Memorial service for Will Perkins, longtime Colorado Springs
auto dealer, was at Village Seven Presbyterian Church in the Springs. Perkins,
who also served on the boards of many local ministries including Young Life,
Navigators and International Students Inc., died Oct. 19, 2019. He was 91.
Perkins Motor Co. (known originally as Perkins Peebler
Motors) opened in Colorado Springs in 1945 as a DeSoto/Plymouth dealership, operated
by Will’s father, George Perkins. Will graduated from Colorado Springs High
School in 1946 and from Colorado College in 1950, served in the US Naval
Reserve and played baseball for a White Sox farm team.
In 1950 Will married his high school sweetheart, Bessie Lea
Hastings, and they were blessed with four children. After his father’s unexpected death in 1958,
Will became the owner/president of Perkins Motor Company, and he continued to
run a highly successful Chrysler/Plymouth Dealership for over three
decades. In the mid-1980’s he passed the
reins of the company to his son, Tom, who has since passed the reins to his
son, David, making Perkins Motors a four-generation family-owned business.
Survivors, in addition to his wife of almost 69 years and
son Tom (Cheryl) Perkins, are thee daughters Pam (Ted) Walker, Karen (Jeff)
Sheets, Sandy (Bentley) Tate; 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
“Will’s determination to be a successful and honest
automobile dealer was surpassed by his passion to share the Good News and
life-changing truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who would listen,”
according to son Tom. “He and Bess hosted Young Life in their home every week
for many years so that hundreds of young people might be introduced to Jesus.
He was committed to and deeply involved with Village Seven Presbyterian Church
for more than five decades, and especially enjoyed singing in the choir the
past several years. Will’s sincere
enjoyment of people, easy smile and dry sense of humor enabled him to establish
relationships quickly, and he had an amazing ability to remember the smallest
of details about the “new friends” he always made. His deep, hearty laugh and sense of humor
were legendary.”
I spent part
of a day in my old hometown in July, stopping first at Bonanza Ford, the
building of which was constructed in 1943 when my dad, Dale Wells, was the Ford
dealer. Bob Bledsoe, current owner of the business, was out of town on a
big-game hunting trip; I enjoyed very much visiting with Gary Soehner, sales
consultant at Bonanza, and Pete and Katie Brophy, customers in the showroom that
morning.
Accompanying
me in the drive was Tim Coy, who spent 17 years as page designer for my
automotive columns in Denver newspapers. We met Joe and Madeline Conrad for
lunch at the Mill Race Creek Grill. Joe and I were classmates at Wray until I
moved to Sterling for my freshman year in high school.
Joe Conrad’s
grandfather, James Quincy Conrad, who came to Idalia in 1893, was granted the
first exclusive Ford agency in Yuma County in the days of the Model-T. The
garage he built and operated in Wray was sold in 1928 to Clarke Smith and Jack
Kearns, who were Ford dealers until their business was destroyed by fire in the
early 1930s.
After opening
a repair shop in the early ‘30s, my dad, Dale Wells, soon became the local
dealer for Chrysler/Plymouth cars and International pickups. He operated the
dealership from what was referred to as “the Stedwell building” at the lower,
north end of Main Street near the railroad tracks.
With no
resumption of the fire-destroyed Ford business, Dad added the franchise for
Ford/Mercury cars, Ford trucks and Ford tractors later in the ‘30s. He
purchased in 1942 the property where the Ford business stands today, and in
1943 the Dale Wells Ford Garage building was completed, with Cliff Carson as
general contractor.
After Dad was
killed in a car accident in 1946, the dealership was operated by son, Gene
Wells; Clair Muller, a brother of Lenna Wells (Dale’s widow), and Bob Davis,
who had worked with Dad since his first repair shop at Wray.
The original
F1 pickups were sold to farmers in the Wray area by Dale Wells Ford Garage. I
was only 11 when the F1s began arriving in 1948, but I had a boy’s keen
interest in the dealership; bookkeeping records of the family’s dealership are
in my possession.
Townspeople
didn’t drive pickups in those days; only farmers bought them. Thus, car sales
far outnumbered pickup sales.
Among four
sales of new pickups in 1948 were $1,482.70 for an 8-cylinder Ford pickup of
114-inch wheelbase to Marvin Higgins of Eckley; $1,449.40 for a 6-cylinder to
Hazel Jewell of Wray; $1,499.30 for a 6-cylinder to Ed Renzelman of Wray, and
$1,490.60 for an 8-cylinder to Pershing Devore, who earlier in the ‘40s endured
the Bataan Death March in World War II. He was from Vernon.
