The Weekly Driver Podcast

After nearly 20 years at Consumer Reports, Jon Linkov is an expert among automotive experts. The Deputy Auto Editor, Linkov is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss one of the publication's most popular features: its annual most reliable cars list.

Join co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia as we discuss with Linkov the "Top 10 Most Reliable Cars For 2022."

The 2022 Mazda MX-5 has a few upgrades and it's on Consumer Reports' most reliable cars list for 2022. Photo © Gretchen Gaither/2022

"What we do is survey our members, our millions of members, and ask about their experiences with the cars they own or have owned," said Linkov of the most reliable cars list. "We just don't look at current vehicles, we look at used cars, the ones they've had for years. We have data going back 20 years."

2022 Most Reliable Cars

The current most reliable cars list involves a database of information for about 320,000 vehicles. The publication's analysts calculate the list on their prediction of which new car models will give car owners the fewest number of problems covering 17 trouble areas. The criteria range from minor nuisances to expensive repairs.

"We have data for all different years of vehicles," Linkov said of this year's most reliable cars list. "But we also have robust data that allows us to predict for the new model year."

The 2022 Toyota Highlander is among the most reliable cars in 2022, according to Consumer Reports.

Three Toyota models, two vehicles from Mazda and one car each from Cadillac, Honda, Kia, Lexus and Subaru are also on the list

"We've been around for more than 70 years; We certainly have evolved over time in the sense of our relationships with manufacturers," said Linkov of Consumer Reports' enduring reputation. "We still hold them accountable. I've been there almost 20 years and early in my career and before I was even there, there might have been a little bit of an adversarial relationship."

Three Toyotas

"They didn't really understand us and we really wanted to have a closed-off wall from communicating with them. Now it's different. We don't take advertising. We pay the rent of the getting a press car from them. But we do have a better sharing of data and a better rapport. In the end, that makes a vehicle for a consumer."

The 2022 Lexus GX, a luxury midsized SUV, is Consumer Reports' most reliable vehicle for 2022. It has a price range of $56,125 to $65,365. It's rated at 12 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway.

Here's the top-10 list:

1. Lexus GX Price Range: $56,125 - $65,635 CR MPG: Overall 17 / City 12 / Hwy 24 mpg

2. Kia Niro Electric Price Range: $39,090 - $44,650 CR MPGE: Overall 112 / City 123 / Hwy 102 mpge

3. Toyota Prius Prime Price Range: $28,670 - $34,450 CR MPG: Overall 69 / City 56 / Hwy 81 mpg

4. Toyota Prius Price Range: $25,075 - $33,370 CR MPG: Overall 52 / City 43 / Hwy 59 mpg

5. Cadillac XT5 Price Range: $43,995 - $55,895 CR MPG: Overall 20 / City 13 / Hwy 30 mpg

6. Mazda MX-5 Miata Price Range: $27,650 - $38,550 CR MPG: Overall 34 / City 25 / Hwy 42 mpg

7. Honda Insight Price Range: $25,760 - $29,790 CR MPG: Overall 54 / City 44 / Hwy 62 mpg

8. Toyota Highlander Price Range: $35,855 - $51,460 CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 14 / Hwy 32 mpg

9. Subaru Crosstrek Price Range: $23,145 - $36,345 CR MPG: Overall 29 / City 20 / Hwy 39 mpg

10. Mazda CX-9 Price Range: $35,630 - $47,560 CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 15 / Hwy 32 mpg

For additional details of the Consumer Reports' most dependable car for list for 2022 as well as the publication's diverse content, visit. www.consumerreports.org.

As always, The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests: famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

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Bruce Aldrich and I have co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast for more than four years. It's available on all major podcast platforms, including TheWeeklyDriver.com. The independent automotive website, which I edit and publish, has been online since 2004.

In this episode, Bruce and I discuss two books about as opposite as feasible — although both are about the automotive world.

Bruce Aldrich (left) and James Raia interview Alex Guberman, an electric vehicle expert who has a vast following on the YouTube Channel, E For Electric on The Weekly Driver Podcast.

We introduce the books as a way of also introducing listeners to the podcast and visitors to the website to Patreon.

The platform allows visitors to the site to support our efforts.

The Weekly Driver Online Since 2004

At the bottom of each page is a Patreon logo. If you click on the icon, another page is presented that lists options to support the site and podcast.

