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But check this: Despite the unusually cold winter across the U.S., the world remains in an overall warming pattern. Earth’s average overall temperature set yet another monthly heat record in January. It was the 18th month of the last 19 that the world hit or passed the internationally agreed upon warming limit of 1.5 C (2.7 F) above preindustrial times.
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Transportation Secretary Duffy Acts to Revoke Emission Rules
From The Epoch Times
Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy said on Jan. 29 that his department is taking action to remove stringent fossil fuel emission standards instituted by the Biden administration.
In December 2023, the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration finalized a rule establishing a method to measure and report transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The rule required state-level agencies to establish targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles traveling on national highways. These emission targets were intended to become more stringent over time, and agencies were required to report on their progress in meeting them. The rule did not specify how low the targets should be but allowed agencies the discretion to set goals appropriate for their communities.
The rule was set up to “confront the increasingly urgent climate crisis,” according to the executive summary, and was expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent to 52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. This was part of a plan to reach “net-zero emissions by no later than 2050,” according to a 2021 White House fact sheet.
On Jan. 29, Duffy approved a proposal to rescind the rule.
“The rescission reflects the Administration’s commitment to unleashing American energy and eliminating unlawful regulatory burdens,” the DOT said in a Jan. 29 statement.
Duffy also issued a memorandum on Jan. 28 related to “fixing the CAFE program.” The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulate the distance vehicles are required to travel per gallon of fuel.
In the memo, Duffy said that during the prior administration, NHTSA finalized two sets of fuel economy standards for several model years of light-duty vehicles and medium-duty work trucks.
“These fuel economy standards are set at such aggressive levels that automakers cannot, as a practical matter, satisfy the standards without rapidly shifting production away from internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to alternative electric technologies,” he stated.
Duffy said that “artificially high” fuel economy standards imposed considerably large costs which rendered “many new vehicle models unaffordable for the average American family and small business owner.”
Duffy directed the NHTSA to immediately begin reviewing and reconsidering all existing fuel economy standards applicable to model year 2022 and forward. He proposed rescinding or replacing any fuel economy standard to bring the CAFE program into compliance with the Trump administration’s policies.
Commenting on the memo, the Alliance of Automotive Innovation said it was reasonable for the new DOT leadership to review existing fuel economy standards.
“As we’ve said, the existing CAFE rules are extremely challenging to achieve—even in the best of circumstances. They also expose automakers to billions of dollars in civil penalties,” the association said in a statement.
On Jan. 29, Duffy signed what the department described as the “Woke Rescission” memorandum. It directs agency officials to “identify and eliminate all Biden-era programs, policies, activities, rules, and orders that promote climate change activism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, racial equity, gender identity policies, environmental justice, and other partisan objectives.”
The action is in line with several executive orders recently issued by President Donald Trump, including the “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” and “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” the department stated.
All DOT offices are required to identify and report, within 10 days, programs and policy statements that are subject to Trump’s relevant executive orders, according to the memo, and revoke nonconforming rules.
Duffy also signed an order to lower costs “through smarter policies, not political ideologies.” Under the order, it must be ensured that all DOT loans and grants are based on “sound economic principles, positive cost-benefit analyses, and pro-economic growth priorities.”
Duffy said these actions are a step toward restoring commonsense governance and merit-based policies at the Transportation Department.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are focused on eliminating excessive regulations that have hindered economic growth, increased costs for American families, and prioritized far-left agendas over practical solutions,” he said.“The American people deserve an efficient, safe, and pro-growth transportation system based on sound decision-making, not political ideologies. These actions will help us deliver on that promise.”
Why Consumers and Dealers Are Both Losing the Battle
From JC Whitney
As a used car dealer, I see the effects firsthand at auctions. Dealers are desperate, trying to offload vehicles they overpaid for, only to find there’s no demand. Repossessed cars are flooding in, but the buyers aren’t there.
The car market is in chaos, and it’s not just whispers in the corners of dealerships or quiet observations at auctions—it’s screaming it loud and clear. From skyrocketing prices to repossessions piling up, the market is telling a story of overextension, broken financing models, and consumer exhaustion.
The Elephant on the Lot: Overpriced and Unsold
Take a walk down the rows of a dealership lot today, and you’ll see it. Trucks priced at $85,000, SUVs at $118,000, and even base models creeping into luxury territory. A Jeep Wrangler Sport—a vehicle that once symbolized rugged simplicity—now carries a sticker price of $66,000. Ford Mavericks, which were nearly impossible to find just two years ago, now sit unsold by the dozen.
Even with dealerships slashing prices—$8,000 off here, $10,000 off there—buyers just aren’t biting. A Ford Explorer, for instance, advertised for $39,000 after discounts, hasn’t moved despite being marked well below MSRP.
Negative Equity: A Crushing Weight
The average American family is stretched thin. Inflation, stagnant wages, and rising costs of living have all contributed to a financial strain that makes car payments feel impossible.
Here’s the kicker: the average negative equity in the U.S. is $7,200, meaning consumers owe significantly more than their vehicles are worth. For one in five car owners, that number climbs to $10,000. This level of debt means fewer trade-ins, fewer upgrades, and a cascading slowdown in the car market.
Repossessions: A Grim Statistic
Repossessions are at a 30-year high. The cars lining auction lots aren’t just trade-ins; they’re repossessed vehicles, abandoned by consumers who simply couldn’t keep up with payments. These vehicles often show the strain—dirty, damaged, neglected—because, as one dealer put it, “Why take care of a car you know you’re going to lose?”
Adding to the crisis, there aren’t even enough tow truck drivers to keep up with the surge in repossessions.
Dealers and Auctions: A Market in Freefall
Dealerships are struggling. Franchise lots are overloaded with inventory they can’t move, while independent dealers are scrambling to unload cars at auctions. Even auctions—once a reliable safety net—are seeing empty rows because there simply aren’t enough trade-ins coming through.
The vicious cycle is clear: consumers can’t afford to buy new cars, which means dealerships can’t take in trade-ins, leaving auctions without inventory and used car dealers scrambling to fill their lots.
