98 Years Old and Still Going Strong

By Tom Mack

Wondering how long you'll be able to keep driving? When is the right time to hang up your car keys? Well, here's one heartwarming recent example of how you can manage to stay behind the wheel if your enthusiasm, health, physical and cognitive abilities are still up to par. One of Britain's leading classic car insurance brokers has presented a special gift to one of its oldest customers.

Footman James presented 98-year-old Ron Easton with a set of Bentley calf leather driving gloves to celebrate his lengthy driving career.

Ron, who lives in South Devon, has been insured by the firm for the past 17 years: he is the proud owner of two sports cars, his original 1981 MGB GT and a 2004 MGF he uses for daily driving. In his earlier years, Ron owned a race-bred TVR that he eventually sold to a long-term friend and fellow race fan in Australia.

Photo: Newspress
Veteran driver and long-time MG enthusiast Ron Easton, right, has been insured by Martyn Raybould's firm for the past 17 years. 

He first learned to drive as a taxi driver before the Second World War and – when the government commandeered taxis for the war effort – Ron was offered a driving job and chose the Artillery Engineers transporting heavy guns and other warfare materials; at the end of the war, Ron set up a car hire business which he ran until his retirement.

Five years ago – at the sprightly age of 93 – Ron took a 'Driving Longer for Safer' test which he passed with flying colours. A jubilant Ron then wrote to his insurance company for offering him continued coverage. He said: "I am completely satisfied."

A company spokesman said; "We are absolutely delighted that Ron can continue driving his classics. We are keen to promote the older driver keeping their classic cars and driving them wherever possible and Ron is an excellent example of this.

"Older drivers can continue to drive well into their 80s and 90s but it's obviously important for them to regularly assess their driving and make adjustments as necessary. Driving is a complicated task, requiring continuous concentration  and good health. We are delighted that, at such a ripe old age, Ron can still enjoy driving."

Laser Headlights: A Brighter Outlook for Aging Eyes

By Bill McLauchlan
Wars are a fact of life in the auto industry: horsepower wars, price wars, sales and market share wars and, lately, the technology war as manufacturers ramp up their offerings on the electronic front.

One technology development of interest for baby boomer and older drivers is the current ‘laser’ war heating up in Europe between Audi and BMW. Both are locked in a fascinating battle to see who will put laser headlamps into production first. That’s because, “Laser lights can see twice as far as today’s benchmark LED headlamps,” claims BMW’s lighting guru, Tom Haussman.

Photo: BMW Group
LED headlight beam (left) sees up to 300 metres ahead. The laser lights on the right shine twice as far.

That points to a brighter future for drivers in the 50+ age bracket. Less light reaches the retina in an aging eye than it does in a younger eye. First, pupil size reduces with age so less light enters the eye. Second, the lens, which is normally clear in a younger person, begins to yellow and thicken with age, also impeding the transmission of light. Studies show the average 60-year-old needs at least three times the amount of light compared with the average 20-year-old. An older driver, therefore, may see poorly in dim or dark road conditions, and lose both visual acuity and contrast sensitivity – vital for seeing and identifying a pedestrian or other potential hazard ahead.

And, according the AAA (American Automobile Association), a typical driver makes 20 decisions per mile (roughly 1.5 km for Canadian drivers) and has less than half a second to react quickly to see, assess and react to avoid a road accident.

So any improvement in headlamp illumination and range is welcome news for any older driver, particularly those who feel uneasy driving at night.

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BMW’s Haussman, with tens of thousands of miles in a 7 Series test car under his belt, says a staggering 600 metres (1,968 feet) of vision is available with laser headlights. Audi has been testing too, with its 2014 Le Mans-winning R18 e-tron quattro race car – lighting up traffic as far as 1000 metres (3,281 feet) ahead during the night in the June 24-hour endurance event.

By the time you read this, BMW’s technological flagship i8 hybrid sports car will offer them as an option when it goes on sale mid-summer. Audi’s contender, a special edition R8 LMX, is due to go on sale about the same time. Only 99 R8 LMXs with the advanced laser lights will be available at around $300,000 US a pop (all in Europe) while some 300 BMW i8s are expected to make to North America, though the entire first year’s 2014 production is already sold out. So far, no volume production car equipped with laser headlamps has been announced, though the forthcoming third-generation replacement for Audi’s sporty TT model is likely to feature them when it debuts in late 2015.

