splitting the adam

Once upon a Beetle?

So--riddle me this...

On ABC's Once Upon a Time--wherein all your favorite fairy tale characters like Snow White and Rumplestiltskin are alive and well and living today in Storybrooke, Maine--the main character (Snow White's daughter) drives a beat-up, vintage VW Beetle.

On NBC's Grimm--wherein a detective discovers he can 'see' mythical creatures like the Three Bears--the sidekick (a reformed blutbad, or 'Big Bad Wolf') drives a beat-up, vintage VW Beetle.

So, two modern-day fairy tale shows where a vintage Beetle plays a prominent role. Coincidence? Bass-ackwards product placement? You decide...

Riviera road trip: Cincinnati

Well, my Riviera--now christened Dolores--made her maiden long-distance this past weekend, joining a Lambda Car Club caravan from Detroit to Cincinnati. Along the way, I learned a few things...

• Despite the lack of reclining seats, I was reasonably comfortable over the four-hour drive. In addition, although I had hoped to get the vacuum-operated cruise control fixed in time, it turns out that wasn't too much of a liability. And, yes, driving a large-diameter, skinny-rimmed steering wheel can take some getting used to.
• Not only is the air conditioning efficient, it's scary-efficient--to the point where frost formed on the vents. In fact, it seemed as if the airflow slowed down after about twenty minutes; I'm told it's possible the compressor froze up and wound up restricting airflow. Fortunately, turning the a/c off for about three minutes was enough to unfreeze things.
• Fuel economy? 14 miles per gallon with three people + luggage aboard.
• I confirmed the passenger-side outside rear-view mirror, while stylish, is totally useless. If it were mounted about three inches further rearward, I think it might be visible (although then, of course, the symmetry with the driver's side mirror would be out of sync).
• Piloting a 4,000-pound car with drum brakes down a hill in a thunderstorm is very, very scary.
• It would have been nice, on the ride home, if Mother Nature had decided to let up on the rain for at least an hour or so; while the windshield wipers are reasonably effective, there is no 'intermittent' feature.

So--mission accomplished. And it's nice to be home...

PS: Check out some cool photos here...

The newest addition to the fleet...

Although I am very, very happy driving my Mini--still a blast after twelve years--I haven't made any secret of the fact that I've always lusted after the first-generation Buick Rivieras. For those unfamiliar with the backstory--presented in greater detail here--was inspired by both the success of Ford's original Thunderbird and the great European grand touring coupes. Originally intended as a new LaSalle (the entry-level Cadillac), it was picked up by Buick when Cadillac declined the project.

So, for the past several years, I've been occasionally trolling eBay and Craigslist for Rivs (knowing full well, by the way, that our garage and driveway were already kinda full). Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a Riv in (more or less) my own backyard--Fowlerville, Michigan, about an houraway from home. It was a fixed-price eBay listing, and the price seemed commensurate with my own investigations.

So, a week ago Friday I took the afternoon off to take a look. The owner, a Ford salesman (but GM enthusiast), has owned 240 vehicles over the last forty years, so it was clear he knew what he was talking about. He also owned a '58 and '63 Cadillac, and, after purchasing the car on impulse (from a friend who had owned and cared lovingly for the car for ten years), realized he couldn't get as comfortable behind the wheel as he could in the Cadillacs.

As you'll see in the photos, it looks clean. Real clean. We actually took it to the seller's dealer and got it up on a hoist. Near as I could tell, it was very, very original and very, very straight. We took it out for a drive--he let me behind the wheel--and up to 70mph on the freeway. Steady, stable, and quiet, with no unusual squeaks or other noises. 

I was very impressed. There were some known glitches, of course...

• The speedo runs about 7mph fast (not anissue)
• The cruise control currently does not work (would be nice but not required)
• The right exhaust manifold gasket needs to be replaced (the engine currently burbles a bit loudly on acceleration, and he's already got the gasket)
• The driver's seat motor started working fine but got a bit buggy; fortunately, the seat is pretty much where I want it

The original radio was stored in the trunk, replaced by a retro-looking unit with a concealed LCD screen and link to a six-disc CD changer. Also discovered after the fact (I forgot to ask), the cigarette-lighter power sockets need to be cleaned out to be able to plug something in.

So, I slept on it and discussed the matter with my partner. Turns out the owner of the diner we visit downriver--about a half-hour by freeway--was willing to rent me a garage. It's unheated, but it's a standalone unit and I'd have 24/7 access. So, Saturday morning--after getting a call from the seller who told me I've got first right of refusal but his phone was ringing off the hook--I pulled the trigger and closed out the eBay listing.

The plan was to have my partner drive me out there Monday afternoon--until I got to the bank and realized it was closed because of Columbus Day. I hurriedly called the seller--who hadn't accounted for that, either--and we rescheduled; he volunteered to drive out and pick me up.

