#95, Mecum Auctions defines fun during Monterey Auto Week

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:44 — 40.8MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreSomewhere on the spectrum between the Concours d’LeMons and Concours d’Elegance, the three-day Mecum Auctions during Monterey Auto Week is perfectly positioned. Attainable daily drivers to rarities, it’s an automotive whirlwind of buying and selling. The country’s largest automotive auction, Mecum annually progresses to 13 stops around the country, January through December and Kissimmee, Fla. to Louisville, Ky., to Monterey. Its offerings include seven-figure works of art on wheels, family heirlooms, celebrity-owned cars, oddities and cars of infamous pedigree. “I call it a car

Read more

Next car trend? Michelin, GM, Goodyear making airless tires

Airless tires make sense. But how the product becomes viable is another matter. It now seems like Michelin and General Motors with one project and Goodyear with another could soon help alleviate millions of punctured tires yearly bending up on landfills. According to a report on Dezeen.com, Michelin’s UPTIS (Unique Puncture-proof Tire System) promises to eliminate the waste and danger of a flat or blown-out tire. It hopes the tires will be available by 2024. Goodyear has also recently touted an airless concept called Aero and Oxygene. The former tilt to turn into a propeller for flying cars. Oxygene is

Read more

#21, West Sacramento dump truck company helps Paradise cleanup (video)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:45 — 34.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreMaricela and Adam Fry, husband and wife, own Big Country Restoration and Transport in West Sacramento. They own three massive dump trucks and have one of many contracts to help the cleanup of The Camp Fire in Paradise, California. Not too long ago, I overheard a conversation in a Starbucks in Sacramento. The barista asked the woman in front of me what she does for a living. The response: “My husband and I own a dump truck.” I asked Maricela for her card and

Read more

#94, West Sacramento truck company helps Paradise Fire cleanup

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:13 — 31.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreNot too long ago, I overheard a conversation in a Starbucks in Sacramento. The barista asked the woman in front of me what she does for a living. The response: “My husband and I own a dump truck.” It turns out, the Maricela and Adam Fry, husband and wife, own Big Country Restoration and Transport in West Sacramento. They own three massive dump trucks and have one of many contracts to help the cleanup of The Camp Fire in Paradise, California. Adam Fry is

Read more

2019 Honda Insight comes of age as handsome four-door hybrid

,

The original Honda Insight debuted as a 2000 model and received more mockery than respect. It was a far-from-perfect, two-door subcompact that looked like a mechanical peanut on wheels. With its unique appearance, the Insight garnered more attention as an oddity than it did for its now-important legend. It was the first mass-produced hybrid available in the United States. It was ugly, simultaneously cool and it got whooped in sales a few months later when the Toyota Prius debuted. Two decades later, Toyota still dominates the country’s alternative fuel vehicle sales. But Honda is still an innovation leader. Beginning with

Read more

Justin selects his top-5 parts under $500 for 2009-2014 F150s

In this episode of AmericanTruck’s (AT) “The Haul” YouTube Video Series, host Justin 
Dugan selects his favorite top-5 parts for under $500 for 2009-2014 F150s. Including parts from AT’s most popular categories like Truck Lighting, F150 Lift Kits, Exterior Accessories+ more, Justin’s Top 5 focuses on functionality while sprinkling in a few F150 exterior styling mods for good measure. Parts featured in this video: Barricade HD Bull Bar w/Skid Plate & 20-inch. Dual Row LED Light Bar, Textured Black, JLT, V3.0 Black Oil Separator Passenger Side, ReadyLIFT 2 in. Billet Aluminum Leveling Kit Anodized Black, Husky X Act Contour Front

Read more

2019 Nissan Armada: powerful, safe, guzzles gas

,

The Nissan Armada is a well-adjusted teenager. It’s positioned firmly in the mix of large sport utility vehicles that remain popular with their massive engines, family comfort, safety and putrid fuel efficiency. The 2019 edition is the vehicle’s 16th year, and its technically and oddly named after a fleet of warships but used in the singular form. It’s also the third year of the Armada’s second generation after Nissan introduced the current model in 2017. Sales doubled.   With an unyielding variety of SUVs entering the market as crossovers and other large SUVs improving, the Armada’s sales fell a few

Read more

2019 Hyundai Ioniq: odd name, worthy EV wheels

The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq, the third model year of the South Korean liftback, is unique in the ever-evolving, alternative fuel segment. It’s the least expensive mainstream electric vehicle available in the United States, and it has the best fuel economy. Cheap and economic don’t always equate to quality. But the five-door Ioniq provides another example of why skeptics of Hyundai and its close relative Kia should be forever enlightened. The manufacturers’ lineups have vastly improved in recent years. Electric-only vehicle promoters are often quick to tout the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3. Both have more than 200-mile ranges and

