Free Republic

Changes are still afoot in the American automotive world. Once standing proudly as the only single American manufacturer run museum, the Walter P. Chrysler Museum is closing its doors. Opened in 1999, the museum was dedicated to showcasing the full gamut of Chrysler heritage—from flagship models to defunct brands pulled into the Chrysler fold. Over 55,000 square feet, the history of company unfolded through 4 floors packed to the gills with beautiful cars. The museum became a separate company in 2007 with bankruptcy looming. Financial stability has never found the institution...

Brett David has been selling Lamborghinis in Miami since he was 14 years old. But never before has he sold so many super-cars to so many overseas buyers. “I haven’t sold a Lamborghini to somebody who spoke English as their primary language in months and months, ” said David, the CEO of Lamborghini Miami, founded by his father. “It’s been months and months.” The flood of overseas wealth pouring into the United States is remaking many corners of the economy, from the Manhattan condo market to the market for Abstract Expressionist paintings to wine, jewelry and fashion. But nowhere is...

About 125 employees of North Shore Mining will be laid off Jan. 5 when the taconite operation idles two of its four pelletizing lines, according to an announcement issued Monday by the mine’s owner and operator, Cliffs Natural Resources. The pending layoffs will affect people working at North Shore’s mine in Babbitt in addition to those working at the production facility in Silver Bay, but the exact breakdown of how many jobs will be trimmed at each location has not yet been determined, according to Sandra Karnowski, Cliffs’ district manager of public affairs. North Shore Mining currently plans to operate...

So here's the deal: After years of sacrafice, debt and driving a very old car to get three daughters through college and independent, they have made it possible for us to drive a vehicle as new as your average food stamp receipient. Not only does it have a beautiful sounding CD player (all but the radio was shot on our old car), but it also has one of those plug-in things. The girls tell us we need to buy an I-Pod or MP3 player of at least 4 gigabytes and a connecting cord to plug in so we can enjoy...

The Obama administration issued final rules Tuesday that require a major boost in vehicle mileage standards, highlighting a clash with Mitt Romney as the GOP convention gets under way. 

The Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced joint mileage and carbon emissions rules for model years 2017 through 2025 that will eventually force automakers to meet a standard equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon.

 Administration officials have made the rules a cornerstone of their energy agenda, noting that alongside earlier 2012-2016 rules, the mandate will eventually save consumers an estimated $1.7 trillion in fuel costs and save 12 billion barrels...

I'm in the market for a small car (new or late model "pre-owned"), and I've come across a peculiar bit of information for one of the vehicles I'm considering. Why would a small car with a 2.5-liter engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission have a slightly higher EPA fuel rating than the same car with the same engine and a 6-speed manual transmission? I typically prefer a manual transmission for small cars, but I'm not sure that this would be the case for this type of vehicle (a Mazda3 with Mazda's SkyActiv technology). This one has me stumped, folks. P.S....

In a speech today in Virginia, Vice President Joe Biden seemed to forget we're in the 21st century:

California’s proposed bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco—which Gov. Jerry Brown is likely to sign off on soon—has been characterized by the Obama administration and its other supporters as an effective way to reduce highway congestion. These costs amount to more than $100 billion annually in wasted time and higher fuel expenses. In fact, a much better technological solution is on the horizon, if we pave the way by getting rid of obsolete highway design. It is already possible to imagine a world in which you could predict exactly how long it would take to drive in your...

Privacy is highly valued – until we can sell it for a small discount. Hundreds of thousands of auto insurance customers allowed an electronic ankle bracelet fitted to their car in exchange for a possible insurance discount. A year ago, Progressive offered its “”Snapshot“ device. It plugs into your car’s OBD system keeps and collects data that help Progressive to profile your driving. According to Reuters, Progressive already analyzed more than 5 billion driven miles. The company says its driving-behavior data is twice as good as any other factor in predicting risk, and that bad drivers cost Progressive more than...

Judging from the alarming number of summonses issued so far for failing to buckle up in the back seat, motorists don’t seem overly concerned about the current Click It or Ticket crackdown. After all, most unrestrained drivers and passengers can afford a measly $46 fine. But if you drive with an unrestrained pet, don’t expect a slap on the wrist. Penalties range from $250 to $1,000 and as much as six months in jail.

As of early last week, nearly 20,000 people have applied for the 877 new jobs that Montgomery's Hyundai plant created to add a new production shift. And the applications are still coming. "It just continues to grow," said Scott Gordy of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama's human resources department. The deadline to apply is June 2, but Hyundai was so overwhelmed by the initial response that they suspended the application process on May 18 because of the high volume. Last week, HMMA issued a statement saying that it would reopen the application procedure through June 2 but warned that anyone who...

