I featured a number of these last week, but here’s a full run-down of all the Super Bowl car ads shown during the big game in 2013.
Audi – “Prom”
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RAM and Jeep
After the “Imported from Detroit” ad of a few years ago and last year’s “Halftime in America”, Fiat’s American brands are pulling at the patriotic heartstrings once again.
This time, Jeep calls out to families of war veterans with “Whole Again”
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….. and RAM quite possibly steal the whole ad show with little more than a wonderful 1978 narrative and some nice images all tied up in a PowerPoint slideshow – “God Made a Farmer”
This 9-4x is currently available in a salvage auction in Brookhaven, New York. The auction finishes in just under 3 days from the time of writing and bidding is at $3,400USD.
Sad stuff. Remember, there were only 467 of these cars built. That number is now known to be down to 465.
My thanks to Mark McCourt at Hemmings for the tip!
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I had some interesting, brief conversations over the weekend.
One was with a former Saab guy, now working for a rising Korean manufacturer after spending some time with GM in Germany. He absolutely loved working for Saab Automobile and was sad to leave a few years ago but felt compelled for various reasons. He described the atmosphere at his current employer as being very, very positive and progressive – “a lot like how Saab used to be” were his words.
It’s amazing the difference a bit of security and an upward trend can make.
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The second conversation mentioned the first company I’ve heard of that will use eAAM’s electric rear drive system – the one that would have debuted in Saab’s Phoenix-based 900.
The company is Qoros, a Chinese-based but very much Europe-focused branch of Chery. Qoros will be exhibiting their first products at the Geneva Motor Show next month. And indeed, their Geneva preview press release mentions the following:
The development of advanced engineering innovations is a core strategic activity for Qoros and the Cross Hybrid Concept features an innovative hybrid drive system. Intelligent control software ensures seamless transition between petrol-engined front-wheel drive, electric motor rear-wheel drive, and an all-wheel drive mode employing both power units together.
That description should sound very familiar to a Saab fan.
Qoros’ launch cadence:
The first model of the new brand, Qoros GQ3, will be introduced on the Chinese automobile market during the second half of 2013, and the first cars will be sold in Europe later in the year. Subsequently, additional models are planned in intervals of approximately six months.
Incidentally, it’s not the first time you’ve heard the Qoros name on this site. I mentioned Qoros here a few months ago as the company has around half of Saab’s PR division in its ranks.
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Oh how I wish I was going to Geneva. I got my accreditation, but I couldn’t justify the logistics.
Catching up with Saab people would have been on the agenda and Spyker is on the rumour mill as showing a Porsche 911 class concept vehicle. Personally, I don’t expect that to be the case, but Spyker will be at the Geneva show and it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve got and whether the partnership with Youngman has progressed.
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Also on show at Geneva should be the production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C – quite possibly the most anticipated production Alfa ever, given the critical state the brand is in at the moment.
The 4C won’t be as exclusive as the 8C. It’ll be accessible to a lot more people and it’s Alfa’s first shot at genuine re-establishment as a proper sporting brand. Consider it as Sergio’s last shot at Alfa salvation. If the product program headed by the 4C fails, a sale of Alfa might be inevitable.
The Alfa Romeo 4C was spotted in testing late January and is looking goooooooooooood. More images available at Motor Trend.
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And speaking of Alfa Romeo…..
I’ve been asked to take over editorial at the magazine of our local Italian Car Club. Expect to see more Italian car news on this site as I continue to stoke my interest and gather material for use in that magazine.
Tonight’s movie was the new Denzel Washington film, Flight, directed by Robert Zemickis, otherwise known for his work with Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump and Cast Away.
Here’s the trailer, which goes for 2.5 minutes and should be watched in full to understand this review.
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Got it?
OK, forget what you just saw, because any notions of heroism and survivor guilt – the themes I get from that trailer – are not central to this film at all.
The fourth instalment of the Inside Koenigsegg series was released today and it’s another amazing insight into the level of detail that goes into these cars.
Remember, Koenigsegg are currently finishing just the 100th car in the company’s history. Economies of scale don’t exist here. If there was ever an element of the car where you could shave off some time or money, it might be some of the hidden areas in the interior. After all, they don’t do much to make it go faster or handle better, do they?
