Salvage Auction = 1 Million+ Vehicles Per Year

Advertised Copart Cars May Be A Golden Bargain

If you qualify as a dealer, dismantler, rebuilder, wholesaler, automotive related business, general business, exporter, you already know about this and as a private individual in Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Oregon then you might be able to get through the front door.  With the proper credentials you are now a Dealer and in certain circles the Dealer License can be a License to Print Money!

There is a very stong probability that you know about these places but you have not been there to walk through the property or participate in an auction.  This is an important Tribune topic which represents a massive multi-billion dollar business that operates off your radar. … Continue Reading

In The News

In The News

• Autoweek has a road test on the Nano.  Nice Tata: Driving the Nano four-seater is OK, but slow.
• Tata Nano Arrives – Commercial Launch Announcement
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Roof Strength test is good for 4 of 12 small SUVs
• Auto Industry In Turmoil.  Ebay Listing for an April 12, 1980 issue of Newsweek Magazine.
  

  April 28, 1980 Newsweek Magazine

Forensic Engineering – An Introduction

Sedan Rear Impact

For the past 23 years I have provided consulting services to corporations, insurance companies and attorneys with primary focus on vehicle technology and product liability with additional activites involving vehicle black box analysis and accident reconstruction.  Along the way I have looked at all sorts of transportation related product failures and accidents with regard to issues such as product liability and been an expert witness in approximately 1,000 depositions and 100 trials.  20 years ago no one could spell Forensic and now it is on the TV. … Continue Reading

News Flash – French TFI Television

French TFI Television

French TFI Television was at the Drive In Christian Church March 22, 2009.

Yugo – A “National Class” Car

Bob McElroy and Dejan Dramicanin

Yugo production at Zastava

With a license from Fiat and based on the Fiat 128 the first Yugo was built in 1978 by Zastava which is located about 115 miles from Belgrade, Serbia.  In performing research for this article it appears that Zastava  is looking for partners interested in buying or investing in our factory.  The link is the first one to come up if you google Zastava Yugo.  In the event you do not want to buy the company, it is definitely interesting to follow this story as it unfolds for your Automotive Tribune Editor.  The last Yugo was built November 20 2008.

Zastava badging on a Yugo in Belgrade

In November 2008 I took a business trip to Belgrade, Serbia to meet with an engineering company concerning functional and test parameters for an advanced EDR.  It did not take me long to recognize that there were a lot of Yugo cars on the road as I travelled the streets of Belgrade with Mr. Dejan Dramicanin, CEO of Bitgear Design Services.  In fact there were lots of models and I was continually looking for major and minor differences with the various models.  Dejan, knew his Yugo’s and I did ask some challenging, or was that dumb, questions. … Continue Reading

Who Killed The Electric Car? — A Movie Review

DVD Cover

This movie details the life cycle of the EV1 built by General Motors. It is an activist film. I almost expected to see Michael Moore doing a follow-up interview at the GM building in Detroit. To the automotive enthusiast, this film is absolutely alarming because there is a viable in-production at 4 units per day vehicle that was killed on multiple fronts at the same time. In 1996 the EV1 went into production. About 1,000 were built. I never had an opportunity to ride in or drive the EV1. However, I did have the opportunity to speak with a lady that had one in a Florida lease. She absolutely loved the car and I did have the opportunity to see her driving it on city streets and the interstate. EV1’s had an aluminum frame that was sophisticated and optimized for a sleek two passenger car. I remember seeing just an aluminum EV1 frame hanging up somewhere … unfortunately I just cannot remember where at the time this review is being written. As someone who has particular appreciation for drivable space frame technologies, this frame clearly incorporated suspension loading, occupant ergonomics, and collision dynamics. Yes, the EV1 was killed off and most of the cars were crushed and then shredded. There are a few non-drivable cars left including those at the National Museum of American History, a part of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.  … Continue Reading