Self explanatory, I trust.
Dear David (if I may),
Frankly speaking, I thought you were joking when you wrote that you were about to send me a couple of T-shirts. But, believe it or not, a parcel arrived this morning with the shirts therein! It is amazing, I had to pinch myself. I brought them to class and my students liked them so much that I had to donate them to the best two students. I also ironed the Wallstreet Journal which is actually an oddly shaped newspaper and opened it proudly in the university cafeteria. Gossip ceased and everybody looked at me flabbergasted. Why is it wrinkled, someone asked. Because censorship is back, I retorted. There you are, no shirt finally, but a very big "thanks" for the wonderful gesture. I hope that you will be able to amass some other T-shorts before Christmas or rather in time for my birthday which falls on 23rd December. I always say that I was born between Stalin (21st December) and Jesus (25th December), so I must have something from both of them :)))
The old car magazine which you edit so well looks and reads gorgeous although I do not have a car. When I was younger I used ro roam about on a motorcycle. But after several accidents and first signs of rheumatism I began to wonder about the risks of driving it. Then I brought it to a friend for some repairs and he later claimed that someone broke in and stole it. Our friendship ended on the spot and I suddenly got sick and tired of this dangerous hobby.
I am aware of what the automobile industry meant for the history of America but I think that the ecological challenges nowadays must be met by greater reliance on public transport. Such a change is almost inevitable and the sooner Americans realize it, the better.
With best wishes,
Yours,
Fr Pavel
Friday, May 16, 2008
Letter from Bulgaia
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Bony Stuff
The browning of the old-car hobby
You know, when I started as an autowriter, my experience with really old cars was limited. I’d hung out at shows, had a couple of ridealongs in prewar cars, but I hadn’t been exposed in more than a passing way to early automobiles.
So it was a big eye opener when I got assignments for Hemmings Classic Car, to go shoot cars from the Teens and Oughts. Actually, it was more than that; my first serious time with early cars turned into love.
Was I the only young guy who dug this stuff? Young for the old-car hobby, anyway. No, after a couple of years, I began to realize I had company.
If you’ve been to any major show in the last couple of years, well, firstly you may have noticed how well-attended they are, but you might also have seen the crowds around the evergreen Fifties and Sixties cars thinning out. Oh, the people are still at the show, but they’ve moved on.
When I was at Hershey last fall, the Sunday AACA show was one of the best attended they ever had. By 10 AM, the show field was packed, and nowhere was it more crowded than around the big Pre-war cars.
The magnificent full classics—the Duesenbergs and Packards—have always been popular, although I can’t remember a time when people were five deep around Auburns. But the biggest crowds on the field were around the brass cars.
People who still have hair, and cars that were old when their grandparents were born, are a natural fit. Sure, every generation rediscovers the cars of their youth, and Seventies and Eighties cars, especially Japanese and German imports, are getting very strong. But even among those who grew up riding in the back seat, not everyone wants their parents car.
People go through several phases of collecting. For many of us, there’s a car early on, one that a parent or grandparent worked on, or an old car that made its way into your hands. Most of us had to give that up for a while, when making a living took over, and kids started to announce that they needed your time and money a lot more than a car.
If you had your kids early, well, firstly, you’re probably going to live a lot longer than I am, and secondly, they got to the age where maybe they were ready to pick up a wrench a lot sooner. I’m looking at being well into my fifties before my son can get a license, but that at least means maybe we’ll have time to get his car done in time. Anyway, all those children of the Baby Boomers have started to reach an age where they can think about getting into the hobby seriously. And they don’t want their parent’s cars.
Think about ii: For years, the Tri-Five was the emblem of the hobby, because all those guys who came home from WWII bought one new when they were at the peak of their earning power, in their mid Thirties, and that was when they had young kids as well. 40 years later, those kids grew up, and went out and bough Bel-Airs and Skyliners. The next population boom brought us the muscle car phenomenon. But I’m the boomer’s kid, and when I was in high school 25 years ago, we pointed and laughed at the guy who drove a Superbird around. What I remember is when one of my girlfriend’s fathers got rubber in second gear pulling out of the parking lot in a Datsun 240Z. The coolest kid in school drew BMW M-power graffiti.
