Yes, they were still putting on that 60s-style SimuWood™ plastic siding on Jeeps as late as Reagan's second term; note the plastic "dowels" and decal inserts. Enough time has passed that this stuff is now cool! This truck is also notable for its AMC 360 V8, an engine that Chrysler kept in production all the way until 1991.

I found this truck at one of the now-defunct East Bay Pick Your Part yards, so we can assume that any parts that you see here have now been digested and dumped into a Guangzhou-bound container ship.

You will know Kozyndan as the people whose lapine reimagining of Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, along with other rabbit-themed work, was used without credit by Sony for their similarly bunny-infused Bravia television ad.

The husband and wife team of Kozue and Dan Kitchens have a serious thing for rabbits. Not only does their work feature various terrestrial and marine rabbits, their proposal against the scourge of the SUV also utilizes giant rabbits. Here’s how they describe their above piece, titled Thank the gods for Public Transportation:

Everyone with SUVs should be crushed by giant sleeping rabbits until their eye balls pop out of their heads, no?

If you happen to own an SUV, please don’t take this personally. Admire instead the casual ease the giant rabbit snuggles up to the hot engine with.

Source: Kozyndan

When Detroit figured out that adding a big engine and some macho gingerbread to a cheapo midsize sedan could jack up profits at minimal expense back in the 1960s, the muscle car was born. There was quite a hood-scooped, large-displacement, tape-striped, drag-race-themed party on America's streets for nearly ten years, until mean ol' Arabs and wet-blanket insurance companies choked off the fun. Since that time, the muscle car has come to symbolize everything that was once right about a postwar America that never really existed; not the 1960s of race riots, political assassinations, and quagmire wars against enemies who didn't know the rules of warfare, but a 1960s when American men stood omnipotent against the raging manure-tides of political correctness, shrinking resource pools, and generally diminished expectations (also, and possibly more importantly, a time when Baby Boomer men still had all their hair). Worshiping the original generation of muscle cars is like sticking a big middle finger in Dean Wormer's face!

In the early 1990s, Detroit figured out the magical money-printing formula again: take big, body-on-frame trucks- most of which used chassis whose development costs were covered many years before, and which were sliding through regulatory loopholes created by various taxes and tariffs - and pile on luxury features and class-by-the-pound gingerbread. Bam! Instant free money! Not only that, the same tedious killjoys who'd hurled a piss-soaked blanket onto the muscle car party 20 years earlier were equally horrified by the sport utility vehicle. America was kicking ass again! Just ask those poor Iraqis, trying to find reverse in an obsolete Soviet tank! The SUV meant independence; independence from paved roads, emasculating mollycoddling liberals of all stripes, and- best of all- independence from hauling the family around in the dreaded minivan!

So, given that the SUV has so much in common with the original muscle cars, will we see the exact same sort of totemic power from them in a decade or three? Nirvana songs cranking on the PA at the SUV show, as gnarled old dudes sit on their ice chests and gripe about the conspiracies that put Americans behind the joysticksl of namby-pamby electric-powered nanotech transportation pods (that get 200 MPG and hit 0-60 in 1.8 seconds)? Or will all SUVs get lumped in with the Aztek?
Image source: NetCarShow

Here's what we know about the BMW X1 so far — The little SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) will be derived from the BMW 1-Series with full-time all-wheel-drive (xDrive) and will feature the following roundup of engine choices:

* BMW X1 xDrive20d - 177 horsepower - 8.4 seconds 0-60 MPH - Max Speed 132 MPH (213 km/h) - 40.5 MPG (5.8 liters / 100 km)
* BMW X1 xDrive23d - 204 horsepower - 7.3 seconds 0-60 MPH - Max Speed 138 mph (223 km/h) - 37 MPG (6,3 Liter / 100 km)
* BMW X1 xDrive28i - 6.7 seconds 0-60 MPH - Max Speed 142 MPH(230 km/h)

Sadly, we're told that only the BMW X1 xDrive28i will make it stateside, so give up those hopes and dreams for a high mileage diesel. We'll get the short end of the stick... again. (Hat Tip To Cameron!)

