OUR NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE FEATURE AND TECH ARTICLES, HOW-TO's, COLLECTOR CARS, AUTO SHOWS, ETC.

HANGING WITH CARROLL SHELBY, JAMES GARNER AND PARNELLI JONES INTO THE NIGHT

JUST HANGING WITH JAMES GARNER, CARROLL SHELBY AND PARNELLI JONES ONE NIGHT AT LOS ANGELES' PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM

Written February, 2003, for Gannett Newspapers

      Buick. Chevrolet. Oldsmobile. Ford. Rolls-Royce. Toyota. Peugeot. Chrysler. Honda. Mercedes-Benz. Bentley.
    And there are more. All great car companies bearing the names of their founders or important figures in their history.

     Why doesn’t that happen anymore? A social event we attended in Los Angeles recently got me thinking about it.
     We were visiting the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The gala that evening was a tribute to a short-lived race team which was owned by actor James Garner, organized in the late 1960s after he filmed the feature movie “Grand Prix”, which, along with Steve McQueen’s “LeMans”, are considered the two best racing movies of all time.
   In “Grand Prix”, Garner portrayed an American racer driving for a Japanese car company just getting started in Formula 1, or Grand Prix, racing. The story was borrowed from the true-life exploits of American F1 racer Richie Ginther and his association with the (at that time) fledgling Honda F1 race team. Yves Montand played another F1 driver, Toshiro Mifune’s character (Mifune his first big English-speaking movie) was modeled after the founder Honda, and Eva Marie Saint played the always-necessary “love interest” shared between Garner and Montand.

     Also in the film were race drivers Richie Ginther, Bob Bondurant, Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren, American F1 World Champion Phil Hill and Brit racer Graham Hill, “Black Jack” Brabham and Dan Gurney. The 1966 movie, directed by John Frankenheimer, contains some of the most fantastic racing scenes ever recorded, featuring all the drivers mentioned above in their F1 race cars of the time.

     Garner was at the Petersen Museum event, and there was a showing of a 1969 documentary produced and starring Garner called “The Racing Scene”, which was directed by Andy Sidaris, who headed up ABC-TV’s “Wide World of Sports”  racing coverage for many years. Sidaris spoke at the event and introduced the film, which chronicled Garner’s road racing and more successful off-road exploits.
     We spoke with Garner and also with Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones and legendary racer/race car builder/promoter Carroll Shelby.

     It’s all fine and well to speak with some of the past stars and heroes of the automotive world, but when it comes to accomplishing some of the feats these men did (and there were, unfortunately, not many women in the auto business at that time), who are the future great stars? Where are the Shelby’s, Jones’s, Iacocca’s and DeLorean’s, even the James Garner’s, of tomorrow?

     The sad truth is, they are few and far between.

     Today’s worldwide auto industry is one of committees and stockholders, not individuals. Carroll Shelby told me years ago that what he had accomplished would never be done again, simply because no one person or even medium-sized company has the money and equipment to develop a vehicle from scratch. Even if they did, the costs involved with building and then crash-testing test cars or trucks and then meeting the safety, fuel and emissions requirements of countries around the world is prohibitive for any company except the largest.

     Think about it….when was the last time anyone started a car company under their own name? There have been a few sporadic attempts over the years, and the DeLorean project got a lot of press because of the overall fiasco it turned out to be (all that interest about a not-very-good car), but today’s automotive all-stars tend to be people like Carlos Ghosn, the head of Renault, which bought Nissan a few years ago and has managed to turn the company into a money-maker.

     One of  the last of the “old-timers” still working in the business is 72 year old Bob Lutz, now essentially in charge of cars and trucks for General Motors in North America. Lutz, when he was a top executive at Chrysler, before Daimler took them over, gave the go-ahead for wildly successful and sexy projects like the Viper, Prowler and PT Cruiser. A former Marine fighter pilot who collects, restores and flies European fighter jets as a hobby, is just about the final executive at a major car company who has the authority to make far-ranging decisions and is willing to live with their consequences.

     (Interesting aside: The “merger of equals” which Daimler claimed their relationship with Chrysler would be when they bought-out the perennially-struggling automaker a few years has turned into anything but that. In fact, on the new-look DaimlerChrysler Board of Directors, there is but a single American left. Daimler, a notoriously conservative company, now loses almost any American-style zest it may have had. One executive once told me that “casual day” at Daimler in Germany meant taking your suit jacket off during lunch.)

     The auto world moved more and more towards being run by “the bean counters” in the late 1960s, when government regulations and the prospect of oil shortages hit the industry hard. Suddenly, egos were out the door (one of the prime reasons DeLorean never became president of General Motors), and executives not taking responsibility became an art form.   A degree from the Wharton School of Business is now a ticket to the top of the management heap at any car company worldwide, where in the past an engineer, stylist, race car driver or slick promoter could carry a car from concept to production.

Another prime reason for this sad bureaucratic state of affairs is the sheer complexity of modern cars and trucks themselves. No one person, companies believe, can master all the knowledge necessary to bring a project to market, and therefore a committee-upon-committee system is used to create today’s vehicles. And you know the old joke about a camel being a horse designed by a committee. Think about that the next time you see, say, a Pontiac Aztek!

If Bob Lutz achieves a great degree of success at GM, perhaps the pendulum will swing back towards the power of the individual in the automotive world. But the days of John DeLorean meeting casually Saturday mornings with his engineering staff at Pontiac, taking a 389 cubic inch engine from their big Bonneville and putting it into their small LeMans and calling it a GTO, and doing it all on a lark, as sort of a “neat idea at the time”, well, those days are over.

It’s a shame, too, as I am sure we can all agree. What we can do now is learn about our automotive history, appreciate the characters who populated it and turned it into the greatest and most important industrial movement the world has ever seen. And if we’re lucky enough, sometimes sit at the feet of those who had a hand in it, as we did recently at the Petersen Museum, and --- just listen.

-30-

    

WINTER DRIVING IS SEVERE --- EVEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S DESERTS!

SEVERE WEATHER DRIVING --- WINTER IS THE TIME TO SLOW DOWN!

Written December, 2002, for Gannett Newspapers

     Those of us who moved here (to the Southern California desert) for the “temperate” climate get a rude awakening very November when our version of “winter” hits. This season seems particularly harsh, by desert standards. It seems we’ve had more rain since Thanksgiving than we had all last year!

