Departure

After taking delivery of the Eeek, I proceeded to complete another difficult task, in terms of mental, physical and potentially emotional terms, getting from this:
My Cube---Before Rogaine To this:
My Cube---After Rogaine You don't wrap up 8 years in one place in one sitting, but that's precisely what I tried to do Saturday. I can't believe how much stuff I had to throw out, discard, or leave behind. The stuff I did take with me were old books, mementos, and photos, which I'll share in some future posting. All in all, it took a little under 5 hours, including a brief trip to Wal-Mart for some snacks and storage items. As strange as it may sound, leaving the office wasn't as emotional an experience as I'd expected. Perhaps it's because I've had some considerable time to think about this transition. Maybe it's because it's that I've yet to make one final trip back downtown....

Milestones

I love cars, especially new ones. So, it's no surprise that I've always yearned to work in the auto industry. As soon as I landed a job in the industry, and began to receive a regular paycheck, I began to relish the types of cars I could actually own. It actually took me a whole year after beginning work that I was able to get my first new car, a '99 Saab 9-3 5-door w/manual, in June of 1998. Since then, I've leased or bought 5 more vehicles, including the one I just got this weekend. Looking at the cycle, I've averaged one new car roughly every 15 or so months. I started off Saturday with this one in my driveway:
One final drive And before the day was done, I drove home in one of these:
A New Beginning This is a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox LT, Front Wheel Drive, with 6-disc CD Changer, Side-curtain airbags, and cloth interior, as it was seen immediately following delivery at Buff Whelan Chevrolet in Sterling Heights, Michigan. I really don't think pictures do the car justice in the photo, especially since it's a white one, against a very dull background. I traded in the silver Vibe you see above, since I was provided a company vehicle voucher toward the purchase of a new GM car. I saw no point in continuing to put equity into my current car, and since I found the Vibe to be a bit sluggish and noisy and even a bit small, I salivated at the notion of getting a new vehicle. The decision-making process was quite intensive, as I pored through each possibility, from some as broad-shouldered as a large heavy-duty crew-cab pickup to a midsized Malibu. I even thought about the Cadillac SRX, but realized even with prevailing discounts, it was too far out of reach. The Equinox turned out to be a good compromise, with decent cargo and passenger room, affordability, good looks, and a sense of refinement that the Saturn VUE lacked. Anyways, with the exception of the Vibe, I had a habit of getting cars in their first model year of production, because I loved the novelty of having something that hasn't been around for a long time, and the Equinox was no exception. The iron-block V-6 Made in China didn't seem anywhere as old or underpowered as its specs would have indicated, and didn't even come close to resembling the 3.4 engine I had in the '00 Impala I leased a while back, even though they are similar in size and design. The Equinox I picked up had side-curtain airbags, nominally an option, but one that was nearly impossible to find, especially on a front-drive Equinox. Thanks to my efforts on GM Buypower, I was able to locate one not too far from my offices. I really wanted the side-curtains; everything else was negotiable. It turned out that the white Equinox I located was the only one in all of metro Detroit that had a cloth interior and front-wheel-drive. Everything else was at least $2000 more. All in all, I'm glad it's now home. I plan to drive this car back to California with me this summer, and I'm really excited about that journey.

Professional Auto Pundits

I'm obviously not the only person to have an opinion about the state of the auto industry, and its major role players. There are quite a few columnists and journalists out there who serve up their musings on the auto industry, either from a macro industry perspective or simply reviewing the latest product. I have my favorites, and I have some who I think would be better off writing about toasters. Let's start with the faves: The most credible person who writes about the state of the industry is Forbes' Jerry Flint. He has no illusions about the hypercompetitive nature of the industry, and is usually dead-on about what he thinks works or doesn't. A very seasoned veteran of the industry since the 1950s, he knows that the Japanese and Koreans are doing a helluva job building good cars, and doing it profitably. Unlike some other writers (who I'll call out later), he doesn't fall into the trap of blind Japan-worship or paint hopelessly bleak scenarios about the fate of the Detroit-based automakers. When the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon first came out in 2004, he was the first person to say that they were underwhelming and inadequate for the U.S. market, singling out the decision to employ a 5-cylinder engine as the top-of-the-line powertrain choice as a foolish compromise to global markets. At the time, I thought he was being too harsh, but as Toyota, Dodge, and Nissan roll out some high-powered V-6 and even V-8 midsizers, the GM strategy looks even more foolish. I think he's one of the few auto writers out there that cares about the fate of the U.S. industry, while giving credit where credit is due. That's a heckuva balancing act, but it's all the more impressive if you're saying something that's worth listening to. Next up: Warren Brown of the Washington Post

Launch

This is my third attempt to create my own blog. The previous two failed because I just didn't have the time. There's no such excuse anymore. I recently left my company of 8 years, a globally-known vehicle manufacturer that has its roots in Michigan. Technically, I am unemployed, but still quite busy. I heard that people who keep journals during the time they are looking for work are much more likely to find jobs sooner than those who don't. A blog definitely qualifies. I've done my share of visits to blogs. I first learned about blogs in the aftermath of September 11, in the regular "Best of the Web" column in the Wall Street Journal Online. Since then, I've developed an affliction for blogs. I'll share with you some of my favorites in due time. I will do my best to provide some profound and unique insights on the state of the automobile business, an industry I am still passionate about. Hopefully, I might make it worth your while to visit regularly.