The Cost of Living: A Perfect Storm
The broader economic picture isn’t helping. Inflation is squeezing every aspect of daily life. Grocery bills, rent, mortgage payments, and, yes, car payments have all soared. The average new vehicle loan payment is $750 a month, with some buyers facing payments of $1,000 or more. Add in insurance and gas, and that monthly cost climbs to $1,500—a figure that’s simply out of reach for many.
Lessons from the Auction Block
As a used car dealer, I see the effects firsthand at auctions. Dealers are desperate, trying to offload vehicles they overpaid for, only to find there’s no demand. Repossessed cars are flooding in, but the buyers aren’t there.
Even with prices dropping—wholesale values have plummeted 18% in the last quarter—it’s not enough to reignite demand. The consumer base is simply too strapped.
A Broken System
The root of the problem is clear: the market has been overinflated for years. Vehicles that used to cost $20,000 now carry price tags of $50,000 or more. Loans that used to span four or five years are now being pushed to seven or even eight years. And while wages have barely budged, every other cost has exploded.
The Road Ahead
This isn’t just a hiccup—it’s a reckoning. The car market, propped up by inflated prices and cheap loans for too long, is now collapsing under its own weight. Consumers can’t afford it, dealers can’t sell it, and the system can’t sustain it.
Jewels Found On Ebay
Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.
eBay item number: 276808347183
$6,000 Buy It Now
eBay description: 1970 dodge dart swinger 340 4 speed car a real 340 4 speed car Was purchased new one owner then raced in the 70’s till 1980 ish when the motor blew. Car was parked. It has been sitting since the early 80’s. It is a correct gomango car. A real lm23hor vin see pictures for vin and tags. Car needs a restoration. Has a 410 Dana rear end have 80% of parts with car. No block. Have 4 speed not correct numbers. Many performance parts see pics.340 X heads, jr headers,holly strip dominator intake,3 cranks pistons 13.1 pistons also a set of late 70’s centerline wheels in boxes never put on car. All the bumpers grill brackets wire harness are included.see pictures ask questions. Rear glass was shattered a replacement piece will be included.rally dash still in car. Cash only. I do not accept caramel from eBay. Buyer is responsible for pickup. This. At is sold with a bill of sale only.trailer Trades.
(Will sell just the body only no part with Dana separate)
Will assist with shipping vehicle
Buyer pays all shipping costs.
Car is not being relisted. First and last time offered. Will be parted out after auction.
What happened to spell and grammar check? Will be parted out after auction? Looks like it has already been parted out. Comes with 80% of parts - what does that mean? No block but 3 crankshafts - what does that mean? It means you get whatever they have that may or may not belong to this car. And yes it has the usual rust in the lower places. And also as usual NO TITLE CASH ONLY - tells you that you are buying parts and pieces not a restoration vehicle.
Next up is another "project".
eBay item number: 226539629715
$10,000 or best offer
eBay description: We have owned this non op. project car going on 15 plus years. It went from custom shop to custom shop and moved every time one of them went out of business.
Now, apparently it has mostly sat in place for the past 6 years and the current shop has done very little so I am going to put it up for sale and pass it on to someone else. It is that stage of my life where I need to reduce the cars I own and don't drive anywhere.
We currently own over 2 dozen restored collector cars and I personally don't want to start working on any more myself at this stage in life, nor do I want anything in trade so don't bother asking. I just finished restoring my last 2 and as far as I am concerned that is it.
We were planning on resto-modding this car and it currently it has the engine and transmission from a 1994 Buick v8 RWD Roadmaster station wagon in it as well as a remapped ECU to make it all work. The back of the car is full of new parts that were never used - suspension, mechanical etc. It has a new custom driveshaft for the new set up as well.
What you see is what you get and the car is in Fort Myers in the hot rod shops parking lot - zip code 33901 Clear Florida title in my name.
Based on the floor of questions I keep getting I will try to be more clear - this is a NON OPERATIONAL PROJECT CAR for restoration or customizing or resto-modding etc. Assume it needs everything. No you can't drive it across country. No I don't want anything in trade.
The patina on what was an original New Mexico car has gotten more intense but it is surface rust and the car is solid .
This is a 66 year old non op project car sold as is where is with no warranties. The first 3 photos are of the car today - the rest were from its arrive in Florida 15 years ago. This is a non operational project car.
It is a rare body style to customize or restore. Get it when you see it because they rarely come up for sale.
Plenty of text but only 9 photos of this beast and not a one of the interior, engine or underside - just 9 pics of the exterior and it is parked in someone else's parking lot. It does have a title according to the seller. Seller should have taken note that no shop wants anything to do with this wagon - could be a few reasons why. I do like the "X" on the windshield - I'm guessing that means it's dead.
eBay item number: 156659285171
$2,500 - one bids
eBay description: this is a one off custom VW scooter built by me .its on a 2006 honda crf 50 f frame ,its built with new aftermarket front fenders an original rear fenders from a 1968 VW beetle ,the engine has a charging coil to charge the battery , has head lights and tail / brake lights, every part has been rebuilt or ,new, its as custom as you can get , you wont see another like it .if you do some one has made a copy of this one , this is the first time i have shown it, and the first time i have put it up for sell, its a cool little bike and would do well at any show i have just finished the build last week and will be starting on another build similar to this one , thanks for looking . if you like it cool !!! if you dont ..please keep the comments to your self .... you can pick it up or arrange your shipping,, i will help load or meet with your shippers ,, note,,, the Q ball is for shifting gears (three speed automatic ) or foot shift ,,the 8 ball is for hand starting does not have electric start,,
This is listed in collector cars as a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle - Classic. What it is is a 68 VW fender dropped onto a very small bike - look at last photo and see the full size dirt bike behind it. Also another person who failed to hit the spelling and grammar check button. And remember "please keep the comments to your self". "you wont see another like it" - I'm sure there is a reason for that. This fender should have gone on someone's bug. And unlike all the other "jewels" someone placed a bid on this one. I guess there are at least 2 of them running wild in the world. The seller does include a great video of a cat playing with a dragonfly and then eating it; cat looks up and smiles at whoever is filming. Best part of this ad. Is it street legal anywhere - not a chance.
