Car Lust

Saturn Rant

It's a shame we didn't make Saturn part of our "Epic Fail" Fortnight. The cars never were good; the first generation had "The Flaw" (NVH problems from a thrashy engine). The Ion was, well... the Ion. After that, all Saturns became rebadged GM stuff. So there never was a "Great" Saturn.

The car's name, "Saturn", came from the NASA rockets that were used to get us to the moon and win the Space Race. GM promised that "Saturn Corporation" (It was not a GM Division for years) would show the world the same success in making small cars that the rockets had in space exploration.

Tennessee is a "Right-to-work" state, meaning you don't have to belong to a union to work at an in-state business. But every line worker at Saturn was UAW. Nobody challenged this, as there was no victory to be had. Saturn said they were originally going to hire "Just misplaced GM workers" from plants that had already closed, but hordes of workers from still-open plants found their way to Tennessee, in lieu of locals that had expected jobs there.

Early on, a large discount retail store offered special discounts to Saturn employees. But a mining company there in Maury County had just closed, leaving hundreds without jobs. These people needed the discounts far worse they the well-paid GM folks, but they did not get it. To say this was a PR boondoggle would be an understatement.

There was an ABC News Special called "Revolution At Work", hosted by Forrest Sawyer. The program interviewed a Maury County official who said he would like to buy a Saturn, drive it to their front door, and burn it in front of them. The show went on to tell how transplanted families from the north would make fun of the locals, call then hicks, and jokingly imitated the way they talked.

One member of a Saturn family told me that we were lucky Saturn came here, because we had nothing before. I said yes, we had open spaces, less congestion, less crime, and nicer people. He thought that NFL and NHL teams made up for that.

Peter Jennings (Not the late newscaster) wrote a book called "A Walk Across America", published in 1979. He chose Spring Hill, Tennessee, as his favorite town in the country, and moved there. Before 1985, the town had just ONE red light. Saturn used this as part of their basis for choosing Spring Hill. But the arrival of Saturn immediately ruined the charm and character of the town. In fact, some residents even renamed the town "Springhill".

On April 4, 1997, Saturn began selling right-hand-drive cars in Japan. To make the cars fit a certain Japanese width standard, special clips were installed to hold the plastic panels closer to the body frame. But on February 16, 2001, Saturn stopped selling cars there, after only 4,324 had been delivered in almost 4 years.

Comparing Saturn to nearby Nissan would fill a book. When Nissan came here, they hired local people (95% of the line technicians were from Tennessee). Saturn said they would hire Tennesseans, but they were few and far between. One story was that Saturn hired out-of-staters for a year, then made them permanent employees, citing that "They were Tennesseans now". A few Tennesseans were given jobs in the cafeterias and other service areas.

Nissan has always been union-free, and is frequently the most-productive auto/truck plant in the country. The "GM Spring Hill Assembly Plant" is now at about 20% capacity, building only the Chevy Traverse. It was just announced that the plant will be closed for 9 weeks this summer due to an inventory glut.

I feel for the people that had to move from the north, relocate here, then get yanked around by Saturn's failure. I feel sorry for dealers that spent millions opening dealerships that never had decent cars to sell. But I don't feel sorry for the lack of direction that was given Saturn, or the people that moved to Spring Hill to capitalize on the plant. They are as much responsible for destroying rural Spring Hill as GM.

Rest in Peace, Pontiac Motor Division (1926-2009)

by That Car Guy

We all saw it coming. Like an airplane falling from the sky, GM had to drop some weight, and fast. First Oldsmobile, now Pontiac, and soon other GM divisions may follow this sad lead.

So it was not a surprise on April 24, 2009, when the news came. According to Wikipedia, "GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson said the Pontiac brand would be closed by 2010, calling it an “extremely personal decision.” In addition to speeding up decisions on Saturn, Saab, and Hummer, GM will be left with four brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac."

Pontiac was GM's youth division. At one time, their slogan was "We Build Excitement", which was hardly what you would expect from a Sedan DeVille. When The Monkees needed a cool car, they got a Pontiac, fully customized by Dean Jeffries. And before David Hasselhoff began patrolling the beach, he drove KITT.

During the Muscle Car heyday, Pontiac was out front. John DeLorean had a huge part developing the trend with the original GTO. Nobody else could claim that a "Wide Track" would help your car's handling.

Pontiac's most memorable cars might be the Bonneville, Firebird (And Trans Am), Fiero, Grand Prix, GTO (All of them), and the original LeMans. Other notables include the Catalina, Trans Sport (The best name ever on a people carrier), G8, and "The Judge"; they all can't be named here. From Native American headdress hood ornaments to screaming chicken decals on the hood, Pontiac always made a bold statement about style and performance.

