Autoline This Week
617 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 43 ratingsIn depth discussions of the most important trends and developments shaping the automotive industry with industry executives and the top auto journalists. Your half-hour update on what they’re talking about in the C-suites.
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Episodes
Autoline #1548: Clearing the Haze
November 25, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBClearing the Haze For more than 40 years, one inconspicuous building outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan has been making the air we breathe cleaner. It’s the home of The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory. No engine can be sold in America without its stamp of approval. This week John McElroy gets an exclusive look behind the walls of the Lab as he talks with the EPA’s Chris Grundler about the work they do there, how it impacts the auto industry and t...
Autoline This Week #1547: Pact It In
November 18, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe heavy lifting is finally done, at least for a couple more years. A few weeks ago the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) and Chrysler, Ford and General Motors each reached agreement to continue making cars uninterrupted. In fact, as these things go, the 2011 process was pretty painless. But then it was the first time that -- thanks to the government bailout of Chrysler and GM -- the union's hands were tied on two of the three contracts. No walkouts and no strikes equaled little leverage. And ...
Autoline This Week #1546: Bigger than the Book
November 11, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBMost of us have read it at one time or another. The small yellow reference guide that tells you what a used car is worth. Well the National Auto Dealers Association has been publishing that book since 1933 but it’s really the only NADA effort that consumers touch. Most times the group is serving the needs of the more than 17,000 new car and truck dealers in the United States. And each year those members elect one of their own to run the organization. In 2011 Stephen Wade, a multiple brand fra...
Autoline This Week #1545: 10-Carat Bowtie
November 04, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBAnniversaries are special. That’s one of the reasons they’re celebrated with a particular metal, element or stone. But rarely do they break out the 10-carat diamond because that denotes 100 years, 10 decades or nearly 37,000 days if you wish. Well, besides making cars, that’s just what the Chevrolet brand has been celebrating throughout 2011. From its namesake founder to its iconic product (Corvette) to its darkest day (GM’s bankruptcy), the bowtie has not only seen it all, but survived it as...
Autoline This Week #1544: Design on a Dime
October 28, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBAuto shows are about the outlandish. Huge displays, science fiction technology and cars, cars, cars. The most eye-catching being those stunning, figments from a Designer’s imagination: The Concepts. Recently in Frankfurt, Germany, John McElroy caught up with three of the more elusive European-based designers for an Autoline exclusive walk-around of their significant reveals at the September show. Joining John at Walkaround Central is Ford’s VP of Global Design J Mays who explains the signific...
Autoline This Week #1543: Once Upon a Car
October 21, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBStephen King may have frightened readers all over the world with his twisted tales but he can’t scare Detroit. His imagination pales in comparison to the daily coverage on the travails of the Big Three that greeted readers each and every day just a few years ago. For a city, a state, a country so dependent on the production of the automobile, we all watched in horror as these great institutions nearly ceased to exist. A man with a front row seat to all the inside action has now committed it t...
Autoline This Week #1542: Home Cooking
October 14, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBEvery two years the massive Messa in Frankfurt, Germany plays host to one of the largest, if not the largest auto show in the world. Twelve huge buildings with another constructed just for that event alone, it’s the center of the automotive universe for those days in September. This backyard advantage provides the hometown German automakers with the opportunity to impress the auto world with displays the size of zeppelins filled with cutting edge concepts. John McElroy anchors Autoline this w...
Autoline This Week #1541: The End of the Line
October 07, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBSince that epic day when Henry Ford turned the switch on the assembly line some 85 years ago, manufacturing has been pretty straight. Oh maybe a turn was added here and there as the years went on, and robots, too, but essentially, ever since 1913 automobiles have been made one way and Thomas Crumm says it’s time to blow it up. Literally! John McElroy’s guest on Autoline this week is a former General Motors engineer who writes in his provocative new book “What is Good for General Motors” that ...
Autoline This Week #1540: Sirens of Chrome
September 30, 2011 15:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Pill box hat, the Mini skirt and the Little Black Dress along with hood ornaments, mood lighting and tail fins. What all six of these obviously different elements have in common are fashion. They just happen to be from two divergent universes: Women’s clothing and automobile design. However, there are times that they cross paths and have done so for 50, 60 some 70 years. And that place is the auto show. The same environment that author Margery Krevsky captures in her book “Sirens of Chrom...
