique to the time period and featured a 45-degree V16 engine. Seven-passenger seating in some of the opulent materials of the day. In our minds, this was the winner.

And that was set in our minds for about five minutes. After we passed a classic Chrysler and a Wills St. Claire, there it was: a French Vanilla 1948 Delahaye. The body of the Delahaye 135 was built by Figoni & Falaschi which made the car a standout. Chrome mouldings wrapped from below the car up over the tail of the car on each fender with an accent like a spit curl coming in from each trim piece. It was an award-winning exterior, but that wasn’t what cinched it for us.

We peeked into many cars that Saturday morning. Interiors of cars of the 1930s and 1940s are considerably different those of today. Where today’s interiors are all about safety and ergonomics, cars of 50 and 60 years ago featured styled interiors. Some of the interiors of these show cars turned metal dashboards and one even had an attractive design with simulated sunbeams radiating from an imagined sun just below the center of the dashboard. But the Delahaye had the most unique treatment.

Gazing across the instrument panel, you noticed that each and switch or knob, even the tiny steering column-mounted shift lever, was Lucite. The almost-crystal-looking features gave a ghostly appearance to the dashboard. But over on the right side of the interior was a large steering wheel, which, except for the center hub, was entirely Lucite. This was the hands-down winner for us. And most of the other judges must have agreed since it did take the title of Best of Show.”

While these fantastic marvels of opulence are the most expensive vehicles at a concours event, they’re not usually the reason why I enjoy them. The biggest draw for me comes in the form of the rare cars that attract fewer people. Vehicles like the odd-ball Thrif-T three-wheeler presented as being so rare that the owner couldn’t find out how many had been produced by the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Tri-Wheel Motor Corporation.

Four themes were evident. First was the featured designer Giugiaro who created the original Volkswagen Golf (known in the US as the Rabbit), the infamous Delorean, and a number of exotics from Maserati and Iso. Second was the featured year of 1957 represented by Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth models. Third was the anniversary of the New York to Paris race where an American Thomas Flyer, similar to the one on display, won. And because this show was in York, a local flavor was also spun into the gathering. Four locally built Pullman cars and the locally built Hart-Kraft truck.

When you go to one of these car shows, you could accidentally learn something. Whether it’s an appreciation for the beauty of these cars or the history lesson that comes from hearing how or why some of these vehicles came into being, a day at a car show is more than just walking around and looking at cars. And if you’re like my judging partner, it can become a day where you can bond with your child. Someday I hope to pass my love and appreciate for all things automotive to my children. In the meantime, I can just encourage others to take your kid to a car show.

Perhaps I can get a few more people to enjoy car shows like I do. And maybe I’ll encourage another group of people to put their “100 cars in a parking lot” where I and many others can “have a good time.”

Oh, the People You Will Meet!

The September issue of Car and Driver arrived the other day and one particular road test gave me a flashback.

I’ve been working in and around the automotive industry for a number of years and it always amazes me that there is such a wide variety of abilities in the people who are supposed to be the face to the public and the media. There are people who you will go out of your way to see at every event and there are people you will avoid as if your life (and more importantly, your sanity) depended on it. I remember a woman who worked at Honda that everyone spoke of in only the most glowing terms and there were similar people Subaru and Ford. But unfortunately, it’s the people on the other end of the spectrum who you tend to remember the most.

This particular issue of Car and Driver features a test of a Slovakian kit car that looks quite exotic. So exotic, in fact, that I went out of my way to catch a look at one a snap a picture or two.

I was walking around a car show where the K1 Attack was shown. As I walked over, I noticed that someone was being interviewed just in front of the car. The videographer was setting up so I quickly snapped a picture before they were ready for the camera to roll.

As I walked away, the interviewer tried to impress his interviewee by making some disparaging remark about any shmo with a camera, obviously trying to put himself on a plane higher than me. He was obviously younger than me so I was to assume that, unless he had being interviewing people since he was in diapers, I had more experience than him. But because I didn’t have an entourage or a broadcast-quality video camera, I must be one of the unwashed masses. I felt secure enough that I didn’t have to flash the media credentials in my pocket just to make myself feel important.

And because I’m a nice person, I didn’t embarrass this cub reporter in front of his “big interview.”

Now, as I’m reading what I’ve written, I feel like you, the reader, are going to get the wrong idea of me. I love working in this industry. Aside from that rare person, I’ve enjoyed the company of most automotive people (media, PR, and others) that I’ve met along the way. I do not, in any way, want you to think that I think highly of myself, because I don’t.

But when others put me down, I will get a bit defensive.

There’s a pecking order in this industry, and you’re made aware of it quite often. There are precious few people you must bow down to, but you also know that your experience and stature places you on a certain rung of the ladder. Just because you have a cameraman with you doesn’t put you near the top and just because you carry a lowly digital camera doesn’t mean you’re on the ground floor.

If I were to run into you at a car show, I would treat you just as you would treat me. If you’re taking a picture, I will step back and help prevent others from stepping into your frame. But I would hope to have you treat me just the same. When someone acts as if they’re more important than anyone else around them, they’re not going to get any special treatment from me.

I’ve been surprised by the people who are nice to me and sometimes equally surprised by the people who weren’t.

There was a gentleman from a Washington DC TV station. You wouldn’t know him to see him, but if you lived in the area, you would know his voice. We ran into each other a few times and each time he would re-introduce himself as having “an old car and a young wife,” and then proceed to show me a picture of his ’59 Rolls-Royce.

Another car show, another DC personality. I was fighting through a crowd at the New York Auto Show, looking down and trying my best not to step on anyone’s feet, when I caught a glimpse of a name tag. I read “John Harter” and I immediately remembered that I watched his on-air road tests on WJLA. I told him that I watched him every week and he replied by joking that he thought only his mother watched.

I was reporting on an awards ceremony where a rather famous and prolific automotive writer was honored. After I took his picture, I told him that he had authored the first automotive book I was ever given. He is quite the writer so he started to name off some of his most important works, but I just answered no. When I named the book, he laughed and said, “the funny thing is, I don’t remember writing that one.” Apparently, the book had been culled together from various pieces he wrote so he never specifically sat down to write that book, but we had a laugh about it.

These are the people you want to meet. These are the people who make the automotive industry so dynamic and interesting. From the most experienced CEO to most-knowledgeable historian to the private car collector to the budding enthusiast, there’s nothing quite like the automotive world.

I wish I could introduce you to some of the people I’ve met along the way. Some are funny (intentionally or not), some are scholarly, many are respectful, and all add some color to the world. And you can meet some of them on your own; just visit a local car show or cruise night. You’re bound to find some colorful people there. And then you’ll have a few stories of your own to share. I’d love to hear them!