OCRegister.com
SUBSCRIBE | IN TODAY'S PAPER | E-REGISTER | CUSTOMER SERVICE | SIGN-IN | HELP | ADVERTISE
Search:
Auto Motion ~ Car news, reviews and events

My Totally Hot Car: 1967 T-bird with suicide doors

July 5th, 2009, 5:04 am by Matt Degen

Our latest Totally Hot Car is another one you don’t see every day: a 1967 Ford Thunderbird owned by owned by John Dyas of Yorba Linda.

Note how this model stands out with its unique “suicide” style rear doors.

This 40-plus year-old beauty is all original, Dyas says, and features electric door locks and windows, as well as the original black leather interior. Under the hood is a rebuilt 350 engine.

“(I’m) not big on car shows, but did take it to John Force’s show once at suggestion of Mike Kuhl, my neighbor,” Dyas writes. “Mike is a famous drag racer, well known for building engines in many professional racers in California.”

Thanks for sharing your sweet ride with us here, John!

If YOU have a car that deserves to be in this space, find out how to submit it for consideration on the My Totally Hot Car — submission page.

Check out these other readers’ Totally Hot Cars:

Posted in: Classic cars • My Totally Hot Car • | Post a Comment »

Can you believe this tops list of ‘Most American’ cars?

July 3rd, 2009, 6:17 am by Matt Degen

The 2010 Camry LE

With the 4th of July holiday as its backdrop, auto Web site Cars.com has compiled a list of the Top 10 American-Made index.

According to the company, the list  “evaluates cars based on percentage (by cost) of their parts that are made domestically, where they are built and how popular they are among U.S. buyers.”

“In today’s global economy, there’s not an easy way to determine just how American a car is.  Cars.com’s American-Made Index helps consumers identify the most-American vehicles based on production location, percentage of domestic-parts content, and American sales volume for each vehicle,” the company says.

So who’s #1? That goes to the Toyota Camry, pictured above, which has knocked off five-time winner Ford F-150 from first place.

In all, the Japan-based automaker captured four spots in the list, with fellow Japan-based automaker Honda taking another spot.

Here is Cars.com’s entire Top 10 list:

Rank / Model / Assembly location(s) in U.S.
1. Toyota Camry; Georgetown, Ky.; Lafayette, Ind.
2. Ford F-150; Dearborn, Mich.; Claycomo, Mo.
3.Chevrolet Malibu; Kansas City, Kan.
4.Honda Odyssey; Lincoln, Ala.
5.Chevrolet Silverado 1500; Fort Wayne, Ind.
6.Toyota Sienna; Princeton, Ind.
7.Toyota Tundra; San Antonio, Texas
8.GMC Sierra 1500; Fort Wayne, Ind.
9.Ford Taurus; Chicago, Ill.
10. Toyota Venza; Georgetown, Ky.

To read the site’s full article and more on their findings, point your mouse HERE.

Also check out:

Posted in: New cars | 10 Comments »

BMW will birth baby X1 in 2011

July 2nd, 2009, 2:12 pm by Matt Degen

BMW has announced that not only will its X1 compact crossover become a reality, but that it will be for sale in the United States in 2011, and if BMW’s teaser photo above is any indicator, coming to an Orange County beach near you.

The vehicle, which will be available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions, will join big brother X5 and soon-to-be middle child X3, both of which BMW dubs “sports activity vehicles.”

The German automaker announced four engines for the X1: a gasoline-powered inline six and three versions of a turbocharged four-cylinder diesel. The automaker has not given details on which engines will be available in the U.S. market, though. I’m guessing the six-cylinder four sure; depending on where gas prices go and whether Americans once again embrace fuel-efficient diesel engines, we could see some of those variants, too.

BMW says that certain models featuring its diesel engines will be good for more than 50 mpg. Pricing has also not been released on any of the models, but you can bet it will be below the X3’s base MSRP of $39,700. An entry-level price, at least by BMW standards, should also help younger buyers get into the brand, such as our beach-going friends pictured above.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: New cars • | 1 Comment »

My Totally Hot Car: 1928 Ford Model A woodie

July 2nd, 2009, 4:53 am by Matt Degen

woodie1

Talk about a classic combination. Not only is our latest Totally Hot Car a Ford Model A, but it’s a woodie to boot.

The beautifully restored ride is owned by Glenn Johnson, a former O.C. resident who now resides upstate in Camino, near Placerville.

Here’s what he has to say about this award-winning car:

“My Totally Hot Car is a restored 1928 Ford Model A Station Wagon that I restored myself in the 1970s. I keep it in show condition and have won many awards with it over the years. The wood body is maple and is mostly the original wood.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Classic cars • My Totally Hot Car • | Post a Comment »

Suzuki gets in on gas promotion, too

July 1st, 2009, 1:18 pm by Matt Degen
The 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover

The 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover

American Suzuki, based in Brea, today announced a “Free Gas for Summer” program for buyers of its SX4 Sedan and SX4 Crossover.

The incentive comes a day after Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America announced a deal that also begins today that lets buyers lock in gasoline prices at $1.49 a gallon for a year across most of its lineup.

Suzuki is only offering the deal on the pair of SX4 models, and the promotion only lasts through Aug. 31.

Buyers of the Suzuki SX4 Sedan get a pre-paid debit card worth $270, while buyers of Suzuki’s SX4 Crossover get one worth $290.

Additionally, Suzuki said it is offering $2,000 cash back on all 2009 SX4s with manual transmission.

Suzuki’s gasoline promotion comes as it reports that June sales fell 78 percent, from 9,784 vehicles in June 2008 to 2,149 last month.

In other news….

Posted in: Dealers, deals and for sale • | Post a Comment »

« Previous Entries
ADVERTISEMENT

Find Your Next Car, Motorcyle, Boat or RV
Click on a manufacturer to view our inventory. Search by make, model, price and interior and exterior vehicle features. Read vehicle reviews,and browse videos and photos. Use OCRegister.com/cars tools to compare cars, motorcycles, boats and RVs, locate dealers by make and location, research financing, sell your vehicle and more.

CARS

MOTORCYCLES
BOATS
RVs