For as little as $2 per month, you can help us continue to provide content on The Weekly Driver. Six levels, including as much as $500 per month, are available through a secure payment system.

The Weekly Driver gifts for supporters, including a vast library of books, all from various areas of the automotive industry. If you provide financial support, we'll be happy to mail you a book or two right away. (Please provide your mailing address.

The books we discuss in this episode are 50 First Victories. It chronicles the journey of NASCAR’s best as they drive their way to their landmark first victories. Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jimmie Johnson and Chase are all featured. The book is co-authored by veteran automotive journalists Al Pearce and Mike Hembree.

The Weekly Driver Podcast

The book I discuss is technically a catalog, but it's chock-full of descriptions and beautiful colors images of the vast display of vintage cars for sale in the inaugural Broad Arrow Auctions. It will be held on Aug. 18 in conjunction with Hagerty's Motorlux event (formerly McCall’s Motorworks Revival) located at the Monterey Jet Center. The auction will feature approximately 90 exceptional motor cars.

In this episode, the website also debuts our affiliate relationship with the hotel reservation system Booking.com. The popular globally renowned business offers the best hotel and car rental prices on the Internet.

By using the affiliate program on my site, you'll secure the same rate as you visiting Booking.com directly. If you reserve a hotel, motel, apartment or other lodging or rent a vehicle, the site receives a commission.

The Weekly Driver Feedback

As always, The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast has had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Reporter Joe White of Thomson Reuters.

Joe White has reported on the automotive industry for more than 40 years. Primarily based in Detroit throughout his career, White worked for The Wall Street Journal for 28 years, including tenures in Brussels and the United Kingdom.

Since 2015, White has been employed by Thomson Reuters, the international data company and news service. He writes Auto File, a free, three-day-per-week electronic auto newsletter. It's chock-full of business-oriented news stories and trends in the automotive industry.

While co-host Bruce Aldrich is traveling, I interview White on this week's episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Like the always changing financial landscape, the automotive industry is ever-evolving. White and I discuss the landscape, Elon Musk to autonomous driving, start-ups like Rivian and Lucid, to continuing saga of the supply change strain.

A graduate of Harvard University, White and former Wall Street Journal bureau chief Paul Ingrassia were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting for their 1992 coverage of the management turmoil at General Motors Corp.

"I started doing the Auto File almost as a personal side project, most to connect with sources and to connect with people on the (auto) beat," says White. "I was using a free and easy-to-use email service. Anyone who follows the auto industry knows it's a total fire hose of news every day; it just is."

White determined there's so much news, enthusiasts and even those immersed in the industry likely couldn't keep up. Auto File is White's way to aggregate the news and inject his analysis into an electronic auto newsletter.

"Newsletters have definitely become a creative, vital and growing form of delivering news," he says. "A lot of the traditional outlets, like The Wall Street Journal, are starting to use newsletters for the very same reason. They realize that people are just swamped. They're looking for someone to cook down the news in a certain sector."

White was producing the auto newsletter five days a week, but the three days per week is the current format.

"Three days is both plenty and not enough at the same time," jokes White. "You could do a whole newsletter on Elon Musk. You might regret it, but you could do it."

While writing seriously in his auto newsletter on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, White also presents the news with clever headlines, such as references to rock & roll music. He also incorporates  images and video.

"It's to lighten things up a bit and not be excessively serious," he says.

Please join me during this episode as my guest provides his opinion of the founder of Tesla, autonomous driving, electric start-up and his preferred personal vehicle of choice.

Subscribe to Auto File and other free newsletters at Reuters Newsletters .

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Jen Collins knows digital business partnerships from more than two decades of career experience, Fox Entertainment to the Los Angeles Times. In her current capacity, Collins is senior vice president of business development at TuneIn, the world’s leading live streaming audio service.

Collins is our guest this week to discuss TuneIn's new relationship with Rivian, the electric pickup truck and sport utility vehicle manufacturer.

TuneIn and Rivian have a new partnership.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Collins the TuneIn platform and its integration with the innovative manufacturer as well as other carmakers.

TuneIn Expands in Auto Industry

"We are really a one-stop shop for the automotive field," says Collins of the expansive TuneIn collection of global music, podcasts, news and sports content . TuneIn is really the radio for Rivian. AM-FM dials are really far away from where we are today."

