WTF?

Fords...

The full explanation and more examples of "elastic cars" are here.

Speaking of "elasticity"...



"We had our cocktails and cigarettes."  Well, yes.  We did.

Want!

Ooooh... shiny!



Preliminary and limited specs, from the ATS-V web page:

The car's made out of unobtainium, at least where YrHmblScrb is concerned, what with a predicted asking price around $60K.  We'll make do with The Tart and be happy about it, too.

So Very MODERN!

More from old car brochures... these illustrating the 1952 Lincoln.  I was struck less by the car and more by the depiction of what "modern living" meant in the early 1950s.  Uniformed servants, Eichler homes, "push button magic," tuxedo-wearing dinner guests (eating in the kitchen!), and 3,721 square inches of GLASS!  (one wonders if glass was at a premium back then) Oh, yes... how very modern.

There are four more images from this brochure here.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack and Yet Another Old Car Brochure Excerpt

Aretha!



I'd take that ride in her pink Cadillac, wouldn't even think twice.

Speaking of pink Cadillacs, this:

I'm really, rilly getting off on the totally UN-PC nature of the ad copy in some of these old brochures.  Can you imagine something like this in an ad today?

One of the special delights which ladies find in Cadillac ownership is the pleasure of being a passenger.

[...]

We invite you to visit your dealer soon - with the man of the house - and spend an hour in the passenger seat of a 1959 Cadillac.

I can't imagine it, either.  God Forbid that a woman might want a Cadillac of her own, yanno?  

Apropos o' not much, I'm thinkin' about making these un-politically correct ads a recurring feature here at EIP, just for the fun that's in it.  And the cars, of course.

Election Day

Go vote!  Mr. Gorrell, from the Usual Source of these things, has sumthin' to say about that:

I agree with him.

And then there's this, from the Usual USAF Source:

Airmen Up For Re-election

—Autumn A. Arnett

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, is one of several lawmakers up for re-election on Tuesday who serve the nation not only on Capitol Hill, but also in the Air Force. Polls have shown Graham well ahead in his quest to retain his Senate seat. Over on the House side, Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), a chaplain in the Reserve, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), an Air National Guard pilot, are seeking to remain in office. Both Collins and Kinzinger are combat veterans. Also looking to return to the House in January for the 114th Congress are Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), a retired lieutenant colonel, and Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), a retired colonel who spent nearly seven years in captivity during the Vietnam War. Two Democrats who are former airmen are seeking re-election: Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.) and Rep. Bill Enyart (Ill.). There are also nine Republicans who are former airmen who are running to keep their seats: Rep. Vern Buchanan (Fla.), Rep. Jeff Denham (Calif.), Rep. Rich Nugent (Fla.), Rep. Steve Pearce (N.M.), Rep. Joe Pitts (Pa.), Rep. Ted Poe (Texas), Rep. Dave Reichert (Wash.), Rep. Mark Sanford (S.C.), and Rep. Chris Stewart (Utah).

Only two Democrats in the whole damned bunch.

Off-topic, but...  I've been spending quite a bit o' time at that car brochure site, more time than I prolly should.  To say "times have changed" is a massive understatement.  Case in point, from the 1963 Corvair brochure:

I'm thinkin' the safety wonks' heads would explode if Chevy... or ANY car company... ran ad copy like that today.

And now it's time for a refill and answer the overnight mail.

A Passing

The Public Radio world, and a LOT of the rest of us, suffered a loss today.  From NPR's web site:

Photo credit: NPR

Tom Magliozzi, one of public radio's most popular personalities, died on Monday of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 77 years old.

Tom and his brother, Ray, became famous as "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers" on the weekly NPR show Car Talk. They bantered, told jokes, laughed and sometimes even gave pretty good advice to listeners who called in with their car troubles.

If there was one thing that defined Tom Magliozzi, it was his laugh. It was loud, it was constant, it was infectious.

The rest of the obituary is here.  Rest in peace, Mr. Magliozzi, and thank you for all the wonderful, joyous laughs you gave us; you WILL be missed.  I heard on NPR this afternoon that they... NPR... plan to continue the show, but in what form wasn't disclosed.

Automotive Nostalgia: My First Car

Constant Correspondent and Occasional Reader Lin sends along the following:

Thought you might enjoy seeing your first car ad. This is really cool. Find your first car or the one you drove to high school or college; hopefully your car brochure is available. This has to be one of the neatest web sites whether you have gasoline in your veins or not. This is a website featuring the original factory brochures for nearly every American car you have ever owned. Pick the manufacturer, the year and the model.