[via xbimmers]

It's fairly obvious that this is a proposal for a large Buick CUV, but it's hard to tell exactly what model this'll eventually turn into given the conceptual nature and constant change within the automaker's design studios. Given that they've opted to build this in full size rather than as a scale model leads us to believe there might be something brewing here.

By the time 2012 hits the Enclave will have been on the market long enough for a mid-cycle refresh, but this don't look like no re-skin job, instead we're willing to bet that this is an all-new model based on a modified version of the current Lambda platform. With the Buick Enclave recently arriving in the Chinese market with some extensive modification, it's likely that this new model is being designed to appeal to a global audience with global safety and powertrain options in mind. It'll be some time before we know for sure, but it's always fun to speculate.

Yesterday a small number of you you took small pity on a small car and gave a thumbs up to the maple leaf Minor. Today let's look not to the North, but to the vast emptiness of space. Okay, now that we've done that, let's check out this truck.

Hailing not from a galaxy far far away, but from the former empire nation of Italy, the Rayton Fissore/LaForza debuted at the 1985 Turin show, to near universal disinterest. A better kept secret than the second death star, this Tom Tjaarda-designed sport utility never garnered the attention level of even a pair of innocuous lost droids. The LaForza was intended to capitalize on the success of the Range Rover, and came standard with 4-wheel drive and a V8, but lacking the ability to make the jump into hyperspace, or many people's garages. Its Iveco-based chassis, and Ford Mustang 5.0 engine were sturdy enough to take on an original trilogy's worth of both on- and off-road adventure, and the sumptuous leather and wood interior trimmings would suit even the most discriminating wookiee. Sadly, sales, much like The Phantom Menace, failed to live up to expectations. Perhaps due to the fact that, from the back, it looks like an oversized Ford Festiva?

This 1989 LaForza, in silver, looks as if it has made the Kessel Run a few times too many, but that doesn't stop the seller from singing its praises in hopes of catching your rebel heart. He does so despite his admission to being as unknowledgeable of the vehicle's history as was Luke of his true parentage. The body is claimed straight, the engine to run like a dream, and the seller claims to have mistaken it for an 98-01 model- potentially owing to his complete lack of familiarity with the marque. On closer examination, the exterior and interior both wear the patina of use – a la the Millennium Falcon – including rusted seat tracks, broken door handles, delaminating trim, and panel gaps large enough to bullseye womp rats through. Its reliability is as unknowable as the mythical force that binds the galaxy together, and sourcing parts could be a problem without your neighborhood jawa, meaning you wouldn't want to trust it to get you through a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

So, does $5,300 for this LaForza make you want to fly your han solo? Or does it make you obi wan to pass on it?

You decide!

eBay, or go here if the ad gets encased in carbonite. Thanks to TTopJohn for the tip

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip.

These pictured were snapped inside a secret Mercedes storage facility somewhere in Germany. It's the Smart ForMore concept scheduled to debut at the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show, but its premiere was canceled when Mercedes called a halt to the entire SmartUV program. We'd love to see what else might be hidden in there.

With styling clearly influenced by the Smart ForFour and with only minor concept car details like the hand-carved tires and iPod interior, this vehicle was clearly close to production. It's rumored that the ForMore was based on the Mercedes GLK. We guess this is as clear an indication as to how close we got to the SUVpocalypse as we'll ever get. [Caradisiac]

We've seen both dragons and real people having sex with cars before, but never one car humping another. This video is an in-movie ad for the fictional Liquid Karma-powered Treer Saltair SUV. We think it nicely extends the premise of most car advertising, particularly the Kate Welsh Cadillac ad, to its logical conclusion.

This clip make you wonder if you should sit down and watch the entire 144 minute film? Don't bother, we have. It's awful.