Like everything else, though, the smallest details matter. As Koenigsegg like to say:
Every single detail of a Koenigsegg car is measured against our continuing goal: to enhance vehicle performance. This is reflected in everything we do. Nothing is insignificant.
Imagine taxing your brain on such complexities as developing your own engine, your own suspension, your aerodynamics – all that fundamental performance car stuff – and then putting your mind to developing a special bespoke spring system for mounting the buttons on your dashboard. Unbelievable.
Enjoy this latest instalment.
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You can see Episode 1 of the Inside Koenigsegg Series (Carbon Fibre) here.
You can see Episode 2 of the Inside Koenigsegg Series (Triplex Suspension) here.
You can see Episode 3 of the Inside Koenigsegg Series (Perfect Paint) here.
It’s not a Monday, but after the Australia Day holiday yesterday it kind of feels like a Monday.
Historic Vision
Let’s start the week with a magical photo from one the companies that keeps on gaining traction on my automotive radar – Renault. Specifically, Renault’s sportier extensions: RenaultSport and Renault Alpine. This historic photo was spotted on Automobiliac and shows the Alpine factory in Dieppe chock full of A110s being prepped for racing.
It’s a curious development, for sure. The car looks fantastic but it’s interesting that it’s pulled such a high price after being restored to a completely non-factory appearance. SaabWorld has more photos and the auction ad describing the work done on the car.
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Corvette
AutoExtremist Pete DeLorenzo is right on the money when he suggests that Corvette should break away from Chevrolet and become its own sports car brand. Corvette is without a smidgen of doubt GM’s most respected vehicle and the fact that’s its linked to vehicles like the Sonic and the Silverado, however tenuously, is just crazy.
I don’t agree with a three-model strategy for Corvette, however. Any theoretical strategy that mentions the Solstice/Sky twins (again, however tenuously) is a strategy that’s doomed. Corvette doesn’t need a ‘younger’ car. It just needs extremely capable cars, which is apparently what it’s got. Just keep making them better.
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2012 Sales
Toyota have officially been named as the sales leader for 2012.
Toyota’s brands sold 9.75 million vehicles in 2012 opening a handy gap over GM with 9.29 million and then Volkswagen with 9.07 million.
Toyota’s 2012 sales were 22% up on 2011, which was adversely affected by poor press in the US (unintended acceleration stories) and supply problems after natural disasters in Asia. VW’s sales were an 11% rise on the year before, where GM’s sales were a rise of just 3%.
If those companies trend the same in 2013 as they did in 2012, expect VW to be the new world #2 at the end of this year.
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Loose lips sink ships
Some former Saab people have been handing around images of vehicles that they shouldn’t have been. You’ll most likely see them quite soon as various publications chase the story.
What those former Saab people either overlooked, or maybe didn’t realise or care about so much, is that the release of those images causes some damage to the value of the work done by the design team, some of whom never got paid despite continuing to work right up to Saab’s bankruptcy.
I benefited plenty from leaked imagery in the past with TS and SU. I can understand why the recipients are chasing the story. It’s their job. I just hope it’s treated responsibly by all concerned (which is the one thing I always tried to do with leaked material). I also hope that those who are leaking this stuff think twice about the damage they might be doing.
That sounds rich coming from me, I know, but having this material is one thing, knowing how to treat it something else completely.
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Advertising
It’s nearly Superbowl time, which means new car ads. As is the way since the rise of Youtube, etc, the ad shown on the day is often just one part of a larger campaign that starts before the big game.
Here are some of the early starters……
Toyota use BBT’s Penny as a genie. Mixed results.
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Audi encourage a bit of teenage hubris (and teenage speeding, which I don’t like in my old age).
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I can’t believe Mercedes Benz allowed this. It’s a preview ‘teaser’ for the new compact CLA and it’s only half a step ahead of a GoDaddy ad in terms of being totally devoid of class.
What a stupid way to launch a new vehicle from such a storied carmaker.
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Volkswagen have done some great superbowl ads in the last few years, the standout being the junior Darth Vader ad from a few years ago.
Apparently this is the real VW ad for the Superbowl this year:
Volkswagen have also released this ‘teaser’ online, which is a lot more satisfying to me as a story. Maybe the reason they’re using it as a web-only teaser is because it doesn’t feature a car. I still think it’s a better narrative, though.
![FLIGHT Trailer 2012 Denzel Washington Movie - Official [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xnVNNR6CEOE/hqdefault.jpg)
