Drew Dowdell

Eh, mostly down low, and it is still faster than an Escalade V, which is faster than the G-Wagon AMG and in more than a 1/4 mile an F-150 Raptor. Also eh... our infrastructure is built for 80,000 lb tractor trailers, and lots of them. It won't notice something 1/10th of that.

In Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that a tiny change can result in massive changes later. The simple act of a butterfly flapping its wings could set into motion a series of events that change the weather. In the summer of 2018, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the organization responsible for putting together the Detroit Auto Show, more formally known as the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, announced that beginning in 2020, the show would move in the calendar from its traditional time in January to a summer month to allow for exhibits and demonstrations outside of what was then Cobo Hall. Little did the show organizers know, but they may have changed the course of history for millions of people. The final January show in Detroit was in 2019. It was also the last time I attended after ten straight years of reporting directly from the show. I was looking forward to the summer shows in Detroit. The weather for the January shows has always been unpredictable. There have been years when it has been pleasantly mild and years where I’m driving through unplowed snow six inches deep and then having to schlep to the Cobo Center in dress shoes. Even with the poor weather, the Detroit Auto Show was always an exciting time to see the newest products and catch up with industry friends. There was no Detroit show in 2020, nor was there a New York show, Chicago show, or Los Angeles show, for reasons we all understand in 2023. In the years following, the already struggling shows were cut down significantly, if they even ran at all. Yesterday, I received my media credential for the 2023 North American International Auto Show, taking place in Detroit, starting September 13th. While I’ve registered for the credentials to various shows since 2021, this show in September will be the first I plan to attend since 2019. Thinking back, I realized how our recent history with Covid may have been very likely changed by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association’s desire to move the show outdoors. It is highly likely that this simple change in the schedule saved millions of lives. I can remember hearing about this strange new virus in China in December 2019. I had recently left a position that I had held for 14 years and, armed with a very generous severance package, had decided to take a few months off to recuperate from burnout. We already knew that the Detroit auto show was not going to happen until the summer, so I took all of January off with the intent to start looking for work in February. History being what it was, I wouldn’t work full-time again until May 2020. But consider the significance of NAIAS’s move to the summer; Wuhan is China’s 9th largest city, having a population of over 11 million. It is one of China’s most important industrial and research centers and, as such, is home to a large number of automobile part suppliers. Those automobile parts suppliers send reps to all the major auto shows globally. December 31st, 2019 On New Year’s Eve 2019, Covid-19 was officially identified. Though it is now known that the earliest known infection was a person who fell ill on December 1st, 2019, there is also a possible earlier case on November 17th. I can tell you from experience that those of us in the U.S. who attend the Detroit auto show have our travel booked at least a month in advance, so it is likely that individuals who would be traveling internationally would have booked even earlier. And remember, before Covid, we did not have the mentality of “if you’re sick, stay home”. For an event as large and as important as the Detroit Auto Show, you just sucked it up and went. I am guilty of this myself. Before Covid-19, I would still attend the show even if I was feeling a little under the weather. January 15th, 2020 Sixteen days after being officially identified, the seven-day rolling average for Covid-19 related deaths was nearly 8,000, mostly in China. January 15th is also traditionally the first or second day of the Detroit Auto Show, and Wuhan was still nine days away from lockdown. California, the first state in the US to lock down, was still two months away. A series of unfortunate events… that didn’t happen From here, it is not hard for anyone who has attended Media Days at any auto show to imagine the rest of the scenario. Auto shows are crowded affairs. Journalists and industry spies juggling to get access to the latest product or talk to manufacturers’ representatives. Shaking hands, talking in close quarters, and a distinct lack of respect for personal space is basically required. Nearly no one wears a mask. With several hundred to over a thousand visitors coming into Detroit from Wuhan, the Detroit Auto Show would have been not A super spreader event, but THE super spreader event. This massive gathering of thousands of people in close quarters from all over the globe would have accelerated the pandemic on an unimaginable scale. The virus would have been taken back to cities across the US, Europe, and Asia in large numbers a full two months earlier and caused the pandemic to be far worse and far more rapid than what we went through. Returning to Normalcy Prior to Covid, working at the Detroit Auto Show could be a 14+ hour day. One year, I remember a 5 a.m. wake-up call to make a 6 a.m. Porsche press conference and then a series of events that lasted well into the evening. Those days are gone now, and the Detroit Show is a shell of its former self. This year, we expect five or fewer reveals, and even those might be simple facelifts or trim packages. But one of the reasons that's happened is because attendance and coverage has dropped so significantly. Manufacturers don’t see the value in a show with a low attendance rate. I know it’s not going to be like the old days, but it will never come back if we continue to stay away. With that in mind, though the news from the show will still be thin this year, I will be covering the show in person once again, this time with a mask and some butterflies. View full article