The
consistency of the pricing is explained by the lack of options in those days.
Among the few options available were the passenger-side windshield wiper and
passenger-side taillight.
Mercury for
1949 unveiled an attractive restyling; the first one to be shown in Dale Wells
Garage was a station wagon, purchased by David M. Grigsby, the local banker. He
paid $3,000. A year earlier, S.C. Greenfield bought a new ’48 Ford Super
two-door, 6-cylinder, for $1,722.87.
Three new 1950 Mercurys were delivered to the garage in late November 1949. My mother, Lenna Wells, bought one on Nov. 29, J.S. “Junior” Parker bought another the next day, and later into December, Bernice Henry, wife of Rexall Drugstore owner Dean Henry, bought the third one. Sticker price on each was around $2,340. The 1950 Mercury, sized between Ford and Lincoln, was on a 118-inch wheelbase and powered by a 255-cubic-inch (4.2-liter) flathead V-8.
The garage
also sold new Ford 8N tractors during those years. Pete Brophy recalled his
father purchasing a new tractor from my dad for $700 in 1941. Bookkeeping
records in 1948 showed price of a new 8N, sold to D.A. Simmons, had risen to
$1,350.
The family
sold the dealership to Larry Palmrose in August 1950; the current owner, Bob
Bledsoe, purchased it from the Palmrose family. Richard Jeurink, until his
retirement several years ago, was a partner in the business with Bledsoe.
Voted best custom car was ’36 Studebaker owned by Steve Doerschlag of Eaton. (Bud Wells photos)
In a 2020
Jeep Cherokee Limited, I drove north out of Greeley to Colo. 392, at which a
left turn would take me to The Ranch and the Good Guys annual car exhibit; one
of the biggest and best around.
I turned
right, though, followed the road to Briggsdale, then another right took me 30
miles east on Colo. 14 to New Raymer and the Friends of Raymer Car Show.
An 82-degree
morning contributed to an outstanding car display and fun times with the good
people of New Raymer and vicinity.
The 10 a.m.
start allowed enough time for me to fully cover the 50 cars and trucks, a few
motorcycles and tractors, and get back to my tv at home for the start of the
Colorado Buffs/Nebraska Cornhuskers football clash.
Car show entrants lined both sides of a street in New Raymer.
As I walked
onto the street displaying all the cars, the first person I saw was Bill
Brandt, a retired Foursquare pastor residing in Loveland. When I entered
Sterling High School as a freshman many years ago, Brandt was in his senior
year there; he played center on a very good Tiger basketball team. At New
Raymer, he was showing a pair of good-looking ’29 Chevys – a coupe and pickup.
It was a 1929 Ford Model A Coupe, though, owned by Dean Slater of Iliff, which won the Classic Car category in voting by those in attendance.
A rare 2014
Chevy SS/Holden Commodore, shown by Victor Perez of Brush, was voted top
late-model car, and a 1936 Studebaker Dictator St. Regis, owned by Steve
Doerschlag of Eaton, was selected as best custom car.
Most
outstanding truck was a 1964 Ford Econoline, shown by Travis Grippin of Fort
Morgan. A 1993 Custom Harley won top motorcycle honors for Tony Engelhaupt of
Sterling. There were tractors, too, and Marvin Stanley of Sterling and his 1952
Ford 8N, with flathead V-8 engine, was tops.
Don and
Dorothy Albrandt, of Sterling, who celebrated their 60th wedding
anniversary earlier this summer, showed up at New Raymer with their 1946 Chevy
Coupe, powered by a 350 V-8. Another block-fitting challenge was a 5.7-liter
Hemi V-8 in a ’40 Plymouth Coupe, owned by Jeff Heppner of New Raymer.
I’ve always
been a fan of cars from the mid- to late-50s, and that era was well-represented
by a ’57 Pontiac Star Chief, owned by Thomas Mertens of Mesa, Ariz.
Showing up
about the time I was leaving was a Sterling High classmate, Jack Claver and
wife Phyllis. I did get back home in time to view the CU/NU contest; we’ll long
remember how that turned out.
It’s a granite look, even the wheels, for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited.
As for the
Jeep Cherokee, equipped with a 3.2-liter V-6 engine of 271 horsepower tied to a
9-speed automatic transmission, it displayed excellent passing power on Colo.
14 from Briggsdale to the auction site. A retuned suspension system has
improved the ride. In addition to the V-6, a pair of 4-cylinder engines are
available – a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated and a 2.0-liter turbocharged.
