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Clark said General Motors engineers developed a very stiff chassis for the Alero, which makes it easier to tune the ride and to cut road noise and eliminate squeaks and rattles. Read the rest of this entry »

_____ Oldsmobile, fresh from celebrating its centennial last summer, harbors high hopes for the first car it has launched in its second hundred years the 1999 Olds Alero. Read the rest of this entry »

One summer in the late '60s I accepted a job with a U.S. government research group in Germany. Working with a German graduate student at the University of Munich, we were paid to find and encode the contents of books about Chinese society and government -- books which had been hidden in monasteries during the second World War to save them from destruction in the devastating bombing raids. Read the rest of this entry »

Ford Motor Company has unveiled the first driveable prototype of the P2000, the first in a series of ultra high mileage and environmentally-friendly research vehicles. The midsize family sedan makes good Chairman Alex Trotman's promise made in September 1996. By this March, Ford promised to build a driveable unit that is 40 percent lighter than today's comparably-sized Taurus. The P2000 fulfills these commitments, with a curb weight of approximately 2,000 pounds, more than 1,200 pounds less than the Taurus. Ford's lightweight platform has the ability to handle many types of powertrains, including advanced high efficiency units now under development. Says John McTague, Ford's vice president of Technical Affairs. "In order to achieve the goals of P2000, we must see breakthroughs in both weight Read the rest of this entry »

"Know the book value of the vehicle before you buy" can now be applied to Recreational Vehicles (RV), Personal Watercraft (PWC), and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV). Expanding its offering of vehicle book value information, Quick Quote, has made this new addition to its popular vehicle book value services.
"We are pleased to announce the RV, PWC and ATV Quote Service which offers consumers pricing information for big ticket leisure items," said Randy Baars, founder of Quick Quote Information Services. "We are simply responding to the 90s trend of "common sense" and educated purchases." Like the NEW/USED vehicle book value service, the Read the rest of this entry »

Ho, Ho, Ho! That turkey casserole you are anticipating signals there are only four weeks to Christmas. As usual, I am devoting this week’s column to helping you to take care of that enthusiast in your giving circle. Our friends at Neiman Marcus have collaborated with GMC and Sony to provide 100 happy families with the ultimate sport ute, the Sony Suburban. The elegant pewter paint scheme is made more distinctive with the addition of cladding, steps, air dams and wheels unique to this model. The electronic package inside is wrapped in clay colored leather, carefully chosen wood inlays, and fine berber carpets. Beyond the 480 watt stereo and 10 disc CD changer and mobile phone, there are four liquid crystal video monitors and a video cassette player, along with a whole raft of video games and Sony music CDs. A whole raft of detail tidbits and invitations to special Sony entertainment events help justify the $72,975 sticker. This ‘burb fits remarkably well with Pontiac/GMC division VP Roy Roberts’ effort to move the brand upscale. Read the rest of this entry »

The price of the AMERICAN RACING book is $39.95, can be obtained signed by both authors for an additional $7.75 for bookpost or $11.75 for 2nd day FedEx from Tom Burnside Motorsport Archive, 48 Solar Park, Pawlet, VT 05761. Phone (802) 325-3360, FAX (802) 325-3600 & e-mail: tbside@tiac.net . They offer a limited edition in a slipcase with an extra folio and an original 1956 photograph of Carroll Shelby driving a Ferrari 121 LM at Elkhart Lake signed by Carroll and Tom for $350 plus $11.75 FedEx shipping. AMERICAN GRAND PRIX RACING, is also available in a slip-case, specially-bound limited edition signed by Tim Considine and more importantly, by 25 of the 31 living American Grand Prix drivers for $300.
Bob welcomes comments or questions at bstorck@sprynet.com Read the rest of this entry »

The Mustang Super Stallion technology concept vehicle made its debut at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show. "Super Stallion is a showcase of the innovative high-performance technology that Ford has up its sleeves," said John Coletti, manager, Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE). While Super Stallion is not intended for production, many of its technologies may appear in next year's rework of the Mustang. Powered by a 5.4-liter four-valve DOHC V-8 engine with a high capacity Garrett supercharger, Super Stallion is capable of 545 horsepower and 495 foot-pounds of torque. The power is transmitted through a multi-disk McLeod clutch system and a Borg-Warner T56 six-speed manual Read the rest of this entry »

Tires have been a big part of the racing news with the highly successful entry of Firestone into Indy Car racing, and their parent, Bridgestone, in Formula One. The international organizers have chosen to make tires the scapegoat in their efforts to reduce F1 speeds, also hoping to get better competition in the process. The proposed narrowed, grooved tires are not popular with either drivers or designers, and probably helped Goodyear to make the decision to drop out of the series after next year. If they didn't have contractual commitments, they would probably be gone this year, eliminating expensive development costs. They feel they have nothing to prove after dominating the sport since they entered F1 in the sixties. Goodyear drove out Dunlop which had been the top rubber, and have withstood challenges from Michelin, Pirelli, and Firestone which have come and gone. F1 organizers are anxious to insure some variety in their tire offerings, so may induce some of these manufacturers to come back.
Bob welcomes comments or questions at bstorck@sprynet.com Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a holiday bargain? You may find it at your Toyota, Honda or Ford dealer. Despite the seemingly unconcerned claims from their U.S. president, Toyota is pulling out all stops to insure that the Camry is the top selling car in the U.S. for the first time. Honda created a sensation when its Accord topped the sale charts a few years back, the first time an import had the temerity to displace U.S. nameplates. Ford used their fleet strength and incentives to get the Taurus into the top spot the last few years, but higher prices, mainly due to not having a model with a four-cylinder engine, have caught up with them. They have simplified their confusing lineup, reducing prices in the process, but it may be too late for this year. Honda was held back by introducing a new model Accord in mid-year, but is less than two Read the rest of this entry »