Autoblog

Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:30:00 EST

There have been rumors of an Apple iCar for much longer than five years. But it was five years ago that there was enough heat under them for a German newspaper to report that Steve Jobs and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn had met to discuss the idea. A year later another German outlet printed a photo of a VW concept (pitured) alongside an iPhone, and a columnist in the New York Times kindly asked Steve Jobs to save Detroit.

But did the iCar ever really exist as more than an idea? Mickey Drexler is the CEO of J. Crew and sits on the board of Apple Computer, and at a recent conference in New York he said that Steve Jobs' "dream before he died was to design an iCar." Drexler doesn't say when Jobs had this dream, whether it was just before he died or so long ago that it could substantiate the ancient rumors. No matter, Drexler said "He never did design it."

The edited video of Drexler's comments is posted below. And know that this doesn't mean the rumors, nor the iCar itself, are dead.

Continue reading Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video]

Apple Board Member: Steve Jobs' dream was to design iCar [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda scooter commercial employs Steve Jobs lookalike

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: China, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Motorcycle

Like Elvis and Tupac before him, Apple icon Steve Jobs is showing up in all kinds of unexpected places after his passing. This latest sighting comes in a commercial for a Honda SCR 110 scooter that channels The Jobs himself. Up close, the male actor isn't a ringer, but the black turtleneck and design theme leave no doubt about his inspiration.

The Chinese-language tag for this commercial says "Wuyang Honda Motorcycle." We don't know if they made it, but a post house called CN Post Production takes credit for some of the work on it. Follow the jump to check out the bizarre advertisement, and for thie other side of strange, you can check out their JianLi Bo apple juice spot.

Continue reading Honda scooter commercial employs Steve Jobs lookalike

Honda scooter commercial employs Steve Jobs lookalike originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Steve Jobs got away with not having a license plate

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Celebrities

Among the many myths surrounding the notoriously private life of Steve Jobs was his disdain for license plates. Jobs reportedly drove a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG without ever affixing a plate, leading many to speculate that Apple's powerful CEO had cut some back room deal with California's DMV, or that he had some high-tech bar code plate on his car, or that he just didn't mind paying whatever citations he received for his different thinking.

Now we have a report that claims to settle the issue once and for all, and explain how you too can drive plate-less in California if you're so inclined.

Continue reading How Steve Jobs got away with not having a license plate

How Steve Jobs got away with not having a license plate originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

Paul Eisenstein — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM, Celebrities

Where have all the mavericks gone?

When he hands in his office keys a few days from now, General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz will begin an oft-delayed retirement that was originally set to begin shortly after the ill-fated "merger of equals" between Daimler and Chrysler.

His decision to rejoin the automotive workforce a few years later wasn't all that much of a surprise to those who knew the former Marine pilot and what quite literally could be called his driving ambition. That leads many to suspect we'll continue to hear from Lutz, even though he bluntly wonders, "Who would hire a senior executive who's nearly 80 years old?"

Finally, it seems, this old soldier really may fade away, taking on a book assignment and a board seat or two. And, in the process, Lutz's departure will bring with it a different sort of change in the auto industry, the departure of the last classic automotive maverick.

Pull out a pen and jot down the names of the best-known auto industry executives. Your list might include Billy Ford or Alan Mulally, Ed Whitacre or even Carlos Ghosn, if you're taking the global view. Despite their prominence, even their willingness to take risks, these aren't exactly the sort of mavericks and eccentrics the industry was long known for.

That goes for Sergio Marchionne, the head of both Fiat and Chrysler. True, he's not your typical gray-flannel executive - he buys his trademark black sweaters "by the dozen," he jokes - and is clearly playing a high-risk poker game in his effort to turn around a desperately ill American automaker. But in the end, if someone eventually writes the Harvard Business Review analysis of the Canadian-educated executive, he'll still turn out to be another by-the-books strategist.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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D�j� Vu: Letter to Obama suggests Steve Jobs to head GM, Chrysler

Chris Shunk — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, GM, Earnings/Financials

Back in November, a New York Times columnist thought it would be a good idea for Apple CEO Steve Jobs to come to the auto industry's rescue. Jobs is worshiped by many in the tech world, and many feel that he pretty much saved Apple in the 1990s. But thinking that a brilliant tech guy can right the ship at struggling automakers could possibly be called a stretch. Well, Spark Capital founder Todd Dagres doesn't think so, as evidenced by his recent open letter to President Barack Obama.