The Death of Byron Carter and the Self-Starter
From Cartercar
It has been widely reported that the death of Byron Carter was the genesis of the creation of the electric starter for automobiles. The biography of Charles Kettering, the man who ultimately built the first production electric starter, records the story as follows:
In the summer of 1910 a woman driving an automobile across the old Belle Island Bridge in Detroit, stalled her engine.... A man who happened by just then stopped and offered to crank the woman's engine for her. He was Byron T. Carter, maker of the automobile called the Cartercar. Unfortunately the spark was not retarded. So the engine kicked back and the flying crank broke Carter's jaw.... Carter was not a young man, and complications arising out of the accident caused his death. Now, it happened that Carter was a friend of Henry Leland, head man at Cadillac. Soon afterward, in Leland's office, Kettering remarked that he thought it would be possible to do away with the hand crank, sometimes called the 'arm-strong starter,' by cranking cars electrically. In Leland's distress at the loss of his friend Carter, he took up the suggestion at once.
Kettering's biography is the earliest known account that mentions Byron Carter in the cranking accident. It was published in 1957, a year before Kettering died, but nearly 50 years after the death of Byron Carter. A similar account of the story appears in a 1957 GM publication called 'Adventures of the Inquiring Mind.'
Another 'first-person' account of the story is recorded in the biography of Henry Leland, who died in 1932. Henry Leland's biography was started by his son Wilfred, who worked alongside his father at Cadillac, shortly before Wilfred's death in 1958. It was later completed by Wilfred's wife Ottile and published in 1966. The story is a little more detailed in this account and adds some items such as:
- The accident happened in December 1910.
- Both Carter's arm and jaw were broken.
- Within a few minutes of Carter's accident, two Cadillac engineers, Ernest Sweet and Bill Foltz, arrived and started the lady's car and took Byron Carter to the hospital.
- Carter's injuries didn't seem serious, but he didn't recover and died a few weeks later of pneumonia.
- When Sweet and Foltz reported the event to Henry Leland, he said 'I'm sorry I ever built an automobile. Those vicious cranks! I won't have Cadillac's hurting people that way.'
- It was after the Cadillac engineers had done enough work to prove that an electric starter could work that Charles Kettering was called in to make the starter motor smaller and ready for production.
Both Kettering's and Leland's accounts agree that Byron Carter's cranking accident was the genesis of the electric starter motor. They disagree regarding whether it happened in the summer or in December and also in who first proposed the electric starter. More interestingly, they agree on a couple of facts that are wrong! First, Byron Carter's middle initial was 'J,' not 'T' as recorded in both Kettering's and Leland's biography. Secondly, Byron Carter died in 1908, two years before the cranking accident supposedly took place. It appears that the errors in the Kettering account were propagated to future accounts of the event and are widely quoted as the facts of the accident. An Internet search will easily show this.
An earlier account of the accident is recorded in 'The Turning Wheel, The story of General Motors through twenty-five years, 1908-1933,' an extensive 500+ page account of the history of General Motors, published in 1934. This version of the story does not mention Byron Carter by name:
An elderly friend of Henry M. Leland, founder of Cadillac, was driving a Cadillac on the Belle Isle bridge when the motor stalled. Forgetting to throw out the clutch before cranking the car, he sustained serious injuries. Mr. Leland's grief over this accident drove him to encourage Kettering, and to give the Delco starting, lighting, and ignition system a chance.
Does it make sense that Byron Carter would be driving a Cadillac instead of the car bearing his name and would he at age 44 be considered elderly?
So is the basic story true, that Byron Carter's cranking accident was the impetus behind the electric starter? It seems reasonable to have some doubts if the earliest recorded version that mentions his name was published almost 50 years later and contains verifiable mistakes. However, the two people most directly responsible for producing the electric starter for Cadillac in 1911 (for the 1912 model year) both said that Byron Carter's accident was the reason for pursuing the electric starter so the essence of the story may be true even if some of the details of the story are wrong.
What contemporary accounts of Byron Carter's death exist? The primary documentation found is Byron Carter's death certificate which records that he died at 10AM on April 6, 1908 at 512 Commonwealth St (Detroit) and the cause of death was 'double lobar pneumonia.' It also records that he had been under doctor's care from 4/1/08 until his death on 4/6/08 and that a contributory cause of death was 'consolidated lower lobe left side.' In the spot on the form for the duration of the contributory cause the value filled in was 'years.' There is also a '93' written in the cause of death area of the form, but it is not clear what that means. It should be noted that Byron Carter's tombstone lists the year of death as 1908 as well.
There are a couple of notices of his death that were published in automotive trade publications shortly following his death, but none of them mention a cranking accident as a contributory cause of his death. Two of them that do mention a cause, list it as being pneumonia; one mentioned that he had suffered from pneumonia for a week. Interestingly there are also mistakes in these contemporary reports - for example one lists him as being 45 years old (he was actually 44).
One local car collector in the Jackson area tells that there is another story behind his death by pneumonia - it was caused by getting his arm caught in the overhead belt mechanism used to drive machinery at that time.
Do you have any other information on the death of Byron Carter? If so, would you please let us know?
Getting back to the source of the Electric Starter story...
There was a automobile handcrank accident recorded in April 22, 1907 in the Detroit Free Press:
H. O. Carter, representing the Carter International Automobile Manufacturing Co., of Milwaukee, with a local office, met with a peculiar and painful accident at Belle Isle yesterday afternoon. With John C. Voll, traveling man, and a number of other friends, Mr. Carter was driving his auto on the Canadian shore of the island when he observed another machine in distress. Mr. Carter stopped his own machine and went to the relief of the stranded party. He was manipulating the crank bar, when the contrivance slipped, striking him a violent blow in the jaw. The injured man was first conveyed to the Marine hospital, where his face received temporary dressing. As the hospitals were unable to provide private quarters for the patient, Mr. Carter was taken to his room at the Griswold house, where he is being cared for by Dr. Wright. His jaw is badly fractured.
