By Jim Meachen

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Think hard, what does a Chevrolet SS bring to mind?

If you thought “muscle car” then you are probably thinking along the same lines as a vast majority of Americans. SS is one of the terms that had become synonymous with the muscle-car era of the ’60s.
 

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman



Sad to say, but perhaps the best small car to ever come out of a General Motors assembly plant may not get the customer attention it deserves this year.

The all-new 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt is the compact car Chevrolet should have built several years ago to replace the aged Cavalier. But the Cavalier soldiered on until last fall with only one major upgrade — in 1995 — and minor improvements here and there through nearly 25 years of production.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

MILFORD, Mich. --- If it had been one of those typical summer days with just scattered showers where outdoor activities are possible in-between the cloudbursts, everything might have gone as planned.

Instead, it was one of those rare July afternoons when the rain never stops. One of those days when Mother Nature teases with occasional periods of drizzle only to dump buckets about the time you think there may actually be a break.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman



The Corvette convertible was made for late spring and summer nights as the soothing softer air mixes with the rumble of a passionate V-8 and the lyrics of some classic rock takes one home to day’s past.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Some vehicles simply defy soaring gas prices. No matter how insanely high pump prices go, these vehicles are still a “must have.”

Perhaps you will have to keep the old computer for another 12 months or put off the new riding lawn mower purchase for a year or two to keep your new motorized toy fueled and ready without throwing the household budget completely out of whack.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Chevrolet has put a bit of performance back into its model mix.

Improved performance is designated by the reemergence of the SS trim level, and there are nine Chevy models with the SS badge for 2006.

The SS or Super Sport performance package was first unveiled in 1961 and earned a place in automobile lore through the ’60s culminating with such beasts as the 1971 Malibu SS with 425 horsepower.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

We seldom get a car to evaluate in base trim level and with no options. Manufacturers usually send us an example of their top-level vehicle or at least a loaded-up version of a mid-level car.

They like to show off the top of the line — put their best foot forward — for all the obvious reasons. They always want to please the person evaluating and then writing about the car.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

It was like Christmas or Hanukkah all over again, but this gift was wrapped in black.

It made the festivities of just a few months ago seem more complete. The ultimate gift landed in our driveway late for the holidays but in time for joy never-the-less. And it didn’t get here intermixed in a sack full of toys, but a toy it is.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz was not happy during the Los Angeles Auto Show last January because some writers had called the Chevrolet HHR a Chrysler PT Cruiser clone.

That’s akin to waving a red cape in front of a raging bull.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

The timing of the January launch of an all-new Chevrolet Tahoe couldn’t be worse said industry analysts in September 2005 following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina had just ravished a wide area of the Gulf Coast and the impact on gas prices highlighted a worst-case scenario for Detroit’s largest automaker: As gasoline prices rise, the product mix shifts away from big SUVs and profits evaporate.