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Backseat Driver: It's in the genes - boy monkeys prefer cars

My sister always refers to it as "the truck gene." Having raised a daughter and a son, she observed that little boys seem to have a special gene that makes them want to play with trucks once they reach a certain age.

Now it seems there may be scientific evidence to support her theory, according to New Scientist. Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, found that male rhesus monkeys preferred playing with cars.

The researchers studied 11 male and 23 female rhesus monkeys and found that in general the males preferred to play with wheeled toys, such as dumper trucks, over plush dolls, while female monkeys played with both kinds of toys.

So it seems that when it comes to cars, nature rules. (Unless my nephew is a monkey!)

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:38 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

GM Slashing Truck Production; Worse May be Coming

The worsening U.S. economy is forcing General Motors to slash production of its big pickups and SUVs. It will trim operations at four key truck plants, reducing production by a whopping 143,000 vehicles, according to thecarconnection.com

Even barring further cutbacks, which industry observers fear could follow, those plants will produce 15 percent fewer vehicles this year than in 2007.

Making matters worse, GM is facing a series of labor problems that could cripple other assembly operations – on top of an ongoing labor dispute at a key supplier that has already shuttered 30 GM factories.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:21 PM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

GM loses $3.3 billion in 1Q, lowers sales outlook

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. struggled to a $3.3 billion first-quarter loss, due in part to a weak U.S. market, a strike at a major parts supplier and plummeting sales of sport utility vehicles and pickups, according to the Associated Press.

The nation's biggest automaker also cut its industrywide U.S. sales outlook for the year. GM disclosed earlier this week it was cutting production of some of its slow-selling trucks and SUVs.

But its earnings excluding one-time items beat Wall Street expectations, and GM shares rose more than 13 percent.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:18 PM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: The roads are alive with the sound of music

Along with the greening of the trees and the trilling of the peepers, a sure sign of spring is the sound of other people's car stereos.

The warmer weather allows everyone to open their sunroofs and lower their windows and provide concerts for fellow drivers as they draw up to the traffic lights. It's a delightful custom, the only snag being that the concert being played next to you may not reflect your taste in music.

Sadly this happens to me all too often, and I think it most unfair. Instead of listening to a favorite composer or blues singer, I get something else altogether. Maybe there should be postings identifying the times and places of concerts and the nature of the music.

And then again, maybe I should become an impressario by playing my favorites at top volume with all the windows down. My taste in music is, after all, exemplary and playing it loud would be a treat for everyone.

Indeed, I would be admired far and wide for my selections and people would follow me in the hope of catching strains of my favorites. Children would wonder, men would gap in admiration, women in adoration.

Or would they? No, I think they would sigh in exasperation and roll up their windows, put on the AC and play their own music to themselves.

But please don't let such a possibility stop you from treating the rest of us poor noodles to your musical excretions at top volume. They are sure to be quite delightful!

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:29 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

As gas prices rise, driving for business changes

Even though he drives a fuel-efficient car, real estate agent Harlan Comee of Yorba Linda, Calif., says that unrelenting gas-price increases are forcing him to rethink his sales strategy, according to USA Today.

He's narrowed his geographic focus when looking for new homes to represent. And when with clients, he tries to show as many properties in one area as possible to curb some of the back-and-forth trips he used to make. "Now, I try to say, 'We're going to concentrate on the north today,' " he says.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:16 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

A Plug-In Conversion for Prius

Possibily the most sought-after technological innovation since Captain Kirk first flipped open his communicator is the plug-in hybrid, a vehicle that runs first on a battery charged from house current, and then on gasoline, according to The New York Times.

Big car companies have talked about it, but they do not yet sell plug-ins. Beginning this week, a company in the Boston area will be taking orders for what it says is the first mass-produced aftermarket conversion kit. The company, A123 Systems, is starting out with the Toyota Prius, with what it calls a range extender module. The module fits in the well normally occupied by the spare tire, with a charging port installed on the back bumper.

The A123 conversion will allow a Prius driver to substitute electricity, at about 3 cents a mile, for gasoline at three or four times that price. And it would let the United States shift toward the use of coal, wind or sun energy sources instead of imported oil.

One snag: it currently costs about $10,000.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:39 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

No return to cheap gas seen in Rhode Island

Southeastern New England’s beleaguered motorists may not want to hear this, but experts say the price of petroleum products and gasoline will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, according to The Providence Journal.

Forces halfway around the globe — principally the surging economies of India and China — are affecting the price of petroleum products in a way that is expected to push prices at the pump steadily upward.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:18 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Bob Tasca III makes semi-finals, jumps to 11th

COMMERCE, Ga. – Bob Tasca III's day started and ended with racing friends Tony Pedregon and Joun Force at Atlanta the Dragway, according to his publicist Alexis Kinch.

The driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang earned himself a spot in his first semi-final of his nitro Funny Car career after facing best friend Tony Pedregon in the first round, Gary Densham in the second round, and mentor and hero, John Force, in the third.

“To run Tony Pedregon and John Force and make it into the semi-finals with this new team, is just really, really tremendous,” said Tasca. “But we come to every race wanting to win, so when you don’t, you’re disappointed. But when you look back at our program that we just started in November, and to move into the 11th position coming out of this race is just great for the team and my sponsors. After today, we believe now, more than ever, that we can win.”

Tasca’s semi-final round against Force was the closest round he ran all weekend, with both drivers having identical reaction times, but with Force having an edge on time by .003 of a second.

“It’s hard to describe the adrenaline that flows through you,” said Tasca after his loss to Force. “You get these tremendous highs of next round, next round and winning and winning, and then when you go out and lose, it just takes a lot of the wind out of your sails. But then you get an opportunity to reflect back and look at what we’ve accomplished, and I think that this weekend, we made it known worldwide, that when we pull into a race, we’re a contender.”

With a consistent car all weekend, Tasca accumulated enough NHRA POWERade points to put him one point outside of the top 10 heading into next week’s event in St. Louis.

“With what we did in Vegas, and now this weekend, we’ve got a lot of momentum heading into next week. Seat time is what I need; it’s just really valuable for me. I’m so proud of my team and Chris Cunningham. It’s just absolutely incredible what he’s done with this team. I can say this beyond a reasonable doubt, that God blessed me with that man. Because at the end of the day, as a driver, I will get better because of the confidence in the racecar, and it starts with Chris and it goes on down to every one of the guys on the team. I’m just so proud of my team and we’ll be ready for St. Louis.”