The Washington Post account adds more detail on the injuries: "The left side of his head was crushed. A section of his cheek bone was extracted Sunday night and he is very weak from loss of blood. It is expected, however, that he will recover."
Thankfully, H. O. Carter did not die from his injuries and a July 1907 newspaper article reported that "Mr. Carter showed but slight effects of his narrow escape from death a few months ago."
Howard O. Carter was also an early automotive pioneer and is best known as the inventor and patent holder for the Carter Two-Engine Automobile which was being produced by the Carter Motor Car Corporation at this same time. Besides the two-engined car itself, the Carter Motor Car story is a fascinating one, involving stock sales schemes and the use of automobile "school" students as unpaid factory workers. While the Carter Two-Engine Automobile did not last very long, the company continued for a while, building Washington cars and trucks. In the next decade, H. O. Carter was still active, building airplanes and marketing other inventions.
The Washington Herald account of H. O. Carter's accident included an important and relevant fact to the electric starter story: "he was struck in the jaw by a crank he was using to start a Caddilac[sic.] car".
Perhaps the true origin of the story of first electric starter by Kettering and Henry Leland of Cadillac is now known.
Discover the Hidden Gems of the Virginia Museum of Transportation
From Hemmings
The Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke lives up to its name with a select collection of classic cars, airplanes and, yes, trains that are exhibited outdoors in the railyard. There’s even a Jupiter rocket piercing the sky by the entrance to the museum, which is located in downtown Roanoke’s century-old freight station.
Planes and Trains
There are about two dozen cars on display, beginning with a Virginia-built 1918 Kline Kar. Another Virginia-produced car is the 1923 Piedmont Touring Car Model 4-30. It’s one of three survivors today and was manufactured by the only auto company ever chartered in Virginia. The Piedmont cost considerably more than a Ford Model T and did not gain traction in the market.
While we were touring the museum, a local class of third graders was on a field trip there. The teacher asked the students to each stand in front of their favorite car. Most of the students ambled over to the 2007 Team Victor Tango self-driving car. One of them cogently noted why he picked it: “Because I can drive it now.” Smart kid.
Larissa and I took up the teacher’s challenge, so she stood in front of the 1954 Lincoln Capri convertible while I reverted to the yearnings of my youth and chose the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T; it won Best in Show at the 2001 Mopar Nationals.
The self-driving car favored by the students came about from an Urban Challenge issued by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense) to develop a self-driving car that could operate in an urban environment. The robotics students at Virginia Tech entered the competition using a pair of 2005 Escape Hybrids that Ford donated to be heavily modified. And modify they did. The students outfitted the car with a custom drive-by-wire system and computers, laser scanners, cameras, and a global positioning system to identify obstacles, cars, and roads on the course at George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. Virginia Tech came in third in the elite competition, behind only Carnegie Mellon and Stanford.
A row of Studebakers starts out with the oldest wheeled vehicle here, a circa 1870 Studebaker Half-Platform Wagon from the company’s early pioneering days as a wagon shop in South Bend, Indiana. That was before it moved into electric vehicles in 1902 and gas-powered vehicles in 1904. A 1913 Studebaker on view represents the latter foray.
The Hoosier row continues with a 1950 Studebaker Land Cruiser and a 1955 Studebaker President Speedster in the jauntiest color combination of Hialeah Green and Sun Valley Yellow (the famous lemon/lime combination). The President name, reintroduced for this model year, was applied to an evolution of the original Starliner coupe, properly credited to Raymond Loewy Stylist Bob Bourke. The 1962 Studebaker Lark Taxi, like all other four-door Larks for 1962, shared the 113-inch wheelbase of the station wagons to offer more rear legroom for passengers.
The 1954 Lincoln Capri convertible that was manufactured in Wayne, New Jersey, is a similar model to one that made a cameo appearance in the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz movie The Long, Long Trailer. They set out on their road trip hauling the trailer with a 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible. But the steep mountain slopes where they were filming required a stronger engine than the Mercury’s 125-hp flathead V-8. Hence, the substitution of the more powerful 1953 Capri’s 205-hp V-8. The Lincoln’s body trim had to be modified to disguise it as the original car.
A 1934 Dodge Brothers school bus in the collection was manufactured in Hamtramck, Michigan. Unlike in a typical bus, bench seating ran along the side walls and back-to-back down the middle of the bus. The older kids sat by the windows while the young uns sat in the middle leaning on each other’s backs.
Also on display at the museum was a 1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II that once belonged to Bonanza star Lorne Greene. Although the rack-and-pinion steering was an improvement over the steering box in the Silver Shadow I, it’s hard to picture Ben Cartwright bouncing around the Ponderosa Ranch and rounding up cattle in it.
Automobilia on display included a replica 1930s garage, vintage gas pumps, and memorabilia. Throughout the museum there are computer touch screens with extensive information about the cars by decade.
Planes and Trains
On the railroad side of the museum there are more than 50 exhibits both indoors and out. The 1951 Diesel-Electric locomotive was designed and manufactured by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors at its LaGrange plant in Illinois. Built for the Wabash Railroad, the 12-cylinder engine was capable of 2,250 horsepower. A plaque signifies it as the 10,000th unit produced by the GM division.
Visitors can climb inside some of the train cars and a caboose. If you need more of a railroad fix the museum offers a live rail cam at vmt.org/railcam.
The “Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery” is dedicated to the history of flight in Virginia. Visitors are allowed inside a private plane, an Aero Jet Commander, to see how the other half lives. (Maybe I should have stood in front of that one when the teacher said to pick a favorite?) A drop test model of a Boeing F/A-18E hanging from the ceiling represents the “skunk works” projects undertaken at Virginia’s NASA Langley Research Center.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation holds a comprehensive display of different modes of transportation that should please even the pickiest of visitors and is located at 303 Norfolk Avenue SW, Roanoke, Virginia. Head to vmt.org for more information.
