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Cars at the 2022 Cobble Beach Councours d'Elegance

The Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance, held in Owen Sound, Ontario, started up again for 2022 after the pandemic cancelled the last two. There were some incredible cars on display, and you can see some of them in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

The great -- and not-so-great -- cars of SEMA 2019

It's one of the biggest car events out there, an aftermarket trade show that includes both products and the cool cars that use them. Find out what was hot and what was not at this year's show in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

The Detroit Autorama 2019

Cars, more cars, and then this, the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham custom wagon that took the Ridler Award at the 2019 Detroit Autorama car show. Want to see more? Check out my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

The wild vehicles of SEMA

This Las Vegas event is a trade show for all things in the auto aftermarket, and if you're going to draw attention to your product, the best way is with a wild vehicle out front. Check out some of the best this year in my story at the National Post.

The History of Auto Shows

Auto shows got their start in North America with the first major one in 1900, and they've been part of the consumer and media scene ever since. What will happen going forward is anyone's guess, but I have a look at where they've been in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Viva Las Vegas - Music, cars, models and more!

Viva Las Vegas is a rockabilly event and massive car show all rolled into one. I was there for the 21st edition in April and it was a blast -- check it out at AutoTRADER.ca.

Toyota's Supra is coming back

Toyota unveiled a racing concept of the Supra at the Geneva Motor Show, and while I was there, I had an opportunity to interview its chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada. It's being developed in collaboration with BMW, and he was surprisingly candid about the relationship the two companies have on the vehicle. Find out more in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

Now THIS is a car show!

Every year, my friend Jeff Crawford hosts an event that's part car show, part street party, and 100% dedicated to helping people with serious illnesses. And of course something fantastic always happens, like a crane picking up a hot rod. Check it out in my photo gallery over at Roadkill.

A history of Toronto's auto show

The Canadian International Auto Show opens in Toronto on February 17, and this year it will include a special display of Canadian cars in honor of the country's 150th birthday. Toronto's auto shows aren't quite that old, but they have quite a history. Find out more in my story at the National Post.

Hey, automakers! Who's driving your car?

Today was press day at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the day that automakers hold press conferences to introduce their new models. It's where I shot this photo. Honda presented the new 2016 Pilot by having models posing as a family load hockey gear into the cargo area, put the children in the back seat, and then "drive" to the arena.

And as soon as they were finished loading the vehicle, I knew exactly what would happen. And I was right. Mom went to the passenger side, and Dad got behind the wheel.

Now, I'm not picking on Honda specifically. Everybody does this. When it's Mom and Dad, it's Dad behind the wheel. When it's Guy and Gal, it's the guy who's in control. Every single time there are two people in the car, and one is female, she's the one in the passenger seat.

The only time you ever see a woman driving in TV commercials, on billboards, in print ads, or in the auto shows is when she's the only person in the car, or everyone else in the vehicle is too young to drive.

A minor complaint? In the grand scheme of things, yes. But I'm bloody tired of it. Automakers, you give us the lip service about how you know we buy half the cars out there, and we're so important to you. Well, if we were, you'd give us a shot behind the wheel every now and again. How about just once, Dad grabs the right-hand door handle, and Mom gets to drive? If we're so important to you, then every now and again, show us that we are.

 

Trucks and more trucks at the Detroit Auto Show

The Toronto Star assigned me to write about the new trucks that debuted at the show, and being a truck fan, I was all over 'em. Find out more in my story!

What's the future of sustainable mobility?

No one knows for sure, of course, but there are a lot of people working on it, and I met many of them at the Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Chengdu, China recently.

It's a regular meeting-of-the-minds, held in cities around the world, where participants learn about new technologies, drive new advanced vehicles, and discuss the issues and how they might be solved. Find out more in my report over at the Toronto Star.

Concept cars: Why aren't they as wild anymore?

Time and money, it seems. That Honda Urban SUV in the picture looks like it could go almost to the showroom floor, but it's considered a concept vehicle. Find out why automakers have toned down their "dream cars" in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

A history of Toronto's Auto Show

Toronto has had some sort of auto show since 1897, when a few early models were on display at the Canadian National Exhibition. Today it's home to the Canadian International Auto Show, held each Feburary.

That particular show is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and in its honour, the Toronto Star has published a special section. My contribution was a history lesson, which you can read by clicking here.

2012 Detroit Auto Show

I've finally had a chance to get all the work out of the way and reflect on the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, which I attended last week. My feet still hurt - that is one big show.