So yeah, I like those cars and I’d love to have my first car, a clapped-out ’79 Corolla, back. But would I go on a quest for one and pour my heart into a restoration? For a Toyota? What, am I nuts?
No, I want what collector Dick Shappy calls “The Bony Stuff.”
Thirties cars, the stuff of the Full Classic era, are fine and all that, but the really interesting ones are either out of reach—who wouldn’t want a V-12 Cadillac?—or just too big and formal for me. I could maybe find a drivable ‘34 Studebaker President sedan in the $15,000 range, and they’re very nice and everything, but not my cup of tea. Which is why they sell in used-car range.
The Bony Stuff is from an era of the industry where the idea of an engine-powered vehicle was new enough that you displayed it proudly, along with your suspension, frame, and everything else. Bodies were sometimes an afterthought, what was important was what made the car go. For the entire brass era, the pre-1915 cars, anyone who could buy a car was born before there were cars and almost certainly took their first ride in a horse-powered vehicle. Cars were an amazement, and proud owners hung them with jewelry like a new bride.
That wonder has transcended the last century, and looking at an early car with fresh eyes is to expose yourself to amazement anew.
When a population gets older, it’s called “graying,” and as prices for essentially everything from between 1950 and 1970 have risen into annual salary range, the traditional heart of the hobby has grayed. If someone under 30 is a car nut, odds are still that they own one from the last decade, which frankly isn’t anything different than the hotrod set of 50 years ago But more and more are getting hooked on cars that bear a closer relationship to the driver.
Brass car prices have climbed like everything else, although we’re not yet at a point where Model Ts are out of reach. But part of the appeal is the relative simplicity of old cars. Don’t have good metal skills? That’s OK, because you’re better off being a carpenter. Iffy on your electrical theory? Well, can you handle a wiring harness with four wires? Never had an engine apart too look at the valvetrain? You don’t have to take it apart to see the valvetrain, it’s on the outside.
Aside from the Model T, these cars weren’t built on an assembly line, they were crafted by artisans, mostly in small quantities, by hand. There’s a longstanding movement in search of authenticity, and driving something built a century ago, before focus groups and customer surveys, connects you in a very real way directly to the roots of what made us love cars in the first place.
My observations at Hershey weren’t a fluke. Bring out a brass car to a concours, cruise night or show-n-shine, and you’ll see people desert the street rods and trucks in droves to marvel at it.
Old cars, man. They’re the future.
--
This post is derived from my script for an episode of the Hemmings podcast
You know, when I started as an autowriter, my experience with really old cars was limited. I’d hung out at shows, had a couple of ridealongs in prewar cars, but I hadn’t been exposed in more than a passing way to early automobiles.
So it was a big eye opener when I got assignments for Hemmings Classic Car, to go shoot cars from the Teens and Oughts. Actually, it was more than that; my first serious time with early cars turned into love.
Was I the only young guy who dug this stuff? Young for the old-car hobby, anyway. No, after a couple of years, I began to realize I had company.
If you’ve been to any major show in the last couple of years, well, firstly you may have noticed how well-attended they are, but you might also have seen the crowds around the evergreen Fifties and Sixties cars thinning out. Oh, the people are still at the show, but they’ve moved on.
When I was at Hershey last fall, the Sunday AACA show was one of the best attended they ever had. By 10 AM, the show field was packed, and nowhere was it more crowded than around the big Pre-war cars.
The magnificent full classics—the Duesenbergs and Packards—have always been popular, although I can’t remember a time when people were five deep around Auburns. But the biggest crowds on the field were around the brass cars.
People who still have hair, and cars that were old when their grandparents were born, are a natural fit. Sure, every generation rediscovers the cars of their youth, and Seventies and Eighties cars, especially Japanese and German imports, are getting very strong. But even among those who grew up riding in the back seat, not everyone wants their parents car.
People go through several phases of collecting. For many of us, there’s a car early on, one that a parent or grandparent worked on, or an old car that made its way into your hands. Most of us had to give that up for a while, when making a living took over, and kids started to announce that they needed your time and money a lot more than a car.
