TweetA Victory & Reseda Review of the 2014 Fiat 500L Talk about good timing…the Fiat 500L was welcomed in time for its big spotlight in the Twin Cities. The week the 500L came in for its review, the Twin Cities Auto Show opened its doors. Just so happens that it is the Official Car of …
TweetThe Trident turns 100 this year. When you think of the Trident, you think of the family of brothers who took to building the fastest cars of its time. The trademark was a paean to a statue in Bologna, their hometown – the Fontana di Nettuno. Yet, this company endured through many changes on a …
Tweet If there is going to be one large-sized Ford sedan for the world… Photo by Randy Stern Not sure how this was brought up, but what if I was involved with product development at some automotive manufacturer somewhere… It is a dangerous thing to even consider. Just like my colleagues in the automotive media …
Tweet All Photos courtesy of Fiat S.p.A. Alfa Romeo – a great car company once lost to the North American market. If I ask a group of people what Alfa Romeo means to them, I am almost certain that most of those under the age of 35 will look at me with a blank stare. …
TweetDr. Frankenstein is a genius! Of course, we know he is a character that pops out during this time of year. A symbol of horror films dating back to the silent era, the scary doctor creates life from a hodgepodge of parts. All you need is an organ playing that induces fright and fear to …
TweetYou always remember your first convertible. All photos by Randy Stern There are days when it is a shame to call myself a native Californian. The most typical scene in classic California iconography has been the convertible. Always with the top down to bring in the sun and the air (air quality varies on location …
Tweet All photos by Randy Stern The Dodge Dart has just about reached its final destination – the showroom. It is a cause for celebration. The transition of Fiat's C-EVO architecture to become Chrysler's CUSW platform has now been framed into production form. Fiat and Chrysler's CEO Sergio Marchionne reiterated once again that the Dart …
TweetWho says that North Americans do not deserve some of the fruits of global excellence? It took us nearly 30 years for Fiat to return to this market. The leverage was a stake in Chrysler toward enabling distribution and production of its vehicles for our market. The Cinquecento – er, 500 – arrived last year …
Tweet Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz USA Not all auto shows this year will be cause for celebration. As Palexpo opens up for the annual auto show in Geneva, a pall of uncertainly looms across Europe. Debt crises, currency concerns, political gamesmanship and higher than allowable unemployment are not making things easier across the Atlantic. Some …
The annual sales figures are in! I could recount which vehicles were the best sellers in the nation, but I’d rather concentrate on how last year’s main vehicle review subjects fared in 2011. Also, I try to analyze how each vehicle could fare in the coming year.