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6th Annual Breakthrough Car Show - 30th Anniversary of the Council at Pamplin Park
6th Annual Breakthrough Show dash plaque
The 6th Annual Breakthrough Car Show - 30th Anniversary of the Council will be at Pamplin Park, 6955 Duncan Road, Petersburg VA 23803. Judging classes for all makes, models and years - classes for every vehicle! Goody bags and dash plaques for the first 150 registered - participant voting. There will be Vendors and Food Trucks. DJ will spin Oldies. Free spectator admission, free parking plus discounted park entry - and plenty of parking for trailers. Door prizes, music, silent auction - all proceeds go to Historic Pamplin Park. ***NEW*** We will fire the cannon during the day and there will be musket demonstrations! Complete info, registration form, and everything is at this site: carclubcouncil.com/carshow
We need vendors and food trucks! Forms are below or you can contact Colin Romanick, Show Chairman, 804-861-2408 or email: aromanick@pamplinpark.org if you wish to be a vendor.
Food vendor form (PDF)
Vendor form (PDF)
How Do Cars Get Their Names? Art, Science, And A Legal Process
From Popular Science
Car names are forever, and automakers have a system in place to make it count.
Some people stress about naming a pet, vacillating between Steve and Spot and Bark Twain. Naming a child is even more fraught because parents generally don’t want their offspring to carry a burdensome name, one that lends itself to taunt-prone nicknames, or initials that spell something heinous (use your imagination on that one).
Naming a car isn’t always a cakewalk, either. Case in point: The poor Chevrolet Nova has been mocked for decades as the urban legend spread that the name resulted in low sales in Spanish-speaking countries. The name “Nova” was said to translate to no va, or “doesn’t go.” However, as linguistics experts point out, that doesn’t jive with Spanish language rules anyway. The myth has persisted, but it’s not true.
Unless it’s a car made by Christian von Koenigsegg or Mate Rimac, the vast majority of vehicles on the market are named by committee, so there is more research and less pressure on one person to bear the blame. Some automakers take the easy way and give their cars alphanumeric soup monikers. For instance, Mercedes-Benz names its cars by class from A to S. The brand’s S-class stands for the German word “sonderklasse,” meaning “special class.” In between, there are three-letter names like the GLA, GLB, and so on. Here’s a name that seems like it’s as long as the number Pi: 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e 4Matic. The car is so fun to drive and it gets such excellent fuel efficiency, though, you can forget about the name and just focus on the ride.
Naming a car usually requires a process
Jessica Fini, the assistant vice president of Communications for American Honda, says the company holds brainstorming meetings with key product planning members and other marketing, communications, and sales executives a few years out from the launch of a new vehicle. In that set of meetings, team members share the overall concept of the vehicle and describe its overarching traits.
Once the list of brainstormed names are compiled, they take a vote and poll again with the top name choices. Then the top three names are handed over to the legal department for background checks, meaning they are tasked with making sure other brands don’t already use them or have them on reserve, and they check to ensure the word doesn’t mean something negative in another language.
“Usually when we submit three names, there are a couple we cannot use so one comes out the winner,” Fini explains. “If all three are rejected, we go back to the longer list and re-submit.”
Fini says Honda’s words generally tie to a meaning. The Prologue, for example, is the automaker’s first mass-market EV (a prologue, or introduction, to a bigger selection). The Passport SUV is an adventure car, and passports are tied to adventures. Honda does have a few acronyms, like the CR-V: Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.
Toyota also uses the acronym naming convention. RAV4 stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with four-wheel-drive. Lexus’ RX stands for “Radiant Crossover (X).” Personally, I prefer the Crown, named for the Japanese word kanmuri (also kamuri), meaning crown.
The etymology of car names
Hyundai’s performance-focused names like N Line and N models pay homage to Hyundai’s Namyang research and development center and the Nürburgring racetrack, emphasizing precision engineering. Meanwhile, models like the Elantra (from “elan,” meaning energy) and Sonata (inspired by musical harmony) convey their unique personalities through language, says Elijah Kim, Hyundai senior group manager for market sensing and research.
“Hyundai’s vehicle naming strategy is a carefully crafted blend of geography, symbolism, and innovation, designed to evoke an emotional connection with drivers,” Kim explains. “Many models draw inspiration from real-world locations, such as Santa Fe, Tucson, and Kona, each reflecting a sense of adventure and lifestyle.”
The Palisade, symbolizing strength and protection, reinforces its role as a spacious and family-friendly SUV. Merriam-Webster defines the word palisade as “a fence of stakes especially for defense, further elevating the sense of safety.” Kim says as Hyundai embraces electrification, the IONIQ series merges “ion” and “unique” to signify a forward-thinking approach to mobility.
“With each name, Hyundai isn’t just branding a car—it’s telling a story, shaping how drivers perceive and connect with their vehicles,” Kim says. “As the industry moves toward intelligent, electrified transportation, Hyundai’s naming strategy will continue evolving, blending science, technology, and imagination.”
No one knows that better than Lamborghini, which has created an entire product line named for bulls that fought for their lives in the arena. The Miura is a breed of Spanish fighting bulls, Murciélago was a bull that reportedly fought off 28 sword strokes. The newest model named for a fighting bull, the Temerario, means fierce and courageous, according to Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann.
Jewels Found On Ebay
Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.
eBay item number: 205260226231
$14,500 Buy It Now
eBay description: Very Rough 67 fastback shell with some miscellaneous parts. Vin is on the inner apron. Sold with a GA registration
Look it's another "RustStang". Is that a strap holding it together? I think more parts are missing than are there and it's only 14.5K! Ford made millions of Mustangs and I can't understand (even if it is a fastback) why big prices for ones that are missing a ton of parts that are rough and rusty. You'd be better off buying one of those new body shells and building one than buying this one - that is if more stuff doesn't fall off getting towed to your place.
Next up is another "project".
eBay item number: 276857962679
$7,500.00
or Best Offer
eBay description: BUY IT NOW OR MAKE OFFER on this 1964 Chevy El Camino project that has been sitting for decades and is a rough project. It does have a 327 engine(HC block code)with a 4 speed manual transmission and 10 bolt rear end. It does appear to be a factory 4 speed. It have rust, condition of drivetrain unknown it has a clear New Mexico title. Please look at all the pictures and ask all questions before buying or making offer, you are welcome to come and inspect the car or have it inspected before buying or making offer it is a project that is in need of total restoration and sold as is where is, buyer is to pay all transport cost. If you have less than 50 feedback or you are outside the US please contact me before buying or making offer.
Buyer is to make a $500 none refundable deposit within 24 hours of sale and the balance is due in full within 7 days of sale.
