About American Cars

Corvette ZR1

American car fans are expected to be wowed by new car models from various American car makers next year.

General Motors (GM), for instance, will be officially launching Chevrolet Corvette series at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2008. Tagged as the �American Supercar,� the Corvette ZR1 has been reported to have a supercharged engine that can produce at least 620 horsepower. Its two other buddies, the Corvette base model and the higher performance Corvette Z06, are powered by a 6.2-liter, 430 horsepower V8 and a 7.0-liter, 505 horsepower engine, respectively.

Chrysler, on the other hand, is not one to be left behind. The famous car company will be unveiling three concept vehicles, also at the Detroit Auto Show slated in January 2008. These are the ecoVoyager, the Jeep Renegade and the Dodge ZEO. The winning factors of the new concept vehicles are their electric motors, long passenger cabins and short hoods.

How is that for a start? I�m sure I�m not the only one thrilled by now.

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We present to you, the 2009 Solstice Coupe by Pontiac. This is the solution to the earlier dilemma of the Solstice top contraption. The newest Pontiac Solstice Coupe provides you with a breath of fresh air without the common trouble of the soft top. The roof panel is removable. The newest coupe still retained the original coupe’s concept. Now you don’t have to worry about getting caught in the rain when you decide to remove the roof panel. Earlier design was flawed with the roof top not fitting exactly with the car. The hard roof panel is made of magnesium frame and it just weighs around 15 kilos. Their roof panel is the only thing changed with the model, otherwise, you still get the same power and beauty as that of a roadster.

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Ford recently graced the Paris Auto Show and debuted its newest colorful option packages for the Ford Ka. With three different designs, it offers owners different ways to express themselves. The Ka Digital, for one, features elegant black exterior with a strong green paint design to the body, grill and the mirrors. Its all green theme inside. With a touch of colors complementing the entire interior seats, panels and steering wheel. The center console, door pulls, instrument shroud and the air vents also is in green.The Ka Grand Prix takes the same style, which has a motor sports exterior of red and white. The interior features red seats with an embossed white pattern, red door panels, and red leather on the steering wheel. Floor mats stitched with silver and an embroidered emblem are also part of the package. These special editions began to arrive at car dealers showrooms last January.

For the first year that is, which takes a huge bit out of the cost of owning a luxury vehicle. Available in some states in the US, the automaker is giving free auto insurance to some luxury brands hoping to get more people into choosing them for their next vehicle purchase.

Auto insurance and the need to have it has been a priority for the US for many people still die as result of automobile accidents not just in the US but all over the world. With millions of new cars being produced every year, the number of fatalities has dropped sign that efforts on better roads and safer cars may at last be working. GM, considered to be one of the big three in US auto circles has had to resort to creative ways in getting back on track, hopefully for a better future.

Toyota has again been struck a blow it has yet to recover with another 82,000 vehicles(primarily their much loved Highlanders) due to a problem associated with wiring harness problems that can cause fires. They have stated that the recall affects mostly vehicles sold in the US from 2006-07 line, but there have been silent checks done to their hybrids outside the mainland.

The advent of hybrids have indeed started to catch on and people all over the world have been paying attention, well those who could afford them. Being a tad bit pricier than more luxurious models, the Prius is still considered to be one of the leading hybrids in terms of sales in the US and globally with some other SUV models like the Highlander featured in this recall. Recalls arising from safety issues have continued to wreak havoc on their efforts to regain customer confidence, many of whom say they feel cheated.

The saga of Toyota’s difficulties continue and they are working hard now to fix the problems but whether they maintain their hold on being the biggest Japanese auto maker in the world remains under threat from such quality issues.

General Motors didn’t have a very good run in the last few years. The popular US auto maker was so dangerously in the ropes that was even on the brink of bankruptcy. But GM is nothing but resilient and now after their troubles, it is showing signs that it’s raring to fight once again. Just recently, GM’s Chevrolet Volt was voted 2011 North American Car of the Year, the latest award the car has received after getting Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of The Year and Green Car of The Year nods.