So I went to the brochure site... and Walla! There it was, my old 1950 Buick Riviera, like this:



Other than the color (mine was yellow with a black top) everything looks exactly as I remember it.  Here's the rest of the Buick Super line-up for 1950:

Clickee-clickee

Buick divided it's model range into three segments back in that day, with Roadmaster being the top o' the line, Super the mid range, and Special the bottom end. You can see the complete 1950 Buick brochure here, if'n you're interested.

The most distinguishing feature about my Riv is the fact it made me a little money. I was a senior in high school in 1963... the year I drove the Riv... and Buick had just released THE Riviera (the lineage of the Riviera name is described at the link).  So... when people asked me what sort of car I drove I'd always answer "a Buick Riviera," which evoked a "Wow!" sort of reaction in most people my age. That reaction would change to "that's not a Riviera!" (or worse) when they actually SAW the car and that's when I'd lay the trap with this: "Ten bucks says it IS a Riv." You'd be surprised how many people took me up on that bet and how many people paid up when I showed them the factory data plate that clearly stated "Model: Riviera."

As I said, the money-making feature was the best thing about that car.  Other than that it was slow, HUGE, and, due to its Dynaflow transmission, its sound never changed pitch when you were underway.  The car sounded the same all the damned time; it made no difference if you were driving five or 55 mph.  Oh, and one other thing: the back seat was just perfect for summer nights at the drive-in.  PERFECT!

What was your first car, Gentle Reader?

This Could Be Fun. Or Not.

Well, this is most interesting (read the whole piece from the Hemmings Daily here):

Fun?  I dunno.  I've never driven a Deux Chevaux but I HAVE ridden in one.  I found the car to be noisy and claustrophobic and can't imagine ME spending a couple o' weeks in one of those contraptions.

But that's just me... take a look at the following video to see what goes into the tour, a bit about the people doing the Marrakesh Rally, and a LOT about the Citroen 2CV.  Local color, too... with monkeys!  And then you can decide for yourself.



The vid is longish for a blog post but it's VERY interesting.  If watching the vid and reading the article piques your interest you can book a tour at 2CV Adventures.  The prices for the various tours are pretty reasonable. From the linked article:

Tour costs are surprisingly reasonable for what’s included, with the nine-day Silver Road Rally priced at £3,950 ($6,320) per car for two people and the nine-day SAFE Raid priced at £3,275 ($5,240) per car.

Hell, I spent that much during the Great Divorce Tour of 1999 and I didn't have a car included in the price.  I did have a few rides, though, and I'll bet my "rides" were a LOT more comfortable, not to mention entertaining.

Tour costs are surprisingly reasonable for what’s included, with the nine-day Silver Road Rally priced at £3,950 ($6,320) per car for two people and the nine-day SAFE Raid priced at £3,275 ($5,240) per car. - See more at: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/10/31/see-europe-or-north-africa-slowly-behind-the-wheel-of-a-citroen-2cv/?refer=news#sthash.tEO7D6V4.dpuf

Bits and Bytes

Some linkage and a video...

There's this, to begin with.

I'm actually rather embarrassed about my results, what with only getting 11 out of 15 correct.  This, after living in Ol' Blighty for three years and making at least four trips back since I left in 1983.  (H/t: Skip, who's an Honorary Brit, too.)

And then there's this, from Anne Bonney:

There are cheaper alternatives at the link and thank The Deity At Hand for that.  Forty-seven Yankee Dollars for a single candle is about three ticks to the right of "outrageous."  That said, I've heard lotsa people will never move to an e-reader because of the lack of that "book smell."  Well, problem solved!

And finally, here's the video I mentioned up top... but first a screen-cap from the source... Hemmings Daily (the comments at the link are interesting, most notably this vid was shot mere days before the big earthquake of 1906):

It makes perfect sense... to me, at least... that Americans' bad driving habits originated in California, and San Francisco, specifically.  That said, the video above ain't got a THING on driving in the Third World, which might could be best described as "you hadda be there."  Go ahead, ask me how I know.

For the Nostalgia That's In It

From an article in the Hemmings Daily Newsletter...



 There's a lot to like in this film... the cars, the styles, the attitude, and especially the young boys and girls.  I looked a LOT like the kids in this film, mainly coz I was nine years of age in 1954.  None of the school districts I attended as a child had a program like this and that's too bad.  OTOH, I dunno if I'd have enjoyed "driving" a pedal car around simulated city streets.  These kids seemed to like it, though.

Creative Editing

This can't be real...



... and it's not.  But watching this made my blood pressure soar.  Talk about "close calls"... even if they're not real.  Zowie!

Saturday: Off To the Races

My money was on the F1 car before this even started...



