I thought I’d have a little fun with a new series – national automotive icons. Which car is the best representative from that country’s manufacturers? I was going to start the series right here in Australia, but I have to resolve some inner personal conflicts as to what’s eligible. Eg. the Camry is manufactured here and in big numbers, but […]
Next weekend will see the thirteenth – and final – Swedish Car Day run by my mate Pierre Belperron on behalf of the Village Auto Group and what used to be Charles River Saab. Pierre was kind enough to invite me to the 2010 Swedish Car Day and I can testify to it being an absolutely outstanding event. There are
Sniff Petrol didn’t take this dig at the number of silver/grey Audis on the road, so I felt compelled to. Ironically, Audi are quite happy with 50 Shades of Grey as the characters in the book Vorsprung their way down the road in – you guessed – Audis. Grey ones, no doubt. Click. —
I received this query earlier today with permission to share it on site. Your input would be welcomed. Scenario: You are the owner of a 10 year old car which you bought second hand 2 years ago from a used-car lot in Melbourne. From day 1 of your ownership it has had an annoying symptom of being difficult to drive
Selling your car – Should you disclose minor faults? Read Post »
Whoa, Mama!! The story continues, via press release from Spyker Cars. —— Zeewolde, the Netherlands, 6 August 2012, Spyker N.V. ( Spyker ) announced that it has filed a complaint against General Motors Company ( GM ) in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan today at 08.00 AM EST. Spyker filed the complaint in its
Spyker file $3Billion lawsuit against General Motors Read Post »
Previously in this series: Does social media work in the automotive industry? How I think social media should work in the automotive industry – DOs and DONTs Social media at Alfa Romeo – Part 1 – Overview ….. my take on Alfa’s current social media efforts Social media at Alfa Romeo – Part 2 – The Hub ….. using a
Social Media at Alfa Romeo – Part 3 – Putting it all together Read Post »
Last week I wrote about my Subaru Brumby problems, with the car proving very difficult to start in cold weather. The car started OK most of the time if it was used day-to-day, but give it a two or three day break and it just wouldn’t start. Last Friday I flattened the battery trying to get the car started, so
When I was at Saab I was amazed at some of the services we were outsourcing and how much they cost. My perception was that the costs associated with this were negotiated to some degree, but mostly just accepted. It seemed to have become an ingrained behaviour, most likely under GM’s ownership of the previous 20 years. Saab’s ownership changed,
Car company profitability shouldn’t be that hard with this sort of stuff going on Read Post »
I hate admitting this. I’ve rarely bought a bad car over the years, but my recent purchase of a Subaru Brumby is making me sweat, swear and wish I’d never set eyes on this little runabout. I bought this car because a) I wanted a ute, and b) the Brumby has a reputation for being bullet-proof both in terms of
My Subaru Brumby is quite possibly the most unreliable car I’ve ever owned Read Post »
This is a long one and not many people are going to read it. That’s OK. It’s mostly a mental exercise for me and if the people at Alfa Romeo are doing their job properly, it’ll come up on their feed and they might be interested, too. —— This question about Alfa Romeo and social media is more relevant than
This series all started when I asked people whether social media works in the automotive industry. Well, yes and no. I then offered my generalised social media DOs and DON’Ts for car companies. I also promised a case study, one of the companies that I love, and one that I don’t think does social very well – Alfa Romeo. So
