R.I.P.

Along with its fellow subsidiary, Forbestraveler.com, Forbesautos.com was released into the ether by Forbes.com, laying off both entire staffs.

Which means guess what for freelancers like me?

Anyone know of opportunities for...oh, never mind.

If anyone's looking for me I'll be out there hitting the bricks.

Meantime, I shall devote more time to posting interesting car-related items here and renew my commitment to the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press and the charitable organizations for which I often volunteer.

*Sigh*

Oh, Boy

Well, when automakers start laying off key designers, engineers, and PR flacks like they're dusting dirt of their shoulders, it has to make everyone on down a trifle nervous.

Besides a staggering drop in car sales, this industry is feeling a big bite from tire manufacturers to car bloggers, Collector auctions to specialty tuners.

What it means for this particular auto journo is a big, fat freeze on travel. I got in a trip to Lajitas, Texas for the Inaugural Shelby Terlingua Bullrun and Chili Cook-off, during which I was granted a private interview with Carroll Shelby, rode co-pilot with legendary racer Bob Bondurant in a road rally, and found my new love, the Super Snake. I was an incredible weekend in Big Bend, something I won't ever forget.

Barrett-Jackson's First Collector Car Auction in Las Vegas is out, so is SEMA. Travel is extremely expensive these days and the publications who employ me do not provide reimbursement. Not whining, mind you, just acknowledging the state of affairs.

With fewer new cars to review, the news reporting being all of the bad variety, and limited ability to cover out-of-state car events, it looks as though my job will downsize to that of an enthusiast/blogger. And hey, that's not so bad.

Racing around the Texas desert in a variety of incredible Shelby vehicles with Carroll Shelby, Bill Neale, Bob Bondurant, a few terrific media types (and one less so), the Terlingua Racing Team, and a bunch of crazy Shelby enthusiasts is a pretty good last hurrah, if it comes down to that.

Ikh darf es vi a lokh in kop

(Yiddishe for "I need this like a hole in the head")


Some yutz wrote an email to one of the local media fleet car service companies claiming to be an acquaintance of mine and advising the reader that I was a great big phony and didn't really write for the publication I claim to write for. Furthermore, according to this shmendrik, I didn't write for anyone at all and just like joyriding in media fleet cars. A link was provided to this here blog, as evidence that I was some kind of BLOGGER and not a real auto journo.

Here's what Mr. Stupid doesn't know:

The recipient of that email contacted me right away. The recipient of that email knows me, my work, and my editor at the publication for whom I am a regular contributor.

My editor, having talked with the email recipient, wrote me a note on an email correspondence we had regarding my upcoming review of the 2009 Ford Flex. He wrote: "Do you know a [Asshole's Pseudonym]?"

The recipient of that email provided me with the 2009 Ford Flex. To date, this is the only vehicle I have used from either of the media fleet car services in town.

I have a record of every single ISP that visits this site and, if I so desired, could hunt the little sucker down and threaten him with libe/defamation/online harassment charges, or something.

Let's see, someone local, who works in the biz, with an axe to grind, who probably resents my intrusion into their free car scam. Yeah, I have a pretty good idea who this is. And I think public humiliation is enough punishment.

More importantly, I really dig the Ford Flex and will report back on this blog on it, just as soon as I am finished writing my contracted review for a major automotive publisher. Oh, and all the time I need to spend being a great big phony, of course!

Wedding on Wheels

Being something of a car nut by profession and avocation, I am not the kind of bride who is likely to tool around in a stretch Hummer limo.

To solve my transportation needs I went to all of my sources in the industry to ask about alternative wedding transportation. After discarding the crazy (Segway, tractor, golf cart) and the ridiculous (horse and carriage, hayride), I settled on gas-powered, street legal and featuring at least two axles:

(Keeping in mind that my wedding is during Labor Day weekend, immediately following the Democratic National Convention in Denver.)

Limo Service:

Cost: $100/hr and up

Offer: Standard Lincoln Town Car, sound system and party lighting, some included champagne and one even included balloons and cake. Nothing can shake the Prom feel, however.

Verdict: No thanks.

Classic Car:

Cost: $350 for one 20 minute drive.

Offer: In this case, a jaw-dropping '59 Cadillac Coupe DeVille in pristine condition. The owner does not rent out his car, but he will drive you from one place to another. As awesome as this car would look in our wedding pictures and forever in my memories, I don't have the budget for it.

Verdict: Sorry!

Journalist's car service

Cost: $0, but integrity is priceless

Offer: What a staggering number of non-working automotive journalists (i.e. freeloading bums) here in Colorado do when they need wheels is call one of the car services that provides us actual working writers with review cars. Since they now have chummy relationships with the car services people, they all got to zoom around and giggle and honk at onlookers in the Audi R8 that was only in town for two days and which I did not get to review, because everyone hates me for bitching about this completely unprofessional behavior.

Verdict: Never.

Rental

Cost: $200 with helpful coupons, gas

Offer: One week with a Chevrolet Suburban. Unlimited mileage, no cheesy lights or thumping club music, no guilt, and room for the bachelorette party on Friday, the shuttling around on Saturday, and the big wedding drive on Sunday.

Verdict: See you on Friday, rental car company!
Stay tuned for pictures...

Whither Trouble?

It's tough out there for a pimp, and also for a freelance automotive journalist. Plus, summer is slower for work and busier for fun, in the form of awesome car sightings — a crop of Audi R8s are running around town — classic car shows, drag racing, and, of course, road trips.

Besides teaching web editing classes and doing various Vice Presidential things for the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press, I plan to contribute to the autofiends as often as they'll allow, and work on hooking up a little fuel cell thingy on the family car. I'll keep you posted on that impending disaster.

Do check out the autofiends site — it's smart coverage and well-written articles, without all the pissing contents of other auto sites.

P.S. The image above is the intellectual and artistic property of the artist Coop. I am a huge fan. If you like it, check out the rest of his collection of fine art, collectibles and wicked stickers and stuff: Coop

Hello Again, Gorgeous!

Many cars were on display at the 2008 Denver Auto Show, including the Chevy Volt concept, the Hyundai Genesis production model, Car of the Year Audi R8 and a slew of hybrid this-and-thats and a smattering of Italian supercars. None could compete with the lovely Corvette ZR1, my million-dollar baby.

It's good to see the revamped and focused new Denver Auto Show and I'm grateful that I was granted access to the cars and the manufacturer's reps. Oh yes, there were rich dinners at fancy-pants eateries, hosted by those reps. Nicer still is the chance to talk one-on-one with engineers with the insider-ist of knowledge and getting face time with PR managers helps make future contacts immeasurably better.

I think I have a horrible condition: something about fine cuisine and rare wine gives me Loudmouth Horribulis. Normally professional and soft-spoken, all it takes is a perfect sirloin and a delicious Malbec and suddenly I'm Fran Drescher in full roar.

...And I didn't have to travel to this show, stay in an overpriced hotel room, and struggle with the GPS in a strange city. It all came right to me this time and yes, it was good.

Photo by Joshua T. Bekerman Photography, who had the audacity to fart in the ZR1's front seat

Preen

Photo Courtesy Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions

Check out my Chapter Two in the ZR1 Saga!

Check out Chapter One!