The V-6
performed very smoothly and averaged 26.8 miles per gallon of regular-grade
fuel for the drive down and back. Among safety advancements in the ’20 model
are lane-departure warning-plus, forward-collision warning-plus and
rain-sensing wipers.
Sticker price
on the Jeep was $41,620, including 8.4-inch Uconnect screen, navigation, full
sunroof, heated and ventilated front leather seating, 19-inch wheels, adaptive
cruise with stop-and-go, and hands-free rear liftgate.
Krista and Bob Traynor show their 1961 Studebaker Lark convertible. (Jan Wells photos)
The little
Lark, even in convertible form, wasn’t enough to save Studebaker 50 or more
years ago, but the return of one has brought miles of smiles and new avenues of
retirement for a northern Colorado couple.
“My gosh,
look at that,” I said, and was referring to a pinkish-orange Studebaker Lark.
I’d never seen a Lark at a car show. The show, at St. Michael’s Town Square in
Greeley, was for benefit of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, hosted by the
Local Branch National Association of Letter Carriers.
As a man
nearby in the hot Sunday sun broke away from his conversation and looked our
direction, I asked, “Is this your car?”
“It sure is,” he said.
“How did you
happen to select a Stude Lark for a classic,” I asked. “It was my wife’s
choice,” he responded, “and I like it.” He is Dr. Robert Traynor, who for
almost 45 years served as CEO and audiologist for Audiology Associates of
Greeley. Retired now, he and his wife, Krista, who is also an audiologist,
reside in Fort Collins.
The Traynors,
barely into retirement in June 2018, were in the spectator section at the Mecum
Denver Classic Car Auction at the Colorado Convention Center as the old cars
rolled past. They knew they ought to own one, and began looking over dozens of
the several hundred cars yet to go through the auction block.
“That’s the
one I want,” Krista finally exclaimed, pointing to a faded pink 1961 Studebaker
Lark VIII Regal convertible. “It was to be as much her car as mine,” said Bob;
“and she chose it, and I agreed.”
Bob hurriedly
purchased a bidder’s badge, and soon found himself raising an arm when the auctioneer
chanted “twenty, five,” “twenty, five,” “twenty thousand, five hundred.” Then
the bidding stopped and Bob and Krista knew they had their first “classic.”
The clean, white leather interior in the Lark.
Over the past
year, they’ve spent another $12,000 creating the lovely Lark, including a pinkish/orange
flamingo exterior finish and the nice, white leather interior. It is powered by
a 289-cubic-inch V-8 engine and automatic transmission. A technician, at Bob’s
request, replaced the generator with an alternator.
“That’s a
neat car; I hope that Bob and Krista are enjoying their ride,” said David B.
Morton, manager of communications and event marketing for Mecum Auctions, who
remembered their purchase at last year’s Denver sale.
In 1947,
Studebaker completely redesigned its Champion and Commander models, making them
the first new cars after World War II. Most other makes didn’t launch new sheet
metal until the 1949 model year.
Studebakers
were light-bodied, high-fuel-mileaged vehicles, and through the 1950s their
sales trailed only the Big Three Detroit companies (General Motors, Ford Motor
Co. and Chrysler Corp.), yet serious financial problems persisted and
Studebaker merged with Packard in 1954.
The number of
sales reported for each significant American automotive brand during the 1950s
included
Chevrolet 13,419,048;
Ford 12,282,492;
Plymouth 5,653,874;
Buick 4,858,961;
Oldsmobile 3,745,648;
Pontiac 3,706,959;
Mercury 2,588,472;
Dodge 2,413,239;
Studebaker 1,374,967;
Packard 1,300,835;
Chrysler 1,244,843;
Cadillac 1,217,032;
Nash 974,031;
DeSoto 972, 704;
Rambler 641,068;
Hudson 525,683;
Lincoln 317,371;
Kaiser 224,293;
Henry J 130,322;
Edsel 108,001;
Imperial 93,111;
Willys 91,841;
Continental 15,550;
Frazer 13,914.
The Lark, a
compact car, was produced from 1959 to 1966, in an effort to save Studebaker
from the graveyard, but the last of the company’s cars rolled off the line in
March 1966.
The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan SE, parked west of Longmont. (Bud Wells photo)
Worthy of
attention in budwells.com are the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV crossover and the
’19 Mazda MX-5 RF Miata roadster.
Why?
The Tiguan,
since it was enlarged in second-generation form a year ago, has shot to the front
of VW sales, edging past the long-popular though slumping Golf. Sticker price
is below $30,000 on the Big Tig, with 4Motion all-wheel drive and finished in
standout habanero orange color.