I was there in the years when it was ridiculous, when automakers drove cars through windows, brought celebrities out on stage, gave out more stuff than people could carry, and you could go across the street afterwards to a repurposed firehall and drink yourself stupid on Daimler's dime. Then the recession hit, and I was there in the years when it was like a funeral and you went hungry because there was nowhere to get lunch. Now it's about halfway in the middle: the mood is upbeat, but the belt is still a bit tight.

Some manufacturers weren't there: Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and of course Saab, which won't be anywhere anymore. Coda, a company that makes electric cars, had a surprisingly large booth. Craftsman debuted a lawn tractor in the mezzanine. Yes, really.

There were some surprises. The new Ford Fusion is stunning. Yes, you read that right - it's that photo up there, and it's just beautiful. I can hardly wait to drive it. The Dodge Dart looks like it really could have what it takes. The VW Bugster is cute as ... well, you know. The Lexus LF-LC concept wins the award for poorest name and best design. When the wraps came off the Acura NSX concept, journalists cheered. Save for when Ford packs the stands with dealers and employees for reveals, I've never heard cheering at an auto show before.

There were some ho-hums. I'm not too sure about the Honda Accord concept, which is amazing from the rear and kind of strange from the front, and with a side profile lifted straight from the Crosstour. The Prius c looks like an electrified Matrix. The Mini Roadster is cute, but it's really just a convertible missing its back seat.

And me being me ... the car that really caught my eye was up in Lincoln's booth. Henry Ford's son Edsel loved good design and he sometimes had the company produce one-off cars for him. One of those was a 1934 Lincoln Model 40 speedster, and it was on display. Oh my. They really don't make them like that anymore.

Chrysler wants to shake up workers ...

Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne - who came to the company when Fiat took the reins - is not happy with unionized auto workers.

Speaking at the Detroit Auto Show, Marchionne said that the current union system of hourly wage increases isn't going to cut it, and instead, he wants a system of profit-sharing.

A Toronto Star story reports that Marchionne said the cost of building vehicles in Canada must fall to meet what workers are paid in the United States. "The Canadian system needs to be as competitive as the American side," Marchionne said, and added that it is difficult for him to explain to American workers why Canadian employees are paid more money.

Fair enough. So I have a question for you, Mr. Marchionne. As a Canadian consumer, how do you explain that I can buy a Canadian-built Chrysler 300 on the U.S. side of the border for $28,170, but in Canada it starts at $32,995? Why does a U.S.-built Ram 1500 cost $21,475 in the United States, but it's $26,770 in Canada? If it's difficult to explain accounting to the workers, how about some information for the buyers?

More on Oshawa's Camaro Homecoming

Camaros from the very beginning to newly-minted were out in Oshawa, Ontario recently to celebrate the Camaro Homecoming at the plant where they're currently built. You can read my report in Autos.ca by clicking here.

Vintage cars, cool planes at the Wings & Wheels Festival

Last weekend I ventured out to the Wings & Wheels Heritage Festival in Toronto. I'm not normally a fan of airplanes - I can't tell an Airbus from a shuttle bus - but there were some cool ones on display, including a mock-up of the Avro Arrow and a Lancaster that's being restored.

There were also some really neat vehicles, including this field tractor in the picture - built in Ontario for shipment to Britain. You can read all about my day at the show by clicking here.

Some advice for aspiring auto journalists and photogs ...

 Prior to their opening to the public, the auto shows have "press days" where the automakers present their new models to be photographed for the various newspapers, magazines and websites.

In the last little while, I've noticed something that really bugs me: more and more media folk who think they're the only ones at the show, and who make it very difficult for the rest of us to take our pictures. I hate to generalize, but for the most part, they tend to be young and relatively new at the game. Guys, if you want to be considered professionals, you need to remember that - as Red Green says - we're all in this together. So please:

Look around you. See me there, pointing my camera at the car, waiting for you to move away from it? I realize we can't constantly be doing 360-degree sweeps every moment we're near a fender, but use some common sense. Don't stand beside the all-new model to have a conversation with your buddy.

Get your photo, then get out. Don't stand beside the car while you check all 30 photos on your camera screen. Take a couple of steps back out of my frame to do it. The car will still be there if you need to shoot a couple more.

Don't hog the car. I understand that your site needs a lot of detail shots. Still, take a look around. If you're halfway through shooting every nut and bolt, and you see me there waiting to take one quick shot of the whole car, then step back, let me get my picture, and then go back to your work.

Close the car up when you're done. Shut the door or trunk once you've finished inside, so I don't have to do it before I get my shot.

