Ford Mustang

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#143, Record sale for Mustang; goodbye Chevy Sonic, Honda Fit

There’s always news in the automotive world. Sometimes, The Weekly Driver Podcast doesn’t schedule a guest so co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia can discuss a few topics, like cars that will no longer be manufactured and a 55-year-old Mustang selling for an eye-opening record. That’s what we do in this episode. The Chevrolet Sonic and Honda Fit will no longer be manufactured after the cars’ current editions. Bruce and I discuss why we say good riddance to the Sonic and a hearty farewell to the Fit. Mustang, Mustang. How about a Mustang? Who would have known, a Mustang selling for nearly $4 million? It’s true. A 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R sold for a record $3.85 million The vehicle

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Quick shifts to automatic transmissions continues

Thirty-eight car nameplates offer manual transmissions for their 2020 models, Aston Martin to Volkswagen. Truck enthusiasts who like to shift gears have far fewer choices. In fact, only two manufacturers, Toyota and Jeep, offer a manual transmission in their fleets. Here’s the full list of cars with manual transmissions, either as standard or optional equipment, for the 2020 model year: Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M2, BMW M4 (all body styles), Chevrolet Camaro (all body styles), Chevrolet Spark, Dodge Challenger, Fiat 124 Spider, Ford Mustang (all body styles), Shelby GT350, Genesis G70, Honda Accord, Honda Civic (all body styles), Civic Si (all body styles), Civic Type R; Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra (GT hatchback only), Hyundai Veloster, Veloster N, Hyundai

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#135, Buying a new car like it’s 2019

If you’re interested in purchasing a vehicle, why not considering buying a new car that’s nearly two years old? There’s a huge inventory of 2019 vehicles available, particularly for consumers interested in Dodge. Here’s the deal. The covid-19 pandemic stalled production of 2020 models for carmakers and resulted in the temporary closing of many car dealerships. Sales suffered. But a positive emerged from the health crisis, and Julie Blackley, an analyst at iseecars.com, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss the issue. Dodge Caravan: New Car, Nearly Age 2 Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Blackley and she details the reasons why such large inventories of 2019 vehicles are available from

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2019 Best Cars, Trucks

Welcome to the 13th annual Best Cars and Trucks of the Year list, selected by TheWeeklyDriver.com. As is our logical way, we wait until the end of the year to name our selections. As in previous years, the 2019 choices were selected only from the list of 35-40 cars and trucks manufacturers provided for weekly reviews. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I will discuss the list on The Weekly Driver Podcast. The 10 vehicles on the 2019 Best Cars, Trucks list include manufacturers from the United States, South Korea and Japan. The Weekly Driver has been writing about our main automotive vent for years. How do prestigious industry publications determine their vehicles-of-the-year selections before the calendar year starts? Selecting a list

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#109, Sacramento collector talks vintage cars

Like other ollectors, Joe Palmer of Sacramento has a passion for vintage cars with character, and chrome. If a vehicle has a long history, Palmern takes pleasure in sharing its pedigree. The real estate businessman and musician currently owns 14 cars and he’s possessed more than 30 vehicles. He likes Lincoln, Cadillac and Rolls-Royce. And he also has a 1956 Bentley and a 1966 Ford Mustang. Palmer, 59, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talked with the collector recently from inside one of his vintage Lincolns that was just purchased a young woman from Southern California. The Lincoln and many of his other vehicles are located in the backyard

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2019 Chevrolet Camaro defines muscle car in shrinking market

One of the most compelling automotive industry competitions occurred more than 50 years ago with the debut of the Ford Mustang. It was followed in quick order by the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The trio represented affordable sporty coupe sensations. The Firebird ceased production in 2002, but the Mustang and Camaro remain rivals. The Dodge Challenger is a newcomer foe now in its third iteration. As muscle cars, the trio represents a polarizing segment. Loud, powerful, masculine gas-guzzlers have loyal followers and equally passionate detractors. Sales figures give the latter group some boasting clout. Ford sold 75,842 Mustangs in 2018, followed by the Challenger (66,716) and the Camaro (50,963). The Pontiac’s sales increased three percent; Ford and Chevrolet‘s options

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Episode 13, Donald Farr honors Boss Mustang (Video)

Donald Farr is a Ford Mustang expert. But the historian doesn’t see it that way. He’s too humble. He cites others as all-knowing experts when the topic is the famous sports car. Farr, a Mustang owner, journalist and author, is our guest on Episode #13 of the The Weekly Driver Podcast, video edition. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Farr his new book “BOSS Mustang: 50 Years.” The book includes the complete history of the most iconic pony car ever made. It details racing and street histories of the 302 and 429 models. Photography and interviews feature BOSS Mustang designers, engineers and racers and provide a comprehensive study of the powerful machine. Farr also discusses his family history

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#85, Donald Farr debuts new book, BOSS Mustang: 50 Years

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:43 — 43.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreHistorian Donald Farr likely doesn’t have many equals when the topic has anything to do with the Ford Mustang. But he doesn’t see it that way, and he’s too humble. He cites others as all-knowing experts when the topic is the famous sports car. Farr, a Mustang owner, journalist and author, is our guest on Episode #85 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Farr his new book “BOSS Mustang: 50 Years.” The book includes the complete history of the most iconic pony car ever made. It details racing and street histories of the 302 and 429 models.

