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Daily Drive Blog Post, Two Magazine Articles Garner Medals

A blog post that ran on The Daily Drive and two articles that appeared in its automotive-history companion publication came in for awards when the fourth-annual Automotive Heritage Awards (AHA) were presented recently.

2021 Automotive Heritage Awards

Consumer Guide Automotive Publisher Tom Appel collected a bronze medallion in the competition’s “Best Car Culture Story” category for “Learning to Drive Stick: A Sordid Tale of Intrigue, Deception, and Personal Triumph.” The Daily Drive blog post recounted how he learned to operate a manual transmission quite by unexpected necessity in a gas-station customer’s “three-on-the-tree” Ford Econoline van. Though it was Appel’s first recognition in the AHA competition, he was a five-time medalist in a predecessor awards program.

In addition, the authors of two articles that ran in Collectible Automobile® magazine were cited for their work. From the “Best Marque Specific Story” category Terry V. Boyce earned silver for “1971-78 Cadillac Eldorado: A Sizeable Difference” that appeared in the April 2020 issue. Gary Witzenburg’s “John Schinella: From Hidden Talent to High Profile,” an interview with a former General Motors designer that ran in the October 2020 issue, scored a bronze in the “Best Personality Profile” group.

The two Michigan-based CA contributing editors both have past AHA recognition for their work for the magazine. Witzenburg collected bronze in 2020 for his profile of Chevrolet Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov; Boyce was awarded gold in 2018 for his two-part interview with long-time GM designer William Porter.

The AHA journalism awards, presented in eight categories, weren’t the only honors announced at the August 20 program. A panel of design professionals named the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR the 2021 Concept Car of the Year and the National Automotive History Collection selected the 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 as its Future Collectible Vehicle of the Year. Lindsay Brooke, an editor of engineering magazines published by the Society of Automotive Engineers, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The AHA program is a conducted by the nonprofit Automotive Heritage Foundation. Entries for the 2021 journalism competition came from content printed, streamed, posted, or otherwise made public during 2020. Judging is on a fixed point scale, allowing for multiple awards in any category. (Top-scoring gold-medal works are also eligible for a best-of-category trophy.) The awards were handed out during the Woodward Dream Show staged at the M1 Concourse motorsports club in Pontiac, Michigan, a new venue for the AHA announcement.

The Daily Drive is the day-to-day news and commentary site of Consumer Guide Automotive, which has been evaluating and reporting on new cars since 1967. The bimonthly Collectible Automobile^® has been published for since 1984. Both are properties of Publications International, Ltd., of Morton Grove, Illinois.

2021 Automotive Heritage Awards

The author served as a judge for the 2021 AHA competition.

Learning to Drive Stick: A Sordid Tale of Intrigue, Deception, and Personal Triumph

Written by: John Biel on August 23, 2021.

Photo Feature: 1960 Edsel Ranger

1960 Edsel Ranger

by Don Sikora II

Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2011 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

Introduced by the Ford Motor Company in September 1957, Edsel was Ford’s attempt to capture a larger portion of the medium-price new-car market. But by the start of the 1960 model year, the brand was on very shaky ground.

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1960 Edsel Ranger Two-Door Sedan

1960 Edsel Ranger

As the medium-price market developed in the years between the world wars, Ford really didn’t do anything to address this growing—and profitable—part of the business. The 1939 Mercury was the company’s first medium-price offering, but it had to compete with Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick from General Motors; Dodge, DeSoto, and Chrysler from Chrysler; and a collection of strong independents including Nash and Hudson.

Ford executives recognized the importance of this market soon after the end of World War II. Still, serious strategic planning didn’t begin until the Fifties.

Carefully orchestrated leaks and media speculation preceded the introduction of FoMoCo’s new medium-price car, the 1958 Edsel. Despite the planning and hoopla, the Edsel faced major problems even before it ever went on sale.

Dead-Brand Madness! 10 Classic Edsel Ads

1960 Edsel Ranger

The new car found itself caught up in a perfect storm of brutal office politics, a dramatic sales downturn in the medium-price field, and the worst economic conditions since the end of World War II. With sales failing to live up to expectations from the start, and powerful opponents in company management, Edsel quickly lost support inside of Ford, even before New Year’s Day 1958. It was branded a loser, but no matter how good or bad the ’58 Edsel truly was, it probably never really had a chance to succeed.

Edsel offerings were dramatically scaled back for 1959, and by 1960, the Edsel was little more than a badge-engineered Ford. Introduced on October 15, 1959, the ’60 Edsel arrived in one series, Ranger. Body styles included two- and four-door sedans and hardtops, a convertible, and six- and nine-passenger Villager station wagons.

Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1960

1960 Edsel Ranger

Unique sheetmetal was at a minimum, with the hood and the small sections of the rear fenders next to the decklid being the differences. Edsel’s signature central vertical grille was jettisoned, and the new front end looked quite similar to a 1959 Pontiac. At the rear, vertical taillamps set the car apart from the ’60 Ford with its horizontal lenses.

Dealer and customer response was tepid, allowing the company to officially throw in the towel on Edsel a little more than a month after the 1960 model’s introduction. Production ended by November 30, 1959, and totaled a mere 2846 units.

The featured car is owned by Judy Doster of Abilene, Texas. The two-door sedan was the price leader of the line at $2643 to start, and the second-most popular 1960 Edsel with a run of 777 units.

