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Check out these flash-in-the-pan automakers

Putting together a car company is never a guarantee of success, and many of them did well for themselves before wobbling to their demise, but there were also several that barely stuck around long enough for the paint to dry. Check out some of the shortest-lived in my story over at AutoTRADER.ca.

Six cars that saved or shredded their companies

Most vehicles ride a pretty even wave: they're introduced, they do their job, they're finally replaced. And then there are those at either end of the scale. Some brought their companies back from the brink, and others almost sent them there. Find out more in my gallery over at Autofocus.

Ten car names that were stolen from the past

A Suburban is a Chevy, a Durango is a Dodge, and a Land Cruiser is a Toyota, yes? Well, it wasn't always that way! Have a look at ten car names that originally started on something else -- in my gallery at Autofocus.

Concept cars: Way cool!

Concept cars are built by manufacturers to test styling cues or new technologies, to gauge public reception to a design, or sometimes just to draw attention at the auto shows. Come and see some of the neatest and most significant ones ever in my gallery at Autofocus.

What does your car need to be legal?

Canada regulates what a new car must have in order to be legally sold in this country, and sets standards for those features as well. There are some interesting things on the list - and also some interesting things that are not required, even though you probably think they are. That photo to the left is a clue ... find out more in my photo gallery over at Autofocus.

Did Canada invent the car?

We just might have, depending on how you look at it. We also got Volkswagen and Hyundai before the U.S. did, we kept Studebaker longer, and unlike south of the border, our Fords had two front doors. Find out more in my Canadian trivia photo gallery over at Autofocus.ca.

Why do automakers do that?

What's up with dials that keep spinning, cars with speed limiters, and windows that go down but not up? Find out why ... about these and more ... in my photo gallery over at Autofocus.ca.

Is the "S-Car" cursed?

Looking through history, it almost seems like there's a "Curse of the S-Car." Start your car with that letter, and things may not always go as you planned.

Don't believe me? Have a look at my photo gallery over at Autofocus.ca.

Just don't tell Smart, Scion, or Subaru!

Did you know these things?

Canada doesn't mandate airbags, Bridgestone is actually a Japanese man's name, and a Hollywood actress made your navigation system possible. If you didn't know any of those, go over to my slide show at Autofocus.ca and find those, and more!

All about auto advertising ...

Do you know who started the trend of focusing on the driving experience, rather than the car? Or if Chrysler truly had "rich Corinthian leather?" Find out more in my trivia column in the Toronto Star.

Who killed the electric car? Originally, Cadillac ...

It's somewhat ironic that Cadillac is introducing the ELR, its first electric vehicle, since it was primarily responsible for the demise of battery-powered vehicles in the first place. Find out more in my Toronto Star trivia column!

All about Stanley Steamers, BMW's prop, and rationed gas ...

How's that for a title that encompasses everything? It's my trivia column in the Toronto Star, which sheds some light on all of those things...click here to see!

What's a Velie? And how did Mustang get its name?

My trivia column in the Toronto Star this time around gives the background on this beautiful motorcar, which had a little help from the John Deere tractor company.

And while most people say that the Mustang was named for the fighter plane, rather than the horse ... well, how true is that? Find out more by clicking here!

Auto trivia: Mack's trucks, Subaru's stars, and Car of the Year

That famous bulldog that adorns each Mack truck today originally started out as a block of wood, carved by a bored engineer recuperating from surgery. Find out more, and about Subaru and the original Car of the Year, in my Toronto Star trivia column by clicking here.

Car terms: Where did they originate?

You'll notice the covered box on the back of that 1934 Lincoln. If you've ever said you're putting stuff into your car's trunk, that box - which is actually a trunk - is why. Find out which modern car terms date back as far as horse-drawn days in my Sympatico Autos story by clicking here.

Auto trivia: the Pentastar, QR codes, and your last ride ...

That's Lee Iacocca introducing the new minivan back in 1983, standing behind the company's Pentastar logo. Find out its history, and that of QR codes (hint: they're automotive-based) and the days when hearses could be ambulances too ... in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

Auto trivia: Auto plates, Toyota, and Ford

Did you know that Ontario was the first province to require that vehicles be licensed? Or that Toyota was originally Toyoda? Find out more in my trivia column in the Toronto Star by clicking here!

Auto trivia: Jeeps, Plymouth, and the reluctant Cord

My auto trivia column in the Toronto Star touches on several items this time around: how the Jeep got its name, how the Plymouth did, the origins of the SAE, and the Cord that seemingly didn't want to be built. Find out more by clicking here.

AMC, diesels, and that annoying seatbelt buzzer ...

Did you know that Mitt Romney's dad ran American Motors? Or that Mercedes-Benz made the first diesel passenger car? Or the story behind that annoying chime when you don't fasten your seatbelt? If not, check out my trivia column in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Lamborghini tractors, Canadian steam cars, and quicker fillups...

That's what you'll find in my most recent trivia column in the Toronto Star, along with the goods on Greyhound, and a cooled-down Nash. Check it out by clicking here.

Bugs, bags, and a cork company that built cars ...

That happy-looking gentleman is Jujiro Matsuda, who took a cork company and turned it into an automaker. That, along with information on the VW Beetle, Mercedes-Benz's tie-in to a piano company, airbags that aren't necessary in Canada and a few other items, are part of my Toronto Star trivia column this time around. Find out more by clicking here.

So how did cars get their names?

Cadillac, Lincoln, Subaru, et al ... how did these companies get their names? Find out in my gallery at Sympatico Autos by clicking here!

Some automotive trivia!

Some tidbits from my latest trivia column: you know "International Motors" by another name; two states won't let you pump your own gas; and at Indianapolis, drivers raced over top of 3.2 million bricks. All this and more - just click here!

Auto trivia - how much do you know?

A car named after a woman (hint - that's one in the picture), the first automaker to produce war materials, and how lavish Henry Ford's final resting place is ... do you know? Find out in my Toronto Star trivia story by clicking here.

Auto myths - busted!

Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile, the Nova wasn't a victim of "no go" in Spanish, and putting the tailgate down on your truck doesn't improve your fuel economy - they're all myths. I bust them, and a few more, on Sympatico Autos. Find it by clicking here.