     When the weather changes, our driving habits must change, too. Every year we provide you with information about winter and summer driving and how to adjust for the seasons, and every year we’re reminded (by the number of weather-related accidents throughout the Coachella Valley) that these columns, rather then being redundant, do serve a purpose.

     First, some of us are among the most poorly-trained drivers in the world. This country does not value driving ability. It’s the rare American school district which still has Driver’s Ed courses in their curriculum. There’s lots to be said for after-school clubs of all types and band and music appreciation classes. But I’ve always thought that teaching young people the basic skills needed to pilot 2-ton or more pieces of glass, metal and plastic at speeds above triple digits is a good idea, too. Intensive, professional driving instruction for young and old alike is common in many other nations, and it should be here, too.

But back to our local and sometimes odd weather.

The first rule for any kind of unusual happening on the highway is --- slow down! There are those of us who revel in driving down Fred Waring Drive at 70 miles per hour just because we can. A wet roadway is dangerous enough in the daytime. At night and early morning, you’ll find it can be icy. Late night temperatures throughout the Valley during winter can get into the high 30s, or even below, and that’s plenty cold enough to freeze small patches of water.

You must assume that while driving here during the wee hours, there is ice on the road. Treat your driving with that possibility in mind.

Wet roads aren’t the only winter driving hazard in our part of the world. Wind is another.

Winds strong enough to topple a semi-tractor weighing 60 tons are more than enough to force your car or truck into another lane.

There’s another wind-related danger which is unique to the desert --- blowing dirt and sand.

Many of us have been in sandstorms so bad that visibility is worse than any fog, rain or snow. It’s downright scary, especially when you’re on the I-10 and you can’t see more than 50 feet in front of your windshield.

Not only does blowing sand obscure your vision, but it also makes the roads slippery. Keep in mind than when on a dusty, dirty or sandy road surface, your braking and steering are going to be compromised. Again --- slow down!

You only have to travel about 25 miles up Highway 74 to encounter real snow and ice. Carey and me went to visit her mom in Garner Valley on Christmas day, and while the air was crisp and clear and smell of pine trees was in the air, there was plenty of snow and ice on the ground. We were driving a Subaru Impreza with all-wheel drive for an extra amount of safety, but I still adjusted my generally too-fast driving to the conditions. It was fun, though, sliding through some of the corners!

Besides slowing down, check your tires and windshield wipers. Many folks discover upon the first heavy rain that the summer sun has rotted their wipers beyond all usefulness. Check their condition BEFORE things get wet! Our brutal summer sun also rots the rubber on your tires, so keep that in mind, too.

Make sure you have a liquid cleaning solution for the wipers which has some anti-freeze-type element. Then, when you do hit freezing weather, you can keep the windshield clear by using your spray washers and keep the washer nozzles from freezing up.

Tires need to have their pressure checked regularly (once a month should be fine). Even more important in the winter, the tread depth needs to be inspected to make sure they do their job of displacing roadway water, snow and ice. Tires are the most ignored and one of the most important parts of any car --- at any given time, only about one square foot of rubber is touching the ground.

These are simple steps to help improve safety for all of us on the roads during the next few months. Our Valley is wonderful because we can be at the beach in 2 hours, in the mountains skiing in less than that time, and bounding through the desert right outside our back doors. But we must be responsible drivers under all conditions, and that means being aware of our constantly changing local road conditions.

-30-

RESTO-MODS AND RETRO-CARS!

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN!

Written March, 2004 for ALASKA AIRLINES’ in-flight magazine.

      Call it retro, call it nostalgia, heck, call it mid-life crisis. There’s just no doubt that the styles, horsepower and even the names of cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s are finding their way back into new car showrooms.

   And what better way to wake up buyers to an automotive brand than by relying on that greatest sense of all: Our memories.

   Horsepower. Squealing, slick, Redline tires. The rumble of open exhaust pipes. Sports cars which could be ordered with a “radio/heater delete” option, “adding lightness” for drivers heading for the race track on the weekend. Eight track tape decks.

   All these, our automotive memories of the ‘60s and ‘70s, of unrepentant musclecars, two girls for every boy in Surf City (even if you grew up in Cleveland) and fun, fun, fun ‘til her daddy took the T-Bird away. It’s all been resurrected for the same generation which first experienced all of it 40 years ago. For folks of a certain age, it’s Disneyland’s Autopia come to life!

   To be honest, it is disconcerting to walk into a great car museum and see cars and motorcycles I test-drove for magazines when they were new, now on display as historic classics.

   Yet, like most things historic, museum curators and other experts in the field have determined exactly when the hot car/Beach Blanket Bingo era began: With the introduction of Pontiac’s 1964 GTO, considered now to be the original musclecar.

   By shoe-horning a big car engine (Bonneville) into a small car body (LeMans), John DeLorean, then the company’s chief engineer, and his happy little performance henchmen at Pontiac created an only-in-America automotive icon.

   In 1969, to freshen up the GTO’s image in the public mind, and to answer Plymouth’s fun and outrageous Road Runner (with the Chuck Jones-styled cartoon character emblazoned on the rear), the GTO Judge was brought to market (see lead photo above).

   Named (also by DeLorean) for a comedy bit called “Here Come De Judge” which ran on NBC-TV’s “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In”, Judge was available with big engines (the Ram Air V was

most desirable), outrageous paint combinations and as a convertible.

   About 12,000 Judge models were made during 1969 through 1971, the convertibles being the most rare of them all, their numbers in 1971 alone being under 500 cars. Yet some experts will tell you that many more than 500 GTO Judges are registered in the country today.

   How can this happen? Here’s the Dark Side of automotive restoration and collecting ... and auctions.

   These days, it is possible to build a brand-new old car from the ground up, and sell it to buyers searching the country for just such a car, checkbooks in hand.

   Just as some very talented contemporary artists churn out copies of originals and pass them off as the real thing, so there are crooks engaged in manufacturing old/new cars all over the world.

   Sellers working for “Midnight Auto” offer vehicles with original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plates, so a careful buyer might even bring in a licensed appraiser and still be fooled.

