Anybody that has ever had an appreciation of classic cars knows that the annual Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the can’t-miss events of the calendar year.
Held annually at Michigan’s legendary Woodward Avenue, the world’s largest classic car cruise is shaping up to have another memorable 2011 staging, complete with over 30,000 classic vehicles and an attendance that’s expected to reach well over 1.5 million people.
This year, the Chevrolet-sponsored event will be held on August 20th when you’ll see some of your favorite cars in history. An event like this brings out all types of cars from different generations. You name it, it’s there: from hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars, rat rods, art cars, TV cars, and everything else in between. In fact, at least one of every type of Mustang model made since the car debuted in April 1964 will be in attendance, as well as the Shelby GT500, both street and racing versions of the Boss 302, and the Mustang GT and V6 Coupe with performance package. Getting back to the main sponsor, Chevrolet, the Detroit-based company is bringing many cars from their past, present, and future, including the Cruze, Camaro, Corvette, Volt, Sonic, and ZL1 Camaro.
If you happen to be in the area this weekend, you’ll get a first-hand look at some of those classic rides that you’ll have the chance to check off of your bucket list. But if you’re not within the vicinity, you can still keep up-to-date with the latest happenings courtesy of the event’s official radio station, 104.3 WOMC. Head over to the WOMC website and find out everything you need to know about the Woodward Dream Cruise 2011.
Ford and Chevrolet have been competing since the beginning and with today’s challenging economic times, the rivalry has grown even more fierce. It was not so long ago that car dealerships were selling hundreds of vehicles a day and running out of inventory. Ford and Chevrolet could produce any vehicle of any quality level and have it be a top seller. As the consumer has grown more conscious and more knowledgeable, the business of selling automobiles has grown more difficult.
It is hard to negate the fact that the American auto manufacturers have made leaps and bounds in terms of quality and sustainability for the vehicles they produce. These companies have begun to emerge from the financial crisis and are plotting their return to dominance. New marketing tactics have helped lead the charge and get the consumer thinking about their products. One of the best ways to do this is by having the consumer be able to test the vehicles in a non-sales environment.
At the Barrett Jackson auction in Orange County, both Ford and Chevrolet had ride and drive events set up to stimulate the car enthusiasts at the auction. Without paying any money or being hassled by a greasy car salesman, I was able to test drive the full range of new General Motors products as well as several different Ford rides. After completing some test drives, I was then whipped around the track by a professional driver in a Corvette ZR1 which left little doubt in my mind that these companies know how to show off their stuff.
Hit the jump for more details on the Ride and Drive experience.
The Geneva Motor Show is now in the rear-view mirror, which means that the spotlight has now turned to the New York Auto Show this coming April, and if there’s one thing that we can all look forward to in New York, it’s that it will be the site of the 2011 World Car of the Year awards.
All in all, 39 vehicles were included in the initial entry list comprising of new cars from all over the world. From these 39 cars, the list was whittled down to ten finalists with the top three contenders from these 10 cars receiving the final nominations for the 2011 World Car of the Year title.
The cars that are subject for nomination are selected and voted on by an international jury panel consisting of 66 automotive journalists from 24 countries around the world. Each member of the panel has been appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the merits of their experience, credibility, and influence within the auto industry in their respective countries and, to an extent, in the region.
Eligibility for the World Car award is important in determining which cars can be nominated for the awards. This year, all candidates for the awards must become available for sale on at least two continents from January 1, 2010 to May 30, 2011.
Apart from the World Car of the Year title, other awards that will be announced at the New York Auto Show include the World Performance Car of the Year, the World Green Car of the Year, and the World Car Design of the Year.
Check out all the nominated cars for each of the categories after the jump.
It must be a good sign for the auto industry to see so many car brands coming out with their own commercials for the Super Bowl. We don’t know how much each commercial spot costs but we heard it’s somewhere around $2 million, making Super Bowl Sunday one of the most important, if not THE most important day of the year in the advertising circles.
For their part, Chevrolet spared no expense with the number of commercials they made specifically for the Super Bowl. Centered on the tag line "Chevy Runs Deep", each ad features a marketing spot for a number of Chevy-branded vehicles, including the Cruze, Cruze Eco, Volt, Camaro, and Silverado HD with a number of unique plots for each of the ads.
We’re not going to spoil anything, but we do have to say that Chevy hit some funny bones with their ads. Out personal favorites include "Tommy" and "Status", with "Ms. Evelyn" also places right up there for the all the meaty guys watching the game.
Check all the ads after the jump and get your fix of all of them before watching the game. At least you’ll be ahead on some of your friends on that department.
A few days ago Chevrolet announced that the first 350 Volts would be delivered to customers in California, Texas, Washington D.C., and New York. We should have guessed that one of those vehicles would land in the hands of fellow car enthusiast, Jay Leno. The guy has everything anyway, why not a new Volt?
Being an automotive connoisseur, Leno’s first act as a Volt owner was to compare the vehicle with the electric models on the market. He may not feature vehicles like the Volt very often in his Garage, but he insists that this car will be his daily driver. He also says that “electricity is like sex, people lie about it” and that the Volt has "electricity when you need it and gas when you really want it."
The Chevrolet Volt is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery runs low, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to more than 300 miles before refueling or stopping to recharge the battery. The downside at the gas pump is that the Volt has to be filled with premium gas, but at least you won’t be visiting the gas station as often.