BEIJING -- The Warren Buffet-backed Chinese carmaker BYD Co. defended the safety of its e6 electric car Tuesday after the vehicle was involved in a fiery collision that killed three people and raised new concerns about one of China’s most ambitious companies. BYD, which was considered one of China’s most promising brands just a few years ago, said Saturday's crash in the southern city of Shenzhen took place after a drunk driver in a Nissan GT-R coupe, speeding at 112 mph, slammed into an e6 taxi, killing the driver and two passengers. The driver of the Nissan sports car fled...

Go to any given dealership with 100 new cars. On average, just four of the 2012 models will have manual gearboxes. The trend of the vanishing third pedal is nothing new, notes The Detroit News. Even a decade ago, just 8.5 percent of 2002 models were manuals. The paper’s own automotive reporter even confesses she never learned to drive a stick shift until it essentially became a job requirement. It’s more than a little contradictory to automotive reviews (including many you’ll read here) extolling the pleasure of enthusiastic driving with a true manual gearbox. Likewise, purists gravitate to manuals for...

With electric vehicle technology becoming more desirable to the average consumer, Ford applied its innovative design sense to the two-wheel market and created the E-Bike concept vehicle. Unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, this sleek, cross-gender bike is powered not with gas, but by a lithium-ion battery. The drive system is subtly embedded in the 5.5-pound aluminium-and-carbon construction frame for a cool, minimalist look—perfect for the energy (and image) conscious city commuter. Why now? More than 30 million motorized bicycles were sold globally in 2010, with an increasing market share in Europe. Because the E-Bike can also be ridden...

There are lies, damn lies, statistics—and official EU car fuel consumption figures. I and others have been banging on about this for years; the figures quoted by manufacturers in their ads usually (but, interestingly not always) bears absolutely no relation whatsoever to what happens in the real world. … To get those “official” figures, new cars are subjected to something called the “New European Driving Cycle”, a series of short runs on a “rolling road” where the car is accelerated, put on a short cruise and decelerated under laboratory conditions. All the car makers have to put their cars through...

There are little Prii, big Prii, plug-in Prii, racing Prii, and now – just revealed at this weekend’s Tokyo Auto Salon – there are full-fledged, fully-equipped, and very Real Toyota Prius camper vans. Starting with a new, 3rd-gen Prius, the conversion company adds a streamlined, fiber-reinforced plastic shell that expands the Prius’ interior into something that’s, well, livable! The “living area” has room for a small coffee table with booth-type seating and underseat storage which can be converted to a queen-size bed (as shown, below), with an additional “permanent” bed in the forward section (above the cockpit). At the rear...

Tennessee is the home for the production of the 2013 Infiniti JX. This is the first luxury vehicle ever produced in the “Sounds Good to Me” state. The first 2013 Infiniti JX rolled off the production line in Emerald Green. A special ceremony at Nissan’s Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant was organized to celebrate the occasion. The 2013 Infiniti JX 7-passenger ride is set to go on sale nationwide at Infiniti retailers in the upcoming month. Susan Brennan, Vice President Manufacturing Smyrna – Decherd exclaimed, “We are extremely proud and honored to be building this world-class vehicle right here in Middle...

The Link above is for the photos of the car leaked from a Czech Blog, but is their a bigger story?Look at this car compared to the Volt, obviously easier on the eyes, but will it spark a bigger debate? I.E., the free-market approach of product improvement vs the Governments envolvement in GM and lack of market acceptance of the Volt.What we know from the web. * It will use the very good handling "Ford Mondeo" Chassis ( possibly new or upgraded ) * It will probably be 4 or 5 star crash rated, seems to be Fords redesign mantra...

Drug Enforcement Administration agents have raided an Oklahoma car dealership that the government suspects may be one of about 30 such businesses in the U.S. involved in funding the terrorist group Hezbollah. DEA agents say the car lot of Ace Auto Leasing in Tulsa is part of a huge network that is selling cars and drugs -- and then using the money to support terrorism against the U.S., myfoxphoenix.com reports. During Friday's raid, agents could be seen carryout out filing cabinets and other items. They also questioned employees and took inventory. "They're making big time money and it's going right...

The National Transportation Safety Board wants a complete ban on cellphone use while driving, even on hands-free calls. Some will protest this as yet another government encroachment on freedom, but we should think twice before rocking the boat here. After all, have you considered how lucky we are that the government lets us drive cars at all? Imagine if cars hadn’t been around for a century, but instead were just invented today. Is there any way they’d be approved for individual use? It’s an era of bans on incandescent bulbs; if you suggested putting millions of internal-combustion engines out there,...