Tasca and the rest of the stars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will head to Gateway International Raceway May 2-4 for the seventh stop on the 24-race schedule.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:13 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices jump on Nigerian, North Sea supply concerns

NEW YORK -- Oil prices rose sharply Friday as investors refocused their attention on supply concerns - buying on a pipeline attack in Nigeria and a looming refinery strike in Scotland - and ignored the strengthening dollar, according to the Associated Press.

Retail gas prices as expected rose further into record territory, nearing $3.60 a gallon.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery rose $3 to $119.06 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:20 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas prices jump, but increases could level off

NEW YORK -- Gasoline prices shot up to yet another record at the pump Thursday, while some analysts said the sharp price increases of recent days could soon level off even though gas will continue to rise, according to the Associated Press.

Crude oil prices, meanwhile, stalled in their march toward $120 a barrel, dropping sharply as the dollar gained strength against the euro.

At the pump, the average national price of a gallon of regular gas jumped 2.3 cents overnight to $3.556 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices have risen nearly 14 cents in one week.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:04 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Ford on a roll

Ford is stepping out of the gloom that has recently overshadowed Detroit's Big Three.

While Chrysler fumbles into a new era of high gas prices without a B-car to its name and General Motors slips to Number 2 behind Toyota, Ford comes in with a profit of $100 million in the first quarter on sales of $43.5 billion.

Sales include those of Jaguar and Land Rover which it recently sold to Tata Motors of India; if those sales are not included, revenues were $39.4 billion.

These numbers compare with a loss of $282 million on sales of $43.0 billion in the first quarter of last year.

That's impressive and real good news for a change.

I recently profiled Rhode Island's two Ford dealerships - Mike Flood's Flood Auto Group in East Greenwich, Narragansett and Wakefield, and the Tasca Auto Group in Cranston and Seekonk. (And I apologize to the Tasca family, whose association with Ford goes back 65 years. Their profile, which appeared in yesterday's paper included a group photo which did not identify them by name. That was a mistake that slipped through the editorial process.)

But in both profiles, I said that Ford seemed to be on a roll in a difficult economic climate, noting that sales of such vehicles as its Edge, Focus, Fusion were holding their own. Indeed, the company recently upped the production of its Focus by 30 percent.

As it happens, The Wall Street Journal profiled Ford yesterday, and made the same point but in much greater detail. Indeed, the headline says it all: "Ford Motor Turnaround Takes Hold."

(It also said the company is mulling the sale of its Volvo unit, having recently sold its Jaguar and Land Rover units to Tata Motors of India, and is possibly dropping the Mercury brand.)

Certainly, Ford's earnings were mixed in certain areas - it posted a loss in North America on lower sales, for example, and Volvo's numbers were down. And it said that the rest of the year will be challenging.

But it reaffirmed its plan to have the turnaround substantially behind it by next year when it expects to return the whole company to profitability.

Good news indeed.

For more information on Ford's earnings, go to the story by the Associated Press.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:40 AM to Ford , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: U.S. gulps oil while others sip

I’m coming a bit late to this, but cannot let it go by without commenting.

The New York Times’ energy correspondent, Jad Mouwad, wrote a fascinating piece about the global oil market in the Week in Review section last Sunday. It included the startling fact that the U.S. has dramatically increased its consumption of oil since 1980 while most of the developed world has actually cut back.

Much of it has been covered before, although he certainly laid out the issues in a compelling way. And he made no bones about the fact that underlying the staggering rise in oil prices over the last year is a very basic one of limited supply and soaring demand.

Yes, the weak dollar has attracted speculators. But the bottom line seems to be that the days of cheap oil are gone.

And that means a massive shift in the way we live.

To be sure, we are adapting. Those Apocalyptic twins – higher fuel prices and the threat of global warming – are already forcing us to look at smaller, more fuel efficient cars.

But when it comes to adapting, it seems we are way behind the rest of the world. Indeed, while most developed nations have cut their consumption of oil since 1980 – Denmark by 33 percent, Germany by 20 percent, France by 14 percent, Italy by 13 percent – we have increased our consumption by 21 percent. Only Britain (+2 percent) and Japan (+0.2 percent) join is on the plus side of the equation.

As Mouwad writes: “This can partly be explained by the fact that the United States has some of the lowest gasoline prices in the world, the least fuel-efficient cars on the roads, the lowest energy taxes, and the longest daily commutes of any industrialized nation. The result: about a quarter of the world’s oil goes to the United States every day, and of that, more than half goes to its cars and trucks.”

What to do? He cites cites Vaclav Smil of the University of Manitoba who suggests the following measures to cut U.S. gasoline consumption.

Smil argues that getting rid of on one in four light trucks, switching one in four vehicles to diesel and reducing distances driven 25 percent would cut consumption by about 30 percent.

Fine, except this is a free society so we cannot force anyone to sell their truck, switch to diesel or drive shorter distances.

But maybe we won’t have to. High gas prices and a growing concern for the environment are already driving Americans out of big SUVs and into small, fuel efficient vehicles.

And the trend is just beginning.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:31 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Bob Tasca III racing in Atlanta this weekend

COMMERCE, Ga. –This weekend’s NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event at Atlanta Dragway will mark, to the day on Saturday, five months since Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Shelby Mustang team began putting together a program for the 2008 racing season, according to Tasca's publicist Alexis Kinch.

“It’s been five months of hard work and long hours for everyone on my team, but we’re really excited about the progress that we’re making with the program and the car out on the track,” said Tasca.

After the series’ most recent stop in Vegas, the rookie driver carries the momentum he gained there, along with a 12th place position in the standings, into the sixth race of the season this weekend.

“Las Vegas was another stepping stone for us and for building this program from scratch,” said Tasca. “We’re thrilled with how the car ran and in just about every session, we were in the top three or four every time down the race track.”

While this weekend will be the first for Tasca in a nitro Funny Car at Atlanta Dragway, it’s a familiar stop on the schedule for crew chief, Chris Cunningham.

“For Chris, Atlanta was his best showing last season. His team ran a 4.71/330 mph, which was the best for the car he tuned all last year. Atlanta can give you some great conditions, but obviously it’s weather permitting. Chris knows Atlanta and has a lot of data on that race track from the years he’s been racing, and that will hopefully play into our tune-up.”

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:27 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Sticker shock at the pumps

I went to fill up the car at the Cumberland Farm station in Jamestown last night and was shocked to see the price of regular was $3.52 a gallon. Plus was $3.62 a gallon and Premium was $3.72.

I chose regular.

I was mulling this latest case of sticker shock – and why I should be shocked I don’t know, as I track the price of oil daily and as a Brit I am only too well aware of the declining value of the dollar – when up drives my friend Don Wineberg to fill up his Toyota Prius.