If you had your kids early, well, firstly, you’re probably going to live a lot longer than I am, and secondly, they got to the age where maybe they were ready to pick up a wrench a lot sooner. I’m looking at being well into my fifties before my son can get a license, but that at least means maybe we’ll have time to get his car done in time. Anyway, all those children of the Baby Boomers have started to reach an age where they can think about getting into the hobby seriously. And they don’t want their parent’s cars.
Think about ii: For years, the Tri-Five was the emblem of the hobby, because all those guys who came home from WWII bought one new when they were at the peak of their earning power, in their mid Thirties, and that was when they had young kids as well. 40 years later, those kids grew up, and went out and bough Bel-Airs and Skyliners. The next population boom brought us the muscle car phenomenon. But I’m the boomer’s kid, and when I was in high school 25 years ago, we pointed and laughed at the guy who drove a Superbird around. What I remember is when one of my girlfriend’s fathers got rubber in second gear pulling out of the parking lot in a Datsun 240Z. The coolest kid in school drew BMW M-power graffiti.
So yeah, I like those cars and I’d love to have my first car, a clapped-out ’79 Corolla, back. But would I go on a quest for one and pour my heart into a restoration? For a Toyota? What, am I nuts?
No, I want what collector Dick Shappy calls “The Bony Stuff.”
Thirties cars, the stuff of the Full Classic era, are fine and all that, but the really interesting ones are either out of reach—who wouldn’t want a V-12 Cadillac?—or just too big and formal for me. I could maybe find a drivable ‘34 Studebaker President sedan in the $15,000 range, and they’re very nice and everything, but not my cup of tea. Which is why they sell in used-car range.
The Bony Stuff is from an era of the industry where the idea of an engine-powered vehicle was new enough that you displayed it proudly, along with your suspension, frame, and everything else. Bodies were sometimes an afterthought, what was important was what made the car go. For the entire brass era, the pre-1915 cars, anyone who could buy a car was born before there were cars and almost certainly took their first ride in a horse-powered vehicle. Cars were an amazement, and proud owners hung them with jewelry like a new bride.
That wonder has transcended the last century, and looking at an early car with fresh eyes is to expose yourself to amazement anew.
When a population gets older, it’s called “graying,” and as prices for essentially everything from between 1950 and 1970 have risen into annual salary range, the traditional heart of the hobby has grayed. If someone under 30 is a car nut, odds are still that they own one from the last decade, which frankly isn’t anything different than the hotrod set of 50 years ago But more and more are getting hooked on cars that bear a closer relationship to the driver.
Brass car prices have climbed like everything else, although we’re not yet at a point where Model Ts are out of reach. But part of the appeal is the relative simplicity of old cars. Don’t have good metal skills? That’s OK, because you’re better off being a carpenter. Iffy on your electrical theory? Well, can you handle a wiring harness with four wires? Never had an engine apart too look at the valvetrain? You don’t have to take it apart to see the valvetrain, it’s on the outside.
Aside from the Model T, these cars weren’t built on an assembly line, they were crafted by artisans, mostly in small quantities, by hand. There’s a longstanding movement in search of authenticity, and driving something built a century ago, before focus groups and customer surveys, connects you in a very real way directly to the roots of what made us love cars in the first place.
My observations at Hershey weren’t a fluke. Bring out a brass car to a concours, cruise night or show-n-shine, and you’ll see people desert the street rods and trucks in droves to marvel at it.
Old cars, man. They’re the future.
--
This post is derived from my script for an episode of the Hemmings podcast
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Leveraging global resources
Chrysler was a master of corporate jargon before, but throw some venture capitalists into the mix and Bam!
In other words, we can't afford no hifalutin "design" no more.
Increasingly, we are leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance and manage fixed costs. These moves are designed to help Chrysler become a more globally focused manufacturer, with design, engineering, sourcing and a local presence to serve local customers.
As such, we are closing the Pacifica Advance Product Design Center, consolidating the Advance Design function in Auburn Hills. Advance Design remains an integral part of our future design efforts, led by Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President -- Design.
