WomanOnWheels.ca

A visit to the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

I finally got to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and what a show it is. Find out more - including a focus on the "preservation" cars - in my story at Driving.ca.

Do you believe these eight auto myths?

Did Henry Ford really say "Any color the customer wants, as long as it's black," or double his workers' pay so they could buy the cars they made? Did the Isetta really save BMW, and did Ralph Nader truly kill the Corvair? Check out the story behind these auto myths and more at my column at Driving.ca.

What's involved in setting up an indoor car show? Here's what...

The Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo in Toronto is finished now, but I went in early to see exactly what's involved in getting a massive car show set up in one day. My story and video can be found over at Driving.ca.

These eight vintage cars are rare and but not worth much

Some cars are rare and that makes them worth a bundle, and then some cars are rare and...well, you might pick some of them up for pocket change. Check out my story on eight "collectible" cars that never hit the resale jackpot over at Driving.ca.

The Fossmobile: Canada's first gasoline car

It may look like a buggy, but this replica represents what's believed to be Canada's first successful gas-powered car. Find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

Seven days that changed the auto industry

Most changes in the auto industry are gradual, but every and again, you can point to a pivot on a specific day. I've rounded up seven of them in my story at Driving.ca.

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.

Seven cities that were built by auto companies

Cities grow when industry moves in, but sometimes, industry started the process of building the city. I've rounded up seven cities that started that way -- well, okay, six of them, plus one that didn't quite work out the way one famous automaker thought it would. Find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

Got torque? How Ram and Cummins got together

Cummins provides diesels for Ram's heavy-duty trucks today, and has done so since 1989 -- but the relationship is actually older than that. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at Driving.ca.

What the Ford is that? Ten terms every fan should know...

Do you know what a deuce, a vicky, or a Y-Block is? Who's a Tin Lizzie, and what's a Triton? Find out in my list of Ford terms over at Driving.ca.

Do you know these 10 Cadillac-specific terms?

Dagmars, skegs, bullets, Northstar - do you know these Cadillac terms? Check out the definitions for these, and some other unique Cadillac terms, in my story over at Driving.ca.

Eight truck ideas that didn't go as planned

A rotary-powered pickup, four-wheel steering, and of course I couldn't leave out the Blackwood - these were truck ideas that were created in good faith but never accepted by customers. See what they are in my story at Driving.ca.

Remember these car-truck mash-ups from the past?

Hyundai has announced its upcoming Santa Cruz, which many people are decrying because it's based on an SUV. But of course it's not the first car-truck mash-up, and those have quite a history. Find out more about those days-gone-by models in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Hungry for auto history? This Canadian museum brings the cars to you...

Canada has a long and fascinating auto history of its own, with a number of cars that weren't made anywhere else - and the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, Ontario has a large collection of them. You can't visit it right now due to pandemic restrictions, so the Museum is offering online lectures every month. Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

How do automakers look at their female customers?

Women buy a lot of cars, but there are times when it seems like auto manufacturers don't actually think about it. So over the years, along with some highlights, there have been more than a few misses when they try to appeal to us. See what they are in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Who was J.D. Power, and what does he mean to you when you're buying a car?

J.D. Power is a powerhouse today, but the enormous company started at a kitchen table ... and you won't believe who the "Associates" in J.D. Power & Associates were. Find out in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Do you know the stories behind these auto logos?

Four interlocked rings, a woman with wings (although they really aren't), and birds and what might have been a plane...do you know the stories behind some of the best-known automotive logos? Find out in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

These six cars were game-changers for Mustang

The Mustang has been through a lot over the years, but there were some models that really changed the game for this pony car. I've rounded up a few - see them in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

What are Canada's most significant historical vehicles?

In the U.S. there's a Historic Vehicle Association, which honors cars for their significance. Canada doesn't have an equivalent, but that didn't stop me from coming up with a list of my own. Find out what Canadian cars I matched to the American ones in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

How many of these classic old trucks do you know?

The truck that became Dodge, the cars that became trucks, and the Mack that got smaller ... check out my list of little-known classic trucks over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Do you remember these eight short-lived cars?

Sometimes automakers hit home runs with their vehicles, and then sometimes -- they don't. I've rounded up eight vehicles that didn't resonate with buyers in my story at Driving.ca. 

Hasty Haulers: A look at Dodge's history of performance trucks

The company's big news right now is the 702-horsepower Ram TRX, but it's not the first time it's made a truck that's all about going fast. Check out some of the ones from past years in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Pickup Trucks: Some history highlights

The first motorized truck was German, GMC is older than Chevrolet, and Toyota built a truck before it was even officially an automaker. Find out more in my pickup truck history -- with video! -- at Driving.ca.

Ten auto innovations that flopped

Automakers are always trying new things, and while many of them turn out to be hits, there are a few that make it to market but then don't make it in the market. How about retractable steering wheels, heartbeat sensors, or in-car record players? Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

When automakers didn't make cars

Auto companies may be making medical supplies for the COVID-19 pandemic, but it won't be the first time they've produced something other than cars. During the two World Wars, they produced a variety of military supplies. Find out more in my "Rearivew Mirror" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Looking back at women in the auto industry...

Women were never as prominent as men in the auto industry, but there were still a lot of them working as inventors, engineers, and adventurers over the years. If you've never heard of women like Mimi Vandermolen, Helene Rother or Dorothee Pullinger, find out more in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Here are the brands Ford used to own...

