Ford

Outside of pickups, is Ford stuttering?

August 30, 2018 David Zatz 0

There’s no question but that Ford absolutely dominates the American pickup truck market — a huge, profitable slice of the pie. If they didn’t, the company would be in big trouble, though. Moody’s just dropped Ford’s bond rating from Baa2 to Baa3, saying it could fall to junk status, following […]

mexico fiat plant (Toluca)

What the new US/Mexico trade pact means for cars

August 28, 2018 David Zatz 0

Pushed on by Donald Trump, the United States (US) and Mexico have renegotiated their part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, with some new rules to help protect US-based auto production. The compromise deals increases the percentage of parts that must be sourced from North America to be considered […]

uhaul chevy express van

Two hours with a Chevy Express U-Haul

August 27, 2018 David Zatz 1

I don’t think I’m unique in moving from place to place when I was a student, taking all my gear with me first in the trunk of a car, and then in a rented van. At the time, it was simple enough to go out with a friend or two, […]

labatt beer can car

Some exotics at Woodward

August 24, 2018 David Zatz 0

The Woodward Cruise is a fine place to spot classic Detroit muscle, but it’s not limited to the Big Three (or Four, including AMC); there are plenty of unusual or exotic cars there, too. Before we dive into the more exotic cars, let’s just admire this fine example of a […]

Woodward’s walk through GM history

August 23, 2018 David Zatz 0

General Motors cars and trucks were everywhere at this year’s Woodward Cruise; here are a few fine (and other) examples, pulled at semi-random from photos by Real Fast Fotography. We’re taking responsibility for the captions. Let’s start with the Chevrolet Bel Air; the name was used from 1950 to (in […]

Yes, there may are aftermarket sales for hybrid cars

August 20, 2018 David Zatz 0

Every year, aftermarket vendors, automakers, and regular parts suppliers show off their specialty parts, gadgets, kits, and doodads at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The most heavily customized vehicle is, perennially, the Jeep Wrangler, but people buy go-faster, go-further, electronics, and cosmetic bits and bobs for all sorts of […]

2019 chevy silverado duramax diesel

Chevy’s diesel being tested; 2019 Ram’s still MIA

August 17, 2018 David Zatz 0

Ram had the first modern Class 1 pickup with a diesel — a VM engine originally created partly for General Motors. Ford and Chevy were caught flat-footed. Then came an emissions scandal, thanks, it seems, to placing too much trust in suppliers. Eventually, Ram got their engine certified for 2018 trucks, […]

faraday ff91

Tesla’s tough future (and Musk’s likely response)

August 14, 2018 David Zatz 0

Elon Musk rose from riches to more riches by being one of the creators of an online payment system. It was not a “save-the-world” project, but an opportunistic one. Since then, his main legacy has been the Tesla electric car company, which has made a profit in just two quarters […]