The noteworthy thing about this is that the Volt beat tough competition from Nissan and Hyundai. We just may see more good things coming out of the GM plant in the future.

When it comes to classic American cars, the Ford name ranks right at the top. From the earliest days of the Model T to the on again, off again love affair with the Crown Victoria, this company has often set the bar others seek to attain.

The Crown Vic as it is often called was originally produced in 1955 and 1956. Original Crown Vics are quite a boon to come across since production ceased so quickly on the models. Collectors, in fact, will find it is not uncommon for good condition 1955 Crown Victoria models to fetch $30,000 to $100,000 or more.

Initially a coupe with two doors and six seats, the classic was distinguished from the regular Victoria in the Ford line by a decorative stainless steel band that ran along the roofline. This feature essentially gave the roof a crowned appearance. The full-sized car also featured a sweeping design with rounded lights and the perfect body embellishments to make a two-toned paint job look fantastic. This V8 beauty was a follow up to the Ford LTD in production. Just like the LTD, the Crown Victoria was and continues to be favored as a police car and fleet vehicle.

Although the original rear-wheel drive Crown Victoria models were appreciated by some, especially those building fleets, the model did not initially sell well. Sluggish sales, in fact, led Ford to shelve the model for a time. It did not reappear on the market until 1979. At this point, Ford introduced the LTD Crown Victoria. This four-door design was shorter and less bulky than the original version. The changes resulted in improved handling, ride and fuel economy. The LTD version came with two engine types, a 255 CID V8 and a 302 V8. Most models made between 1979 and 1980 were three speeds with an automatic transition. An AOD four-speed was an option that was made available.

The reintroduction of the Crown Victoria paid off for Ford with sales and production continued. In the 1980s, the LTD Crown Victoria was a hit with both law enforcement and civilians. Ford, in fact, began producing two versions by 1983. Models for the general public offered a fuel-injected V8. The police version boasted a 5.8 liter V8 with a Variable Venturi carburetor. During the 1980s, a number of alterations were also made to the Crown Vic design. In 1983, for example, central fuel injection was introduced. By 1986, this had been replaced by a sequential fuel injection system that was electronic.

The success of the reintroduced Crown Victoria line has led to production of this design since the late 1970s. Although many changes have occurred through the years, the model continues to be one of top in the Ford line for luxury combined with speed and handling. The 1990s did see a break off of the police version of the car. The Crown Victoria Police Interceptor was officially introduced in 1999.

Makoto Fujimura, a contemporary artist of the 21st century, was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1960. His father was a research scientist and mother, a creative educator. Makoto graduated from Bucknell University in 1983. Awarded with a Japanese Government scholarship, the artist received his Masters in Fine Arts and doctorate degrees from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music in 1989. Fujimura’s seven years at the Tokyo University involved him getting skilled at blending Fine Arts and Abstract Expressionism with the traditional Japanese art of Nihonga.

Makoto founded the ‘International Arts Movement’ (IAM) in 1990, which hosts a conference every year in the month of February at New York, and is attended by the likes of Dana Gioia (poet, Chair of NEA), Patricia Heaton (actor), Rob Mathes Band, Miroslav Volf (theologian, Yale University), Elaine Scarry (author, Harvard University), and Daniel Libeskind (architect). After a comprehensive edification at Japan, Fujimura relocated to the US, but kept shuttling between New York and Tokyo for his shows. In 1992, he became the youngest artist ever to have had a piece acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

One of Fujimura’s finest works is the “The Splendor of the Medium,” which is a collection of paintings using stone-ground minerals, such as azurite, malachite, and cinnabar, mixed with animal hide glue applied to handmade paper. Out of the forty eight exhibitions that the artist has to his credit, twenty three are solo expositions, such as ‘Hours’ (1998), ‘Four Quartets’ (2003), ‘Golden Pines’ (2003), ‘The Splendor of the Medium’ (2004), ‘Columbines’ (2002), ‘The Still point’ (2004), and ‘The Burning Bush’ (2001). Makoto’s famous paintings include “Beauty without Regret,” “Columbine Flowers (June 2001),” “Images of Grace (1997),” and “Between Two Waves of the Sea.” Makoto mentions in an interview, “Sacrificial Grace series (1998)” and his recent work “Golden Flames Painting,” as two of his much loved and significant paintings.