Stay at your place in the scrum. At the unveiling, you'll notice that we've all staked out spots, checked our camera angles, and are waiting for the car to come out. We don't move when it does, and you shouldn't either. Don't stand up, move forward, hold your iPhone over your head or do anything that will put you in front of our lenses when that car comes out. We want a shot of the car, not you.

Think about what you're doing and how it affects others. You may think you're special, but you're not. You're just one of hundreds of journalists who are also trying to get the perfect photo. We all get in each other's way occasionally, but we say "I'm sorry" and we try not to do it again. Trust me: the only way you'll be treated as a professional is if you act like one, and it starts right here.

 

The Toronto Auto Show: Yes, my feet still hurt

The Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto is now open to the public. Having spent the press day there, I might head down for another shot at it and see everything I missed. While it's a lot more low-key that, say, the Detroit or Los Angeles venues, there's still a lot happening during the day that the automakers unveil the new models for the ink-stained wretches.

Not that there's much that's new anymore. Thanks to the Internet and to shows that go before it, including Detroit and Montreal, we'd seen everything before. For many of us it's more of a chance to pick up Canadian specs on the cars and to meet-and-greet with the publicity folks who funnel our information to us throughout the rest of the year.

I'd heard tell that the automakers were keeping the "suits" to a minimum, and I certainly noticed the difference in how easy it was to get around and get photos. The car companies often bring in large numbers of important dealers and executives to these events. It's not usually so bad at the Toronto show, but it can be ridiculous in Detroit, since they often escort these people to the front rows for the unveilings, when the rest of us are trying to get pictures. When the Camaro was originally reintroduced - a huge deal at the Detroit show that year - I stood for 45 minutes to hold a spot at the front, along with several hundred other reporters who had their cameras trained to get the best photo. A few minutes before the debut, GM brought a line of execs in and parked them directly in front of us. I got one of the few good shots by ducking under the rope and pushing several of them out of the way. Guys, do you want me to sell your car for you, or don't you?

Okay, rant over. If you're heading down to the Toronto show, be sure to visit the Concorso Exotica downstairs - it's hard to find, but make the effort - to see such beauties as the Lambo seen above, cars from Plethore, Lotus, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari, and a way-cool display of ten vintage Italian cars, including a Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Detomaso. Then go across the hall to the ten antiques and hot rods in the Cruise Nationals display. And then head upstairs to see the rest of the show - and don't forget to wear your sensible shoes.

The Detroit Auto Show: Connecting, but not always with the car

I spent yesterday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This year, it was a little different; while there are still two press days, almost all of the car reveals were on Monday. So I got there at 6:00 a.m. and got out at 7:00 p.m. I think these things on the bottoms of my legs are my feet, but I'm not absolutely sure.

Each year, the automakers always seem to have a theme, based on what the public seems to want. Sometimes it's horsepower; more often recently it has been fuel economy. The 2011 Detroit show was all about connectivity, and not always the type where you're connecting with the road.

Just about every vehicle that came out had some sort of computer screen, computer hookup, or social media connectivity built into it. Never mind just being able to synch your phone with Bluetooth or plug in your iPod. There were cars - some of them concepts, others production - that would find nearby movie theaters and give you the ratings on the films, let you Skype through a pad built into the seat, or page through a giant LED screen that was part of the dash.

There was even one - I think it was Hyundai - that would pinpoint your position and, through matching screens in other vehicles, let your friends know exactly where you were. Like instant messaging, except that your little dot came up on a map and moved around. I remember when people warned us about Big Brother stuff like that, and now people want to buy it.

Okay, I'm older than most of the people the automakers are targeting with this stuff. In fact, I feel like I'm adding twenty years to my age just by complaining about it. But on one hand, we have NHTSA and other government agencies mandating airbags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, rollover crash standards and other items that are meant to keep us alive - and on the other hand, we're stuffing these cars full of electronic gadgets that, by their very nature, require you to take your eyes off the road or take your concentration away from driving.

I realize that younger drivers want connectivity and the automakers are feeding that desire, just as they fed my generation's desire for horsepower and styling and handling. But you can't have it both ways. The automakers made the cars safer - and now they're falling over themselves to offer vehicles that are not.

My husband wryly commented that if he's in his car and he wants to connect with someone, he drives to that person's house, knocks on the door, and sits down and has a conversation with him. He calls it FaceLook.

My crazy life ...

I'm in Windsor, awaiting the Detroit Auto Show's press days tomorrow. I just got back from an event over the river in Detroit, where Volkswagen showed off its new midsize sedan -- named the Passat, after teasing us over what its name would be.