A 292-cubic inch “Ranger V8 was standard, but this car has the 223-inch “Econ-O-Six,” a $83.70 credit option. It’s joined to an extra-cost automatic transmission.

No Laughing Matter: 5 Cars We Make Fun Of, But Maybe Shouldn’t

1960 Edsel Ranger

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1960 Edsel Ranger Two-Door Sedan Gallery

(Click below for enlarged images)

Written by: The Daily Drive staff on April 21, 2021.

Future Collectibles: 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition

2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition

by Don Sikora II

Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2020 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.

Elaine Joyce The most recent Volkswagen Beetle went on sale in September 2011 as a 2012 model. It replaced the 1998-vintage New Beetle in VW’s lineup, and became the third iteration of the car that made VW famous. As this latest Beetle ended production—for the foreseeable future at least—Volkswagen sent it off with specially trimmed 2019 Final Edition cars.

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2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition

Volkswagen said the 2019 Final Edition Beetles were inspired in part by the 2003 Última Edición Beetle that celebrated the original air-cooled car’s termination in Puebla, Mexico. Similarities include exterior chrome trim and the Final Edition’s two unique colors: Safari Uni (a beige) and Stonewashed Blue Metallic. The 2019 specials were also available in Pure White, Deep Black Pearl, and Platinum Gray, colors available for other last-of-the-run Beetles.

Final Edition models came in hatchback coupe and convertible forms, each in SE or top-line SEL trim. Exterior features included a “Beetle” badge on the rear of the car, heated windshield-washer nozzles, and a sunroof on the coupe. SELs added bi-xenon headlamps, plus LED daytime-running lamps, fog lights, license-plate lights, and taillights. SE models rolled on 17-inch 15-spoke alloy wheels. SELs had 18-inch alloys with a central disc design with the rim and eight short spokes finished in white. VW copywriters said this recalled the appearance of the steel wheels and whitewall tires used on the Última Edición Beetles.

Inside, the dash pad was finished in Safari Uni. Other touches included a Beetle nameplate on the bottom spoke of the leather-wrapped steering wheel, stainless-steel trim for the pedals, gloss-black center console, Climatronic automatic climate control, and VW’s KESSY system with keyless access and pushbutton engine start.

Classic Volkswagen Beetle: 1960 Jolly Prototype

SE cabins were outfitted with two-tone black-and-beige rhombus-pattern quilted seats covered in cloth and leatherette, and a 6.3-inch touchscreen audio system. No matter the body color, SE convertibles had a black fabric top. SEL models got attractive diamond-stitched leather seating in solid black or black-and-beige two-tone, with availability determined by body color. They also received an upgraded Fender-brand audio system with navigation. SEL convertibles were available with black, beige, or Final Edition-exclusive brown soft tops, but the roof choices were keyed to exterior color.

Like other 2019 Beetles, the Final Edition models were front drivers with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged mill mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Volkswagen priced the 2019 Beetle Final Edition models as follows: SE hatchback $23,045; SEL hatchback $25,995; SE convertible $27,295; and SEL convertible $29,995. Destination added $895.

The last Beetle was produced in July 2019 at Volkswagen de Mexico’s plant in Puebla. It was a Stonewashed Blue Metallic coupe. The historic Beetle was placed on display at Volkswagen’s museum there.

Test Drive: 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Dune

Pros:

The Beetle’s heritage-inspired shape still stands out, especially in a parking lot full of SUVs.
Hatchback coupe or convertible. Five colors. Two trim levels. Almost every-body can probably find a Beetle Final Edition that catches their eye.

Cons:

A style statement that’s not nearly as practical of a daily driver as VW’s own Golf or Jetta.
Only available with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Final Drive:

We think it’s fair to say that today’s Volkswagen Beetle never captured car buyers’ attention like the original or even the New Beetle. It’s hard to predict the 2019 Final Edition’s desirability down the road, but right now it’s not a bad way to say auf Wiedersehen.

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Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition

Written by: The Daily Drive staff on December 31, 2020.

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Photo Feature: 1929 Cadillac Town Sedan

1929 Cadillac Series 341B

by Leigh Dorrington

Note: The following story was excerpted from the April 2012 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine

Cadillac was due for a “quiet” year in 1929, considering the previous season had seen the arrival of all-new Series 341 cars. They came with attractive styling by Harley Earl, fresh off his success with the 1927 LaSalle; a new 90-bhp 341-cubic-inch version of Caddy’s established L-head V-8 engine; and a chassis with wheelbase stretched to 140 inches, a switch to torque-tube drive, and the adoption of 32-inch-diameter tires.

Those core features were indeed carried into 1929, but Cadillac was still able to make some noise in the automotive field—ironically by quieting things down. The marque introduced the “Synchro-Mesh” transmission, which made it easier to shift into second or third gear without a gratingly audible clash of metal. Other improvements for ’29 included internal-expanding brakes at all four wheels (external-contracting bands had been used previously at the rear), double-acting Delco shock absorbers, safety glass, and an adjustable front seat on most models. Fender-top parking lights replaced cowl lamps.

1929 Cadillac Series 341B

The 1929 Series 341B came in 11 “standard” models with Fisher bodies, plus another dozen “Fleetwood Custom” styles. Among the former was the “Town Sedan” featured here, a close-coupled five-passenger four-door model with a shortened body that made room at the back for a large detachable trunk.

Written by: Guest Author on December 1, 2020.