Being the first artist ever to paint live on stage in collaboration with musicians, at the Carnegie Hall, Fujimura defines art as, “Art is not just the product of what I produce, but the process of revealing the core of my humanity.” Makoto’s work is exhibited at the Dillon Gallery, Kristen Frederickson Contemporary Art at New York, and the Sen Gallery at Tokyo. The Saint Louis Museum in Tokyo and the CNN building in Hong Kong, house his public collections. In March 2003, Makoto was appointed to the National Councils on the Arts, a six year Presidential Appointment.

Makoto also has a flair for writing. He has authored several books, such as ‘Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art and Culture’ (2009), and ‘River Grace’ (2008). More than a few of his renowned literatures works like ‘That Final Dance – Essay on Form and Content’ (2000), and ‘Off the Walls’ (2001) have been published in the Square Halo books & Worldwide Challenge magazine, respectively.

Richard A. Teague, who was born in Los Angeles in 1925, began his first career as child actor, Dixie Duval, playing in several silent films of the 1920′s. His brief acting career was brought to a close at age six when he was involved in an automobile accident. His mother sustained serious injuries, which left her an invalid for life. Young Richard was also seriously injured and lost his sight in his right eye.

Due to these injuries he was unable to join the armed forces in World War 2 so he went to work for Northrop Corporation as an aircraft technical illustrator. His immediate supervisor was Paul Browne who had previously worked on the design team for General Motors. Browne soon recognized Teague’s talent and encouraged him to enroll in night classes at the Art College of Design in Pasadena.

When the war ended, Teague moved to Oakland, California and started working for Henry Kaiser. There, he created a design for a pre-Henry J. economy car. He also illustrated covers for Road and Track magazine.

Then in 1948, Teague moved to Detroit and went to work in the General Motors Design Studio under Edmund Anderson. He gradually worked up to the Cadillac advanced design group. In 1951 Packard recruited Teague to replace Chief Stylist John Reinhart who had resigned. Teague had a keen eye for detail and an uncanny ability to make significant changes under tight budget constraints. He could re-style bodies so that they appeared new without altering the chassis.

Packard Motor Corporation was struggling during the early ’50′s and finally went under in 1956. Consequently, the entire design team moved to Chrysler Corporation where Teague started as chief stylist in their design studio. However, he soon became involved in conflicts with management and left Chrysler. He then began working for an independent design firm on non-automotive assignments.

However, automobiles were his passion and Teague missed working on them so in 1959 he went to American Motors as a member of Edmund Anderson’s design team. When Anderson left AMC in 1961, Teague became their principal designer. Teague was a unique individual in that he possessed a rare combination of artistic and managerial skills. He was an excellent administrator as well as a talented designer. Consequently he was promoted to vice President in 1964 and remained in that position until his retirement in 1983.

Some of Teague’s designs include the Gremlin Pacer, the Matador coupe, the Rambler American, the AMC Javelin, the AMX Hornet, the Rambler Classic and the Ambassador. He designed the AMX GT as a concept car that later went into production. His accomplishments and designs were particularly remarkable due to the physical limitations imposed by his inability to perceive depth in a normal manner.

Teague had a great sense of humor and often joked that the only automobile company he had never worked for was Ford. Automobiles were his work and his passion. He was a well-known historian and an avid collector of classic cars and rare models. He owned between 400 and 500 cars.

When the U.S. government passed the newest CAFÉ regulations, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has insinuated that states cannot regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. Now, there is an ongoing debate on the matter and it looks like automakers are starting to step into the scene.

LeftlaneNews.com reports that lobbyists representing automaker leaders such as General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Honda will try to convince lawmakers to agree on a uniform standard when it comes to greenhouse gasses regulations.

As I see it, granting states the right to implement their own greenhouse gases regulations will be some kind of a burden to automakers. It will mean more money to comply with the standards set by the states, which in turn will deeply affect their operating and production costs.

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