Bruce and I also talk with Jen about TuneIn's partnership with more well-established manufacturers.

"This is really an exciting time to be working with the automotive industry," she says. "Whether it's upstarts like Rivian or brands that have been known for generations that are reinventing themselves. There's so much creativity, there's such a spark of innovation. Rivian has the access to the full catalog. But I anticipate that how forward-thinking Rivian we will be evolving the service for years to come."

TuneIn News, Sports, Podcasts, Etc.

TuneIn reports it has more than 75 million monthly active users and broadcasts over 100,000 owned & operated and partner radio stations. The platform's premium subscribers get exclusive access to commercial-free news from CNN, Fox News Radio, MSNBC, CNBC and Bloomberg, as well as live NFL, NHL and college sports programming and commercial-free music channels.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests: famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions. Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Marc O'Dell is the expert you want to talk with when there's an issue with your car.

For the past two-plus years he's worked as an auto expert for JustAnswer.com. The platform connects people with live doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, mechanics and other verified and vetted experts for real-time assistance, insight and answers to just about any question or problem.

The service, available with different payment tiers, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

JustAnswer.com has experts in many areas including car repairs.

O'Dell, who has more than 25 years of automotive repair industry experience, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver podcast.

Car Repair Needs? Answers Online

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Marc how JustAnswer.com works and how he's used his expertise to help customers.

"It just kind of depends on who you are speaking with and what you are talking about," says O'Dell about how he balances his answers between a lay person and an expert seeking his expertise.

"If it's a dealer technician who has specific measurements and specifications ready to go. With that type of stuff you need to be really technical. But dealing with the general public, looking for answers to general questions, like how can I make this work better, you don't need to be so technical."

Marc O'Dell of JustAnswer.com assists customers with their car repair problems.

O'Dell, who works at the dealer and corporate levels with Ford and Chrysler, has helped consumers with mechanical and electrical repair as well as communications and engine performance issues for all domestic and most foreign vehicles.

Car Issues? Let JustAnswer.com Help

"I've been a getting quite a range of questions lately," O'Dell says. "They've ranged from different maintenance tips to diagnostic questions or how do I test the wiring.

"A lot of people are asking how they can get better fuel mileage and what they can do to save gas and money. A lot of questions are also about maintenance and people trying to make sure their car is well-maintained."

JustAnswer.com, founded in 2003, has more than 12,000 experts across 150 categories. It has helped more than 16 million customers across 196 countries.

Join Bruce and me as we talk with O'Dell for 30 minutes about his virtual mechanic responsibilities.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews. The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests: famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions. Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below. Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has a diverse annual motorsports calendar. It began this year in April with the Trans Am Superfest and continues through mid-October with the Velocity Invitational. Next month is the busiest time of the year with the iconic facility heavy into the mix of Monterey Auto Week.

Barry Toepke, Director of Heritage Events & Public Relations at WeatherTech Raceway, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. A guest three times previously, Toepke shares with co-host Bruce Aldrich in Episode #233 the upcoming schedule, notably the Monterey Pre-Reunion (Aug. 13-14) and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (Aug. 17-20).

The annual Reunion, according to raceway officials, is a "museum revving to life with hundreds of historic and period-correct race and sports cars from nearly every era."

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is approaching its busiest of the season, Monterey Auto Week.

Besides the usual collections of vintage racing, the venue this year is the official start of a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Barry Toepke, Director of Heritage Events & Public Relations at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Cultivated from private collections or museums and no longer driven in competition, more the 50 vehicles with pedigrees as overall winners or first in class at LeMans will be highlighted in a heritage legends building. The cars' histories will also be detailed in video, historic images and storyboards. The first Porsche (1970) and the last Ferrari (1965) to win the overall title will be included in the historic display.

"It will arguably be the largest collection of authentic Le Mans-winning cars ever in one place in America," said Toepke. "We'll be the kickoff launch event for a year-long celebration. It's quite an honor and we don't take it lightly."

Representatives of the race held yearly in June on the Circuit de la Sarthe have been invited to the festivities. Motorsports Reunion officials recently announced Tom Kristensen of Denmark, the record-holding, nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will serve as Grand Marshal and will autograph sessions.

The previous week at WeatherTech Raceway more than 300 historic race cars, most competing days later in the Reunion, will get valuable track time in a more relaxed and less-crowded environment. The field is comprised of carefully selected entries by our selection committee.