Photo: BMW Group
BMW i8 hybrid sports car

The arrival of laser lighting is just the latest example of how rapidly headlight technology is evolving. In the early 1940s federal regulations decreed seven-inch round sealed-beam headlamps for all cars. Then, in 1958, a change to four smaller lamps arrived, along with fins and chrome. By the mid-70s, sharp creases and wedge-shape styling fueled a desire for rectangular lights. Though the shapes changed the basic bulb and lens arrangement didn’t until the first halogen headlight appeared in Europe in the early 1960s, though it took until 1978 for most cars in North America to switch to halogens.

From there things picked up speed. The next technology breakthrough came in the early ’90s with high-intensity discharge (HID) systems, also called zenon headlights. They were not only brighter than halogens but had a longer life too – about twice the 1,000-hour average for halogens and more energy efficient too.

The latest leap comes courtesy of LEDs and LED Matrix lighting. First seen as running lights in Europe in the 2004 Audi R8 and in 2008 as low-beam and side-marker lighting on the Lexus LS 600h hybrid here, many automakers are now adopting LED technology as a styling touch in addition to the lighting component. Audi was the first to adopt this approach, establishing a unique signature design theme that has since been plagiarized in one way or another by many other car makers.

Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are now offering full LED lighting systems on some current models.

More recently Audi has been working on an improved version, which it terms LED Matrix, for better and safer use. At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the German automaker introduced its newest technology in which LEDs are divided into several different segments. They can be independently activated, deactivated or dimmed and made to work together with lenses and/or reflectors to adjust/direct light in accordance with driving conditions. All this with no action needed by the driver. Audi’s A8 luxury flagship sedan has recently been made available with matrix LED headlamps.

The LED Matrix set-up also works with on-board cameras so that when it detects oncoming or other traffic ahead, sections of the high beam can be blocked to minimize dazzle and glare, see ‘around’ a car ahead on a dark rural road, or light up a tight traffic gap where needed. It can even work with the car’s GPS-based nav system to see what’s ahead and automatically swivel, for instance, when the car approaches a curve.

Now laser headlights are just around the corner and, teamed with LED Matrix units, promise to leave all other systems in the dark. Not only are they far brighter than LEDs. They also use 30 percent less energy. They’re 30 percent lighter than LEDs (which themselves use 30 percent less energy than Bi-Xenon lights) and, like LEDs, laser headlights should last for the life of the car.

Newspress USA
Audi previewed the future look of lighting when it unveiled this Sport
Quattro laserlight concept coupe at the 2014 Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas.

The only drawback at the moment is receiving federal approval before they can be allowed on North American roads. Rather ironic, isn’t it? Thanks to antiquated ’60s-era government safety regs delaying the adoption of LED Matrix and laser systems, this visionary advance with real benefits for a huge and growing segment of our driving population won’t see the light of day here until the regulatory dimbulbs switch on to the advances in modern lighting technology.

New Older Driver Data Trends Upward

Changes reported in driving years, habits and medication use

By Bill McLauchlan

Mired in stop-and-go town traffic the other day, it struck me there weren’t too many young people behind the wheel in the cars around me. Was this my imagination? Simply a momentary anomaly or a sign of the times as the steady surge of baby boomer drivers begins to make itself evident?

It could be a combination of all of the above, but there’s a strong case to be made for the ‘silver tsunami’ effect. According to a new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in the US, older drivers are extending their time behind the wheel compared to previous generations. For example, 84 percent of those 65 and older held a driver’s licence in 2010 compared with barely half in the early 1970s. Today, one in six drivers on the road are 65 or older and this new research shows they’re spending more time at the wheel, with travel patterns indicating about a 20 percent increase in trips and a 33 percent rise in distance traveled between 1990 and 2009.

        Though these AAA figures describe the trend south of the border it’s quite likely the situation on Canadian roads won’t be much different.

While upward trends indicate greater mobility for the silver tsunami, the Understanding Older Drivers: An Examination of Medical Conditions, Medication use and Travel Behaviours report reveals that 90 percent of older drivers also use prescription medications with two-thirds taking multiple medications.

Previous Foundation research has shown that combinations of medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can result in an impairment in safe driving ability.

“This level of medications use does raise concerns, yet evidence indicates seniors are fairly cautious,” said AAA Foundation president and CEO Peter Kissinger. “In fact, these findings show that older drivers using medications are more likely to regulate their driving – reducing daily travel, avoiding driving at night or driving fewer days per week.”

