Current Events
Miscellaneous ramblings about being on the road
The above photo was taken two days ago during a trip across Washington state. Gas prices had come down from the previous week, when I paid a low of $4.89 and a high of $6.09 […]
Public policies
Current Events
Could Iran war show that Detroit is too dependent on gas-guzzling vehicles?
As I write this, Automotive News has not yet posted a full news story on how a protracted war in Iran could impact U.S. car sales. The industry’s leading trade journal has only parenthetically made […]
Current Events
Ford executives try to get close to Trump despite policy differences
Ford Motor Company executives stood by quietly as President Donald Trump recently argued that the U.S. doesn’t need cars from Canada and Mexico (Fox 29 Philadelphia; 2026). Later Ford CEO Jim Farley lauded the administration […]
Current Events
Automotive News and Peter DeLorenzo haven’t a clue about how to stop tariffs
Automotive News (2025) recently insisted that a projected price tag of $188 billion over three years for tariffs “is too big to bear” — but hasn’t a clue about how to stop them. That estimate […]
Current Events
Automotive News tries to tap its ruby slippers to make tariffs go away
A recent Automotive News (2025) editorial looked suspiciously like it was trying to tap its ruby slippers together to make tariffs go away. That may be a comforting fantasy out of The Wizard of Oz. […]
Photo Essay
Road builder Sam Hill championed the Peace Arch between the U.S. and Canada
A while back we talked about Sam Hill, a champion of Pacific Northwest road building. He also helped to create monuments such as the Peace Arch. This is an installation on the western-most border between […]
Readings
Ed Cray’s ‘Chrome Colossus’ offers a masterful history of General Motors
(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2021) Ed Cray’s history of General Motors is one of the better automotive books in my library. A big reason why is that Chrome Colossus: General Motors and its Times eschewed the usual […]
Photo Essay
A golden opportunity to escape the rat race — if you don’t need it too badly
Recently Indie Auto posted a photo essay about the old cars of Goldendale, Washington. If you were intrigued by a small town that functions as a veritable automobile museum, let’s explore other aspects of this […]
Current Events
Debate over whether CAFE killed the small car in the U.S. may be moot
Indie Auto reader Troy linked to a provocative comment by bzcat (2025) at Blue Oval Forums about why small cars have disappeared from the U.S. market. Here’s what he has to say: “Americans like small […]
Drive-By Musings
Why does the U.S. have a far higher traffic-death rate than France?
In the late-1970s the U.S. and France had roughly similar traffic-death rates. However, in recent years the two countries have diverged to such as degree that by 2021 French people were three times less likely […]