   Of course, if an original VIN plate does not exist, there are folks who will make one for  you, for the right price. Usually the car will be advertised (quietly, in collector’s circles) as one which was destroyed in a wreck just after it left the factory and thus was never registered, or came upon some other horrible end which, somehow, never quite makes sense.

   But for someone desperate to own a certain car, the crooks’ offers are hard to refuse.

   By the way, these people also know the secret locations on every vehicle where VIN plates

and stamps are attached. Most of these copies could even fool the average cop.

   But the manufacturers are making it possible to have a bit of history in a new car, honestly, without having to resort to such illegalities.

  For the enthusiast who remembers the ‘60s and ‘70s like they were yesterday, the guy (and occasional lady) who still wears Hawaiian shirts to the office, and not just on Casual Friday, some of the names and models of their youth are in new car showrooms, and industry analysts think they’ll sell very well.

   There are few Asian or Euro car-makers at this table, yet Mazda deserves an honored place

for their MX-5, known in the US as the Miata. Miata (photo), which first hit our shores in 1989, was an instant success. That first year, Japanese customers bought 9,307 copies of the cute little sports car. Americans saw things another way, ponying up to take home 23,052 Miatas.

   What was the “retro-ness” of Miata? It harkened right back to the first MGs, Triumphs and Jensens which American GI’s started bringing home from Europe in the 1950s, as there were no similar cars made or sold in the USA.

   Miata was an MG which started every morning, nothing more or less, and that alone was plenty.

   A relatively inexpensive, somewhat underpowered and tiny convertible with a stick shift, great steering, good brakes, even a “dead pedal” to rest the left foot when it wasn’t on the clutch, Miata single-handedly brought the two seat sports car back to the American market --- just as Pontiac was getting rid of their ill-fated Fiero.

    And Miata’s reliability would have the driver doing things they’d never try in a Triumph --- like drive more than 100 or so miles at a clip without having to stop and fix something (as a former Spitfire owner, I know whereof I speak).

   Some of the more recent, and some soon-to-be-here, cars with that certain retro flair hit

close to the heart of the enthusiast.

   Perhaps no car has been so highly awaited by the original Beach Boy/Drag Strip set as the latest iteration of that original musclecar, the Pontiac GTO.

   While the 1964 model was a option package available on the Tempest LeMans (GTO didn’t become its own model until the next year), 2004’s GTO price of almost $40,000, with all the options, is a bit more than the $3,200 or so which an original would have set back a buyer.

   Today, that original, with its “three deuces and a four-speed and a 389”, as the song, “GTO”, by Ronnie and the Daytonas intoned, would be worth about $50,000 in pristine shape.

  The new GTO (photo) has as its basis a popular car built in Australia by GM’s Holden Division, called Monaro. With rear-wheel drive, comfortable seating for four, the two-door coupe uses the Corvette’s 5.7 liter V8 mated with either a six-speed stick shift or an automatic for motivation.

   It all works pretty well, and the current “Goat” seems worlds-away from the original when it comes to noise, vibration and harshness (what the engineers call NVH). The ’64 Pontiac was full of all three, and of course that made for much of the fun.

   But at our age, who needs all that?

   The truth is that the 1964 car would go well in a straight line, but ask it to stop or turn and you had problems; older American performance cars were built for the drag strip, not the road course. Today’s GTO, however, would be right at home on the curviest, twistiest sections of road one might find. And over 300 horsepower almost guarantees the fun quotient.

   Is it as fun as the original? The honest answer is no, but it is safer, faster, quieter and certainly gets better mileage, blows out way fewer emissions and is much more reliable. But be forewarned: Opt for the automatic tranny, and you’ll be paying a $1,000 Federal Gas Guzzler Tax (didn’t know they had one of those, did you?). The stick-equipped model is exempt from that particular surcharge, but is an almost-$700 option. They get you either way ...

   General Motors’ Chevrolet Division is using the wonderful, old Impala and Malibu names this year on somewhat boring family cars. But it’s Chevy’s SSR which is catching everyone’s attention.

   A new name for a retro-styled truck, SSR is equipped with a 5.3 liter Vortec V8 engine, driving some 300 horsepower to the rear wheels via an automatic transmission. Modeled after the Chevy pickups of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, SSR is mounted atop the same frame which serves as the basis of the contemporary TrailBlazer SUV.

   Though it looks good enough with the top up, SSR takes on a new appearance by lowering its retractable hard convertible top with the push of a single button. Yep, this is the world’s first convertible pickup, according the General Motors. And why would they lie to us about something so important?

SSR (Super Sports Roadster) had a short run of vehicles in 2003, but the 2004 trucks offer more colors. A test truck we drove was base-priced at just over $41,000. Chevy says they’ll make 5-7,000 SSRs a year for the next five years or so, to help keep the value up for customers who might wait several months to get their hands on one.

   SSR is built at a special “Craft Centre” in Flint, MI, where other GM specialty cars which get extra attention are made.

   Ford has a few new cars quite fitting of the nostalgia theme.

   First, the least exciting, but probably most important to Ford in terms of sales, is the all-new “500”, due in 2005. A larger-than-Taurus family sedan, Ford needs this car to become their “bread and butter” family value machine, replacing the Taurus, which spent years as one of the top three best-selling cars in America, swapping places with Toyota’s Camry and Honda’s Accord. Both those cars now seem permanently cemented in either first or second place.

   A front-driver with only a V6, the new 500 (which was a popular Ford model name in the ‘60s, ala “Galaxie 500”) is one of those rare cars which sounds dull even on paper! However, Ford has received enough input from consumer clinics and magazine editors, all of whom are said to be rooting for “more power and better styling”, that when the car finally makes its public debut next year, Ford will have something to be proud of in their showroom.

   Two cars of which our favorite Dearborn, MI company can definitely be proud are the 2005 Mustang and the 2004 GT.

   The new Mustang, which has been an absolute hit at recent car shows, combines enough interior and exterior styling “cues” from the original car to catch everyone’s eye. Mustang went on-sale in mid-1964, and started setting sales records from that day on. Mustang sold one million models faster than any other car in history (for comparison, while GTO was a fast seller, it sold just under 1 million copies in ten years of production and is still considered a huge success).

