Henry Ford, who bought the Lincoln car company 100 years ago from inventor and engineer Henry Leland, used it to create a luxury division of large, garish exteriors, lavish interiors, powerful engines, yet sales in many years failed to meet expectations.
Lincoln’s 87,929 sales in the 100th year in 2021 didn’t measure up to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi, Tesla, Acura or Cadillac. Even Land Rover outsold the Lincoln.
Florian Barth, Kumpf Motor Co
I was enjoying lunch on a warm fall day in 1995 at the Wellshire Inn on South Colorado Boulevard with Florian Barth, the classy owner and operator of longtime Lincoln dealership Kumpf Motor Co., when he uttered a brief, enlightening revelation on some former dark days for the luxury brand.
“Things were so slow in the first half of the ‘50s, the only time we sold a new Lincoln was when the guy across the street (Rickenbaugh) ran out of new Cadillacs.” Kumpf and Rickenbaugh operated on Broadway.
I scribbled that quote before leaving the restaurant, used it in the Colorado Car Book published the next year and have done so on several other occasions through the years.
Lincoln’s most noted model was the Continental, considered by some “the most beautiful car in the world” on its unveiling in 1939.
The first Lincoln I reviewed was the ’78 Continental Mark V, a $16,079 beauty with 460-cubic-inch V-8 and 13-miles-per-gallon fuel usage. Two years later, the Mark VI was powered by a 351 V-8 and in ’81 engine size had been reduced to 302 cubes. That was about the time Lincoln introduced its huge four-door Town Car, which stretched out to 221 inches in overall length.
One of the best drives I had behind the wheel of a Lincoln was the rear-drive 2002 LS sport sedan with manual transmission around the hills of Santa Fe and Taos with Jan, Dave and Norma Wagner as passengers.
As for its future, Lincoln president Joy Falocito said, “The timing of our 100th anniversary couldn’t be more ideal as we shift to an electrified future. We plan to have a full portfolio of electrified vehicles globally by 2030.”
The Ford F150 PowerBoost is a V-6 hybrid. (Bud Wells photos)
By Bud Wells
Ford F-Series, Toyota Camry and RAV4 maintained their customary positions atop the sales charts for U.S. light-vehicle trucks, cars and SUV/crossovers for the year 2021.
A serious computer chip shortage, added to the Covid-19 pandemic’s second year, slowed production and resulted in sales total of 15 million; a rise from the 14.5-million count the previous year, but painfully short of the normal 17-plus-million per year.
The 2022 Toyota RAV4 Limited Hybrid offers excellent acceleration.
Ford has led truck sales for more than 40 years, Camry has led car sales every year but one over the past 25 years and the RAV4 has been tops among SUVs/crossovers for five years. Behind the Ford F-Series total of 726,004 was the Ram 1500 with 569,388 and Chevrolet Silverado 519,774. Toyota Camry’s 313,795 sales topped the Honda Civic’s 263,787 and Toyota Corolla’s 248,993. Toyota RAV4 sold 407,739 crossovers, followed by Honda CR-V with 361,271 and Nissan Rogue 285,602.
Against the pandemic/chip production shortage, three in the long SUV list of models – Nissan Rogue, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Honda HR-V – increased sales by 50,000-plus during the year.
The Toyota Sienna, after converting to gas/electric hybrid-only, edged the Chrysler Pacifica, 107,990 to 98,323 for sales-best among minivans.
Tesla, with its 10-year lead in all-electric production, far outdistanced that field, reporting sales of 172,700 Model Y, 128,600 Model 3, followed by Ford Mustang Mach-E 27,164 Chevrolet Bolt 24,828, Volkswagen ID.4 16,742 and Nissan Leaf 14,239.
The 2022 Grand Wagoneer moves Jeep into the luxury field. (Bud Wells photos)
“Merry Christmas” I shout out from the open window of the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
It is a special time for me, as the Grand Wagoneer is the 2,500th car or truck I’ve reviewed over the past 44 years – since Christmas Eve 1977.
The 1995 Chevy Corvette at Georgetown.
Of those 2,500 models I’ve driven, 162 were Fords, the most for any of the 70 brand names, followed by Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and BMW.
