Jil McIntosh

Where it all began ...

a I was going through some old paperwork and happened across this. It's the stub from my first paycheque as a writer.

It's dated May 9, 1970 and it's for $25.00. I was eleven years old and you better believe that was a huge sum of money back then. My mother was a receptionist at an auto bodyshop and she took home $62 a week.

The paper was the Toronto Telegram, now defunct (although I don't think my story was to blame). They had a special section for children, and they'd ask for submissions -- double-spaced, please, and don't forget to keep a carbon copy for yourself. I wrote a fantasy story about a flying horse, and lo and behold, it became the very first piece I had printed. They even included a little sketch of the horse that I'd sent with it. And a few days later, this incredible cheque came in the mail.

I'd been writing for some time before that; I spent almost all of my spare time in the recreation room, tapping out stories on an ancient Underwood Standard Typewriter that my grandfather bought for me (and which I still have, sitting here in my office). This was my first published piece, and from that moment on, I knew that no matter what, I was going to be a writer. I did manage to make that dream come true. And in an odd twist, if you look at the short length of the piece I sold them and the buying power of the dollar back then, I don't think I've had a story since that's paid quite as well. As they say, I peaked early, and it was all downhill from there.

Up today: the Ford F150

On Canadian Driver today I have a review of the Ford F-150. You can find it here.

Our gasoline situation: who's to blame?

I paid $1.226 for a litre of 87-octane gasoline yesterday. And I know it's only going to get worse. If we don't see $1.40 by the height of the summer, I'll be very surprised.

And yet, in response to the headline in my newspaper today -- GM will eliminate another shift at its truck plant, here in the town where I live -- there is shock and anger. That's understandable, because this will have an effect from the assembly line right down to the checkout clerk at the grocery store. But really, didn't anyone see this coming?

I wasn't old enough at the time to understand all of the complicated politics behind it, but I do remember the OPEC crisis of 1973. I recall seeing the news reports of the lineups, the alternate days, the stations out of gas. Back then, the Big Three were almost exclusively making large cars, and people laughed at those who bought the weird little Japanese cars. Once the crisis hit, they weren't laughing anymore, and that was the beginning of Japan's surge into the North American market. By the time the Big Three got into smaller cars, it was too late to push them back (and the fact that the cars Detroit built were crap didn't help, either).

But as we all know, history is in the past, and slowly, the cars got bigger again. This time around, though, both domestics and imports played the game. Each next-generation model was bigger, heavier and more powerful than the one it replaced, until the model got so bloated that it didn't fit into the segment anymore and the company had to introduce an all-new one to slot under it.

All of the automakers are hooked on the huge profits SUVs provide for them, and they've done a good job of convincing people they need them to be safe, be stylish, and be able to carry seven people (even though they probably never will). The buyer has lapped it up, and only now is realizing that not enough other people are buying small cars/taking transit/conserving energy so there will be enough left over to fuel the barges. And the automakers then justify it by saying that they're only giving the buyers what they want. Well, I want a panda-bear rug for my living room, too, but there's something about the "greater good" that prevents it.

Still, after having pointed fingers (and, in true North American style, not at myself), the question remains: can Detroit, and now Japan and Korea, react swiftly enough to this fuel crisis to bring appropriate cars to market in time? And when they do, and it all dies down, and everyone's in a smaller vehicle, will the next generations of those models stray from their diet, and start the cycle all over again?

Up today: The Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Up on Canadian Driver today, I have a review of the Mercedes-Benz C230. You can find it here.

Credit Goes Here

I've had several colleagues comment on the quality of my Web site and how well it's set up. I sure wish I could take the credit, but that belongs to writer, editor and good friend Kevin Allman. He designed everything you see here and got me started. You can check out his site by clicking here.

A busy day in the paper today ...

I have three stories in today's Toronto Star newspaper.

The cover story, on upcoming old-car shows, can be found here. My thanks to photographer Richard Spiegelman who had a 1957 Chevrolet picture -- I couldn't find one anywhere in my files.

Earlier, I'd written a rant here on airbag safety, which I massaged and turned into an opinion piece. It's in the paper here.

And finally, I have a review of the Mitsubishi Lancer, which you can access by clicking here.

It's Earth Day, here's the Prius!

It's Earth Day, and today I have a review of the Toyota Prius on Canadian Driver. You can find it by clicking here.

