Toyota produced two special edition Tundras for the 2009 SEMA show last week. The first was the “Tailgater” – a fancy tribute to country music duo Brooks and Dunn that doubles as a tricked-out mobile BBQ platform. The second was a call-back to the hot rod days of the 50’s, a regular cab short box Tundra with a flame job, moon hub caps, and a 50’s era Toyota logo.

Toyota's custom Tundras shown during the 2009 SEMA show.

While they’re both cool, neither truck demonstrated a new concept or an attempt to establish the Tundra as a great canvas to work from. Still, there were a couple of neat ideas, and you have to give Toyota for trying in a down market: …click here to read more →

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Saturday Chris Baccus posted a link to an old Studebaker commercial on his Twitter account. This old commercial is corn-ball and ever-so-slightly offensive to women, but it also shows what might just be the very first tailgate step ever…installed on a station wagon.

Studebaker put a tailgate step on a station wagon a long, long time before anyone else.

This is just a still photo of the commercial – you can watch the commercial on YouTube here.

Sort of fascinating, isn’t it? Contrast it with some of Ford’s marketing literature. …click here to read more →

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Here’s a quick update on our growth plan for our loyal readers. If you like the site, I would be grateful for any feedback or comments you have on these items, our plans, and what we can be doing better.

New Stuff

First, as you may or may not know, I’ve been posting on Twitter on behalf of TundraHeadquarters.com for a few months now. …click here to read more →

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If there is one characteristic that all of the best-selling portable GPS devices share, it is uniformity. In terms of shape and size, most GPS units look very, very similar, and as discussed in the first part of this two-part portable GPS buying guide, all of these portable GPS units offer very similar functionality.

The portable GPS industry is dominated by two companies: Garmin and TomTom. In fact, of the devices we examined, all but one were produced by Garmin. As such, we’ll analyze Garmin’s offerings first, arranged in descending order by price. …click here to read more →

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Back in the old days – a.k.a. the days before GPS – when you needed to go somewhere you’d never been before there was a process you had to follow. First, you’d ask whoever it was that you were meeting for directions. Next, you’d consult a road atlas or a map. Finally, just in case you got lost, you’d be sure to write down a phone number.

How *did* we survive?

Garmin's nuvi 885 is a great example of the top-of-the line in portable GPS units.

OK OK, you don’t need GPS…but it sure is nice. GPS navigation systems save time and trouble, and more and more they can be found in cars, computers, and cell phones. While GPS enabled cell-phones are growing dramatically, the most popular GPS navigation option is a portable, dedicated unit. Ranging from $100 to $400, dedicated portable GPS units are a nice accessory for vehicles and a popular holiday gift.

Thus, our buyer’s guide. In part one of this two-part guide, we’ll break down the key features offered on most GPS portable units. In part two, we’ll evaluate some specific models that are popular right now and offer some recommendations. Here we go… …click here to read more →

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UAW Denies Ford The Same Concessions They Granted to GM and Chrysler

In a move that should be considered shocking (but sadly seems like business-as-usual), UAW members at multiple Ford plants have voted against concessions that they granted to GM and Chrysler earlier this year.

According to news reports, many UAW members believe that “Ford is stronger financially than General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group and thus not entitled to concessions to close Ford’s labor cost gap with its domestic rivals.” Yet unlike GM and Chrysler, Ford didn’t wipe away billions of dollars in debts earlier this year.

By voting down concessions that would have made Ford more competitive with GM and Chrysler, the union shows it can't overcome its suicidal tendencies.

During the last week, many Ford UAW workers voted against a concession package proposed by Ford and UAW leadership. As of today, it looks as if Ford UAW workers will officially vote down concessions that would bring Ford’s labor costs in line with competitors GM and Chrysler. …click here to read more →

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