The Briefs
At this past Grand National Roadster Show, the Petersen Automotive Museum helped curate 50 past winners of the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster and Al Slonaker Memorial Awards for the largest gathering of these show-winners ever assembled. Walking through the exhibit at the Grand National Roadster Show revealed how some trends have come and gone, while other past builds would not look out of place in this year’s competition. The elegant lines of the ’20s and ’30s American classics will never go out of style, especially when they’re subtly reshaped and massaged to perfection, but we loved that judges rewarded some builders who took bold risks. Click the link below to see all of them in a slide show: 50 Past Grand National Roadster Show Winners - Click photo of the blue car to start the show.
Lyft says it will launch a fleet of robotaxis, using self-driving technology from Intel’s Mobileye, in Dallas in “as soon as 2026,” with plans to scale to ”thousands” of vehicles in additional markets in the months to follow. To signal its seriousness, the company tapped Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate, to run fleet operations.
Lyft’s news comes after Uber dropped new details about its plan to feature Waymo’s robotaxis on its platform in Austin and Atlanta later this year. And Tesla recently shared plans to launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer.
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD to add self-driving capabilities across its auto lines, including the roughly $10K economy Seagull hatchback; BYD passed Tesla as world's biggest EV maker last year.
Chevron to lay off between 15% and 20% of its global workforce, or as many as 9,000 people, by end of 2026; move is part of efforts to cut costs by between $2B and $3B and comes amid pending $53B acquisition of Hess Corp.
Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan have officially ended their $60B merger discussions, which would have created the world's third-largest automaker. The pair said the deal collapsed due to disputes over management structure, with Honda proposing to make Nissan a subsidiary. Both companies emphasized the need for quick decision-making in the rapidly evolving electric vehicle market.
The EV owners were warned, and here we are.
WEF puppets are openly gloating about the plan to shut down your car at will ?? ?
World Economic Forum plans to use smart devices on air conditioning, TVs, Electric Vehicles… so the state can take aggressive action and shut them down when the grid is overloaded (or you are not a good little citizen). See the video at X Post
Amid a spate of vandalism at Supercharger stations, Tesla appears to be employing countermeasures to head off the theft of its valuable copper charging cables.
For years now, opportunists have targeted electric vehicle charging stations for the copper wiring that powers them, and more recently Tesla's physical locations have been targeted by a wave of anti-Elon Musk vandalism. With Tesla Supercharger stations lacking physical security guards, thieves have had little stopping them from hacking off the cables to steal the metal worth up to $5.20 per pound — until now, at least.
In a post on X, Tesla charging czar Max de Zegher appeared to confirm that the company is experimenting with anti-theft technology, including so-called "DyeDefender" wraps for charger cables that spit out blue dye when cut, and stamps on the wires themselves that he hopes will flag the stolen materials at recycling centers.
Responding to a post from the blog Drive Tesla Canada about the exploding dye cable wraps, de Zegher said that the solution was "just a trial" and added that the company is "always exploring options."
"Supercharger cables will also have 'Property of Tesla' engraved from our Buffalo NY factory," he added, "so recycling companies shouldn't accept them and notify us."
Earlier in the week, a Tesla-driving Redditor posted photos of the new cable wraps at a new Supercharger station in Seattle. In one close-up, a small yellow flag warned that the cable wrap was "pressurized" and should not be cut was visible. Made by the company CatStrap, these DyeDefender cable wraps will explode and paint blue dye all over whoever attempts to cut them, as a video from the company shows.
President Donald Trump rides in the presidential limousine during a pace lap ahead of the start of the Daytona 500 Nascar race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on February 16, 2025. This is the second time as president he attended the event.
The Lee County (Florida, where else?) Sheriff's Office is investigating after a Feb. 7 incident involving an allegedly intoxicated man riding on a lawnmower, WESH-TV reported. A video camera caught the mower plowing into a mailbox along the street; the man went heels over head and stumbled away from the mower, then returned and drove off, apparently hitting multiple other mailboxes along the way. Matt Clardy, whose mailbox was among the victims, called it "absolutely disgusting" but admitted, "It's so funny. I can watch it 100 times." The man left behind a Pittsburgh Steelers hat and sunglasses at one of the scenes; police are still trying to identify him
In Seminole County, Florida, Alan Davis, 69, is famous for all the wrong reasons, ClickOrlando reported. Davis' unsightly property has been the bane of his neighbors' existence for 25 years, and this year, as he celebrates the anniversary of his first county code violation, he's added another element: a 6-foot-tall fiberglass representation of a human butt. Also in his yard: stacks of scrap metal, steel drums, rusted appliances, tarps, junked vehicles and towering weeds. Davis calls the yard a "political protest" against the county government. "I pile it up intentionally to aggravate them," he said. As of mid-January, Davis owed the county $5.4 million in fines, with more accruing every day. "I'm not going to pay it," Davis said. "I do what I want on my property." Twice, the county has paid to haul away thousands of pounds of junk, but Davis just starts collecting again. "Freedom has a look. This is what it looks like," he said.
In Douglasville, Georgia, a routine traffic stop on Jan. 29 resulted in a perplexing mystery, Atlanta News First reported. Douglas County Sheriff's officers pulled over an unidentified driver who had a dead body in the passenger seat. The deceased, 21-year-old Malachi A. Mitchell, was allegedly meeting the driver to sell him a gun, Mitchell's mother said, although police say the investigation is ongoing. After questioning the driver, who was cooperative, detectives let him go.
Pennsylvania State Police are working to track down the perpetrator of a crime that's no yolk ... or joke. The Associated Press reported that on Feb. 1, 100,000 eggs were stolen from the back of a trailer in Antrim Township, and no leads have come in. "In my career, I've never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen," said Trooper Megan Frazer. But then, egg prices have rarely been so high. "We're hoping that somebody knows something," Frazer said. That would be eggs-cellent.