(Actually I have a theory about the price of gasoline and its role as an indicator of inflation. It’s not that gasoline accounts for that much of the average family budget - around 7 percent - but week in, week out, we fill the car or truck up, buying the same amount of the same commodity. So we notice when the price goes up.

I’m told food prices are going up too, but I don’t perceive them moving in the same way. What’s a gallon of milk cost this week compared to last? No idea. A gallon of gasoline? Well, I know it was less.)

“Wait till you see the price, you’re in for a shock,” I said to Don as he got out of his Prius and prepared to gas up.

He certainly was surprised and after filling the car said the $36 he spent on about 10 gallons of gasoline was the most he had ever spent.

Meanwhile, I had just spent close to $60 to fill up my Volvo station wagon.

Okay, we’d both spent the same per gallon and yes, we both joined everyone else by experiencing sticker shock.

But here’s the rub:

After saying that was the most he’s spent on filling his Prius with 10 gallons of gas, he added, “But that’ll take me 500 miles.”

My 17 gallons of gas, on the other hand, will take me less than 400 miles.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:01 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices recede after surging close to $120

LONDON — Record-breaking oil prices fell on Wednesday after spiking near 120 dollars per barrel, as international concern mounted over soaring energy costs and the world's top producer appealed for calm, according to Agence France Presse.

Traders were also on tenterhooks ahead of the weekly US energy inventories report, which has the potential to push prices beyond the psychological barrier of 120 dollars.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, shed 33 cents to 117.74 dollars a barrel. The May contract had struck a record high 119.90 before expiring Tuesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:29 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Get 'em off the roads!

I can't make it up.

Just a few days after I wrote about the carnage caused by drunk drivers, a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds Rhode Island ranks high in estimated numbers of adults driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Disgracefully high.

Indeed, Rhode Island ranks 8th in the estimated number of adults driving drunk in the past year, with a 20.4 percent ranking. Wisconsin topped the list with 26.4 percent, followed by North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Massachusetts and then Rhode Island.

Mormon-dominated Utah rounded out the list with 9.5 percent; Mormons eschew alcohol.

And when it comes to driving under the influence of drugs, Rhode Island ranks an even worse second with 6.8 percent. Only the District of Columbia ranks worse with 7.0 percent. New Jersey came in best with only 3.2 percent.

While I am sure these numbers are open to interpretation, the results are damning. At what point do we seriously regard drunk driving as totally unacceptable because of the regular mayhem caused to innocent people?

As I have said earlier, do not give me that BS about alcoholism being a disease. I really don't care if it is or it isn't. And it certainly should not serve as an excuse. The main thing is to get drunk drivers off the roads where they are a public danger.

And when I say drunk drivers, I mean ALL of us. I admit I have driven a few times with one or two many drinks inside me - and I'll bet most of you have too. I've been lucky in not having had an accident, let alone hurt anyone. And I mean lucky.

Too often we think we can handle our social drinking. And too often luck is on our side. But when it is not, the results can be disastrous.

If a drunk driver drives into a tree and ends up dead or injured, that's his or her problem (and a problem for police officers who have to clean up the mess).

But if a drunk driver kills or maims innocent people, it is our problem. None of us deserves that level of bad luck.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:47 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

One day's worth of R.I. road trash equals 800 bags

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Nami Moghadan, director of maintenance for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, stands next to trash collected from the state's roadsides on Monday. The pile was the focus of an Earth Day press event aimed at asking motorists to help keep the state's roads, highways and bridges clean.

Eight hundred bags of trash.

That's the result of one day's work cleaning up roads in Rhode Island this week.

The pile was used by the state Department of Transportation to illustrate the trash problem in the state.

DOT Director Michael Lewis said, “Every piece of trash we had to pick up was disposed of improperly and that’s a shame.”

The biggest litter problems in Rhode Island are beverage containers, including water, soda and alcohol bottles, fast food packaging, and cigarette butts, according to the DOT. Nationally, the top three litter problems are fast food waste, paper products, and aluminum beer cans.

The DOT says debris on roadways nationwide causes 25,000 accidents and over 80 fatalities each year. About 55 percent of roadside litter occurs intentionally by people dropping their trash on the road. The other 45 percent of roadside litter is caused by trash blowing out of uncovered trucks or falling off of unsecured loads.

“While it might only take two to five weeks for a banana peel to decompose, it takes 200 to 500 years for an aluminum can to do the same. RIDOT is asking motorists to take their trash home and dispose of it properly because Earth Day isn’t just today but every day,” said Lewis.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:23 AM to On the road | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota takes 1Q world sales lead from General Motors

DETROIT -- Toyota has taken the global automotive sales lead from General Motors, selling 2.41 million vehicles to GM's 2.25 million over the first three months of the year, according to the Associated Press.

GM said Wednesday its first-quarter sales dropped across the globe by less than 1 percent, but Toyota said its sales were up 2.7 percent during the January-March period.

GM barely won the global sales race with Japan-based Toyota Motor Corp. last year. But Toyota overtook General Motors Corp. as the world's top automaker as measured by global vehicle production in 2007.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:13 AM to GM , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil hits new record above $118 a barrel

LONDON - Oil rose to a record high above $118 on Tuesday, boosted by a jump in oil demand last month from China, the world's second biggest energy consumer, and worries about supply from key producers Russia and Nigeria, according to Reuters News Agency.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:31 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Old Tractors Don’t Die, They Just Ride in Parades

The Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade passed by grain silos in Lamont last June.

What do you call 460 antiquated farm tractors clattering across the highways of rural Iowa, covering 140 miles at the killer pace of 11 miles an hour over three days of June?

Some people might call it a traffic jam, but to the folks who look forward to it every year, it’s the annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade, and it brings out an eclectic collection of old farm tractors, along with equally old farmers and collectors of all ages nostalgic for the days before big agribusiness put eight-wheel monsters into fields of corn and soybeans, according to The New York Times.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:30 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Buick shows Invicta at Beijing Auto Show

Buick is using the Beijing auto show to unveil the Invicta show car, expected to be the replacement for the LaCrosse midsize sedan in the USA, according to USA Today.

The concept car on display at Auto China 2008 is, in fact, a modified version of the production vehicle, according to veteran auto industry analyst Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics based in Birmingham, Mich.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:14 AM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices spike to record above $117

Oil prices spiked to a record above $117 a barrel on Monday after a Japanese oil tanker was attacked off the east coast of Yemen, according to the Associated Press.

The 150,000-ton tanker Takayama was attacked about 270 miles off the Yemen coast in the Gulf of Aden while it was heading for Saudi Arabia, its Japanese operator, Nippon Yusen K.K., said in a statement posted on its Web site.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:10 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Drunk drivers who maim and kill are beyond the pale

There are few things worse than the carnage on the roads perpetrated by drunk drivers.