Bruce and James also discuss with Toepke the upcoming Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (Sept. 9-11) as well as the selection of Bill Warner as Chief Steward, a newly created position.

Listen to our previous discussions with Toepke:

#185 West Coast Bike Week Set For Monterey Peninsula Debut

#170 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Set For Racing Season

#128 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Adjust To Covid-19, Stays On Course 

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below:

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

After several years of negotiation and testing, Cruise was at the front of the autonomous line last week. It became the first driverless taxi service in San Francisco to charge for its services. The limited service area program features solo occupants getting rides in Chevrolet Bolts.

The system is currently geofenced to the Northwest corner of the city of San Francisco, mostly residential areas in a grid of low-speed streets.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Jackie Shannon, Director of Product Management at Cruise, in this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

The Cruise driverless taxi service debuted last week in San Francisco.

The episode was taped the day after Cruise's debut. We were curious to hear about the company's feedback from passengers the day after its first night of operation.

Cruise: Limited Debut in San Francisco

Shannon shared details of the company's background and its purpose as a ride-share option.

The company's spokeswoman also explained the anticipated popularity of the autonomous car ride-share program, particularly among women passengers seeking increased safety.

Bruce and I have co-hosted the podcast for more than four years. We keep the 30-minute episodes light. We provide exposure for our guests and their product and services. On many occasions, guests have told us how much they enjoyed the conversation.

Our conversation with Jackie Shannon was enjoyable, but she was "guarded." The conversation was coordinated by Tiffany Tesso, Senior Manager of Engineering External Communications at Cruise. We appreciate her diligence and assistance in finalizing the episode and her last-minute technical consult.

Tesso told us she would be monitoring the podcast, which was agreeable. But what we did not appreciate was being instructed during the interview to "stay on topic." We were told Shannon's job was only to discuss "user experience."

Cruise: Let Reporters Due Their Jobs

We've edited out the intrusions, part of an unprofessional, passé PR tactic used to control an interview. We hope you enjoy the remaining conversation about the autonomous industry and its fast-moving future.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Not too many days pass without the automobile, truck or RV industry abuzz. But it's not always about Elon Musk, Tesla and the latest delay of his electric pickup truck.

Sometimes, Bruce and I just have to get caught up in other auto news, and that's what we do on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

We cover several topics. Bruce and his wife Alene recently returned their fifth trip in their new fifth-wheel RV, a 29-foot Keystone Cougar, towed by their 2022 Ford F-250 pickup truck. Bruce updates listeners with his tales from the road — hot weather to windy driving conditions.

Happier Camper makes small, retro RV beauties.

"We've got it down; my wife and I," Bruce says. "We know what to do. But it's like flying an airplane. You almost need to go through a checklist, hooking up. I make a lot of mistakes, but I haven't wrecked anything yet."

While driving about 300 miles North to South from Sacramento in the Central Valley of California in strong tail winds, Bruce and Alene's RV average a "wonderful 10.1 miles per gallon." The return trip was meat with massive head winds and the RV averaged 9.2 mpg.

While Bruce and his wife were traveling, I attended the Outdoor Retailer show in Denver as was enamored by RVing of a different kind — Happier Camper.

Cruise, an autonomous electric taxi, has received permission to operate in California.

The Los Angeles-based company makes three small fiberglass trailers, retro style, efficient and as attractive as any classic vehicle — except new. They're lightweight, modular and have port windows. Bruce and I chat about the little trailers that can.

Bruce and I also discuss the pending arrival of Cruise, the e-taxi service in California. We chat about the new survey by iseecars.com on favorite used car colors. And there are a few other "odds and ends" from the automotive industry.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

Lastly, we announce our collaboration with Patreon. The membership platform provides a subscription service for content creators to generate income for their efforts.

If you like what we provide on TheWeeklyDriver.com, please consider a monthly offering or a one-time contribution. We have five financial levels of support, with some cool perks for varying levels of support. Visit:

SUPPORT THEWEEKLYDRIVER.COM

Bruce Meyer loves 1932 Fords. He owns 10. It may seem excessive unless you're a founding member of the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles and it just unveiled an exhibition honoring the 90th anniversary of the vehicles and their iconic legacy as hot rods.