So, on a gorgeous Tuesday, I took delivery--along with a couple of service manuals, a set of rear brakes, a carburetor repair kit, and some extra wiper blades. On Saturday, our car club went out on an 'apples and antiques' drive, and so the Riv got its public debut (and was greeted with spontaneous applause in the Starbucks lot where we met).

Next steps? Get the gasket, power plugs, and seat motors fixed. I found a nice key fob and set of floor mats on eBay, so those are en route, and I've got a weather-resistant car cover on order.

So, say "hi" to my new wheels and stand by for more updates...

And we are Live in 5…4…3…2…1…

Happy New Year! And, to start things off, I’m testing out Microsoft’s Windows Live Writer, which theoretically allows me to post here without going to the Typepad interface. To fully test out the tool, I’ve uploaded a walkaround of my classic Mini (taken during warmer, sunnier weather)…

Clang, clang, clang went the trolleys...

Well, to be honest, there were no trolleys. But there was plenty of other fun to be had in St. Louis, Missouri; my partner and I (for schedule/logistics reasons) flew out on Friday, returning Monday, to attend the Lambda Car Club's annual Grand Invitational. Hosted by the Show Me Region, there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 attendees and over 100 classic vehicles (from a 1942 Studebaker to a 2002 Thunderbird, among others). Check out the newest photo album--Meet Me in St. Louis--on the right...

Happy Birthday, Mini!

The fiftieth anniversary of the classic Mini (which technically takes place in August) kicked off at this year's Geneva Motor Show, where Mini had an original Morris Mini Minor on display. To help educate you, my faithful readers, here's a handy video covering the Mini's 41-year history...

Geneva Motor Show post-mortem

Well, as I slowly start to catch up with the rest of life, I noted that I am way overdue discussing the annual Geneva Motor Show. As I've noted in the past, this is an annual event, and, being held in the neutral country of Switzerland, everyone and anyone who even thinks they can design and sell a car gets some floor space. And, unlike the recent Detroit show, no one skipped this particular event (although, shortly beforehand, Nissan announced they'd be blowing off the Los Angeles and Frankfurt auto shows later this year). Curiously, this year's Geneva show was a bit of a flashback; when I first started attend the show back in 1993, Geneva was known for luxury, horsepower, and blue-sky concepts. And, while there was an undercurrent of 'green', there really weren't any big green things (aside from GM's Opel Ampera), but, strangely, there was a lot of luxury, horsepower, and blue-sky stuff...

• Brilliant idea, or the answer to a question nobody's asked? BMW's 5 Series Gran Turismo is essentially the production version of what BMW has been calling their 'progressive activity sedan'. Think of it as one part wagon and one part MPV, and a little taller than a sedan. It's not entirely unattractive, and I suppose if you wanted something with a little more 'uprightness' than a wagon it might suit you, but I'm not sure BMW will sell the 100,000 or so they plan to build starting late this year.
• Further up the food chain, BMW also showed the Rolls Royce 200EX concept--a just-about-ready-to-roll version of their new 'entry level' (eg, about $200K+) sedan due to go on sale next year. It looks like a lower, sleeker Phantom--complete with 'coach' (aka 'suicide') rear doors, and is sporting a new direct-injection V12. I think I'm still a bit partial to the similar--but more muscular--Bentley Flying Spur, but I have to give credit to BMW for successfully managing the Rolls brand.
• Less successful, alas, was the Lagonda concept. When Aston Martin announced, a few months ago, that they were reviving the Lagonda brand for 2012 as a more luxurious alternative to the sporting Astons, I was picturing the stately Lagonda Vignale concept from a while back. What we got, alas, was a Suzuki X90 writ large--a car based on a truck. The truck in question was the Mercedes GL, and the car was a tall, roomy, oddly proportioned sedan. Remember how successful the X90 was? Apparently Aston didn't. A second Lagonda is promised for May--hopefully something a little prettier.
• Equally goofy--and equally headed towards production--was the Nissan Qazana concept (although what was shown was a little further away from production intent than the Lagonda). What was particularly scary was the front end--slightly frog-eyed, and apparently thematically similar to what they plan to build when the vehicle starts rolling off the line in the UK next year. Lots of interesting things going on with the Qazana, from the supersized 20" wheels--quite large for a small SUV--to the motorcycle gas-tank-inspired center console (which they apparently want to try to carry over into production).

Oh, and in case you're wondering if there was anything there reflecting the current economic meltdown, I did notice a surprisingly lack of dancers (usually used at press events, and sometimes for sporadic performances during the day), and a jump in the number of flashdrives (instead of CDs and printed materials) to distribute product info. Biggest cost-cutter? Mitsubishi, who handed out a card with a website address and instruction to download their materials there.