It started Dec. 24, 1977, when I walked out of The Denver Post building at 15th and California downtown and rode north to Griffith Chrysler Plymouth in Northglenn and was handed keys to a ’78 Chrysler Cordoba.
The next four drives were in an AMC Pacer Wagon, Mercury Zephyr Z-7, Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel and Pontiac Trans Am. Cheapest I drove were a ’78 Mazda GLC at $4,030 and ’78 Chevrolet Monza at $4,085. Highest-priced was the 2021 Rolls-Royce Cullinan at $394,275 last summer.
Saab was one of the greatest of handlers in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. (Bud Wells)
Majority of my reviews were in The Post, though diversions earned me columns in the Rocky Mountain News, Pueblo Chieftain, Villager, Greeley Tribune.
For the 2,500th, it is the big, new Grand Wagoneer, Jeep’s pricey step up into the luxury SUV field to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, even Range Rover and Mercedes.
The Grand Wagoneer, with overall length of 214.7 inches and curb weight of 6,340 pounds, performs impressively with a 471-horsepower, 455 lb.-ft. torque, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, 8-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
It comes in four trim levels – Series I at $87,845, Series II $95,440, Series Obsidian $100,400 and Series III $104,845.
The Series I model I drove was finished in velvet red with a painted black cap and seven-bar grille out front. One of the first I showed it to, said, “I thought it might be a bit sleeker,” to which I replied, “Jeep hasn’t used the word ‘sleek’ in 80 years.”
Today’s automotive luxury field is low volume in sales, but very high in profit. The Grand Wagoneer, based on body-on-frame underpinnings derived from the Ram 1500, features independent rear suspension rather than solid rear axle, for smoother ride.
The popular Quadra Lift air suspension, which automatically adjusts between efficiency on the highway and greater ground clearance in offroading, is standard on the Grand Wagoneer. Twenty-inch wheels are standard on Grand Wagoneer Series I, while the upper trim levels get 22-inchers.
As the Hemi roars with high levels of power, the EPA estimate remains low in fuel mileage – 13 in town, 18 on the highway, my driving averaged 15.4 mpg.
A beautiful, plush interior is a highlight of the new offering and includes a Mcintosh sound system, newly refined for the automotive field. McIntosh designed the special audio for the 100th anniversary Ford GT in 2003.
One late afternoon in the Jeep, there I was at the busy postal depository for my handful of Christmas cards, window down and several more cars pulling in line behind me. In order to reach the small slot in the postal chute, I unhooked my seatbelt, stretched my arm to its length and tipped the cards in. Half a dozen cars waiting behind me now, I twisted the dial shifter to D, pressed lightly on the throttle, got nothing, no forward movement. Tried again, moved shifter back to P, then past R and N to D, deeper into throttle, got noise, nothing else. Another 20 seconds, Jan offered some words of advice, I noticed my seat belt light flashing, buckled the belt, moved shifter to D, accelerated and pulled away from the post office.
Following are the numbers of each make I’ve driven through the years:
The rear-drive Crown Vic, last of the big Fords, in the Rockies.
An S4 Cabriolet is one of 85 Audis driven and reviewed by Bud Wells. (Bud Wells photo)
Lisa Schomp, Colorado Time Dealer in 2007, is on stage with CADA officials Steve Zeder, left, and Anthony Brownlee. (CADA photos)
More than 600 persons gathered beneath a large tent on an evening in mid-September 2021 on the grounds of the Elitch Gardens to celebrate the induction of the inaugural class for the Colorado Automotive Hall of Fame.
The 12th annual Gala, sponsored by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), featured 50 former Time Dealer Award winners from Colorado as inductees, and many family members were in attendance. I, too, was included in the Hall of Fame honors for my many years of automotive coverage.
At the dinner’s conclusion, the gates into Elitch from its parking areas were opened for an early look at the 2021 Denver Auto Show.
“Dealers consistently and generously contribute to the lives of their communities,” said Tim Jackson, president and CEO of CADA, at the awards dinner, “and we’re very proud to honor these wonderful individuals who have made this industry a driving force in our state.”
Emcees were Ed Greene and Claudia Garofalo, of KUSA9, and presenting the awards were Steve Zeder, CADA chair, of Glenwood Springs, and Anthony Brownlee, auto show chair for the CADA.