Nothing like a solid Texas truck. Too bad this isn't one. Despite being from New Mexico and Texas this truck is rusty. It looks terrible and may be a better fate for it would have been to be used for parts. After decades of sitting it needs everything and you can't send it back to the Chevy factory for a "refresh". Gotta love the you need at least 50 feedbacks. This is because Ebay will let any idiot bid on vehicles and never buy them. I once listed a 57 Chevy on Ebay and a guy won the bid at the last second. I never heard from him but I did hear from another guy on Ebay who had the same guy "buy" his 57. He sent me a message asking if the guy had bought the one I listed. After sending a reply he sent back that the guy who bought both of the 57s had "bought" about 70 of them in the last month. He was in his 80s and after being the high bidder no one heard from him. Hopefully Ebay suspended him but I wouldn't put a wager on it.
eBay item number: 226646927528
$1.00 - no bids
eBay description: 1981 Land Rover project. This was a complete serviceable, running, and driving vehicle that we drove into our garage and disassembled to use portions of the body for another project. At the time of disassembly, it was a good running a driving vehicle, since that time a year ago, we've not made any attempt to start the engine or otherwise work on the mechanical components. This video was taken BEFORE we disassembled the vehicle in preparation for this sale, so that a buyer could at least hear it run in some regard, visit the video here: https://youtu.be/OcpnkTlh8D0?si=OnzUpoFeKGNtL3gS
Please study all of the photos posted and ask for clarification if you have any questions about parts included. All of the parts pictured around the chassis are included. The right rear passenger body, newer seats, seat frames, gas tank, floor, wheel/tire, passenger front door, passenger rear door, back door, and many many other parts are sold in one lot along with the chassis. Please know that this is ALL of the Land Rover parts we have so, if it's not pictured, we do not have it.
The last picture in the listing shows the actual vehicle that we dismantled, it is a representation of what these parts came off of. The complete vehicle is not included and is not for sale. This auction is for the parts lot project shown in the other 19 pictures.
This auction is sold as is, where is. The location is Chadwick, Illinois. That is conveniently west of Chicago. We can store the parts for 14 days after the end of the auction so that you have time to arrange pick up. We do have a forklift, it will not lift the chassis but, will lift the body panels and other parts and I am happy to help load these items. This is a buyer beware auction, I am not a Land Rover expert, but I am an honest seller happy to answer whatever questions that I can. There will be no returns accepted for any reason whatsoever. There will be no refunds offered whatsoever for any reason. I will not arrange shipping for you under any circumstances but am happy to work with your uShip guy or whoever you send to pick it up. As always and as common sense dictates the item must be paid in full and cleared funds before it leaves our garage with no exception.
There is NO title. You will receive a bill of sale noting the eBay auction, it's full sale price, and the seller information. Again, there is NO title included and there is NO title available.
Looks just like someone opened the box of a model car kit and laid everything out. No title - of course - and don't expect to be able to get one. Also of course is no refunds. The only question I'd like to ask the seller is why did some person or persons take this thing apart? Ebay added to the listing: People want this. 14 people are watching this. The bidding starts at one dollar and no one really wants this. It's a mess - no title, you know a bunch of parts are missing and just about every fastener that held this thing together has been lost. It's parts or scrap.
“Leno’s Law:” New Bill Would Exempt California Classics from Smog Checks
From Hagerty
Change may be afoot for Californians who own classic cars. A new bill would make life much easier for the thousands of enthusiasts in California by amending the state’s stringent smog rules, which currently mandate smog checks for vehicles built in or after 1976. If passed into law, California Senate Bill 712 would “fully exempt” any vehicle that was made at least 35 years ago, if it were insured as a collector vehicle.
Naturally, California’s most famous classic-car fan, Jay Leno, is all for the change. He’s even agreed to promote the bill. It’s been nicknamed “Leno’s Law.”
“California’s rich classic car culture, sparked by the post-war hot rod boom and boosted by Hollywood’s love for chrome and horsepower, has made it a paradise for enthusiasts like me,” said Leno to NBC Los Angeles. “California’s smog check laws for classic cars need to be updated—they vary too much from state to state, and California’s rules don’t match up with neighboring ones.”
Each of California’s neighboring states—Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona—has a different set of standards when it comes to smogging classics. Oregon only requires emissions testing in two metro areas, Portland and Medford. Portland exempts vehicles with a model year of 1975 or older, and Medford exempts those 21 years old or older. Nevada only requires emissions testing in the urban areas of Las Vegas and Reno. The state lets pre-1968 model-year vehicles off the hook. It also has special registration categories for Classic Rod, Classic Vehicle, and Old Timer, none of which need to be smogged if they’re driven 5000 miles per year or less. Arizona only smogs vehicles in the metro areas of Phoenix and Tucson, and pre-1967 vehicles and those registered as “collectibles” with appropriate insurance are not policed.
California state senator Shannon Grove, a Republican representing Bakersfield, is the bill’s sponsor.
“California has a rich automotive heritage, with some of the first classic cars rolling off assembly lines right here in our state,” she said to NBC.
Automotive production had an early but slow start in California, with the first plant opening in 1902 and only producing 3000 vehicles in eight years. Ford built an L.A. plant in 1911 but closed it in 1930 to open another location in Long Beach. That one stuck around, producing 1.5 million vehicles. The Chrysler plant in Commerce, built in 1932, was active through 1971 and the Willys-Overland one in Maywood, founded in 1929, till 1954. Toyota built its first plant in the U.S. here—Toyota Auto Body Company, Inc.—and it remains open today.
Grove and Leno both argue that classic cars—if regularly kept up and driven—support the $52B aftermarket industry, represented by the Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a trade association made of roughly 7000 small businesses, 1066 of which are in California. SEMA itself is based in the Golden State, in Diamond Bar, in eastern Los Angeles County. According to the association, California’s automotive aftermarket industry generates $40.44 billion of economic impact, including $6.16B in taxes paid.
“SEMA is proud to support SB 712. Senator Grove’s bill provides a practical solution for collector vehicle owners, allowing them to enjoy their passion without the burden of unnecessary regulations,” said Mike Spagnola, president and CEO of SEMA. “These vehicles are rarely driven, meticulously maintained, and represent only a fraction of the cars on the road. By exempting collector vehicles from smog checks, we can ensure that these historical treasures are preserved for future generations.”
SEMA even provides an interactive map to help classic-car owners navigate which states require what sort of emissions testing—if they require it at all. (18 don’t.)
The next step for “Leno’s Law” is its first hearing. That will occur in April, before the California Senate Transportation Committee.
We got the Virginia law changed several years ago so that vehicles 25+ years old do not have to be tested for emissions. State of Virginia rules on emissions are at this link: dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/registration/emissions.
Floyd County Court Suspends Earlier Ruling Against State In RGGI Case
From Augusta Free Press
A Floyd County judge has granted the request of Attorney General Jason Miyares to suspend a November ruling that found Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to be “unlawful and without effect.”
The AG’s office had filed a request with Floyd County Circuit Court following the earlier ruling to stay or suspend the judgment while the state appeals the judicial finding.
At a hearing on Wednesday (3/5/25), the court denied part of the AG’s motion, but granted the request to post a bond, which will suspend execution of the court’s prior judgment.
“We’re disappointed to find ourselves at this point despite the November ruling,” said Chase Counts, the executive director of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, which is leading the legal challenge, with representation from the Southern Environmental Law Center.
“We, and a great number of other Virginians, see the benefits of being part of RGGI and want to be back in the program,” Counts said.
Virginia joined RGGI in 2021 under Youngkin’s predecessor, Ralph Northam, a Democrat, after the General Assembly passed a 2020 law to require the state’s participation in the pact.
Advocates point out that the carbon cap-and-invest program, in three years of implementation in Virginia, had brought nearly $830 million to the state to fund flood resiliency projects and energy efficiency programs for low-income Virginians, while also cutting power plant pollution by almost 25 percent.