Coming soon--a look at the New York Auto Show...

Detroit Auto Show post-mortem

Well, yes, as you might expect, the mood at this year's North American International Auto Show--a/k/a the Detroit Auto Show, for those of us slightly less embarrassed about the Motor City--was more somber than usual. A number of players--including Ferrari, Land Rover, Suzuki, Nissan, and Infiniti--chose to take their toys and go home. To be honest, I can understand Ferrari and Land Rover--not exactly a burgeoning market for their upscale playthings here. But Nissan/Infiniti? As I understand it, they pulled out of the show, and then the dealers offered to put up their own display. After all, part of the purpose of an auto show is to sell cars, right? But then Corporate came back and asked the Detroit Auto Dealers Association to please not let their dealers have any floor space. WTF?

As far as what did show up...

• Kudos to the PR folks at GM, Ford, and Chrysler for each managing to keep a secret concept car up their sleeves. There had been a whisper or two in the media of the Cadillac Converj, but the Chrysler 200C and Lincoln C concepts came out of left field.
• Lincoln's C concept--the length of a Focus and the width of a Fusion--brought the old AMC Pacer to mind ("the first wide small car!") fused with a bit of Renault Megane and vague hints of the new Lincoln design philosophy. Like many other cars at the show, the C's interior was upholstered in gorgeous but wholly impractical white leather. And, like some of the feminine-themed cellphones that have surfaced in the past few years, it features floral graphics imprinted on the upholstery.
• Wonder of wonders, Henrik Fisker has gone from Preston Tucker wannabe (bold visionary destined for a tragic end) to just-about-ready-for-primetime niche automaker. The Karma plug-in-hybrid is reportedly still on track to hit the market in tiny numbers by the end of the year, and is the sexiest green car on the market.
• I'm pretty sure if I gave my four-year-old niece a bag full of glitter and decals she could come up with something more impressive than the Toyota FT-EV concept. I mean, really; I realize Toyota wanted to make a 'statement' that they were getting into the electric car game, but they would have been better off leaving this pimped-out iQ at home and just announcing something during their press conference. As it was, the FT-EV didn't even warrant a platform--just some stanchions--and wasn't even mentioned during Toyota's press event.
• Volvo's S60 concept was gorgeous and Swedish. And by Swedish, I mean that the communication materials were littered with references to Swedish design influences, from the Viking longboats incorporated into the headlamp design to the full-length 'shoulder' inspired by the cliffs (?) of Sweden.
• Even more gorgeous was the Audi Sportback, a rakish five-door 'coupe' with frameless doorglass and unfinished oak interior trim. The production version--likely to carry the A7 badge--will probably show up at Frankfurt in September.
• And, finally, a 'speaking in tongues' award to VW brand chief designer Walter Da Silva, who presented the new--and apparently ready-for-production--Bluesport roadster concept entirely in Italian. With no subtitles. What a complete waste of everyone's time.

Seen: "Gran Torino"

Apparently, there is occasionally an upside to living in the Detroit area; in this case, it's being one of the first markets--outside of the more cosmopolitican and culturally relevant New York and Los Angeles--to get the new Clint Eastwood (directing and acting) vehicle, Gran Torino.

The reason is that, as a result of our governor realizing the tax benefits of hosting Hollywood in our fair state, we've had a number of films shot on location in and around Detroit over the past several months. Gran Torino not only features a genuine, Detroit-built musclecar as a central icon in the movie, but a number of scenes shot on our own streets.

The basic story is that Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean war vet and retired Ford worker (who helped assembled the '72 Gran Torino he bought new) living in Detroit and dealing with the cultural changes in his neighborhood, whether it's his new Hmong neighbors ("hill people" from Laos, China, and Thailand), the wet-behind-the-ears priest at his church, or the young Asian women who replaced his retired doctor. When the teenage Hmong boy next door (Thao) tries to steal his car, it forms a bond between the two--part mentor/protege, part father/son. Performances are great all around, and it's a credit to Eastwood that he's managed to turn a character whose bigotry makes Archie Bunker look like Mother Theresa a sympathetic character. One scene in particular plays like My Fair Lady on acid, with Walt trying to teach Thao how to 'man up' by trading ethnic insults with his Italian barber. It's not a spoiler to say that this movie doesn't end on what I'd call a high note--but, to the writers' credit, they laid out a portfolio of circumstances that could lead to any number of conclusions, and yet still manage to surprise the viewer with a fitting conclusion that's both tragic and uplifiting.

The Chrome Age...

Looking for some cool, shiny, retro desktop wallpaper? Jalopnik's got an amazing photo gallery of hood ornaments, logos, emblems, and trim taken from this past October's Park Street Classic Car show in Alameda, California. The images are available in up to 1280 pixels wide, suitable for all but the hardest-core widescreen monitors.