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The "driving boom is over," or so says a new study of American attitudes toward the automobile. After decades of adding more cars to their household fleet while moving further and further out into the suburbs, Americans are waiting longer to get licensed, driving less and increasingly turning to alternatives such as mass transit or car-sharing programs, according to a new study by the U.S. Public Research Interest Group, or PIRG.

To date, 80 North Carolina residents have squeezed their savings for the bragging right of owning the Tesla Model S electric car, some paying more than $100,000 for their g-force ride, but they may be among the last. A legislative proposal, backed by the N.C. Automobile Dealers Association, would make it illegal for Tesla, or any other car maker, to bypass dealerships and sell directly in the state. The proposal cuts at the heart of Tesla’s business model: selling luxury cars over the phone or Internet and then delivering them to the front door of high-net-worth customers. **SNIP** The whole...

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After decades of slogans like "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" and "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet," General Motors GM +3.02% has retreated from its overtly patriotic marketing approach since emerging from government-funded bankruptcy. Maybe that was a wise move, given that American taxpayers paid for the $50 billion bailout of "Government Motors" and not all of them were happy about it. But another dynamic also seems to be at work: The auto maker has fundamentally shifted its focus. American taxpayers may have rescued GM during its moment of need, but it is China that is disproportionately benefiting...

Airbags, Tailgates Are Targets Du Jour for Thieves Targets of car-component thieves can be as fleeting as Ed Hardy T-shirts and lower-back tattoos; they shift with cultural fixations and advancing technology. So, what car parts are trending for car thieves now? Of course, there are the classics, like hubcaps and car stereos. A few years back, high intensity discharge headlights enjoyed their day in the sun among street-car enthusiasts and, more recently, marijuana growers. Lately, Honda Fit wheels have become a popular target, as one of Cars.com's own senior editors learned. Airbags and pickup trucks' tailgates are currently making headlines...

Business Watch the Stunning Hyundai ‘Suicide Ad’ That Has Resulted in Tears and a Big Apology Apr. 25, 2013 8:30pm Jason Howerton Though it is unclear how anyone at the company could have possibly though it was a good idea, Hyundai Europe recently released an advertisement depicting a man attempting to commit suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning by leaving his car running in the garage. The man in the ad fails to kill himself because the vehicle’s emissions are 100 percent water emissions.

Google has been testing a fleet of autonomous vehicles on U.S. roadways for quite some time now, and other companies such as Mercedes-Benz are adding more advanced technology to aid drivers. We now have cars that can automatically stop, parallel park themselves and even detect when another car is in a blind spot. Google executives have previously said that they would like to see self-driving vehicles on the road within three to five years, however it may not happen that quickly. Industry experts believe that by 2020, car computers will handle much of the work when traveling at high speeds and five years...

We're all familiar with event data recorders -- or as they're more commonly known, "black boxes". EDRs are standard equipment on airplanes, and any time there's a mishap, news programs are full of journalists making guesses about what the recorders will reveal.If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that EDRs are coming to cars, too. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has backed legislation to make the devices mandatory on all new vehicles, beginning with the 2015 model year.What you may not know is that the new legislation would only affect around 4% of vehicles...

Dubai police drive 700-hp Lamborghini Aventador, because a Taurus doesn’t cut it Dubai remains a city known for its wealth; built off the back of the oil industry, it now flourishes in tourism, real estate, and financial services. All that cash floating around evidently means one thing: lawbreakers drive highly expensive, fast cars. So, in response, the Dubai Police Department added an even faster car to its fleet – a 700-hp Lamborghini Aventador.

As the stars of Starsky and Hutch, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul became international icons, their characters a byword for cool. And the veteran actors showed that they are still as suave today as in their 1970s heyday when they appeared at a special fan event in Venice Beach. Detective Dave Starsky's iconic 1976 Ford Gran Torino - who some might say was the real star of the show - still managed to turn plenty of heads.

...that gets decent gas milage and is reliable. Any Suggestions?

Dear Dave, I want to buy an inexpensive car, and I was wondering what you think about salvage titles. Eric Dear Eric, It’s not impossible to find a decent salvage car. But I’d take extra precautions to find out exactly why it was salvaged. If it’s a salvage car because it was wrecked, I’d take a look at what kind of wreck caused the damage. Lots of people know how to repair and rebuild cars, so it might end up in better condition than before if you find the right mechanic. On the other hand, I’d probably walk away if...

I stayed in my seat and listened politely, though I wanted to jump up and cross-examine the people onstage. Frankly, I couldn't believe what I'd just heard, and it was so important that it needed to be clarified immediately. Could it really be true? I'd been predicting it for years, but when I heard those words, it was like seeing an old friend I loved being knifed in the gut. I felt victimized. But I also felt vindicated. The moment I am referring to was during our Radio Ink Convergence conference, held earlier this week. For two days, digital experts...

