podcast

#70, Journalist, photographer John Lamm’s new supercar book

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:41 — 43.5MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJohn Lamm is a journalist and photographer who has worked for decades for many of the automotive industry’s most prestigious magazines. He’s also the author of several books, including the new release, Supercar Revolution: The Fastest Cars Of All Time. Sub-titled “The one-stop guide to world-class supercar and their battle for ultimate performance and supremacy,” Lamm’s coffee-table-sized volume is essential for anyone who admires, dreams of, or owns a supercar of their own. The veteran journalist is our guest on episode #70 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. It’s also our first episode on video. It will be posted separately. Lamm’s book is cleverly organized

#69 Ford Edge ST debuts as carmaker’s performance SUV

Tyler Swedensky is the new car manager at Future Ford in Sacramento, California, and he’s good at what he does. With co-host Bruce Aldrich driving and me observing as a back- seat passenger, Swedensky recently took us for a test drive and preview of the 2019 Ford Edge ST. Ford is marketing the new vehicle as its first performance SUV, and Swedensky is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. After our ride, Bruce and I asked our guest about the Edge ST from the offices of the Sacramento dealership. He explained the SUV’s innovative Co-Pilot 360. It’s a suite of standard driver- assist technologies. Features include a blind spot information system, lane keeping system, enhanced

67, 2018 automotive world recap, cars of the year

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:26 — 51.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWith the end of one year and the beginning of another, it’s always a good time to look back at what happened in the automotive world in the past 12 months and pick cars of the year. It was an ideal time to be part of an industry in 2018. Alternative fuels, ride-sharing platforms, alternative fuel, and the increasing interest in vintage cars and trucks. It was a whirlwind year. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia recap the year in Episode #67 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We focus on the top-10 cars of the year I selected as editor and publisher of www.theweeklydriver.com.

#66, On demand insurance, year-end car deals

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:59 — 52.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWelcome to another episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast, our last broadcast in 2018 and our 66th episode. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Ian Sweeney and Julie Blackley. Sweeney is General Manager of Trov Mobility based in Danville, California. He explains the company’s motto: “Insurance billed by second, day, mile, event. . . . whatever you need.” The on-demand insurance company found that 56 percent of 2,000 respondents in a recent survey believe it’s more economical to use shared transportation than own a vehicle. Not surprisingly Millennials, ages 22-37, (39 percent) are more likely to be willing to make the sacrifice than

#65, GOFAR driving data, holiday driving hazards

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:52 — 49.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWelcome to the latest episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We have a two-part broadcast with an entrepreneur from Australia and a discussion with an insurance industry analyst about driving hazards during holiday travel. Our first guest is Ian Davidson, the co-founder of GOFAR. It’s a telematics device that connects vehicles to the cloud. Named one of the “Top 10 Coolest things in the world” by GQ magazine, we reach Davidson in Sydney. He discusses with co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia how the product works and its global appeal in dozens of countries. It’s available on Amazon here: GOFAR – The easiest way

#64, LA Auto Show, holiday driving habits

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:01 — 45.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreWelcome to another episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. In this week’s two-part presentation, we recap the recently concluded LA Auto Show and we discuss drivers’ habits during the holidays with Laura Adams of DriversEd.com. As the first major auto show of the year, the LA Auto Show is always chock-full of innovation. This year was no different. Two concept vehicles, Byton and Rivian, both soon scheduled for their public debuts, attracted a lot of attention. The Rivian concept is an all-electric SUV with 0-60 mph speed in 3.0 seconds and a 400-mile range. The new company also has an all-electric pickup. Image ©

#60, Bay Area tow truck driver videos interstate idiots

Ray Elliott of Los Gatos, California has been a tow truck driver in the Silicon Valley for more 20 years. He witnesses stupidity on the freeway daily. Elliott has arrived on the scene of every kind of accident imaginable, sometimes before law enforcement personnel or first responders. He has seen fender benders and death. As a former paramedic, Elliott has helped saved lives at accidents. He’s seen so much go wrong, he decided years ago to document much of his daily work life on a website titled. idiotsontheinterstate.com. Elliott is our guest on Episode #60 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Elliott his website and its varied video content. The videos are raw

#58 Consumer Reports’ expert discusses reliability survey

Mike Quincy is an expert among car experts. For nearly 20 years, he’s purchased, driven and evaluated cars for Consumer Reports. The well-respected magazine and website has tested vehicles for decades, and it’s considered the automotive industry’s most objective resource. Mike is our guest on episode #58 of The Weekly Driver podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Mike the publication’s recently released Most Reliable and Least Reliable vehicle lists for 2018. As Mike details, Consumer Reports purchases all of its test vehicles. The publication’s annual reliability survey analyzes data in 17 areas from more than 500,000 vehicles. Areas for potential problems include interior wear-and-tear, transmission repairs and squeaky brakes. Predictable results occur in the survey, so do