There are also some interesting gender differences found in the report when it comes to medication use behind the wheel. Older women using medications are more likely to regulate their driving compared to men. Even without a medical condition, female drivers drive less than their male counterparts with a medical condition.
Other key highlights include:

• 25 percent of men and 18 percent of women are still working after age 65, meaning more than double the work-related commutes for drivers 65 and older compared to a couple of decades ago.
• 68 percent of drivers 85 or older report driving five or more days per week.
• Three-quarters of drivers 65 and older with a medical condition report reduced daily driving.
• Self-regulating behaviour, among those taking multiple medications or having a medical condition, declines with increasing income.

The Foundation’s study primarily analyzed the most recent data from two national databases: the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) and the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).

Can a Self-Cleaning Car be Just Around the Corner?

By Bill McLauchlan

Washing a car can be a chore … and a costly one at that if you choose to run it through the car wash whenever you fuel up at the gas pump.

Hand washing it can also be a chore for those in their middle and later years as decreasing flexibility, creaky knees and other age-related aches and pains begin to make their presence felt. Even if none of the above is a problem yet you might still have to contend with the after effects from sore, stiff muscles unaccustomed to the stretching, bending and stooping associated with washing away your car’s endless accumulation of dirt and road grime.

Either way, Nissan hopes to offer a helping hand. It’s currently testing an innovative nano-paint technology that repels dirt and which could make car washes obsolete.

Photo: Newspress

The automaker has begun testing a new paint technology that repels mud, rain and everyday dirt, meaning drivers may never have to clean their car again.

This intriguing possibility comes courtesy of a specially engineered paint that repels water and oils. This super-hydrophobic (water) and oleophobic (hydrocarbons) coating has been applied to a sub-compact Note by Nissan to create what it terms the world’s first self-cleaning car.

The company is the first automaker to utilize the technology, called Ultra-Ever Dry®, on automotive bodywork. By creating a protective layer of air between the paint and environment, it effectively stops standing water and road spray from creating dirty marks on the car’s surface. The paint’s super-hydrophobic properties also eliminate the formation of ice – a characteristic that would have been very welcome after last winter’s huge ice storm.

Photo: Newspress

To assess the real-world effectiveness of the paint, engineers at Nissan’s European Technical Centre will be testing the “self-cleaning” Note over the coming months. So far the coating has responded well to common use cases including rain, spray, frost, sleet and standing water. No word on its ability to shrug off an aerial bombardment from the odd seagull or a flock of Canada Geese.

At the moment there are no plans for the paint to be applied to the Note as a standard feature, but the company will continue to consider the technology as a future aftermarket option. It won’t be cheap, though. A gallon of the special paint presently runs about $500 US and it takes about two to three gallons to paint a typical mid-size car.

40 Years Young: VW Golf Stands the Test of Time

By Bill McLauchlan

You don’t need me to tell you the older one gets the faster the years seem to speed by, none more so than wondering where your 40s went as you round the bend into that sobering fifth decade and beyond.

Thinking along those lines, it came as a bit of a shock the other day to realize VW’s Golf has just joined us on that drive into early middle age. A week ago today, on March 29, 1974, to be precise, the first of more than 30 million subsequent Golfs emerged from its German plant, on its way to becoming the most successful European car of all time.

Photo: Newspress
Original VW Golf Mk I (left) and 7th-Gen Mk VII (right)

European is the key word there, though, on this side of the pond. That’s because the original European Golf Mk 1, sold under the Rabbit nameplate in Canada and the U.S., didn’t make it here until the 1975 model year. So, just like Jack Benny, our Golf is still only 39.

That caveat aside, today’s sensibly mature Golf has always been a pioneer of technological prowess.

Whether turbocharged engine, direct-injection engine, electric or plug-in hybrid drive system; whether ABS, ESC, XDS or 4MOTION; whether Adaptive Cruise Control, City Emergency Braking, trailer stabilization or Automatic Post-Collision Braking System; whether automatic climate control, Dynaudio sound system, touchscreen with proximity sensor or LED headlights; whether GTI, GTD or GTE – it was always the Golf through which the most important small car technologies and trends of our time were democratized.

