Author Archive: David Boldt
The 2012 Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance: The right (car) crowd – and no crowding
Los Angeles, CA – As we might have guessed, the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance is one compelling combination. Take roughly 46,000 square feet of personal residence set high above Beverly Hills; add roughly 150 classic, collectible and special-interest cars and motorcycles; and offer tickets only to those with the financial wherewithal (and enthusiasm) to spend [...]
2013 Ford EcoSport – Green piece
Ford Motor Company’s history in China covers almost a century, with the 1913 sale of its first Model T in Shanghai. Despite Henry’s reported reverence for the working man (if not the U.A.W.), Ford’s China presence during the ensuing one-hundred years has been sporadic. Although not sure what propelled Mao’s Cultural Revolution in 1966, we’re reasonably confident [...]
2013 Ford Escape First Drive: A newer – and nicer – means of escape
San Francisco, CA – For a weekend escape, you’d be hard-pressed to improve upon San Francisco. With convenient access to Napa Valley, Marin County and Carmel, if the city doesn’t compel you to stay you’ll find any number of compelling reasons to leave. For those media invited to a ‘first drive’ of Ford’s 2013 Escape, [...]
Fisker Atlantic debuts in New York – Karma Chameleon
New York, NY – On the eve of the New York Auto Show’s media days Fisker Automotive jumped the gun and pulled the trigger (in – we’ll hope – an environmentally sensitive way: no gunpowder) on its next offering, the Fisker Atlantic prototype. And despite the muted reception of assembled media (they were – we [...]
NASCAR 2013: Ford, Chevy and Dodge putting the ‘CAR’ back in NASCAR
In its infancy the rules of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing were beautifully simple: 1) Fill the tank with gas, 2) Empty the trunk of moonshine, and 3) Git yourself over to the starting line. No worry about carb restrictions, ‘cause no one in their right mind would want to restrict a [...]
2013 Ford Mustang First Drive: Ford ponies up – and on
Portland, OR – If you feel as if you’ve seen this movie before, you’re not alone. Since its complete redesign for the ’05 model year, Ford’s Mustang has received a veritable – and verifiable – number of mods, special editions and tweaks within this one product cycle. Many have been significant, such as the new [...]
2013 Ford Flex first drive – Gangsta wrap
Portland, OR – Portland’s Pearl District, with its urban vibe and dampened demeanor, should supply the perfect backdrop for the 2013 Ford Flex. Portland serves as one of the West Coast bastions of the anti-California movement, while Ford’s two-box Flex – updated for 2013 – is the obvious antidote for both truck-based SUVs and more [...]
From the General’s Central Office: Chevy to build COPO Camaro
On the heels of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 launch Chevrolet has announced production of sixty-nine COPO Camaros – with deliveries to begin this summer – for the 2012 model year. As the brand’s first purpose-built Camaro specialty car, the COPO Camaro is designed to compete in the NHRA’s Stock Eliminator and Super Stock classes. And [...]
2013 Toyota Venza Preview: In with the old – out with the new
The challenges to Toyota over the last two years have been too well documented to recount here; we will anyway. They include an earthquake, tsunami, nuclear meltdown, accusations of unintended acceleration and the various recalls that occasionally beset even the most quality-conscious of manufacturers. Thankfully, most of these calamities – natural and self-inflicted – are [...]
Vintage racing and the Formula Ford: Merlyn means magic
Attempting to catalog automotive design under the umbrella of ‘purity’ doesn’t – regrettably – build a very large file. Everyone will have an opinion, but in the last century (or so) designs remaining ‘top of mind’ are relatively few: Ford’s Model T and A, the Bugatti Type 57, ’49 Ford, ’55 Chevy, Chapman’s Lotus Seven, [...]