I watched this all the way through, given I'm something of a gear-head and most definitely a biker (albeit a retired biker).  The guy on the bike ran a pretty good race even though he came in third.  There's not a bike in the world that can keep up with a car in the twisties... it's all a matter of physics and amount of rubber the vehicles put on the road, as in "contact patch."  Among other things.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack: Dee-troit!

This is the first and prolly the last time I'll ever post a tune from Bob Seger.  Herewith "Detroit Made:"



I wanted to post the "official" video available at Vevo, but Blogger has issues with Vevo's embed code.  About which, this:

Above, watch the music video for the record's lead single, "Detroit Made," a John Hiatt-penned tribute to the singer's hometown and the cars that it has produced. Shot largely at Detroit's Woodward Dream Cruise, a hot rod parade that passes through the city on the third Saturday of every August, the video features footage of classic rides owned by other Michigan natives.

The offical vid is cooler than cool and I hope you chase that link.  Just a couple o' things... the first bein' any and every time someone/anyone mentions the Dream Cruise I can't help but tell those someones/anyones that I drove my ol' Caddy* in the first-ever Woodward Dream Cruise, and what a fan-fuckin'-tastic THAT day was.  Second: why no Seger here at EIP?  You go live in Dee-troit for ten years and then come back and ask the question again.  I'm the victim of severe Seger burnout due to MASSIVE over-playing of his songs.

* The Cad:

I loved that car even though it was a serious money-sink.  I had other reasons to love that car, aside from it bein' our ride in the Woodward Dream Cruise.  From an old post:

T (he)S (econd)M (rs.)P (ennington) christened the car “The Smokin’, Drinkin’, Partyin’ Car” and she most certainly was that. The best story about that car can only be told in “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” terms and involved TSMP and I splitting the upholstery in the Caddy’s back seat. Or, to put it another way…we were exuberant and the upholstery was old. In our garage. On a Saturday afternoon. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.  (more on the car here)

Ah, Former Happy Days.  We remember them fondly.

We Don't Get Out Much

So, there I was... reviewing the monthly OnStar report those kind folks at GM send me on a monthly basis.  One metric the OnStar folks provide is "average miles driven" during a particular month and here's the graphic:

Quite the difference from days gone by, by which I mean the post title sez it ALL: we don't get out much these days.  I suppose this is graphic evidence that we all slow down in our dotage.  Or at least **I** do, anyhoo.  Those day trips?  I could tell ya where I went, Gentle Reader, but then I'd have to kill ya.  And you don't want THAT now, do ya?

Automotive Nostalgia

I saw this in Hemmings Daily e-mail today...

That tugs at the ol' heartstrings.  I had a 320i in the wayback and loved that car.  This example is a California car goin' for $7K and has about the same mileage as the one I sold back in 1992, after owning the car for ten years.  Here's a lil blurb I put up about my Beemer back in 2010:

I couldn’t help but contrast this non-ritual with the most amazing delivery experience I ever had, and one that’s not been matched since. That most amazing experience was at BMW’s Delivery Center in Munich. The Second Mrs. Pennington and I took delivery of a 1983 320i there in the fall of 1982. In Baltic Blue…just like the one at left. Yeah, it looks gray. I thought so, too. But if you've ever seen the Baltic Sea, you understand. Most accurate, those Teutons!

After presenting ourselves at the front desk of the delivery center (where we were signed in), we were escorted into an office where a BMW employee… fluent in English… walked around from behind his desk, introduced himself, and then sat back down behind his desk after we were seated. He verified our identities (passports and other assorted sales and delivery-related papers) and finished processing our paper work. This took all of about 15 minutes and was quite pleasant and efficient. The signing of the paper was concluded with a crisp “So, are you ready to take your new car?” Hell, Yes! Let’s GO!

We were escorted out of his small office and across a rather large area resembling a showroom, with various Beemers sitting around in all their glory. On the far side of the showroom were two sliding glass doors that opened into a spotlessly clean garage area, where our new baby was sitting, along with several other cars. We were met at the door by a middle aged man in a white lab coat. The paper processor introduced us, by name, and informed us Mr. Herr I-Forget-His-Name was going to “introduce” us to our new car.

And introduce us he did. He demonstrated every feature on that car, and I mean every single one…including popping both hood and trunk, showing us where the dipstick was, just to cite one example… demonstrating the oil level was indeed full, in the process. He showed us the fuse box. He showed us the spare, and the jack, and demonstrated how to remove and replace each. He showed us how to tune the flippin’ radio, how to operate the sun roof, adjust the seats…in short, everything imaginable. And then he asked if we had any questions. I had none: the briefing and walk-around, which lasted the better part of 45 minutes, had been more comprehensive than any I’d ever had, before or since. TSMP, honor-bound as she was to never let an opportunity to ask questions pass her by, had a few which were handled politely and with aplomb, even the one or two eye-rollers (on my part and my part alone).

