Month: March 2021

These two women are fighting to save car culture coast to coast

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago

When you think of saving car culture, you might glance out in your garage at your classic car or bike, pondering the next restoration step, perhaps, or simply planning a weekend ice cream trip with your kids.



a close up of a woman in glasses looking at the camera

© Provided by Hagerty


Turning wrenches on and sharing our rides with others are essential for ensuring the future of the hobby we love. Other labors are just as crucial, however, and Diane Parker and Tabetha Hammer know that better than most. These two women are fighting on the front lines to preserve, expand, and defend the automotive community for future generations.

Tabetha Hammer—now the CEO of America’s Automotive Trust, a 501C3 not-for-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington—never expected to work in the automotive industry. A Midwest farm kid, she grew up around her grandfather’s Model As and her father’s Willys wagons, but the Hammer family didn’t spend weekends restoring or showing the

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Would you buy the Apple Car if it looked like this?

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago

One of the main reasons why many people were initially skeptical of Apple’s car plans is that the infrastructure required for automotive manufacturing is immense and requires billions of dollars in capital. And while Apple certainly has billions to spare, the buildout of a facility capable of manufacturing cars at scale can take years when taking into account permits, staffing, construction, and importing advanced robotics and machinery.

Click here to redeem this deal.

Apple, though, is hoping to avoid these aforementioned challenges altogether by partnering up with an established automotive manufacturer. According to reports, Apple over the past few months has been trying to secure a partnership with a number of companies, including Kia and Hyundai. Those specific talks are said to have fallen through, but Apple today is reportedly still in talks to reach a manufacturing agreement with either Foxconn or Magna.

The type of partnership Apple is seeking

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Kelley Blue Book Announces Winners of 2021 Brand Image Awards

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago

IRVINE, Calif., March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Automotive brands are among the most recognized worldwide, capturing attention as car shoppers consider one of life’s biggest purchase decisions. Brands that impress consumers generate greater interest and increased positive perceptions, which ultimately can pave the way for increased sales. Recognizing automakers’ outstanding achievements in shaping and maintaining brand attributes that earn the attention and enthusiasm of new-car buyers, Kelley Blue Book today announces the 2021 Brand Image Award winners, based on annual new-car buyer perception data. Award categories are calculated among luxury, non-luxury and truck shoppers.




Winners of the Brand Image Awards demonstrate that they are succeeding in capturing the attention of new-car shoppers.

“Brand perception and purchase consideration are incredibly important factors for automakers to consider as they develop their new products and related marketing communications,” said Isabelle Helms, vice president of research and market intelligence for Cox Automotive. “The well-recognized

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Renesas Says Fire-Hit Chip Plant to Restart By Mid-April

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago
Renesas May Complete Naka Plant Inspections Early

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

Renesas Electronics Corp. said production at a semiconductor factory hit by a fire is on track to resume by mid-April, welcome news from one of the top providers of automotive chips amid a global shortage.

One of the company’s most advanced lines at its plant in Naka, north of Tokyo, has been halted since a fire broke out late on March 19. Production will resume after about a month, as Renesas had previously projected, Chief Executive Officer Hidetoshi Shibata said at a briefing in Tokyo on Tuesday.

A recovery to full production may take 100 days, he said, though progress in the damaged clean room is ahead of schedule. About three-quarters of the work in progress was undamaged by the fire, he added.

“We are increasingly confident in our chances of achieving the goal,” Shibata said in the online briefing.

Booming demand for laptops,

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