Virginia dropped out of the RGGI on Dec. 31, 2023, after the Youngkin-majority Air Pollution Control Board had voted to repeal the regulation earlier in 2023.
“The only body with the authority to repeal the RGGI Regulation would be the General Assembly. This is because a statute, the RGGI Act, requires the RGGI Regulation to exist,” Judge C. Randall Lowe wrote in a ruling handed down on Nov. 20.
“This may be a long battle, but we are ready for it,” said SELC Senior Attorney Nate Benforado. “Virginia should get back in RGGI. The state’s unlawful removal is already harming its clean energy transition and putting the most vulnerable communities at even more risk.”
From Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy:
A Circuit Court Judge suspended the judgment in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) “Repeal Rule” -- pending its appeal. The Virginia Manufacturers Association noted that Virginia electric utility ratepayers will not be subject to RGGI taxes for at least another year, which translates into an estimated $700 million - $1.2 billion in electricity tax avoidance. Exiting RGGI remains a key policy push of TJI.
The Briefs
Ford registered the Mach 4 nameplate on February 25, 2025, in the United States, and its application was assigned serial number 99055118. The trademark is pending, meaning it needs to be reviewed by the relevant authorities before it can be approved. Ford told the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that it wants to use the Mach 4 name on “motor vehicles, namely gasoline and electric automobiles, pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles and their structural parts.” While that’s vague, it rules out, say, a sweatshirt.
Enthusiast website Ford Authority speculates that Ford intends to employ the Mach 4 nameplate on a four-door Mustang. This would be distinct from the all-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover, which shares little more than a name with the traditional two-door Mustang. The publication sketches the outline of a Mustang-based sport sedan that would presumably go head-to-head against the four-door version of the new Dodge Charger. If that speculation is accurate, the model could offer rear-wheel drive, a 5.0-liter V-8, and a six-speed manual transmission
When Nontra Null, 41, of Burbank, California, tried to apply for a visa to attend a friend's wedding in India, she kept getting the same response: The computer couldn't process the application. Turns out "null" is a troublesome name when it comes to filling out online forms. Yahoo! News reported on Feb. 23 that when "null" is entered in a field, it essentially means, well, nothing. Jan Null, a 75-year-old meteorologist, learned to reserve hotel rooms adding his first initial to his last name, and security auditor Joseph Tartaro, whose vanity license plate reads NULL, keeps getting random traffic tickets from all over the United States. Modern software has addressed the problem, but not everyone has upgraded, one tech researcher noted.
Evelina Fabianski, 18, was looking for revenge (and the return of $700 she said she was owed) on Feb. 26 when she "decided to spray-paint and throw eggs at what she thought was (her ex-boyfriend's) car," said Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff's deputies. Unfortunately, ClickOrlando.com reported, the car she and a minor friend covered with bright yellow paint belonged to a neighbor. Damage to the car amounted to about $5,000; Fabianski was charged with criminal mischief, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of alcohol under age 21 and DUI.
Old Vehicles Exhibition Opened in National Museum - The old vehicles and wagons of the National Museum were mostly used by Afghanistan kings and presidents in the recent 100 years.
Virginia police are searching for a man who hid in a storm drain after fleeing a car crash on a state highway on Monday afternoon. State troopers originally responded to two crashes around 2:35 p.m. on Monday on I-495 eastbound in Fairfax. A third crash happened shortly behind the responding officers while they were investigating the first two incidents. One of the drivers involved in the third crash took off after troopers asked for identification. He made it less than a mile down the interstate before veering off-road and plummeting into a ditch. Undeterred, the suspect took off on foot and sprinted across the east and westbound lanes of the highway. Somehow, he vanished in a drainage spot underneath the interstate before troopers could nab him. In a scene reminiscent of a Super Mario video game, the suspect reemerged from the drainage spot on the eastbound side before hopping right back down in a second smaller storm drain. Virginia State Police and rescue personnel scoured the area to no avail. They spared no resources and employed the assistance of drone units, rescue teams, and more than a dozen officers all to find one man. The search dragged on until around 6:30 p.m. — a whopping four hours after the initial response to the first crashes. The police said that the suspect didn’t have a valid driver’s license, but he did have a construction identification.
Portland police got more than they bargained for during a routine traffic stop Tuesday night, uncovering a stolen car, cash, a loaded revolver, and a bag boldly labeled “Definitely not a bag full of drugs” — which, of course, was full of drugs. Inside, officers found fentanyl and meth, totaling over 10 grams, resulting in a mix of charges.
An Arizona man suspected of DUI was caught in a precarious situation — literally — when deputies found him with his finger stuck in a can of White Claw after crashing into a guardrail. When approached, the driver fumbled with the seltzer can and assured the officer he was “totally perfect,” despite evidence to the contrary.
The man was arrested on multiple DUI charges and for causing damage to county property. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reminded residents to report possible DUIs — because “hard seltzer” excuses don’t hold up in court.
A Marion County man made good on his promise when he told a responding deputy, “You better have your doors locked — I like to steal cars.” Moments later, he hopped into the deputy’s cruiser and took off, kicking off a chase through the county.
The joyride ended with a PIT maneuver and the suspect in cuffs, proving he wasn’t bluffing about his car-stealing tendencies. Deputies shared the incident, reminding everyone that some warnings should be taken very, very seriously.
The Salt Belt States: Road salt. It's great for melting ice, and awful for just about everything else.
Cold-weather states that have to use a heavy dose of salt in the winter are sometimes referred to as the “salt belt.” Every now and again you’ll see a recall or investigation that is limited to this specific region.
Understandably, the “salt belt” is also known as the “rust belt.”
“The biggest threat salt poses to a vehicle is rust, which is accelerated by repeated exposure to salt. Rust on certain parts of a car can create a slew of problems ranging from hydraulic brake system leaks to subframe damage.” — Accuweather.com
The states in this belt are, as you’d expect, found in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the upper Midwest. The belt, however, sometimes grows or shrinks depending on the recall.
The “Salt Belt” 21:
Here are the 21 states (plus one district) that you’ll almost always see listed as part of the “salt belt”:
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington D.C. Depending on what models are being recalled, Canada can be included too because, well … it’s Canada and it snows a lot there. “Why isn’t Alaska on the primary [salt belt] list? Maybe Alaskans don’t like road salt. Maybe they just ride around on polar bears all winter. I’ve never been, so I can’t say for sure.” Other states such as Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah are also sometimes considered part of the “salt belt.” Why isn’t Alaska, our northernmost and one of the snowiest states, on the primary list? I’m not really sure. Maybe Alaskans don’t like road salt. Maybe they just ride around on polar bears all winter. I’ve never been, so I can’t say for sure.
Brazil Cuts Down Amazon Forest To Make Road For Climate Summit: The South American country is preparing to host the COP30 climate summit in November, but a newly constructed four-lane highway cutting through the Amazon rainforest has stirred significant controversy.
The highway, meant to improve traffic flow in Belém, the summit’s host city, has been met with strong opposition from environmentalists and local communities who argue it contradicts the summit’s purpose. With over 50,000 expected attendees, including world leaders, the event is set to highlight global climate action, yet the destruction caused by this project raises serious concerns.
