A massive fire that broke out on the set of an HBO miniseries in Ellenville, New York, early Thursday morning destroyed a used-car dealership and several circa 1990 cars and trucks, including Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros. The cars were among 27 vintage vehicles that Automobile Magazine New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman had supplied to the HBO production via a film-car company he owns separately. No one was injured in the blaze.
The precise number of vehicles lost is not yet known, though Chris Busby, general manager for 613 Automotive Group, told the Poughkeepsie Journal; “There’s nothing left.” The dealership buildings, and “about a dozen vehicles were destroyed,” he said. Images published by the local Shawangunk Journal and reposted here with permission show the extent of the devastation, while others provided by Kitman show the cars prior to the fire. According to the Shawangunk Journal, the fire is [...]
Uber began trading as a public company at $42 per share Friday, nearly 7% below its initial public offering price on an already volatile day for the markets.
The ride-hailing giant priced shares in the IPO Thursday at $45 each, raising $8.1 billion and giving the company a valuation of $82 billion.
Shares began publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange about 2 1/2 hours after the markets opened Friday, with investors already feeling jittery over an escalating trade dispute with China.
They recovered to just over $44 by midday as analysts still called the offering a success despite the price drop.
SharesPost principal analyst Alejandro Ortiz said the timing for Uber to start trading was bad given the uncertainty over the trade spat with China. But Uber’s story can’t be just one day of trading because of its potential to make billions in a growing ride market, he said.
“It’s going to keep [...]
We flew out to the Peach State to cover the next leg of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, a series of a car shows across the United States where participants compete for a place at the final stop at SEMA 2019.
Each show is hosted in a Walmart parking lot, and although we arrived early, there was already a strong showing of attendees. One of the big draws of the Legends Tour is the Hot Wheels vending machine, a rolling diecast dispenser and a mobile shop for event-specific collectible cars. By 8 am, there was a block-long line to secure a sweet premium-grade Datsun wagon from the Hot Wheels liveried Ford Transit.
There was an eclectic mix of rides built out to various stages of modification. Some participants brought out first-year VW Rabbits, others showed rat rod muscle cars, and still more presented their entirely custom creations. Hot [...]
There will be a hybrid version of the Ford Bronco, the rugged SUV that the automaker is bringing back to the market next year. The inclusion of a hybrid was confirmed today by CEO Jim Hackett during Ford’s annual shareholder meeting.
It is not a big surprise. Ford’s main focus going forward is on trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles and the automaker is spending $11 billion to electrify them over the next four years.
The Bronco goes on sale late next year. As details trickle out, we know there will be two- and four-door models and a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive for a rugged vehicle that will take on the Jeep Wrangler. The doors and top will be removable and can be cleverly stashed in the cargo hold. There will be a spare tire in the back and giant letters spelling Bronco across the front.
In terms of powertrains, educated guesses include [...]
Google’s self-driving car spinoff Waymo is teaming up with Lyft in Arizona to attempt to lure passengers away from ride-hailing market leader Uber.
The alliance announced Tuesday will allow anyone with the Lyft app in the Phoenix area to summon one of the 10 self-driving Waymo cars that will join the ride-hailing service by end of September.
Waymo’s robotic vehicles will still have a human behind the wheel to take control in case something goes awry with the technology. But their use in Lyft’s service could make more people feel comfortable about riding in self-driving cars.
Both Lyft and Uber consider self-driving cars to be one of the keys to turning a profit, something neither company has done so far. Meanwhile, Waymo has been slowly expanding its own ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area that so far has been confined to passengers who previously participated in free tests [...]