As for the
Miata, it is celebrating its 30th year and Mazda says it’s the
best-selling roadster of all time. For 2019, horsepower is boosted from 155 to
181 for the naturally aspirated 4-cylinder. The RF edition, which I drove, drops
its retractable roof quickly and precisely – 13 seconds.
Noticeable
for those who have compared the bigger VW Tiguan with the older, smaller one is
the 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space; the earlier Tiguan was more cramped with
only 23.8. Small cargo space in an SUV or crossover draws large numbers of
complaints. Not just the cargo area has expanded; the rear-seating area has
ample legroom and headroom. The leatherette-covered front seats are wide,
lightly bolstered and comfortable.
The revised
Tiguan is almost a foot longer and is 7 inches longer in wheelbase at 109.9
inches. The Tiguan, which shares a platform with the Audi Q3, offers optional
third-row seating.
The only
engine offered by Volkswagen for the Tiguan is a 184-horsepower, 2.0-liter,
4-cylinder with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Normal driving tasks are
fine, though the engine works hard to maintain pace at times under higher
speeds and climbs. A bit of performance boost is gained by pushing the shifter
into sport mode; there are no paddles at the steering wheel. The VW rides on
Continental 215/65R17 tires. It is built in Puebla, Mexico.
Finished in
the bright orange, the VW Tiguan is easily picked out in a crowded parking lot.
Most all the
350 miles driven by me in the Tiguan were smooth-highway variety, resulting in
a relatively high-miles-per-gallon average of 28.7. The concluding drive, with
former Post co-worker Peggy McKay, Jan and me, was to Johnstown, and on past
Scheel’s at I-25 and U.S. 34, following lunch at Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley.
Reasonable,
it seems, is the price posted on the Tiguan SE 4Motion of $29,285; though it
has no navigation. Besides the AWD, it has cruise control, forward-collision
warning, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, heated front seats,
Bluetooth and trip computer.
Russian olive trees set background for Mazda Miata RF in 30th year. (Bud Wells photo)
Delivered to
me as part of the 30th year observance for the Mazda Miata is the
MX-5 Grand Touring RF edition with retractable roof.
Rear pillars
highlight the RF’s style departure; they remain in place with the top up or
down. Unlike the regular Miata in which the entire soft top folds out of sight,
the RF’s rear pillars lift while the metal targa-type top is dropped, then they
all lower into place. The upright C pillars lend a distinctive look. It is a
fine line of precision as the rear lifts while the middle of the roof and rear
window slip backward beneath the pillars, then the layers drop into place. The
pillars block rear vision.
Adding distinctive style to Mazda Miata are rear roof pillars. (Bud Wells photo)
The 6-speed
manual transmission is tied to the 4-cylinder engine; the shifter is smoothest
of most all I’ve driven this year. The powertrain combination for the
rear-wheel-drive roadster carries an impressive EPA estimate of 26/34 mpg, and
the little model posted an average of 28.5.
With
wheelbase of only 91 inches and overall length 154, a slight turning circle of
only 30.8 feet allows the driver to turn this Miata around in most any
unoccupied street anywhere. That’s 3 feet shorter than the turn radius of a Kia
Rio or Chevy Spark. Only the Mitsubishi Mirage can match the tightness of turn
of the Miata.
From the
Miata’s small confines are tight footroom, tight shoulder room, tight headroom.
Cupholders are positioned between the seatbacks far behind the driver, who must
wrap the left arm around
the body to the center between the seatbacks or lean forward and twist the
right arm underhanded and fish for a grasp of the cup. A cupholder can be
lifted and moved to the right edge of the center console, but the holder
invades knee space of the passenger.
Sticker price
on the special Miata Grand Touring RF is $35,405.
A regular
Miata soft-top convertible can be purchased for several thousand dollars
cheaper.
Automotive legend Lee Iacocca, 94, died July 2, 2019. (Ford)
Much is
happening, as we move into July, almost an overflow of column material.
Lee Iacocca died; I’ll be grilling for a third of the family on the Fourth; the current review is the Land Rover Discovery, yet bigger news is Rover’s resurrection of the Defender; Mecum is coming to town for its annual classic car auction; I’ve got to add some miles to the new Audi Q8.
Ken Baldwin
and Mary Conway were headed back to Denver after lunching with Jan and me at
Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley, when Mary called to say she’d heard that Lee
Iacocca had passed away.