Autoline This Week #1539: Shell Game
September 23, 2011 16:23 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBYou know the game. It’s been played for years. All it takes are three shells, one pea and a gullible audience to bet money on what is know as a short-con. Well these days there’s another shell game going on, this time with cars; most of them damaged in one way or another. Titles are being washed, VINs cloned and Salvage Pools decimated as used cars disappear into the wild blue yonder. It’s a big problem that not many consumers know exist which is why it’s the topic for this week’s Autoline. J...
Autoline #1538: Stuck in Time (Repeat of 1530)
September 15, 2011 19:23 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBStuck in Time Many agree that the auction house Barrett-Jackson has its grips on some of the greatest collector cars in America. But there’s a large group of classic cars just 90 miles off the Florida coast that no collector - try as they might -- has been able to buy-because they reside in the communist country of Cuba. Since the U.S. embargo was enacted in the early ‘60s, no American products have been allowed either into the country, or out. And experts agree, sitting on that small islan...
Autoline #1537: Car Spy
September 09, 2011 17:44 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBCar Spy They seemed cut from the same cloth. Single syllable names engaged in undercover work that was linked to exotic cars. The difference is one man, James Bond, is of course a fictional character while Jim Dunne, the original Car Spy, is a real photo journalist with stories that could have been crafted by Ian Fleming himself. But Dunne’s exploits are factual and his pictures were ground breaking as he revealed prototype after prototype much to the chagrin of the OEMs. Long since retired,...
Autoline #1536: My 409
September 02, 2011 18:08 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBMy 409 No one seemed to capture the culture of cars better than the Beach Boys. When they weren’t singing about California girls in the early ‘60s they were worshiping hot rods and muscle cars. And those cars, like the songs, seem to get better with age. That’s why those 40 to 50 year old classic cars evolved from a weekend hobby for some, to a collector’s heaven for others. In fact the entire market has been exploding of late. Just ask McKeel Hagerty & Ken Lingenfelter. These successful bus...
Autoline #1535: Reach Out
August 26, 2011 17:10 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBReach Out Most would say the soundtrack of U.S. labor union movement is closer to the edgy guitar of Woody Guthrie than the smooth sounds of Burt Bacharach. But it’s a new day at beleaguered unions like the United Auto Workers as they, like the Bacharach song says, "reach out" to not only stay relevant but rebuild a membership that has been collapsing. And that "reaching out" for the UAW is the job of union Vice President Cindy Estrada who joins John McElroy this week on Autoline. Ms. Estrad...
Autoline #1534: Eyes of Silva (Repeat of 1528)
August 18, 2011 19:05 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBEyes of Silva About the time that the Doobie Brothers burst onto the ‘70s music scene with songs like "China Grove" and "Eyes of Silver," the design eyes of Walter de’Silva were just coming into focus across the Atlantic at FIAT. Over the next 40 years his influence could be seen on not only European cars but eventually in global brands like Audi, Bentley and Bugatti as well. And now in 2011, as the current head of Volkswagen Group Design he is responsible for the look of every model that ...
Autoline #1533: Down the Road (Repeat of 1527)
August 11, 2011 20:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBDown the Road With the auto industry as volatile as ever, it pays to have a good analyst to keep an eye where it might be heading. Well, this week Autoline has invited three of the best in the business to discuss the issues driving the industry. Joining John McElroy is Jessica Caldwell from Edmunds, IHS Automotive’s Michael Robinet and Jeff Schuster of J.D. Power and Associates. The group talks about a variety of issues including, slowing car sales, the impact of alternative vehicles and Asi...
Autoline #1532: The Union Label (Repeat of 1522)
August 04, 2011 18:53 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Union Label Change has been the theme at the United Auto Workers union for the last few years. As it fought to keep members and jobs, it met face-to-face with today’s economic reality: Bankrupt automakers, unprofitable corporations and strong non-union foreign transplants. But now, with the UAW’s new president Bob King firmly in control, a new reality is taking shape. Joining John McElroy to discuss where the UAW goes from here is Sean McAlinden from the Center for Automotive Research, ...