According to polls, the French gave a higher approval rating to Yasser Arafat than they did to George W. Bush, but they like Barack Obama almost as much as Zidane. Once that fact became clear to GM's European marketers (and after they did a little research to see what kind of copyright unpleasantness the DNC could hit them with across the Atlantic), a new ad campaign was born! You want deals, monsieur? Here's the deal: Buy a new Chevrolet Captiva (aka the Daewoo Winstorm and platform cousin to the Equinox) and Le Général will pick up the value-added tax for you, which amounts to a hefty €5800 rebate. Similar deals apply to the Epica, Nubira, and Lacetti. Just imagine those marketers at the meeting that cooked up this campaign, cheering and fist-bumping after each bullet point in the PowerPoint slide show:

•Yes We Can… take advantage of the fact that the American and French flags use the same colors!
•Yes We Can… likewise take advantage of the fact that our biggest division is named after a Frenchman!
•Yes We Can… badge-engineer any vehicle, any place, any time!
•Yes We Can… get this dust-gathering inventory off the showroom floor!

[Chevrolet.fr, thanks to Franzouse for the tip and the billboard photo!]

Is your job tough? Like, leader of the free world tough? Do you have people constantly throwing shoes at you? It's time you replied with a measured, appropriate response — and that response is a Dillon Aero machine gun turret mounted on top of a Chevy Suburban — just like the one the President's got! (Hat tip to Larry!)

We've already shown you Obama's new Presidential limo, below, now here's the big gun watching its back.
UPDATE: First video of the new Cadillac One on the way to President-Elect Obama's swearing-in.

[wsbtv via CNN]

Thanks to the huge spike in the price at the pump in the first half of the year, SUV sales are down more than 40% in 2008 from 2007. In response, the not-so-Big Three have closed many plants dedicated to making SUVs, a product that has come to symbolize their perceived inability to produce the vehicles American consumers want to buy.

Writing on his New York Times "Freakonomics" blog, Steven D. Levitt asks the question:

“The apparent cause of death for SUV’s was high gas prices. Doesn’t that mean that with low gas prices SUV sales should come back to life?”

Levitt goes on to suggest the reason SUV sales haven’t recovered is both a fear gas prices will rebound as well as a belief: “When gas prices got high, it became uncool to own an SUV.”

The SUV may be dead, but the humble pickup truck doesn’t appear to be suffering the same fate — because, for many buyers, trucks aren’t a fad, they’re actually a useful vehicle.

Keep in mind that in the current market problem of a lack of credit is being seen across the board — sales are down for every single vehicle in the marketplace. So the way to determine sales strength at the moment is to peg one vehicle's sales drop to another. So, while sales of the historically top-selling Ford F-Series pickup are down 25.4% for the first 11 months of 2008 compared to the same time period in 2007, they’re only down 18.4% when comparing November, 2008 to November, 2007. That's a lower drop in sales than that seen by the Toyota Camry, down 5.3% over the first 11 months of the year, but down 28.7% during the this past month.

So what does that potentially tell us? It would seem possible that the recovery in sales can be pegged to gas prices; as the economy collapsed in October, gas prices fell and consequently, pickup truck sales began to increase, and the sales of mid-size econo-sedans dropped. But, what we're also seeing is while some SUVs have recovered sales, for the most part, they haven't quite followed that same number, and appear to be continuing their decline.

Indeed, that trend can be tracked across other popular pickups and cars. The Chevy Silverado was only down 22.5% November to November while the Honda Accord was down 38.1% and the fuel-efficient Toyota Prius fell a staggering 48.3%.

What does this all mean? It appears that while people do stop buying pickups when gas prices spike, they’re more resilient long term than SUVs because they’re more useful. When gas prices drop, it looks like Americans still want to buy bigger vehicles, but now, they demand actually utility from their trucks, either by necessity or fashion.

The larger picture? Throughout the whole Carpocalypse, American automakers have always been building the vehicles Americans wanted to buy, it’s just they weren’t building the vehicles Americans thought they could afford to own.