Meyer, 90, founding chairman of the museum, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Meyer the country's most well-known museum and its celebration of the cars often known by their moniker, "Deuce."

The exhibit began earlier in June with a celebration and honor given to Billy Gibbons, the lead guitarist and primary vocalist of the rock band ZZ Top. Gibbons is also a Deuce enthusiast as well as a collector of other vintage cars of the era. Four of the band's videos include a 1933 Ford Coupe.

One of the 1932 Fords on display at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles in a new exhibit celebrating the car's 90th birthday. Images courtesy of the Petersen Auto Museum.

"My family didn't have a lot of money and my grandparents couldn't afford a car," said Meyer. "In my family, cars were the biggest waste of time and resources.

"But I was born loving cars. I have been a car guy my entire life; my family just couldn't understand it. They told me to get off of it and go get a job."

According to the Petersen Auto Museum exhibit information, nearly 275,000 of the cars were sold despite debuting in one of the worst years of the Great Depression. The 1932 Ford's popularity was largely connected to its V8 engine and modest price.

Petersen Auto Museum: Beach Boys' Influence

The car's popularity further expanded when the Beach Boys released Little Deuce Coupe, the band's fourth album, in 1963. The lead single had the same name.

The Petersen Auto Museum exhibit, Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90, is Meyer's joy. It includes the McGee Roadster, Flathead Roadster, Victoria Sedan and many other Deuce examples.

Many body styles of '32 Fords are on display in a new exhibit at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles.

"This is a big deal," said Meyer of the exhibit. "The '32 Ford, in my world, is really the genesis of hot rodding. That's the one that matters to me. We have a fabulous display."

Please join Bruce and me for episode #230 of the podcast as we embrace Meyer's expertise about his collection and the legacy of the Petersen Auto Museum.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the online retailer. But there's also a search function for anything available directly from the site.

If you shop via this site, we receive a small commission. It helps us continue to produce independent content. The site began in 2004 and includes more than 700 reviews.

The podcast is in its fourth year, and we've had a diverse collection of guests — famous athletes, vintage car collectors, manufacturer CEOs, automotive book authors, industry analysts, a movie stuntman and episodes from auto shows and car auctions.

Please send comments and suggestions for new episodes to James Raia via email: [email protected].

All podcast episodes are archived on theweeklydriver.com/podcast

Every episode is also available on your preferred podcast platform. Several of the more prominent platforms are listed below.

Amazon.com

iheartradio

Spotify

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Tracy Broshar began riding motorcycles at age 19 but she hadn't ridden for years out of respect for her partner's wishes. When her partner died three years ago and the effects of Covid-19 hit, Broshar "felt lost."

"I kept thinking, 'what can I do to get myself out of this,' " the resident of Sacramento recently explained. "I know I couldn't ride two-wheelers anymore because I needed a knee replacement. I started looking online and I found the three-wheelers and history was written."

Broshar, 63, now a passionate rider and advocate of three-wheel motorcycles, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Tracy Broshar of Sacramento began riding three-wheel motorcycles in her early 60s.

Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I talk with the rider (she's a close neighbor in East Sacramento) about her experiences on her Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheel, 1,300 cc motorcycle manufactured by Can-Am Motorcycles, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products.

Three-Wheel Motorcycles: Confidence Builder

"It's a very comfortable fit; it kind gives you a little bit of self-confidence if you haven't ridden a two-wheeler before," said Broshar. "They are independent suspension so you're not going to roll over on them like the old three-wheel bikes, so it's a much more comfortable ride."

Unlike driving a two-wheeler, Broshar says she has more control on the road when riding three-wheel motorcycles. They  have a single rear drive wheel and two wheels in front for steering.

"One thing I've noticed is that the car people like us," she said. "I have more people wanting to stop and talk about it. I even have young men going by with their thumbs up."

Broshar, who sold her first-three-wheeler her now riding partner, upgraded to the Can-Am with cruise control. She uses her vehicle on weekend trips and she's driven round-trip from Sacramento to Missouri. The woman who purchased Broshar's first bike had never ridden a two-wheel motorcycle and she became a three-wheel enthusiast at age 65.

Three-Wheel Motorcycles: Road Comfort

Please join Bruce and me as our guest explains the comfort of riding a three-wheeler and shares many of her experiences. She's ridden to Oregon and nearly across the country on Route 66. She rides in small groups but also enjoy solo travel.

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