#57, Jeep gets depreciation honors, Nissan Leaf falls

Depreciation isn’t often the top priority for car buyers, but it’s particularly important for consumers who keep their cars for many years. The online automotive search engine iSeeCars.com recently released its survey of vehicles with the most and least depreciation. The site analyzed more than 4.3 million new and used vehicles to identify models with the lowest and highest depreciation after five years. Julie Blackley, communications manager for iSeecars.com, is our guest on episode #57 of TheWeeklyDriver podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Blackley the trends of the survey’s data, including result variance in different geographical areas of the country. According to iSeeCars.com, sport utility vehicle and trucks retain the most value after five years of ownership.

56, Distracted driving now includes ‘Netflixiing’

Laura Adams knows as much as about distracted driving as anyone. But her knowledge isn’t from experiences as a driver or passenger. She’s as an analyst who studies statistics and is shocked at what the numbers reveal. Adams, based in Austin, Texas, works for DriversEd.com. The online driving school and driving safety resource headquartered in Oakland recently released the results of its inaugural initiative detailing drivers’ habits. Bruce Aldrich and James Raia interview Laura in the week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving “Is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system.

#55, Farewell manual transmissions except in collectibles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:45 — 36.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChris Warren, sales manager for Premier Financial Services in Florida, knows the vintage car market well. He works for the prominent national company that for more than 20 years has provided financing for previously owned exotic, vintage and luxury cars. What Warren has observed is an increasing renaissance among purists who want to buy vehicles with manual transmissions. Warren is our guest on Episode 55 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss the automotive industry and the increasing lack of manual transmissions in new vehicles and the increasing importance of manual transmissions in collectible cars. “It’s interesting with the

#54, Sacramento designer digs her 1986 Jeep Wagoneer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:34 — 35.1MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreKerrie Kelly knows style. She owns a design company and works in a home office worthy of recognition in an upscale home decor magazine. Kelly also knows what style she likes in her automobiles. She and her husband own a BMW sedan, but it’s a 1986 Chrysler Jeep Wagoneer she prefers to drive. The Sacramento businesswoman, formerly employed by fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, is our guest on Episode #54 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss Kelly’s passion for her 32-year Jeep Wagoneer, and what she and her husband did to renovate the vehicle. We hear the story of

Episode 45, Fast, furious Mecum Auctions returns to Monterey

Ask John Kraman a question about automobile auctions, vintage cars, industry trends or automotive history and the answers come fast and furious from the Mecum Auctions expert. He’s as enthusiastic as anyone and his knowledge flows as fast as verbal clarity allows. As the Director of Company Relations and Lead TV Commentator/Analyst Mecum Auctions, Kraman will be part of the vast staff again present at the world’s largest car collectors auction during Monterey Auto Week in August. The rapid-fire auction will present about 600 cars during Mecum’s three-day presence during the gathering of all things automotive held on the Monterey Peninsula. Kaman is our guest on episode No. 45 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia

Episode 42, Ford F-150 still rules, less safe cars, hydrogen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:37 — 37.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe Ford F-150 pick-up has no equals, except for its siblings. They comprise the stable of the country’s best-selling pick-up trucks. The truck’s legacy as the second best-selling vehicle in history as well as its pros and cons among three topics discussed in Episode 42 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia recently drove the 2018 Ford F-150 (Lariat) trim. Neither of us are pick-up enthusiasts, but the new F-150 won us over. It’s powerful, comfortable, spacious, rugged and luxurious — at least as much as pick-up trucks can be luxurious. The new Ford F-150 is also expensive. We review

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

Episode 37, Garage Time: Airbnb for DIY mechanics

Andrew Koretz formerly lived in a building in Chicago that didn’t have a garage. He had to improvise. When he needed to change the oil in his car or motorcycle, he used the roof of a parking garage across the street from his residence. A self-described gearhead, Koretz, 31, enjoys do-it-yourself challenges. But while working on engines from his former vantage point, he noticed plenty of vacant homes. The result is Garage Time (www.bookgaragetime.com). The online marketplace is the equivalent of Airbnb or VRBO for vehicle owners who wish to work on their vehicles, but who don’t have available facilities. Koretz is our guest on Episode #37 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Bruce Aldrich and I ask Andrew about his