Two recent cover stories in The Providence Journal, complete with photographs, literally make my blood boil.

On April 10, the paper published a story by Paul Davis about 17-year old Sylvia Bogusz who spent months in hospital after allegedly being hit last June by Heidi Harrall who has been indicted by a grand jury. Bogusz was just starting her studies at URI while Harrall was driving with a suspended license and has been in and out of trouble with the police and the courts, according to the story.

The on April 13, the paper published Amanda Milkovits’s story about Tori Lynn Andreozzi, also 17, who was struck by a drunken driver five years ago. Andreozzi was into karate before the accident; now she cannot move most of her body. The woman who hit her, Marilyn Brownell, is four years into a 10-year prison sentence and apparently remembers little about the accident.
Both stories were accompanied by heart-breaking photographs of the young women with their devoted mothers.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has been doing stellar work since it was established in 1980. But its mission “to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking” still seems a long way off.

As MADD points out on its Web site, “an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes (in 2006).” Certainly, the little shrines that are tended by the side of roads and highways are mute testimonies to the continued carnage.

What to do? Somehow, having a few drinks and then driving is still tolerated in a way that smoking in public is not. And that’s ironic because alcohol causes far more problems than smoking; apart from drunk driving there is the violence associated with alcohol, especially domestic violence, and its addictive qualities.

I may be extra sensitive when it comes to alcoholics. I had one too many editors who were drunks – funny and charming when things were going well, nasty and vindictive when they weren’t. And totally unpredictable.

And don’t give me that b-s about alcoholism being a disease. It may be, but the first thing is to get these people off the roads and then worry about their health. And if it takes a big stick to get them off the roads, so be it.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:20 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 1

Backseat Driver: How I am learning to stop worrying and am beginning to love fossil fuels (again)

There are increasing reports of serious food shortages around the world. Certainly food prices have been going up sharply everywhere, but in some countries it’s actually leading to starvation and riots.

What’s this got to do with automobiles?

Two whats. One, our old friend global warming which is causing serious shortfalls of some staple crops, particularly rice. Second, the shift to growing crops that can be used to make alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel is causing reduced amounts of crops as corn and soybeans being processed for human (and animal) consumption.

It seems we are getting caught between a rock and a hard place. Indeed, ethanol has suffered a number of major setbacks recently, with one serious study concluding that the clearing of land to grown crops to make into ethanol actually contributes more to global warming than the effort warrants.

Great.

What’s the solution? It seems to me that a change in perception is occurring regarding the entire alternative fuels debate. With the side effects of ethanol coming under attack and debate, and biodiesel still in a Professor Crackpot stage of development, we are left with: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which is totally marginal; hydrogen which is reliant on fossil fuels to make the hydrogen; hydrogen fuel cell electric/gasoline hybrid technology which still relies on fossil fuels for both the hydrogen and the gasoline and is still many years from commercial development (if ever); plug-in electric, which is still reliant on fossil fuels to make the electricity; gasoline/electric hybrids which are here and working but rely on fossil fuels; and clean diesels, which are here but also rely on fossil fuels.

In short, the two most effective alternative fuels currently out there – gas/electric hybrids and clean diesels – are both very dependent on fossil fuels.

And for good reason. Petroleum is an incredibly efficient source of energy. Consider that one gallon of gasoline contains about the same amount of energy as a man working in a field eight hours a day, five days a week, for three weeks.

Certainly, the issue involves more than global warming and “oil dependence on the Mideast” is a very real problem – made infinitely worse by such numbskull expeditions as George Bush’s tragic escapade in Iraq.

But those nations need us perhaps as much as we need them and certainly OPEC has always been careful to straddle the line between getting what it can for its oil and making sure it did not drive so hard a bargain that it would send the oil-dependent West into an economic spiral that would drastically cut its demand for oil.

But it seems to me that instead of talking about alternative fuels, we should be focused on making our machines – particularly our vehicles – more efficient and cleaner.

Oil is not going away. It certainly is not going to be replaced by biofuels that have their own limitations and problems, let alone solar and wind which will be making some but not significant contributions for the foreseeable future.

So while we develop serious alternatives, let’s accept they are decades away and learn to live with oil by focusing on green ways of using it rather than chasing pie-in-the-sky schemes to replace it with alternatives that are either equally polluting, more expensive or inadequate - or all three.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:40 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas prices push closer to $3.50 a gallon, while oil slides

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices set new records Friday on their seemingly relentless march toward $3.50 a gallon, and diesel prices pushed further above $4 a gallon, according to the Associated Press.

Oil futures, meanwhile, fluctuated as a stronger dollar gave some investors reason to lock in profits from crude's recent record run, while others bought on a view that global supplies are tightening.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:08 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Carroll Shelby is honored for business skills

Mention the name, Carroll Shelby, and lots of words come to mind: racer, car builder, automotive legend, pilot, transplant recipient, entrepreneur, perhaps even rascal.

One thing is probably true, the plain-speaking Texan is a bit of all of these – and more. And despite a life-long series of illnesses, anyone of which would have crippled a weaker man, Carroll Hall Shelby, at 85, is still going strong. So it’s probably no surprise he’ll be receiving the latest in a long line of honors, today, as Automotive Executive of the Year.

Check out this profile of Carroll Shelby on thecarconnection.com:

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:10 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Report: Some auto safety gear's value limited

Some pricey new safety gear that automakers have billed as technological breakthroughs that will save lives may have only limited protective value, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concludes in a report out Thursday, according to USA Today.

Federal safety officials and many automakers have hailed the "crash-avoidance" devices as their best hope for lowering the annual U.S. death toll in crashes from the current 42,000. Unlike safety belts and air bags, the new devices are designed not to lessen injuries from a crash but to prevent one in the first place.

But some of the devices may not work well, the IIHS says, because some drivers are likely to ignore the warnings, turn them off or drive with less care. Automakers are installing devices that warn you, for example, if you leave a lane without signaling, alert you to blind spots and detect other vehicles — and sometimes apply the brakes if you don't.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:01 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas prices pass $3.40 a gallon, are expected to rise higher

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices pushed past a record high $3.40 a gallon Thursday, fulfilling expectations that they'll keep climbing toward $4 as the summer driving season approaches, according to the Associated Press.

At the pump, the average national price of a gallon of unleaded gas rose 1.9 cents overnight to $3.418 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Diesel fuel also hit a new record of $4.146 a gallon after jumping 1.7 cents overnight, the survey said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:59 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices over $115 on supply concerns

NEW YORK -- Crude futures rose past $115 Wednesday for the first time, propelled by concerns about how much gas will be available during the peak summer months, according to the Associated Press.