How crazy is my life? The president of Lamborghini, who attended the event, remembered me from a dinner a few years ago. The pop group Train performed after the preview. And I'd driven over with a colleague, and the valet had to come and get our keys because we'd blocked in a Chevrolet Suburban - driven by the governor of Tennessee. What an evening indeed.

Why I really love my job ...

This is Alex Xydias, and I met him tonight, thanks to an event at Cadillac's design studio courtesy of General Motors. I'm not much of a car racing fan, but you better believe I know this particular vehicle .. and I certainly know of Mr. Xydias. What an honor to meet him.

And while waiting for my food to be served, I stood and talked a while with Jay Leno ... who also waited in line, no star ego here, for his. But I let him go first. "You go," he said. "No," said I, "you drive a Duesenberg to work, and I only own a Studebaker." So he said that that sounded good, and he went up and ordered his burger. A very classy gentleman, and certainly a night I'll always remember.

Top swag at the Detroit Auto Show

Actually, more like the only swag at the Detroit show, but what a cool thing it is. Ford handed out these toy Focus models at the end of its press event. Turns out that the back "license plate" swings out to reveal that it's actually a flash drive containing the press kit.

I got to see the auto shows before they began to wind down in the face of the new economy. I saw the cars crashing through windows, the celebrity appearances, the food and booze piled high in every booth. And there was swag, so much that if you collected it all, you couldn't carry it all home. Some of it got ridiculous: bongo drums, flashlights, radio-controlled cars, folding chairs. Ones for the more popular models were often on eBay the moment they were handed out.

I prefer the more realistic approach -- for one thing, it's a lot easier to get press kits, without fighting through a mob determined to get the freebie. But I do like this little car. It's one kit that'll stay on my desk, rather than in the drawer.

Hey, automakers: Think about the big picture!

Isn't that a great car picture? That's my shot of the Volkswagen NCC Concept at the Detroit Auto Show. Which leads me into my rant of the day, and I sure hope the automakers are reading: why is it you folks never think about how we're supposed to take pictures of your car?

For those who have never seen how we cover an auto show, it's like this. Each company has a stage, where it brings out the latest-and-greatest models so we can all get photos and videos of it being displayed. Naturally, the best shots are from straight across from the stage, but there are hundreds of photographers, videographers and journalists, and only so much space in which to put them. Most of us are to the left or the right of the stage, because that's the only thing that's left. And unfortunately, in their infinite wisdom, the folks who design these so-called "reveals" don't seem to realize this.

When I got to the Volkswagen booth, all of the full-frontal spaces were taken, and so I managed to get front-row at the very edge of the stage, figuring I'd get a perfect shot of the side view when the car drove out. But then Volkswagen revealed its strategy: it would bring out dancers, who would move panels around to "frame" the car from straight on. If you were one of the lucky minority standing directly opposite the car, you got your shot. If you were anywhere else, you got a version of my photo.

It isn't just props. When the car comes out, someone stands beside it to describe the vehicle. But rather than think 180-degrees, he thinks straight-on, and so he inevitably positions himself beside one of the front fenders, and stays there. That's fine if you're on the side he's not. If you gambled and picked the wrong side, you simply can't get a shot of the car.

Automakers, listen up: think full circle. Think about how all of us are going to get a shot of your car. If you want props, put them well behind our field of vision. If you're going to stand on stage, move around the car halfway through your presentation, so the other side of the room can get a clear shot too. And if you absolutely have to put all your executives up front -- and I can't figure out why, since they've already seen the vehicle, and they're taking up spots where we could put more journalists in prime locations -- then brief them on the fact that several hundred media people are standing behind them trying to get shots, and perhaps they could refrain from doing anything to block our cameras.

We're just trying to help sell your car for you. Please, give some thought to what it takes for us to do that.

The Los Angeles Auto Show

I'm home from the two press days at the Los Angeles Auto Show (and missing the warm weather already). This was the second time I'd been to the show, but the first that I'd been able to stay for the entire event.

First impression: even in Tinseltown, the auto industry has scaled back. When I first started covering auto shows, it was beyond ridiculous: cars crashing through windows, celebrities hawking vehicles, big-name bands, mini-shows by dancers and acrobats, and every two steps, someone was offering food and booze. This time, a solo dancer at Hyundai's reveal of the Sonata was the only entertainment, and finding food was as tough as finding a snowbank. Notably absent from the show were Nissan, Lamborghini and Ferrari. However, there were still reminders that it is Tinseltown. Rolls-Royce won't even let you step into its booth in Detroit or Toronto, but here, we were invited to sit in the cars.

