Don't Leave Dogs In Cars

General Motors Thanks America

Yesterday General Motors ran this oddly affecting clip thanking Americans for bailing them out of bankruptcy.

The End Of Pontiac

The last Pontiac was manufactured in August 2009, but it wasn't until yesterday that the contract to sell the 84 year-old line expired at General Motors dealers nationwide. GM will honor Pontiac warranties and dealers will continue to service them, but as of today any unsold 2010 Pontiacs are considered used. The photo above is the 1973 Pontiac LeMans, my first car. Mine was also mint green with a landau top.

Is This Gotham's New Cab?

As I've blogged about several times, New York City has been holding a contest to replace its taxi fleet of about 12,000 Crown Victorias as Ford has discontinued the line. Today the Daily News reports that the top two finalists are an as-yet unseen Nissan "vanette" and the above model made by the little-known Karsan out of Turkey, which "features a sleek, futuristic design with a see-through glass roof for tourists and curious New Yorkers."

New York state Assemblyman Micah Kellner (my rep), who has cerebral palsy, notes that only the Karsan vehicle is wheelchair accessible. NYC pays many millions every year for a special fleet of disabled-friendly cabs, which must be dispatched by request, so Kellner's view could be very important to the final decision.

According to the rules, the winning taxi must be an "iconic vehicle that can be identified with New York City and exemplifies the character of the city." I guess the Karsan fits the bill, but I'd been pulling for Australia's futuristic Unicab (below). The new cabs must begin hitting the street by 2014.

Would-Be Koran Burner Gets Free Car

Florida Pastor Terry "Burn The Koran" Jones is getting a free car from a New Jersey dealership that is making good on their promise to give him one if he didn't follow through on his plan.

Car dealer Brad Benson made the pitch to Florida pastor Terry Jones in one of his quirky radio ads: If you don’t burn a Koran, I’ll give you a new car. He was surprised, though, when a representative for Jones called to collect the 2011 Hyundai Accent, retailing for $14,200. "They said unless I was doing false advertising, they would like to arrange to pick up the car,” Benson recalled. At first he thought it was a hoax, so Benson asked Jones to send in a copy of his driver’s license. He did. Jones, of Gainesville, Fla., told The Associated Press that the free car wasn’t the reason he called off the burning — and that he didn’t even hear about the offer until a few weeks after Sept. 11, when he had threatened to set the Muslim holy book on fire.

At least it's their cheapest car.

Pink Cars Get Stolen The Least

According to a study of stolen cars, painting your ride pink is more effective than just about any theft-deterrent system.

"A study in the Netherlands illustrates car thieves' preferences. From 2004-2008, the most commonly colored vehicle stolen was black. This may be because black vehicles look more luxurious. Following close behind black were gray/silver automobiles. Of the 109 pink cars in the study, not one was stolen. A bright and uncommon color, like pink, may be as effective deterrent as an expensive security system. Ben Vollaard, who conducted the research, wrote, 'If the aversion to driving a car in an offbeat color is not too high – or if someone actually enjoys it – then buying deterrence through an uncommon car color may be at least as good a deal as buying deterrence through an expensive car security device.'"

"Honey, I just wonder what you doin' in the back of your pink Cadillac."

Ford To Close Mercury Division

Ford Motor Company has announced that this will be the last year of production for their Mercury line.

Mercury's demise follows a string of famous American nameplates that have been dropped over the last year, including General Motors Co.'s Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer. Ford plans to focus on the design and marketing of its more upscale Lincoln brand — including offering a compact Lincoln sedan — to replace sales that dealers will lose from the closure of the Mercury line. Mercury and Lincoln vehicles are often sold side by side in auto showrooms. There are no standalone Mercury dealers in the U.S., and Ford doesn't expect the closure of the brand to result in any job cuts at the automaker.

Mercury had dwindled to 5% of Ford's total sales.