Chet Parsons, Car Guy

My friend Rick and I met when we worked together at Tesla.  We found a number of common interests, including cars, music, and a love of writing.  While I whittle away at this blogging thing Rick has taken a bigger leap and is working full-time on his writing now, but while his take on the great American novel is in progress he also has a blog for his extraneous writings.  One of his recent posts about the one (car) that got away brought back memories of my "one."  ( click here for Rick's post ) I've written about my '87 M3 on these virtual pages before, and neither my passion for that car nor the regret I have from selling it have subsided.  Now that the market for the E30 M3 is approaching air-cooled Porsche levels of crazy prices, my chances of picking up another one any time soon are slim-to-none.  So it shall remain on my most-wanted list until such time as I can afford one again.  In the meantime, I've added it to my automotive bucket list. ...

Through the magic of social media, I discovered a young woman in the suburbs of Dallas, just minutes away from me, building amazing cafe style motorcycles.  My friend Brad Holt volunteered his time and his skills to create this great video about Sofi, her father George, and GT-Moto.   Another friend, Wes from Megadeluxe, offered to share the video on his site to help spread the word about the amazing bikes and the noble cause that drives Sofi and are the foundation of GT-Moto. Sofi Tsingos :: GT-MOTO @ Megadeluxe

It's been almost 25 years since I got my first car.  I've had over 20 cars since then, but I have two favorites.  The old Toyota 4Runner I have now is like the old family dog.  It's aging and it sort of lumbers along, but it's loyal and it's charming, and I can't bring myself to part with it.  As attached as I have become to the Toyota, though, my 1987 M3 will always be my absolute favorite, and it converted me into a full-on BMW M-car fan-boy. Since the introduction of the E92 M3, and maybe the E60 M5, fan-boys like me have cried and whined and moaned that M-cars aren't what they used to be.  Rants of BMW losing its way can be found all over the forums and enthusiast blogs, berating BMW for building overweight, overly complex, bloated machines to cater to the people who are actually buying them (gasp!) I'll admit that I hopped on the bandwagon.  I am a self-proclaimed automotive idealist, dreaming of pure drivers' cars with high-revving, nat...

The 24 Hours of Lemons race series is, according to some guy named Jay, the fastest growing form of motorsport in the United States.  While I can neither confirm nor deny its empirical growth,  I can tell you that it is perhaps the best motor racing value in the country.  Endurance races featuring $500.00 cars, thematic team liveries and costumes, and a judging system to keep things safe and sportsmanlike on the track all add up to a weekend of fun racing with other people just as crazy as you.  The nature of the cars and the reasonable entry fees keep costs more realistic, and attract a broader audience.  To quote the 24 Hours of Lemons website, "It's not just for rich idiots.  It's for all idiots." Speedy Monzales To say there is a fair amount of theater involved would be fair, but it is also serious racing.  Safety is the top priority, because a serious accident would be a serious buzz kill.  Winning is, of course, one objective, but mo...

There are always certain owner stereotypes associated with certain brands of automobiles.  Some of these stereotypes have evolved over the years as their respective brands have done the same.  The typical Porsche owner of the 1980s is a far cry from today's school-running soccer moms (and dads) in their Cayennes and Panameras.  Ferrari owners have lost their gold chains in favor of oversized timepieces, and Range Rover owners are more likely to be wearing haute couture than a Barbour coat. I spent last weekend with a group that seems to defy any stereotypes, bonding through their shared enthusiasm for one particular flavor of sports car.  When the vehicles present for the event range from an iconic '60s sex-symbol to an ultra-modern hypercar, the variety of owners comes as no surprise.  The presence of a man who has been an integral part of the brand for over 40 of its 50 years in business only added to the mix. Valentino Balboni is Mr. Lamborghini. ...

The best car I've ever had.  I miss this one the most. 1988 BMW M3 As a component of my attempts at personal growth and self-promotion, I took it upon myself to establish a personal mission statement.  This required a little retrospection, and turned into this biographical statement about how I got here and how that has shaped my goals as a writer.  So here it is: A future automotive idealist, taken home from a New Orleans hospital in a silver Volkswagen 411 sedan, my automotive obsession was but a glimmer in my tiny newborn eyes.  A few years later, per my mother’s frequent re-telling of the story, from my car seat in the back of that VW, I was recognizing far off in the distance a car that I knew to be a Mercedes Benz.  Precious, but she pointed out that I couldn’t possibly recognize even the three-pointed star from that distance.  Oh, but I could.  And I had, and it was.  The first treasured moment in the life of a true car geek. My ...