In its weekly inventory report, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said inventories of gas fell by 5.5 million barrels, much more than analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected.

The report also said crude inventories fell by 2.3 million barrels last week, compared to the gain analysts expected.

But the market was torn and traded sharply lower at times by data deeper in the report showing that the country's appetite for increasingly expensive gas is declining. Gas demand has fallen an average of 1 percent each of the last four weeks compared to the same period last year. Demand usually rises this time of year."

May gasoline futures rose to more than $2.90 a gallon.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:59 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 2

Crude oil just under $114; gasoline also at a record

NEW YORK -- Crude oil prices rose to within a penny of $114 a barrel Tuesday, setting a new record as concerns mounted about global supplies, according to the Associated Press.

U.S. retail gasoline and diesel prices also struck new highs.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose as high as $113.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange before backing off to $113.75, up $1.99 from Monday's record settlement price of $111.76 a barrel.

Meanwhile, retail gasoline prices rose to a new average national record of $3.386, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices were highest in California, where mid-range and higher grades are now averaging more than $4 a gallon.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:56 PM to Crude oil market , Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

John Herlitz, 65, Designer of Muscle Cars, Dies

John E. Herlitz, an automobile designer who styled a signature American muscle car and left his imprint on many notable Chrysler models of the late 20th century, died March 24 in Naples, Fla. He was 65.

Read The New York Times obituary.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:22 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford Focus is a driving force

A year ago, Ford Motor Co.'s sprawling assembly plant in Wayne, which builds the Focus compact car, was on the chopping block as part of the automaker's restructuring plan, putting the lives of its 3,000 workers in flux, according to The Detroit News.

A year ago, Ford Motor Co.'s sprawling assembly plant in Wayne, which builds the Focus compact car, was on the chopping block as part of the automaker's restructuring plan, putting the lives of its 3,000 workers in flux.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:15 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler, Nissan announce partnership

Chrysler and Nissan announced a partnership Monday to build vehicles for each other in what may mark the start of a new wave of similar get-togethers amid falling sales in the auto industry, according to USA Today.

Chrysler will build Nissan's next generation of full-size pickups at a plant in Mexico. The truck will replace the Titan, made at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant, starting in 2011, the two companies said.

Nissan will make in Japan a new "fuel-efficient small car" for Chrysler to sell in the USA and around the world starting in 2010. Chrysler currently does not have an entry in the subcompact segment. The two had said in January that Nissan would supply a version of its subcompact Versa for Chrysler to sell in South America starting in 2009.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:04 AM to Chrysler , Nissan | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Sets New High Above $113 a Barrel

VIENNA, Austria -- Oil prices set yet another intraday trading record Tuesday, surging close to $114 a barrel as the U.S. dollar fell and crude oil shipments along one U.S. pipeline were said to be moving below capacity, according to the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange traded as high as $113.66 a barrel by afternoon in Europe. That was $1.45 above the trading record set last week and $1.90 above Monday's record settlement close of $111.76 a barrel.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:02 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

American Chopper filming at West Warwick business

Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. –– the stars of the television program American Chopper –– were scheduled to appear at the headquarters of Dryvit Systems Inc. in West Warwick yesterday, according to The Providence Journal.

The Teutuls are creating a custom Harley-Davidson chopper motorcycle for Dryvit that will be featured on a future episode. They will be filming a short segment for that program at Dryvit in which they will apply the company’s exterior insulation and finishing product to a wall.

The Teutuls founded Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle manufacturer, in 1999. It is featured on their “reality” TV show that debuted in 2002. Their company is also constructing a new headquarters, production facility and retail store in Newburgh, N.Y., and the building features Dryvit products on the exterior.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:59 AM to Motorcycling | Permalink | Comments 0

R.I. pump prices hit new high

Gasoline prices in Rhode Island continue to climb and have reached the highest ever recorded by AAA, according to The Providence Journal.

According to AAA’s weekly survey, self-serve regular gasoline is averaging $3.24 in Rhode Island, 4 cents pricier than last week’s average. That price beats the previous record –– set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina –– by a penny.

The prices, however, are not adjusted for inflation and the state still lags the national average of $3.37. Last year at this time, regular was averaging $2.79 in the Ocean State. AAA, which conducts the survey weekly, suggests shopping around for the best deals because the prices ranged from $3.16 to $3.33.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:57 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Bob Tasca III race team has strong weekend in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – It was a weekend full of making progress for Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang team in Las Vegas, according to his publicist Alexis Kinch in a prepared news statement.

The rookie driver made it to the second round of NHRA Funny Car competition before falling to Ron Capps; he is now ranked 12th in points.

“The right lane just wasn’t the place to be today,” said Tasca. “You go out in the second round and your adrenaline is pumping and you really want to get into the semi-finals. We lost lane choice by just a small amount to Ron Capps for the round, and unfortunately, only one dragster went down it and no Funny Cars.”

Sunday’s race marked the second time that Tasca advanced to the second round of competition, and the first time he competed alongside Capps.

“The car got real loose on me and came sideways,” said Tasca, following his second run of the day. “I stepped off it and I pedaled it once just in case Ron may have smoked the tires, but then I saw him out in front of me. The car came around towards the cone as I lifted, and when I lifted, I hit the cone.

"But that’s the difference between racing and qualifying. On Sunday, within reason you do whatever you can to get to the finish line and unfortunately for us we lost a little bit of traction and the car came around pretty hard. But Capps made a real good run down that left lane.”

To start the day, Tasca faced Melanie Troxel for the second time this year. The two first-year Funny Car drivers met in the first round in Pomona, where Tasca earned his first round win of his nitro Funny Car career.

“It was a great weekend for our team, and we’re certainly building on the future and gaining some momentum,” said Tasca. “We don’t necessarily compare ourselves to who had the quickest run for the whole weekend, but we compare ourselves on how quick we are compared to the competition for each of the sessions. Through qualifying we were extremely consistent, and then today, it was great to get out there and get a round win. We’ve gained some momentum here and we’re going to carry that into Atlanta.”

The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will take a week off before heading to Georgia in two weeks for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:45 AM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 0

Tiny Saves Gas, but Big Can Save Lives

With gasoline prices having settled past $3 a gallon and increased talk about global warming, one of those darling little fuel-efficient cars like the Smart Fortwo, Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit may seem more attractive than ever. But are they safe? asks The New York Times.

