The Thing About Cars

More Miata Madness: As we continue with Bob Hall's history of co-designing the original MX-5 Miata, we find out: What car Bob refuses to design in the future. Why "Designed in California" is a positive message about a cars and other products to the global audience. Concept cars: why we see some in production and why some just fade away. What the difference is in marketing a car and selling a car. What does Miata mean? How certain market segments of car designs boom and then go bust as others market segments become popular. What will your future EV sound like, how will you charge it and where will that power come from? What lurks in a Volvo's underpinnings? What is Bob Hall's dream (Frankenstein) car and what are his literary aspirations? Thanks for listening? Shameless plugs: Minis, VTEC's, and Nashes, oh my! We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Much ado about Miatas: We are joined by Bob Hall, one of the founding fathers of the original MX-5 Miata. Among the unique questions that are answered: What pricing number is considered lucky in Japan and China? Why was the original Miata priced higher than it needed to be and why did the price point help Mazda sell more of them? How did Japanese car models in particular end up on a 4 year product refresh cycle? How much cargo can you fit in an MX-5? How simplicity adds elegance and profit? All this and much more in this first of a two part episode with Bob Hall. Shameless plugs: 1978 Toyota Corollas. 1960's Lotus', maybe all of them. Emma Peel. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Sometimes we replace the cars we love. Ben reveals how he was involved in a multiple mangled Mazda mishap which led him to buying a new (to him) car. Misty misses her mate's Mazda and is not a fan of the replacement. Nissan's recent styling ideas are brought into question and Dave speaks up for them but wonders what their designers use for motivation. The gang ponders what's in a car name, and how the same car has different names in different countries. Misty invites everyone to The Dutch Moto GP in Assen. Is this because she is now on parole? This episode is brought to you by Mazda, Nissan, VW, Tesla and the letter "M". We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

The gang discusses which vehicles sell best in the USA overall and region by region. The results then lead us to a journey meandering around: Which vehicles can haul and tow which items and where? Which vehicles are best for tailgating and what items could and should be brought along? If you are an American ex-pat and Thanksgiving is coming up, what items should you cook for your family and friends? We hope you enjoy this trivia-free episode! We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Dreams, the demi-monde, a double header of trivia, dangerous Jeddah, and where in the world is Dennis' McLaren. Mickey starts off with his odd dreams, and Dave speaks fondly of weaponized silence and the demi-monde nightlife. Mickey hits us with a double dose of trivia. Misty cries foul on the Jeddah GP, and waxes poetic about Sebastian Vettel. We mark the passing of Sir Frank Williams. Dave wonders if Misty could ever lost the ability to speak and then meanders off in F-Land (no worries, it's still family friendly), while Mickey wonders how long it would take us to actually define all the classes in the FIA. Misty brings us the first edition of 'Automotive Mysteries' with the Curious Case of McLaren #039. Maybe the biggest mystery is why Ron Dennis would ever want that color? And again, nuns make a surprise appearance alongside Paddington Bear. Misty compares her BFF's new car Midge to Waldorf Salad and Ben suggests a photo shoot once losing body parts to frostbite isn't on the table. Shameless plug: YT VinW

We're all fired up today but the BBQ will have to wait. Grand Trivia Auto asks who first made cars in Japan. Dave wants to know what all the formulae in racing mean, Tim tries to explain it but we go down the rabbit-hole of engineering and competitiveness in different types of racing Misty confesses that Sebastian Vettel is cute and wholesome, and we get obsessive about a poor abused anthropomorphic bollard. A listener wants to know about the hold button and we manage to 'go there' about it. Ben wants the car that runs on Fruit Loops and makes a poor attempt to speak Japanese, which doesn't stop Mickey from being a Honda-fanboy. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

