Q. What's the best time to
leave in
the morning for a long driving trip? -- E.H. (via Internet)
A. At 5 a.m. Leave an hour or
so later and you likely will be in rush-hour traffic. But check the
weather.
Q.
What is one of the worst things you can say when advertising a car? --
C.R. (via Internet)
A. Never use the words "best offer." It brings out all the jerks who
would waste your time by giving you ridiculously
low prices for your car.
Q.
What's the most important thing you can do to sell a car? -- J.W., (via
Internet
A. Make it look as good as possible, inside and out. Veteran auto
salesmen have told me that people mainly buy a car based on its
appearance.
Q. I
was too young to see General Motors auto show cars of the 1950s, but
have seen pictures of them. They're fantastic! No wonder some have sold
for more than $1 million. I'm sure you're familiar with them. Which is
your favorite?-- F.K., Indianapolis
A. Called "dream cars" then, most looked like works of art and
reflected America's unbridled optimism. The majority were built by
giant GM and illustrated its design prowess. Most were ordered
destroyed by GM after their show car days were over because they
weren't built for the street and GM lawyers feared the automaker would
get sued if someone had an accident with them on public roads. It's
hard to pick a favorite, but I tend to go with the 1954 Pontiac
Bonneville. Only two were built, and one sold for over $3 million, says
dream car collector Joe Bortz, who has rescued and restored key 1950s
GM dream cars. The Bonneville's features included a transparent roof
with swing-up doors, aviation-style interior and a powerful inline
eight cylinder engine. Design elements of the Bonneville were used on
the 1967 Pontiac Firebird and 1968 Pontiac
GTO.
Q. What's the best-selling
two-seat
roadster of all time? I say it's the Chevrolet Corvette, but my brother
says I'm wrong. -- J.M. (via Internet)
A. It's the Mazda Miata sports car, introduced for 1990. More than
900,000 have been sold. The Corvette was introduced in 1953 but always
has been more expensive than the Miata. Also, the user-friendly Miata
always has been far more popular with female drivers than the Corvette.
Q. I
read that the 1954-57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL "Gullwing" sports car coupe
with flip-up doors is selling for $900,000 to more than $1
million. Why? And have you driven one? -- C.L. (via Internet)
A. It's sensational looking and rare, with only 1,400 built. But
getting in and out is awkward, especially if you're not nimble or a
woman with a short skirt because it has extra-wide, high door sills and
its seats are set low. I drove one on rural roads during a hot Illinois
summer day and nearly roasted because the 300SL Gullwing lacks air
conditioning or roll-down windows. Its "fixed" windows are an
absolute pain to remove.(After all, it's derived from an
early 1950s winning race car.) Its acceleration was rather
disappointing, partly because it only has a 3-liter engine rated at
220-240 horsepower and it isn't all that light. Acceleration and top
speed depend much on its gearing. Also, it's got a tricky swing-axle
rear suspension that can get you into trouble. Only 1,400 were built.
Replacing it was a better car--the 1957-63 300SL roadster that looked
like the Gullwing but had conventional doors and an improved rear
suspension. A total of 1,856 roadsters were built, but despite the lack
of the coupe's sexy flip-up doors, the roadster is valued at $860,000
to $975,000, says the Sport Car Market price guide.
Q. I
understand the importance of superior tires, but why is tire pressure
so important? -- E.M., New York City
A. Because tires don't carry
your vehicle's weight, the pressure inside them does.
Back
to Q & A main section
