The turn of the 1970s was a time of transition. It was clear that Richard Nixon wasn't going anywhere. His administration oversaw the first landing on the moon by human beings, but the escalating war in Vietnam dogged his leadership. In 1968, many thought Nixon was the peace candidate for President. He would end up sending more USA troops into Southeast Asia.
It is with historical context, however. It was ten years removed from a war that should have ended all wars. Unfortunately, a spat between Korean partisans turned into an international affair splitting the peninsula in half. The same trouble was brewing in Vietnam, a soon-to-be former French colony. Even those within the Soviet Bloc weren’t buying into the new world order as envisioned by Karl Marx. Hungary was a year away from challenging Moscow on whether it should be their superpower or not.
One of them will be the year of "thinning the herd," which, sadly, can be taken many ways. However, this term is apt for something that have been a trend in the North American automotive market – the elimination of models from their respective lineups.
TweetIt sounds like a myth, but it is true: I was brought home from the hospital in my mother's 1955 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Starfire convertible. A fact that would otherwise be trivial is an indicator of what my future would hold. Let alone a point of historical reference that denotes a heritage of car ownership. Perhaps …
There seems to be a theme unfolding here. A disturbing and sad theme, but it is the reality that 2020 had yielded for us. On top of a pandemic and the movement towards social justice, many car lines are being eliminated by the end of this calendar year.
It has been something I have witnessed through a brief foray or two into Chevrolet’s mid-sized, three-row SUV since before its first appearance in showrooms in the summer of 2017. I applauded the fact that it has adult-sized space in the third row, despite having access to it from the passenger side only. I also applauded the fact that it is contemporary enough to fit within Chevrolet’s new design guidelines, along with huge advances to its technology offerings.
Since then, I had my share of heavy duty pickup trucks from the Detroit Three. The summation I have made over time is that the typical owner either use these trucks for work or trailering. They are designed as intended because they have the capacity to do so.
Prior to April of 2011, I tried my hand on automotive vehicle reviewing by talking about the cars I rented. They helped me understand what these vehicles were all about. I paid attention to their positive and negative attributes very closely. The result was informed opinions with the approach of living with each of these vehicles day in and day out.
As I get older, memories become fonder. Memories of vehicles driven – for work and for pleasure. Some memories are worth reliving inside your head. Others…could be considered forgettable.
To summarize, General Motors announce that they will "cease Holden sales, design, and engineering operations by 2021" and end Chevrolet brand sales in Thailand by the end of 2020. Furthermore, Great Wall Motors will most likely buy the production facility in Thailand from GM.