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2019 Genesis G70 debuts with Car of the Year honors

The 2019 Genesis G70, the entry-level compact luxury sport sedan new to the two-year manufacturer morphed from Hyundai, has been named Car of the Year by MotorTrend. Held in conjunction with the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the award is presented annually by the esteemed publication. The Genesis G70 competed against more 19 vehicles in the publication’s determination of the most competent, desirable and capable vehicle to debut for the 2019 model year. MotorTrend editors examine each contending vehicle in street and track testing. Genesis to date in 2018 has won highest-ranked brand in the automotive industry awards for quality and owner satisfaction from industry experts such as J.D. Power, AutoPacific and Strategic Vision. Hyundai launched Genesis Motors two years

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Celebrities, test drives, rare cars set for LA Auto Show

Celebrity interaction, more test-drive availability, increased mobility solutions, custom cars and a host of world vehicle debuts are set for the LA Auto Show. The annual 10-day extravaganza of all things automotive will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. And there will be something for everyone, whether you’re an avid car enthusiast or a first-time visitor to the more than 100-year-old show. Consider a few highlights: * Amazon Gaming Lounge: Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are bringing high-jinks and hot laps to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in The Grand Tour Game, an episodic racing game based on the hit Prime Original series, The Grand Tour. Created by Amazon Game Studios, The Grand Tour Game transports players to exotic locations, where

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Ford Mustang Bullitt GT Coupe honors film’s 50th anniversary

Celebrating anniversaries is a thing in the automotive world. Ford and Chevrolet are particularly active in marketing the milestones of their cars and trucks, the F-150 pick-up to the Corvette. Ford has celebrated its Mustang several times, and it’s doing so again with its 2019 Mustang Bullitt GT Coupe. The accolades are based on a 10-minute movie clip in 1968 often cited as the best car chase scene in cinema history. The film stars Steve McQueen as Lt. Frank Bullitt, thus the name of the movie. He chases bad guys, including the famous sequence on the hilly streets of San Francisco when he’s driving 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT 2+2 Fastback. McQueen did most of his stunts, further building the

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Episode 41, Goodbye to the VW Beetle, Ford sedans

The automotive industry is always changing. But two of the more significant announcements in recent years — the apparent demise of the VW Beetle and the jettison of the majority of Ford sedans — is the focus of Episode 41 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the recent announcements by the respective carmakers in the news-oriented edition of our ongoing week chat about all things cars and trucks. The pending loss of several Ford models and the icon Beetle came, respectively, in a press release from the former and the text of a speech by a VW executive in Europe. The Beetle was first sold in the United States in 1949. Sales of the

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2018 Ford Mustang: Less is more with EcoBoost model

Like other automotive icons, the Ford Mustang is unmistakable. Its long hood, short rear deck, pony badge, overall styling and unique debut by Henry Ford II at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., on April 17, 1964, have all added to the sports car’s legacy. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in 2015. The showcase model for 2018 is the direct-injected, 5.0-liter V8 with 460 horsepower. It defines automotive testosterone for the masses and is the most powerful Mustang to date. But what if you don’t need all that power and the corresponding constant growl of the big beast? The alternative is the base model 2.3-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder, Ecoboost coupe with 310 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the

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2018 Ford Mustang GT further defines iconic muscle car

Nearing the end of its sixth decade, the Ford Mustang is among the few remaining iconic American-made cars. It began as an affordable sporty coupe. For 2018, it’s undergone a refresh to showcase its muscle car masculinity. The Mustang legacy has endured multiple generations, reconfigurations and engine types. But it still resembles its debuting style, highlighted by a long hood and short rear deck. It was a new look for its time in 1964, and the Mustang’s success helped launch competitors like the AMC Javelin, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Pontiac Firebird and Plymouth Barracuda. The Mustang’s current generation debuted in 2015, but its makeover is substantial. The new Mustang gets a more aggressive front-end collection, including standard LED headlights and

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TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2017 Best Cars of the Year

TheWeeklyDriver.com presents its 11th annual best cars of the year list. For the past two years, we selected 12 vehicles instead of 10 because we couldn’t decide what cars to leave off the lists. The selection was more clear-cut this year, so we’ve again chosen 10 vehicles. Volvo is the only manufacturer with two vehicles on the 2017 best cars list. Bentley, Genesis, Honda, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Volkswagen and Toyota are also represented. As editor and publisher of TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I reviewed 38 cars and trucks in 2017 model years for at least a week. Most of the vehicles I drove in the calendar year; some 2017 models in 2016. I also drove at least a half-dozen other vehicles

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