Sam scraped the Honda Odyssey. Again. This after stoving-in the Boxster's front end and then, after its repair, scraping the roadster's flanks. There was a time when I would get seriously bent out of shape about one of my cars getting bent out of shape. Love. Age. Maturity. Perspective. Cash flow. Lexapro. Although I've surmounted many of my OCD's detailing demands, I still appreciate the pursuit of perfection, and the value of persistence for those embarking on that endless, maddening quest. Not to put too fine a point on it, leapfrogging is for losers. The key to success: keep hammering away with focus, passion and persistence. Either that or read and follow The [somewhat contradictory] 48 Laws of Power. In either case, complacency is the enemy. As TTAC slowly comes into its own (which is a lot less gross than it sounds), rest assured that the editorial team will never become smug or self-satisfied. We will alway listen to criticism, and respond with respect. To that end, a simple question (flame rules active): what would you change about this website? You know; other than the fact I just sent out three New Content Notifications…

The new 3G iPhone went on sale on July 11. So people lined up overnight. In the first three days, Apple moved one million iPhones worldwide (but none of them into my pocket, thank you). Meanwhile, the Blackberry folks have confirmed their next generation models: the Bold and Thunder. No release date's been set. No specs revealed. In fact, The Thunder might not even be called The Thunder. So I have my hands up in the air, waiting for RIM to let us know. It strikes me that GM's Volt is running along the lines of this second business model– even if phones are infinitely easier to develop than cars. What GM really ought to do is shut up about their plug-in electric – gas hybrid Volt until the automaker can tell us exactly what, how, and when. That said, I continue to believe the Volt per se will never be offered for mass consumption. GM will merely say the Volt was an excellent tech development platform, and maybe lease a few prototypes to celebs or government agencies. Its R&D and innovations will trickle into other vehicles. I'd be thrilled for them to prove me wrong. God knows they're working hard on it. But I'm having a really hard time paying attention.  

The debate over Toyota's Tundra over-eagerness (and subsequent production juggling) got me thinking of the above quote from management guru Peter Drucker. And that reminded me… Whenever someone ridicules TTAC's GM Death Watch for cresting a particular episodic number, I ask them to imagine the count if I'd started writing when GM began its decline. For proper mind boggling, cast your mind back to 1946. After spending two years inside GM, management Drucker published "Concept of the Corporation." Although Drucker's tome praised GM's infrastructure, the author suggested that the automaker should decentralize power to autonomous business units. GM Chairman Alfred P. Sloan's inability to grasp the implications of Drucker's recommendations marked the beginning of the end for what was once the world's most profitable business. It took more than half a century for GM's fundamental cultural weaknesses to drag it into today's ignominy. And the slouch towards Bethlehem was not inevitable. Or was it? "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." This GM's CEOs have not done for many, many years. And that's the truth.

There are three phases of life. 1. When you don't know any of the songs playing in the elevator. 2. When you know all the songs playing in the elevator. 3. When you don't know any of the songs playing in the elevator. I feel like I'm getting closer to phase three. Not because I've just celebrated my 49th birthday. Nor because of Muzak; it's been so long since I've been in an office lift they're showing the Elevator News Network for all I know. No, it's down to the fact that Justin had never heard of the word "cheesecake." It's an old-fashioned expression (sigh) referring to semi-pornographic pictures of attractive women (I daren't ask Justin about T and A). You may have noticed there's a lot of these sorts of pictures hereabouts, as of late. Frank made the decision to deploy garage wall pinups after contemplating our 4856th image of a Toyota Prius. I agreed because I'm largely heterosexual (so to speak), and what the Hell– it's not all about you. We realize this shift has rendered TTAC less cubicle-friendly. And so we've charged out boffins with creating a button to make TTAC a text-only site. Meanwhile, your thoughts?

Automotive News [sub] reports that the perfect storm TTAC predicted last year is now a howling hurricane. "In June, used full-sized pickups sold at auction for an average price of $8,740 — a 25.4 percent decline from June 2007, according to auction company ADESA Inc. The average wholesale price of large SUVs plunged 27.5 percent to $10,577." Some say the worst is over. Tom Webb, chief economist for auction company Manheim, claims "wholesale prices of large SUVs appear to have reached bottom, while inventory of used large pickups needs to thin before prices stabilize." Appearances can be deceiving. While there may be a blip in light truck sales– as "bargain hunters" scoop-up cheap-as-chips vehicles– it's a dead cat bounce. The demand for pickups and SUVs has virtually disappeared. And there are millions of people who would get out of their gas-hungry vehicles if they could. But they can't. In short, as Frank reported in his June BTN, we've not seen the end of this downturn. TTAC's seemingly endless liturgical litany may sound as bleak as a Russian novel, but reality makes it so. Did you know that Russia considers Chekhov's supposedly dark dramas comedy? And anyway, when the going gets tough, the tough aren't phased. 