Golf Mk 1: The first series production Golf rolled off its Wolfsburg  assembly line on that historic March day in ’74. Where for decades the ubiquitous Beetle, with its rear engine and rear-wheel drive, had dominated the scene, a new era had now dawned: that of the transverse (or cross) mounted engine and front-wheel drive.

As the successor to the legendary Beetle, of which over 21.5 million were built, the Golf Mk 1 had to live up to enormous expectations that it would carry on the success story of what until then was the world’s most successful car. It worked: the modern and reliable drive concept, excellent use of internal space and ultimately the design as well, won over the market to such an extent that by October 1976 the one-millionth Gold had been produced.

’76 also saw the debut of the iconic sporty GTI model and by 1979 Volkswagen had also introduced an open-top Golf Cabriolet that was at times the best-selling cabrio in the world.

Photo: Newspress

Golf Mk II: As of 1983, improved interior room meant occupants no longer sat quite so close to each other. The catalytic converter appeared a year later and in ’86 anti-lock brakes (ABS) and power steering were introduced to the Golf’s market segment. Over here, the Rabbit was renamed Golf with the arrival of the 1985 model.

Photo: Newspress

Golf Mk III: With the launch of the third generation in 1991 a new era of safety began. This Golf was the first of the series to have front airbags (starting in 1992) while major advances in body construction also resulted in improved crash safety. Other technical milestones included: the first six-cylinder engine (VR6), cruise control, a direct-injection diesel engine (TDI in ’93) and ABS as a standard feature on all models by 1996).

Photo: Newspress

Golf Mk IV: New styling crystallized the clear, precise design that lived up to the car’s history while setting a course for the future. On the safety front, electronic stability control (ESC) and four-wheel drive (the Golf 4MOTION) arrived in 1998. A year later ESC became a standard feature, initially in Germany.

Photo: Newspress

Golf Mk V: This Golf that boasted levels of comfort and dynamic performance that left many competitors way behind in 2003. Side airbags were made available for the first time. An improved rear suspension design, seven-speed DSG transmission, bi-xenon headlights, panoramic sliding sun roof and combined turbo-supercharged engine (in the 2006 TSI) were introduced, as was the economical and fuel-efficient Golf BlueMotion in 2007.

Photo: Newspress

Golf Mk VI: In just four years, a further 2.85 million units had been built by mid-2012, based on the sixth-gen Golf launched in 2008. A transition from unit injection to the common rail system diesel engine brought better performance and lower fuel consumption too. And new aids such as Light Assist automatic main beam management and Park Assist made this the most advanced Golf generation to date.

Golf Mk VII: Debuted in September 2012 with a significant weight reduction, hence 23 percent better fuel economy, and an entire armada of new assistance systems – some as options and others standard. And this year the all-electric e-Golf came along. And, later in 2014, a new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid is due to arrive. Last summer, the 30 millionth Golf was built.

Some additional trivia for you. Not only was 1974 the year the Golf was born, it was also the year some Chinese farmers digging a well for water unearthed the Terracotta army. Other 1974 inventions that have stood the test of time include the Rubik’s Cube, Post-It notes and liposuction.

Advancing Age is a Testing Time for Many Drivers

How old is too old to drive? There’s no definitive answer,
no matter what some so-called experts claim.

By Bill McLauchlan

It surprised me to learn recently that Bill Brack, a three-time Canadian Driving Champion, and now owner of a drivers school at Shannonville Motorsports Park near Belleville, Ontario, thinks anyone over 80 should no longer be able to drive on the province’s 400-series multi-lane highways. According to Brack, the speeds are too high and there’s too much going on for people of that age to drive safely. 

Frankly, given his background and 77-year age, I’d have thought Brack would have a broader perspective than merely establishing an arbitrary cut-off point governed by one’s age.

To give him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he was trying to stir up some controversy to help publicize a new course at his school aimed at helping older drivers improve their road skills and gain more confidence behind the wheel.

There may be some merit to that argument on the traffic-choked main arteries running through and around the Toronto area. You need your wits about you, for sure, and high levels of situational awareness. But, as long as you’re physical and cognitive abilities are up to the job, there’s no reason to bar you from driving on high-speed highways and expressways simply because you’ve passed a specific age-related milestone.

That said, there’s comes a point in every driver’s life when age does enter into the equation. Most of us couldn’t wait to get our driving licences when we were young. But, like the cars we drive, age takes its toll. By a certain age, we are required by law to prove we’re still up to the task.