Colorado’s 50 Time Dealer Award winners who were inducted into the Hall of Fame are:
Russel Lyons of Boulder,
Gene Markley of Fort Collins,
Richard Deane of Denver,
Vern Hagestad of Lakewood,
Charlie Williams of Colorado Springs,
Al O’Meara of Denver,
Ralph Schomp of Littleton,
Gene Wilcoxson of Pueblo, George McCaddon of Boulder,
Tony Fortino of Pueblo,
Dwight Ghent of Fort Collins,
Nate Burt of Denver,
Jack Maffeo of Arvada,
Don Doenges of Colorado Springs,
Florian Barth of Denver,
Hugh Tighe Jr. of Denver,
Richard Dellenbach of Fort Collins,
Joe Luby of Denver,
Harry Dowson of Denver,
Bob Fisher of Boulder,
Robert Markley of Greeley,
Doug McDonald of Denver,
Jim Suss Sr. of Denver,
Roland Purifoy of Fort Lupton,
Herrick Garnsey of Greeley,
Jim Reilly Sr. of Colorado Springs,
Lloyd Chavez of Denver,
Fred Emich III of Denver,
Kent Stevinson of Lakewood,
Dean Dowson of Lakewood,
John Schenden of Northglenn,
Lee Payne of Golden,
Jim Morehart of Durango,
Jeff Carlson of Glenwood Springs,
Barbara Vidmar of Pueblo,
Lisa Schomp of Littleton,
Don Hicks of Aurora,
John Medved of Golden,
Jack TerHar of Broomfield,
Doug Moreland of Denver,
Mike Shaw of Denver,
Jay Cimino of Colorado Springs,
Bob Ghent of Greeley,
Scott Ehrlich of Greeley,
Bob Penkhus of Colorado Springs,
Bill Hellman of Delta,
Todd Maul of Denver,
Mary Pacifico-Valley of Denver,
Fletcher Flower of Montrose,
Christina Dawkins of Loveland.
John Medved, left, who has sold his Colorado dealerships, was Colorado Time Dealer in 2009; he received HOF congrats from Brownlee.
Bob Markley of Greeley, Colorado Time Dealer in 1990, is applauded by his son, Dave, Claudia Garofalo at left, Zeder and Brownlee, right.
Notes from Elitch: A short visit with Jay Cimino was enjoyable before the beginning of the awards ceremonies; he is president and CEO of Phil Long dealerships, and one of the oldest execs heading automotive groups. . . . . The younger generation is active, too. When Lisa Schomp complimented her son, Aaron Wallace, on his aggressive expansion of holdings by the Schomp group, I asked, “Is he 40 yet?” “No, he’s 38,” she said. . . . .A couple other notables among the successful auto dealers at the dinner were John Elway, Denver’s football favorite, and Jason Stein, who recently resigned as publisher of Automotive News in Detroit in order to accept a position as president of global venture consultancy Motormindz and host his own SiriusXM show. . . . . Sharing a table with Jan and me at the dinner were Kim Parker, Kurt and Tammy Wells, Dale and Sandy Wells, Kathy and Bill Allen, Brent and Tina Wells. . . . .When Fred Brown gave me a wave from across a wide table at the Hall of Fame dinner, he was close enough that I could read the Garnsey & Wheeler script above a pocket. Brown, about 15 years ago, was general manager of longtime Garnsey & Wheeler Ford at Greeley; the dealership was purchased a short time later by Spradley Barr of Pueblo. . . . .A note of congratulations from a former classmate of mine at Wray, ended with: “I don’t even really do cars, but I do read your articles.”
From the CADA:
Bud began work at The Denver Post in 1968, after 11 years at the Sterling Journal-Advocate and a year at the Rocky Mountain News. At the Post, he attained the position of Page One Editor, then in the mid-1970s oversaw the creation of an automotive news section for the Post and soon became the paper’s auto columnist.
He is a native of Wray, where his father, Dale Wells, opened a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership in 1935 and added the Ford/Mercury franchise in 1939.