Henry Ford: "You don't build a reputation on what you're going to do." GM CEO Rick Wagoner: "Our team continues to develop further action plans to optimize our operating structure under these new market conditions, improve our cash and funding position, and keep our key product and technology investments on track." I know that many of our Best and Brightest are cubicle-dwellers; workers well-versed in the kind of euphemisms used by managers to obfuscate– I mean "hide" inactivity and incompetence. (My personal pet peeve is verbizing perfectly good nouns, as in "let's action that plan.") Just so we're all on the same page, I'm saying that a great leader does NOT resort to doublespeak and big words when the chips are down. Winston Churchill didn't say "I pledge to maximize my personal contribution to right-sizing the National Socialist Government by exanguination and perspicacity." He said ""I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." If Rick Wagoner really wanted to save GM– and not his own ass– he would start by speaking plain English. As if. 

Obviously, TTAC's Best and Brightest know that paralipsis means drawing attention to something soyou can prove that it's unimportant by proceeding to ignore it. I reckon it's the perfect word to describe Motown's coverage of Black Hole Black Tuesday, when The Big 2.8's SUV and pickup truck sales (not to mention cars) took a body blow, one of many to follow. But there is a wider point here: life goes on. The vast majority of people– and by "people" I'm referring to non-pistonheads– are not bothered by any of this. They remain blissfully unaware of Motown's seismic shocks. Most will have no idea that Detroit is in trouble until a bubble-headed bleached blond looks at them in the eye and says "Detroit is in trouble." Whatever explanations are offered past that point are forgotten within seconds. And then the story itself. It's only when the "news" becomes personal that it gains any sort of resonance. If a GM dealer treats a customer like shit or their car breaks down on the way to pickup the kids, it's far more noteworthy– to them– than an unrelated Detroit automaker going bankrupt. Which is exactly why one or more of the Big 2.8 is going to go bankrupt. Anyway, leaving that aside, our podcast. 

By 1968, Elvis' career was over. The King had squandered his cultural capital on an endless series of hokey flicks with soundtracks so forgettable I've forgotten them. Although the movies all made money and spawned the word "inelvitable" (the appearance of the Jordanaires whenever Elvis started to sing), they turned him into an roller rink singer. But in '68, Elvis' got his shit together (i.e. used sleeping pills to lose weight) and taped a Christmas TV show for NBC. In what came to be known as "The '68 Comeback Special," Elvis sang a finale written for him the night before the recording. The King grabbed a crappy microphone, reached deep inside his soul and belted-out "If I Can Dream" as if his life depended on it. Which, in some ways, it did. Elvis proved that F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong: there is a second act in American lives. I like to think that one of the buff books (or American automakers) will stare oblivion in the face and channel their inner Elvis. They'll return to the spirit of the "good old days." But then I can't watch my favorite band, Little Feat, perform anymore. Sometimes it's best to move over for someone else. So if anyone wants to publish a TTAC magazine, let me know.  

Yesterday felt like some kind of tipping point. TTAC's traffic didn't jump (growth continues to be slow and organic). We didn't land a new advertiser or score a junket or receive an award or introduce a new feature. We just kept doing what we do. Only this time, we were covering the June sales stats. Working as a team, our writers turned around the data faster than our rivals, and did so with our usual panache (a.k.a. lousy attitude). If persistence is the key to success, then we will be successful. But we will never forget that our reputation must exceed– I mean "proceed us." We must stay resolutely not-to-say violently independent. I contrast this pledge with a new low in Motor Trend's decline and fall, from Dealer Sales & Marketing. "Mudd Advertising announced the launch of a new marketing program that lets dealerships leverage the renowned MOTOR TREND name and MOTOR TREND “Car of the Year”, “Truck of the Year”, and “Sport Utility of the Year” logos. Through a special licensing agreement with MOTOR TREND, Mudd Advertising dealer clients can use these MOTOR TREND award logos in direct mail pieces and POP displays to attract more in-market buyers and increase vehicle sales." When you have to literally sell your good name, it's time to call it a day. Ours is just beginning. 

Autoblog: "You're going to be reading in the mainstream press about how horrible sales were in the U.S. during June, 2008. Yes, they were bad for many automakers, but consider that there were only 24 selling days last month versus 27 days in June, 2008. This makes comparing raw sales numbers misleading, since there were three fewer days to sell. Thus, as always, all the percentages below represent the change in Daily Sales Rate, i.e. the average number of vehicles sold per day, not the change in raw number of vehicles sold." TTAC joins Automotive News in rejecting this metric. We go by cars sold per month. Period. That said, TTAC got caught-out when Automotive News started with adjusted numbers, then revised to non-adjusted numbers. But no matter how you crunch these stats, they ARE horrible. "Not That Bad Edition"? The idea that any credible news organization would say otherwise is almost as astounding as the chaos afflicting the U.S. new vehicle market. How about this: there are industry players in Detroit who ascribe to Autoblog's Pollyanna philosophy. And while you're thinking about that (or something), Justin and I perform our usual reality check. 