Bud Wells displays the Lee Iacocca Award at the Gunnison Car Show in August 2012. (Jan Wells photo)
An honor for
me on a hot afternoon in August 2012 was being presented the Lee Iacocca Award at
the annual Gunnison Car Show.
The following
May, on a Monday afternoon, Jan and I dropped by Iacocca’s office on North
Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. We were in Los Angeles to celebrate grandson
Tyler J. Wells’ graduation from Loyola Marymount University.
The legendary
Iacocca, already suffering ailments from the effects of Parkinson’s, wasn’t in
his office; his assistant, Nancy Saken, was there and after an hour of visiting
presented me with a copy of the book, “Heart Soul Detroit,” autographed by
Iacocca.
The book was
of conversations with and photos of dozens of famous people who defined their
careers in the city. Just a few are Tim Allen, Eminem, Bill Ford Jr., Al
Kaline, Della Reese, Lily Tomlin. Iacocca, too, and he wrote a foreword,
including this excerpt:
“Because I
remember my roots – and I’m sure so do many of the people in this book who were
born to immigrant families, had relatives who worked in the auto industry or
were born in Detroit – I believe you can never stop dreaming. And not just
dreaming, but being diligent and purposeful to make your dreams a reality, no
matter how much hard work it takes. That’s what made America great. That’s what
made Detroit great.”
Defender
for 2020
Add one more
big, tough, go-anywhere vehicle to the Land Rover lineup for 2020 – the
Defender. The original Land Rover Defender was built from 1983 to 2016, but
left the U.S. in 1997.
The new
Defender reportedly will be available in three sizes – 90, 110 and 130. The
three-door 90, which will grow to 170 inches from 158 previously, will have
five- and six-seat versions. The five-door 110 will also be longer at 187
inches and offer five-, six- and seven-seat models. The five-door, eight-seat
130 will measure 201 inches in length.
The Defenders
will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s new plant in Nikra, Slovakia. When the first
Defenders arrive in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2020, they will be powered
by gasoline engines; a diesel will be added to the U.S. market for 2021.
Discovery
turbodiesel
A
turbocharged, 3.0-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission lend outstanding
fuel mileage and offroad capability to the 5,000-pound Land Rover Discovery HSE
Luxury.
The 2019 Land Rover Discovery has turbodiesel power, offroad capability. (Bud Wells photo)
A drive to
Wray, 10 miles this side of the Nebraska/Kansas border with Colorado, raised
overall fuel mileage to 24.8. The engine, quiet as a gasoline version, displays
definite turbodiesel lag; place the shifter in sport mode, tip your toe into
the throttle and the hesitation can be diminished somewhat.
The Wray
trip, east along U.S. 34, took us to a memorial service for Geneva Schafer
Muller Newberg. Her son, Doug Muller and wife Pat of Lakewood, and daughter Kay
and husband Dr. Robert Thiel of Fort Morgan, were hosts for the service at
Grandview Cemetery at Wray.
The
Discovery, with optional third-row seating, competes against strong luxury
midsize SUVs, including Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE, BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Lexus
RX350, Acura MDX and others.
The
British-built Discovery was introduced in 1989. By its third generation in 2004
it became known in the U.S. as the LR3, then LR4 in 2009, before reclaiming the
Discovery name in 2017.
Adding the
turbodiesel engine at a cost of $2,000 and a number of other options pushed
price of the Discovery from a base of $68,800 to $80,915.
Mecum
Denver Auction
A 1967 Shelby
GT500 Fastback with 24,000 miles is among featured entries for the fifth-annual
Mecum Denver 2019 collector car auction at the Colorado Convention Center.
The Shelby is
one of 118 nightmist blue GT500s produced with an automatic transmission for
that year. It has been maintained by a single family since the 1990s and
benefits from a recently completed concours rotisserie restoration.
Approximately
600 American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, trucks, hot rods, resto mods and
more were to cross the auction block during the two-day sale.
New crossovers Chevy Blazer, left, and Kia Telluride are competitors. (Bud Wells photo)
Parked
side-by-side in my garage were two all-new midsize SUV crossovers – the 2020
Kia Telluride SX and ’19 Chevrolet Blazer Premier.
They’ll
compete for sales success with more than a dozen other midsizers, including the
redesigned Honda Passport, the new Subaru Ascent and the long-popular Jeep
Grand Cherokee.
A first
glance makes separation of the two as simple as black and white, dark graphite
metallic for the Chevrolet and snow-white pearl for the Kia.
