Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today, we have reports from The New York Times, The Washington Post and Hooniverse.
13 Deaths, Untold Heartache, From G.M. Defect – The New York Times
Could you imagine going a decade believing you were at fault for a crash that killed your loved one? Candice Anderson thought it was her fault her Saturn Ion crashed and killed her boyfriend in 2004, until she found out last week her car was linked that ignition fault we keep hearing about from GM.
All these years, Ms. Anderson — now engaged and a mother — has been a devoted visitor to his grave. She tidies it every season, sweeping away leaves and setting down blue daisies with gold glitter for his birthday, miniature lit trees for Christmas, stones with etched sayings for the anniversary of their accident.
"It's torn me up," Ms. Anderson said of the death of Gene Mikale Erickson. "I've always wondered, was it really my fault?"
Last week, she learned it was not.
Uber's remarkable growth could end the era of poorly paid cab drivers – The Washington Post
For those looking for a second job. Hell, make that a just one job.
A major shift is underway on America's roadways. For a long time, driving strangers from point A to point B paid terribly. Estimates of the typical cab driver's salary hover around $30,000.
According to Uber, the median wage for an UberX driver working at least 40 hours a week in New York City is $90,766 a year. In San Francisco, the median wage for an UberX driver working at least 40 hours a week is $74,191.
The Carchive: The Honda Aerodeck. – Hooniverse
Taking from the Carchive again. This is one of my favorite Honda designs. It is a shooting brake, of course.
Among its unique featureset, aside from those pop-ups, were a pair of very long side doors and gently tapering roofline, which went towards providing " unprecedented interior comfort and utility", along with what was referred to as a "gull-wing tailgate".
The name was accurate. The tailgate opened with a ten-inch chunk of roof, making for a much wider opening than had it been conventionally hinged. Marvellous; but then as if to completely nullify the whole concept the tailgate abruptly ended just above tail-lamp height, so heavy stuff had to be hauled way up over a loading sill. Those in need of a beast of burden needn't sell their Volvo 245s just yet.
Photo: AP Images