A masked man vandalized a Tesla charging station and attempted to burn it down using molotov cocktails in North Charleston, South Carolina, ultimately setting himself on fire in the process. The maniac spray-painted “Long live Ukraine” next to a vulgar message aimed at President Trump at the scene.
According to witnesses, the masked individual, wearing a gray jacket or hoodie, spray-painted the message “(expletive) TRUMP LONG LIVE UKRAINE” near the bank of Tesla charging stations before proceeding with his ill-fated attempt to destroy the electric vehicle chargers. The man reportedly used beer bottles as makeshift Molotov cocktails, setting them on fire and hurling them at three charging stations. However, during this act of arson, the man inadvertently set himself on fire, with witnesses reporting flames spreading across his back.
As onlookers began calling 911, the masked individual fled the scene, running past a nearby Zaxby’s restaurant and towards the hotels behind it. The North Charleston police department has not yet identified or arrested the suspect, but the incident has resulted in an estimated $60,000 in damages to the Tesla charging infrastructure.
This incident appears to be part of a growing trend of vandalism and crime targeting Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, as well as President Donald Trump. Breitbart News previously reported on a man who claims to be woman that police say brought explosives to a Tesla dealership to cause murder and mayhem.
A police officer ended up delivering a pizza to a customer in Florida after the delivery driver discovered an 8-foot alligator hiding under a car near the front door of the home, police said.
The incident occurred on Sunday in Bradenton, Florida, when police were responding to a report of an 8-foot alligator wandering through the River Isles neighborhood, according to a statement from the Bradenton Police Department.
Officer Tolson of the Bradenton Police Department arrived moments later and the delivery driver, wanting nothing to do with the alligator, asked the officer to deliver the pizza instead.
Virginia State Police have apprehended a 21-year-old who they say stole a U-Haul truck, evaded police on the interstate for over 10 miles and drove the wrong direction into oncoming traffic.
State police were notified of a chase Virginia Beach Police Department units were engaged in on Friday afternoon. The driver, later identified as 21-year-old Ashlynn Nichole Barnes, had reached the Virginia Beach-Norfolk city boundary on Interstate 264 driving westbound in a stolen 2015 GMC U-Haul truck.
In an official statement, state police say Barnes made a U-turn in the roadway, traveling on the eastbound shoulder of the westbound lanes. Barnes drove through a cut-through when approached by an oncoming trooper and back into the eastbound lanes of the I-264.
From there, Barnes headed westbound on Interstate 64, from the interchange, and used the reversible High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to change directions, driving through and striking down the closed gate system and traveled into oncoming traffic, state police say.
Barnes made another U-turn in the reversible HOV lanes and proceeded to I-64, eastbound, and struck a trooper’s vehicle attempting to stop her on a flyover while heading eastbound on I-264.
Barnes, in another reversible lane, was stopped by state troopers who intentionally struck the truck.
The Last Independent Automaker covers the rise and fall of American Motors Corporation, a car company that employed hundreds of thousands of people and built millions of vehicles from 1954 to 1987. Our six-part documentary comes to public TV and streaming in 2025 as a series of half-hour episodes. Over 30 former employees were interviewed, including designers, engineers, assembly line workers, salespeople, and two CEOs. Their memories, combined with hours of rare archive footage and thousands of historical photographs, bring to life the story of an iconic company during a period of rapid industry change. Website: lastindependentauto.com
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered 20 million previously off-limits acres within Alaska to be opened for oil and gas development.
With hopes of providing a robo-taxi service in California this year, Tesla has secured its first permit from the California Public Utilities Commission to carry passengers.
Amid violent attacks and threats against Tesla vehicles and dealerships, consumer interest in new Tesla models dropped to its lowest point in two years, while trade-ins of recent Tesla vehicles reached record highs.
Tesla vehicles from model year 2017 or newer accounted for record 1.4% of all vehicles traded in this month through March 15, up from 0.4% in the same period last year, per analysis from national car shopping site Edmunds
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
From Rock Auto
As someone who has successfully completed timing belt and water pump replacement on multiple first generation Miatas, I was confident as my son and I began doing so on his 1993 Mazda MX-5. We were following the steps of a detailed task list created from past experience. Using a kit purchased from RockAuto.com, we meticulously disassembled the necessary engine components and installed the new parts.
As anyone who has replaced a timing belt knows, care must be taken to ensure nothing is moved that will affect engine timing. Using the task list as a guide, I knew it would be practically fool-proof if the steps were carefully followed. Teeth were counted, cam and crank sprocket positions were noted, and everything was reassembled. The final step is to start the motor and celebrate success.
Except it didn't start. The engine would turn over but not fire. Not even a sputter. We reviewed the steps and confirmed nothing was missed. Using a helpful "no-start troubleshooting guide" available online, we spent the remainder of the day checking fuses, ignition, air, and fuel...even though I was doubtful something coincidental happened while we were doing the job. Nothing solved the problem, so we again removed the valve cover for a visual inspection. Everything looked OK. Exhausted and dejected, we called it a day so we could rest up and come back to it later.
Wracking my brain over what I had expected to be a straightforward job, I scoured an image of a 1.6L Miata engine with its valve cover off. Something didn't quite match up with what we saw in my son's Miata engine. Sure enough, the intake cam lobes were just a few degrees different from the photo! But how? We had counted and recounted the belt teeth. Back under the hood, we discovered that while reattaching the intake cam sprocket, it had somehow mis-aligned and rotated slightly relative to the cam. I didn't think that was possible, but there it was. After a quick remove/replace with proper cam alignment, the car fired right up and ran as smoothly as ever. A new step has been added to the work-list: double check cam sprocket alignment with the cam!
Eric in Washington
Lee Zeldin Reportedly Takes Major Shot At Heart Of Dems’ Climate Agenda
From: Daily Caller
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has reportedly recommended that the White House reverse an Obama-era finding that underpins some of the most aggressive EPA emissions regulations on the books, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Zeldin reportedly advised the White House to do away with the 2009 “endangerment finding,” the Obama EPA’s conclusion that certain greenhouse gases pose risks to public health, according to the Post, which granted three sources familiar with matter anonymity to speak freely. Doing away with the endangerment finding would be one of the most aggressive actions on climate and energy policy from the White House to date given the finding is central to Biden-era tailpipe and power plant emissions rules, among others, that the Trump administration is likely to try to repeal.
During President Donald Trump’s first term, the EPA considered invalidating the endangerment finding, but it ultimately survived that presidency. Upon returning to the White House, Trump signed a day-one “Unleashing American Energy” executive order instructing Zeldin and any other relevant officials to submit recommendations “on the legality and continuing applicability” of the finding within 30 days to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
An EPA spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the agency is in compliance with Trump’s executive order, but did not share any particulars about the conclusion of the agency’s endangerment finding review.
“President Trump’s day one Executive Order, ‘Unleashing American Energy,’ gave the EPA Administrator a 30-day deadline to submit joint recommendations to the Director of OMB, in collaboration with the heads of any other relevant agencies, on the legality and continuing applicability of the 2009 Endangerment Finding,” the EPA spokesperson told the DCNF. “EPA is in compliance with this aspect of the President’s Executive Order.”
