According to “A History of the New York International Auto Show (1900-2000)” by Gregg D. Merksamer, the first step toward an annual New York exhibition devoted exclusively to automobiles of various makes and models, took place in June 1899, when 27 motor-minded gentlemen gathered at the old Waldorf- Astoria to launch the Automobile Club of [...]

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post about Jeep’s new marketing POV, here’s the ad!

Jeep has traditionally been branded as an outdoorsy macho kind of vehicle. I always think of the ads as catering to the guy market. That’s why I was intrigued when I saw a Jeep promo featuring a woman having her hair styled, then hopping into a convertible Wrangler and tossing her locks in the wind. [...]

The buzz is percolating about IndyCar star Danica Patrick going to NASCAR. Word is that Patrick’s people are talking to Dale Ernhardt Jr.’s reps,  but the jury is still out on who she will sign with. “A lot of people, I guess, thought that it was just a media hoax or her kind of blowing [...]

We know women rule, but how much? BIG TIME. A statistic from the Essential Guide to Selling to Women (Kaplan 2006) noted that women influence the purchase of 83% of all consumer products, including 95% of all vehicles sold in the United States. And they buy 50% of all new cars. But, the truth is; [...]

I’m not going to tell you anything new when I say that if you’re considering buying a set of wheels, the time is now. Deals have never been better, incentives are off the wall and as we get closer to the New Year, car costs will be decreasing even more. But, if you’re looking to [...]

On Monday I wandered over to Central Park in NYC for the kick-off of the Audi Mileage Marathon, a two week cross country drive that is showcasing 23 Audi TDI’s, their new clean diesel cars. The rally will end up in LA 4,800 miles later on October 20. The event was staged to illustrate how [...]

A car seat made of soybeans? Ford has been investigating soybeans, hemp and coconut fibers to reinforce plastic parts. Case in point, the 2008 Mustang had seats made with a 5 % soy-based foam, instead of the standard 100 % petroleum-based foam. The EnviroSeat prototype, developed with LEAR, has many components made from renewable resources [...]

Kanye West “The spirit of Essence is being absorbed into the spirit of the city. Take it back to your cities that we still have a lot to do in the gulf coast. Despite the bumbling of the recovery, the music plays loudly to our souls.” New Orleans Senator Mary Landrieu Indeed, the music played [...]

Bianca Turner, heroine of “If Looks Could Kill” Toyota is launching a new campaign and a new site to attract a new audience– professional African-American women. Even though Toyota’s Camry has been the best-selling car in America for the last nine out of 10 years, African-American consumers aren’t showing interest. “Here’s this nameplate that’s ubiquitous,” [...]