Of course, there were a few duds. But these were usually just other terrible, rebadged GM cars like the Vega-clone Astre, Chevette-knock-off T1000, Cobalt-derived G5, and (Dare I say it) the Korean-built LeMans.The Aztek created emotions of its own doing.

Maybe the saddest part of this is that Pontiac was on the edge of a rebirth. Bob Lutz' Solstice was making new ground with a coupe version that had just been recently introduced.

The G8 is a highly-respected performance sedan, and a utility coupe version (The G8 ST, shown here) was almost in the showrooms. But time was not on Pontiac's side. Again, a case of too little, too late.

If history had repeated itself, Pontiac would have sold a version of the upcoming Chevy Cruze and other small front-wheel-drive cars. When this economic slowdown is behind us, who will make the fuel-efficient cars that we will need?

I had a few Pontiacs through the years... a 1970 Firebird while in college, the disastrous T1000, and a red Fiero 2M4 during the "Road Test Magazine" years. I miss the Firebird and Fiero.

Car names like Chief, J2000, Montana, SD-455, Tempest, and Ventura will be gone for a while, if not forever. But Pontiac's legacy will be with us in our driveways, on used car lots, and in museums for a very long time. Right now, I can't help but wonder where the last Pontiac will go.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

Wikipedia, Google Images, and Chevrolet provided the materials for this post.

The MGB Series

by That Car Guy

Writing Car Lust posts are a privilege, especially when they bring back memories of vehicles I have either personally owned or that have been in the family. Such is the case of a 1973 terracotta-colored MGB that my sister had for a few years until her family outgrew the car, which didn't take a lot of outgrowing to do.

What attracted us to the MGB was that, as small as it was, the car was larger than a Triumph Spitfire or MG Midget. I wanted a Spitfire at the time, but this wasn't going to be my car. I believe this is the only picture of "our" MG that we have left. That's Snoopy right behind it, and my first car, a 1972 Vega :( .

My favorite excentricity of the MGB was that it had three windshield wipers. The "windscreen" was low and wide, and two wipers just weren't up to the job. Only American MGBs had three wipers; all others had two. One night I got caught in a thunderstorm in the canvas-roofed car, and those wipers gave their all to let me see. I was minoring in Aerospace Technology at the time, and driving the roadster was not unlike flying a Cessna 150, except that no pilot is stupid enough to fly a 150 in a thunderstorm.

The best memories I have of the car are during the week I got to take it off to college. People actually lined up to get a ride around the block in it! Oh, if I could go back and do that day again, with the little honeys that waited for a ride in that car...

I'm getting ahead of myself. The MGB Mark I (1962-1967) was very advanced at its introduction. One of the first cars to have crumple zones for crash safety, it was also a unibody to save weight, unlike the Triumph TR6 and Spitfire.

Powered by a 1798cc B-Series I-4 engine with 95 horsepower, it was carried over from the MGA, but enlarged. The MGB made a then-respectable 0-60 time of 11 seconds. This 3-bearing engine was upgraded to 5 main bearings in May, 1964.

But this roadster was first and foremost known for its great handling. Maybe it's a coincidence, but the MGB's 91-inch wheelbase is virtually identical to a 2009 Miata's. A rare MGB option was a small rear seat for the kids.

The MGB Mark II (1967-1972) got a 4-speed synchromeshed gearbox (An automatic was an option in the UK), a new rear axle, and an alternator, replacing a dynamo, or generator. The floorpan and driveshaft tunnel sheet metal were new, producing a flatter floor. For the US market, a padded dash, nicknamed the "Abingdon pillow", was introduced.

The MGB Mark III (1972-1980) was built with a new fascia and a better heater. At no time during MGB production were any major exterior body panels changed significantly. The addition of rear back-up lights in March, 1967, was a welcomed stamping improvement.

I remember that "our" car had two batteries just behind the seats. Each was a 6-volt, connected to make 12 volts, and were placed on each side of the driveshaft tunnel. These helped balance the car. In 1974, MG builders went to a single battery, which produced more amperes, or cranking power.

Most of the MGBs made were sold in the United States. But like the Spitfire and Midget, the 1974 MGB became a victim of US bumper and emissions laws. Same story, different car... raise the thing, add large "rubber" bumpers, and choke the power in return for cleaner air.

