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Episode 41 – Nuro’s and Bronco’s oh my…

The Autopodcast that can still have fun at Christmas Shows!

#ICYMI, here are our last few year’s worth. 

We hope everyone had a happy holiday season, and 2021 is treating you well. We hope to roll into the spring with even more new episodes, guests and automotive conversation for you all to enjoy. Maybe a few Chevy Berettas to laugh at, too.

Sponsors

Fort’s Toyota of Pekin

Casey Law Office / Arena Esports

Patreon

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to support us on Patreon!  Your preshow for Episode 41 was extra fun, hope you enjoyed it!

Feedback

Marvin sent us a great email and told us he is starting a DIY garage in North Carolina…  We are very curious about this and hope that we can get some more details on a future show.   The Honey Do Garage

Shanon works at a car dealership out east and wanted us to be a little more clear about the name of the website…  It’s Throwin’ Wrenches dot com…  No G’s here peeps!

Race Daily Kill

Today, we’re rolling back the clock to 1993, when there were still such things as modestly-priced performance coupes. $20k could get you some spicy new wheels and leave enough left in your account for a Taco Bell Chalupa or two.

Out of these three cars, which one would you choose to #RaceDailyKill?  

Car 1993 Honda Prelude Si 1993 Ford Probe GT 1993 Chevy Beretta GTZ
Engine 2.3 / 160hp H23A1 

DOHC 4-cylinder

2.5 / 164hp 4EAT

DOHC V-6

2.3 / 180hp Quad 4 

DOHC N/A 4-cylinder

Transmission 5-speed manual 5-speed manual 5-speed manual
Original MSRP $20,000 $15,174 $15,995

International NewsWhere in the World is Carlos Goshn

Criticizing Tokyo Prosecutors, U.N. Panel Says Carlos Ghosn’s Human Rights Were Violated  (Forbes)  Peter Lyon 

“In a harsh criticism of Tokyo prosecutors, human rights were violated during Carlos Ghosn’s 130-day detention in a Japanese jail says a U.N. panel. The ex-Nissan CEO was arrested in November 2018 in Tokyo for under-reporting his compensation to the tune of £80 million. He was later rearrested on related charges and then a third and fourth time on suspicion of using company assets improperly.”

In the meantime, former Nissan CEO Carlos Goshn has been shooting his mouth off at the Japanese while sitting in his Lebanon holdout, asking why they don’t come and question him.  (Remember Pearl Harbor Carlos?  Careful what you ask for!)  The French, on the other hand, are planning on a visit very soon!  Good luck with that!

Potential Rabbit hole material: Peter Lyons or Peter Lyon? 

What are the chances that two automotive writers share a common name?

Pete Lyons and Pete Lyon

Kia Unveils New Brand Logo and Slogan

Source: Automotive NewsNo photo description available.

Kia has unveiled a new, more modern, script-like brand logo to replace its aged oval mark and help jumpstart the South Korean carmaker’s planned brand relaunch. As part of the makeover, Kia Motors Corp. has also adopted a new slogan: Movement that Inspires. The new emblem and catchphrase were both unveiled Wednesday during a pyrotechnical display in the skies above Incheon, South Korea, that used 303 drones launching fireworks.

Peugeot Shareholders Approve Autos Mega-Merger with Fiat

Source: Rueters

Shareholders in Peugeot owner PSA gave the green light on Monday to the French company’s merger with Fiat Chrysler (FCA), one of the last steps towards creating the world’s fourth largest automaker. At a special shareholder meeting, the deal to form the new company called Stellantis was first backed by top investors with double voting rights, including the Peugeot family, China’s Dongfeng and the French state, via Bpifrance

Electric Cars Hit Record 54% of Sales in Norway as VW eclipses Tesla

Source: CNN Business

Battery electric vehicles accounted for more than half of all cars sold in Norway last year, putting the country way out in front in efforts to kill off the internal combustion engine. And Tesla (TSLA) lost its sales crown to the Volkswagen Group. Norway is using huge tax incentives to help ensure that every new passenger car and van sold in the country by the end of 2025 is a zero-emission vehicle. Record electric vehicle sales in 2020 means the country is now ahead of schedule, according to Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, CEO of the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV). The market share of electric cars in Norway increased to 54% in 2020 from 42% the previous year, according to data published by OFV on Tuesday. When hybrid vehicles are included, the share of electrified vehicles hit 83% last year. Petrol and diesel cars, which had a combined market share of 71% in 2015, now have just 17%

The Reason Apple did not buy Tesla

Source: The Hustle

According to a hip Email that Eric gets, The Hustle, there are a few reasons that Elon and Apple just don’t mix.