The Wells family at HOF dinner included, from left, Bill and Kathy Allen, Brent and Tina Wells, Sandy Wells, Kim Parker, Dale Wells, Bud and Jan Wells, Kurt and Tammy Wells. (Cheryl Burnside photo)
Bud in the 1980s operated a car sales business in Sterling, served as publications director for Curtis Publishing Co. history book division in Dallas, and was with the Pueblo Chieftain for 1½ years.
He rejoined the Rocky Mountain News in 1991, became editor of the Advertorial Department and wrote about cars. In 1996, Bud authored “The Colorado Car Book,” a look at the 100-year history of the automobile in this state. He returned to The Denver Post in 2000 and continued to write weekly automotive columns.
Bud retired from the paper in 2003, though continued his car columns and in 2021 is still writing about cars for The Post. Living in Greeley since 2005, Bud wrote weekly auto columns for The Greeley Tribune, in addition to The Post.
In 2009, Bud was honored when the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association named its board room after him for his “extensive commitment of time, energy and passionate reporting on all aspects of Colorado’s automotive industry.”
Bud has driven and reviewed nearly 2,500 new cars and trucks, including the Porsche Cayenne on the frozen lakes of Whitehorse in the Canadian Yukon. In 2012, he was presented the Lee Iacocca Award “for dedication to excellence in perpetuating an American automotive tradition.” In 2014, he worked with CADA President and CEO Tim Jackson in overseeing “The 100-Year Deal,” an automotive history including a reprint of The Colorado Car Book.
He is a member of the Denver Press Club, Rocky Mountain Automotive Press and United Methodist Church.
A close advisor and confidant has been his lovely wife of 65 years, Jan. They have five children, 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Rolls-Royce’s first-ever SUV, the Cullinan, came in at almost $400,000. (Bud Wells photos)
Two extraordinary, ultraluxury automobiles skewed my compilation of average price for all cars I drove and tested in the year 2020.
Those two – Rolls-Royce’s first-ever SUV at $394,275 and the super-sport McLaren 570 Spider at $233,780 – lifted the average per car to $63,558. Without those two, average for the other 68 I drove was $56,191, a decline from 2019’s average of $57,460.
The super-fine sports car McLaren 570S Spider was priced at $233,000.
Automotive manufacturers, in providing the new models for review, most often select those equipped with the latest in technology and safety advancements, i.e. those with relatively high sticker prices.
In addition to the Rolls and McLaren, high-priced rides for me were the
Mercedes AMG GLS63 at $149,740,
Mercedes AMG GLE63 $131,880 and
Lexus LC500 convertible $111,325;
A $19,705 sticker on the little Toyota Yaris was cheapest of any in 2020. These others fell in the $20s, the
Nissan Sentra SR at $25,825;
Toyota C-HR $28,435,
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross $28,595 and
Subaru Crosstrek Sport $29,145.
At the low end in pricing was the little Toyota Yaris, less than $20,000.
Following, listed alphabetically, are the 70 I reviewed in 2020:
Toyota Camry longtime winner among cars. (Bud Wells photos)
Toyota Camry and RAV4 and the Ford F-series continued their ride atop new light-vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2020, a year in which slowdowns and shutdowns for the coronavirus pandemic reduced totals by 15 percent.
Consumers continued the switch from cars to light trucks and SUV/crossovers even in the slowed economy. Trucks and SUVs accounted for almost 78 percent of total sales last year.
Ford has led sales of pickups in the U.S. for more than 40 consecutive years, Camry has led car sales every year but one since 1996 and RAV4 has been SUV/crossover leader the past four years. The only change was in the minivan segment, where Chrysler Pacifica was tops after its parent company Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) ended production of alltime minivan leader Dodge Grand Caravan.
Twenty-five years ago (1995),
the Ford Taurus was the best-selling car in the country with 366,266, followed by the Honda Accord with 341,384 and Toyota Camry 328,602.
The Ford F-series was top seller among pickups, ahead of the Chevy C/K and the Ford Ranger.
The SUV list was led by the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevy Blazer.
The Dodge Caravan sold 264,937 minivans that year, followed by Ford Windstar 222,147 and Plymouth Voyager 178,327.