That was a favorite of mine growing up. This was another favorite.

lol, we might need a fitness thread too. I have never been built, I was always the trim/cut swimmers build right up until 2020 when the pandemic, a very sedentary job, and my 40s conspired together to build a dad bod and I gained 35 lbs, none of it muscle. In mid-July, work started a weight loss challenge where participants can win up to $500... so that made cookies really not worth it. At 5-weeks in, I'm down 17.4 lbs on a strict diet + swimming laps 3 times a week. The goal for the contest is being down 25 lbs by October 2nd, and shockingly, I'm in 5th place. After the contest is over, I'm going to keep it going and I'm aiming for 35 lbs down by November 7th, my birthday. I might aim for 50lbs down by Christmas with the goal of a swimmers body by then.

Here's my Sturhling Bar Automatic, my favorite watch, I mentioned yesterday

Haven’t had one of these since 2019. I know it’s not going to be like old days, but it will never come back if we keep not going.

This. I think the cheap market might be dead, because once people have a smartwatch they'll wear that over the $45 one they got at Target. But when I don't wear my Apple watch, I wear one of my automatics because I'm dressing up more formally or trying to look snazzy for something. Apple watches aren't ugly, but they're no longer special or interesting.

I don't think it will be dead, but I think it will be more specialized. My daily wear watch is my Apple watch because I track health stats with it. I have to aggressively remove apps that send too many notifications to it.

I don't have much knowledge of watches and don't really care about pedigree. I'll never buy a watch just because of the name brand. I tend to like them in two styles. I like either a classic, minimalist, Deco style, or as a skeleton style. I always prefer an automatic and don't really shop outside of that category ever. One thing I've never liked is metal watch bands. I find they snag on my arm hair or just about anything else that's around. My favorite watch I've had for about 6-8 years now is a Sturhling Bridge Automatic. They still produce the bridge model, but no longer as an automatic. I'll get a picture of it when I'm home. This Stauer Dashtronic is one I've admired for a while and not sure why I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet.

Parked next to this at the Barnes and Noble today. Never seen one with the body colored grille like this. I think it looks really sharp!

And voila! A Watch and Timepiece thread (I like clocks too, so both can go in here.)

I spotted this one at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix this year on a Rover. I don't think the company ever used this and it's an aftermarket by the owner, but I still like it.

Do we need a watch appreciation thread?

I mean, that was a no-brainer for Honda/Acura since they're going to use the Ultium platform. They just needed to negotiate the contractual stuff with Tesla on their own.

Ford and Lincoln did use a greyhound a few decades before the Mustang and that hood ornament was pretty cool I don't think everything has to be "badass" like a Mustang or a Viper. But check out these other ones that have been used: Bugatti: MAZ (a russian brand), Lambo isn't the only one that uses a bull.

Keep dreaming lol! you'll end up in an old fusion or escape.

Well, if it is a dealer that you pass by on occasion, stop in and peek at the window sticker and let us know.

I'd love one of these in black with the deep merlot leather interior

Yeah, but I think I want a consolidated page. Less of an article and more of a chart.

"Fleet" can really mean anything. A plumbing business with three trucks qualifies. I wonder if there is any ADM on them. A lot of times it won't be reflected on the website, it will be a sticker next to the monroney in the window.

Fisker and Rivian plan to offer it in an OTA update.

I am thinking about opening an EV page on here with links to things like home charging, EV-specific tires, Apps for locating chargers, and ideally, a news feed of any EV-related news, a list of which companies are using which standard (and when any change goes into effect). What else do you think it should include?

I need to make up a list of who has joined the NACS bandwagon. I'm thinking about building an EV resources page on here for stuff like that.

On this day 129 years ago, August 21st, 1897, Oldsmobile was founded by Ransom E. Olds. Oldsmobile was always a leader in technology, leading the way for features like the Automatic transmission, front-wheel drive in mass market cars, overhead valve V8s, GPS and more. Olds styling was typically subdued and handsome rather than brash and garish (except for 1958). Usually a best seller, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was often the top selling nameplate in the US in the 1970s and 1980s. And though a technology leading division for GM in the late 1990s, the public couldn't get around the name "Oldsmobile" and along with GM's financial troubles, GM decided to fold the marque after 107 years of production. You've all seen my 1981 Oldsmobile Toronado, but what are some of your favorite models of Olds from any year. A view through the decades: