When you think of a Buick, then don’t you think of your grandfather driving it?  I do.   So several years ago, the average age of a Buick driver was 72. Sounds about right, wouldn’t you say?  Well, now the average age is 65.  Buick is doing something right in their quest to attract younger buyers.  People in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are finding Buicks more intriguing and buying them.  Almost 29% of the Buick LaCrosse customers are under 55.  When I think younger buyers, I think 20s, but I’m not thinking that Buick can attract this age group anytime soon. Though I have a friend in his late 20s who bought a Buick LaCrosse and loved it and then got married, had a baby, and bought the Buick Enclave crossover.  He’s definitely not the norm though.

Buick is trying to get the younger buyers by adding technology to their vehicles. There are DVD players, lots of content, and navigation systems which gets the younger buyers.  They are marketing at food and wine festivals and other events that are known to draw younger crowds.  The resurgence of Buick began by the company just reintroducing a few models. Now Buick plans to expand and add a compact sedan to their mix in the next 18 months.

Good for you, Buick. I hope that you continue to get that average age number down.  I’m sorry though, but I may never be able to change that stereotype of my grandfather driving me around in his Buick.  Good memories though……

Has anyone ever heard of the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival?  I hadn’t, but now after reading an article about it on autoweek.com, I’m totally into it.  It’s a different kind of auto show. Remember how I said the other day when I was writing about the New York Auto Show that I was looking for something different, well here it is.  The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival will feature 375 historic race cars that you can check out.  You can check out their engines and talk to their owners.  This festival is part of the Wine Country Classic in the Sonoma Valley on June 5-6.  So while you are checking out these fabulous historic race cars, you can taste some fabulous wine as well.  Take a trip and go to this auto show, much different, and in my opinion sounds better!

A lot of good stuff for some at the time but terrible when you like back happened in the 80’s. Horrible music, big hair, bad jeans, Miami Vice was awesome!  There were some great cars in the 80’s, and the good news is that you can still get some of these beauties!  Autoweek.com wrote an article about some 80’s favorites and their current prices according to Kelley Blue Book.  Of course even though autoweek included like 10 of these 80’s cars, tons of people commented on this article naming great 80’s vehicles that autoweek forget or didn’t include.  I’m going to just mention some of my favorites from that time and if you want to see more, check out the article.

1988-1989 BMW M3 - high price according to Kelley Blue Book $65,000 (for a car that’s 22 years old!) and the low price is $14,500 with the average being $24,417. It has a 2.3 liter 200 horsepower engine, which was big for that time.

1981-1989 Porsche 911 Turbo - high price $78,500, low $24,900, average $40,669

1987-1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - high $22,900, low $4000, average $10,293. The 1987 Trans Am had a Tuned Port Injection V8 engine with only 210 horsepower.

1985-1989 Volkswagen GTI - high $5995, low $4100, average $4865 - My favorite!!!

The article is interesting and kindof cool to remind you of the different cars of the 80’s and the favorites for different people. Check it out.

Manual (stick shifts) transmissions are dying out.  Seriously dying out.  According to Ward’s Communications, 22.4% of cars sold in the U.S. in 1985 were manual transmissions, but in 2007 that number dropped to 7.7%.  Recently, aolautos.com checked their inventory of cars that are for sale and of the 4,391,747 vehicles only 241,560 or 5.5% came with a manual transmission.

Here’s some reasons for the shift (no pun intended) in the transmissions.  Years ago, manual transmissions had much better fuel economy.  Now automatic transmissions are much better gas wise, so it pretty even for fuel economy.  Also, stop and go traffic means more work for the driver of a manual transmission.  May be a pain especially if people are trying to talk on their cell phones, use their navigation systems, or text.  Also, because there are less manual transmissions around, teens are not learning to drive manual transmissions in driving school.  Therefore, these teens aren’t interested in buying manuals.  It’s a chain reaction, and if you ask me a sad one. My first car was a manual transmission.  I’d hate to see them go, as I’m sure others will as well.

www.upload.wikimedia.org

There will be a different look on our streets in the future around the country. According to detnews.com, the Ford Crown Victoria will be not be built after 2011.  That’s a BIG deal for police departments across the U.S.  For almost 20 years the police car market has belonged to the Crown Victoria.  About 85% of the 75,000 police cars that are sold in the U.S. each year are Crown Victorias.  Yes, the profit margin isn’t fantastic nor is the volume of sales, but there is ”zero marketing cost” and there is a profit, so it’s worth it for Ford.  The thing is that even though it is a common figure on our streets, the Crown Victorias are somewhat outdated. They don’t have the new technology available, especially safety things.  They are slower as well.  But on the flip side, the Crown Vics can hold all the equipment, electronics, guns, and “bad guys” with no difficulty and that could be a problem with the replacement. Ford is thinking about replacing the Crown Victorias with the Ford Taurus, but Ford is quick to say that the final decision has not been made. Basically, Ford does not want to lose this market share, so they will be doing whatever they can to keep the police departments happy.  So, I guess enjoy the Crown Vics for the next 2 years. It will be weird to see new police cars. 

www.caranddriver.com

I just thought this was such a unique car that I should write about it. Caranddriver.com just featured this car on their website with alittle background of the person who custom built this.  A man, Chuck Miller, of Michigan designs and builds custom cars for a living. He bought the BMW Isetta many years ago for $1500. Miller had just seen the same kind at an auction sell for $41,000.  He then sat on this car for like 13 years not doing anything to it. He said that he thought the Isetta was one of the ugliest cars he’d ever seen, “so ugly it was kindof cute.”  Then Miller came up with the taxi idea for something fun to design and here we have the world’s smallest taxi, the 1957 BMW Isetta 300.  According to Miller, it gets great gas mileage, and is actually for sale, but you can’t really get a ride in it as a taxi. Too bad, I bet Miller would have a really good business in Michigan if he started a taxi service with the Isetta. I might use it, just to say that I was in the world’s smallest taxi! 