Autoline #1531: Vote Early and Often
July 28, 2011 18:30 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBVote Early and Often The rough-and-tumble world of Chicago politics is often given credit for the mantra "vote early and often." Even though not a legal option, it may not be bad advice when it comes to those car-of-the-year candidates. In fact, there are so many new vehicles being released by manufacturers each year it comes out to almost one per week. That makes it tough for auto reporters who need to drive and evaluate each one of them and then get the word out to their readers, listeners...
Autoline #1530: Stuck in Time
July 21, 2011 19:44 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBStuck in Time Many agree that the auction house Barrett-Jackson has its grips on some of the greatest collector cars in America. But there’s a large group of classic cars just 90 miles off the Florida coast that no collector - try as they might -- has been able to buy-because they reside in the communist country of Cuba. Since the U.S. embargo was enacted in the early ‘60s, no American products have been allowed either into the country, or out. And experts agree, sitting on that small islan...
Autoline #1529: Chain Links
July 14, 2011 19:08 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBChain Links More than ever before, auto manufacturers rely on suppliers to produce and provide parts for today’s vehicles, especially those on the top called Tier Ones. And there are few Tier Ones bigger than Bosch’s Automotive division. Take North America as an example. Just last year it was responsible for $5.6 Billion in sales employing more than 13,000. The man in charge of the Americas for Bosch is Peter Marks where he not only oversees automotive, but the group’s entire business includ...
Autoline #1528: Eyes of Silva
July 01, 2011 19:04 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBEyes of Silva About the time that the Doobie Brothers burst onto the ‘70s music scene with songs like "China Grove" and "Eyes of Silver," the design eyes of Walter de’Silva were just coming into focus across the Atlantic at FIAT. Over the next 40 years his influence could be seen on not only European cars but eventually in global brands like Audi, Bentley and Bugatti as well. And now in 2011, as the current head of Volkswagen Group Design he is responsible for the look of every model that ...
Autoline #1527: Down the Road
July 01, 2011 17:47 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBDown the Road With the auto industry as volatile as ever, it pays to have a good analyst to keep an eye where it might be heading. Well, this week Autoline has invited three of the best in the business to discuss the issues driving the industry. Joining John McElroy is Jessica Caldwell from Edmunds, IHS Automotive’s Michael Robinet and Jeff Schuster of J.D. Power and Associates. The group talks about a variety of issues including, slowing car sales, the impact of alternative vehicles and Asi...
Autoline #1526: Oval Shine
June 24, 2011 18:41 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBOval Shine Glass House has been glistening more than usual of late. Whether it’s profits or products, Ford has been on quite a roll. Alan Mulally, the company’s president & CEO receives much of the credit, but he’s quick to share the spotlight with his team. And one of those executives who has played a big part in that success is Derek Kuzak, the Group Vice President in charge of Global Product Development. This week on Autoline he joins John McElroy to discuss the Ford product trail and whe...
Autoline #1525: Cars vs. Beans
June 17, 2011 17:51 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBCars vs. Beans What sounds like a lawsuit working its way through the U.S. court system is in reality the epic struggle that plagued the American auto industry the last four decades. And Bob Lutz is the auto executive who has seen it all. Over his nearly 50 years on the inside, he ran BMW, Ford, Chrysler and GM. Now that he’s retired and on the outside he’s pointing out problems with the industry. In his latest book "Car Guys Versus Bean Counters" he spotlights those, he believes, who have ...
Autoline #1524: The New Guard (Repeat of 1518)
June 09, 2011 18:38 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe New Guard Ad agencies tend to have a long shelf life at GM. Buick signed McCann-Erickson in 1958 while Chevy and Campbell-Ewald went all the way back to 1919. That was until the 2009 bankruptcy. And that was until Joel Ewanick. Ewanick was the Hyundai marketing guru who made actor Jeff Bridges the voice of the Korean automaker and subsequently improved sales. He joined GM in 2010 as VP of U.S. marketing and was quickly named the automaker's global chief marketing officer in only 6 month...