Following are U.S. sales of new cars, SUVs, trucks and minivans for 2020:
CARS
Toyota Camry 294,438; Honda Civic 261,225; Toyota Corolla 237,178 Honda Accord 199,458; Tesla Model 3 171,000; Nissan Altima 137,988; Ford Fusion 110,665; Hyundai Elantra 105,475; Chevrolet Malibu 102,651; Nissan Sentra 94,646; Kia Forte 84,997; VW Jetta 82,662; Dodge Charger 77,425; Hyundai Sonata 76,997; Kia Soul; 71,862; Ford Mustang; 61,090; Dodge Challenger; 52,955; Kia Optima; 48,484; Nissan Versa 48,273; Subaru Impreza 43,625; Toyota Prius 43,525; Lexus ES 43,292; BMW 3 series 41,442; Mazda3 33,608; Chevrolet Spark 33,478; Honda Fit 32,488; Kia K5 31,656; Chevrolet Camaro 29,775; Subaru Legacy 27,240; Mercedes E-Class 27,102; BMW 5 series 26,785; Mercedes C-Class 26.294; VW Golf 25,858; Kia Rio 23,927; VW Passat 22,964; Acura TLX 21,785; Chevrolet Corvette 21,626; Subaru WRX 21,178; Chevrolet Bolt 20,754; Tesla Model S 20,700.
Toyota RAV4 was repeat winner among SUVs and crossovers.
SUVs
Toyota RAV4 430,387; Honda CR-V 333,502; Chevrolet Equinox 270,994; Nissan Rogue 227,935; Ford Explorer 226,217; Toyota Highlander 212,276; Jeep Grand Cherokee 209,786; Jeep Wrangler 201,311; Ford Escape 178,406; Subaru Forester 176,996; Subaru Outback 153,294; Mazda CX-5 146,420; Jeep Cherokee 135,855; Toyota 4Runner 129,052; Chevrolet Traverse 125,546; Honda Pilot 123,813; Hyundai Tucson 123,657; Subaru Crosstrek 119,716; Ford Edge 108,886; Jeep Compass; 107,969; Chevrolet Trax 106,299; Lexus RX 101,059; Hyundai Santa Fe 100,757; Volkswagen Tiguan 100,705; Chevrolet Blazer 94,599; Chevrolet Tahoe 88,238; Volkswagen Atlas 87,362; GMC Terrain 86,020; Kia Sportage 84,343; Honda HR-V 84,027; Hyundai Palisade 82,661; Ford Expedition 77,838; Hyundai Kona; 76,253; Kia Telluride; 75,129; Kia Sorento; 74,677; GMC Acadia 72,537; Subaru Ascent 67,623; GMC Yukon/XL 63,440; Jeep Renegade 62,847; Ford EcoSport 60,545; BMW X3; 59,941; Nissan Kicks; 58,858; Nissan Murano; 58,255; Dodge Durango; 57,828; Lexus NX; 55,784; Acura RDX 52,785; Mercedes GLC 52,626; BMW X5 50,642; Audi Q5 50,435; Nissan Pathfinder 48,579; Mercedes GLE 48,154; Acura MDX 47,816; Kia Seltos 46,280; Buick Encore GX 44,841; Toyota C-HR 42,936; Buick Encore 41,752; Dodge Journey 40,342; Honda Passport 39,567; Buick Enclave 38,480; Mazda CX-30 38,064; Chevrolet Suburban 37,636; Tesla Model X37,000; Cadillac XT5 35,223; Buick Envision 34,942; Chev Trailblazer 34,292; Volvo XC90 34,251; Volvo XC60 32,078; Mitsubishi Outlander 29,096; Mitsu Outlander Sport 28,836; Lexus GX 28,519; Mazda CX-9 27,636; Audi Q3 27,251; Lincoln Corsair/MKC 26,227; Audi Q7 25,371; Mercedes GLA 25,348; Cadillac Escalade 24,547; Volvo XC40 23,778; Mercedes GLB 23,183; Lincoln Aviator 23,080; Infiniti QX60 22,880; Lincoln Nautilus/MKX 22,742; Cadillac XT6 22,609; Cadillac XT4 22,473; Mercedes GLS 22,172; Infiniti QX50 20,885; BMW X7 20,579; Range Rover Sport 20,054.
