The year 1977 was a watershed moment in the automotive industry. The OPEC Oil Crisis was already over. However, the lessons learned from the crisis began to trickle down into the products North American automakers rolled out.
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.
Consider who is doing the unveiling – Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep. Three long-awaited new vehicles that represent three iconic model names. Two of which are new generation models. The third is the resurrection of a long-running nameplate.
Do participation in the glamorous life mean one has to balance the silver spoon with bad behavior? When has success become so ugly? Is being a member of the A-List mean being less than human in some relevant traits?
Perhaps that is where the measurement of luxury comes from – the top of the range. If I put every S-Class, SL, and AMG GT on a pedestal, then that should be the confirmation of Mercedes-Benz's level of luxury excellence that the brand has been known for since before World War II.
We also had the opportunity to work with some great automobiles – also, too numerous to list beyond the four we posted before. Maybe, someday I’ll have a list of everything that made this website and my own media work worth these past eight years.
TweetJust like the rest of the industry, Mercedes-Benz has committed themselves to selling SUVs and crossovers alongside their famous sedans, coupes, and cabriolets. It took them a while to bring their vaunted G-Wagen to our shores – 2002, to be exact. Before that, Mercedes-Benz developed a softroader that was amenable for our tastes – the …
TweetThe one theme I wanted to explore at the 2018 Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally was to explore the idea of luxury and prestige further. I left Road America completely satisfied that it was completely fulfilled. Here is the idea: you love the upper end of the market. You love luxury, exclusivity, and the …
Tweet It was only a matter of time that Mercedes-Benz would enter in the pickup business. But, first, the news item: Mercedes-Benz took the first step into the pickup truck business by giving us two concepts based on the future X-Class vehicle. They did so at an unveiling in Stockholm, Sweden for a vehicle that …
Tweet A typical Wednesday morning at Autobahn Country Club – All Photos by Randy Stern Why is the Midwest Automotive Media Association such an honor to be a member of? A discussion with one of its board members came up with a few reasons. We have a great core group of journalist members – mostly …