Read more

Matt Damon, Christian Bale set for FORD v. FERRARI film

,

Among the epic rivalries in motorsports, Ford v. Ferrari and the 1966 contest between Carroll Shelby and Kevin Miles at Ford and Enzo Ferrari and his entourage at the 24 Hours of LeMans is unsurpassed. Actors Matt Damon and Christian Bale weren’t born yet when the respective drivers and carmakers from Ford and Ferrari matched their driving skills and risk-taking desires in the famous French race. But the accomplished actors will portray the icons in the film FORD v. FERRARI. 20th Century Fox recently released the official trailer and poster for the pending film. It’s based on the story of

Read more

#20, Vintage firetruck gets new life as mobile party pub (video)

,

Kevin Mullan owns a 1987 E-One first pumper. It’s a fascinating vintage firetruck. And he’s made it further intriguing by converting it to a mobile pub. Mullan, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, purchased the truck, had a walk-in cooler with 10 beer taps installed, and named the business-on-wheels Ladder 419 beer truck. The name is a nod to the city’s area code. As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I are now bonafide members of the Mullan’s fan club. He’s our guest on Episode #92 of our weekly discussion of all things automotive. The beer truck, which debuted

Read more

2020 Jeep Gladiator stands alone among truck malaise

,

Lots of new vehicles look similar cruising down the highway. One family sedan is likely related to another. The flood of SUVs, with rare exception, could all be made by the same manufacturer. Tesla and pending electric competition from Byton and Rivian are non-conformists. A Porsche Panamera stands out anywhere. Hummers stand alone in gaudiness. A few gimmick cars get attention.   And now there’s the industry’s first convertible truck, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. It’s a midsize vehicle that resembles its sibling, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, but simultaneously looks nothing like its relative. Beyond its signature spindle grille, an extended

Read more

2019 Maserati Levante growls Italian but luxury SUV misfires

, ,

A friend has commented for years that older Mercedes-Benz station wagons are contradictory automobiles. The stately sedans offered as utilitarian family vacation haulers? It isn’t right. Some enthusiasts in more recent times have echoed similar thoughts about Bentley, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari (pending) offering sport utility vehicles. Why compromise the wondrous ways of cruising down the highway in a sedan of refined performance and overt plushness? Like other top-line automakers, Mercedes-Benz never uses the word “station” in describing its wagons. But Maserati, a niche seller, has no issue calling the third-year Levante an SUV. The acronym translates

Read more

#92, Vintage firetruck converted into Ohio mobile pub

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:53 — 52.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More  Kevin Mullan is an easy guy to like, particularly if you appreciate beer, vintage firetrucks and the entrepreneurial spirit. Mullan owns a 1987 E-One pumper first E-One pumper firetruck converted into a mobile brewpub. Mullan, 38, of Toledo, Ohio, purchased the truck, had a walk-in cooler with 10 beer taps installed,  and named the business-on- wheels Ladder 419 beer truck. The name is a nod to the city’s area code. As co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, Bruce Aldrich and I are now

Read more

Honda, Acura finish long Takata fiasco with 1.6 airbag recalls

Honda and Acura are recalling 1.6 million cars dating from 2001 to 2015 in the manufacturers’ last phase of a several-year recall of potentially deadly Takata front passenger airbag inflators. The airbags, made with the chemical ammonium nitrate, are prone to exploding upon deployment, potentially hurling fiery shrapnel into passengers. Twenty-four people have been killed and hundreds injured by the inflators worldwide. When the newly announce recall is complete, Honda says it will have recalled or accounted for 22.6 million inflators in about 12.9 million vehicles. Affected Honda models include the 2001-2012 Accord, the 2010-2015 Crosstour, the 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V,

Read more

Roberts Paint Care helping owners for nearly 60 years

Roberts Paint Care has thrived for nearly 60 years as a family-owned business that provides quality merchandise, vast experience and impeccable service. Its constant goal is to assist its customers in acquiring the information and products needed to restore the original looks of their vehicles. Established in 1961, Roberts Paint Care, based in Quebec, Canada, quickly became a leader in the automotive refinishing industry focusing on auto body shops and car dealerships. But as the company expanded, it adapted to the ever-changing industry and increasing demands. In 1990, the company again expanded as further needs arrived in manufacturing, construction and

Read more

#19, Car collector Andy Harris talks Citroen, Chrysler, Mazda

Every vintage car collector has great stories to share about their vehicles. Andy Harris recently added to trend as a guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Harris lives and works in Sacramento, California. He’s owned United Attorneys’ Services for many years, and he shares two of the same pastimes as the podcasts’ co-hosts. Harris is a veteran long-distance runner and a vintage car collector. Harris is our guest on Episode #19 of our weekly video conversations about all things in the automotive industry. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Harris the particulars of the four vastly different cars

Read more