Auto Lovers Land

Lamborghini Muiras and V-12 engines seen at the Lamborghini factory. It was a headline that must struck many supercars aficionados as unlikely, but nonetheless, there it was. This week in 1987, Chrysler buys financially ailing Lamborghini for $25.3 million as Chrysler CEO attempts to infuse Chrysler with the panache of Italian luxury. Certainly Chrysler executives was thrilled; they could now drive Lamborghinis as company cars. “We paid next to nothing for the company; they were virtually broke and produced only 300 cars per year” wrote Bob Lutz in his book, “ Icons and Idiots .” The move came after General Motors bought England’s Group Lotus the year before.  Glamorous, not profitable Lee Iacocca bought Lamborghini hoping its panache would rub off on Chryskler. But Lamborghini was mired in debt as it had fallen victim to an ever-changing roster of owners. But the world-famous Italian sports car manufacturer was too tempting a jewel to let slide into bankruptcy. And C...

Maurice Wilks, Land Rover’s creator, in 1968 The Willys-Overland Jeep had mechanical problems again, and it wasn’t the first time. Maurice Wilks used the Jeep on his farm in Newborough, Anglesey, Wales, much as many Jeep owners had done. But its reliability proved problematic. But unlike other Jeep owners, Wilks was in a position to do something about it. He was the head designer for the British car company Rover, where his brother Spencer Wilks was managing director. Wilks decided to create a more reliable Jeep for Rover, one that would debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show this week in 1948 as the Land Rover Series 1. It all starts on two wheels Ad for the Rover Safety Bicycle Rover traces its roots back to 1877, when John Starley establishes a bicycle company in Coventry. But it was development of the Rover Safety Bicycle in 1884 that proved revolutionary. Starley’s idea had come from his previous venture, Coventry Machinists, which had won a contract to manufacture 500 ve...

The yearlong trend of falling used car prices came to a halt in April with a slight increase of just under 1% for the first month of Q2. Used car prices rose slightly last month while inventory levels rose. Prices for previously owned vehicles rose 0.69% from the start of March, according to automotive data provider ZeroSum. However, as new vehicle prices have continued to rise steadily, used vehicle prices have falling 9.05% since April 2022. The average price for a used vehicle now is $30,801, the company said, adding in “April 2022, the average price was $33,866, so even with this month’s increase the average used car price is still well below the prices we were seeing in 2022.” More vehicles in the system While prices rose on a month-over-month basis, inventories also rose. In fact, inventory levels have increased 17% since Feb. 1, moving from 1.5 million vehicles to an expected 1.7 million by the end of April, the group noted. “Used vehicle inventory has increased for th...

The sedan is dead. Long live the sedan. Well, maybe not entirely. There’s no question that sedans, as well as coupes, hatchbacks and sports cars have ceded plenty of market share to SUVs, CUVs and other light trucks in recent years. But were Mark Twain reincarnated as an automotive journalist I expect he’d declare that “reports of the death of the sedan have been greatly exaggerated.” Toyota’s been the most vocal proponent of sedans, and the Camry Hybrid XSE is a great example of why. I asked my colleagues at TheDetroitBureau.com to weigh in on the sedans they’d love to own. And you can add to that a few concept sedans we’d love to see the industry actually put into production. Assistant Managing Editor Larry Printz Ford Fusion: “Ford cancelled this when it was still selling 200,000 a year. What it really needed was a change in design after a decade.” Lincoln Town Car: “I think there’s still a market for a modern, up-to-date version of the classic American full-size luxury car...

“I have always driven a sedan,” said Dave Carmany, the director of operations for a suburban Detroit industrial company. “I do not like SUVs, mostly due to the driving position. I feel like I’m ‘in’ a car, versus ‘on’ an SUV. Plus, I much prefer the performance … of a sedan.” After lagging SUV and CUV sales for more than two decades, sedans — like the Hyundai Sonata — enjoyed a rebound in Q1. During the past two decades, Carmany has become more and more of an outlier, sedans making up a less and less relevant portion of the U.S. new vehicle market. Demand has plunged to the point that there are only a relative handful of sedans left in U.S. showrooms, and not many more coupes and hatchbacks, either. Today, Ford offers just one passenger car model, the Mustang coupe — and the automaker expects that its all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV will outsell the iconic “pony car” this year. Yet, there are some signs the shift to sport-utility and crossover-utility vehicles may be slowing do...

The 2023 BMW X7 xDrive40i gets a new face this year. For 2023, BMW has overhauled its luxury flagship X7 SUV, giving it an updated look, more power, and modern technologies. The X7 made its debut in 2019 and quickly established itself as the third-most popular SUV of the brand, behind the X3 and X5, and the refresh keeps the X7 as cutting edge as its contemporaries. Overview For 2023, BMW offers its largest SUV in ascending X7 xDrive40i trim with 6 cylinders, or as the X7 M60i xDrive and Alpina XB7 with 8 cylinders. All-wheel drive is standard. Both the exterior and interior get a makeover, and the result is a fresh, modern SUV with the style, size and technology that make modern motoring so effortless. Rear lighting recalls that of the new BMW 7 Series. Exterior There’s no denying the 2023 BMW X7’s size. At more than 6.5 feet tall, 6 feet wide and 17 feet long, this is among the largest vehicles BMW has ever built. It’s every bit the alpha male as its competitors, which...

Anyone looking to confirm whether or not the general public’s interest in electric vehicles is on the rise need only turn to the internet for confirmation. The interest in new and used EVs is on the rise, according to CarGurus.com. The Volkswagen ID.4 is one of the top five vehicles searched. Based on a new report from online car sales broker  CarGurus.com , searches for new EVs skyrocketed by 382.4% from the first quarter of 2022 to the same period in 2023. For used EVs in the same timeframe, searches were up 74.3%. The stats are based on individual vehicle searches for EV models on the CarGurus platform.  The website thinks the reason for the meteoric rise is equal parts eco-mindfulness and looking for savings at the gas pump.  “The combination between decreasing prices and a growing number of options available on the market is significantly bolstering consumer interest in EVs, as seen by traffic on the CarGurus platform,” said Kevin Roberts, director of Industr...

Auto insurance rates are being hit hard by a cycle of rising payouts due to inflation, leading to soaring premiums and increasing cross-shopping by customers.  Car owners are getting tired with rising prices and shopping their insurance, probably starting with this guy. The result, according to the  J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study , released today, is “an increased focus on saving money as large numbers of auto insurance customers shop for new policies and switch to new carriers, largely based on price.” “Auto insurance customers are starting to shop for insurance like they shop for gas,” said Stephen Crewdson, senior director, insurance business intelligence at J.D. Power.  “They are taking a much more active stance in seeking out plans that fit their needs and their budgets, which could have a serious long-term effect on carriers that have been working for years to build lifetime value through bundling and other initiatives. In the near term, this ...