Hemmings e-Weekly Newsletter: 19 Apr 07

[mockingbird812]

Muscle Cars
GM rear-drive cars in jeopardy

The Camaro is still alive , but GM says some of its other plans for rear-wheel drive cars are on hold.
photo courtesy General Motors
GM’s Bob Lutz says the General’s future rear-wheel drive program is “on hold,” thanks in part to proposed fuel economy standards that may increase to 34.5 mpg within 11 years. President Bush has proposed a four percent increase in average fuel economy until 2017. The current standard is 27.5, mpg and Lutz said the new CAFÉ standards “would make it tough for GM to be compliant.”

Lutz made those comments in a recent Chicago Tribune article.

GM is not alone. Ford and Chrysler, which have a bunch of vehicles that cannot crack 25 mpg, are on the hot seat, too.

However, Lutz said the new Chevrolet Camaro, which enthusiasts are anxiously awaiting, will proceed as planned. “That project is simply too far along to stop now,” he told the Tribune. That is good news for Camaro fans, who have been without a new car since 2002. With DaimlerChrysler getting ready to release the stunning new Challenger in 2008, GM better keep it in high gear if it wants to bring out the Camaro, even if gasoline is teetering at $3 per gallon. The new Pontiac G8, a rear-wheel-drive that some say is a replacement for the GTO, but is still not on sale, is reportedly safe because it is nearly ready to come to market.
- By George Mattar

[Late BrakeU2]

Sam here's another article from that e-weekly that if you reside in Cali,will make you sit up like a prairie dog in front of you monitor
Call the house minority leader on this one..meanwhile i'm thinking of keeping my CTS V since we might be headed back to the seventies again

http://www.hemmings.com/newsletter/newsl...lid=136947#1047

Legislation
Black Plate Boogaloo
The California black (license) plate is one of those indefinable symbols of autodom that can't be replicated. Currently authorized by the state for pre-1963 vehicles, it’s hugely evocative of an era of American motoring that goes right to the heart of the hobby.

Which is why California A.B. No. 462, “An act to amend Section 5004.1 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles,” is such an emotional issue. A.B. 462 “allows the owner of a vehicle from the 1969 model year and earlier, or the owner of a commercial vehicle or a pickup truck that is a 1972 or older model, to display vintage license plates corresponding to the vehicle's year of manufacture.” According to the bill's sponsor, House Minority leader Michael Villines (R, Fresno): “Vehicles sold between 1962 and 1969 were originally issued black-and-gold plates but do not qualify for the display of year-of-manufacture plates. Without the ability to display vintage license plates on these automobiles, many of which are now collector items, their owners are effectively precluded from fully restoring these vehicles to their original condition.” Supporters also contend that it would “keep American classic cars truly historical and near original condition,” and “would help to preserve antique automobiles by ensuring they represent the true year of their manufacture.”

On April 9, the Committee on Transportation heard Assemblyman Villines read the bill, and referred it to the Committee on Appropriations with a 12-0 “Do Pass” recommendation. However, then-Governor Gray Davis vetoed a similar bill, A.B. 2058, in 2000, saying: “The purpose of the vehicle license plate is for identification and registration purposes only. The issuance of vehicle license plates is not to enhance the beauty or value of a vehicle.” Several other similar bills have also died for one reason or another (including veto), so there's no telling where A.B. 462 will end up. “State government should not stand in the way of car owners who want to utilize the authentic license plates that reflect the year when their classic cars first hit the streets,” Villines said. “Permitting owners of classic cars from the 1960s and early 1970s to display vintage plates will finally allow them the satisfaction of having a fully-restored piece of California history.” Contact Rep. Villines at 916-319-2029 to have your say.
- By David Traver Adolphus