Photo: PRNEWSWIRE/Newscom

It's estimated that by the end of this decade one in four drivers in Canada will be aged 65 or older. A 2009 Statistics Canada report says about 3.25 million Canadians licensed to drive were 65 and over, with the majority in the 65 to 74 age group. Of the seniors with a valid licence, more than 27,000 were 90 or over. Ontario had the most older drivers at 1.25 million, while P.E.I. had just 15,000.

As it stands now, the requirements for older drivers to renew their licence vary widely. In some jurisdictions you’re good to go no matter what age you are. In one instance it comes mid-way through your sixth decade. And we’re talking here of renewing licences permitting you to drive passenger cars, light trucks and motorcycles. There are more stringent rules governing commercial vehicle drivers.

If you live in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward island and Saskatchewan there are no restrictions based on age. In Nova Scotia, on the other hand, a medical report must be submitted annually fro drivers age 64 and over.

Yukon drivers need to provide a medical at ages 70, 75 and 80 and every two years beyond that.

Motorists are required to renew their drivers licence at 75 or older in Alberta, Newfoundland, Quebec, the North West Territories and Nunavut. In Alberta a medical report also must be submitted and in some cases a vision test must also be done. Things are a tad tougher in Newfoundland, as a second medical is called for when a driver turns 80 and for every two years after 80. Quebec’s requirements are similar to those of Newfoundland but also call for a vision test too. A medical report is required at age 75 and 80 in the North West Territories and every two years after 80, while in Nunavut it’s at 75 and annually at 80 and over.

The requirement in British Columbia is for a medical report at 80 and every two years from then on. Ontario drivers can basically self-certify themselves as to medical fitness but it does have a mandatory Senior Driver Renewal Program which kicks in at age 80 and is renewed every two years from then on. The program involves a vision test and quiz on road rules, plus a group education session. A further road test may be required if deemed necessary. 

Whether it is time to renew or not, you also have a legal requirement to inform the licensing authorities as soon as possible if you are diagnosed with dementia.
A diagnosis of dementia is not necessarily a reason to stop driving immediately. What you should consider is whether you are still able to drive safely, what steps you can take to ensure you are up to the job, and what legal requirements you have to register your illness

Your eyesight can deteriorate too. So if you need glasses or contact lenses to do this, update your licensing information. And they must be worn at all times when driving.

Research has proven older drivers are as safe as or safer than other age groups. But bad habits do creep in over time, and it may be worth considering giving your driving a check-up. Online and on-road assessments are available for older drivers to make sure your driving is still up to scratch.

Experienced motorists may feel that driving is very much an automated activity, but should remember that it is actually a highly complex task that requires acute observation and manual skills.

Most Ontario Drivers Say safety Has Deteriorated

86 percent want province to improve road safety
and those over age 55 are speaking out loudest

By Tom Mack

This winter will surely be remembered as one of the worst on record for its long brutal cold, heavy snows, high winds and whiteout visibility conditions.

Photo: PRNEWSWIRE/Newscom

Now, as Spring, struggles to life, fluctuating freeze-thaw cycles have littered many Ontario roads with crater-sized potholes resulting in teeth-rattling rides for road users.

It’s a scenario that has led the five companies contracted to provide services under the Ministry of Transportation’s Winter Maintenance Program to release new research findings demonstrating that a majority of Ontarians want the government to make the provinces roads safer.

Overall, the survey by Ipsos Reid conducted in the first week of March, found that a significant majority of drivers feel the government should increase spending on highway maintenance to improve the quality and safety of Ontario's highways. And older drivers have made their concerns clear in no uncertain terms.

Women, respondents aged 55 and over and residents of Northern Ontario consistently expressed the highest levels of concern about road safety.

The survey shows that by a 2-to-1 margin, Ontario drivers said they find roads are in worse condition now than they were 3 years ago; in Northern Ontario drivers believe that by a 3-to-1 margin.

Fully 86 percent of Ontarians – including 92 percent of those 55 and over; and 93 percent of people living in Central and Northern Ontario – said the government should increase spending to improve safety conditions. When comparing road conditions to recent years, 76 percent of respondents said conditions worsened this winter.