Dagres, like many financial analysts, feels that the auto industry is worth saving, if only to keep its high paying jobs and stave off a deeper nationwide recession. He understands that market conditions helped cause the auto industry's current struggles, but says General Motors and Chrysler don't make products that people want to buy. He feels Steve Jobs could step in and provide design and product leadership that could help return a combined General Motors/Chrysler to their former glory.

Steve Jobs has been nothing short of heroic during his second tenure with Apple, but comparing his Cupertino-based company to GM and Chrysler is like comparing Apple to oranges. For instance, GM still builds its own engines, transmissions and many other components that make up their automobiles. Apple doesn't make its own processors, motherboards, graphics cards, hard drives or disc drives. In other words, the two industries are far too different for Jobs - or any other tech guy - to make a difference. Dagres argument is also predicated on the assumption that GM and Chrysler are selling vehicles that people don't want to buy. While that may be true to an extent with Chrysler, GM's lineup is chock full of competitive products. To simply say they're not what people want is willfully ignoring the countless other reasons for not buying a new car during a recession.

[Source: Tech Crunch]

D�j� Vu: Letter to Obama suggests Steve Jobs to head GM, Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYT columnist calls on Steve Jobs to fix Detroit

Chris Tutor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Chrysler, Ford, GM, Volkswagen

In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him.

Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected.

So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most?

What Friedman proposes is asking Steve Jobs to perform a "national service" for his country by taking reigns of one of Detroit's automakers for a year. The columnist has so much faith in the visionary talents of Jobs, he believes we'll all be lined up for a chance to buy a shiny new Chevrolet iCar. Or a JeepPro. Or a Mercury Lisa.

But we've heard in the past that Apple's CEO has been working for the other teams, so maybe Steve Wozniak could find some time in his schedule.

[Source: The New York Times via MacDailyNews]

NYT columnist calls on Steve Jobs to fix Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixar's "Cars": Ahhh, that new DVD smell

Chris Tutor — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 17:36:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Sure, "Bullitt" had a few nice cars in it. So did "Gone in 60 Seconds". But in Pixar's, "Cars", nothing but sweet, sweet animated automobilia. November 7 is the day you can park a copy right in the middle of all your other DVD tributes to transportation. Unless they're alphabetized, of course. Then "Cars" would be more toward one side or the other. But we digress.

One Amazon reviewer says the "Cars" DVD is somewhat slim on the extras we've come to expect from Pixar releases, but buyers at least get a new short, a behind-the-scenes, some deleted footage, and at least one Easter egg bonus. Australians got their copies on Oct. 25, and if you don't mind spoilers, here's a complete review of the disc and all its extras.

"Cars" on DVD should be in U.S. stores Nov. 7, several online retailers are taking pre-orders now.

Pixar's "Cars": Ahhh, that new DVD smell originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Nov 2006 17:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs hearts Autoblog

John Neff — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

click image to enlarge a bit

We try not to be a toot-our-own-horn kind of blog, but a few of us are just way too into Macs to let this one slide by. While watching the keynote given by Steve Jobs on the progress of OSX 10.5 Leopard in August (you can watch the video here), reader Dewey K. noticed during the demo of Apple's Mail program that two emails from Autoblog were in Steve Jobs' inbox. The emails have subjects that match the titles of a pair of older posts. The first is "In Britain, a different rally championship -- for slot cars!" and the second, not surprisingly, is "Apple's iPod looks to dominate the dashboard". ~~We don't remember sending the Apple CEO any emails~~ A smart commenter realized that Autoblog's RSS feed was probably being pumpted into Jobs' Apple Mail program, which will be a new feature of OSX 10.5.

We know his Steve-ness is into cars, as a full 70 percent of all 2007 models will natively accept tuneage from his family of iPods. We also know that he's a big fan of Mercedes-Benz and that the state of California allows him to drive without a license plate because he's had so many stolen (he instead has a small bar code where the plate should be).

Really, we're a little miffed at our boys from Engadget who were in like the second row and didn't catch this. We forgive, though. Hey Steve, we heart you, too.

Steve Jobs hearts Autoblog originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Sep 2006 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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