GM’s deal to sell Saab to tiny supercar maker Koenigsegg fell through recently, and the chances don’t look good that they’ll find a new buyer, which means Saab will be shuttered. I, for one, am sad. I have fond memories of our ’76 Saab 99; though it needed fairly constant upkeep—like most European cars of the day—it stoked my budding automotive enthusiasm. My dad would explain to me why the ‘cockpit’ style dash layout was superior to that of the Oldsmobile it had replaced, and both its traction in New England winters (courtesy of front-wheel drive) and staggering safety were ahead of their time. We were hit by a Chevy Suburban coming home one day; the 2000-pound heavier SUV was totaled, and most of its occupants injured. But we were all unmarked, and the faithful 99 still ran! Dad fixed it and sold it about a year later for a Volvo. I lusted after a Saab Turbo, the first successful, mass-produced car with forced induction, and when I finally got to drive one at 16, I was thrilled. A year later I went to work for the (Skip) Barber-Saab Pro Series, and though the Swedish company ...

Hum it with me: Raindrops on roses And whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles And warm woolen mittens… These are a few of my favorite things Since scraping ice off your windshield at 6am isn’t one of anyone’s favorite things about winter, I had planned to make life a little easier for my better half, by adding a remote start system to our old Honda. Zap! A toasty warm cockpit to climb into, a clear view all round, and no Jack Frost nipping at her nose. “But,” she told me, “They’re illegal in Denver!” Friends concurred. Indignant, I leveraged my awesome journalist skills and made a few phone calls. Turns out they are not. What was causing the confusion were various ‘Puffer’ ordinances (named after the telltale puffs of smoke from the tailpipe as a vehicle warms up on a frigid day). And yes: leaving your keys in the car as it defrosts is a no-no. Aurora will give you a $75 ticket; other cities and counties have similar ordinances. This has nothing to do with environmentalism, and everything to do with cutting down on thefts. From a climatic-impact standpoint, it’s actually better to allow a car’s catalytic converters and other parts ...

I recently read an essay in Foreign Affairs magazine by Edward L. Morse, a very respected specialist on oil and energy markets. His well-researched and logical thesis is that the price of oil may stay low for the medium term, especially if the government makes some smart decisions in the near future. What’s behind his contention? Several factors, foremost that the head of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, has an interest in a stable market, both as a U.S. ally and for its own economic benefit. During the oil price spikes of the last few years, the Saudis hadn’t finished building and bringing online a ‘reserve capacity’ to handle major increases in demand and/or shortfalls elsewhere (caused by hurricanes, terrorist disruptions, etc). But now Saudi Arabia has the capacity to produce 12.5 million barrels per day—compared to only 9.5 in 2002. This gives it even more influence in OPEC, and with the G-20 (the group representing the world’s leading economies). These savvy Arabians know that not only does cheap oil drive global growth, but that it deters investment in alternative energy—which just doesn’t make short-term economic sense when oil is under $80 per barrel. It’s not like OPEC ...

In the two decades I've been helping people purchase and lease cars, I've never seen anything remotely like the insanity facing consumers these days as they try to figure out what to do with their money. And it's no better for those of us in the car business: week-to-week we watch wholesale prices fluctuate dramatically and unpredictably, never being exactly sure what a car, truck, or SUV might be worth. Used prices are up year-on-year (for the first time since October '07), according to the world's largest auction company, Manheim. In fact, prices have gone up for the past five months strait, at roughly 5-9% per month. That means that a vehicle that we'd pay $10,000 for at the beginning of the year now brings $12-13,000 at auction. Most affected are the mainstream vehicles people really need.

Apropos that it was NPR where I heard that the Obama administration was to announce strict new carbon limits (i.e. fuel economy standards) on new personal vehicles. In 2016, which is just around the corner, cars’ and trucks’ fleet average (known as CAFE) will need to be 35.5mpg. Cars will need to average an astonishing 42mpg—which, basically, nothing but a Prius or Jetta TDI delivers in real-world use. Welcome to the brave new world! Watching the president’s speech live a few hours later, I had mixed feelings. Yes, we all need to step to the plate and do necessary—if painful—things if we’re to insure continued quality of life for future generations. I applaud his stand. But the continued demonization of the automobile as the main cause of global angers me deeply.

As soon as Monday, the US House of Representatives will vote on a greenhouse gas emissions ‘cap and trade’ system. Attached to this legislation is a ‘Cash for Gas Guzzlers’ provision that could see Americans get a voucher for up to $4500 if they trade in an older, inefficient vehicle towards a new one that is more thrifty. Details remain to be worked out, but the plan is for 1 million consumers to get a $3500 voucher if they trade in a car that gets less than 18mpg for a new one (built anywhere in the world) that gets 22mpg. If the new vehicle gets 10mpg more than the old one, the voucher would be $4500.