[via The New York Times, data: Automotive News]

1989 wasn't such a great year for Romanian strongman Nicolae Ceauşescu, but, even as the rabble beat down the jeweled doors to his palaces, he could console himself with the inspiring thought that the "Romanian Jeep," the ARO 244, was available for sale throughout the world. Even in the evil, decadent United States, a truck shopper could march right into a seedy office above a taxidermy shop in New Jersey an ARO dealership and obtain the product of the glorious workers of Câmpulung. Sadly, few did so, but don't fret about your ARO-less state; we've managed to find you not just one but three 1999 ARO 244s (go here if the ad disappears). You see, even after the fall of the Ceauşescu regime, the ARO-American dream was kept alive, and these trucks were brought over in order to try to get EPA certification for legal sale in the United States. One is equipped with '97 Mazda MPV running gear and allegedly runs (though it "needs some TLC work from bouncing NY roads"), and the other two seem to be parts trucks. You'll have one good one running fine in no time… at which point you'll discover little-known sections of your state's Vehicle Code, as you attempt to register it. Thanks to Aircooled_Poirot for the tip!

If you're going to buy a commie Jeep, you might as well buy a serious commie Jeep, from the home of the revolution itself: the USSR! Yes, the GAZ-69, which served as the main light off-road vehicle for the Red Army for decades. You've got to figure that anything built for the Red Army is going to be simple and sturdy, like a good pair of Russian winter boots, and that you'll be able to use tallow, mud, or even nothing at all as an engine lubricant in one. We'd all like such a hammer-simple machine to take off-roading, but where could you possibly find a GAZ-69 here in the home of retrograde imperialist capitalist warmongering? Why, Hemmings Motor News, of course, where this 1961 GAZ 69-M may be seen in all its glory and fame. Fame? That's right, the makers of the last Indiana Jones movie used this truck- which was allegedly driven by some famous actress or other in the film- and now it can be yours! The price tag is ridiculously somewhat steep, no doubt because the seller believes the aura of such a glamorous cinematic appearance multiplies the truck's value by a factor of three, but just let him or her sweat out a few more weeks of recession and you'll likely be able to score it for a far more reasonable sum. Supposedly it "RUNS AND DRIVES FANTASTIC" and there are probably other details in the description, but they've been rendered indecipherable by the CAPS LOCK FAIRY, who has sprinkled her headache dust all over the words. We're guessing that it ran and drove well enough for 17 seconds of filming, and that you'll be on the phone to Semyon, grumpy sales rep for a truck-parts house in Vladivostok as soon as you take delivery, calculating how many rubles you'll need to get this thing back to Red Army specs.

Some SUV buyers tend to feel that they're captaining the dreadnoughts of the road, impervious to all harm and thus free to futz with cupholders and electronic gadgetry rather than pay attention to traffic signals. In this incident in Texas- which, fortunately, did not result in any major injuries- a Chevy Tahoe was T-boned by a Mini Cooper and flipped right over. LeMons Neon racer and Enzo rejuvenator Matt Groner sends us these photos and a description of the wreck written by his friend, who was behind the wheel of the Mini:

These pictures were taken by one of the firemen who were called to the scene, with his camera phone. The officials who responded to the accident could not believe that the Mini (and I) sustained so little damage. The other vehicle involved is a Chevy Tahoe. I was driving south on a one-way street and the other driver was driving west, also on a one-way street. The other driver ran a red light (that had been red for a long time) and appeared in the intersection just in front of me as I came through. I didn't even see them. I hit the passenger's side of Tahoe head-on, and the Tahoe rolled. In one of the pictures, you can see the Mini-shaped dent in the vehicle that is on its side. The driver of the Tahoe was unhurt and did get a ticket. She was also insured.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: Yes
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: Yes
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Also Consider:
• Ford Escape
• Ford Edge
• Nissan Rogue
• Saturn Vue
• Acura RDX
• Infiniti EX35
• Four-Door Volkswagen GTI
• Toyota RAV4
• Dude, just get a SportWagen