I took a few minutes this evening and scrolled back in time to read some of my earlier posts on this here blog.  Only after this trip down memory lane did I notice that that the fifth anniversary of my writing endeavor was on January 1st of this year. I can't believe I've been plugging away at this for five years now.  And by plugging away, I mean occasionally remembering that I have this blog and adding a little something to it. Thanks to all my readers.  I think I'm up to 10 now!  Happy Anniversary and Happy New Year!

Thomas Edison may or may not have been misquoted, but the sentiment of his alleged statement about failure rings true no matter the situation.  It is often necessary to find the method, material, or path that does not work in order to find that which does. Alternately, this post could be titled "Well, That Didn't Last Long, Now Did It?" Only ninety days after starting a new chapter in my career, and I am on to the next chapter.  It seems I have changed, in ways which made my chosen course of action one which did not work.  My nearly mutually agreed upon, but definitely not planned, departure leaves me with great opportunities to find that which does work for me. Wish me luck.

I said in no uncertain terms, and on many occasions, that I would never get back into the car business.  Apparently, I was wrong. After a four year absence, I gave in to the dark side and started selling cars again.  The business was just fine without me.  Nothing has changed.  I am interacting with many of the same people I knew before.  The mechanics of selling a car are still the same.  I want to say that the only thing that has changed is me, but aside from being older and marginally wiser, I can't say that I have. I'm still an idealist when it comes to cars, but I'm practical when it comes to real life.  So here I am, doing again what I've done well for almost 20 years.  My blog will remain, but if I scribble anything about a new Aston Martin, be aware that I may be doing so with employment tinted glasses. Happy New Year to the handful of you who might actually read this.

I was once the caretaker and pilot of a 1986 Saab 900 Turbo.  With the well publicized demise of Saab and the subsequent reminiscences by the motoring press and in the blogosphere, my fond memories of that funky gray Swede came flooding back to me.  It was the last car to carry our family tradition of being named.  I affectionately dubbed it Astro, after the goofy gray dog from the Jetsons.  The styling was unique, in an elegant gray with rich tan leather, enhanced with a set of SPG wheels.  With Tardis-esque interior capacity and very comfortable seats, it was always a willing travel partner, be it road trips or evenings out with friends.  I have no doubt that I would find it equally as appealing today as I did all those years ago. I also remember driving a comparable BMW of that same vintage, a 318is.  I was disappointed in the Bimmer then, and given the choice between them now, I'd be hard pressed not to pick the Saab again.  And that sai...

I can't count how many times I have voluntarily and involuntarily watched that advertisement.  All those adorable computer generated hamsters rolling around in toasters and washing machines set to that infectious tune that drew us all in and bestowed pop culture credibility upon a little car from Korea. That clever bit of advertising used the images of toasters and washing machines to reference specific cars, but it reminded me of how often I referred to many less-than-entertaining automobiles as appliances.  I applied that term with a bit of condescension and even disdain.  I pondered the point of building a car or truck that had no real character or soul and who would care so little about these things that they would actually buy one.  Then I acquired two appliances of my own.    The first didn't strike me as an appliance until I had used it up and replaced it with another item just like it.  I'm on my fourth one now.  Just as my househo...

I have, on two separate occasions in the last two months, had the opportunity to spend some quality time behind the wheel of not one, but three Dodge Caravans.  All three were of similar specification and I believe all three were 2011 models.  All three were rentals, two from Enterprise, the third from Hertz.  I drove the two from Enterprise locally in the course of work over a four day period in the week leading up to Christmas.  The Hertz rental was used to carry a recliner from Houston to Dallas.  The last time I had driven a mini van of any kind was on a high school spring break trip with a girlfriend and her family back in the '90's. The funny thing about all these mini vans?  None of them were absolute crap. Granted, there was a great deal of torque steer, and plenty of understeer, and the steering in general was pretty numb, but overall not a horrible experience.   This may sound like faint praise, but I was truly impressed, and more importa...

Mom.  In a brown Porsche. Almost a year after my last post, and a month full of birthdays has come and gone.  Our family has at least a half a dozen birthdays in August as well as a handful of friends, but two birthdays in particular are very important to me in this month, my own on the 25th (shared with Sean Connery, no less) and my mother's on the 13th.  While being mother to such a wonderful son is a gift that keeps on giving, I'm never quite sure what to get Mom for her birthday.  My father generally takes care of bigger gifts and picks up the tab at her birthday dinner, leaving me to look for humorous cards or other tokens of my appreciation for my mommy. When I was a young lad, I had grand visions of what I was going to get her, but lacking the means to get them, I promised them to her when I was "older."  One such gift that I promised was a Porsche 928.  Mom had a thing for Porsches before I came along, a 912 Targa the first to catch her eye. ...