Autoline #1523: Dodge & Designs (Repeat of 1516)
June 02, 2011 19:01 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBDodge & Designs You'd think being in charge of design for an automaker would be a big enough job, but not for Ralph Gilles. As the designer of the iconic 2005 Chrysler 300, he was promoted to oversee design for all 5 of the company's brands. But in addition, when CEO Sergio Marchionne started handing out second assignments, Gilles was tagged to run the Dodge brand as well. On this week's Autoline he not only discusses the demands of both jobs but also Chrysler's rapid renaissance with both p...
Autoline #1522: The Union Label
May 26, 2011 19:45 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Union Label Change has been the theme at the United Auto Workers union for the last few years. As it fought to keep members and jobs, it met face-to-face with today’s economic reality: Bankrupt automakers, unprofitable corporations and strong non-union foreign transplants. But now, with the UAW’s new president Bob King firmly in control, a new reality is taking shape. Joining John McElroy to discuss where the UAW goes from here is Sean McAlinden from the Center for Automotive Research, ...
Autoline #1521: What’s Next
May 19, 2011 19:12 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBWhat’s Next Technology has been transforming the car today more than ever. Since its beginning, the auto industry has always pushed the envelope when it comes to power, ride and design. But these days consumers are demanding more and more. Whether it’s under the hood or in the cloud, a vehicle’s technology is now a top buyer consideration. Paul Mascarenas knows that more than most. He is Ford’s chief technical officer, in other words, the man in charge of research and development. This week...
Autoline #1520: Clearing the Haze
May 13, 2011 17:46 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBClearing the Haze For more than 40 years, one inconspicuous building outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan has been making the air we breathe cleaner. It’s the home of The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory. No engine can be sold in America without its stamp of approval. This week John McElroy gets an exclusive look behind the walls of the Lab as he talks with the EPA’s Chris Grundler about the work they do there, how it impacts the auto industry and t...
Autoline #1519: The Profit Chain
May 06, 2011 18:33 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Profit Chain It's been a tough couple years in the automotive supply chain. Tough for everybody it seems except for BorgWarner. The century-old global giant reported record sales and profits for last year and even registered a profit for 2009 during the great collapse. Obviously the company is doing something right. And among the items this Tier One automotive supplier has checked on its list are designing new parts for 21st Century vehicles while still producing those for its bread and ...
Autoline #1518: The New Guard
April 29, 2011 18:33 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe New Guard Ad agencies tend to have a long shelf life at GM. Buick signed McCann-Erickson in 1958 while Chevy and Campbell-Ewald went all the way back to 1919. That was until the 2009 bankruptcy. And that was until Joel Ewanick. Ewanick was the Hyundai marketing guru who made actor Jeff Bridges the voice of the Korean automaker and subsequently improved sales. He joined GM in 2010 as VP of U.S. marketing and was quickly named the automaker's global chief marketing officer in only 6 month...
Autoline #1517: Washington's Auto Influence
April 21, 2011 21:51 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBWashington's Auto Influence From all the bailout coverage the past few years, you might've thought that automakers only looked to Washington for money. But in reality, the Department of Transportation is involved with every OEM in one way or the other. Take Patrick Davis for instance. He runs a DOT office that searches for new fuels and groundbreaking batteries for electrics and hybrids. Over at the EPA, Margo Oge, who's in charge of, among other things, emissions, has a phalanx of staff who...
Autoline #1516: Dodge & Designs
April 15, 2011 18:35 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBDodge & Designs You'd think being in charge of design for an automaker would be a big enough job, but not for Ralph Gilles. As the designer of the iconic 2005 Chrysler 300, he was promoted to oversee design for all 5 of the company's brands. But in addition, when CEO Sergio Marchionne started handing out second assignments, Gilles was tagged to run the Dodge brand as well. On this week's Autoline he not only discusses the demands of both jobs but also Chrysler's rapid renaissance with both p...
