Article on Midwest Bayless in Oct. Car & Driver
- Thread starter WhiteyM
- Start date
autox19
True Classic
getting attention FINALLY! But...
It stinks that most of the article was matt defending the brand. We all have done it, yeah we joke around about fixing them all the time, but in reality it is because we are tweaking them.
I am willing to bet the interview wasnt mainly "you have Yugos out front?' but that is what caught the writers attention. I would have loved to have read about how we can take any ~$1000 fiat, put $50 tires on it, and be VERY competitive, if not beat most cars that are built today on an autocross course.
ok, off my soapbox....
Congrats Matt!
Odie
P.S. it scared me to find you have refused to salvage some cars when I wasnt sure you would take the 2 you grabbed from me!
It stinks that most of the article was matt defending the brand. We all have done it, yeah we joke around about fixing them all the time, but in reality it is because we are tweaking them.
I am willing to bet the interview wasnt mainly "you have Yugos out front?' but that is what caught the writers attention. I would have loved to have read about how we can take any ~$1000 fiat, put $50 tires on it, and be VERY competitive, if not beat most cars that are built today on an autocross course.
ok, off my soapbox....
Congrats Matt!
Odie
P.S. it scared me to find you have refused to salvage some cars when I wasnt sure you would take the 2 you grabbed from me!
bb4re
86X 22,000 miles
Finally saw the article...
...had to download it digitally.
Very dissapointed with it. The people were here for an entire day, took tons of pics...then sent a professional photographer to take that pic a few weeks later. I still don't get the idea of the pic. The article somehow makes it sound like Matt was "given" the Bayless inventory...far from the truth. And what's with all of the Yugo slant? Sure, we have a row of them out front and off to the side, but we also had about a dozen X's, a 124 Spider, an 850 or two, a few Zagatos and a few other Fiat models sitting in the shop.
Very odd...but we have already received some response from it from a few people that never even knew we were around. One with an 83X in Tennessee that wants a full restoration, and another guy here in Ohio with two Spiders, that had never even heard of Bayless before. So all is not lost with it, just very curious as to what they were thinking. Could have been a much more informative article about Fiat itself, and those of us in the community that love these cars so much and are excited about the comeback to the States.
Any recognition is good, it certainly won't take any business away from M-B. Hopefully it will bring even more of these cars out of the woodwork, and we can bring them onboard to XWeb, as we do most all new X owners we encounter.
...had to download it digitally.
Very dissapointed with it. The people were here for an entire day, took tons of pics...then sent a professional photographer to take that pic a few weeks later. I still don't get the idea of the pic. The article somehow makes it sound like Matt was "given" the Bayless inventory...far from the truth. And what's with all of the Yugo slant? Sure, we have a row of them out front and off to the side, but we also had about a dozen X's, a 124 Spider, an 850 or two, a few Zagatos and a few other Fiat models sitting in the shop.
Very odd...but we have already received some response from it from a few people that never even knew we were around. One with an 83X in Tennessee that wants a full restoration, and another guy here in Ohio with two Spiders, that had never even heard of Bayless before. So all is not lost with it, just very curious as to what they were thinking. Could have been a much more informative article about Fiat itself, and those of us in the community that love these cars so much and are excited about the comeback to the States.
Any recognition is good, it certainly won't take any business away from M-B. Hopefully it will bring even more of these cars out of the woodwork, and we can bring them onboard to XWeb, as we do most all new X owners we encounter.
Matt Brannon - Midwest Bayless
Mad.Matt
Hey, it is what it is....
Funny that we had a whole shop full of cars including 124s, Lancia Zag and Coupe, 128s, etc. and they focussed on the Yugo thing. Whatever!
And I wonder which of you can guess where the Huntsville, AL comment came from? Steve H. just >happened< to be in-town and at the shop when the writer was here.
It was fun to have C&D in, Phil Berg is a really nice guy who was sincerely interested in our business and our story, but somehow between the notepad and the editors table, we got kinda got "Jersey Shore'd".