The two are
near identically shaped at the rear, with lip of a spoiler atop the rear
window. The distinguishing differences from the rear are the taillights – the
Blazer’s horizontal and the Telluride’s vertical, and a “floating-roof” look
for the Chev. Up front, the Blazer has more of a rake to its windshield, the
Telluride stands taller and step-in height is the same for both at about 19
inches. The Blazer rides on 21-inch wheels, the Telluride 20.
The
Telluride, the largest model ever offered by Kia, was unveiled at the Detroit
Auto Show in January 2019. It has three rows of seats, and is considerably
larger than the established Kia Sorento, which has been considered a “small
midsize entry.”
The comfortable interior of the Kia Telluride. (Kia)
The
Telluride, 5 inches longer than the Chevy Blazer, is 196.9 inches in overall
length, 78.3 in width and 68.9 height. Chevy’s dimensions are 191.4 inches in
overall length, 76.7 width and 67 height. Difference in curb weight is
approximately 100 pounds, the Telluride at 4,317 pounds and the Blazer at 4,210.
The use of
the Blazer model name on a Chevrolet is revival of an identification that was
first used in 1969 on full-sized SUVs on a truck chassis known as the K5
Blazer. The compact S10 Blazer was added in 1982; both were discontinued in
2005. A TrailBlazer model was produced from 2001 to 2009.
A
292-horsepower, direct-injection 3.8-liter V-6 engine with 262 lb.-ft. of
torque is tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission for the Kia. Performance
gets a bit of boost in Sport mode, and passing power is more than adequate out
on the highway. Properly equipped, the Telluride can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
The Chevrolet Blazer was an attraction at the Denver Auto Show. (Bud Wells)
The Chevy
seems more responsive in low-end-rpm situations with its 308-hp, 3.6-liter V-6
(270 lb.-ft of torque) and paddle shifters to spur its 9-speed automatic
transmission. Tow capacity for the Blazer is 4,500 pounds.
The Chevy
carries a slight advantage in EPA highway fuel-mileage estimates, 25 to 24, but
in my week while driving back-and-forth between the two, the Kia posted a bit
higher averages than did the Chevy. Overall, it was 22.9 mpg for the Telluride
and 21.9 for the Blazer.
The Kia sport
ute has 21 cubic feet of cargo space
behind its third row of seats; fold down the back row and it expands to 46
cubic feet. The Blazer has 30.5 cubic feet behind its second row. Approach the
rear of the Chevy with key in pocket at night and the Chevy bow-tie emblem is
cast on the ground beneath the bumper; swing a foot over the emblem and the
liftgate automatically opens.
The
loaded-up, all-wheel-drive models are close in price; the Blazer at $49,290 and
the Telluride at $47,255, including forward-collision avoidance alert and
lane-keeping assist. The Blazer tag would have pushed past $50,000 with
optional forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane-keep
assist. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the Chevy.
The Kia is
built in West Point, Ga.; the Chevy Blazer in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
Making its debut Wednesday in Denver was the 2020 Jeep Gladiator. (Jan Wells photo)
Entries into
the midsize truck market by Ford and Jeep were “big” draws at the 2019 Denver
Auto Show, which ended a five-day run in late March at the Colorado Convention
Center.
Ford drew its
share of attention at the opening of the show, first for what was there – the resurrected
Ford Ranger – and, also, for what wasn’t there – the Mustang Bullitt. Jeep
unveiled the 2020 Gladiator, its first pickup since the Comanche went away in
1992.
The Ranger,
with larger dimensions and roomier interior, is back after an absence of seven
years, and along with the Gladiator will take aim at hot-selling rivals Toyota
Tacoma and Chevy Colorado, as well as the GMC Canyon and Nissan Frontier.
Car of the Year at Denver Auto Show is the Ford Mustang Bullitt. (Jan Wells photo)
The Ford Mustang Bullitt, at the Gala Tuesday night kicking off the car show, was named Car of the Year in voting by members of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. The Ram 1500 was chosen Truck of the Year and Subaru Ascent is SUV of the Year.
Thirty
minutes following those awards, presented by RMAP president Craig Conover,
Leonard Kanonik was the first of many mentioning to me that the large Ford
display didn’t include a Bullitt.
Crowds poured
into the convention center hall Wednesday evening at the official opening of
the show. Up front at the showroom floor were Toyota and Chevrolet displays; the
Toyota lineup included its first-to-the-U.S., all-wheel-drive capable Prius
Hybrid AWD-e.