Many conservatives have advocated for doing away with the endangerment finding since it came into place, often arguing that it has been leveraged to impose onerous regulatory burdens on crucial sectors of the economy. Environmentalists typically contend that the finding’s implications for the government’s ability to crack down on emissions make it an essential policy.
The Interstate Forgotten Code
Hundreds Of Muscle Car Drivers Rally Around Bullied Alabama Boy
The Climate Control Movement In Europe May Have Met Its Match in Trump
From: Self Reliance Central
In his first few weeks in office, President Donald Trump has been busy bolstering the causes of energy choice and freedom for citizens of the United States. One of his first official acts was to pull us out of the Paris Climate Accord, the one-sided agreement that had imposed harsh and unfair restrictions on the United States.
Trump created a new National Energy Council led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, charged with streamlining energy permitting, expanding gas and oil exploration, and establishing American global “energy dominance.” Then, to round off his first day as our 47th President, he signed an executive order aimed at eliminating Biden’s “electric vehicle mandate” — shorthand for a series of subsidies and regulations aimed at artificially boosting demand for EVs.
Some of these measures, such as rolling back the EV tax credit, will at some point require congressional action. Moreover, even with Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, those who disagree with energy choice and Trump’s energy freedom movements still have plenty of options at their disposal to push their “green” agenda forward.
One side-door tactic would be to use “blue state” legislatures to advance policies that would stand little if any chance of passing congressional muster. Vermont and New York already have passed “climate superfund” legislation, and similar bills are pending in other states.
Putting a price tag on a particular company’s contribution to the damage supposedly caused by climate change is a murky endeavor at best, and fraudulent at worst. As climate policy analyst Paul Driessen notes, climate activists are all too happy to “blame fossil fuels for heat waves, cold spells, hurricanes, wildfires (including those caused by arsonists, electric companies and forest mismanagement), floods, droughts, and abusive husbands.”
Science tells us that the climate of Planet Earth has been changing since our planet circumnavigating the Sun solidified some four billion years ago. It is only common sense that at least some current changes to our climate may to some degree be caused by human activity. The fact is, however, that nobody knows exactly how significant that part is, and anyone who claims otherwise is offering nothing but their personal opinion masquerading as factual analysis.
If the Left cannot force implementation of its so-called “green” policies through partnering with friendly state governments, the activist climate movement can always “forum shop” for climate-control-friendly judges willing to hit force fossil fuel companies with massive penalties.
Some of these lawsuits have accused fossil fuel companies of deceptively undermining the highly politicized scientific “consensus” on climate change, though this particular tactic has failed to bear much fruit. For example, on February 5, a New Jersey judge (who was appointed by former Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine) tossed one such case brought by the state’s Democrat attorney general, marking the fourth straight climate lawsuit loss.
If all else fails, the activist climate movement might place its hopes in a new wave of European climate imperialism. Unlike previous iterations, this imperialism would not involve conquistadors or colonial pith-helmeted overseers, but would instead rely on the European Union’s massive and liberal bureaucracy, which in May adopted a “Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive” (CSDDD), which threatens U.S. companies with steep penalties if they fail to meet European climate standards.
In September, a group of congressional Republican lawmakers raised the alarm in a letter to then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “The CSDDD’s extraterritorial scope amounts to a serious breach of U.S. sovereignty and a direct threat to the global competitiveness of American companies,” they wrote. “We are deeply concerned that the [Biden-Harris] Administration is surrendering its regulatory responsibilities to European officials, allowing them to force draconian social and climate policies on American companies.”
When you look past the climate rhetoric, it is obvious what is happening here. Europe has regulated itself into energy and economic stagnation and is failing to keep pace with the more dynamic U.S. economy. But jettisoning those cherished “green” regulations would mean admitting that their technocratic project has been a failure. So, rather than admitting defeat, they are trying to force our economy into becoming as sclerotic as theirs. That way, the EU gets to have its admittedly smaller cake and eat it too.
Although the activist climate movement suffered a major setback with Donald Trump’s victory in November, they are not giving up. Whether through blue state legislatures, lawfare, or internationalism, they continue their misguided quest to cripple America’s energy sector as they’ve done to theirs.
European green advocates, however, will soon discover they have met their match in Donald Trump and his energy team.
Bob Barr currently serves as President of the National Rifle Association. He represented Georgia’s Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He served as the United States Attorney in Atlanta from 1986 to 1990 and was an official with the CIA in the 1970s. He now practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as President of the National Rifle Association.
Ads from the old JC Whitney
How To Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft
From JC Whitney
Car owners can take several measures to reduce the risk of having their catalytic converters stolen. Enhancing the visibility and security around where the car is parked can be a significant deterrent. Parking in well-lit areas, close to building entrances or near security cameras, can make a vehicle a less appealing target for thieves.
If you follow the news, use neighborhood message boards like NextDoor, or simply know people who drive certain types of common vehicles, you’ve likely heard stories about catalytic converter theft. This is a crime that has been given increasing profile in cities and towns across America recently, for the simple reason that it’s a fairly easy theft to pull off with a potentially high upside. In this article we’ll break down what your catalytic converter does, why people might be inclined to steal it, and what methods exist to deter this from happening to you.
What is a Catalytic Converter?
A catalytic converter is a critical component in a vehicle’s exhaust system that plays a significant role in reducing harmful emissions produced by the internal combustion engine. It works by converting toxic gasses and pollutants in the exhaust gas into less harmful pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction (an oxidation and a reduction reaction). This process is essential for cleaning up the exhaust gasses that result from fuel combustion before they are released into the atmosphere.
The main pollutants targeted by a catalytic converter include carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless gas that is poisonous to humans and animals; hydrocarbons (HC), which are unburned or partially burned fuel that contribute to smog and can cause health problems; and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to smog, acid rain, and can impair human health. The catalytic converter reduces these pollutants by converting carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbons into CO2 and water (H2O), and nitrogen oxides back into nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2).
Cars have catalytic converters due to environmental concerns and regulatory mandates aimed at reducing air pollution. The widespread adoption of catalytic converters began in the 1970s when countries around the world started to implement stricter emissions regulations to combat air pollution. In the United States, for example, the Clean Air Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led to the requirement that all new cars be equipped with catalytic converters. Similar regulations have been adopted in other countries, making catalytic converters a standard feature on petrol-powered vehicles.
The presence of a catalytic converter is crucial for meeting emissions standards, protecting public health, and reducing the environmental impact of automobile emissions. Over the years, advances in catalytic converter technology have improved their efficiency and durability, helping vehicles to emit fewer pollutants and contributing to cleaner air.
Why Do People Steal Them?
Catalytic converter theft has, unfortunately, become increasingly common. The value of this part comes from the precious metals used inside them such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. These metals act as catalysts to facilitate the chemical reactions that convert harmful exhaust gasses into less harmful substances. Due to their effectiveness, these metals are in high demand not only in the automotive industry but also in various industrial applications, including jewelry making and electronics. As the prices of these precious metals have risen significantly on global markets, the scrap value of a catalytic converter has also increased.
Another unfortunate aspect that makes this crime more common is that left as they are, as we’ll discuss later in the article, catalytic converters are located on the underside of vehicles and can often be removed relatively quickly and with minimal tools, especially on higher ground-clearance vehicles such as SUVs and trucks.