As for the stereotypical picture, my displeasure was more than evident when the photog said "we're going to have you guys eating spaghetti under a FIAT". Ugh. But we rolled with it. I suppose they'll suggest chopsticks and Sushi for the article on the Datsun shop next month. LOL.
Anyways, thanks for all of the interest from those here. It's a pleasure serving you all.
-Matt
Funny that we had a whole shop full of cars including 124s, Lancia Zag and Coupe, 128s, etc. and they focussed on the Yugo thing. Whatever!
And I wonder which of you can guess where the Huntsville, AL comment came from? Steve H. just >happened< to be in-town and at the shop when the writer was here.
It was fun to have C&D in, Phil Berg is a really nice guy who was sincerely interested in our business and our story, but somehow between the notepad and the editors table, we got kinda got "Jersey Shore'd".
As for the stereotypical picture, my displeasure was more than evident when the photog said "we're going to have you guys eating spaghetti under a FIAT". Ugh. But we rolled with it. I suppose they'll suggest chopsticks and Sushi for the article on the Datsun shop next month. LOL.
Anyways, thanks for all of the interest from those here. It's a pleasure serving you all.
-Matt
any publicity
[FONT="]This type of reporting is typical today. The few times I was ever involved with a news item, and then read what was finally reported in the media, I hardly recognized the story as what really happened. I particularly like Matt’s hard work, and one of my great pleasures, reduced to a cultural stereotype. Still for Matt, as they say, [/FONT][FONT="]any[/FONT][FONT="] publicity is good publicity.
Vincent Macaluso D.B.A. enzo mac
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="]This type of reporting is typical today. The few times I was ever involved with a news item, and then read what was finally reported in the media, I hardly recognized the story as what really happened. I particularly like Matt’s hard work, and one of my great pleasures, reduced to a cultural stereotype. Still for Matt, as they say, [/FONT][FONT="]any[/FONT][FONT="] publicity is good publicity.
Vincent Macaluso D.B.A. enzo mac
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
Last edited:
Rupunzell
Bernice Loui
I'll Need To Read The Article, But...
What was written does not surprise me. This is very typical of how the media operates. As I have Ranted and Raved many times here about how slanted, biased, self promoting and self interest driven these "publications" are, this appear to be another example of why I have come to despise much of the automotive media and the media in general.
Bottom line, they are after a "Good Read" to sell their publications at the expense of who or what they write about. They know their publication has the power to make or break who or what they write about and they use this power to control public perception.
The story would be glowing if serious advertising dollars were thrown at the publications in question.
Honesty and truth is simply not relevant to what is written, just how the publication can use the topic to their advantage is all that matters.
This is the sad and hard reality FIAT must deal with as they re-enter the American car market again.. They have a long and hard journey ahead with the media assured to dig up how rusty, un-reliable, poor quality and every other FIAT stereotype will be dragged up for public consumption and propaganda.
What was written does not surprise me. This is very typical of how the media operates. As I have Ranted and Raved many times here about how slanted, biased, self promoting and self interest driven these "publications" are, this appear to be another example of why I have come to despise much of the automotive media and the media in general.
Bottom line, they are after a "Good Read" to sell their publications at the expense of who or what they write about. They know their publication has the power to make or break who or what they write about and they use this power to control public perception.
The story would be glowing if serious advertising dollars were thrown at the publications in question.
Honesty and truth is simply not relevant to what is written, just how the publication can use the topic to their advantage is all that matters.
This is the sad and hard reality FIAT must deal with as they re-enter the American car market again.. They have a long and hard journey ahead with the media assured to dig up how rusty, un-reliable, poor quality and every other FIAT stereotype will be dragged up for public consumption and propaganda.
Jim W
Luckless Pedestrian
Unfortunately, magazines write what they think will be entertaining to their clientele, and I guess talking about Yugos and and having the employees eating spaghetti was thought to be interesting and amusing to the average C&D reader. No surprise here... Its been years since I subscribed to that mag., as they stopped writing to me long ago. That goes for all the "majors" as I just don't find them all that interesting any more.
