FUTURISTS AT MERCEDES AND ELSEWHERE
GIVEN THE automobile’s complex design cycle and regulation requirements, automakers need to understand the future. In some quarters, it’s already 2020, 2025 or beyond. In the June 10, 2015, issue … Continue reading
MICKEY AND A MELTING WATCH??
WALT DISNEY had a way with fantasy. And so did artist Salvador Dali. Amazingly, these otherwise vastly different art icons worked together. In researching this, I learned of John Hench, … Continue reading
ORSON WELLES AND THE FEDERAL THEATRE PROJECT
THIS YEAR is the 100th anniversary of the birth of theatrical great Orson Welles. Likely, he’s best remembered for his 1941 movie Citizen Kane, consistently ranked among the all-time greatest … Continue reading
TOYOTA MIRAI TIDBITS
HERE ARE 10 tidbits about the 2016 Mirai FCV, Toyota’s production fuel-cell car appearing in California showrooms this October. These tidbits are gleaned from my taking part in what amounted … Continue reading
SOARING WITH ADMIRAL BYRD
POOR ADMIRAL Byrd! Here’s a guy with a real knack for exploration. He had a chance of beating Lindbergh across the Atlantic in 1927. He may have been the first to … Continue reading
RACING ON THE “COLORED” LINE
EARLY AUTO race drivers were an especially courageous lot. They drove fragile yet awkward automobiles at impressive speeds under the most deadly conditions. Even more courageous were the relatively few … Continue reading
KISS OFF EVS??
THE PROMISE of electric vehicles was fun while it lasted, but several recent articles in Automotive News are anything but promising. EVs are glued to dealership floors. Government EV subsidies … Continue reading
OPERA FEASTS
OPERA IS a high-energy art form, lots of dancing around all the while singing at the top of one’s lungs. Reflecting this, many opera stars keep their strength up with … Continue reading
SLEEP ON IT
ALDOUS HUXLEY’S Brave New World describes a chilling example of childhood indoctrination through sleep-learning. This novel takes place in a London of 2540 (referred to as 632 A.F., After Ford, … Continue reading
SUPER LIGHT AND SUPER SENSUOUS
TO ME, the words “carrozzeria” and “super leggera” can enter the English language without their italics. But Italian they are, carrozzeria being bodywork, particularly automotive, and Superleggera being a trademark … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 