Ford F-series has dominated truck sales for more than 40 years.
TRUCKS
Ford F-Series 787,422; Chevrolet Silverado 586,675; Ram 1500 563,676; GMC Sierra 253,016; Toyota Tacoma 238,806; Toyota Tundra 109,203; Ford Ranger 101,486; Chevrolet Colorado 96,238; Jeep Gladiator 77,542; Nissan Frontier 36,845; Honda Ridgeline 32,168; GMC Canyon 25,190
MINIVANS
Chrysler Pacifica 93,802; Honda Odyssey 83,409; Toyota Sienna 42,885; Dodge Grand Caravan 38,767; Kia Sedona 13,190.
The all-new Cadillac CT4 is equipped with 2.7-liter turbo V-6 engine. (Bud Wells photos)
A fun drive it is, regarding the all-new entry-level sedan from Cadillac – the 2020 CT4, replacing the discontinued ATS in the luxury lineup.
A 310-horsepower, 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 engine mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission boosts considerably the performance level while delivering an EPA fuel estimate of 20/28 miles per gallon.
The CT4 is the smaller of Cadillac’s two remaining sedans; the other is the CT5. They’re built in Lansing, Mich.
Production of Cadillac’s large, rear-wheel-drive sedan, the CT6, ended in January, leaving the CT5 and CT4 as the luxury maker’s only cars. Its biggest sellers are SUVs, led by the XT5.
With Jan and our daughters, Kim Parker and Kathy Allen, aboard, I headed the CT4 on a Sunday afternoon to the north through Fort Collins, then northwest on U.S. 287 to Laramie. Strong climbing capability and passing power were shown by the turboed 2.7. The relatively easy return drive padded the fuel-mileage average to a respectable 26.9 mpg.
The Cadillac’s a decent handler with good agility, a soft ride and it offers one of the more user-friendly infotainment-control settings in its class. Soft leather seats of cinnamon color are a pleaasant touch to the dark dash and headliner. It’s a crowded back seat, even to the point of ducking under the severe slope of the roofline while squeezing lower extremities into the limited foot space. The trunk is tight of space, too, at 10.7 cubic feet.
From a base price of $37,495 for the Premium Luxury trim level, the CT4’s sticker price climbed to $49,640 with such added amenities as the 2.7 turbo, all-wheel drive, Bose surround sound with 14 speakers, adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and technology package.
The 2020 Cadillac CT5-V is 6 inches longer than the CT4.
The memory most vivid in the week in August I drove the ’20 Cadillac CT5-V begins with the push of the “V” button, which engaged the performance reactors associated with the 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 of 360 horsepower and 405 lb.-ft. of torque.
The CT5’s dimensions measure only fractionally off from those of the Mercedes-Benz E Class sedan. The Cadillac rides on a wheelbase of 116 inches, is 193.8 inches in overall length, 74.1 in width and 57.2 in height.
The smaller CT4, 6 inches shorter than the CT5, is more closely tied to the luxury compacts, including the Mercedes C class, BMW 3 series and Audi A4.
The CT5-V’s sleek, fastback look will steal some attention from the competition, though its interior lacks the appeal presented in the finishes of the German craftspersons.
The Cadillac is a good handler with precise steering, and as V-6’s go, it performs very responsively with its quick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission. Tires are Michelin 245/40ZR19s. My overall fuel-mileage average of 20.2 fell a bit to the lower side of its EPA estimate of 17/25.
The V-series enhancement, at a cost of $9,000 and sending sticker total to $57,680, added all-wheel drive, navigation, Bose premium audio, leather seating, intellibeam headlamps, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning and head-up display.
The huge grid for solar and hail outside Stapp Interstate Toyota. (iPOWER)
With a noontime ribbon-cutting, Stapp Interstate Toyota showed off its iPOWER/VPS Solar Integrated Hail Canopies, one of the first of its kind in the country.
What a sight it is – 53,000 square feet of hail-shielding fabric and solar panels for protection from the weather while providing 100 percent of the dealership’s energy use.
Hailstorms and their pounding of automobiles through the years have been a scourge on what otherwise were pleasant solid summer sales results for dealerships in the Denver metro area, northern and northeastern Colorado.