   The most exciting news is that Ford tells us the price for their 300 or so horsepower V8 GT model will be somewhat under $30,000, utilizing their 4.6 liter V8 engine to make the thunder. No news yet on a supercharged Cobra high-performance Mustang, but we expect one will be offered towards the end of the first year of new Mustang sales.

   One Ford machine guaranteed to get the blood boiling is their GT (photo), the official celebration car in this, the company’s 100th anniversary year.

   Closely modeled after the GT40 models which won the 24 Hours of LeMans four times between 1966 and 1969, these low-slung cars were the racers which brought Ford Motor Company, Carroll Shelby and big money all together for the first time.

Henry Ford II, intent on winning the LeMans event, still the most prestigious endurance race in the world, even tried to buy Ferrari from Enzo Ferrari himself, until, legend has it, Signore Ferrari threw Henry the Deuce (Henry II, get it?) out of his Maranello, Italy office.

Ford hired Shelby for the 1965 season, gave him a basically unlimited budget (rumored to be around $40 million) and Shelby’s team replied with those four victories, making the GT40 (the name came from the car’s 40 inch height) the first American-made car to win the World’s Sportscar Championship, in 1966.

   The GT is back now (one of the car’s original suppliers owned the name “GT40” and wanted millions from Ford to allow them to use it again) and with 550 supercharged V8 horsepower and a price tag a bit over $139,000, it is a force of nature to be reckoned with. The 5.4 liter engine is mated to a six-speed stick shift transmission which should have little problem moving the all-aluminum engine/body package up to triple digits in a hurry.

   An instant classic, Ford GT is being hand-built in very limited numbers, perhaps as few as 500 annually for only a few years. Ford specialists Roush Racing (who build Ford’s winningest NASCAR racers), Saleen Automobiles (makers of custom Mustangs and the fabulous S7 sports car, which sold for over $450,000 at a recent auction) and Mayflower (a British company making the custom body panels) are all combining their cottage-industry, race car-building talents to turn out one of the world’s great supercars, that rare one with a near all-American pedigree.

   And like all the other nostalgia cars making their comeback, Ford’s GT will have traction control, anti-lock brakes, airbags and loads of other safety and convenience features which weren’t dreamt of way, way back in 1964.

   Chrysler was the company which brought the Prowler factory-built hot rod, Viper street/track car and PT Cruiser (that 1930s Ford panel truck look-alike) all to our attention.

   Chrysler, headed throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s by two executives who liked taking a chance, Bob Eaton and Bob Lutz gave the production okays to Viper, Prowler and PT Cruiser, even though all three were initially meant to be nothing more than design exercises to display at auto shows.

   And now that the over-70 Lutz, a former Marine pilot who still flies fighter jets for kicks, is in charge of all future GM product for North America, we could be in for another glut of imaginative vehicles, this time from The General.

   While it’s no secret that since Daimler bought Chrysler the wackiness has gone out of the company (one Chrysler exec told me “Casual Fridays” to the staid Germans means taking their suit coats off during lunch), Daimler’s sheer engineering strengths will help them hit some home runs.

   They have brought back one of the great engines of all time, the Hemi. Named for its hemispherically-shaped combustion chambers (which provide a more efficient explosion when fuel

mixture is ignited by the spark plug), the Hemi remains the #1 choice for professional drag racers in the Top Fuel categories. Today, the legendary Hemi can be found in Dodge trucks and the upcoming Dodge Magnum R/T wagon/sedan “crossover” and the Chrysler 300 sedan. The 5.7 liter V8 Hemi will make 340 horsepower for the rear wheels of 300 and Magnum; all-wheel drive models will be available in another year or so.

   One brand-new model from Chrysler which is built in Germany is the Crossfire. Equipped as it is with Mercedes-Benz underpinnings, from the platform to the 3.2 liter V6 engine, it’s the styling of this car which is the throwback.

  Modeled as it appears to be after the great French boulevard cruisers of the ‘20s and ‘30s, automobiles with names such as Delahaye, Delage and Talbot, Crossfire (photo) will eventually be available as a coupe, convertible, and a performance coupe with the emphasis on power and handling. Prices start at $35,000.

   In a world where Mini and Rolls-Royce are both owned by BMW, and Lamborghini, Bugatti and Audi are all owned by Volkswagen, it’s good to know that some of the best American-bred names and models will never, evidently, go out of style. But 40 years from now, will middle age drivers pine for that minivan which mom drove?

-30-

STILL CRAZY (FAMILY FUN!) AFTER ALL THESE YEARS --- AMERICA'S SOAP BOX DERBY!

SUPPORT A GREAT TRADITION:
OUR ALL-AMERICAN SOAP BOX DERBY!

Written July, 2002 for Gannett's DESERT SUN newspaper.

    
    Right now we are in the middle of the auto racing season, and every weekend race fans are taken with news from around the world, from Formula 1 to CART to IRL to, of course, NASCAR.

     But there was another race held recently which garnered too little attention, an American tradition which seems to have, unfortunately, been forgotten about as big-time racing and the big bucks which come with it captures everyone’s attention.

     Just last weekend, Akron, OH, saw the 65^th running of the All American Soap Box Derby, with two competitors from our own Coachella Valley acquitting themselves well in the face of competition of more than 410 other racers from around the world. (Photo -- The Annual Championships in Akron, OH).

     This past April 20, the Don Berry Greater Coachella Valley Soap Box Derby was held on Avenida Bermudas in La Quinta, the official host city for this year’s event. There were over 40 competitors in two divisions at the La Quinta race.

Though the Coachella Valley event has been run for only the past 8 years, this area has some interesting connections to the national event. 1953 World Champion Fred Mohler, originally from Muncie, IN, is now a Valley resident and supporter of the races. There are many other former local and national Soap Box stars living in the Valley, all of them, whenever possible, encouraging today’s racing kids and even bringing out their old gravity-powered race cars to show us all how they used to make ‘em!

     Soap Box Derby racing is four-wheeled-vehicle competition in its purest, most elemental form. Gravity provides the power, a hill provides the gravity, and the driver provides the racing skill. (Photo -- Kits are shipped to racers in pieces, where they get their "final assembly").

Speeds range from 20 miles per hour top speed at La Quinta to closer to 30 mph at the Akron track, which is surrounded by grandstands holding thousands of spectators on race day.

