diatribe
Al Vinikour
Al Vinikour has worked in marketing, sales, public relations and journalism since 1968. The first two-thirds of his career centered on aviation, aerospace and defense, working on major weapons systems when funding battles emerged. At the time he was President of Derus Media Service, a …Read More
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Diatribe: Allow me to introduce you to my car
When I was growing up in Indiana there were only so many times you could tip over a cow, make out at Bartz’ Woods or eat a “pig’s dinner” at Brownie’s Drive-In. So creative juices flowed and out came the trend of naming one’s car. …Read More
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Diatribe: Car industry bears brunt of government ‘interventions’
Pardon the redundancy, but I absolutely abhor bureaucrats who have no more idea than the man (or woman) in the moon what’s good for our country’s economy. I’m not talking about the rank-and-file government worker who goes to work each day and does what he’s …Read More
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Diatribe: Four-speed transmission once were rites of passage
I’ve written previously of my disdain for those who have a high-performance car like a Corvette or a Mustang GT and equip it with an automatic transmission. A performance car without a manual transmission is like a buffet without Jell-O. What a waste! People wax …Read More
More Columns
Diatribe: Winter’s here – break out the tire chains
With the bad economic times the world has faced for the past too many years it seems there’s a nostalgic yearning for traditions, rituals, habits, what have you. When it comes to auto-related traditions, few examples carry more nostalgia than tire chains. No, I’m not …
Diatribe: Optimism drives the auto industry
As an auto writer I’m invited to many programs that highlight future products. Some involve technology and some involve design. But the common thread is the excitement generated by the manufacturers over their new “things.” It doesn’t matter if the industry just came off its …
Diatribe: Bouncing down the highway like a rubber ball
Talk about being ahead of one’s time. There was a hit song in the 1950s by Bobby Rydell called “Rubber Ball.” The background singers would sing the words, “Bouncy, bouncy” during the chorus. Where am I going with this, you ask? I think of this …
Diatribe: Whatever happened to bona-fide seat covers?
Whenever the subject of new cars and new car accessories comes up, the first and probably most important topic is the vehicle’s audio system. It seems unless you have a decibel level that will cause your ear drums to explode and gush blood you might …
Diatribe: First snow always brings traffic to a stop
This is the time of year when peoples’ spirits are perhaps at their best – that period between Halloween and New Year’s. For all the hustle and bustle there still doesn’t seem to be the angst there usually is on the roads. However, this is …
Diatribe: In reality, seating capacity ends at two
It doesn’t make any difference if a car is a sedan, station wagon, coupe or convertible. If the seating capacity is listed as five, then deduct three. If it’s listed as six, you can deduct four. This has angered me for some time. You may …
Diatribe: Weighing in on truck skirts
Is there anything that California hasn’t had a hand in making ugly? The latest case in point is trailer wind deflectors. These winglike skirting devices are generally found at the bottom of over-the-road 53-foot-long truck trailers. The premise is that these things save thousands of …
Diatribe: Yesterday’s ‘radios’ are today’s ‘audio systems’
If you examine any promotional literature for new vehicles, a lot of verbiage is geared toward audio systems. It seems that in order to get the full impact of a song you have to have a 10,000-watt, 5-million amp, super double-tweeter system that will double …
Diatribe: Shine your light on me
I was sitting at a stoplight the other day looking at what only could have been a police car once upon a time. It was a ’70s Dodge Diplomat with the telltale wide tires and small hub caps. As I stared at the vehicle and …
Diatribe: Signal your intentions when driving
It’s been awhile since I did a rant against people who refuse to use turn signals. It’s not that I’ve lessened my hatred and disgust toward them. It’s just that I wanted to give my last few diatribes some time to see if the idea …
Diatribe: Left-lane hoarders put on notice
It’s often said that there’s never any uplifting news anymore. I’m here to tell you that premise is wrong. A while back I reported on a story about a policeman in Illinois actually stopping a man for not using his turn signals. When he called …
Diatribe: When engines were engines and automakers were proud
I grew up during the beginning of the muscle-car era. It’s really subjective as to when this so-called halcyon time began. Some attribute it to the year that Chevrolet sold its first V-8 model in 1955 that was 265 cubic inches. Ford already had an …
Diatribe: A cure for insomnia: designer descriptions
When attending automotive press conferences, I get the opportunity to listen to car designers describe their inspiration for, and what they hoped to accomplish with, their particular project. What I’ve been able to deduce after decades is this: These folks are awfully scary. Before I …
Diatribe: Hold on there: You’re not going anywhere quickly
With no exaggeration, I’ve probably made the drive between Chicago and Detroit a minimum of 500 times. There aren’t many things about that trek that surprise me. However, this past week may have broken the mold. We accompanied my beloved twin grandsons and their parents …
Diatribe: Stop lights have become the new waiting room
Fewer environments are more sterile, depressing and quiet than the waiting room at a doctor’s office. No matter how nicely its furnished you’re still going to find a passel of long-expired magazines, a sliding glass panel where you can see at least three to four …
Diatribe: Aqua Man waits patiently for revenge
One of my favorite automotive executives is a really neat guy who is considered to be the next CEO of his global company. To protect his anonymity I’ll just refer to him as “Mark.” To give equal secrecy to his company, we’ll just say that …
Diatribe: Mercedes delivers early Christmas present
I don’t know how long I’ve been an automotive journalist but I know it’s been awhile. Probably the first three or four decades were lost because of John Barleycorn, but however long it has been I’ve been bellyaching about the positioning of the cruise control …
Diatribe: Reflecting on the history of rearview mirrors
It’s time for another chapter of “I remember” and today’s subject is rearview mirrors. Not the ones inside your car. I’m talking about the ones outside. When I was a kid there were a lot of things that were not included on new cars. Outside …
Diatribe: An open and shut case of automotive genius
As an automotive journalist, industry observer and all-around nudge, I’m constantly looking for things to comment on (read, “complain about”). This past week has given me all kinds of new material. Today’s topic is how far rear doors open. For all you Mensa applicants, another …
Diatribe: Here’s a solution for oil-burning cars
At one time it was fairly common to develop lung disease from working at steel mills, coal mines, smoking heavily, living with smelly people or something as simple as driving down the highway. If anyone has ever seen movies of a cell of B-52s taking …