When it comes down to it, compared to other criminals, catalytic converter thieves can be harder to catch. Catalytic converters are not typically marked with serial numbers or identifying features that can be easily traced, making it difficult for law enforcement to connect stolen parts to specific thefts or to return recovered converters to their rightful owners. Unless the area where the car is parked is surveiled or otherwise protected, it can be hard to trace the criminals who commit the theft.
The demand for replacement catalytic converters contributes to the theft problem. Vehicles cannot legally operate without them due to emission control regulations, creating a constant demand for these components both in the new and used parts markets. This demand leads criminals to believe they may have an easy time selling their stolen goods, either as whole units or for the value of the precious metals they contain. Because they aren’t traceable, it’s possible for even the most scrupulous buyer to be tricked into purchasing a stolen catalytic converter, although requesting some kind of verification that the seller came by the part legally could be a step toward prevention.
What to Do If Yours is Stolen
If your catalytic converter gets stolen, the first step is to report the theft to the police. Providing them with any details of the incident, including the time frame of the theft and any possible surveillance footage, can help in the investigation and may aid in recovering the stolen property. It’s also important to contact your insurance company to report the theft, as your policy may cover the replacement of the catalytic converter.
After reporting the theft, the next step is to assess the vehicle’s condition. While a car can technically be driven without a catalytic converter, doing so is not advisable for several reasons. First, the vehicle will produce higher levels of harmful emissions, contributing to pollution and potentially harming the environment and public health. Second, the absence of a catalytic converter can affect the car’s performance, including possible changes in engine performance and fuel efficiency. Third, driving without a catalytic converter is illegal in many places due to emission control laws, and doing so could result in fines or other penalties.
The removal of the catalytic converter can sometimes cause damage to other parts of the exhaust system, which might need inspection and repair. It’s essential to take the vehicle to a qualified mechanic or repair shop to assess any damage and discuss the options for replacing the catalytic converter. They can provide advice on the best course of action and ensure that any replacement meets the legal emissions requirements for your area.
While a car can technically operate without a catalytic converter, it’s not safe or legal to do so in many jurisdictions. Taking immediate steps to report the theft and seeking professional advice for repair and replacement are crucial actions to take following such an incident.
How to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft
Car owners can take several measures to reduce the risk of having their catalytic converters stolen. Enhancing the visibility and security around where the car is parked can be a significant deterrent. Parking in well-lit areas, close to building entrances or near security cameras, can make a vehicle a less appealing target for thieves. For those with a garage, keeping the vehicle parked inside with the door locked is one of the best ways to protect against theft.
Increasing the effort required to steal the catalytic converter can also dissuade thieves. Installing a catalytic converter anti-theft device is an effective measure. These devices can range from steel cages that encase the converter, making it more difficult to remove without considerable effort, to cables that secure the converter to the vehicle’s frame. Some owners opt for engraving the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the catalytic converter, which doesn’t prevent theft but can aid in tracking and prosecuting thieves, as well as potentially recovering the stolen item.
One brand, Cat Security, sells a line of metal shields designed to protect catalytic converters on multiple types of vehicles. Part of what makes these shields effective is their construction. The parts are made of a blend of metals, meaning thieves would need to be equipped with multiple special tools in order to cut through the device. This transforms catalytic converter theft from a crime of convenience to a labor-intensive affair, thereby dissuading most thieves from even trying.
Another strategy involves adjusting the car’s alarm system to be more sensitive to vibration, which could alert owners and bystanders to theft attempts. Additionally, there are aftermarket products specifically designed to trigger an alarm if the catalytic converter is tampered with.
Awareness and community vigilance can also play a crucial role. Neighbors looking out for each other and reporting suspicious activities can deter thieves. Joining or forming community watch programs can enhance this effect.
While it’s challenging to make a vehicle completely theft-proof, combining several of these strategies can significantly reduce the risk of catalytic converter theft by making it more difficult, time-consuming, and risky for thieves.
Tell Us We Are Wrong - U.S. EV Deliveries Will Drop in 2025 and See the Lowest Market Share in Three Years - We Lay Out the Facts On EV Production and Factors Hurting EVs to Make Our Case
From Torque News
Electric vehicles face not just headwinds in 2025 but a hurricane of problems. Here’s why we see EV market share in America dropping back to levels of a few years ago.
In 2025, we predict that multiple factors will hit American electric vehicle market share like a hammer. Any of these individually could push EVs into a downturn, but together, this year is shaping up to be the make-or-break year for a technology that has become very politicized. Let’s examine some fact-based aspects of the electric vehicle market and see what they reveal.
A Big Drop In Tesla Deliveries Cannot Be “Made Up” By Other Automakers
Tesla’s market share in America has been near 50% for the past 24 months or so. Even in 2024, roughly one of every two EVs delivered in the United States was made by Tesla. 100% of Tesla’s production capacity is purpose-built for EVs and nothing else. Tesla has the most modern, most mature battery and EV motor supply chain in the world. Nearly all of the Tesla vehicles sold in the United States over the past two decades have been built in America by Americans. No other automaker has anywhere near the American-market EV manufacturing capacity that Tesla has created.
Each year for the past few years, Tesla has delivered over 600,000 EVs in America. Ford and GM both sold close to 100,000 units of EVs in total in 2024. Hyundai and Volkswagen delivered less, and the remaining EVs were spread among many small players. If Tesla drops by 33% in America in 2025, that means that roughly 200,000 fewer EVs will be sold. Given that Europe has already seen a nearly 50% decline in Tesla deliveries as of late, predicting that Tesla could drop by a third in America where crazed anti-Musk activists are burning Superchargers up, is not outlandish.
Does the entire automotive industry aside from Tesla have the capacity to boost their American-market deliveries by 200,000 units in 2025? Our educated guess is that they do not. To do so would mean that they have already inked supplier agreements to bring that many batteries and electric motors to their factories, and the reporting is simply not there that this has happened. If Tesla really nose-dives into oblivion, the industry could certainly retool to take advantage of that departure, but it’s unlikely the industry will have the ability to do it in 2025. Since there was virtually no American-market EV market share gain over the past 24 months, automakers could not justify a plan that would create big inventory increases. In Q4 of last year, EVs were being boosted with massive and historically high incentives and lease deals. That level of unprofitability was unsustainable, and no sane automaker said to themselves, “Let’s boost our delivery plan significantly in light of this terrible market for EVs that necessitates huge discounts and give-away leases.”
It’s Not Just Tesla Vehicles Musk Has Sullied - It’s America’s Best Public Charging Network
It isn’t just Tesla cars that the liberal left consider verboten now. It’s Superchargers, too. People feel so strongly about the anti-Tesla cancel culture they wish to foist on all EV buyers that they have taken to vandalizing the Superchargers. One Supercharger location, very near to my own home, was set on fire, and the authorities are considering it arson. With America’s best public charging network now off-limits to the liberal left, the attractiveness of owning an EV is diminished. For those who don’t have a home charger of their own, it is virtually impractical to consider and EV at this point in time.