Infiniti G37

On today's Luxury Car Canada I have a review of the Infiniti G37. You can find it here.

Religion in government ...

Totally unrelated to automobiles, I have an opinion piece in today's Toronto Star (coincidentally, the Sunday edition) on prayer in the Ontario legislature. You can find it here.

Today's hybrid review ...

In today's Toronto Star I have a review of the Ford Escape Hybrid (and my tester was even green). You can find it here.

Okay, I'm old ...

A little secret: I like tattoos, and I have several of them, including one that's a copy of the Studebaker logo, in honor of my 1949 pickup truck.

I'm going to get another one next week (non-automotive-related) and I dropped by my tattoo shop today to hand in some artwork. My artist was gone for the day, but I met his young apprentice, who asked if I had any work by the older master.

Why yes, I said, and proceeded to show him the logo. "That's the Studebaker crest," I said.

He replied, "I'm sorry. I don't know what Studebaker means."

Betcha can't drive just one ...

This is a low-fat potato chip.

It's the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, but it just as easily could be the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, or the Lexus RX400h, or the upcoming hybrid SUVs from Dodge, or full-size hybrid sedans like the Lexus LS600hL or GS450h.

All of them use hybrid systems to improve their fuel mileage and reduce their emissions, and that's a good thing. But all of them have hybrid systems inside very large, very heavy (and, so far, very expensive) vehicles. And I'm betting that the majority will carry one or two people at the most, and maybe the odd bit of cargo that won't come close to the vehicle's capacity.

Hence, the low-fat potato chip, a food-like object that could only be invented in North America: when confronted with the problem of excess weight and poor dietary health, we buy versions that are slightly less bad for us, rather than reach for an apple or even question if we're hungry at all. Likewise, rather than buy a smaller vehicle, or walk more, or combine our trips so we drive less, we buy the large-by-huge SUV with the slightly better propulsion system. All the taste, a bit less fat, and the smug feeling that yes, we're making the planet a better place, one battery-powered gargantua at a time.

Dodge Sprinter Review

I have a review of the Dodge Sprinter on Canadian Driver today. You can find it here.

Airbags: They help, but they can harm

The weather's getting nicer in my neck of the woods, and that means that people are shedding their winter boots in favor of lighter footwear, including sandals.

That also means that I've already seen my first teenage passenger riding the oh-so-cool way, with shoes off and feet up on the dash. My blood runs cold every time I see teenagers foolish enough to do this, and parents behind the wheel dumb enough to let them.

Here's the reason: behind that dash panel is an airbag. Hit something, and that airbag inflates within about 40 milliseconds. In effect, that bag is coming toward you at the rate of 150 to 250 miles per hour. (In metric, 240 to 400 km/h -- or, for short, damn fast.)

Imagine putting your legs out in front of you, and then ramming them into a wall at 150 mph. That, in effect, is what the airbag will do. If you're lucky, it'll only break your legs. If you aren't, it'll push your thigh bones through your pelvis. You might walk again, but don't count on it.

Sure, I was young once, and I rode with my feet on the dash. I was also stupid as hell back then, and my dash didn't contain the equivalent of a shotgun shell.

Chances are good these drivers will never hit anything, and their teenage passengers will hop out, all in one piece, and life will be good. But as they say, it only takes a second for a crash, and it doesn't even have to be your fault. It will, however, be your burden.

Today's Review

On today's Luxury Car Canada I have a review of the 2008 Volvo C30. You can find it here.

I'd probably just buy one Rolls-Royce ...

I frequently have my breakfast in a bagel shop down the road, and since I've usually got a test car, that's what I drive. The test car will change weekly, so I'm always showing up in something different.

Not that long ago, the two ladies who work there came over and said, "We don't mean to be rude. But we have to know ... you've always got another car. What do you do?"

I explained that I'm an auto reviewer, and these are vehicles lent to me for the purpose of driving and evaluating them.

"Oh," said the one. "We thought you were just rich!"

Viva Las Vegas!

I sure would like to be in Las Vegas today. It's the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, and what a great event that is.

I've only been once, in 2006, but I loved every minute of it. It's primarily a music weekend that has a car show attached to it, but being a fan of all aspects of the event -- rockabilly music, tattoos and hot rods -- I was in heaven.