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Volkswagen
• Model year: 2009
• Base Price: $23,200
• Price as Tested: N/A
• Engine type: 2.0-liter Turbo I4
• Horsepower: 200 @ 5,100 - 6,000 RPM
• Torque: 206 @ 1,700 - 5,000 RPM
• Transmission: 6-speed Tiptronic Automatic
• Curb Weight: 3,433 lbs
• LxWxH: 174.3" x 71.2" x 66.3"
• Wheelbase: 102.5"
• Tires: 215/65 R16
• 0 - 60 mph: 7.8 Seconds
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 19/26 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: N/A

Also see:

• 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S, Part One
• 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S, Part Two

Acceleration: ***
The turbo four, the standard engine for every version of the Tiguan, propels the Tiguan to 60 mph in just under eight seconds. It's enough power to quickly accelerate past traffic at highway speeds when the six-speed tiptronic transmission is in "sport" mode. In "regular" mode the transmission takes its time, almost as if it needs to call VW headquarters to make sure it's cleared to speed up before acceleration commences.

Braking: ****
As competent as the Tiguan's brakes are, and they're perfect for a vehicle this size, the parking brake is perhaps the neatest feature. Unlike the typical lever-activated handbrake or the modern push-button job, the VW has a paddle-actuated electronic parking brake with Auto Hold, which allows the driver to set the car to automatically engage the brake if on a hill. This serves almost no purpose on this tiptronic-equipped car but would have been awesome if we'd had been given a manual model to test.

Ride: ***
Even with the same three-spoke steering wheel as the Rabbit, you'll not be easily confused about what VW you're cruising in. The Tiguan offers an enjoyably soft ride ideal for the kind of customer it's going to attract. Crossing long stretches of highway there's little excess vibration and not a hint of harshness.

Handling: **
Though the steering response is quick and the crossover has a tight steering angle, the Tiguan's height and excess weight conspire against it when it comes to piloting around turns. Perhaps it's because they've played up the sportiness of the Tiguan so much, but I felt it didn't meet expectations. Too much lean. Too much chirp in the corners. Nothing about the handling helps the Tiguan differentiate itself from the competition.

Gearbox: ***
Not surprisingly, we'd recommend the six-speed manual over the tiptronic six-speed automanual. In normal driving, the transmission suffers from a high-school-Senior-early-accepted-to-Notre-Dame level of torpor. Choosing to select your own gears doesn't help much, either. The "sport" mode, however, selects slightly more aggressive shift points and speeds up the process.

Audio: **
Though the sound coming out of the 8-speaker system isn't bad, the basic in-dash CD system is too simple. The buttons are too large and the display too small, as if it were a Fisher Price My First Car Radio. Even more annoying, all models come with an auxiliary iPod port but this radio is unable to interface with it. It just sits there and basically mocks you. Booooo.

Toys: *
In S trim, the basest of base levels, the Tiguan doesn't offer much more than the auto hold feature as an added extra. If you want to expand the definition of toy, the rear seat features a fold-flat section with built-in cupholders. Yeah! Cupholders.

Value: ***
The Tiguan is well positioned as a vehicle slightly nicer than the cheaper-feeling and lower-priced Escape, with a better look than the Vue and performance not that far off from the significantly more expensive Acura RDX. Assuming good reliability, and this is a large assumption, the added cost may be worth it to someone who is not moved by the domestic or Japanese offerings but can't swing a Lexus.

Overall: ***
Based on the rest of the segment, Volkswagen has accomplished no small feat with the Tiguan. They've built a CUV with sporty looks and the quickness necessary to appeal to buyers who think it's what they want, but cushy and comfortable enough to meet their actual needs. If I needed the space and wanted a VW I'd be more inclined towards the more nimble SportWagen. But, the Tiguan's a vehicle something I'd let my girlfriend get without much protest.

Also see:

• 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan S, Part One

The book in question, Nixonland by Rick Perlstein, was rather appropriate for the trip I was making. It discusses how Richard Nixon managed to take us from a country that overwhelmingly elected Lyndon Johnson and his Great Society to one that overwhelmingly elected Nixon and his secretive society.