“This research shows the public believes our roads are not as safe as they were before. We share their concerns,” said Geoff Wilkinson, Executive Director of the Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA) and lead for ORBA’s Area Maintenance Contractors, referring to the government’s 25 percent reduction in spending on road maintenance. “The government has achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and has not re-invested any of it.” In addition, it should be noted that the excise tax, currently at 14.7 cents on every litre of gasoline and diesel fuel sold in Ontario, generated about $3.1 billion in 2012-2013. The question must be asked: how much of that revenue is going into road infrastructure maintenance and improvement?

Wilkinson said ORBA is currently meeting with government officials in an attempt to work together to solve these road safety issues.

The OPP has issued a number of alerts and warnings this winter about the “mayhem” on provincial highways and has asked drivers to slow down. There have been several multi-vehicle crashes this winter involving hundreds of vehicles and tractor-trailers in Southwestern, Eastern, Central and Northern Ontario, causing fatalities and multiple injuries and hospitalizations.

The ORBA contractors don’t believe there’s time for Queen’s Park to sit and wait until the end of 2014 when the Provincial Auditor issues a report on the Winter Maintenance Program.

“The time to act is now, before we put more drivers in danger,” Wilkinson said.

Mustang Herd Rounds Up for a Big Drive

By Bill McLauchlan

If you were a teenager or older back in 1964 you couldn’t help but notice the fuss surrounding the arrival of Lee Iacocca’s pet project, the new Ford Mustang. It created a buzz of excitement and public interest like no car before or since.

Photo: NewspressUSA
Ford's Mustang made its public debut at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Since then, many have owned one, knew someone who did or watched them trounce the competition on road race circuits across the nation.

Me? Well, I’ve never been an owner but had a relative who was. I was lucky enough to witness the famed Comstock Racing Team Mustangs run rampant in Canada and see those run by the Shelby, Bud Moore and other top-notch race teams in the U.S. And I even saw the original Mustang 1 Concept run some demonstration laps at the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1962.

Photo: NewspressUSA
The 1962 Mustang 1 Concept started the brand's 50-year saga.

So it’s with some regret that I have to take a pass when the Mustang Club of America (MCA) holds a Mustang anniversary event in less than a month (April 16-20) to commemorate the pony car’s remarkable 50-year run.

Groups from North America, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand will carry their country flags to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. The international celebration will be so large that Ford Motor Company and the Mustang Club of America will simultaneously hold it at two locations from April 16 through April 20, 2014. It is open to everyone, not just Mustang owners and MCA members.

“Even though the Ford Mustang has not traditionally been offered globally, the passion for the first pony car is truly international,” said Ronald D. Bramlett, Mustang Club of America, executive director of the Mustang 50th Birthday Celebration. “Enthusiasts from across the globe are planning to attend and share their personal Mustang stories. Some are even shipping their Mustang to the United States to drive their car as part of the milestone event.”

Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway will give these enthusiasts an experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives. MCA has also organized “Pony Drives” so Mustang owners can travel in organized groups to each venue. Some international owners are planning to drive in those caravans.

Photo: NewspressUSA

“The Ford Mustang has become a symbol of American culture,” said Steven Ling, Ford car marketing manager. “The hunger for this iconic car fueled Ford Motor Company’s decision to offer the 2015 Mustang globally for the first time. We’ll exhibit this new model at the twin events so fans from around the world can see them personally.”

The original pony car has been very popular, with more than nine million sold thus far. Since the Mustang was launched at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, it has become an important part of pop culture with more than 3,000 appearances in film and television, plus hundreds of musical references. The Mustang Club of America has chapters on every continent except Antarctica, with chapters and tens of thousands of members worldwide.

From 1964 to 1973, Ford built almost three million Mustangs at their three U.S. plants. However, few realize that Mustangs were also built at Ford locations in Europe and Latin America. A handful of U.S.-built early Mustangs were even converted to right-hand drive at Ford’s plant in Australia.

The countries being represented at the celebration include: U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Italy and the U.K.

Details continue to be finalized for the event. Information is continuously updated on a special website, http://www.mustang50thbirthdaycelebration.com/ and at the MCA website, http://www.mustang.org/.

If you own a Mustang, modern or classic, or are just a big fan of the breed, you still have time to take part in the festivities. But better act fast as the event is fast approaching.

Boomers Drive a Boom in Small SUV Sales

By Bill McLauchlan

Is the idea of a compact SUV beginning to make more sense to you? If so, relax you’re not alone. In fact, especially if you favour a Ford, you’re on the leading edge of a demographic shift driving skyrocketing Escape sales.
  