The New Sheriff Is Not Pro-EV, and Congress Will Likely End Consumer-Facing EV Subsidies
Neither Donald Trump nor the new Congress is particularly supportive of tax breaks for pricey EVs. DOGE is targeting every aspect of the government, and Congress seems cooperative. If the general theme in Washington is one of fat-trimming, it’s hard to justify ongoing subsidies for fancy EVs. Particularly since the EV-advocacy media has been pretending for a year now that “EVs offer a better cost of ownership than conventional vehicles,” and “EV production costs will match those of conventional vehicles.” Ironically, the EV advocates who turn out imaginary stories about EV advantages have given the anti-subsidy crowd the rope with which to hang such subsidies.
If Manufacturer Subsidies and ZEV Credits Go Away, So Do EVs
Tesla’s profitability has been closely tied to back-end subsidies in the form of ZEV credits for years. It’s a sort of cap and trade scheme that requires automakers to pay Tesla if they can’t or won’t build enough of their own EVs to satisfy California's EV mandates. Without this scheme that funnels money to Tesla, the whole EV Jenga castle comes crashing down. It won’t be long before the Trump administration realizes this. Will Elon still be Donald’s BFF when this is realized, or will they have the inevitable relationship meltdown that so many are predicting? Without Elon’s stake in this crazy program, it is very likely to die in late 2025. Automakers know this, and they will hedge their bets accordingly. Honda is building a flexible factory that allows them to shift back and forth between EV and non-EV powertrains. Other automakers are straight-up canceling their EV production capacity. This is why.
EV Mandates In States Outside California Are Easy Targets For Anti-EV Department Of Justice Litigators
The reason California can mandate EV sales minimums leading up to an outright ban on conventional powertrains at some point in the 2030s is that the Clean Air Act has a special waiver that allows California to manage its own air pollution. Pro-EV states like Massachusetts that are now adopting California’s EV mandates could easily be challenged in court by the new Trump executive branch. These copycat states have no such Clean Air Act special waiver on which to lean in their quest to manage vehicle powertrain technology. It won’t be long before the DOJ finds time in its schedule to slap down these state-by-state clean powertrain technology mandates.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Deliveries Show Us Where the Market Is Headed In 2025
As January and February ended, important automakers other than Tesla have been publishing some delivery facts. Even those who are still seeing some small growth in battery-electric vehicles are seeing dramatically larger hybrid-electric vehicle sales gains. For example, Hyundai reported that in February its battery-electric vehicle sales increased 6%. A nice bump. However, Hyundai's hybrid-electric sales leapt by 57% in that same period.
Battery-only champions like to say that “hybrids are just a bridge,” and they may be right in twenty or thirty more years. But as of today, hybrids are growing rapidly across all brands that offer them, and they don’t require cash on the dash, give-away leases, or financing deals to sell swiftly. Hybrids are electrified green vehicles that are profitable and much easier to ramp up than battery-only models. In 2025, hybrids are going to gain meaningful market share, and BEVs are going to lose meaningful market share. Call that a bridge if you like. We call it consumer preference.
Conclusion - EVs Will Lose Market Share in America in 2025
Our prediction is that Q1 won’t be a bloodbath for EVs in America but that by year-end, the market share of battery-only vehicles in this market will fall to about 6% from its now roughly 8% share, back to the share seen in 2023.
The folks who want to force you to own an EV have long considered Tesla’s vehicles the very best of the best. (This is not the author’s personal opinion.) Every EV expert considers the Tesla Supercharger network to be a country mile ahead of the unreliable and sparsely located DC chargers from a mishmash of second-tier providers. For EVs to gain market share in 2025, shoppers will need to put aside this fact and buy what the EV “experts” have long told everyone are second-tier EVs, and many will also have to give up using the now-targeted Superchargers. They may well have to pay fair market value for those EVs, which means prices $7.5K to $15K higher if a hostile-to-EVs Congress and executive remove consumer-facing and manufacturer subsidies. Even if buyers pivot, can automakers backfill the hole left by the anticipated reduction in Tesla vehicle deliveries?
Tell us your prediction for U.S. market EV deliveries in 2025.
What EV maker do you think is ready right now to add hundreds of thousands of units to make up for the Teslas that the liberal left will no longer even consider when shopping?
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics.
50 Worst Cars of All Time
By Sid Bridge from Edmunds
The Awful, Hideous, Heinous Lumps That Shaped Our World
If there weren't bad cars, how could the world appreciate the good ones? We've ranked the top cars you can buy and given awards to the best of the best, so we thought we'd revisit the worst of the worst. Some of them were fragile. Many were dynamically iffy. A lot were underpowered. And a few would melt into a pile of rust before your eyes.
Terrible, for this list's purposes, is loosely defined as a car that shaped American automotive culture around its bad example. That doesn't mean that all the cars here were big sellers, only that their undeniable stink made everyone notice.
The diabolical nature of these machines, however, is that there's a good idea at the heart of all of them. But it's a good idea betrayed by half-hearted engineering, haphazard quality or cynical compromises.
50. 1978 Dodge Challenger: A Mitsubishi Galant coupe that wore the name of a muscle car legend. The top-of-the-line engine? A 2.6-liter four-cylinder making — wait for it — 105 hp. The base 2.0-liter puked out only 77 ponies.
49. 1993 Ford Aspire: Built by Kia, sold by Ford and ignored by everyone. Basically a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine and four wheels bolted to a bubble made from repurposed plastic straws and disappointment.
48. 1989 Ford Thunderbird: It was too big, much too heavy, and too expensive to produce. Initially available only with V6 engines, it was slow, too. It's the car that killed the T-Bird.
47. 1987 Sterling 825: A rebadged Rover 800 series based on the V6-powered Acura Legend, but without the reliability or resistance to rust. Paint hardly stuck to it and the electrics lasted a few weeks if you were lucky.
46. 1957 Renault Dauphine: The rear-engine, 32-hp Dauphine-made VW's Beetle seem quick. According to Road & Track, it took 22.3 seconds for the 1962 Dauphine to reach 60 mph.
45. 1983 Plymouth Caravelle: A stretched K-car that no one noticed when it was in production and no one misses today. Plain in every way, it's the most boring car ever made.
44. 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Sport Coupe: The base third-generation Camaro was powered by the 2.5-liter "Iron Duke" four-cylinder rated at 90 hp. That's 90, thrashing, noisy, crude horses — total — in a Camaro.
43. 2003 Chevrolet SSR: Spoiled by its ridiculously heavy retractable hardtop and underwhelming TrailBlazer chassis, the SSR could have been great. Instead it was grating.
42. 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite: Desperate to grab some of the personal luxury market, Ford swiped Mercury's Cougar coupe sheet metal, gave it an uglier nose and then misnamed it. This was cynical rebadging at its worst.
41. 1981 Maserati Biturbo: Kind of like a BMW 3 Series, only hideously unreliable and powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.5-liter V6 that only made 185 hp. Interior leather on these ages faster than room-temperature cheese.
40. 1976 Chevrolet Chevette: Instead of trying to build a world-class small car of its own, Chevy opts for a cheesy, primitive Opel design that was a decade out of date. Yet it stayed in production through 1987.
39. 1980 Chevrolet Citation: Chevrolet's first front-wheel-drive machine proved to be legendarily unreliable and one of the most recalled cars of all time.