I'll start, Best-1974 Chevrolet Malibu Classic 2 door just ABSOLUTLY beautiful! Worst-1979 Ford Futura DAMN thing couldn't get out of it's own way, got PASSED by a Ford Pinto on the 805 to the 92(I think)South in San Diego.

The word “FREEDOM” is among the list of banned vanity license plate slogans for Washington D.C., according to a government file obtained by a Freedom of Information Request filed by the transparency website GovernmentAttic.org

PHOENIX - Attorneys for Gov. Jan Brewer told a federal judge Monday there is no legal basis to order the state to provide driver's licenses to certain illegal immigrants immediately, since they are not being harmed. Douglas Northup, the lead counsel for the governor and the state Department of Transportation, said those who qualify for the Obama administration's "deferred action" program want U.S. District Judge David Campbell to require the state to issue licenses, even before the case goes to trial. The governor directed ADOT last year not to give licenses to those granted the right to remain in this...

The Trip, 1940's Chevrolet car commercial vivid Technicolor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBenak9wtkE 

Hope no one minds if I shift gears from politics and bring up a car problem. Been buying used and new cars for near 48 years. Of the first 14 vehicles I never had a major failure such as what occurred Friday. I live 60 miles northwest of San Antonio and was headed to SA. Got within 10 miles of destination when I smelled something and within a few seconds vehicles around me started beeping their horns. Billows of smoke was coming out and no power steering. The engine was still running and with emergency lights on I safely got...

A daughter is new car shopping for a Hyundai(they are supposed to be much better made now)and she used Consumer Reports to find the Invoice Price. She is nowhere near a seaport but the difference in Invoice & Sticker is only $200.... It has been a long time since i bought new and i though my Chevy Invoice was much lower than the sticker. I understood that knowing the invoice was a good baseline to bargain with the dealership. Do any FReepers know if her Invoice from Consumer Reports is bogus or is there a better place to find invoice...

"These brochures are scanned from my own and contributors collections. The intention behind this collection is for enthusiasts and restorers to find useful and original factory documentation. For brochure contributions I prefer brochures older than 1990, but special interest autos are always considered as good stuff." Original Car brochures withy photos and specs."......warning you could spend hours here... Stingray

As champions of both rear-wheel drive and the hand brake, we completely understand the compulsion to get sideways on occasion. Hell, there was a time when no vacant parking lot was safe from our hellion ways – but there's a difference between harming nothing but your own rear tires and putting an entire highway's worth of commuters in danger. That's exactly what a set of Orange County kids managed to do when they shut down what looks to be a six-lane interstate for the soul purpose of doing some donuts.

If you have ever grimaced at your petrol bill and dreamed of a car that runs on fresh air, your prayers are about to be answered. French car giant PSA Peugeot Citroen believes it can put an air-powered vehicle on the road by 2016. Its scientists say it will knock 45 per cent off fuel bills for an average motorist. And when driving in towns and cities costs could be slashed by as much as 80 per cent because the car will be running on air for four-fifths of the time. The system works by using a normal internal combustion...

DETROIT — Government bureaucrats who think they know best what people should buy and drive need to spend some time at the Detroit auto show. If they did, they’d see that people spend about as much time looking at hybrid and electric cars as they do flossing. That was evident again Monday when the international media descended upon Cobo Center to kick off the North American International Auto Show. They flocked to the new Corvette Stingray and kicked a lot of truck tires. Ram Power Wagon Occasionally, someone stopped to see what was plugged in. Therein lies the state of...

It’s hard to uphold a reputation as a devoutly religious terrorist group if you make millions selling cocaine. Just ask Hezbollah. Last month, the US government filed suit against a number of American and Lebanese businesses that allegedly helped bankroll the Lebanese terrorist group. The civil indictment in Manhattan blew the lid off a vast criminal network that included money-laundering, cocaine deals and more — including 30 US car dealerships that helped the group launder cash. As one investigator quipped, Hezbollah is the “Gambinos on steroids.” The indictment charges Hezbollah kingpin Ayman Joumaa with smuggling more than 100 tons of...

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero says his staff is marketing the city as an “automotive center.” MLive Political Columnist Rick Haglund wrote: “… Michigan still is a state that largely rises and falls on vagaries of the century-old auto industry, regardless of actions by Lansing policymakers.” Yet economic analysts say that thinking is outdated and, in some ways, inaccurate. Auto and auto parts manufacturing jobs account for 3 percent of the total jobs in Michigan and Michigan's jobs recovery has been built outside the automobile industry. "The auto industry gets more attention than it deserves in Michigan," said University of Michigan...