Police pulled over Elizabeth Perez of El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 24 after clocking her driving 106 mph on I-84 near Baker City, Oregon, The Oregonian reported. Why is that weird? Perez is 94 years old. She was also cited for failing to secure a child passenger, driving without insurance and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Electric vehicle startup Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday following a dramatic decrease in sales, a fraud scandal, and the incarceration of its founder.
Launched in 2015, the company made promises to revolutionize the industry by developing long-haul semi-trucks powered by hydrogen and electricity. The zero-emissions pitch sparked enthusiasm among investors until 2020, when Nikola was targeted in a short-seller report alleging that founder Trevor Milton had exaggerated claims about his business’s technology and production. Milton was ousted and later convicted of fraud in 2022 for misrepresenting Nikola to investors, including sharing a promo video of an electric truck rolling downhill. He received a four-year prison sentence, which he is now appealing.
The automaker reported having $47M in cash to fund its bankruptcy proceedings and provide limited service for trucks on the road. See more at EV truck maker Nikola goes bust
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the Federal Highway Administration has "terminated approval" of New York City's congestion pricing plan, the first of its kind in the nation, which went into effect earlier this year.
The DOT shared a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, in which he said a review found that the "scope of this pilot project as approved exceeds the authority authorized by Congress" under the Federal Highway Administration's Value Pricing Pilot Program.
"New York State's congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners," Duffy said in a statement on Wednesday. "Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes. But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It's backwards and unfair."
The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which manages the city's subways as well as bridges and commuter rails, said it is challenging the reversal in federal court.
In 1957, it was possible to order a “Birdnest” for the Ford Thunderbird, in the form of an aftermarket setup manufactured by a California company called Bird’s Nest. The outfit built fewer than 150 of these rumble seats for dealers willing to install them.
She might be the greatest “activists” to ever do it. A nonprofit organization with connections to Democratic activist Stacey Abrams is under scrutiny after receiving a $2 billion federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This funding, part of the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund established through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, was intended to support clean energy initiatives and reduce carbon emissions. However, concerns are mounting because the nonprofit, Power Forward Communities, was founded only months before the grant was awarded and reported just $100 in revenue during its first three months.
The situation became more complicated when EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the new EPA chief, disclosed that the previous administration had transferred the entire $20 billion to an external financial institution before leaving office in hopes of avoiding scrutiny, writes The Washington Free Beacon.
Power Forward Communities’ grant was one of just eight Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants that the EPA doled out in April 2024 and that, altogether, totaled $20 billion. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced on Feb. 13 that his staff and Department of Government Efficiency officials discovered that the Biden administration parked that same $20 billion at an outside financial institution before leaving office, limiting the federal government’s oversight of the program.
The revelation that Power Forward Communities is among the beneficiaries of the funds Zeldin’s team located raises ethics questions about how the Biden administration selected recipients of such massive grants and whether it played favorites when doling those grants out. Abrams was a vocal proponent of the Biden administration’s green energy agenda and campaigned for former vice president Kamala Harris.
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
Energy Secretary’s 1st Order Reverses Drive for Net Zero Carbon Emissions
From: The Epoch Times
In his first week in office, Chris Wright put forth a plan to meet the projected rise in energy demand through fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
The first secretarial order issued by Chris Wright, secretary of energy, is a nine-point action plan to solve what President Donald Trump has deemed a national energy emergency brought on by the Green New Deal.
Wright ordered a reversal of the pursuit of a “net-zero carbon future,” which was a key objective of the previous administration’s energy department.
Wright stated that net zero policies have done little to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, raised the cost of energy, jeopardized reliability, and harmed energy and national security.
Challenges confronting the new administration include the high price of gasoline, projected rising demand for electricity, insufficient generation capability, a deteriorating and antiquated transmission grid, and a depleted strategic petroleum reserve.
Trump has repeatedly declared that abundant, dependable, affordable, and clean energy is the United States’ biggest asset and the answer to many of the nation’s problems and needs.
The increased production and export of those energy assets is a main pillar of Trump’s economic plan.
Wright, a 60-year-old engineer and businessman with a background in mineral rights and royalties, fracking, and nuclear technology, wasted no time in directing his department’s 16,000 employees and 100,000 contract workers to get busy implementing the president’s vision for a new “Golden Age” based on U.S. energy dominance.
“Energy is the essential ingredient that enables everything we do,” Wright wrote in the preamble to the secretarial order issued on Feb. 5, two days after he was confirmed by the Senate.
“A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all.”
Opponents Push Back
The Sierra Club, a national environmental advocacy group, was critical of the new agenda. Executive Director Ben Jealous wrote that the president’s actions “lay bare his determination to undermine the health and wealth of working families by polluting our air and water while ceding ground to China as he attempts to shutter the brand new factories powering our nation with clean energy.”
“Making our communities more dangerous, driving up respiratory and heart disease, increasing our energy bills, and shipping our jobs overseas is the furthest thing from American leadership and the promises he made to support working-class families,” he wrote.
In contrast, the Department of Energy (DOE) secretary’s order stated, “Going forward, the department’s goal will be to unleash the great abundance of American energy,” which, he said, is “needed to power modern life.”
Wright stated that energy matters and “we need more of it, not less.”
A Broad Spectrum of Sources
To increase the supply of energy, the administration’s plan calls for the use of fossil fuels, geothermal energy, hydroelectric energy, and advanced nuclear energy.
As part of that effort, the DOE has been ordered to rapidly deploy and even export the next generation of nuclear power technology.
Describing the federal permitting process as “burdensome,” Wright said the DOE will prioritize making permitting more efficient to enable private sector investors to build the diverse infrastructure needed.
Wright committed his department to identifying and expediting the approval and construction of projects that will “make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure.”
The DOE has been ordered to “remove barriers to progress, including federal policies that make it too easy to stop projects and far too difficult to complete projects.”
Strengthening the reliability and security of the U.S. power grid, including its transmission system, is mandated in the DOE order.
Regarding consumer appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, the order stated, “The department will pursue a common-sense approach that does not regulate products that consumers value out of the market; instead, affordability and consumer choice will be our guiding light.”
Wright stated in the order that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) “must be refilled.”