The car show is primarily for rat rods, those rough-and-tough unfinished beauties that have burrowed their way into my heart. And I also love the fact that the show isn't about the "traditional" 1950s music -- which has been so done to death at car shows that I now loathe Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper -- but the raw music that seldom made its way to the mainstream.

And I love the people. Unlike the average 1950s car show, where older men and women squeeze into poodle skirts and jeans and pretend to be teenagers, these folks go for grown-up glamor (this lovely lady is Tanya Harris, who looked just marvelous beside a 1929 Ford). To the day I die, one of my favorite moments is sitting at the tiki pool party, watching young women in Betty Grable swimsuits posing poolside and listening to a band singing Rock Around the Clock in Spanish.

You can read my full report here. And next year, try your best to get there. I promise it'll be more fun than you can possibly imagine.

Never underestimate a cowboy ...

I was going through some pictures and came across this, and thought, hey, there's a story within a story. This was during the launch of the updated 2008 BMW 5 Series. The company put a group of journalists into the cars in Las Vegas, and we drove them to Monterey, California.

That's a lot longer than the average press trip, and my deadline fell smack in the middle of it. The problem is that I write in linear fashion: if I don't have the first line, I can't write the story. And try as I might, I didn't have a first line. The clock was ticking, and I was desperately trying to come up with something. Nothing sounded right; nothing worked. It was getting on for three o'clock, and I had to have the story done that night.

Well, every now and again, the world just turns in the right direction for you. BMW had turned the trip into a bit of a scavenger hunt, and we had to stop at a general store in the middle of nowhere. Other than the general heading of "California", I had no idea where we were. We hadn't seen any living thing other than cattle for two hours. Why this store even existed was beyond us, but we pulled in, and that's when I noticed the beat-up old Ford pickup across the road. A cowboy got out, as lean and dry and weathered as a Joshua tree, and he came over and looked at my German-made machine. I fully expected him to ask what type of car it was.

"Nice car," he said.

"Thanks," I said.

He looked at it, and then drawled through a walrus moustache, "That must be a brand-new one. The ones last year didn't have them headlights."

(You can read the whole thing here.)

We're all in the same boat ...

I was watching television last night. I know it's spring because I caught the annual commercial for Discover Boating Canada. It's a cute one, really, with all manner of dogs enjoying boat rides.

Save for a couple of the sail variety, almost all of them are powerboats.

I expect that any day now, Go RVing will start its annual campaign as well, telling people to hit the open road in their motorized campers.

I have friends who own powerboats, and friends who own RVs, and while they thoroughly enjoy their time away with them, they also tell me how much money they spend in fuel to run them.

Now, to set the record straight: I'm not fond of boats or RVs, but that's not my point here. I understand that many people are, and more power to them.

On the other hand, if a car company sponsored a series of ads suggesting that the family should get into a car or SUV and hit the open road for the sole purpose of going for a drive because it's fun ... just what do you think the reaction from the green-thinking public would be?

The Year of the Car

This is a big year for the history of the automobile. In 1908, General Motors of Canada was founded, and the Model T first went on sale. Cadillac won the coveted Dewar Trophy for the interchangeability of its parts -- a big deal back in the days when most parts had to be individually machined before they'd fit -- and the Thomas Flyer won the New York-to-Paris race.

The Fisher Body Company was organized, the first four-wheel-drive motor vehicle was built, most cars went to left-hand steering, and Oakland was introduced, a nameplate that would eventually become Pontiac.

It was a pretty exciting time for the horseless carriage, and to that end, Michigan has a full range of activities planned to celebrate what it's calling The Year of the Car. This includes events at The Henry Ford, Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance, the Detroit Festival of Speed and Style, and the Woodward Dream Cruise.

You can find it all under one roof at MotorCities. Cruise on over and have a look.

BMW X3 review

On Canadian Driver today I have a review of the 2008 BMW X3. You can find it here.

How about giving us what we really want?

I noticed a press release from Chrysler yesterday. In the US, the company is launching a campaign with the tag line of If you can dream it, we can build it.

Let's see what the release says people are dreaming about:

As a chassis rolls out of the plant and down the road, all kinds of people in all kinds of places start adding what they want on a vehicle including MyGig™ with navigation, dual DVD system and Swivel ‘n Go™ seating system.