The ritual ended with the signing of a delivery form, we were handed maps and detailed instructions on how to reach the autobahn (after being discreetly asked if we were leaving Munich right away), and we were out the door. Literally, accompanied by hand waves of good-bye and shouted exhortations to “Enjoy your new Beh-Emm-Vay!!” And we did…from that moment on and for ten years hence.

I marveled about that experience for months, if not years. It was extraordinary. And that was for a bottom-of-the-line Beemer. Lord only knows what hoops they jump through if you buy an expensive one…

The first sentence in the quoted bits refers to the delivery ritual for the last mo'sickle I bought, which basically consisted of the sales lady handing me the keys and sayin' "Have a nice day!"  Quite the difference.  Not keeping the car longer is just about the only regret I have about my 320i.  Why?  Coz I replaced it with a SAAB 9000 hatchback, which was one of the WORST cars I ever owned.  But the SAAB is another story altogether.

Burnin' Some Rubber

Literally...



I found this fascinating and watched the vid at least four times.

In other news... we went to bed (well, "went to couch" would be much more accurate) around 2130 hrs last evening with predictable results: up at oh-dark-thirty.  I have a feelin' nap time will arrive a bit earlier than usual today.

In other, other news... SN1 is 48 today, 50 is right around the corner.  I dunno if he feels old or not but **I** sure as Hell do.  Happy Birthday, Buck!

Testing, Testing... One, Two, Three

A video included in an article in Hemming's daily newsletter (screen shot above):



The article about Milford fired off a few long-dormant synapses for me.  One of the very first tasks I was assigned when I hired on with Ed's Famous Data Company back in 1985 was to be part of the QA team validating the installation of a new PBX at the proving grounds.  I spent a weekend at Milford verifying everything worked properly and went through most of the buildings where there were phones.  The facility was in a "minimum manning" state, given it was the weekend, but there were still quite a few people there who were quite happy to explain their jobs to visiting firemen, which included a couple of impromptu facility tours.  The video above focuses on safety testing but there's much, much more going on at Milford.  One of the more interesting things I saw were examples of "competitive analysis," whereby GM acquired competing models from various and sundry brands and tore them down to bare bones in the evaluation process.  I remember seeing a brand new BMW 7-series going through corrosion testing... which involved placing deep (and precise!) scratches on various body panels and immersing the car in salt spray for hours and hours... and thinking "what a WASTE!"  I saw ALL sorts of cars at Milford that weekend, ranging from the mundane to the exotic, including quite a few testing mules of new GM products yet to be released to production.

The Milford proving ground is a wondrous place, indeed.

Nice Ride!

Does this look familiar?

That would be SN2 and DIL Alisa, standing next to their new-to-them 1990 Corvette.  SN2 called me Friday evening to let me know their latest baby was home and filled me in on all the details.  Which, to wit: a 1990 Vette convertible, 40K miles on the clock, six-speed manual, and the UCR small-block V-8 in its 245 HP iteration.  This is the Vette I SHOULD have bought in the way-back, which is to say a convertible and a six-speed.  The Second Mrs. Pennington wouldn't be denied, however, and we got an automatic, hardtop Vette.  As for the familiarity bits?  This:

TSMP and HER 'Vette, the weekend after we bought her.  On M-25, just south of Harbor Beach, MI.

Nice color!

Jes a Couple o' Things

First...

Heh.  Hillary is such an EASY target yet I suspect we'll get awfully damned tired of her before 2016 is done and gone.

And then there's this...

Yup, two years ago today.  Robert, the salesman at Bender GM who sold me the car, called me up at precisely 0838 hrs yesterday morning to inquire about how things were between The Tart and myself, in addition to the above e-mail.  Both events were nice touches (and it's the first time I've experienced after-sales behavior like this, ever) but I wish Robert hadn't called at what passes for oh-dark-thirty these days.  We retirees need our beauty sleep, yanno?  That said, these past two years have flown right by.  I'm still in love with the oh-so-lovely, graceful, and speedy Dowager Tart... I think I'm gonna keep her.

British Auto Nostalgia

The 1962 Earls Court motor show, from an old Pathé newsreel:



Nearly all of those marques are gone now, save Lotus, Jaguar, and Bentley.  Come to think on it, newsreels are gone, too.  That said, isn't the E-Type just about the closest thing there is to sex on wheels?

H/t:  Hemmings Daily Newsletter.