The Ram 1500 was named Truck of the Year at the auto show. (Jan Wells photo)
To earn Car
of the Year honors, the ’19 Bullitt was picked ahead of the ’19 Volkswagen
Jetta, ’18 Mazda6 Signature and ’18 BMW M5. The ’19 Ram outpolled the ’18 Ford
F-150 Raptor and GMC Sierra AT4 as Truck of the Year; the ’19 Ascent was chosen
as top SUV over the Volkswagen Atlas, Nissan Rogue SL and Chevrolet Traverse,
all ‘18s.
After first
glance at the impressive 2019 Ford Ranger on the floor of the Colorado
Convention Center, an oft-heard comment was, “It is much larger than the old
one.” How much bigger? After an absence
of seven years, the Ranger returns with wheelbase which has grown by 1 ½
inches, overall length is more than a foot longer, width is more, its taller and
curb weight is 700 pounds heavier at 4,200.
The four-door
Gladiator, which goes on sale in the coming month, is 219 inches in overall
length, 31 inches longer than the Wrangler Unlimited four-door. An 8-speed
automatic transmission or 6-speed manual will be available with the 3.6-liter
Pentastar V-6 engine (up to 7,650 pounds tow capacity). A 3.0-liter ecodiesel
V-6 will be available for 2020.
The Subaru Ascent outpolled three other finalists as SUV of the Year. (Jan Wells photo)
I’ve driven
the 2019 Ford Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4X4, the most expensive trim level for
the truck. Its sticker price is $45,190. The cheapest Ranger 4X4 is the XL
SuperCab, which begins around $29,000.
Power is from
a 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder, with 10-speed automatic transmission. There is
no lack of power, though occasionally in low speeds it seems often to move up
two or three gears and lug a bit, then awaits coaxing to drop down to more
responsive rpm.
With the
optional FX4 OffRoad package, suspension has been firmed up. It rides on Hankook
265/60R18 tires.
Its 20.7 fuel-mileage
average is higher than I’ve attained in a Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier. The
only gas-engined compact truck that has topped the Ranger for me was a 2018 GMC
Canyon with 3.6-liter V-6 that averaged 21.2 last summer.
Back and forth at the auto show
Tim Jackson, Bud Wells and George Karl await opening of the Denver Auto Show. (Tim Jackson photo)
Standing alone at the entrance to the convention center auto show floor, popular Nuggets’ coach George Karl graciously agreed to have his photo taken with me, and with Tim Jackson. Might he coach again? Well, he didn’t say no. . . . . What Cadillac might have been the favorite automobile through the years for Debi Medved, stylish wife of megadealer John Medved. It wasn’t a Cadillac at all, she told me at the car show – it was the big, burly Hummer H2. “And I also drove the Hummer H1 and Hummer H3, and liked them, too,” she said. The Hummer went out of production in 2009. . . . . Amid all the glitter of the new cars, Grand Junction Republican freshman representative Matt Soper, with Sarah, expressed his eagerness for the legislation task at the State Capitol. He represents Mesa and Delta counties. . . . . Seeking late-night dessert at Peaks on the 27th floor of Hyatt Regency Denver following the Tuesday night Gala preceding Denver Auto Show, Mike Van Duzer, of Chicago, made room at crowded bar for Jan and me to order, then bought our fondue dessert for us. Van Duzer, in Denver for US Foods convention at the Hyatt, is a big baseball fan, and happy for Denver over signing of Nolan Aranado, but not sure the Rockies will prevail over his Cubbies this season. . . . . Victory Motors Ram/Jeep dealer Steve Maneotis, of Craig, was thrilled to come across Villager publisher Bob Sweeney at the show. Sweeney, who published the Craig paper before moving to Denver and opening the Villager, was a friend of Maneotis’ father, Tom, in Craig. . . . . Jan and I, enjoying the early Wednesday morning street view from Starbucks on the Sixteenth Street Mall, saw a familiar face from 15 years ago, that of Derrick Johnson, delivering bakery goods to a lower level. Back in the early 2000s, he delivered new cars to me from Thompson Communications, including a rear-drive BMW which became stuck in deep snow two blocks from my home in Greeley and had to be towed to the driveway. He’s now a lead driver for Izzio Bakery.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is empowered by V-6 and two electric motors. (Bud Wells photo)
The 2019
version of one of the Rocky Mountains’ greatest springtime events, the Denver
Auto Show, will open its doors to the Colorado Convention Center on March 28,
preceded on March 27 by the Preview Gala featuring former Denver Nuggets’ coach
George Karl.
In
preparation for walking among the burgeoning nameplates devoted to electrics
and hybrids, I’ve driven the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Electric. The most
technologically advanced minivan on the market, it features an electronically
variable transmission tied to two electric motors, a battery pack and
3.6-liter, V-6 gas engine. It delivers 33 miles of full-electric-drive range,
and often tops 30 miles per gallon in combined fuel mileage.