The baby boomer preference for everything bigger over the last 35 years is shrinking, but this generation’s desire for comfort and amenities is still very much at the forefront in the choices they make as consumers.

“Those baby boomers who worked hard for and embraced the affluent lifestyle of the 1970s through the middle of the last decade – owning large homes and spacious vehicles – have reached a turning point,” says Sheryl Connelly, global consumer trends and futurist manager for Ford Motor Co. “This generation is now trending toward a simpler way of living, one that doesn’t eliminate the lavish comforts they’ve come to enjoy.

“The boomer population has always set the trends,” Connelly adds, “and now they’ve set a course for a more streamlined life that doesn’t sacrifice style and comfort.”

Image: NewspressUSA

Industry data supplied by Ford and Del Webb, part of the multi-brand homebuilder PulteGroup, show that boomers who comprised the growing market for large homes and made minivans and big SUVs popular are now shifting to still lavish, but smaller homes, condos and utility vehicles.

As the oldest of this generation – those born between 1946 and 1964 – marked their 60th birthdays in 2006, the population was estimated at about 78.2 million. Industry data suggest the baby boomer instinct for knowing what is chic continues to influence popular lifestyle choices.

The trend in homes increasing in size was a constant from the 1950s on, with average home sizes going from 860 square feet in 1960 to 2,505 square feet in 2012.

While baby boomers helped fuel that trend, evidence shows they are now breaking away, seeking cozier homes with top-of-the-line amenities and features.

Data from Ford show boomers are making the same decision with regard to what they put in their garage, moving away from the big SUV and minivan segments they dominated in the 1980s and 1990s to smaller, car-based utility vehicles that come with premium packages and styling.

The 2014 Ford Escape compact utility vehicle, for example, features 98 cubic feet of passenger volume – about a 21 percent difference from the larger 2014 Explorer’s almost 152 cubic feet. Between the Escape and the Expedition, there is an estimated 31 percent difference in passenger volume.

Baby boomers and small utility vehicles
The kind of premium content baby boomers are specifying as they downsize can also be found in the type of vehicle they now want to drive – smaller utility vehicles loaded with amenities and features.

An uptick in small utility vehicle sales started in 2004 and has continued a steady climb, according to retail sales data from Polk. Correlating with the number of adults considered to be baby boomers is the number of smaller, car-based utility vehicles being sold to that demographic.

“Trendy baby boomers want to downsize their homes and their vehicles, but they’re not willing to give up premium content in either case,” says Amy Marentic, marketing manager for Ford’s global car and crossover group. “Personally, I felt the need to downsize. My children are in college and I have no need for the larger utility any more, but I still want to feel like I’m driving something special.”

Image: NewspressUSA
Boomers are downsizing their lifestyles, driving a switch to smaller homes and smaller SUVS with premium packaging and style.

The largest demographic buying small utility vehicles such as the Escape are people between the ages of 55 and 64, according to Polk. In this key segment, retail registrations of the Escape are up 81 percent since 2009 – higher than overall industry growth. Small SUVs are most popular in this age group; more than 46 percent of Escape buyers opting for Titanium trim level are 56 or older, indicating a desire for high-series models loaded with technology and amenities.

The second-largest demographic are those between 45 and 54. The number of 65- to 74-year-olds purchasing small utility vehicles has more than doubled since 2009 – growing at more than twice the rate of new retail vehicle sales overall in the demographic, according to the same data.

“While the Escape is a compact utility built for everyone and we’re seeing strong sales across the board, sales are really being driven by these active adults in the 55- to 64-year-old range,” says Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst for Ford. “It’s no secret baby boomers are playing a large role in the compact utility vehicle segment, and will continue to do so well into the foreseeable future.”

The Escape is outpacing the industry in key population segments, including every age demographic above 55 years old.

In year-over-year retail sales, Escape is experiencing 24 percent growth – outpacing the national compact utility vehicle average increase of 18 percent.

Making Light Work of Going Green

Traffic Light Recognition Technology
Could Save Millions of Litres of Fuel

By Bill McLauchlan

Coping with city traffic ain’t the most fun at the best of times. But it can be a bit more bearable if you play the intersection lights to your advantage. We’re talking about working the greens here. By planning ahead and adjusting your road speed as needed you can travel a fair distance before a red light brings you to a halt.