Back when we started the TTAC news blog, I posted an item about the Maine DMV issuing drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants. The site took a real beating from our proto-Best and Brightest for entering the realm of partisan politics. Frank Williams and I paused, thought about it, and pressed ahead. As long as a post had something to do with cars, we considered it fair game. Still do. And I'm glad we did. In the last week alone, I've read (and enjoyed) dozens of passionate discussions about politics, religion, free speech, foreign policy, economics, energy policy, international trade, sexual morality and much more. ALL of it car-related. All of it respectful. That's no small point. Although I've banned some 300+ commentators from this site and warned hundreds more, I have only deleted two commentaires flambé in the last 14 days. Clearly, we've reached a tipping point. We've succeeded in creating a safe place for vigorous, car-related debate. As this long hot summer continues, as the U.S. car industry undergoes paroxysms of change, I commend our Best and Brightest for keeping it real, keeping it civil and keeping us– all of us– entertained. Thanks.

[As always, please report objectionable comments to robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com.]

TTAC has finally broken through the 600k unique visitors per month barrier again (606,569 as of today). Our page views are also looking healthy: 2,018,749 per month. And visitors are spending an average of 4:58 hereabouts. This is a most gratifying result– especially after the huge dip incurred during our most recent site instability issues (a.k.a. daily crashes). My thanks to the technical team for sorting that shit out, and, of course, to TTAC's ME and writers for slogging away through thick and thin. With a bit of luck and the wind in the right direction, we'll keep building from here. (We might even have a photo gallery before Christmas.) At the moment, we're still ironing-out a few kinks. Your patience is most appreciated. And it may be required again; the prospect of our switch to the new WordPress platform leaves me as nervous as a Gloucester teen during her first pregnancy test. High five! Anyway, we've had a nice, slow, steady growth of new registrations lately. So I want to welcome the newbies to TTAC. You couldn't have come at a better time (said the actress to the Bishop). It's gonna be a wild time in the industry for the forseable future. I'm honored to share it with you. Thanks.

I promise we'll post something quirky to lighten the mood later, but I feel compelled (compelled I tell you) to mention that Detroit's meltdown is finally getting the coverage it deserves. Detroit News' columnist Daniel Howes– he of the jump down turnaround better days ahead– has just used the "b" word in his latest rant, finally admitting that "Big three need cash fast" (never mind a competitive small car or ten). The Detroit Free Press is also beginning to wake up and smell the ashes. While I'm pleased that the Motown print media is finally growing a pair, I am astonished that these two august institutions have failed to fully and persistently chronicle the human cost of The Big 2.8's inexorable decline. Jim Dollinger (a.k.a. Buickman) tells me that Flint is even more like a ghost town these days, with business drying-up and blowing away. Where are the papers' reports on the lives disrupted by Detroit's downsizing? While we await these tales of woe from the sharp end– which will arrive in force the moment Chrysler files– we'd appreciate any local reports from our Best and Brightest. 

One of the guys who delivers– well, delivered– press cars to my humble abode related his "normal" phone conversation with the PR folk. "I know the guy comes off like an asshole. Talk to him. Meet him. He's a sweetheart." Yes, well, there's a reason I'm in a tiny office on top of a house listening to the sound of strimmers echoing through suburban surrounds, and it's not because I mastered The 48 Laws of Power. Or basic social skills. Still, I can be charming when I need to be. OK, I can shut up for about ten minutes. Just. Now I'm not saying I'm going to venture south for this Big Apple get together with TTAC Road Test Editor Captain Mike and contributor/podcaster Justin Berkowitz. But if I am, I promise not to make a fool of myself– or at least drink enough so I don't remember it. But there's definitely going to be a brace of Bentleys in the barrio for your dining and dancing pleasure. RSVP below. Or just show up. Enjoy!

The details: Thursday, June 26, 7PM to whenever. Peter McManus Cafe (it's a pub, of course) on 152 7th Ave at 19th st. Close to subways: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, F, V, L Google maps link. 

Man, am I getting old. I surfed onto The Incredible Hulk on the SciFi channel last night to find David Banner getting all Gamma rayed-up. The Hulk burst through the front of a house. All I could think was, oh my Lord, that's going to cost a fortune to fix. (My neighbor's house was recently pulverized by a large green… tree.) Maybe it's because I'm happily married, or perhaps it has something to do with the WWF, or it could be that episode of House involving hypogonadism, but steroids-run-amok homoerotic imagery just doesn't do it for me. Sure I understand the appeal of watching someone or something getting mad and busting up the joint. Call it the Shiva the Destroyer Complex. But I want to assure you this site in general and myself in particular take no joy in what's happening to The Big 2.8. That said, I've come to terms with TTAC's bearer of bad tidings nature a long time ago. While I will endeavor to add some levity to the mix, the U.S. automotive market is going to get a LOT worse before it gets better. And TTAC will be there every step of the way, no-holds-barred. The truth hurts.