The auto show
extravaganza is its 42nd consecutive since Bill Barrow resurrected
the show after being hired to oversee the Colorado Automobile Dealers
Association (CADA) in 1977. In sorting through old newspaper files of mine, I
came across a column from May 1978 promoting the Denver Auto Show after its
absence of 11 years from the city.
It listed the
names of car dealers who assisted Barrow in organizing the show, May 31 through
June 4, 1978, at Currigan Exhibition Hall. It was a big deal and their names
perhaps ought to be commemorated. Teaming with Barrow, the dealers on the 1978
auto show committee were Hugh Tighe, Steve Dowson, Joe Fadely, Ann Goodro,
Johnny Haas, Bud Karsh, C.F. Pansing, Bob Post, Chuck Ruwart and Ken Stiner.
Back in those
days, I borrowed Dodges from Tighe, Oldsmobiles from Dowson, Fords from Ms.
Goodro, Mercurys and Lincolns from Haas and Volvos from Karsh for my reviews in
The Denver Post.
The 2019
edition of the big show is headed by Tim
Jackson, president of CADA, and Fletcher Flower of Flower Motor Co. in Montrose,
who is auto show chairman. Jackson, who succeeded Barrow in 2005, has earned
national recognition for his travel all over the country on behalf of auto
industry issues; an opinion column of his was featured in Automotive News of
Detroit. Flower’s dealership is one of three which has operated more than 100
years in Colorado (the others are O’Meara and Schomp).
The recent cold,
snowy weather took a toll on the hybrid performance of the Chrysler Pacifica,
lessening its 33-mile all-electric range a bit and dropping a three-day fuel
check to 26.6 mpg. In later mild temps, though, and after a plug-in partial
electric charge to 13 miles, Jan and I enjoyed a 70-mile drive to Masonville
and on through the hills past Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins. The
electric-mode torque provides excellent low-end acceleration, and overall fuel
mileage was 34.5. In addition to the 13 miles on electric power, regenerative
braking produced added miles to that of gasoline power.
The
260-horsepower combined engine/electric motor output seems sufficient for the
5,000-pound van, and its new (evt) transmission is smoother than its standard
9-speed automatic.
It has an
effective lane-assist system, though perhaps a bit too immediately severe for
75-miles-per-hour travel; the tops, in my opinion (Mercedes and Audi), use a
more-gentle nudge back toward center-lane. Chrysler has also equipped the
Pacifica with optional forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise and parallel
and perpendicular park assist.
The Pacifica,
built in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, teamed with the Dodge Grand Caravan as the
two top-selling minivans in the country last year. In its hybrid form, unlike
the standard gasoline-powered Pacifica with stow ‘n go, the hybrid’s second-row
seats can’t be folded into the floor, for that space is devoted to the battery
pack. The third row, however, will flip back flat into the floor and expands
cargo space from 32 cubic feet to 87.5.
Sticker price
on the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited is$50,375.
Bob Hagestad, in his race-enhanced Porsche 924, was featured on the cover of the Denver Post automotive section in May 1980. (Denver Post)
Brake, shift
and hit your point on the curve; it’s a matter of concentration,” Bob Hagestad
advised me as we drove his Porsche race cars against the clock many years ago.
Hagestad, 84,
a former Porsche/Audi dealer on West Colfax Avenue in the Denver metro area and
later a Volkswagen dealer in Irving, Texas, died in late February; services
were March 2 in Irving.
As I read of
his death, it brought back memories of the day I spent back in May 1980 with
Hagestad and his race crew at the Pueblo Motorsports Park, a 2.2-mile track
southwest of Pueblo.
With his race
version of the 924 at Pueblo, Hagestad attained speeds of 110 miles per hour on
short straightaway before one of many curves, then it was “brake, shift, hit
your point.” Hagestad was seeking a national championship in the Sports Car
Club of America competition. His crew chief was Don Jones and mechanic Greg
Johnson.
I drove and
reviewed, in the Post, two Porsches loaned to me by Hagestad in 1980 – a 924
4-cylinder and a 928 V-8. The 928 model carried what was then the
second-highest-priced car of any I had driven, topped only by an ‘80 Maserati
Merak SS at $42,637.
Bob grew up
in the car business, his father Vern was a Volkswagen dealer on West Colfax. He
is survived by three sons, Robb, Brad and Drew, and a sister, Barbara
Schomebaum.
