Matthew Wilde

Articles by Matthew Wilde

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VW icon: 23-window bus for beach bums, hippies

For beach bums and touring musicians, alpine explorers to free-spirited travelers of yesteryear and today, the elusive Volkswagen 23-window bus — was and is as good as it gets. Known to U.S. buyers as the “Deluxe Microbus with Samba package,” the 23-window bus was originally designed as a vehicle to tour the Swiss Alps, offering up to nine passengers maximum visibility.   But it was quickly adopted by families, campers and members of the counterculture. The van features a collection of unique windows including eight skylights, two curved rear windows, a retractable skylight, and a coveted split windshield. Produced between 1951 and 1967, the first-generation Microbus was budget-friendly and built for sightseeing adventures. The four-cylinder engine was placed in the

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Scepter can help when leaves clean-up relies on fuel

SPONSORED CONTENT Falling leaves and dying shrubbery signal the change of seasons. For homeowners that means it’s time to get your property ready for winter. Before the weather turns really cold, prime your tools and small equipment for handling fall clean up tasks around the home. Having plenty of fuel on hand is a key element to powering through yard work and chores. No one wants to get halfway through a project to discover they’re out of fuel. Worse is the idea of spilling valuable fuel when refilling chain saws, leaf blowers and other small equipment. Scepter can help. Controlled Fuel Flow “With some containers, it can be messy and bulky to refill fuel tanks,” says Daniel Marshall, vice president

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Camper from the past: VW Super Bugger for sale, nearly 40K

The Super Bugger was a strange little machine, a hybrid camper conversion for the 1970 VW Beetle introduced 45 years ago by an entrepreneurial company in Southern California. It cost $6,000. The rage for the strange little machine conversion didn’t last long, and not many of the campers in decent shape remain. Beyond car shows and parades, Super Bugger choices show up for sale on vintage automotive, including this option on eBay. The asking price is $39,900, just shy of five times what it costs new. Super Bugger: Minimalism defined. The vehicle includes: A 1.6-liter four-cylinder rear-mounted engine with a four-speed manual transmission and 60 horsepower. There’s seating for four, a small sink, a two-burner stove and a dinette table.

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2020 Rolls-Royce Wraith: Pricey, worthy ghost of Xmas now

By James Raia and Bruce Aldrich Once cited among the world’s most recognizable brands and of unequaled reputation, Rolls-Royce not too long ago lost its spirit. Various models with fading, hand-written for sale signs were prominent in neighborhoods throughout the carmaker’s native England. Often named after ghosts, Rolls-Royce became its namesake for an unimaginable reason. No one wanted one, even at near give-way prices. The car’s Flying Lady hood ornament, officially called the Spirit of Ecstasy, was heavily tarnished.   But in the decade since Torsten Müller-Ötvös assumed his chief executive officer responsibilities, Rolls-Royce has far surpassed its successes of yesteryear. The 2020 Rolls-Royce Wraith and Rolls-Royce Cullinan sport utility vehicle are among the reasons. Sales are relative, particularly among

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Informa Tech announces WardsAuto top-10 best auto interiors

SPONSORED CONTENT Informa Tech Automotive Group has announced its 2020 WardsAuto interiors list that annually recognizes the best in design and engineering. This year’s winners display unique, customer-first and innovative approaches to interiors. The winners: Audi e-tron, Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X6 M, Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray, Hyundai Venue, Kia Telluride, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Nissan Sentra Toyota Highlander. Meet the 2020 Winners HERE WardsAuto will celebrate its 2020 list You’re invited to celebrate with us as we honor the winners through a virtual award ceremony August 19. It will be part of this year’s TU-Automotive Detroit, ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles, WardsAuto Interiors Conference and WardsAuto UX Conference. Registration is now open, so join us Aug. 18-20, 2020 for three

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PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Nissan Pathfinder

The 2020 Nissan Pathfinder continues as an exceptional way for families to turn up the adventure, around town or off-road. It has a unique combination of rugged design, powerful performance and seven-passenger comfort and utility. Adding to Pathfinder’s long list of standard and available innovative features and advanced technologies is the special Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition, available on SV and SL grades, in 2WD and 4WD configurations. The special value option package offers unique exterior and interior treatments that emphasize the rugged Nissan Pathfinder heritage. Two additional Rock Creek equipment packages and a choice of seven available exterior colors allow buyers to customize their Pathfinder to their precise tastes. The Rock Creek Edition name was chosen to connect the vehicle

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PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Range Rover big, pricey, plush

PRESS RELEASE Range Rover is renowned for combining peerless luxury and refinement with traditional all-terrain capability. The 2020 Range Rover now offers higher levels of performance, refinement and responsiveness with the latest 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder Ingenium gasoline engine. The 2o20 Range Rover 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine is available in 355hp and 395hp outputs, badged P360 and P400 respectively and delivers up to 406 lb-ft of torque that powers the new Range Rover from 0-60mph in as little as 5.9 seconds (0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds) and to a top speed of 130mph (209km/h)4. In the U.S., the new P360 engine will be available on the 2020 Range Rover and the P400 engine will be exclusive to the HSE trim level. The