“Unfortunately, the SPR is currently at historically low levels,“ he said. ”We will not permit this to become a new status quo.”
The order also mandates that the DOE ease restrictions on the export of liquified natural gas.
Reviving a Legend: Restoring the Iconic Chrysler Turbine Car | Jay Leno's Garage
Chevy Camaro Commercial - 1993
Gov Deals
If you're like a lot of car people you search Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, BAT, Hemmings, Hagerty Marketplace, Ebay Motors and others looking for interesting vehicles. Why not try Gov Deals - below is from the about page:
When government agencies face the dilemma of how to navigate the waters of surplus disposition, GovDeals is a lifeline to help manage the sale of their surplus inventory. GovDeals prevents this process from becoming a drag on government time and resources.
GovDeals is a complete and sustainable solution specifically created for, and dedicated to, government agencies and their surplus disposition. With over 15,000 sellers utilizing the GovDeals online auction platform, GovDeals has completed over $4 billion in sales achieved by selling directly to our more than 1 million registered buyers. Our online auction platform regularly generates higher net returns by delivering true market values.
GovDeals is powered by the most experienced and trusted company in the surplus industry - Liquidity Services.
GovDeals buyers have direct access to the best surplus equipment deals across North America. Purchase confidently from trusted and respected government organizations and suppliers on a secure, transparent, and efficient platform.
Thousands of items are sold every week, in just about every category - including transportation, heavy equipment, real estate, and more - all on one simple and centralized marketplace. Find what you're looking for today.
Go to the website here: www.govdeals.com. You can search the categories for stuff you're interested in - and there are plenty of categories from aircraft to fine art to firearms to garbage trucks and much more. There is a category called Classic/Custom Cars. The day I checked there was a 65 GTO for sale in Virginia along with 91 Mustang, 69 Dart GT, 79 MGB and a 63 Galaxy and 63 Fairlane. All of which needed some serious work. www.govdeals.com/classic-custom-cars. You never know what you will find if you keep on looking.
Actual ad from Easyriders magazine in the 70s
The Americana Tradition of the Bait & Switch
From Hagerty
This fanciful tale is based on true scary events as witnessed by Car Dealer Sajeev.
David and Deborah never much cared for buying a new car, as it was more of a necessary hassle to get in and out of the suburbs for work and play. But here they were at a Pontiac dealership in the summer of 1982, because their 1971 Pontiac GT-37 coupe just flipped its odometer and they knew the problems were coming with it. Dave admits he never quite warmed up to the downsized Grand Prix in 1978, but he saw there were two examples advertised in the Sunday newspaper (called loss leaders in the car business) that piqued his interest. Deb couldn’t care less, she just wanted a quick upgrade from the GT-37’s burning hot vinyl seats and corny boy-racer stripes that her friends loved to tease her about in the checkout line at the local Minimax.
The couple met Frank, a salesman who “upped” them at the door, as he hastily put out his cigarette on the pebble-infused concrete pad outside the mid-century modern dealership’s front door. Dave was all about getting behind the wheel of a new 1982 Grand Prix, preferably one of two units mentioned in the newspaper. Frank agreed and took them around the minimalist dealership, making small talk, while pointing out a bright red Bonneville coupe to Deb to break the ice. As they turned the corner, Dave quickly extended his right arm and stopped everyone in their tracks.
Parked to the side of the showroom, under an ominous concrete cantilevered ceiling was a stunning example of the Pontiac Grand Prix. The unique roofline got his attention, but the brushed aluminum B-pillar trim stopped Dave in his tracks. “Wait, what is this one? I have never seen a Grand Prix like this before!”
“Oh, that’s the exclusive Americana edition, made in 1981 only. We bought it from another Pontiac dealership that had too many Grand Prixs—if you are interested I can get you the keys and make you a fantastic deal on it.”
Deb sighed. She knew this was the GT-37 all over again. She just wanted a LeMans back in 1971, but Dave sees something sparkly and loses all perspective. Frank saw it too, knowing he had a sucker on the hook. As expected, the test drive was fantastic and Dave verbally repeated the unique features Frank taught him about the Americana, fixating on the “French-style” opera windows. There was no window sticker, but Frank did mention this was a leftover bought from another dealer. Dave couldn’t wait to see the deal they’d offer him, and Frank couldn’t wait to hand the couple off as chum to the shark in the finance office.
The deal went smoothly, much to Deb’s surprise. They sold that leftover 1981 Grand Prix Americana for the same price as the two units mentioned in the newspaper, and Dave gleefully signed every document put in his hands. Deb noticed the happiness in the finance manager’s face, and the twinkle that came from his Rolex from the harsh lighting above the wood-paneled office. She was uneasy, and for good reason.
A few days after delivery, she got a call at home from Frank. Apparently the dealership got the paperwork wrong, as they put the VIN of the Grand Prix from the newspaper loss leader specials in the paperwork and ran the entire deal on one of them. She called Dave’s office in a panic, and he assured her this was all a mistake and he would head to the Pontiac dealership after work to handle it.
Upon Dave’s arrival, a stern-faced Frank led him to the finance office, where another nameless finance manager gave him the bad news. The Americana he fell in love with was now a stolen car, and he would have to either pay more for it, or go home with the car with the VIN that matches the paperwork. Frank took him behind the showroom to see the loss leaders: Since they were the same price he could pick one of those to go home in.
Dave sighed as he approached the steel-roof Grand Prixs, one in red and the other in green. He noted the drab wheel covers and blackwall tires as Frank mentioned that neither came with crushed velour seats or that FM radio he really liked. But it got worse, as Dave noticed the red Grand Prix had a green vinyl interior and the green one had a red vinyl interior. Dave explained, “Who would order cars that were so ugly?”
“Mistakes happen, that’s why they are the cheapest on the lot!” said Frank, with a little smirk, as he knew the trap was set. Those guys in the service department really did a great job switching interiors in the two Pontiacs this time. Last year they forgot to remove the window stickers, which cost him a sale.