Autoline #1515: Two Triple Cheese
April 08, 2011 17:25 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTwo Triple Cheese What would prompt you to pull off the road while driving? Well, for Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen -- you know, the "Hot Rod Lincoln" guys -- it was the mere thought of their favorite food which they sang about in the '70s culinary classic, "Two Triple Cheese Side Order of Fries." But 30 years later no one seems to be pulling off the road for much of anything. Certainly not for eating evidenced by the galaxy of restaurant drive-up windows; not for phone calls th...
Autoline #1514: Motors and Parts
April 01, 2011 16:15 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBMotors and Parts Antifreeze was created to start cars and not necessarily brands. But sometimes the stars align -- or in this case the Pentastars -- giving the world a 75-year old company that's still going strong. Such was the humble beginning of Mopar, Chrysler Corporation Parts. From a name developed for cans of antifreeze to, can you say the word HEMI, Mopar has a rich heritage in engineering, accessories and replacement parts. But today as manufacturers look to find new revenue streams...
Autoline #1513: Turnaround
March 24, 2011 18:54 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTurnaround If you happen to be in a jazz band, a turnaround -- chords that take you back to an earlier part of the song -- is something easy that you do all the time. If you're an executive in the auto industry, a turnaround is a massive undertaking with no guarantee of success. Welcome to Mark Reuss' world. As a GM legacy, Mark's father Lloyd was president of General Motors in the early '90s, he witnessed the ups and downs of this automotive giant from a closer vantage point than others. A...
Autoline #1512: Here Comes the Sun (Repeat of 1505)
March 18, 2011 18:10 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBHere Comes the Sun This January, 2011 Detroit seemed to be channeling 1969 London for a time. That's when Beatle George Harrison, to escape the burdens of the business world, took some time off to commune with nature and stroll around the home gardens of friend Eric Clapton. With a clear head, he emerged with his epic song "Here Comes the Sun;" a tune that 42-years later you could almost hear walking around the floor of this year's North American International Auto Show. Gone was the financ...
Autoline #1511: Travels with Farley (Repeat of 1504)
March 11, 2011 19:41 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTravels with Farley The headline might look vaguely familiar. Think early 1960s where it borrows everything but the "Ch" from author John Steinbeck's famous travelogue "Travels with Charley." But where that work involved a camper, dog and the continental United States, "Travels with Farley" features a camera crew, a cutting-edge crossover and the hillsides of southern France. Oh, and not to mention a conversation with Ford's Global Marketing Chief. This week on Autoline join John McElroy as...
Autoline #1510: Technotronic (Repeat of 1503)
March 11, 2011 19:41 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTechnotronic When you're looking for an example of a huge fast marketing splash, few have been more effective than Jo Bogaert. He's the Belgian music producer who, in 1988, created the "Techtronic" sound that spread like wildfire over land, air and ocean to seemingly everything and every place that played music. His global hit single "Pump Up the Jam" with vocalist Ya Kid K was ubiquitous whether you were at a club in New York, an elevator in Tokyo or a cafe in Paris. The song and the sound ...
Autoline #1509: Blipvert
February 25, 2011 19:12 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBBlipvert Remember the computerized character MAX HEADROOM? In the fictional future that he called home, television corporations, not governments, ran the world. And what ran television was advertising. In fact, a high-speed, super concentrated three-second dangerous version called blipverts. Well, despite its continuing influence on our 21st Century culture, television isn't quite the ogre as the show's creators imagined. Plus advertising is still viewed in manageable 15, 30 and 60-second d...
Autoline #1508: The DC Dance
February 18, 2011 18:52 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThe DC Dance If recent history is any guide, many Americans believe that the easiest way to reform our government is to attend a couple of town hall meetings, kick some politicians out of office and wait for the inevitable change to come. However there's a flaw in that formula, and it has nothing to do with the three branches of government, the Fourth Estate or the voters themselves. The formula simply doesn't account for three little letters that spell out the powerful acronym NGO. Non-gov...
Autoline #1507: Mighty Clouds of Joy
February 11, 2011 20:16 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBMighty Clouds of Joy Since his appearance in last week's Super Bowl commercial, many have automatically linked Chrysler with the gritty music of the artist Eminem. And while the soundtrack of "Lose Yourself" worked as a reflection of Detroit's streets, the song that may in fact be more relevant to the company today has its roots in 1971. Given where Chrysler was just 20 months ago, the music that seems to best capture the emotions coming out of its Auburn Hills headquarters is the 40-year-o...