Now, maybe there are a few people who are dreaming about twin movie screens and minivan seats that face backwards. But I suspect that even more people want things that are even simpler. Things like better interiors, with more care spent on fit-and-finish, and less cheap-looking plastic. Better fuel economy, especially in excessively thirsty vehicles like the Dakota and Durango. Less-expensive versions of utility machines, such as pickup trucks. And possibly most important of all, a good-quality, inexpensive subcompact that can compete with vehicles like the Toyota Yaris and Chevrolet Aveo -- a segment Chrysler has promised us (with a Chinese-built car) but has yet to enter.

I want to see Chrysler do well, because a strong, mostly-domestic automaker is good for our economy. But strong companies start with strong foundations. It's fine to have the odd gimmick, but only when it's added on to a well-built, good-looking, fuel-efficient, realistically-priced vehicle with a reputation for bulletproof quality and reliability. That's my dream, Chrysler. Now build it.

News from Nissan ...

That's a Nissan, and it's coming soon to an intersection near you.

Well, maybe not that exact one, but the news is out: Nissan is entering the light commercial vehicle market in North America. It's planning on building three new vehicles that will enter the market in the first half of 2010, and while there's not been anything concrete yet, the company has confirmed that they'll be under the eight-ton GVW range. It's also forming a partnership with Cummins to supply the engines.

Most importantly, they'll be built in Canton, Mississippi for use in North America, thanks to an investment of $118 million, on top of the tooling for the trucks. There's no word yet on where the ousted Quest minivan and QX56 will go once the plant gears up for the trucks, although I'm wondering if the company will abandon them entirely. In any case, kudos to Canton, and here's hoping it makes for a lot more jobs in an area that can probably use them.

Thought for today ...

A couple of things I wish more folks would figure out:

It's a crash or a collision. It's not an accident.

The vehicle does not go out of control. The driver loses control of the vehicle.

Thank you.

In today's paper ...

I have a review of the Dodge Dakota in today's Toronto Star; you can find it here.

I also turned a rant on tuner cars originally published here into a piece for the paper, which is available over here.

What REAL horsepower is all about ...

I just realized that today is April 3rd -- time to start counting the days until that moment when cars mean absolutely nothing. On May 3rd, the first Saturday in May, I will make myself a mint julep, park in front of the television, and take in the Kentucky Derby. (So far I'm rooting for Pyro, which means he probably won't win.)

Yes, I'm a horse racing fanatic. I don't bet much, if at all; I just love to watch them run. And this year marks 35 years since I saw one who turned out to be the greatest of them all. It was on television, mind you -- try as I might, I've never been able to get tickets for the Derby, and while packages are available you need to mortgage your house to buy one -- but I've never forgotten it. Through the magic of the mail, I have every Derby program from 1971, including one for May 5, 1973.

The Derby is the first of three races that make up the illustrious Triple Crown, along with the Preakness and Belmont. Only eleven horses have won all three since 1919, the last in 1978. By 1973, racing fans had gone 25 years without a Triple Crown winner, but it looked like one horse had a chance. His name was Secretariat, and although he was an American horse, his trainer was from Quebec and his jockey was from New Brunswick.

Well, he won the Derby by two and a half lengths, and his record time of 1:59-2/5 still stands. On May 19 he went to Baltimore for the Preakness, and in the first turn, he surged from last place to the lead, which he held right to the finish. He'd have set the official speed record for that race too, if the teletimer hadn't malfunctioned.

So in June it was off to New York for the Belmont, but Secretariat had his critics. His breeding indicated speed at shorter distances, and at a mile and a half, the Belmont was one of the longest races in America. He wasn't undefeated; he'd lost three races prior to the Derby (one by disqualification). And it's a tough campaign: most horses who win the first two lose the third. Not everyone was convinced, although I sure had faith in him. But even among those who believed in his ability, nobody -- nobody -- expected what ultimately happened.

Well, that day, he cemented his place in history. You can talk about your overtime goals, your triple plays and your checkered flags until you're blue in the face. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the greatest moment ever in professional sports.

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A Suzuki review

Today on Canadian Driver I have a review of the Suzuki SX4 sedan. You can access it by clicking here.

Mini mini mini mini ...

Today in Canadian Driver I have a comparison test of the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S. You can find it here.