     Today’s cars are bought in kit form from the national sanctioning body and assembled by the contestants, but for many decades, the cars were built by the racers themselves according to rules issued by the national organizers.

And, as with all forms of racing, money is an important aspect, so local sponsors and volunteers must be found in each town to stage the local event and assure the ability of the winners to travel with their race cars to Akron for the World Championships. Also, sponsors help pay for race cars which some competitors and their families may not be able to afford. The idea is to get as many kids as possible involved, whether they can pay the entry fees or not.

According to local Race Director Lucia Moran, “The best part of the whole program is seeing the kids working one on one with an adult or an older kid, building the car, learning sportsmanship and craftsmanship, and just spending quality time with some sort of mentor”. (Photo -- Three-wide at Akron!).

     Moran, a 29-year Valley resident who was asked 10 years ago to help with the Soap Box due to her experience with fundraising, quickly enlisted the City of La Quinta as the primary civic sponsor and then set her sights on bringing more help into the fold.

While some may think our local race in La Quinta is small-town and even quaint, the championships in Akron are definitely big-time. Competitors spend a full week there, shuttled around town by police escorts, driven in cars supplied free of charge by a local car dealer. The local paper, the Akron Beacon Journal, estimates the Soap Box Derby brings more than $3 million into that city during Derby week.

And for the kids and their friends and families who participate in our local event, La Quinta is as Big Time as the Indy 500. Don’t doubt that for a minute.

Now, this very family-oriented event is growing to enable competitors to race more than just once a year. A series of races around the country called “Rallies”, sanctioned by the All-American Soap Box Derby, will allow racers and their “pit crews” to gain experience year-round. (Photo -- What beats a kid's smile after winning a race?).

Learning new and better driving techniques, picking up tips on how best to (legally) modify the race cars, talking to competitors from other areas and finding out what tricks they are using to go faster --- all this and more, plus the camaraderie of being around other racers and their supporters is, as the commercial says, “priceless”.

I’m getting involved in the event this coming year, guaranteed, any way I can help, and I am calling on all you Coachella Valley Car Nuts to do the same! If you are part of a youth group, have kids from 9 to 16 or would like to mentor one of the participants, please make an effort to help. Maybe you can help in finding a sponsor, or would like to make a contribution so a kid and his or her family without the means can get a Soap Box race car of their own. (Photo -- The Finals draw tens of thousands every year to Akron, OH).

This is a real American tradition, with a 65 year history of helping kids grow up right, get tight with an older mentor and develop a healthy interest in cars and auto racing.

(Reach Steve directly and see more road tests at his website at www.SteveParker.com.)

-30-

RACE CAR DRIVING SCHOOLS --- WORTH THE $$$?

IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME ---
RACE CAR DRIVING SCHOOL, THAT IS

     Written July, 2002 for ALASKA AIRLINES' in-flight magazine.

           In the past few years, commensurate with the phenomenal rise in the interest in auto racing, there’s been huge growth in the number of performance driving schools.

Originally oriented exclusively towards training race car drivers, many of these schools, and their students, discovered that picking up some basic race track skills also created much better drivers for everyday situations. (Photo --- "Bench racing", where the discussion often begins with "And there I was ..." with lots of hand motions. But bench racing with a professional driver giving a student tips on his or her track and street abilities can be a highlight of one's driving life).

     And one other thing: Besides being a cool learning experience, the schools are also pure fun!

If you’ve never driven a car on a race track, where you don’t have to worry about on-coming traffic and other drivers, it’s an experience not to be missed.

Learning new skills, pushing a car (and yourself) to new limits, overcoming fears, learning to work with a pit crew (your instructor) as a team, overcoming that ego and taking direction in what is really a life-and-death undertaking --- it’s a real thrill for man or woman, youngster or mature adult. (Photo -- Attending a driving school might be the only time in someone's driving life they get to pilot an open-wheel, or "Formula", car ... In the school environment, the cars can be "de-tuned" for beginners, so the engine can not achieve its full power).

     Funny thing about men, in particular --- never question their  sexual or driving skills unless you want an argument. But unless you’re Mario Andretti, it’s guaranteed there’s a few things about driving you could stand to learn. As far as that other stuff, that’s not my department (better to ask your partner about that subject).

The manufacturers have gotten into the act. BMW, Porsche, Audi and others sponsor “traveling” driving and racing schools. These schools fit into a few tractor-trailers and travel to race tracks around the country, offering their courses to owners of their particular brand of cars.

     Other car-makers (one being Aston-Martin) will send buyers to a school after they purchase their new car so they can experience the vehicle at high speeds, under the direction of skilled instructors.

Land Rover has been building small off-road tracks at their sales locations so potential buyers can take one of these very capable vehicles into a real dirt and rock environment and test its mettle.

Jeep has organized owner trips down the famed Rubicon Trail near Sacramento, CA for many years, one of off-roading’s toughest challenges, and the experience has grown into a national program of off-road driving schools throughout the nation.

Yes, even off-road driving skills can translate into enhanced on-road abilities.

     The manufacturers have also found that these high-speed experiences fit well into the new notion of “affinity” programs for owners and potential buyers, helping bring new members into the “flock”, and keeping them there for many years. (Photo -- Driving school students will encounter many of the same challenges and problems they'll find on the street while going through the training, but in an open-wheel car, the action happens a lot faster and the overall experience is much more intense, adding to the fun, but also making the lessons learned more memorable for the more common street environment).

Consider: Buying a Porsche is one thing. Sitting in a classroom for a day learning the fundamentals of safe high-speed driving from a world-famous racer, then taking the car on a race track for another day or two and practicing what you’ve learned, is quite another.

     While cars and trucks are safer than ever, virtually nothing has been done on a government level to improve the skills of American drivers. In fact, with budget cutbacks at local school districts forcing the end of most “driver’s ed” programs, the average driver getting his or her license today is probably less skilled and less experienced than at almost anytime in the recent past.

     It’s true that deaths from auto accidents have gone down the past few years, and that’s mostly attributable to the improved safety of the vehicles themselves. Things like higher-quality and longer-lasting tires (when was the last time you had a blow-out?), anti-lock brakes, traction control systems and, especially, airbags, have helped reduce traffic fatalities.

     But there has been no drop in the number of accidents. As car and truck sales rise, so do the incidents of accidents, which tells us that we drivers are not getting any better at our jobs.