Knowing for sure is an enormously and perhaps hopelessly complex task. One problem is human ingenuity. People find so many ways to crash that one can’t test for all of them. Then there are variations in engineering. Also, cars of different sizes attract drivers of different ages, different levels of skill and different regard for self-preservation.

Some side-impact crash tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have indicated that although there can be exceptions to the bigger-is-better rule, fatality statistics show that, over all, small cars are more dangerous.

Occupants of the smallest cars are about 51 percent more likely to be killed in a crash than those in midsize or large cars, according to 2006 fatality figures analyzed by the insurance group.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:48 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

More cars use pricier premium gas

At a time of record pump prices for regular gas, automakers are introducing more cars that use even costlier premium, according to USA Today.

The number of new vehicle models that need — or at least run better on — the priciest gasoline has steadily risen from 166 in the 2002 model year to 282 this year, shows an analysis by Kelley Blue Book at the request of USA TODAY.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:40 AM to Auto industry | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Rose Above $111 a Barrel

Oil prices rose Monday after global financial leaders expressed concerns about volatility in major currencies and the dollar slipped against the euro, according to the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $1.09 to $111.23 a barrel in electronic trading by midday in Europe. The contract rose 3 cents to settle at $110.14 a barrel Friday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:36 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Small is once again where it’s at

Everyone is talking small these days. And no surprise, given the rising price of gasoline – which hit a new record on the futures market Friday – and the general sense of unease with the economy.

“Downsizing arrives – with a vengeance” was the headline for a cover article in Automotive News which cited a big shift to small cars accelerating in March, with sales of such compacts as the Honda Fit and Ford Focus reporting gains against a general decline in sales.

“Smaller, less-thirsty, cheaper cars enjoy big sales boom” reported James Healey in USA Today, adding that they are the brightest spot in the dreary auto market. The article cited a study by J.D. Power and Associates which found more owners of small cars trading in for something similar rather than trading up.

The New York Times cited a move by auto makers to align their products with the computer industry where evolution equals smaller and smaller. It said the industry was trying to overcome the pejorative overtones of compact and subcompact.

All in all, small is once again beautiful. Remember the last time that was trendy? That was the title of economist E.F. Schumacher’s bestseller which came out in 1973 – the year of OPEC’s first oil embargo and the end of the Western World’s dominance in all things economic and political.

These are certainly very uncertain times.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:56 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Mercedes build new 4-cylinder diesel

Mercedes-Benz hasn’t sold a car with a four-cylinder engine in the U.S. for the past few years, but they’re taking this sesquicentennial anniversary of the birth of Rudolf Diesel to introduce a new oil-burner engine, according to thecarconnection.com.

The new diesel, Mercedes says, outstrips all its previous efforts in design, technology and output. A 2.1-liter four-cylinder, the new diesel turns in 204 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, a boost of 25 percent over its current diesel. Though it has more power, Mercedes says the new engine gets better fuel economy and also spits out less carbon dioxide — 13 percent, according to their estimates.

The 2.1-liter version should be followed by smaller-displacement versions.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:02 AM to Alternative fuels , Mercedes-Benz | Permalink | Comments 0

Video: Midsize cars earn better crash ratings

AP Photo
This undated handout photo provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows a crash test of 2008 Kia Optima with standard airbags.

The insurance institute says several mid-size cars have made strides in protecting motorists in side crashes with standard air bags and improved designs.

Click here to watch the AP Video report.

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 9:21 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas, Oil Prices Hit New Records

NEW YORK -- The upward trend in energy prices showed no sign of abating Wednesday as gasoline set yet another record at the pump and crude oil topped $112 a barrel for the first time in the futures market, according to the Associated Press.

The national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas rose 1.2 cents to a record $3.343 a gallon, according to a survey of gas stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

With the peak summer driving season still to come and gas following crude higher, the fuel may well reach the retail price of $4 a gallon that the Energy Department has been forecasting.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:52 PM to Crude oil market , Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 1

Tasca III in Las Vegas for 5th race of Drag Racing Series season

Las Vegas – Heading into the fifth race of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season this weekend in Las Vegas, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Shelby Mustang team look to put together a solid performance at one of Tasca’s favorite racetracks, according to Tasca's spokesowoman Alexis Kinch in a news statement.

“Las Vegas is a race you circle on your calendar at the beginning of the season as one where you want to showcase your best performance,” said Tasca. “Being in the city that is the home base for Carroll Shelby’s company, certainly is another factor to help hype us up for the race.”

The rookie nitro driver is coming off a consistent event in Houston; one that saw his Shelby Mustang make four solid qualifying runs down the track. While Houston’s Sunday outcome wasn’t what the team had hoped for, Tasca is encouraged by the progress the car is showing.

“I think that the car performed terrific in Houston, except of course for the first round,” said Tasca. “We had a very consistent race car in qualifying and if we can build on that in Las Vegas, we should be successful. Our intention this season is to qualify well with four consistent runs and put ourselves in a position to win on Sunday.”

With bad weather plaguing most of the start to the season, this weekend is predicted to be hot and sunny, which will play a factor for everyone setting up the cars.

“It’s supposed to be hot, so the track conditions are going to be tricky,” said Tasca. “That is really an equalizer for a lot of teams, because you can’t throw all the power at the car. You’re going to have to really finesse the car down the racetrack. Las Vegas is a red carpet, it’s got a wide groove and it’s forgiving from a driver’s standpoint. The surface temperature will definitely be something that the crew chiefs are going to have to deal with come Saturday and Sunday.

“We’ve got some confidence going into Las Vegas with the changes that we made from our Houston test. I’m really excited to get back to the track and put together a great weekend for all of the fans and our sponsors.”

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:42 PM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 1

Rear-hinged doors make comeback

The "coach doors" on Rolls-Royce's Phantom Drophead Coupe

Reappearing on several cars are doors hinged toward the rear of the vehicle, instead of the usual front-hinged variety, according to USA Today. Most car nuts know them as "suicide" doors.

Call them freestyle doors, coach doors or club doors. Just don't call them suicide doors. Not unless you want to see an auto executive come unhinged.

The latest is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, unveiled last month in Geneva by the BMW-owned brand and to be displayed in the USA for the first time at a collector car show in Carmel, Calif., in August.

The big, rear-hinged "coach doors" on the two-door let "all passengers enter and exit more gracefully," Rolls says.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:05 AM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Video: Are hybrid cars too quiet?

A new bill is expected in Congress that will look at the safety of hybrid cars and the blind. The nearly-silent cars are difficult to detect for pedestrians who can't see them. (April 9)

See -- and hear -- the AP Video report here.