Now, Audi is being a spoilsport and threatening to put an end to this little game. But it’s a good thing. Really.

You see, the German car maker is ready to add a little oil to the wheels of your daily grind with advanced traffic light recognition technology that could make driving through towns and cities far more fluid and free of annoying and fuel-economy-denting red light punctuation.

The Audi system harnesses the power of in-car Internet to establish a link between the car and the traffic light network via the central traffic computer in each town or city. It quickly understands the light-change sequences in the area and, on approach to a set of lights, the Driver Information System (DIS) located in the central instrument cluster then shows the speed to select in order to pass through the light during a green phase. It also displays a visual aid using red, amber or green icons.

Photo: Audi

Audi sees the light to trim down traffic stops – The evolution of the 'connected car' is continuing apace with a demonstration of the company's latest production-ready driver assist technology which enables interactivity with city traffic lights.

If a driver is already waiting at a red light, the system can calculate and count down the time remaining until the next green light is about to appear. It also interacts with the car’s automatic Start-Stop function to ensure the engine is switched on five seconds before the green light is slated to come on.

By Audi’s reckoning, this traffic light recognition method has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent and could save about 900 million litres of fuel if it were to be deployed throughout Germany.

The fully functional system is now production ready and could fitted to every Audi model subject to any necessary legislation. It was actively demonstrated recently on busy Las Vegas roads in an Audi A6 sedan as part of a trail-blazing technology display at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. Comprehensive testing continues in that city with 50 sets of traffic lights.

Testing is also underway in Verona in northern Italy, where some 60 traffic lights covering almost the entire city are involved. Further testing is also happening in Berlin, where 25 Audi customers are driving cars fitted with Online traffic information that can link up a total of 1,000 traffic lights in that city. A market launch is currently the subject of close study in the U.S.

Ready to Take Your Hands Off the Wheel?

By Bill McLauchlan

Are you ready to flip through a file or take a nap while being driven robotically to work? It may be years yet before you can do it but the driverless is here. You’ve probably seen videos of the Google car.

The technology exists – car makers from Audi to Volvo and anyone in between have all showcased various permutations. But it’ll take some hard graft on system commonalities and global legal conformity to make it happen.

So, if a busy professional life, inherent laziness or physical limitations brought on by advancing years make the prospect sound worthwhile you’ll have to wait a while yet.

But automotive supplier TRW has come up with a new steering wheel concept that helps guide automakers down the path to automated driving and the car of the future.

Photo: Rinspeed

Unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva auto show, TRW’s approach was unveiled on the Rinspeed XchangE show car. The steering wheel offers a number of multi-functional features, including hands on/off detection to support the driver during semi-automated and automated driving situations.

Guido Hirzmann, group leader, new technology, Mechatronic, commented: “Rinspeed’s steer-by-wire XchangE vehicle featuring TRW’s steering wheel system opens up a world of possibilities to the driver. With the integrated hands on/off sensor and flexible positioning of the wheel, the driver can choose whether to drive the vehicle, pass control to the front passenger, or have the vehicle drive itself in automated mode.

Photo: PR NEWSWIRE/Newscom

“Furthermore, with the increasing number of electronically controlled functions in the vehicle, certain controls can be eliminated or packaged into the steering wheel, offering more space and flexibility for the car interior. For example, with the XchangE, we have been able to remove the centre console and integrate the gearshift into the steering wheel.”

The following functions can be activated by touching transparent switches:

• A Drive Mode Manager (DMM) display, located at the top of the steering wheel, illuminating ‘A’ when the vehicle is in automated mode. If the driver touches the steering wheel, ‘M’ (manual) is lit up indicating the driver is ready to take back control of the car. If ‘Push to Drive’ or ‘PTD’ is touched, control is given back to the driver. Similarly, if the driver takes hands off the wheel, the DMM display automatically changes from ‘M’ to ‘A’ and the car continues to drive in automated mode.

• Gear Shift – the driver can move from park, neutral, drive and reverse using the relevant switches on the steering wheel.

• Turn Indicators – the indicator switches are illuminated white (ambient lighting) and when activated the corresponding left and right turn arrows flash.

• Electronic Horn System (EHS) – the horn can be activated by touching a conductive area on the wheel’s central airbag cover.

Hirzmann concluded the concept “redefines the conventional role of the steering wheel as cars evolve and as a result can help to reduce some of the driving tasks and increase comfort.”