38. 1955 Dodge La Femme: A Custom Royal Lancer that came with pink trim and a special pink calfskin purse. Turns out the target market knew more about cars than the product planners thought, and didn't bite. Discontinued after the '56 model year.
37. 2006 Saab 9-7X: The only Saab ever built in Moraine, Ohio, was a gussied-up Chevy TrailBlazer. It's definitive proof that GM's ownership of Saab was completely misbegotten.
36. 1968 Volkswagen 411/412: The large, awkward Type 4 was the last gasp for rear-mounted air-cooled engines at VW. But it was so lousy that the company replaced it with the sweet-natured Passat.
35. 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300SD: As the first turbocharged diesel sedan, it's important. But the five-cylinder engine only made 110 hp and it had a big S-Class to haul around.
34. 2006 Dodge Caliber SRT-4: A lesson in how to build a bad performance car: Start with a bad car. It replaced the wonderful Neon SRT-4 but was too big and too ugly.
33. 1975 Bristol 412: Britain's most hideous bespoke gentleman's express. The Zagato-built body rode on an ancient Bristol chassis, with a Chrysler 383-cubic-inch V8 tasked with outrunning the nasty looks.
32. 1978 Chevrolet C/K Diesel: The dreaded Oldsmobile diesel made it into Chevy's half-ton pickup, putting out all of 125 hp. The same black-smoke magic that ruined GM's cars did the same for the pickups.
31. 1923 Chevrolet Series M: Chevy's experiment with air-cooled engines used individual cylinders fitted with copper fins. About 500 were built and virtually all were recalled and scuttled.
30. 2002 GEM: Basically a golf cart built under a special set of "low-speed" vehicle rules, this electric vehicle was nonetheless allowed to operate on public roads alongside real cars.
29. 1970 Triumph Stag: Seemingly infinite problems with its 3.0-liter SOHC V8 engine and dim Lucas electric parts meant this four-seat roadster didn't do much for the reputation of British cars in the '70s.
28. 1950 Crosley Hotshot: The best name ever put on a terrible car. The 750cc engine's block wasn't cast, but welded together from various pieces. It's amazing so much ugly could live in a car this small.
27. 1971 Plymouth Cricket: Plymouth's response to the Pinto and Vega was a rebadged Hillman Avenger. It was a flimsy disaster with too little power and a tendency to make like a Mission Impossible briefing and self-destruct.
26. 1954 Nash Metropolitan: A showcase for the worst of 1950s design and engineering with haphazard assembly. It was worryingly tipsy around corners, so it was good that the 1.2-liter engine kept it slow.
25. 1977 Lincoln Versailles: Responding to the challenge of the Cadillac Seville, Lincoln took the Mercury Monarch, added a Continental bump on the trunk and a Mark IV grille up front, and tried to pass it off as sophisticated.
24. 1976 Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare: At Chrysler's nadir, it built these strictly conventional compact cars that proved a magnet for rust and were subject to a long series of recalls.
23. 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx SS: Kind of a station wagon, but with less utility and style. A low point for Chevy's SS badge.
22. 1990 Infiniti M30 Convertible: Spongy suspension, a lackluster drivetrain and a soggy structure were enough to doom the M30.
21. 1996 Ford Taurus: The bulbous blobular redesign of Ford's best-selling sedan effectively ended its life in the retail market. Weird when it didn't need to be.
20. 1987 Cadillac Allante: A pointless, front-drive roadster that was ludicrously expensive thanks to Pininfarina building its bodies in Italy and then air-shipping them in 747s to Detroit for completion. An embarrassing attempt to take on the Mercedes SL.
19. 1978 Fiat Strada/Ritmo: A disposable front-drive subcompact. It might not be a coincidence that Fiat bowed out of the U.S. market for 28 years starting in 1983.
18. 1975 AMC Pacer: Unfortunately, a desperate AMC bet on weird and wide small car with a fishbowl greenhouse and archaic six-cylinder drivetrain. When you talk about this car, you have to start all your sentences with "unfortunately."
17. 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet: A $47,000 restyled Toyota (er, Scion) iQ. Aston needed it to meet EU fleet emissions standards but didn't bother to make it at all "Aston."
16. 1982 Renault Fuego: A fragile front-drive coupe that rusted quickly into dust or burst into flames amid random electrical fires. It was recalled for steering wheels that came off in drivers' hands.
15. 1971 Ford Pinto: Built to a $2,000 base price, the subcompact Pinto infamously lacked protection for its rear-mounted fuel tank. Ford wound up paying out millions in judgments.
14. 1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati: A haphazard combination of front-drive K-car bits, indifferent assembly, and a two-seat roadster body that was indistinguishable from a LeBaron. It's both the worst Maserati and worst Chrysler ever.
13. 1974 Reliant Robin: This ludicrously unstable three-wheeler turned turtle on its plastic body at the slightest provocation. Fortunately, with a 750cc engine, it was underpowered, too.
12. 1983 Renault Alliance: An AMC-built, Americanized version of the front-drive, 60-hp Renault 9 subcompact — complete with monochrome paint and whitewalls. Worse, in '85 came a convertible so droopy the doors often couldn't close.
11. 1917 Chevrolet Series D: Chevy's first V8 could only manage 36 hp — less than the brand's four-cylinder. Killed after 1918, the next Chevy V8 came a full 37 years later.
10. 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Diesel: As bad as the 5.7-liter Olds diesel V8 was, the 4.3-liter version was worse. Sold only in the '79 Cutlass, the 4.3 diesel made 90 hp before shattering into shrapnel.
9. 1957 Trabant: East Germany's two-cylinder, two-stroke disaster somehow survived the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was literally made from old clothes and glue.
8. 1982 Cadillac Cimarron: A cynical attempt to compete against BMW with a redecorated version of the front-drive, four-cylinder Chevrolet Cavalier.
7. 1958 Edsel Corsair: Ford went hunting for a market niche that wasn't there with a redecorated Mercury that had been beaten with an ugly stick. The legendary flop of all automotive flops.
6. 2003 Saturn Ion: Shockingly incompetent to drive and with an interior to match. Kick it and your foot might get stuck in the gaps between the plastic body panels.
5. 1971 Chevrolet Vega: An engine that couldn't hold oil, in a car built with contempt for its buyers. It's the car that invited Americans to buy Toyotas and Hondas. However, it did make a good Pro Stock racer.
4. 1987 Yugo: This even cheaper version of the Fiat 127 seemed like it couldn't possibly be as awful as its low price suggested. But it was!
3. 1955 BMW Isetta: Originally designed by Italy's Iso, BMW built the, single-cylinder 12-hp, one-door Isetta for seven years. Parked nose-in to a wall, the door wouldn't open. The whole car was a crumple zone.
2. 1974 Ford Mustang II: Built upon the spindly bones of the Pinto, this shrunken, malformed pony is instantly appalling to Mustang lovers. Unfortunately, it was hugely popular with buyers stuck with serial fuel crises.
1. 2001 Pontiac Aztek: It may be cliche, but it's hard to argue with. Drive one and you quickly realize that the Aztek's exterior design is its best feature. It's the very worst car of all time because it's the only car on the list to kill an 84-year-old car company. The Aztek drove the biggest and last nail into Pontiac's plastic-clad coffin.
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