I say appropriate because Austin, my destination, is full of the kind of liberal McGovernites that Nixon used to divide the country to his advantage. Volkswagen has always been the brand of liberals [well, post Hitler – Ed.]. From the Volkswagen Beetles of the free love generation to the Passat station wagons of the yuppie crowd, if you see that VeeDub logo on the front you're more likely to see a "visualize world peace" sticker than a "Newt in 2012" one.

But the genius of Nixon wasn't that he divided the world into liberals and conservatives or Republicans and Democrats, it was that he split society into the elites and everyone else. Perlstein focuses on an undergraduate election at the Whittier College, where Nixon won the election for president of the student body by taking on the campus elite, represented by an organization called The Franklins. Nixon formed his own group, The Orthogonian Society, made up of everyone else. He won by a large margin.

Driving from Houston to Austin I had plenty of time to consider whether the Tiguan, in a compact crossover segment that's becoming increasingly crowded, is an Orthigonian everyman like the Ford Escape or in the more elite company of the Infiniti EX35. Who would drive the Tiguan? Richard Nixon or John Lindsey?

On the open road the torquey turbo four, shared with just about every other VW product, has a distinctly European feel to it. The quick response and ample torque across the rev range suggests good breeding and a life spent at boarding schools. Think Phillips Exeter Academy or Georgetown Prep. I hoped, while passing through Bastrop County, a notoriously Orthogonian area, that no one would notice the Franklinesque nature of the powertrain.

Pulling into Austin I predictably hit traffic and decide to carve my way through some hilly backstreets on the way to my friend's house. Here's where the Tiguan finds a more common attitude. It's a familiar ride to anyone who has driven a car in this segment. Not overly soft or abrasive. Not exciting but not disappointing. Though it shares a platform with the Golf/Rabbit/GTI family you'd be forgiven for not realizing it around turns as this crossover is a victim of its size and (car) class. It's height adding lean and vagueness, but its size retaining enough of the Golf's nimbleness to ensure it never feels totally out of its element around bends. Orthogonions would approve.

When I finally caught up with Dan he inspected the book and was satisfied to see that it was in almost perfect condition. It was time to repair to dinner so, along with his girlfriend, we hopped into the Tiguan. Dan, like many Austinites, drives a Volkswagen Golf when not using public transportation and is therefore familiar with the automaker's appointments. He liked it. Even in the basest of trims the Volkswagen stands above its non-luxury competitors — the Ford Escape and Saturn Vue — in terms of design, material and feel. The Tiguan's interior is light, airy, uncluttered and made from high quality materials; no cheap plastics or undamped switchgear in here. It's big too, the body's added height adding a roominess the Golf it's based on is totally lacking. A point for the Franklins.

I point out the folding seats and rather simple radio as a way of racking up more points for the common set, hoping to get the kind of even balance that makes these kinds of comparisons more relevant, but it doesn’t quite work. Driving around in a German CUV, even one that isn't particularly luxurious, is still driving around in a European car. An impoverished Duke is still a Duke.

In the end, the Tiguan ends up being not common enough to be an Orthogonian though not quite luxurious and well bred enough to be a true Franklin. We'll call it a Franklin anyways. As Nixon became more paranoid just about everyone who wasn't completely in support of his presidency became lumped in with the Franklins and, were he to know that we were on our way to a place that served gourmet cafeteria food, he'd probably consider us Franklins too.

I was walking by and saw the folks from KNIGHT pulling the sheet off the $295,000 XV in the middle of the SEMA parking lot. As they were pulling it off I noticed them trying to start the uber-luxurious black barge but it sounded like the engine wouldn't turn over. Perhaps the battery was dead? Frankly we don't know; however, we were manhandled and pushed away from taking any more pics by a short swarthy man with a ‘stache, so we won't be returning to find out if they got their act together in time for the official unveil.