Dave drove home that evening in his cherished Grand Prix Americana, hungry and crestfallen after becoming $2200 poorer over the next 48 months. “Well, not including 14 percent interest on that $2200 I just signed away,” he thought. How the hell was he going to explain this to Deb when he gets home?—Sajeev Mehta
Toyota Doubled Down on Hybrids. It Might Just Pay Off
From Hagerty
Toyota is entitled to an I-told-you-so. The company and its chairman, Akio Toyoda, have for years bucked the auto industry’s herd-like stampede to electric vehicles. Now, with sales of electric vehicles falling short of industry expectations, automakers are hastily revising their product plans—and Toyota is posting
robust profits.
Hindsight has a way of making mistakes obvious—of course the car-buying masses weren’t going to leap at the opportunity to buy more expensive vehicles that are in many ways less practical—but it’s important to understand the forces that pushed others to bet so heavily on EVs. The strongest of those forces is regulation. The federal government has mandated 50 percent of new vehicle sales be EVs by 2030; California has gone even further, banning sales of new gas-engine vehicles by 2035.
Investors also played a role. Tesla became the world’s most valuable automaker thanks to the innovative sheen of EVs. Rivals faced shareholder pressure to pursue a similar strategy.
Then there’s the simple reality of how much it costs and how long it takes to develop new vehicles. Most automakers can’t afford to make the wrong bet, so they’ve made what they see to be the safe one: Go all-in on EVs. General Motors aims to be 100 percent electric by 2035. Volkswagen says it’s developing 70 electric models for 2030. Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, is shooting for 75.
How was Toyota able to forge a different path? Much of the answer seems to revolve around its culture. From its earliest days as a maker of knitting looms to its position today as the world’s largest automaker by sales, Toyota has adhered to a distinctive philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement (kaizen, in Japanese) and what it calls “respect for people.” And it has repeatedly found a way to outmaneuver competitors and astound skeptics. In the late 1980s, for instance, rivals were dumbfounded when Toyota—known for plain Jane, unpretentious cars and trucks—unveiled a plan to sell luxury cars. How could the maker of cheap Corollas hope to attract the affluent and sophisticated? The answer, Lexus, revolutionized the way dealerships treat their customers.
Toyota also swam against the current with hybrids. Alert to tighter fuel-efficiency regulation, especially in California, Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997. Once again, the reigning automotive powers were amused. How on earth could any modern vehicle bear the weight, complexity, and cost of two powertrains? The Prius went on to become one of the most successful Toyotas ever—and chastened competitors developed their own hybrids.
The same culture helps explain its caution with regard to EVs. Rather than leap to a new technology that imposes challenges on customers, including a nascent charging infrastructure and higher prices, Toyota has chosen to take the kaizen approach to hybrids, refining the technology and putting it in ever more offerings, from the Corolla to the Tundra pickup. The company says it can build 90 hybrids with the amount of lithium used in one 75-kWh EV battery and that it can sell these hybrids to a wider set of consumers.
Mind you, Toyota has not entirely ignored EV vehicles. It has committed to introduce 30 of them by 2030. It also maintains a considerable investment in hydrogen fuel.
The breadth of these investments points to another advantage over competitors: money. Three-quarters of the way through 2024, Toyota was sitting on more than $90 billion in cash reserves—more than three times that of GM or Ford. Toyota, unlike its competitors, can afford to hedge its bets.
Florida Man Arrested For Barking Like A Dog At Auto Parts Store
By Sid Bridge from America's Most Criminal
A man from Florida was arrested recently in Georgia after causing a stir at an auto parts store by, as witnesses described, “barking like a dog” for over an hour.
The Forsyth Police Department reported that the store owner, baffled by the man’s antics, called the authorities.
According to the report, a white male had “been at the store for over an hour and was continuously barking like a dog.”
When the police showed up, they identified the individual as 29-year-old Jonathan Navas. Upon confrontation, Navas reportedly told officers he had “no idea that he was causing any issues.”
Navas did not initially present any identification. Instead, he informed the officers that his driver’s license was in his car parked outside.
The police accompanied him to the vehicle, where things took a more sinister turn. Officers observed “a clear baggie containing syringes” on the front passenger seat, one of which contained a transparent liquid.
A thorough search of the car uncovered another baggie with “a clear crystal substance,” as described in the incident report. Field testing confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
When an officer inquired about the contents of the syringe, Navas allegedly replied that it was “blood” and not highly illegal drugs.
Following Navas’ arrest, police obtained further details about his identity and uncovered an outstanding warrant for him in his home state of Florida.
Law enforcement in Monroe County cross-checked and confirmed the warrant while Navas sat handcuffed in the back of the patrol car.
The items recovered from his car were secured as evidence, and Navas was taken to the Monroe County Detention Center. Local authorities noted Florida law enforcement was ready and waiting to retrieve him.
Florida man flees cops in Dalmatian onesie
Meanwhile, another bizarre arrest involving a Florida resident unfolded, this time in late January, featuring a suspect clothed in a Dalmatian print onesie.
Dylan Keith Devereaux, 36, found himself facing a laundry list of charges, including fleeing the police, reckless driving, battery on a law enforcement officer, and possession of methamphetamine, among others.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers attempted to stop Devereaux for reckless driving just after midnight on January 27.
When Devereaux failed to comply, a pursuit ensued, culminating in him crashing his vehicle into a tree. After the crash, he fled on foot.
Officers pursued him, deploying a stun gun to halt his escape. Devereaux dropped to the ground but started a scuffle with the officers while being handcuffed. The altercation ended with him being subdued a second time with a stun gun.
Unfazed by the electric jolt, Devereaux managed to slip away once more, now wearing a single handcuff, as he bolted toward a wooded area.
Fortunately for the officers, a police K-9 was dispatched to the scene and tracked Devereaux to his nearby residence.
When law enforcement approached Devereaux’s home, his girlfriend reportedly became defensive, telling officers to stay away from her property, citing concerns about going to jail due to drugs inside the house.
Police searched the residence and reportedly found illegal substances, arresting both Devereaux and his girlfriend.
That is it for this month
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