Limited Edition MGBs were built to signify the end of the car's 18-year run. They were all black with silver lower body stripes and tan interiors. Limited Edition equipment included a front air dam, 5-spoke alloy wheels, a 3-spoke leather-covered steering wheel, special "MG" badges on the wheels and steering wheel, and a "Limited Edition" plaque on the glove box. 6,668 were made in 1979 and 1980.

Some call the hardtop MGB GT a shooting brake. I can see this. Designed by Pinin Farina, launched in October, 1965, and built until 1980 (Though export to the Colonies here stopped in 1974), the car gave you a tiny back seat and a bit more luggage space accessible through its rear hatch.

The engines and driveline were the same as the MGB. But the springs were stiffened, and anti-roll bars were added due to a bit of top-heaviness. The MGB GT was 5 miles per hour faster than its roadster sibling due to much better aerodynamics. Some folks even thought they handled better than the roadster, having the stiffer body due to the solid roof.

The MGB GT V8 was a monster! Made from 1973-1976 and only with right-hand drive, they were never brought to America by MG. Using Rover's 3528cc V-8 that was also used in the Buick Special and Oldsmobile F-85, this was the lightest V-8 in mass production. Having all-aluminium block and heads, at 318 pounds, it actually weighed 40 pounds less than the iron MG 4-cylinder.

These cars would do 0-60 in 8 seconds and top out at 125 miles per hour! The press loved the GT V-8, but British Leyland became concerned that the car would overshadow their Triumph Stag, and production was halted. 2,591 MGB GT V8s were made.

In 1967, the MGC was released. It was available as either the open roadster or GT coupe. Sold through 1970, the MGC had a 2912cc straight-6, producing 145 horsepower. A 4-speed manual with overdrive was standard, and a 3-speed automatic was optional.

Changes were made to the engine bay and floorpan for the 209-pound increased weight and engine size. The hood had unique bulges for the relocated radiator and carburetors.

With a top speed of 120 miles per hour and a 0-60 time of 10 seconds, these cars were no slouch for their time! But originally their handling was in question, caused by the heavy, off-weighted front end. Later, tire and suspension tweaks made its driving up to par.

The last MGB and MGB GT were built on October 22, 1980. They were shipped to British Leyland's Heritage collection at Gaydon, England, now called the Heritage Motor Centre.

And last, but absolutely not the least, the stately MG RV8.

Using only about 5% of the original MGB parts, it was offered in roadster and coupé forms. The underbody stampings of the original car were retained, as were the trunk lid and doors (Minus the vent windows). But all-new body panels were formed to create this proud steed over the original MGB British Motor Heritage body shell.

Bits and pieces of other cars made their way to this MG. Headlights from a  Porsche 911, door handles from a Jaguar XJS, and CDO instruments from a TVR blended in quite nicely.

The Rover 3950cc V-8, with 190 horsepower and a 5-speed stick, rocketed this car from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. Top speed was 135 miles per hour.

Rear drum and front disc brakes were used, as well as a live rear axle. Front coil and rear elliptic springs with dual roll bars kept the RV8 well-planted in the curves.

One might think the RV8 could pass as a little Bentley! All interiors were Stone Beige colored, with rich Connelly leather, Burr Elm veneer woodwork, and thick cut pile carpeting, even in the trunk. Ten body colors were offered. All MG RV8s were built as right-hand-drive, but one left-hand-drive RV8 is known to exist.

Only 2,000 examples of the MG RV8 were made between 1993 and 1995. They were not sold as new in North America, but three are known to have snuck in. The Japanese market loved these cars- 330 RV8s were sold in Great Britain, 1,579 went to Japan. Being right-hand-drive, they were tailor-made for Japanese roads.

This brought total MGB Series production to 525,836 cars. It was the most popular sports car of all time until passed by the Mazda Miata. Other MGs followed, including the MG F and TF, but these probably deserve a post of their own.

Driving "our" MGB was always a pleasure. In a lot of slight curves, you didn't turn the steering wheel so much as you put pressure on it towards the corner. We didn't have the reliability problems a lot of sports cars had back then, but it was only three years old when we got it. I remember the car had some kind of radio; convertibles and audio systems do not mix. Raising and lowering the ragtop was a bit of a chore, as levers and snaps were everywhere.

Sis sold the MGB and bought a '73 Olds Cutlass as her family car, the perfect vehicle for them at the time. But at least I will always remember that day on campus when all the darlings were lined up to go for a ride...

The black & white MGB photo is from my scrapbook. The interior photo is thanks to mzaff.com. The MGB GT image is from Sjoerdwm flickr. The MGC photo is from Wikipedia. MGRV8.com provided the MGRV8 photo.  Cartype.com supplied the MG logo. British Motor Heritage supplied inspiration as well.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)