Communication technology could be seen as the new frontier, or the Wild Wild West if you're Uber, a ride-requesting app for use in cities from New York to San Francisco. While trying to make it easier for customers to hail cabs at the touch of a smartphone, Uber has encountered the quick-draw regulations of city governments. But apps like these simplify transportation for both consumers and drivers — a potentially significant development for the ailing city of Detroit, which needs to allow low-income workers opportunities if it wants to eventually see higher-income workers. The potential revenue from driving a taxi...

As we emerge from the long holiday season chasing new resolutions, many of us find ourselves focusing on watching our waistlines and taking off some extra pounds. As more Americans are diagnosed as obese, this renewed attention to health and weight can only be seen as a good thing. But America is also struggling with another weight problem — and what you don’t know about it just might kill you. During the first term of the Obama administration, much was made of the bailout of the automotive industry. Common belief to the contrary, the U.S. government came to the rescue...

General Motors is recalling 54,686 full-size truck, SUV and van models due to a defect that could result in a rollaway accident. The recall covers 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL models. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles included in the recall may have been equipped with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly. As a result of that defect, it may...

This will bring back some memories. You will love the cars in the photos too. Look at the price of gas in some of the pictures.

Fiat has been talking about Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. for more a decade—check out the timeline—but CEO Sergio Marchionne has finally made the decision: After nearly 20 years away, the brand will start selling cars here again in 2014. (We’ll believe it when we see it, but let’s play along for now.) The return to the States is part of a large revamp of the brand that will see a number of new models introduced in the U.S., Europe, and around the world, and this Alfa renaissance will lean heavily on alliances with Fiat, Chrysler, and Mazda. Read...

Vice President Biden snickered during last week's debate at the suggestion there was waste, inefficiency or cronyism in the 2009 stimulus bill. If he can stop cackling for long enough, Biden, the self-proclaimed "stimulus sheriff" should sit down with the IRS officials and the federal inspector general who are investigating a solar company owned by leading Obama donor and subsidy recipient Elon Musk. Musk, as he cashes in on his solar investment by taking his company SolarCity public this month, had to make an awkward admission in his financial filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Internal Revenue Service...

I was just on a HuffPost Live panel with, among others, Elie Mystal (Above The Law), and he suggested — as a gun control proposal — that guns should be regulated like cars. This prompts me to repost an item I posted several years ago: Cars are basically regulated as follows (I rely below on California law, but to my knowledge the rules are similar throughout the country): (1) No federal licensing or registration of car owners. (2) Any person may use a car on his own private property without any license or registration. See, e.g., California Vehicle Code §§...

I just heard of this product and wonder if it works.

Parts of a tunnel collapsed Sunday on a highway west of Tokyo, trapping an unknown number of vehicles as smoke from a fire inside initially prevented rescuers from approaching. Video footage from cameras inside the tunnel, after the fire was apparently extinguished, showed firefighters picking their way through cement roof panels that collapsed onto vehicles inside the Sasago Tunnel, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside the city. About 25 vehicles were inside the (2.5 mile) 4.3 kilometer-long tunnel, some of them trucks stopped by the tunnel's collapse.

A road tunnel has collapsed in Japan, trapping a number of vehicles, Japanese media reports say. The incident happened at about 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT Saturday) in the Sasago tunnel, about 80km (50 miles) west of the capital Tokyo.

The Astounding Story Of How A Car Worth $600 Racked Up Over $100,000 In Parking Tickets It might just be a world record. At the very least one particular car has set a City of Chicago record for receiving the most parking violations ever and accumulating the most parking fines in the city's history. The city claims Jennifer Fitzgerald owes over $100,000 in parking tickets. And no, that's not a typo or a few misplaced zeros on the end. The amount is actually 105,761 dollars and 80 cents to be precise. This is the total mind boggling debt the City...

Car thieves avoiding Toyota Prius By Zach Bowman RSS feed Posted Nov 21st 2012 4:30PM The National Insurance Crime Bureau has taken a closer look at how often car thieves target the Toyota Prius. As it turns out, the most popular hybrid on US roads has a very low theft rate, and when it does get stolen, law enforcement are quick to return the machine to its rightful owners. All told, 2008-2012 Prius models saw a theft rate of one in 606 vehicles compared to one in 78 for all models on the road from the same model year period....

Motor Trend magazine has named the Tesla Model S its Car of the Year. The magazine's staff selected the all-electric plug-in luxury car out of a field of 11 finalists that included models such as the Ford Fusion, Porsche 911 and Hyundai Azera. It is the first time the magazine's Car of the Year award has ever gone to an all-electric car.