I’m sure most of you celebrated, but if you forgot (or didn’t know), Friday, the Ford Mustang turned 45.  What’s crazy (to me at least) is that there was a 4 day celebration for this ”big event.”  It ran from Thursday through today in Birmingham, AL.  It was expected that approximately 2500 Mustangs, their owners, and thousands of spectators would be in attendance according to G. Chambers Williams III of the San Antonio Express-News.  Specifically, 500 Mustangs left Las Vegas over a week ago to drive to Birmingham for the Mustang birthday bash.  In case you also missed it, Ford has introduced a new Mustang model, the 2010 Ford Mustang.  I’m sure there were all different models of the Mustang at the party this weekend.  There were some activities as well.  The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge was scheduled for yesterday and today.  Supposedly about 25 cars were going to compete each day.  Ford Racing also was offering performance upgrades - including installation - for newer models in the “Mustang Garage.”  There were all kinds of souvenirs to buy and new and used Mustang parts available.  There were also going to be Mustangs on sale as well.  I bet that some Ford Mustang enthusiasts were looking to buy themselves a “pony car” as Mustangs are referred to.  Happy Birthday Mustang!         

You know what I find really annoying about vehicles….the limited editions.  There are many cars that have limited editions but all that can mean is ”new paint job, interior trim, and an engraved plaque,” according to autoweek.com.  Autoweek then gives their list of the worst “offenders” of limited editions.

1.  Chrysler PT Cruiser - according to the article there are at least 8 limited editions. Personally, I think the car is ugly whether it is a limited edition model or not. 

2.  Mazda MX-5 Miata- “nowadays, a new limited-edition Miata gets us about as excited as looking at a beige Toyota Camry.”  There are at least 10 limited editions of this vehicle.  I at least like the look of this car. I wouldn’t really want one, but I like how it looks nonetheless.  

3.  Ford Mustang  - You wonder why I unique car like the Mustang needs to have 100 different editions. I guess some Mustang lovers, probably buy the limited editions as well as the regular ones as well. 

4.  Scion xB - every limited edition of this car has “exclusive” paint color, optional rear spoiler, special hub cabs, and a numbered interior plaque.  There are 6 of these limited editions!  Alittle too many for me. 

5.  Scion tC - same as the Scion xB. Too many editions with not so many changes.  I really don’t like the car either way. 

So, here are 5 vehicles with numerous limited editions. I bet many people that read this blog have gone down the limited edition route and currently or have in the past owned one. I have not, but I think I’m more of the minority then the majority.  Let me know. 

General Motors financial problems may be someone else’s happiness this week.  According to an article by Tim Higgins of the Detroit Free Press, GM will be selling some of its most unique vehicles at auction this week.  Some lucky people will be able to be a part of the “U.S. auto industry’s history.”  The auction is part of an effort to raise money for GM, but also to “manage GM’s fleet of historic and unique vehicles.”  There will be more than 200 of these vehicles up for sale.  According to Tom Freiman, the manager of the Heritage Center (home of some of the historic vehicles), estimates that the sales could be around $5 million.  The auction runs from today through January 18. 

Some of the GM cars that will be auctioned will be:

-A white 1998 Cadillac Brougham convertible made for Pope John Paul II us use.  The vehicle has a step-up, throne-like chair and platform that rises and falls by hydraulic lift. 

-The 1967 GTO used in the action movie “XXX.” 

-A 1925 House Car.  It’s an early version of a camper made before RVs.

-A 1986 Presidential limousine replica that appeared in “In the Line of Fire” and “The American President.”

-A hand-built Buick Blackhawk that was built in 2003 to celebrate Buick’s 100-year anniversary. 

There will be a lot to choose from for you car buffs. By the way, the auction is being held at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Good luck.

www.luxuo.com

Wouldn’t you love to clean out your relative’s garage and found a rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante?  That’s what happened to relatives of Dr. Harold Carr, an orthopedic surgeon that was an “eccentric hoarder” according to his family.  I found this story on yahoo.com.   

The Bugatti is a rare two-seater that has been unused since 1960.  There were only 17 made in 1937, and when it’s cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month for approximately $4.3 million or at least 3 million pounds.  That’s a good piece of garbage that the family found!  I wish I could find something like that! 

The Bugatti was a supercar (at the time) and ahead of its time by having the capability of going 130 mph, when most other cars topped out at 50 mph.  What was particularly special about this Bugatti was that it was originally owned by Earl Howe, a British race car driver, and the car has its original equipment, so it can be restored. 

This man also had a Aston Martin, that was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in poor condition.   Geez, I wonder what my relatives will find???  Maybe $10…….