truth about domestics

2010 Shelby GT500 (Ford Motor Company)

This April, at the spring Barrett-Jackson show in Palm Beach, the first retail 2010 Shelby GT500 will be auctioned offwith all proceeds being donated to worthy causes.  The car will be painted/striped in a color combination supposedly chosen by Carrol Shelby himself, Kona Blue with white stripes (see picture.)  A fairly common event, the car is expected to easily reach into 6 figures.  Two other Mustangs will also be there, the GT convertible and coupe concepts from the 2003 Detroit Auto Show.  These cars foretold the modern retro styling that was to come in the form of the 2005 Mustang.  The cars look sharp, yet somehow dated…possibly because their styling has been around for over 6 years now.  For the full story, head on over to Autoblog.

Jeep Rocky Mountain Editions (Chrysler)

Finally, some not-so-horrible news about Chrysler.  The Jeep brand decided that a special trim package is needed to help revive sales, so it has created the Rocky Mountain Editions of the Jeep Patriot, Liberty and Grand Cherokee.  All of the models will be available for 2009.  The package includes a sunroof, up-level audio system including uConnect and SIRIUS satellite radio, alloy wheels and unique paint colors with special badges (Badges?  We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!)  For the full story including pricing and Chrysler’s press release, head on over to Autoblog.

Chevroletpedia.org

There is something to be said about a man’s attachment to his vehicle.  It’s crazy the things people will do for their car.  I’ve seen carpet in a heated/cooled garage with more alarm systems then a high security prison.  Then there’s Albert Dancy Jr.  Mr. Dancy, of Sutton, West Virginia, told his family that when he passed away, he wanted to be buried in his 1967 Chevy pickup truck.  So when he passed away on February 15Th from a gunshot wound, his son, Adam Dancy, honored his father’s request, and buried Mr. Dancy in the bed of his truck.  For more, head on over to Pickuptrucks.com.

I have heard of a man who married his Ford Mustang, and now this, but I have yet to hear of this type of love and dedication from a foreign car owner.  I know their cars will bore you to death, but that’s a completely different story…

Unsold Honda vehicles (Marvin Fong/ The Plain Dealer)

That’s right.  Honda is using Ford’s former Lorain Assembly plant to store up to 10,000 units of unsold inventory.  Honda operates a number of plants in Ohio, so it makes sense that they would try and find a location near the plants to store vehicles.  The plant was closed back in 2005, due to slow demand for the vans and SUVs that were being built there, and then eventually sold to the Industrial Realty Group.  The facility has been rented out to various companies over the years, but this is the first case of a once domestic owned plant being used by a foreign automaker (even if it is just for storage.)  As much as I dislike the foreign car companies, I’m glad to hear that there is one less completely abandoned commercial property out there.  Ohio has been hit hard by the hurting auto industry.  For more details, head on over to blog.cleveland.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro (GM)

Jalopnik has released some new information on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, like it’s 0-60 time and it’s EPA figures.  The V8 equipped SS model will do 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and returned 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway on the EPA test loop.  Not too shabby for a car with 426 hp in manual trim (400 in automatic.)  The V6, while no slouch itself with 300+ hp, will return 18 mpg city, 29 mpg highway!  This is particularly impressive when you compare it to the new Hyundai Genesis coupe.  The Genesis is rated at 20 city, 30 highway, when equipped with a 2.0L in-line 4 cylinder turbo that only makes 210 hp.  The V6 Genesis, with has similar hp/torque numbers, gets only 18/26…losing to the Camaro by 3 mpg on the highway.  Looks like the Americans still know how to do something right!  For more, head on over to Jalopnik.

Buick prototype (WorldCarFans)

Supposedly based on the Delta II platform that underpins the new Chevrolet Cruze, this baby Buick was spotted doing cold weather testing.  The car will basically be an upscale version of the Cruze, with a nicer interior, softer ride, more technology, etc.  The car will probably also share it’s engines with the rest of the Delta II platform, meaning 1.8 liter gas engines or possibly even the Voltec system from the Chevrolet Volt.  For the full story, head on over to WorldCarFans.

Carol Cain, a Detroit Free Press Columnist, thinks that getting Oprah Winfrey to promote the domestic auto industry could be very beneficial. Well, I agree with him. She does have some serious clout when it comes to so many other things that she always endorses…I cannot think of any at the moment since I don’t really watch the show, but I hear that many people do.

If nothing else, she could at least help open up America’s eyes and display the importance of the domestic auto industry. She doesn’t have to take sides, or provide excuses regarding the domestic 3′s mistakes, but she could definitely shed some light on the subject.

Give the woman a CTS, an MKS, or a 300C; whatever she wants! Does she drive?

Read the article at the Detroit Free Press.

Chrysler

According to a recent CNNMoney story, Chrysler LLC won’t need additional federal funding to run it’s operations if it succeeds in securing $5 billion in low-interest loans by the end of the month.  The money would be used to help Chrysler get through the crucial July shutdown period, when the automaker traditionally idles plants for up to two weeks.  This loan would be in addition to the $4 billion they have already received from the government to avoid filing for bankruptcy.  For more, head on over to CNNMoney.

2009 Hummer H3T

General Motors has issued a recall for one of it’s Hummer brand models, the H3T.  Only 1,798 2009 models are affected (mostly due to very slow sales) by this recall, which is for a faulty fuel tank front support.  The support could fracture and eventually lead to the fuel tank separating from the vehicle, causing a crash.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Apparently there is a defect on some 277,000 General Motors vehicles that could cause a parked vehicle to roll away.  The cars and trucks affected are all 2009 models, and may have a loose clip on their transmission shift cable.  This could prevent the transmission from actually moving into park even if the driver puts the shift lever in the proper position.  For the rest of the story, head on over to Autoblog.