ALTA LOMA (CBS) — A case of campaign vandalism is under investigation Friday in Alta Loma. Someone keyed the word “Obama” into two cars and slashed seats in another outside a residence that had Mitt Romney campaign signs. CBS2 and KCAL9 reporter Rob Schmitt spoke to Ken Slown, owner of one of the keyed vehicles. Slown actually supports President Obama! He explained to Schmitt that he and his wife — both currently unemployed — are staying with her parents and it’s her parents who support Romney. “I don’t know if they were trying to get a point across, to vote...

This created a stir last night on Twitter that has subsided. But it wouldn’t be surprising if the Obama campaign seizes on it in coming days to close out its argument in Ohio. From the Detroit News: Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney told a rally in northern Ohio on Thursday night that Chrysler was considering moving production of its Jeep vehicles to China, apparently reacting to incorrect reports circulating online. “I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers in this state, Jeep —now owned by the Italians —is thinking of moving all production to China,” Romney said...

They want control. Absolute, total control. Of everything. The state ruined Paypal – which originally provided a way for people to transact business anonymously and without cutting in Uncle Sam (a major “crime” in the USSA) and will soon ruin Amazon, eBay and countless other online retailers. The Net is about to be locked down as tight as anything else under government’s thumb. It was permitted to be free until it became too successful. And that is exactly what’s going to happen to the cars that are supposed to free us from $4 a gallon fill-ups. As soon as they...

Yeah just found this old you tube... but my oh my does it bring back some memories....

DETROIT: The fledgling electric car business is in turmoil as predictions about potential sales have proven to be wildly optimistic despite volatile fuel prices and plenty of media hype. Weak consumer demand is hitting both the big automakers like General Motors and Nissan -- which have failed to meet sales targets on the plug-in Volt and all-electric Leaf -- and smaller start-up firms trying to carve out a piece of a very small niche. "Electric vehicles don't make any more sense today than they did in 1912," says Sean McAlinden, an analyst with the Center for Automotive Research in Ann...

Margaret Dunning, 102 years old, has been behind the wheel for 94 years, starting on her father’s farm in Michigan. But her even prouder accomplishment is keeping her 1930 Packard roadster in car-show condition, making it an auto-exhibit hit. Margaret Dunning started driving when she was 8 years old. Ninety-four years later, she’s still behind the wheel. The 102-year-old, who has continued exhibiting her Packard 740 Roadster well into her second century, drove fans wild this week at Ohio’s Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles in Canton. “People were blown away to find a lady who's 102-years-old who is as active...

There's a dead zone in the history of performance cars between the hairy-chested muscle cars of the 1960s and the rebirth of power in the mid-1980s: the 1972–82 "malaise era," when machines were so strangled by new emissions rules that their performance levels were an embarrassment to even today's compact cars. Automakers slathered flashy paint and taped racy stripes and stickers to the hoods of the cars, but these 10 just couldn't get'er done at the dragstrip.... 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra...1974 Pontiac GTO...... Read more: Performance Pretenders: 10 Malaise-Era Muscle Cars - Popular Mechanics

Two drunks — one driving a rare Bentley, the other a Beemer — went head-to-head early yesterday, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of mangled metal littering a Chelsea street corner, cops and witnesses said. Eight people, four from each car, were taken to Bellevue Hospital after the 3:45 a.m. crash, but none suffered life-threatening injuries.

A-list movie cars come in three categories: First are the glamorous cars like James Bond’s silver 1964 Aston Martin DB5; next are over-the-top custom creations like the Batmobile; and finally, the decidedly unglamorous cars that nevertheless grabbed a ton of screen time in their respective films. Think the Bluesmobile in “The Blues Brothers” or the Wagon Queen Family Truckster in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” These aren’t those cars. No, they’re the B-listers, cars that had brief but highly memorable bit parts in films that we all love. See how many you can remember: 1960 Buick Le Sabre (“Fast Times at Ridgemont...

The temperature inside your car can get insanely hot on sunny days, regardless of the temperature outside. When you get to your car and it's boiling hot, what's the first thing you do? You lower the windows and blast the air conditioner, right? A convenient feature that's been around for years, but remains unknown to many car owners, is the ability to lower the windows with the key remote. This allows you to begin cooling your car without having to get in first. Unless the car dealership told you about this trick or you happen to read manuals for fun,...

A recent study found that Michigan’s car insurance rates are the highest in the nation. When looked at as a percent of annual median household income, Michigan drivers spend 8 percent on car insurance, according to CarInsuranceQuote.com. The next highest state was Louisiana at 5.5 percent. Michigan’s rates as a percentage of income were nearly double that of the fifth-most expensive state, Mississippi, which came in at 4.04 percent. When looking at the median price of an annual car insurance policy, the result is the same. Michigan is No. 1 at $4,490, and by far the most expensive state for...

1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL It was the fastest top-speed production car at the time. The 1954 edition was the first consumer-oriented (non-racing) car sold with fuel injection.