     A real “driving school” should not be confused with one of the many “driving experiences” which are sprouting up across the nation. (Photo -- Notice how the car's wheels are turned to the driver's 'right', yet the corner is a left-hander ... Students can learn how to take advantage of "sliding" a car through a corner).

At these businesses, participants can “ride along” in  race cars equipped with passenger seats, offering a race fan the reality of what it’s like to go around an oval track at speeds over 150 miles per hour, or the excitement of taking-on one of the world’s great road courses, such as Watkins Glen in upstate New York or Sears Point in northern California.

For a momentary thrill and a new appreciation of what racing is all about, these “experiences” fit the bill. But there’s no learning involved, nothing the participant can take home with them to make them better, safer drivers.

True driving schools range in length from several hours to several days; in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. At some schools, the students learn and practice in their own cars, at others, students use the school’s vehicles (which are often race cars or highly-modified street cars).

Some schools provide driving suits and helmets, some insist the student bring their own. A fire-resistant suit (made out of a material called Nomex) can cost around $1,000. Full-coverage helmets (the only ones we recommend) range from $200 to over $500. (Photos -- TrackTime Driving Schools are located throughout the USA, and offer diving lessons in everything from Formula cars to NASCAR-like stockers).

How to find the right school for you? Enthusiast publications such as AutoWeek and Road & Track regularly list some of the top schools in the nation. The Internet is also a great source of information.

Call the schools, examine their websites, and ask questions. Is the school oriented more towards the professional race driver or the daily commuter who wants improved overall skills? Ask for some phone numbers so you can speak with some alumni and get a third-party opinion of the school’s value.

Ask about the ratio of class time to track time. Sure, track time is the most fun, but without the classroom instruction, much of the track time will be a waste.

Learning the theories before you try them out on the track makes all the difference between just having some fun and learning new skills, experiencing them first-hand, and finally committing them to memory for your future everyday use.

Query the school on their facilities. Will you be spending time on an oval course, which emphasizes top speed control and concentration, or a road racing track, where left and right turns and braking and acceleration sections more accurately reflect real-world driving? Do they offer courses for new or younger drivers? (A trip to driving school is one of the best gifts you could ever give your kids to teach them motoring skills and responsibility).

On my wall is a certificate from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Vehicles Operations Center (EVOC), certifying compliance in “pursuit driving”. 

Modeled after the FBI’s fabled driving school in Quantico, VA, EVOC features oval and road courses, as well as a huge skid pad which can be flooded to simulate driving on ice --- all this in the desert of southern California!

However, besides teaching very specific, and sometimes secret, law enforcement driving skills, EVOC is also open to the public, and specializes in courses for teen and newer drivers. This amazing public facility, one of the few of its kind in the world, is paying back to the community by offering low-cost instruction with some of the most highly-skilled drivers in the country serving as instructors.

Before you pick any driving school, check and see if something like EVOC exists in your local area. Also talk to friends who are racing enthusiasts and check the website of groups like the Sports Car Club of America (www.scca.org) to search for nearby schools of which you might not be aware.

Once you’re satisfied as to your choice of school, what are some of the classroom topics you can expect to be covered? Robust health and physical and mental fitness is a top one.

Professional race drivers, at least the best ones, are in highly-polished physical condition. Most of the top drivers in everything from CART to IRL to F1 and NASCAR have chefs, physical therapists and exercise specialists which travel worldwide with their team.

Danny McKeever, 61, has been running the FastLane driving school at Willow Springs Raceway in the Upper Desert of southern California for the past 25 years.

     Being physically fit is a key element of McKeever's curriculum.

     "If people think racing is not strenuous, consider that the average competitive racer loses 5 to 10 pounds of weight during the average race, just in water," says McKeever.

     "That's why staying properly hydrated, for instance, is a key factor in driving any car. Dehydration can first show itself as lightheadedness, and other symptoms include cramps and severe pain in your legs. These are things which can turn a routine car trip around town into a disaster.”

     McKeever points out that while driving a modern car "doesn't take brute strength, for a man or woman", there are areas of your body to work on which will help anyone be a better driver.

     "It's important for your hands to be flexible, but very sensitive at the same time, able to translate feedback from the steering wheel into information you can really use to help control the vehicle", he told us.

     This is the kind of information which your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles probably doesn’t have in their handbooks for new drivers, but typical of the small though  important tips a driving instructor offers at a serious school.

     Many countries around the world have driving standards so tough that most of us Americans would not be able to get a license on the first attempt.

Germany and the northern European nations in particular are places where driving skills are highly revered and respected. There are still sections of the fabled Autobahn where speed limits are an afterthought, and drivers traveling along at 120 miles per hour are “blinked” with high beam lights to the slow lane by overtaking cars.

In Japan, also, driving instruction is a serious and continuing part of every student’s public education.

     Not that drivers in all other “first world” nations are experts compared to us. Anyone who has ever driven in England or Italy, for instance, can attest to the absolute lunacy which takes place on the roadways in those countries. (Photo -- Lay-out of a law enforcement driving school in Michigan. Note the huge skid pad in the center and the "wet track" in the upper right, along with straightaways and road course- and freeway-like curves).

Whether you decide to investigate driving schools for yourself or as a gift, or your company takes advantage of a corporate course which larger schools offer at reduced rates, or want to send your teenager onto the world’s highways with the best possible chance of survival, a top-flight driving school is an experience which can benefit any driver for the rest of their lives.

(Steve Parker is a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist based in Palm Springs, CA, who specializes in the auto industry. Check out www.SteveParker.com for more.)

-30-

CHINESE CARS AND TRUCKS HITTING THESE SHORES --- NOW!

THE CHINESE ARE COMING,
    THE CHINESE ARE COMING!

Written March, 2006 for Gannett's DESERT SUN newspaper

Hop in the Chery and come on over! Wife got that car? Then fire-up the Great Wall and let’s do lunch! Kid got that one? No problem, the Geely is warmed-up and ready to go! (Photo -- "Brilliance" sedan).

     Never heard those names? Those above-named cars are all made in China, and the companies which make them promise high quality, low prices, extensive warranties and solid resale values. Well, maybe.
     Only a few years ago, made-in-Korea Hyundai cars bore out what many American consumers expected as far as that nation’s industrial product quality. A TV or radio from there was one thing; cars another altogether.