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Ground breaking for track upgrade at Lime Rock on Thursday

Motor racing legends John Fitch and Sam Posey join Skip Barber, president of Lime Rock Park, on Thursday morning for a ground-breaking ceremony to improve conditions at the celebrated track, according to news statement from Lime Rock.

Improvements include track upgrades and repaving, “creating what will be ‘two Lime Rock Parks,’ the statement said.

John Fitch was the first track manager at Lime Rock Park a sports car racing champion; Sam Posey, was a Lime Rock Park racing legend and track architect.

Last July, Barber announced the creation of The Club at Lime Rock Park in an effort to raise money for track and facility improvements in order to ensure its future.

Membership in the club includes 60 guaranteed track dates a year for 50 years. It costs $100,000 and can be passed down in the family or resold through the club.

At the time, Barber said the club was designed to achieve two goal. The first was to raise money to invest in the track, particularly in resurfacing the track as well as upgrading such facilities as the press area and the entrance as well as planting trees in the unusually bucolic setting.

The second goal is to create a 50-year obligation for the track to accommodate the members of its club with time on the track.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:56 PM to Racing | Permalink | Comments 1

Government Expects Gasoline to Peak at $3.60

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices will peak near $3.60 a gallon in June, but prices at such lofty levels will make many Americans think twice about hitting the road this summer, the Energy Department said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:00 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Alfa Romeo to Return With Power and Style

After a 13-year absence, Alfa Romeo is returning to the United States this summer with a splash with the new 8C Competizione coupe, according to The New York Times.

Alfa withdrew from the American market in 1995 amid slumping sales brought on by a reputation for poor quality. But the brand has had a resurgence in Europe as its parent, Fiat, has infused cash into Alfa for new designs and improved mechanical systems.

Fiat is trying to build up a sports and luxury division featuring Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Fiat plans to sell the 8C through select Maserati dealerships (which are also Ferrari dealerships) in North America.

Fiat is positioning the 8C as a literal blood brother to supercars from Maserati and Ferrari, with which the 8C shares some parts.

At an estimated base price above $200,000, the 8C is easily Alfa’s most expensive model ever. The 450-horsepower V-8 coupe will be produced in limited numbers, and only 90 are expected to be available in the United States this year. Most are already spoken for, the company said. Prospective buyers might instead be wise to inquire about the convertible version due in 2009.

If the strong early demand for the 8C continues, Fiat said it would offer three more Alfa Romeo vehicles — the 159 sporty sedan, Brera 2+2 coupe and Spider two-seater — in the United States by late 2009 or early 2010.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:38 AM to Supercars | Permalink | Comments 0

Pittsburgh couple claims privacy invaded by posting of home photo

A Pittsburgh couple is suing Google for invasion of privacy, claiming its popular "Street View" mapping feature has made a photo of their home available to online searchers, according to thesmokinggun.com.

Aaron and Christine Boring accuse Google of an "intentional and/or grossly reckless invasion" of their seclusion and privacy since they live on a street that is "clearly marked with a 'Private Road' sign," according to an April 2 lawsuit the couple filed in Allegheny County's Court of Common Pleas.

According to the Borings, they purchased their Oakridge Lane home in late-2006 for "a considerable sum of money," noting that a "major component of their purchase decision was a desire for privacy."

But when Pittsburgh was added last October to the roster of cities covered by Google's "Street View" feature, the Borings allege, their "private information was made known to the public," causing them "mental suffering" and diminishing the value of their home (which cost the couple $163,000, according to property records).

The Borings are seeking in excess of $25,000 in damages and want a court order directing Google to destroy images of their home.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:18 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Luxury car sales show the rich are spending less

Suddenly the rich aren't getting richer — and luxury car dealers are joining other high-end retailers in feeling the pinch, according to USA Today.

Adding to a turnabout in once-resilient upscale goods, most luxury car brands saw sales drops last month.

Mercedes-Benz softened 3.7% compared with March last year, Autodata reports. BMW fell 8.7%, and Lexus plummeted 13.6%.

Overall, luxury vehicle sales are off almost 13% this year.

Purveyors of the finer things in life are finding their well-heeled customers are caught in the same economic riptide tugging at the less well-off.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:05 AM to Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Seinfeld Fiat mystery solved

Thanks to Lenny Petrone of International Motor Group at 4657 Post Road in Warwick, we now know the identity of the Fiat that comedian Jerry Seinfeld was driving when he crashed about a week ago. It's a 1967 Fiat Dino 2.0 Coupe.

News reports - including an Associated Press story reprinted in The New York Times - had it as a 1967 Fiat BTM, but no such car exists. I'll let Lenny take up the story with his email to me:

"After a lifetime of being around imported cars, working in the field and owning an imported auto repair and sales business for over 27 years in Warwick R.I., I am very familiar with most Fiat's."

"I noticed the T.V. story a couple of days ago involving Jerry Sienfeld with a Fiat that he had just purchased. The pictures shown in the spot were of a 1967 Fiat Dino 2.0 Coupe. This model was not sold in the U.S. at that time but were imported by private individuals or importers."

"The reason this car became desirable was the fact that it was equipped with a 2.0 V-6 Ferrari engine that was also used in the Ferrari Dino a mid engine sports car. Today these cars still hold a high value in good condition."

Thanks Lenny!

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:06 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Not All Odometers Are Created Equal

AS researchers who test the accuracy of odometers know, your mileage may vary, and when it comes to a car’s warranty, that could cost an owner money.

An odometer that piles up mileage faster than it should will push a car out of warranty quicker than an odometer that is calibrated correctly.

That is what was happening to many Hondas and Acuras until the problem was noticed by a lawyer in Arkansas, who, along with several other lawyers, filed a lawsuit against Honda in 2004, according to The New York Times.

A final settlement was approved last December, but the deadline for owners to file a claim is approaching: June 26.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:55 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Smart ranks low on U.S. crash test

WASHINGTON -- The Smart Fortwo two-seat minicar received one of the lowest crash-test scores among 2008 car models for protecting passengers, according to federal test results released Thursday, according to The Detroit Free Press.

While the other tests of the Smart produced better results, the scores highlighted the high safety hurdle Smart's U.S. sales team has to climb in order to overcome American buyers' fears about driving the smallest vehicle on the road.

Smart said the results were as expected, although

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:35 AM to Mercedes-Benz , Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Smaller, less-thirsty, cheaper cars enjoy big sales boom

The smallest, cheapest, cars are the biggest, brightest spot in the dreary auto market, reflecting continuing buyer flight to fuel economy and lower prices, according to USA Today.