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PRESS RELEASE: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250

PRESS RELEASE The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB  250 is the highly anticipated all-new addition to the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup. A durable and practical SUV with powerful proportions yet compact dimensions, the GLB provides a generous amount of space for up to seven passengers with an optional third-row — a first from Mercedes-Benz in the compact segment. The all-new GLB is equipped with the latest safety technology and the intuitive new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system. Arriving in U.S. dealerships by late 2019, the 2020 GLB 250 will start from $36,600 and the GLB 250 4MATIC is priced from $38,600. The all-new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 offers an attractive new entry option to the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup, while also expanding the

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Ford rules best used trucks for $10,000

With its dominance in new truck sales, it only seems logical the Ford has the same good reputation used truck sales. It does, and it’s good news for truck buyers with a budget of $10,000 whether in the market for a work truck or a vehicle to tow an RV or boat. Chris Ford, a writer for HotCars.com, has compiled an interesting list featuring used trucks from 1999 to 2018 — all in the affordable $10,000 price range. As the best-selling vehicles in the United States for more than 40 years, Ford has five trucks on the list, dating from 1999 to 2014. Chevrolet has three vehicles on the list, dating from 2004 to 2014. Toyota is represented by two

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GM adds to new corps of pending electric trucks

General Motors has joined several other manufacturers and will debut a Chevrolet electric pickup by 2025. It’s another boost to the truck industry as buyers continue to abandon sedans for trucks and sport utility vehicles. The manufacturer, which revealed concept sketches of the pending vehicles to Car and Driver, reports the electric truck won’t be identical to the recent announcement of the electric GMC Hummer. The Ford F-150 electric, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Bollinger B2, the Lordstown Motors Endurance are all predicted to debut within the next few years. The Hummer EV SUT will debut in the fall of 2021. While the Hummer is being billed as a lifestyle vehicle, the new Chevy truck is expected to more resemble a

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Is Ford soon announcing a new pickup truck for 20K?

It may be called the Courier or the Ranchero. It currently has the codename 758. For now, it’s wait and see as Ford is likely to officially announce a new, small pickup truck with a base cost of less than $20,000. The unnamed vehicle, according to various industry publications, will debut in late 2021 with perhaps a return to the new of two former iconic vehicles. Ford has used the Courier nameplate on several cars and trucks, dating to the early 1950s and ending less than a decade ago in Brazil. Ranchero was the name of the coupe utility vehicle made by Ford from 1957 to 1979. The new truck, which has been discussed for several years, will continue Ford’s

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Genesis upends Lexus as most dependable carmaker, says J.D. Power

The banner across the top of the entrance to the Los Angeles Convention Center couldn’t have been any bigger. It proclaimed the 2019 Genesis G70 as a prominent automotive publication’s Car of the Year. The occasion was the Los Angeles Auto Show last November and the banner remained hoisted for about two weeks. It was another award for the upstart manufacturer, the former luxury trim from Hyundai but now on its own. And now comes another award: J.D. Power has named the Genesis, the industry’s most dependable in the renowned analysts’ detailed Dependability Study. The study is a comprehensive overview of owners’ repair history of their three-year-old models. Now in its 31st year, the study quizzes original owners of 2017

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Best used car buying tips for the every person

Taking your potential new used car to a reputable auto repair shop is the best thing you can do. Have it thoroughly inspected by a professional before you buy it. I’ve found paying for an hour of time is generally sufficient to identify everything wrong with the vehicle. If taking the vehicle to a mechanic is not an option, here are some tips to help keep you from buying a lemon. Buy an ODB Scanner/Reader You don’t need to spend a lot, as they’ll all do what you need here. A Bluetooth OBD reader and the TORQ app for your phone seem to be a pretty popular/good choice. You can expect to spend anywhere from $35 to $100 on a

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Massive airbag recall includes six million Honda, Toyota models

Another day, another airbag recall. This time, it involves more than six million Honda and Toyota vehicles. Toyota has recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide with ZF airbags that may not properly inflate. Honda is recalling 2.7 million vehicles for problems with Takata airbags. The Honda recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. The Honda vehicles included: 1998 to 2000 Accord coupe and sedan, 1996 to 2000 Civic coupe and sedan, the 1997 to 2001 CR-V, the 1998 to 2001 Odyssey and the 1997 and 1998 EV Plus. Toyota’s upscale brand Acura has an equally wide recall list: vehicles 1997 and 1998 2.2CL, the 1997 to 1999 3.0CL, the 1998 and 1999 2.3CL, the

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