We are joined by our friend Spencer for a wide-ranging discuss of ambulances and the life of emergency medical providers. We kick off with a discussion of Sharena sol. We unbraid the Pontiac rope drive. And, we learn the real meaning of the Pontiac Fiero! We promised the link to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you need help, we will support you in finding strength and peace. #NationalSuicidePreventionHotline 1-800-273-8255 We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Our guest Liam tells us about his unique collection of British motor vehicles and a Mopar econobox; British car jokes abound.The gang tries to remember which Mitsubishis are Dodges, which other Mitsubishi is a Chrysler and which Chrysler Corp.'s cars are amalgamations of parts from yet other manufacturers. Apparently, if you know more about this than Mickey, you might get a free meal? Dave beguiles us with details of art and zeitgeist at MOMA's automotive exhibit last fall. Our automotive trivia question takes us to the General Motors origin story and how it has become a major franchise. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Ben's on some really good back pain medication and advises us on how long to refrigerate our car parts. He also presents our trivia question pondering the meaning of Pantera - both the car and by the associative property, also the metal band. Dave is shocked to find that Pep Boys no longer carries fuses, or any other car parts besides tires & batteries. Maybe this is what is making him want to turn his Jeep into a U-Boat. Dawn is threatened by the over-aggressive driving of others on the interstate and notes that the number of traffic deaths has gone up recently. Mickey grinds his gears after suffering some light abuse and the gang ponders whether there should be a nanny device for high beam restriction. Mickey also threatens to share his internet search history so our intrepid troop gracefully exits... We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Mickey and Ben drool over some really cool German cars! We lament a lack of sausage and beer, discuss older and newer German cars, admire many of the ones present, get indecisive about which one we'd like to take home, but abandon our indecision to go find some schnitzel. It was an AUSGEZEICHNET day to admire some wunderschönste Deutsches autos! We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Ford's Bronco Pickup, Mustang Mach E, taking cats on car trips. Carrol Shelby, Spokane, WA, Hagerty goes public. Mickey lets us know that Ford's Bronco Pickup version might be a miss while the Mustang Mach E might be a hit. The whole gang tells tales of taking cats on car trips. Ben relay's his sightings of rare and odd cars in Spokane, WA. Dawn and Ben report on some things you may or may not have heard about Carrol Shelby. Did Dawn really deter Dave from stealing a car at Italian car day? What are some of the most obscure motoring laws in the USA? Is Hagerty going to take over our show? Answers within! We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

KTM Ambassador Paolo tells us all about his adventures traveling the world on two wheels. We hope he survives India! Misty wants to get violent with root-vegetables, and a listener question gives us gas but we'd rather have a limoncello. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Clint, from the Car Space (formerly known as The Auto Riff) podcast joins us to talk about how he got sucked into cars and into podcasting. We talk about running boot, running things into houses, Japanese K-Cars. Dave preemptively apologizes for his distant Canadian relatives, then we all fall slightly in love with K-Cars. Clint shares his next steps with the podcast, disses the Sonata, and reveals that his current vehicle is the only one that he hasn't named. The McRib makes another cameo, along with their boon companion, the Fried Apple Pie as we possibly witness the birth of a secret society of shade-tree mechanics. Misty loses what's left of her sanity over the Monza Incident, along with suggestions of how to best settle the kerfuffle between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff. Mickey rants about parking an SUV in a space marked for small cars. Dave wonders about the specifics of what makes a 'compact car', and Misty delivers the facts. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via

Dawn, Ben & Mickey take a field trip to Italian Car Day, 2021, thanks to our friend John Montgomery. (Who knew that Italian Car Day welcomes French cars?) We explore the history of the Alfa Romeo logo. Ben reminisces about his "Ferris Bueller" joy ride in his father's Alfa. The panel discusses whether to tell Misty about the new Fiat Spyder, and its superiority to her MX5. The panel covets Ferraris even though no one could fit in them. And, we learn which Italian supercar shared its platform with the Citroen. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

After a multi-lingual introduction, our guest Jennifer expresses the love she had for her 1994 Ford Ranger. Mickey gives us 2, (yes, two!) trivia questions for the price of one. Misty lets us know where you can find a VW Microbus bar attached to a pool. Speaking of drinks, we debate which alcohol fueled group activities are the best in this clothing optional episode. Brought to you by Uno and tequila. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Mickey explains the unintended hiatus with an apology. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The hosts of Full Circle With Nick & Fred join the group, touching on the finer points of 1980's Porsches, Mustang Shaming, and Hurricane Shaming, among other things. We find an alternative to The Tail Of The Dragon, hear stories of insects invading automobiles, and the gang tries to solve a condiment Catch-22. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Misty is in love with "Claudette," wants to give her gifts, and can't let her go. On the other hand, Ben enjoys playing the field on a weekly basis (automotively speaking, of course). The gang ponders a listener's question about what you lose when you disconnect a vehicle's battery. Our trivia question has us thinking about the least leaky truck fuel tanks while Dave contemplates the family tradition of blowing them up. Brought to you by chickens in latex. Or is it latex chickens? We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Mickey ponders purple's poor popularity. Misty prefers pink and likes things that run like a sewing machine. Ben breaks the news that the company who brought us Prius zealots likes electrically powered vehicles only if they also have an internal combustion engine. Dave and Ben discuss what determines if a car is a classic or just plain old; is it just snob appeal, or must it inspire romantic thoughts that lead to a lifetime commitment? The gang ponders a pressure filled automotive trivia question We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Just three of us for this one. Dave is feeling al dente while Mickey grinds his gears and Dawn forgets to use the high beams. Does Mickey have a nun-fetish? And why can't we get those cool concept cars? We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.