Sorry, but today’s post title is a bait and switch or, alternatively, a blog tease. While some percentage of Disaffected Musings readers might want a blog with nothing but automotive content, many such blogs already exist.
Most of my blog posts have some automotive content, but not all. I like to think that I am not a one-trick pony. For example, I like to think that my 20+ year career in baseball where I was a pioneer in the application of analytics to sports and a father of “Moneyball” means that I certainly have experience and knowledge in areas other than cars, even if my contributions to sports have glanced off the collective skull of the world.
It has been an imperative for me to write about what has been happening in the Middle East and about the rampant and disgusting displays of anti-Semitism all over the world. Remember that my parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors and in the case of my father that’s about as literal a description as one can imagine.
I loathe extremist ideology of any origin. As I wrote recently, I strongly believe that the high error rate of human judgment means that extremist policies are a recipe for disaster.
However, and as I have mentioned before on more than one occasion, I believe this blog is becoming derivative of itself. Of course, that is my fault as I am 100% responsible for its content.
So, why did I begin today’s post with this exposition? Honestly, I really don’t know. I am not ready, at least not yet, to stop blogging.
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Can’t wait for someone to bring a lawsuit that ends up in the Supreme Court against an institution still using DEI statements in hiring. That practice is ILLEGAL! The First Amendment protects individuals from having to make compelled speech.
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This CNBC article reports on another development that portrays Stellantis as having major difficulties. They are planning to close and to sell their large (4,000 acres) vehicle proving grounds in Arizona by the end of 2024. They will use another Arizona facility, built by Toyota for testing vehicles. In 2021, Toyota decided to let other automakers use the venue.
This recent article from Yahoo Finance details some of the issues regarding Stellantis. Even with RAM and Jeep, by the end of 2023 their US market share ranked behind General Motors, Toyota, Ford AND Hyundai. However, Jeep sales in the US have fallen dramatically from almost one million in 2018 to 641,000 in 2023.
In worldwide volume, though, Stellantis still ranks third behind only Toyota and Volkswagen. That disparity compared to its US decline might help explain the rumors that Stellantis wants to get out of the North American market altogether.
If they pull out of the US, but if that saves Maserati from the chopping block, then I would see a silver lining even if it meant I would probably never again own a Maserati and would probably never buy one of these.
In case you don’t know, [Everybody Chime In] or even if you do, this is a photo of an Alfa Romeo 4C. I have always really liked these cars, but the praise they received in the Everyday Driver long-form episode, Mid-Engines & Mountains, has really piqued my interest.
In one scene Todd Deeken is driving a Porsche Cayman and Paul Schmucker is driving a 4C. On a deserted stretch of highway, Deeken pulls even with Schmucker and asks, via walkie-talkie, if Schmucker has his camera gear rolling. When the latter answers in the affirmative, Deeken holds up three fingers and proceeds to count down. At that point both of them floor their cars. The 4C blows the Cayman away. Deeken remarks, “Man, that car is fast.” After the “race” Deeken says while laughing, “We’re children.”
While Germanophile Schmucker ends up rating the Cayman ahead of the 4C, he says the cars are “very close” for him. His preference for the Porsche was based as much or more on the Cayman’s more luxurious interior and ride than on the cars’ relative performance. In fact, at one point he says he has a new favorite car and he is referring to the 4C.
If Stellantis pulls out of the US market, then I believe that only someone with A LOT of money could own a 4C here. While many independent shops have techs who could work on the cars, the availability of parts would be a serious issue. If no rumors existed about Stellantis leaving the US, then the 4C might be under consideration as an F-Type companion. IF…at just two letters it might be the “biggest” word in the English language.
As always, I welcome thoughtful comments about the blog or other topics. Also, I have to post this reminder:
PLEASE click on the tiny “Read on blog” link or the post title itself in the email notifying you of a new post. Thanks.
#AllCarsAllTheTime