Autoline #1506: High Cotton
February 04, 2011 19:44 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBHigh Cotton Three hundred years ago when cotton was king, the tallest and healthiest plants were the most valued. Farmers were said to be in "high cotton" when they had a bumper crop of plants like those because it translated directly to their status and wealth. These days the phrase "high cotton" may be a bit dated, however, it still carries the distinction of wealth. And during January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, there was no one sitting in "higher cotton" than th...
Autoline #1505: Here Comes the Sun
January 28, 2011 19:01 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBHere Comes the Sun This January, 2011 Detroit seemed to be channeling 1969 London for a time. That's when Beatle George Harrison, to escape the burdens of the business world, took some time off to commune with nature and stroll around the home gardens of friend Eric Clapton. With a clear head, he emerged with his epic song "Here Comes the Sun;" a tune that 42-years later you could almost hear walking around the floor of this year's North American International Auto Show. Gone was the financ...
Autoline #1504: Travels with Farley
January 21, 2011 20:10 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTravels with Farley The headline might look vaguely familiar. Think early 1960s where it borrows everything but the "Ch" from author John Steinbeck's famous travelogue "Travels with Charley." But where that work involved a camper, dog and the continental United States, "Travels with Farley" features a camera crew, a cutting-edge crossover and the hillsides of southern France. Oh, and not to mention a conversation with Ford's Global Marketing Chief. This week on Autoline join John McElroy as...
Autoline #1503: Technotronic
January 14, 2011 19:21 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTechnotronic When you're looking for an example of a huge fast marketing splash, few have been more effective than Jo Bogaert. He's the Belgian music producer who, in 1988, created the "Techtronic" sound that spread like wildfire over land, air and ocean to seemingly everything and every place that played music. His global hit single "Pump Up the Jam" with vocalist Ya Kid K was ubiquitous whether you were at a club in New York, an elevator in Tokyo or a cafe in Paris. The song and the sound ...
Autoline #1502: NACTOY's New Day?
January 07, 2011 18:54 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBNACTOY's New Day? Since 1994, the first awarding of the North American Car of the Year, there has been a parade each year of three finalists with one winner. Amid the 48 contenders and 16 eventual winners with their sleek designs and top-notch engineering there's been only one car that many observers considered a gateway to the 21st Century, and that was the Toyota Prius Hybrid. Well, it may be 11 years later but welcome to the 21st Century. This year the more than 50 jurors of the North Am...
Autoline #1501: King of the "NACTOY" Hill
December 23, 2010 21:09 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBKing of the Hill Thanks to producer/animator Mike Judge, most people connect "King of the Hill" with the former Fox TV series. And though there's a lot to be said for a 12-year old cartoon series that centered on one character and his life with propane, here at Autoline any "King of the Hill" reference points to one word and one word only, and of course that word is TRUCK! And this time of year when you talk truck, you're talking about three specific trucks or SUVs -- as the case may be -- w...
Autoline #1439: Roman Holiday
November 19, 2010 19:19 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBRoman Holiday It was the movie that turned a trio into stars. Even though William Holden was arguably already there and his leading lady Audrey Hepburn was well on her way, the romantic comedy "Roman Holiday" really focused the spotlight on the third star of this 1953 movie, the Italian motor scooter Vespa. As the trio whipped around Rome it sold us on the delights of small lightweight Italian transportation. Now fast forward to 2010, and small Italian transportation is poised to make a com...
Autoline #1438: Innocence Lost
November 12, 2010 19:51 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBInnocence Lost There was a seismic shift 45 years ago. And as all change goes it was unwelcome at the time. So much in fact, that in a manner of fifteen short minutes it transformed a cultural hero to social pariah, all thanks to the innocence of choice. But that's what happened on July 25, 1965 at the prestigious Newport Folk Festival when Bob Dylan plugged in, turned on and embraced the sound electric. The audience reaction was an early version of shock and awe. His fans became horrified ...