Sales of all types of small cars in March were at year-ago levels, Autodata says — a big success in an industry that sold 12% fewer vehicles overall than in March 2007. The small-car segment was the only one not showing a loss.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:32 AM to Fuel economy , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Prices Hit Record on Low Supplies

NEW YORK -- Retail gas prices surged to a new record above $3.30 a gallon Friday and appear poised to rise further in coming weeks as gasoline supplies tighten, according to the Associated Press.

Oil prices, meanwhile, supported the gas price rally by jumping more than $1 to around $105 a barrel after a dismal employment report sent the dollar lower.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:27 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: What's up at VW and Hyundai?

So, what's up with Volkswagen and Hyundai?

With every other auto maker reporting losses in U.S. sales in March, VW comes in with a cheery 7.8 percent gain over March of last year, according to Autodata which includes sales of subsidiaries - in VW's case, those of Audi and Bentley.

And Hyundai reported a 1.9 percent gain, so it should also take a bow. Ferrari and Maserati both reported gains, but supercars hardly count as their totals are so low. Ferrari, for example, sold 163 cars in March compared with VW's 27,832 and General Motors' 280,713.

Indeed, when it comes to the big producers, the losses were nasty: GM sales were down 18.7 percent, Ford's were down 14 percent, Toyota's were off 10.3 percent, Chrysler's were down 19.4 percent, Honda's were off 3.2 percent and Nissan's were off 3.8 percent.

So what accounts for VW's success? The company said little beyond the ract that sales of its Jetta, which it described as its top sales performer, were up nearly 20 percent with Passat sales up 13 percent and New Beetle convertible sales up 14.1 percent.

Unfortunately, no relief appears to be in sight and with nearly 75 percent of Americans now believing the economy is in recession, according to a recent CNN/Opinion Research poll, folks are not going to be in a buying mood, especially for big ticket items. That, of course, feeds on itself as so many producers are dependent on the auto - and housing - industries.

So this is a time for manufacturers and dealers to gird their loins and ride it out - like many other businesses.

It would just help to know what pixie dust VW and Hyundai are sprinkling on their cars.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:43 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: What was Jerry Seinfeld driving when he crashed?

By now you’ve probably heard the news – comedian Jerry Seinfeld narrowly escaped being seriously hurt in East Hampton, Long Island, on Saturday when he crashed his 1967 Fiat BTM after the brakes failed.

Everyone reported the news, and The New York Times printed the Associated Press story.

One problem: There is no such car as a 1967 Fiat BTM.

Indeed, the Internet is alive with bloggers asking about the car and sounding off about its non-existence. One went so far as to print all the cars that Fiat produced in 1967. They are: the Fiat 1100 R, the Fiat 125, the Fiat 125 Special Berlina, the Fiat 1500 Cabriolet, the Fiat Dino Coupe 2.0 and the Fiat Dino Spider 2.0.

A number of things spring to mind about this story. One is the happy fact that Seinfeld was not injured despite the car rolling over. Another is the reminder that old cars are old and need special attention when being taken out on the road.

Then there is the issue of a story being reported and printed with a crucial piece of information being wrong. That reflects a tendency in this profession to take other people’s reporting and editing at face value and go with their facts without perhaps asking obvious questions.

In this case, the source for the information was the town police chief and one can well imagine him getting garbled information about an old collector car from a shocked Seinfeld.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing. For it reflects the trust we have in each other in this profession. Most of us went through a hazing early in our careers when we got a fact wrong. I certainly did while working for Reuters News Agency in New York 25 years ago. I got a number wrong when British Petroleum reported its quarterly earnings and my ears are still ringing.

Finally, for me the silver lining is that the Internet immediately picked up on the mistake, with a bunch of people chiming in with their doubts and questions. So rather than castigating my profession, I prefer to be reassured that in this modern age of instant access to information, mistakes are quickly spotted and called.

The only question that remains is: What was Seinfeld driving?

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:39 AM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 1

Gas Prices Rise to New National Record

NEW YORK -- Gasoline prices extended their record run at the pump Thursday, but took a breather in futures trading as investors collected profits from the previous session's huge advance, according to the Associated Press.

Crude oil futures, meanwhile, fell as the dollar stabilized and prompted selling by investors who previously bought crude as an inflation hedge.

At the pump, the national average price of a gallon of gas rose 0.2 cent overnight to $3.289 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That's the latest in a string of records set as gas prices have followed surging oil futures higher.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:30 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Where is Rhode Island Red?

Mea culpa.

Someone sent me informaiton and pictures of their red Mustang suggeting it might make for a good autobiography. It was nicknamed Rhode Island Red.

I promptly lost the envelope with the infomation inside. No excuse other than lack of cerebral activity. If it was you, please accept my apologies and resend. Thanks.

Peter Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:00 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 1

Auto Sales Are Down Again, but G.M. and Toyota Are Optimistic

DETROIT — Sales for each of the nation’s four largest automakers fell last month, prompting some executives to forecast a gloomy spring, a period that typically posts strong sales, according to The New York Times.

General Motors and Toyota, however, said they were optimistic about the benefits of declining interest rates and tax rebate checks that most Americans will get starting in May as part of the federal economic stimulus package. But executives at the Ford Motor Company said they did not think the industry had hit bottom yet.

“I’d like to be able to tell you the worst is behind us, but I really can’t give you that assurance,” Ford’s marketing chief, James D. Farley, said on Tuesday. “At this point, our sense is that the next quarter may be our most difficult.”

A research firm, Global Insight, projects that industry sales will reach a low point in the second quarter, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 14.8 million vehicles, before rebounding moderately later this year. The rate was 15.11 million in March, down from 16.29 million a year earlier, according to the Autodata Corporation, an industry statistics firm.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:54 PM to Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Stations Look in Stores for Profits

NEW YORK -- Gas prices may be sitting near record levels, but the owner of your local gas station quite likely is struggling, according to the Associated Press.

Profit margins on gasoline sales are razor thin. Indeed, some gas stations are losing money on credit card sales, once the fees are factored in.

How do they stay in business? More and more a gas station's bread and butter is, well, bread and butter - and the coffee and candy bars it sells in its convenience store. Most of these items generate much higher profits than gas.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:31 PM to Auto industry | Permalink | Comments 0

US Auto Sales Fall in March

DETROIT -- Ford's U.S. sales dropped 14 percent, Toyota's fell 10 percent and Honda's slipped 3 percent in March as demand for trucks and sport utility vehicles plummeted amid high gas prices and a slowdown in home construction, according to the Associated Press.

Consumers' worries about the economy were expected to make March one of the worst months for automakers since 2005, when a wave of summer discounts led to a huge drop in fall sales. Automakers reported sales Tuesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:28 PM to Ford , Honda , Sales , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0