Hyundai’s original 1986 model for America, the Excel, was poorly-made and became a popular joke topic for late-night TV comedians.
             But Excel was inexpensive, had a modest warranty and Hyundai dealers were eager to rack up sales. Too eager; Excels were sold to too many people who had trouble sending in payment coupons on-time. In just a few years, it seemed every Hyundai on the road was beat-up, spewing exhaust smoke, with dented body panels, bald tires, a bad paint job, and invariably parked by the side of the road. (Photo -- China's Chery A5).

And those were the good ones.

     So Hyundai, with help from Ford, which by then owned big chunks of both Hyundai and Japan’s Mazda, went on a Japanese-style “quality circle” campaign throughout the gigantic corporation. Hyundai then started making news not as the butt of jokes, but by offering a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty starting in 1998. The fixes worked and Hyundai set sales records which stand to today.
             In order for any import car company to build models in China, that company must partner with an established Chinese car-builder, many of which share private ownership with a local or the national government.

And that could be good news for quality.
            China is, in effect, importing the quality lessons  learned from companies around the globe, while gearing-up to export their own Chinese-badged cars and trucks worldwide.
           General Motors and Ford are both making money in China, Mercedes-Benz and BMW can’t build cars fast enough for the growing Chinese middle class, Volkswagen has truly become once again “a people’s car” in China, and Ferrari has already opened ten dealerships in the great Middle Kingdom. (Photo -- "Great Wall" pickup truck with cab).

In an automotive sense, China has gone from the 19^th century to the 21^st in a mere decade, so we should expect some major bumps in the road; not insurmountable, but major nonetheless.

A new company formed by automotive entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin had a chance to be first in the USA to import cars from China.

Bricklin first brought Japan’s Subaru (made by Fuji Heavy Industries) to America and followed-up that winner with the unfortunate Yugo, and also tried to build and market his own gullwing-style sports car (which failed).

He recently formed Visionary Vehicles to import Chinese-made Chevrolets to America. He’s taken many millions of dollars in deposits from established American car dealers hoping to be among the first to sell what Bricklin says will be under-$10,000 cars.

There are many smaller players in the China game, too. According to USA TODAY, David Shelburg, 75, of Scottsdale, Ariz., has signed up dealers in California and Arizona to sell China-made vehicles. But Shelburg has been trying to sell Chinese-built cars in the USA for 10 years and has been sued by unhappy dealers who say they never got vehicles to sell and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Photo -- "Nanjing/MG ZT" sedan).

China has a tremendous opportunity to create a missing under-$10,000 price point for American car-buyers. If quality is part of that purchase, we’ll all be learning a lot of new car and truck names in the near-future.

     -30-

SUPER-LUXURY CARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

                              SUPER LUXURY CARS OF
                     THE 21^ST CENTURY

Written May, 2002 for ALASKA AIRLINES' in-flight magazine

     In spite of the vagaries of the worldwide automotive marketplace, there is one segment which continues to grow no matter the world political or economic situation. (Photo above -- Maybach 62).

     These are the stratospherically-priced executive autos which command the attention of everyone lucky enough to get a glimpse of them in action. Those who have had the experience of driving them know that there is indeed more than a bit of truth to the famed phrase, "The rich are different from you and me".

Super luxury cars have been with us since soon after Karl Benz got that first patent for a motorwagen in Germany in January of 1886. Even while the industry was in its infancy, names such as Rolls-Royce and Bugatti in Europe, and Cadillac, Mercer and Duesenberg in the USA, were on the lips and in the dreams of even the earliest enthusiasts.

Today, premium Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars contain features which even Karl Benz and Henry Ford might never have imagined, but the basic concept of the super luxury car remains the same: For the price, the buyer can have a car so advanced, so beautiful, so rare, so powerful and so prestigious that it sets its owner apart from the crowd.

In fact, buyers needing armoring and bullet-proofing services can now order large Mercedes and BMW sedans direct from their dealers equipped with those features.

     Today's super luxury autos are being made in greater  numbers than ever before. Every manufacturer involved in producing these fantastic conveyances reports their best sales ever. As the world economy grows, as democracy and the free marketplace spreads to more nations, sales of these cars are growing at a phenomenal rate. Both Ferrari and Rolls-Royce now have planned factory-authorized dealerships in China. (Photo -- Rolls-Royce "drophead" coupe).

There have been some big changes involving some of the best-known super luxury marques, and some of the best-known names of the past are returning.

The most interesting and far-reaching change in the arena might be those having to do with Rolls-Royce and their longtime partner, Bentley. In fact, since 1946, Bentleys have been built alongside Rolls-Royce cars at Crewe, UK.
            In 1998, Volkswagen purchased Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars and the Crewe facility, while BMW, through some very Byzantine negotiations, ended up owning the name Rolls-Royce, starting with January 1, 2003.
           The latest Rolls vehicles are already using BMW engines, and VW has made a huge commitment to expanding the Bentley line-up starting next year, as well.

In fact, VW says that Bentley production will increase from today's 1,400 cars annually to nearly 9,000 being sold worldwide. They'll accomplish this by using existing VW technology and translating it into the classic British tense. (Photo -- Bentley concept).

For instance, VW plans on using what they call their "Super Passatt" platform, outfitting it with a 12-cylinder or even a 16-cylinder engine (in a "W", not a "V" configuration) and surrounding it all with the luxury interior and sporting ride Bentley has always been known for, and pricing it right around $100,000 --- quite a bit less than any of today's Bentley models.

W.O. Bentley, the company's founder, and his group of racing "Bentley Boys", were well-known for their domination of the "24 Hours of LeMans" endurance race in the 1920s. To honor that, and to renew the marque's name with a brand-new generation, VW brought Bentley back to LeMans this year and the team managed an 8^th place finish, fairly amazing for a first-time (in a long time) entrant. (Photo -- Bentley coupe).

BMW is building a brand-new factory in the UK, on the grounds of Lord March's massive Goodwood estate. Goodwood is where the annual "Festival of Speed" is held, bringing top race cars and racing stars from years past to Lord March's "driveway", where vintage racing takes place. Formula 1 race fans may remember the March F1 team from years past, owned by Lord March. Lord March, the son of the Duke of Richmond, is the owner of the 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, UK.
           The factory will be in operation by January, 2003. The modern facility will focus on keeping the Rolls legend alive while making cars relevant to the 21^st century. BMW promises continued traditional R-R quality and attention to detail, mated with their smooth, monster engines turning out huge gobs of horsepower and low-end torque.

