Once upon a time, General Motors dropped off a few Buicks across the Pacific in China. They loved them – a lot. Then, came the Japanese invading Manchuria, World War II, the push back of the Japanese invaders, and the rise of communism and Mao Zedong. Mao dies, China finds a way to have communism with capitalism, and Buick returns to become the biggest nameplate in the land.
Here we go again! Round 3 of this year’s roundup of vehicles that I worked with but appear elsewhere in the mediasphere. Sometimes, it is hard to track which vehicles were published where. However, CarSoup.com has been getting the lion’s share of my work lately. It is with intention, as they try to build traffic for vehicle reviews before site visitors select which vehicles they should choose from. It works that simply. But, hey, at least V&R gets some traffic on here for our (er, my) reviews. You’ve read them, right?
Tweet All Photos by Randy Stern I grew up at the right time – the Malaise Era, to be exact. The industry was in the midst of change. Some of it was instigated by the oil-producing nations across the ocean. To manage change, the industry had to do something to meet the challenges of emissions …
TweetIn 1975, Cadillac took an important step to reclaim lost sales of their larger, more iconic automobiles. They introduced the Seville. The Seville represented a new kind of Cadillac – trim, small, but had every inch of Cadillac luxury inside and out. A 5.7-liter V8 powered this trim new Cadillac, even in the face of …
TweetThe first application of Sir Alec Issigonis' engineering breakthrough – All Photos by Randy Stern, except otherwise noted Remember Sir Alec Issigonis? The innovation he created by switching the orientation of the engine, changing the traditional transmission to a transaxle and sending power to the front wheels was a magnificent idea! The Austin/Morris Mini was …
TweetWhen #VOTY09 was awarded, it went through the ringer with another close victory. For the third straight year, it just seems that the #VOTY process got more interesting with winners decided on a mere fraction of a score. #VOTY07 was won by the Hyundai Sonata, as it squeaked out its award over the Toyota Prius …
Tweet 2005 Buick LaCrosse at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show. Photo by Randy Stern A Victory & Reseda Throwback Review of the 2005 Buick LaCrosse When you hear someone talk about the "near-luxury market," which brands do you think of? That will depend on the type of buyer you are. Foreign-oriented buyers will tout the …
Tweet All Photos by Randy Stern Six years in…and this site and my overall work still stands. When I dove into the deep of this business some six years ago, I knew that I would have the privilege of working with some of the finest automobiles ever crafted. I also knew that I would be …
Tweet The Geneva International Motor Show never disappoints. It is not just the intriguing products that will never come to North America. This show also includes those that will come here, but with a certain flair designed to engage and excite. Of the debuts that popped up at PALEXPO, there has been plenty of both …
Tweet We used to call them "divisions" when I was a kid. Divisions were the name given for what we call "brands" today. They denoted a specific marque – another term used elsewhere of the same thing. It is all labeling, when you think about it. It is also a business-motivated crap shoot. General Motors, …