It’s actually a fun newsletter that comes out a few times a week. Of course, they are trying to sell you something, but who isn’t?  Did I mention the Scion I have for sale?

Subscribe here: https://thehustle.co/?ref=313c0d2cf9

National News

Calif. Awards First Autonomous Permit

Source: AdaptAutomotive.com

Dec. 31, 2020—California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has issued the state’s first autonomous vehicle deployment permit.  According to Palo Alto online, Nuro, a technology company, received the permit in order to operate autonomous vehicles to make grocery deliveries to the public.  Now that Nuro has acquired the permit, it can begin to profit off of its deliveries. 

Broncos will be delayed

Source: Car and Driver

The 2021 Ford Bronco off-road-focused SUV’s arrival is being delayed a few months due to coronavirus-related supplier delays, Ford confirmed to Car and Driver this afternoon. It was originally scheduled for a spring 2021 launch, but now the two- and four-door models won’t arrive until the end of the summer, and the Sasquatch version with the manual transmission will be even later. Ford did not disclose which suppliers are experiencing COVID-19-related issues. Orders were originally set to open on December 7 but are now delayed until mid-January.

Jeep Upfitting… Done Before it Hits the Local Car Lot

Source: Car and Driver

Jeep is reportedly planning to expand further into the world of factory customs by opening a dedicated facility near where it builds the Wrangler and Gladiator in Toledo, Ohio. According to the Toledo Blade, Jeep will build a customization facility on a complex of properties formerly owned by Textileather and MedCorp, the most recent of which shut down in 2013. Fiat Chrysler is paying $1 for the site and plans to build a new 250,000-square-foot facility on it.

Orphan Car Show Creator, Jack Carl Miller, Passes

Source: The Detroit Bureau

Many new car dealers love the brands they sell. But few, if any, continue to sell the brand once it’s failed. That wasn’t true of Jack Carl Miller, who died Mon., Dec. 28, 2020, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Miller was 82, and known for running the business his father started, Miller Motor Sales, long after the brand it sold, Hudson, had faded from the scene. Later on, he went on to establish the Orphan Car Show with Randy Mason.

Local News

Illinois DOT Projects Aim to Bolster Peoria

Source: Transport Topics News Magazine

BTW…  TTNEW.com? Who knew that a publication devoted to tranportation topics existed?

Moment of Musk

Tesla Model S “Plaid”: Price, Release Date and Specs for the Supercharged EV

0 to 60 in 2.1 seconds… Fastest production car in history…  And this news story is old…  That’s all you need to know!

Eric apologizes for not vetting his Elon intrigue a little harder.  It will not happen again!

In the meantime:  Are Tesla owners all “down” with Mel Brooks references and fart jokes?   We totally get it, but wonder if the folks in the black Northface coats drinking expensive Starbucks drinks know how to laugh at that kind of humor.  (The world needs more of it!)

Cars of the “WEAK”

Eric:  2005 Toyota Century

14,919 with 75000 Kilometers on an importer site.  Carfromjapan.com 

We talked about the Toyota Century a few times off the air and Eric finally pulled the trigger (mentally) and found a sweet 2005 Toyota Century sitting in Japan just waiting to be imported to Baltimore in 6 months.  No worries, Eric will have this Japanese monster in his virtual garage in minutes.

Now the real question:  Can you drive this car without feeling like you’re the hired help?


Daryl: 1939 Plymouth Deluxe 2-door sedan-  $6,500.

From the Plymouth Owner’s Club on Facebook: 

I’m listing my 1939 Plymouth P8 Deluxe for sale for $6,500. I bought this recently and have done nothing to it. It had been garaged for 20 years. Engine turns freely but doesn’t run. I don’t have the time to work on this like I had expected. Located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Super easy fix or rebuild. This likely has sold already, but it would be a prime example of stuff that’s out there and just begging for someone to take it to the next level or put it back on the road. Look at this Art Deco masterpiece. Cheap for what it is… and would fill a nice void for a 30’s car in the Scott collection. 

Thanks for listening!

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