Volkswagen has other tricks up their super luxury sleeve.

     Lamborghini, now also owned by VW, has introduced their Murcielago, a 2-seater, 2-door coupe (with the now familiar gull-wing doors) based on the traditional Lamborghini layout: mid-mounted V12 engine, typical Lamborghini transmission with the gearbox mounted in front of the engine and the rear differential integrated into the engine unit, permanent four-wheel drive with central viscous coupler. It's a combination which has worked well for Lambo for more than 30 years.

       considered the finest of the large touring sedans. Mercedes-Benz is bringing back the name for an all-new car. The Murcielago's engine is a 12-cylinder 60 degree V with a displacement of 6192 cc, made entirely from aluminum alloy and designed for unleaded fuel, producing 571 hp at 7500 rpm and 479 lb/ft of torque at 5400 rpm.

     Speed? Over 220 miles an hour. Price? $273,000. (Photo -- Lamborghini Murcielago).

VW is also bringing back the fabled Bugatti name.

A 1930s Bugatti Royale sold for over $11 million at auction in recent years, making it the world's most expensive car.

VW's new Bugattis may not command that high a price, but the EB 16-4 (EB standing for company founder Ettore Bugatti) is a wildly futuristic-looking car with an output of --- sit down --- 1001 horsepower. The W16 engine (there's that "W" again from VW) has no less than four turbochargers, and this model comes with the world's first non-racing 7-speed gearbox and Michelin's all-new PAX tire system, which allows the car to run for about 70 miles at 50 miles an hour with four flat tires.

No price set as yet for the Bugatti, which could appear in 2005, but it'll be in excess of the Lamborghini Murcielago.

Maybach was the top car in Germany in the 1920s and '30s,  Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach had enjoyed a close friendship long before the first car rolled over the bumpy roads in 1886. Referred to subsequently by a French rival as the "King of Designers," Wilhelm Maybach was instrumental in the development of the Daimler gasoline engine. (Photo -- Bugatti Veyron).

Though the Maybach's topline Zeppelin model has not been resurrected, Maybach as a marque is back for 2003, and only certain Mercedes-Benz dealers will handle sales and service for these super-tourers. In fact, company executives will be responsible for each car during its lifetime, keeping track of the car and its owners and all their motoring needs as long as they are Maybach owners.

Priced in excess of $280,000 (with short- and long-wheelbase models available) the Maybach will have the ultimate in telematics, active suspension and overall safety, but the heart of any auto is its engine. In this regard, Maybach lives up to its storied reputation.

The Mercedes-Benz Maybach is powered by a high-torque V12 engine just under six liters. Made from magnesium/aluminum, the engine greatly profits from an extremely lightweight design which helps to cut fuel consumption. Extremely efficient three-valve technology with dual ignition forms the basis on which the engine achieves optimum performance with low fuel consumption. (Feuling Advanced Technologies, an automotive engineering design firm in Ventura, California, has filed suit against DaimlerChrysler A G, and Mercedes-Benz USA Inc., a suit based on which company developed this specific three-valve technology. Company principal James Feuling passed away, but apparently the battle goes on). (Photo -- Wilhelm Maybach).
Italy's Ferrari continues their winning ways, but this year, for the first time in over a decade, Americans can buy a Maserati at selected Ferrari dealers. Maseratis start at around $90,000 and are essentially Ferraris without the "prancing horse" badge, sort of a "poor man's Ferrari", if there could really be such a thing.
            Ferrari itself is in its best financial shape ever, making around 4,000 cars a year, and holding the majority of World Driving Championship titles in the past decade in Formula 1 racing.

But what of America?
           Cadillac is leading the way for the return of super luxury models to the USA. And that's appropriate. The traditional technology, safety, and performance leader of General Motors is getting their act together and developing an all-new model called XLR, based on the new C6 Corvette platform, to challenge cars in the Mercedes SL class. Look for it late in 2004.
            The Cadillac Cien concept car seen at auto shows this past season gives a hint of what the XLR might produce if equipped with a V12 engine. The car has a 7.5-liter V12 that kicks out 750 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The concept engine is dubbed Northstar XV12. Odds are that the production version of the XLR, though, will get a highly-modified and more powerful version of the Corvette V8 engine. (Photo -- Cadillac Cien concept).

From Ford, look for an updated version of the famed GT40 which raced at LeMans for the company in the 1960s. Much like their recent Bullitt Mustang and Thunderbird, the GT40 will focus on the original's classic lines built over a machine outfitted with the latest in safety, performance and electronics.

Price for the two-seater will be in excess of $100,000, with the car built on a special assembly-line manned by experts from both Steve Saleen's and Jack Roush's companies, both of which focus on high-performance Ford cars and trucks; some raced on the tracks of the world (Roush known especially for his NASCAR teams and engines for the Panoz cars from Georgia, Saleen for his modified Mustangs), some sold at Ford dealers.

Production of these types of cars is usually in the hundreds and sometimes in the low thousands, they are nowhere near what it takes to keep a large car company going. For instance, the most popular cars sold in
America, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, each sell well over 400,000 copies annually. The total USA market is over 16 million. (Photo -- Ford GT).

Finally, back at General Motors, that company's new vice president, 70 year old Bob Lutz, the man who gave the "thumbs up" for the Viper, Prowler and PT Cruiser when a top exec at Chrysler, has convinced the American auto giant to invest in a small Connecticut company called Cunningham Motors.

Run by relatives of sportsman Briggs Swift Cunningham, the America's Cup yachting prize winner who ran Cadillac-powered cars at Le Mans in the 1950s, Cunningham is planning to build a V12-powered all-American sports/luxury touring car, and perhaps even add a motorcycle to the line if things go well. With GM's involvement and Bob Lutz's blessings, the company well could make a go of it. In fact, that Northstar XV12  which Cadillac is talking about for their Cien roadster might ultimately be the powerplant for the Cunningham. Prices will definitely be over $200,000. (Photo -- Cunningh