Autoline This Week - Video

Anniversaries are special. That’s one of the reasons they’re celebrated with a particular metal, element or stone. But rarely do they break out the 10-carat diamond because that denotes 100 years, 10 decades or nearly 37,000 days if you wish. Well, besides making cars, that’s just what the Chevrolet brand has been celebrating throughout 2011. From its namesake founder to its iconic product (Corvette) to its darkest day (GM’s bankruptcy), the bowtie has not only seen it all, but survived it as well. So what better time to take a look at this brand that, in its heyday, separated from General Motors, would’ve been one of the largest companies in the world on its own. That’s why John McElroy and Autoline This Week come to you from GM’s World Headquarters in downtown Detroit, Michigan with special guest Chris Perry, the brand’s global marketing chief. Joining John and Chris as they talk about the first century of Chevrolet and beyond are Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press and Frank Markus from Motor Trend.

Auto shows are about the outlandish. Huge displays, science fiction technology and cars, cars, cars. The most eye-catching being those stunning, figments from a Designer’s imagination: The Concepts. Recently in Frankfurt, Germany, John McElroy caught up with three of the more elusive European-based designers for an Autoline exclusive walk-around of their significant reveals at the September show. Joining John at Walkaround Central is Ford’s VP of Global Design J Mays who explains the significance of the Evos and its design language; meanwhile Maserati’s Marco Tencone gives a close-up look John at his high-end Kubang SUV Concept based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee; and finally we get a look at the stunning rear-drive GT Concept from Kia’s Peter Schreyer. All that this week on Autoline.

Stephen King may have frightened readers all over the world with his twisted tales but he can’t scare Detroit. His imagination pales in comparison to the daily coverage on the travails of the Big Three that greeted readers each and every day just a few years ago. For a city, a state, a country so dependent on the production of the automobile, we all watched in horror as these great institutions nearly ceased to exist. A man with a front row seat to all the inside action has now committed it to paper; a heavier grade than where his normal work resides. Bill Vlasic, Detroit Bureau Chief for the New York Times captures the tumult of the years and the behind-the-scenes intrigue that nearly brought down the Big Three and clearly changed the automotive landscape forever. He joins John McElroy for an exclusive one-on-one talking about his book, "Once Upon a Car” on Autoline this week.

Every two years the massive Messa in Frankfurt, Germany plays host to one of the largest, if not the largest auto show in the world. Twelve huge buildings with another constructed just for that event alone, it’s the center of the automotive universe for those days in September. This backyard advantage provides the hometown German automakers with the opportunity to impress the auto world with displays the size of zeppelins filled with cutting edge concepts. John McElroy anchors Autoline this week from the site of this biennial show getting the latest from executives for three important German brands, including Jonathan Browning of Volkswagen of America, Ian Robertson from BMW AG and Johan de Nysschen of Audi America.

Since that epic day when Henry Ford turned the switch on the assembly line some 85 years ago, manufacturing has been pretty straight. Oh maybe a turn was added here and there as the years went on, and robots, too, but essentially, ever since 1913 automobiles have been made one way and Thomas Crumm says it’s time to blow it up. Literally! John McElroy’s guest on Autoline this week is a former General Motors engineer who writes in his provocative new book “What is Good for General Motors” that the only way for GM to survive into the 21st Century is to destroy the assembly line. And replace it with what. Tune into Autoline and discover how. Joining John in questioning this manufacturing revolutionary is Drew Winter of WardsAuto.com and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design and Production.

The Pill box hat, the Mini skirt and the Little Black Dress along with hood ornaments, mood lighting and tail fins. What all six of these obviously different elements have in common are fashion. They just happen to be from two divergent universes: Women’s clothing and automobile design. However, there are times that they cross paths and have done so for 50, 60 some 70 years. And that place is the auto show. The same environment that author Margery Krevsky captures in her book “Sirens of Chrome.” On this week’s Autoline John McElroy talks to Ms. Krevsky and fashion consultant Karen Buscemi about the intersection of automotive and fashion. And don’t miss Autoline’s own Fashion Show where four professional product specialists, as they’re called, model some of the great historic dresses from auto shows past.

You know the game. It’s been played for years. All it takes are three shells, one pea and a gullible audience to bet money on what is know as a short-con. Well these days there’s another shell game going on, this time with cars; most of them damaged in one way or another. Titles are being washed, VINs cloned and Salvage Pools decimated as used cars disappear into the wild blue yonder. It’s a big problem that not many consumers know exist which is why it’s the topic for this week’s Autoline. John McElroy looks into this “new shell game” with Michael Wilson from the Automotive Recyclers Association and Eric Widmer of Alliance Inspection Management also know as AIM.

Stuck in Time

Many agree that the auction house Barrett-Jackson has its grips on some of the greatest collector cars in America. But there’s a large group of classic cars just 90 miles off the Florida coast that no collector - try as they might -- has been able to buy-because they reside in the communist country of Cuba.

Since the U.S. embargo was enacted in the early ‘60s, no American products have been allowed either into the country, or out. And experts agree, sitting on that small island is a treasure trove of pre-1960 vehicles that many collectors would love to own.

During a trip to Cuba John McElroy captured the story of these incredible vehicles and their owners in a short Autoline documentary called "Stuck in Time" which begins this week’s broadcast. John then follows that story with a trip to our studio with two men well steeped in the car collecting culture. McKeel Hagerty knows the value of cars like these since insuring vintage vehicles is part of his business at Hagerty Insurance. And Ken Lingenfelter of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering has been collecting classic cars for years. This week on Autoline they join John to share their thoughts on Cuba, these unique cars and whether or not they’ll ever make it off the island.

Car Spy

They seemed cut from the same cloth. Single syllable names engaged in undercover work that was linked to exotic cars. The difference is one man, James Bond, is of course a fictional character while Jim Dunne, the original Car Spy, is a real photo journalist with stories that could have been crafted by Ian Fleming himself. But Dunne’s exploits are factual and his pictures were ground breaking as he revealed prototype after prototype much to the chagrin of the OEMs. Long since retired, he now shares these juicy stories in a new book on his career called "Car Spy." And this week he joins John McElroy on Autoline to discuss those great "gets" from his career. Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com and Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics join in on the discussion.

My 409

No one seemed to capture the culture of cars better than the Beach Boys. When they weren’t singing about California girls in the early ‘60s they were worshiping hot rods and muscle cars. And those cars, like the songs, seem to get better with age. That’s why those 40 to 50 year old classic cars evolved from a weekend hobby for some, to a collector’s heaven for others. In fact the entire market has been exploding of late. Just ask McKeel Hagerty & Ken Lingenfelter. These successful business owners - Hagerty in insurance, Lingenfelter in engineering - have extensive collections that go far beyond just hot rods. Both men join John McElroy this week on Autoline to discuss the rocketing vintage car market.