The large coverings will protect more than 300 cars and trucks, the majority of the dealership’s vehicle inventory. Stapp Interstate Toyota operates at the I-25 Frontage Road between Frederick and Longmont.
The canopies are comprised of powder-coated steel structures, bifacial solar panels and HailShield Ultra HDPE (high-density polyethylene) mesh fabric.
Microgrid equipment permits local energy control capability; it can disconnect from traditional grid, operate autonomously and maintain more regular load demands.
At ribbon-cutting are, from left, Diane Dandeneau of iPOWER; Tim Jackson of Colorado Automobile Dealers Association; Mayor Tracie Crites of Frederick; Brion Stapp of the dealership; Jayson Crouch of Toyota Financial Services; Ben Pyle, general manager of Denver Region/Toyota Motor Sales, and Wade White, senior vice president of VPS. (iPOWER)
The launch of interest in the solar/hail protection, according to iPOWER Alliance, of Lyons, was completion of a 37,000-square-foot solar carport with advanced microgrid and load controls at Ehrlich Toyota in Greeley.
Other dealerships have expressed interest in iPOWER’s projects, said Diane Dandeneau, CEO. “We have begun installation at Co’s BMW and Mini at the Crossroads Automotive Complex near Loveland., up the road north from Stapp’s store.
The Stapp dealership goes back almost 50 years, when Bob and Amy Stapp and son Art opened Longmont Toyota in 1974.
When Art and Debbi Stapp and sons Brion and Clint moved the growing business to its current location, the I-25 Frontage Road, it was renamed Stapp Interstate Toyota.
The 2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD sport sedan. (Jan Wells photos)
My occasional
contacts in recent years with John Elway and his dealerships have been based mostly
on automotive news, of course.
That tie
continued on a Saturday night when Jan and I drove into Denver to the Sheraton
Hotel downtown for the annual John Elway Dealerships’ Christmas Party. We were
invited by Todd Maul, an Elway dealer principal and partner, and enjoyed driving
to the gathering aboard a 2020 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD sedan.
A couple
hours’ into the party, my wife, Jan, managed a photo of Elway laughing heartily
in conversation with a Greeley father and son; it seemed appropriate to share the
happy image.
John Elway found humor in his discussion with Todd Buseman, right, and his son, Todd Jr., of Greeley, at the Elway dealerships’ party. (Jan Wells photos)
The moment
occurred when Todd Buseman and Todd Buseman Jr. were standing on either side of
Elway and visiting with him in anticipation of having their photo taken.
Buseman Jr. is an automotive technician for the Elway shop in Greeley, and the
elder accompanied his son to the Christmas event.
Elway employees and friends lined up halfway around the Grand Ballroom to have a photo with the two-time Super Bowl winner with the Denver Broncos. Yes, Jan and I got our turn.
Two old friends, A.J. Guanella, left, of John Elway Chevrolet, and Bud Wells, longtime Denver Post auto columnist, swapped stories.
I enjoyed visits with Maul; A.J. Guanella, who as a sophomore in high school in 1949 began working for Burt Chevrolet and continues today as a leading associate with what has evolved into Elway Chevrolet, and Jason Stein, publisher of Automotive News in Detroit, who was in town for last Sunday’s Lions/Denver Broncos NFL tussle.
A little more
than 15 years ago, in the summer of 1994, I interviewed Elway and wrote a car
column on his 1992 Dodge Viper, one of 189 numbered models of the original
model. The old Viper is displayed today in the Elway Ram Jeep Chrysler Dodge
showroom in Greeley. At its introduction into the U.S. market, the V-10-powered
Viper was considered the quickest production car sold in this country. The
limited-production Viper, a competitor of the Chevy Corvette, never approached
the Vette in sales numbers. Production
of the Viper ended two years ago.
Several years
after the Elway Viper interview, through a close association with noted
Colorado sculptor Raelee Frazier, I was given front-row view and opportunity
for a sports-related column regarding the preparation and casting in bronze of
Elway’s hands around a football. Only 32 sets of the impressive bronze
sculpture were cast. Frazier, with the assistance of her late husband, Frank
Frazier, also cast hands of other football legends, including Dan Marino and
Joe Montana, as well as Hitter’s Hands for such baseball immortals as Ted
Williams, Stan Musial and Ralph Kiner, and Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies.