These changes set the stage for Chrysler's future global growth efforts, which also include our intent to establish global expertise in design, engineering and sourcing through centers of excellence. These actions will help the Company meet its long-term globalization goals.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
A little something Toyota probably doesn't want you reading.
"Maintaining 12 mpg City is also quite an achievement." Quite a crappy achievement.
Subject: our big SUV mpg
As a failed engineering student, I've always been impressed by the way Toyota engineers can often improve the fuel economy of new-generation vehicles, even when the new vehicles are heavier and/or more powerful than the ones they replace. This is especially true with the big, new SUVs we've introduced for 2008 -- LX 570, Land Cruiser and Sequoia -- which have a 5.7-liter V8 in place of the previous 4.7-liter one.
Comparing EPA mileage estimates between 2007 and '08 models can be tricky because the EPA changed its test for 2008 to better reflect real-world driving conditions. The 2008 test results are generally lower than 2007, even for vehicles that have not changed mechanically.
However, a part of the EPA website -- http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml -- allows you to view old/new mpg ratings for a specific vehicle. Using this EPA information, we were able to compare the 2007 SUVs with their 4.7 V8s to 2008 models equipped with the 5.7 V8, using the new test for both, and the results were surprising....
For the Lexus LX:
The 2007 LX 470 was rated at 12 mpg City/15 mpg Highway. The LX 570 mpg is 12/18. Although 18 mpg Highway seems like "only" a 3 mpg gain, it's actually 20% better than 15, which is a significant improvement, especially considering the size and power increases on the LX 570. You may attribute much of that to the new 6-speed transmission being in overdrive at highway speeds.
Maintaining 12 mpg City is also quite an achievement. This is largely due to improved technology in the 5.7 V8, such as dual VVT-i on both the intake and exhaust cams, compared to VVT-i on intake cams only on the 4.7 V8.
For the Toyota Land Cruiser:
The 2007 model with its 4.7 V8 was rated at 12/15 mpg and the 5.7-liter 2008 model at 13 mpg City (an 8.3% increase) and 18 mpg Highway (+20%). Again, chalk it up to the new 6-speed automatic and improved engine technology on the 5.7 V8.
For the Toyota Sequoia:
The improvements were more modest, but still moving in the right direction. The 4WD Sequoia went from 13/17 mpg with the 4.7 V8 to 13/18 with the 5.7 V8, an improvement of 5.9% in highway driving. The 2WD Sequoia goes from 14/17 to 14/19, which is 11.8% better on the Highway. Same new engine/transmission combo.
When you consider that all of these new generation SUVs are bigger, more powerful and have better towing capabilities than the 2007 models, the improvement is rather remarkable. And that's with conventional gasoline drivetrains, not diesels or hybrids.
If this is too much information, I apologize.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
1270 Ave. of the Americas, Suite 1800
New York, NY 10020
212-644-3424. fax: 212-644-4871
XXXXt@toyota.com
Monday, January 21, 2008
You can't put a price on stupid
I love PR like this:
DHL Uses First Wind-Propelled Cargo Vessel to Make Delivery to South America
[21-Jan-2008] The MS Beluga SkySails, the world’s first cargo vessel with the SkySails towing kite system, is being used for commercial transport for the first time. It will carry cargo from Bremen to Venezuela on behalf of DHL Global Forwading, the ocean and air freight carrier of the Deutsche Post World Net Group. The vessel features a new wind propulsion system with a towing kite measuring up to 320 metres, that provides additional thrust for the ship at sea, a sustainable solution for reducing fuel consumption, costs and emissions. Depending on wind conditions, fuel costs can be lowered between ten and 35 percent. A small, 87-metre-long freighter would thus save an average of 280,000 Euros in fuel costs per year.
I hate to break it to them, but they're not the first to make deliveries to SA using a wind-propelled cargo vessel. My ancestors did it 150 years ago, and I'm confident Pizarro didn't come via fusion-powered catamaran.
News from the Middle East
The fun you can have when you;re the world's sixth-richest man. Mr. AlWaleed, should you ever need something photographed, I'm your man.
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