The electric (yep, it's runnin' on batteries) Mercedes Benz SLS E-Cell.

When not making prolific contributions to my own blog, I regularly visit a few sites dedicated to automotive news and commentary.  Lately, I have taken a specific interest in Tesla Motors.  As with my friends at Local Motors, Tesla is not only about the end product but is also taking a different approach to the manufacture and sale of new cars that happen to be electric. But judging from the tone of some of the articles I've read, as well as the comments sections, my excitement isn't shared.  I'm wondering if the general public doesn't want an alternative.  Are we still afraid of the electric car?  Are we uncertain about buying a car the way we buy a computer, especially if they use the same batteries? But really, why all the harsh negativity?  Like anyone else who follows automotive news, I am quite aware of Tesla's well publicized financial situation, and perhaps too aware of everything CEO Elon Musk is doing these days.  I am also equally aware of...

I think Henry would be proud of the direction Ford is going lately.  The new Fiesta and Focus stand poised to return small domestic cars to respectability.  The Mustang is still the cream of the new muscle car crop.  The F-150 is still the F-150, which is good. All these good vibrations must be rubbing off on the marketing department as well.  The launch of the Fiesta has been handled very well, with tie-ins to American Idol and the creative youth of the country as well as a good web presence and a reservation campaign that has surprised even me. A few months ago, I decided to sell my 20+ year old sports car and get something more economical, but wanted to get something that was still a "cool" car.  I reserved a Fiesta, but ultimately ended up going a totally different (cheaper) direction.  Apparently that information didn't get past the dealer back to Ford, as I am still receiving the marketing goodies they send out to those with a reservation. To...

Earlier this week, Ron Dennis, CEO of McLaren Automotive, was quoted as saying "The Bugatti Veyron is a complete piece of junk. I think it is. I believe I can look at a range of women and I can see beauty in most of them, but I can look at a Bugatti and I think it is pig ugly." He continues, "The Veyron doesn’t do anything for me. I’ve been looking at it for years, and I don’t see one single thing that makes me feel good.” That's a pretty bold statement about what many consider to be the Holy Grail of Super Cars, but is he really that far off?  From a design perspective, there isn't really anything wrong with the Veyron.  It's not an unattractive car by any means, so how can it be ugly? To answer that question, let's compare it to a product from Mr. Dennis's own company, the McLaren F1.  Both began life as cost-no-object showcases of each company's technological prowess.  From there, their paths diverge.  The Bugatti is a blend of the VW Gro...

Scotch, wine, watches, and cars all have one thing in common.  The best specimens are usually only available in small batches. In November, I made a connection with Local Motors.  It stuck.  I met with Jay, Sarah, and Ariel again in Austin during SXSW, and they are doing well.  The Rally Fighter continues to impress and is nearing production readiness, and the plans for the first micro-factory in Arizona are well underway.  I mention Local Motors not only because I think they have a  big future, but also because my experience with that company has changed how I look at other small-batch manufacturers.  I have always been amazed how many start-up car companies seem to come and go, but even more amazed at the success of the handful that have stuck around. Pagani is the first that comes to mind, and with the imminent delivery of the Zonda successor, they appear to be in it for the long haul.  Koenigsegg seems to be holding its own as well, well e...

If you had asked me a year ago what I thought of the future of the auto industry, I would have given you a pretty bleak answer. Tonight I got to meet someone who could change that. Tonight I met Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors. Go to www.local-motors.com to find out more about this company, and pay special attention not to the automobiles, but to the business model they are proposing. The broad strokes go something like this: build limited production automobiles based on designs submitted and voted upon by an internet community in local micro factories around the country (and globe) using techniques and technology with minimal environmental impact. That's a pretty simplified version, but you get the idea. While the automotive giants dig out of their holes, producing appliances for the road, Local Motors is looking to build niche market products in limited quantities, in regional facilities, making the consumer an integral part of the design, development, and build processes. ...

Driving home from work on Wednesday, I heard a very loud bang. I knew immediately that I had blown a tire, but was surprised at how loud it was. It sounded like a gunshot. End result was a blown tire, no surprise, and a surprisingly large hole in the inside of the wheel. When I get a chance to dismount the tire, I can find out what, besides chunks of wheel, is rattling around inside the tire. Until then, I can only speculate...