There is one mag. however that I think would do you justice... Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car... In almost every issue they do a "Profiles in Excellence" column where they interview and critique a vendor that supports a particular marque (or provides a unique service)... They do a very good job.
Unfortunately HS&EC does not have the circulation of something like C&D... ...but it might be a much better targeted audience.
Good luck! and I wish your business the best.
There is one mag. however that I think would do you justice... Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car... In almost every issue they do a "Profiles in Excellence" column where they interview and critique a vendor that supports a particular marque (or provides a unique service)... They do a very good job.
Unfortunately HS&EC does not have the circulation of something like C&D... ...but it might be a much better targeted audience.
Good luck! and I wish your business the best.
Rupunzell
Bernice Loui
Well, Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car doe NOT do a very good job at writing. They practice agenda by factual omission. Many of their articles lack hard facts, good historical background and depth.
I have had numerious email conversation with their editor about this.. And they do have their agenda that will not change.
It seems just about every major American Automotive publication is on my "not worth reading" list.
Interesting to note there are FAR Automotive better publications from the UK.
I have had numerious email conversation with their editor about this.. And they do have their agenda that will not change.
It seems just about every major American Automotive publication is on my "not worth reading" list.
Interesting to note there are FAR Automotive better publications from the UK.
Dave80GTSi
Original Owner 1978 X1/9 (now sold)
Can you post a web link to this, for those of us who generally don't have much interest any more in this mag as a whole?
Dan Sarandrea (Phila)
Waitin' On Parts...
Letter Writing Campaign?
+1 on wanting to see the article digitally.
+1 on wanting to see the article digitally.
Jim W
Luckless Pedestrian
Greg (in Conn)
Bertone curator - X driver
Link for the C&D article: Ancient Grease
http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...inside_the_midwest-bayless_fiat_shop-feature/
http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...inside_the_midwest-bayless_fiat_shop-feature/
I agree with Rapunzell about the FIAT stereotype and the battle they will have to fight to win America's heart. I had no prior knowledge of FIAT before I bought my X and didn't know how unreliable it was and how unhappy I would be until my co-workers told me about the FIAT stereotype. I LOVE my car and have put almost 10,000 trouble-free miles on it since I bought it last year. It's a TRUE GREEN car, having it's resource usage spread over 30 years, gets 29 mpg (and I drive it like I stole it) and it cost less than 1K. Car affecionados admire it, chicks dig it, and it ain't a kookie kutter kar. Take THAT Toyota!!!!!:woot:
ryan
True Classic
Automotive magazines just freak me out with their low-quality writing and a complete lack of attention to detail. They are underestimating car enthusiasts if they think we buy into most of their nonsense. I guess the only saving grace is that our domestic magazines aren't as bad as the ones in Germany. We have bias over here, but it is nothing compared to the German rags.
Anyway, wow, in the picture with the pasta "Mat and Marnee Brannon at their rapidly expanding Midwest X1/9 company in Columbus, Ohio." So, they not only spell Matt's name wrong, but the name of the company, as well as his wife! Brilliant! Also, "Ancient Grease"; they do know Italy isn't Greece, right? ...or at least it hasn't been part of Greater Greece for almost 2,300 years... :hmm: Kind of embarrassing that Car and Driver comes out of Ann Arbor, Michigan...
Oh well, publicity is publicity, and I think Fiat and Alfa are about to do many good things in the US beginning this November.
-ryan
Anyway, wow, in the picture with the pasta "Mat and Marnee Brannon at their rapidly expanding Midwest X1/9 company in Columbus, Ohio." So, they not only spell Matt's name wrong, but the name of the company, as well as his wife! Brilliant! Also, "Ancient Grease"; they do know Italy isn't Greece, right? ...or at least it hasn't been part of Greater Greece for almost 2,300 years... :hmm: Kind of embarrassing that Car and Driver comes out of Ann Arbor, Michigan...
Oh well, publicity is publicity, and I think Fiat and Alfa are about to do many good things in the US beginning this November.
-ryan