There weren't a huge number of concept cars, but of the ones there, Audi's E-tron had to be the loveliest. This was definitely designed by someone with an eye for the car as a whole -- swoopy lines, the echo of its turbine wheels in the grille and rear hatch, and the most amazing shade of orange. And while Audi would roast me for saying so, wouldn't those lights look amazing in a new Camaro?

Several cars were unveiled that I think are going to be very important ones -- there's going to be a lot of choice in the subcompact and compact market in the next little while. Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 all look like winners. They'll be even more important in Canada, where we're far more likely to buy smaller cars.

Some observations: Hyundai is on a roll with a well-executed new Tucson, and with its stunning new Sonata which, in true company fashion, has stolen shamelessly from the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. Toyota has introduced an all-new Sienna minivan, and I just love the idea of its second-row reclining rear seats, which have pop-up footrests like a La-Z-Boy lounger.

The show opened with keynote speakers, and Bob Lutz was hastily flown in to cover for GM president Fritz Henderson, who had been fired just prior to the opening. (Perhaps the fact that his name was misspelled on the show program was indicative of things to come.) Lutz was as much the wild card as ever, replying to a question on GMAC with, "I'm not qualified to answer that -- but I will anyway." But I was very disappointed with the president of the Motor Press Guild, who introduced the keynote speakers. An initial jab at GM about how he was still the Guild president "as of an hour ago" was cute, but a line about trimming an inch from the bottom of his speech was not. First he had to explain the joke, and that's when we found out he was referring to Toyota's floor mat/gas pedal remedy. Then he made matters worse by saying it again later in the speech. This recall is in response to people dying, and it's going to cost Toyota millions of dollars. I may have a sick sense of humor, but even I thought it was in terrible taste.

Volkswagen is again retiring its iconic Beetle, and it was sad to see the coupe and convertible with "Final Edition" on their license plates. Mini has a pair of two-seaters, in coupe or convertible, and they're just offbeat enough that they might capture a whole new group of buyers. Kia made history by presenting the all-new Sorento, the first Kia to be built in the United States. Chevrolet has reintroduced the Caprice nameplate on a rear-wheel-drive police vehicle, Buick has a sweet new Regal that will be built here in Ontario, and for the second year in a row, a diesel has won the Green Car of the Year Award. Only in California, as they say.

At the Toronto Auto Show

  I spent yesterday at the press day of the Toronto Auto Show, which runs from February 13 to 22. Hard to believe that just walking around looking at cars can be tiring, but my feet are still sore.

It was probably the quietest press day I've experienced -- no acrobats, no live bands, no fireworks, and only two automakers even had videos before they took the wraps off the cars. For that matter, only two companies even drove a car onto the stage; everything else was static. It's certainly understandable -- in a climate where automakers are laying off workers by the tens of thousands, and some are asking for taxpayer money, no one wants to be splashed across the next day's newspapers or on the evening news in a grand display of misplaced money.

But I must say this -- it didn't feel like cost-cutting, so much as an indication of just how ridiculous things had become. I still got the information and the photos I needed, and I didn't have to sit through kodo drummers, Cirque de Soleil performers or celebrity appearances to see the car. I'll admit, for the first few years, it was way-cool to go to Detroit and be blasted with all the out-there stuff the automakers did. But I guess I finally reached the saturation point when I went to a Mercedes event in January, and while a group of dancers strutted their stuff in front of color-changing screens, all I could think was, Just bring out the goddamn car.

There are some cool vehicles at the Toronto show: I like the Ford Fiesta, the new heavy-duty Ram pickup, Kia Soul, Honda FC Sport and Subaru's concept electric car. I love the Nissan NV2500 concept vehicle, that hulking monster in the photo, which opens up into the neatest configuration of work-friendly interior. And I also have to give Nissan the nod for a brilliant introduction: when it drove the new Cube onstage, it was filled with four football players from the Toronto Argonauts. What better way to counter the too-common "I can't fit into that" argument?

Disappointments? There were a few. I liked the old Cadillac SRX, but its redesign looks like somebody just stuck a garish front end onto a Saturn Vue. I'm hoping the Kia Forte drives better than its lackluster design. And tricking out a specially-optioned Smart for its 10th anniversary by offering ten vehicles only for all of Canada? C'mon, Mercedes, that's a stunt you pull with McLaren, not with this brand.