Maul, in his
remarks at the party, acknowledged that the Elway Chrysler Jeep Ram Dodge store
in Greeley is one of the stronger markets in the state for full-size trucks. Also
finishing strong business years, he said, are John Elway Chevrolet on South
Broadway (Englewood) and John Elway Cadillac of Park Meadows (Lone Tree). A
third partner with Elway and Maul is Mitch Pierce.
As for the great-looking
Infiniti, finished in dynamic sunstone red (perhaps the best color of the
year),
it bellows
out the dual, 4-inch exhaust ends at the rear bumper from a 400-horsepower,
3.0-liter V-6 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission with six drive modes.
Built in Tochigi, Japan, it is sleek and beautiful and exteriorly trimmed with
a $1,500 carbon fiber package of decklid spoiler and mirror covers.
For $60,475,
it is loaded with comfort and convenience, though its seat belt receptacle is
positioned so deeply and tightly into the separation of the driver seat and
center console, it is difficult to connect the belt end. Fuel-mileage average
for the Red Sport was 21.1.
A flame red finish emphasizes the 2020 Ram EcoDiesel pickup. (Bud Wells photo)
Light-duty
turbodiesels have arrived and the U.S. light-duty pickup market has never been
more inviting.
Imagine: 30
miles per gallon on a highway drive with a half-ton pickup – experience it with
the ’20-model Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ram 1500 and Ford F-150.
The U.S.
truck market is perhaps the ultimate in product delivery meeting consumer
expectations regarding quality and capability.
Shuttled up
north to me was the 2020 Ram 1500 Tradesman QuadCab EcoDiesel, which will
challenge turbodiesels from Chevy, GMC and Ford for leadership in new-generation,
high-fuel-mileage truck travel.
The Ram’s 3.0-liter, turbodiesel V-6 engine is built in Italy. (FCA)
All three
power sources are 3.0-liter, 6-cylinder turbodiesel engines – the Ram EcoDiesel
and Ford PowerStroke are V-6s and Chevy/GMC uses a DuraMax inline-6. Power
outputs are very close.
GM’s
Silverado and Sierra generate most horsepower, 277, ahead of the Ram’s 260 and
Ford’s 250. Most torque is developed by the Ram at 480 lb.-ft., followed by
Chevy/GMC at 460 and the F-150 at 440.
The GM and
Ford diesels are mated to 10-speed automatics, the Ram to an 8-speed automatic.
The Silverado/Sierra EPA ratings for a two-wheel-drive pickup of 33 on the
highway, 23 in town and 27 combined averaged 1-mpg ahead of Ram’s
two-wheel-drive truck at 32 highway, 22 city and 26 combined. Ford reached
30-miles-per-gallon average highway with its two-wheeler, 22 city and 25
combined.
With its
480-torque rating and a bit more immediate grunt from its 8-speed over the
competitors’ 10-speed, Ram claims “best-tow” honors of up to 12,560 pounds with
proper configuration.
The upgraded
turbodiesel comes to the Ram Tradesman model at a $3,300 premium, raising
sticker price to $41,885 for the basic truck. The diesel option will be
available on all trim levels of the 2020 Ram. The QuadCab, which aided access
with a grab handle on the driver side, has cloth seats and a small, 5-inch multimedia
screen.
Good stopping
power is a reassuring feature of the Tradesman, with its relatively large
14.9-inch front rotors and 14.8s at the rear. Diesel clatter is virtually gone
these days; the Ram is of very quiet interior and provides a nice, smooth ride
with coil springs at all four corners.
The range of
fuel mileage I observed with the Ram was from a low of 22.3 to a high of 26.9.
That included some driving time in the strong winds of last weekend.
Manual-shift-mode
buttons for upshifting and downshifting are placed, somewhat inconveniently for
use instantaneously, near the center post inside the steering wheel.
While the Ram
Tradesman truck is built in Sterling Heights, Mich., the third-generation turbodiesel
engine is manufactured in Ferrara, Italy, in a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
factory.