What do Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mazda all have in common? At one time, they all belonged to Ford. Find out how that happened -- and then how it un-happened -- in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

The strange stuff that used to be on cars...

Chrome that'll kill you, headlights with almost no light, and horsehair for clean air ... find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Century-old cars are for driving...

That's the opinion of the Horseless Carriage Club of America, and recently, its Ontario chapter held a week-long event in Canada that was all about taking these cars on the road. They're all 1915 or older, and they're still in service. Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

The history of concept cars

They pretty much date back to a Buick concept unveiled for 1939, and they've graced car shows and helped designers ever since. And one of them even became a television star. Find out more in my story at AutoTrader.ca.

Have you ever heard of a Fossmobile?

Most haven't, but it's likely it was the first gasoline-powered car built in Canada. Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca.).

What it took to get rid of leaded gas

Leaded gas first appeared in the 1920s, but although everyone knew it was an extremely toxic health hazard, it continued to be sold into the 1990s. What finally ended its reign at the pumps? Find out in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.

How did cars get their names?

You know there was a Henry Ford, but did you know there was a Walter Chrysler and three Maserati brothers? What about Audi, Aston Martin, Mazda, Subaru, and many more?  Find out in my story over at AutoTrader.ca.

Land Rover: Highlights from seven decades

It's one of the most luxurious SUVs out there today, but Land Rover actually started as a farm truck. Find out more, with a look at some of the model highlights, in my feature over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

GM EV1: Not ready for prime time

California's zero-emission vehicle mandate of 1990 required major automakers to sell a percentage of electric-only cars if they wanted to sell anything in the state. Ford, Toyota, and Honda built some, but the best-known -- if perhaps for the wrong reasons -- was GM's EV1. It was leased to drivers, and then taken back and crushed when the leases ended. Find out more in my story over at AutoTrader.ca.

The history of early electric cars

Automakers are offering several different all-electric models these days, but they're nothing new. In 1900, the best-selling car in the United States was powered by batteries. So what happened? It all traces back to a broken jaw...find out more in my story at AutoTrader.ca.

Britain's automakers did a "Brexit" many years ago

They still build their cars in the United Kingdom, but virtually all of the automakers that started out in Britain are now owned by parent companies around the globe. Find out who owns what in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

I've heard that name before...

New cars need new names, but sometimes they're not quite as new as they sound. Suburban, Fiesta, Sierra, Land Cruiser ... all of these and more were recycled from older models. That Plymouth there? That's a Suburban. Find out more in my story over at AutoTRADER.ca.

Acura, Infiniti, Lexus: How the Japanese luxury brands got started

Japanese cars first came to Canada and the US as tiny and tinny, but in the 1980s, they showed they could do luxury as well as anyone else. Which one came first? And did you know there were supposed to be four? Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

How Renault and Nissan first got together

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has been in the news for all the wrong reasons -- its chief Carlos Ghosn was arrested, accused of not reporting his full income -- but do you know how these two seemingly unrelated automakers got together in the first place? Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Bricklin: The Canadian car that Canadians couldn't buy

In the 1970s, New Brunswick famously made the sporty-looking, plastic-bodied Bricklin, the brainchild of the man who introduced Subaru to America (and would later bring over the Yugo as well). But things didn't go well, and the province eventually lost $23 million on the deal. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

General Motors of Canada: A century old in 2018

Of course the big news in Oshawa, Ontario is GM's decision to close its assembly plant there, but the city is also home to the headquarters of General Motors of Canada. It grew out of a horse-drawn carriage company and carried its founder's name, McLaughlin, up until the Second World War. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

The crazy stuff that used to be on cars

"They don't make 'em like that anymore" is a common phrase when people see old cars, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing -- not when old cars used to have crank handles, or coal heaters, or messy filters. Check out some of these from days gone by in my story at AutoTrader.

Looking back at BMW: Not always "ultimate driving machines"

BMW may be justifiably famous for its sporty vehicles today, but that wasn't always the case. The German automaker had some tough times in its earlier days, including two wars and a post-conflict economy that wasn't ready for luxury cars. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Honda history: From blacksmith shop to global sales

Soichiro Honda was born in rural Japan, the son of a blacksmith and a weaver, and apprenticed at a repair shop -- but he always wanted to be a manufacturer. He started with piston rings that he sold to Toyota before he began putting war surplus engines on bicycles. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column 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.

Overland: The company that led to Jeep

More than a century ago, a wheel manufacturer tried its hand at building cars. The result was Overland, a brand mostly forgotten today but the ancestor of today's Jeep. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

DeLorean: Stainless steel dreams and financial nightmares

John DeLorean was a rising star at General Motors in the 1960s and 1970s, but he wanted to build something completely different from what the automaker was sending out. The result was the stainless steel DeLorean sports car, a revolutionary idea plagued with the reality of actually producing it. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Lamborghini: It all started with a tractor

What do tractors and sports cars have in common? In the case of Lamborghini, it might have been interchangeable parts. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Everything old is new again

Hybrid vehicles, fuel-cell hydrogen cars, fuel injection: all fairly new, right? Not so fast! It might have taken a while for them to catch on, but there are a few "modern" technologies that are far older than you think. See what they are in my story at AutoTRADER.ca.