Need some "X" PR Help!

I'm guessing this would be from Tim Baxter...

CMS is going to do what ever want to do with what ever car they choose... as for my opinion, I would really, really prefer CMS to stay away from the X1/9 unless the CMS staff is willing to listen and understand what the X1/9 really is, capable of being and it's history.

CMS is not likely going to change readership opinion about the X1/9 or FIATs in general by doing a project car.

Again, the effort to include German, Italian, Swedish, French, Japanese, and etc... is an effort to gain a wider readership. Regardless, at the core, CMS is still pretty much Brit car oriented as reflected in the market place and car folks perferences.

It's already been discussed that Brit car suppliers like Moss Motors, TRF, Revington and more have the parts to build a new Brit car, this is just a reflection of the following Brit cars enjoy to this day and CMS and other similar publications are following this market demand.

Recently, Hemmings has changed thier Brit car orientation after much nudging from their readership and the last few recent issues have been intersting. There was an article on the X1/9 (still not ideal, but OK) one on the Citroen SM, a BMW Z00Z hatchback and more. Such a change from cover to cover stories about Brit cars.

And Tim, I still remember what you said to me on the CMS forum, it's not forgiven....yet.


Baxter said:
There appears to be a lot of misinformation or miscommunication here.

Rapunzell said: "Honestly folks, better to leave CMS alone, they have their audience and are less than interested in the X.

That's just ridiculous. Our audience is ALL classic car lovers, and that obviously includes the vibrant X community.

Rapunzell said: "They have every right do as their editorial staff chooses.

That's very true. Our editorial staff chooses to make the best magazine we can, and make it appeal to a broad range of classic car fans. We're interested in inclusion, not exclusion.

Doug wrote: My guess is that within the next half year we'll see a Fiat project of some kind. ... In the end, he knows we're all paid subscribers and he has every reason to want to cover a topic/brand that a meaningful minority of his readership enjoy

I don't know if a Fiat project will turn up or not -- you never can tell what will be next -- but I do know two Alfas were recently added to the staff stables. We like Italian cars. We like British cars. We like Swedish and German and Japanese and American cars. We like cars.
We like the communities that spring up around them, too, and we DO listen to you.

Rooster wrote: I mean, how good of a job would they do? A.) they'd probably not do an X justice and B.) they'd probably just nit pic the car anyways.

As good a job as we know how to do (which is usually pretty damn good) and why would we want to nitpick our own project car? Remember, we own and drive our project cars, and have to live with them every day. We have a personal interest in doing them well.

Anyway, that was all a very long way of saying don't think we don't love ya, 'cause we do, and we are listening.
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Rapunzel, what DID I say to you that upset you so?

As for variety, I'd put us up against just about anyone. Just taking a look at recent covers, you'll see a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Volvo, a BMW and a Honda--pretty diverse!
 
The variety is excellent Tim...

Except for one glaring omission... No X1/9s. As far as I am concerned, you folks have the most exciting automotive publications (GRMS and CMS) in the United States. But its frustrating, to me anyway, that the automotive community that has the most energy and excitement (HERE) is not more represented in the automotive publications that have the most energy and excitement.

As far as the Xweb crowd goes, the fact that a CMS editor came here to see what was going on proves that they are interested in what "X" people are doing, thinking, and talking about. Now they just need to reflect that interest on the pages of their excellent magazine! -Doug
 
Be careful what you wish for everyone...

...we enjoy a time where you can pick up a decent X and X parts for lunch money.

So lets say that CMS does do a full build on one and then writes about what a fantastic performer it is, and that it really does out-handle an MGB/Spitfire/TR6/etc... ...right out of the box no less. Such attention may not be at all beneficial to us (my apologies to Matt at Midwest X1/9...).

I know how good the X is, and I know what can be done to them. I don't need a magazine to reinforce that...
 
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Stay the same, or change?

If that is the question, Jim, then I agree with you that "X" world should stay the same. On the other hand (and I freely admit I could be wrong here) I think we may be facing a different sort of question. Bayless used to be huge, FAZA used to be busy, and PBS used to turn out big valve heads like they were making Cheese-its. I can also remember, not too long ago from my point of view, when most of the body panels on an X could be bought brand new for very short money. But the world is different now. Today, those established and successful businesses listed above are all but gone, and the "X" is coming to a crossroads. I suspect the question now is whether the "X" will become a true classic with a commensrate increase in value and attention, or sink into obscurity with the likes of the Saab Sonnet, the Opel GT, and the 1st generation Sciroccos. Before you start swearing at me, think about my point.I recognise that the the "X" has a lot more to offer than any of those cars, but the fact is that the "X" is becoming obscure in the same way that those cars did just before they all but disappeared. I want continued parts availibility and support for our cars, and in order for that to happen, the remaining cars must catch the attention of the broader classic sportscar community. An multi-issue feature in the leading sportcar magazine of our times is the best way to help that start to happen.

Is this a double-edged sword? You bet it is. The cars we love will become more expensive, more common on the roads, and the parts cars that we have all been cannibalizing to keep our "X"s on the road will become harder and more expensive to find. Used parts will climb in value, and as they do, manufacturers will slowly begin to produce new aftermarket parts to replace the used ones that are no longer availible. That's the way it happened with the MGA, the MGB, the Alfa, and the TR6. So the question as I see it is, do we want our cars to become the next Opel GT, or the next Alfa Spyder? I know what I want, and that is why I'm pushing for a multi-issue project "X" restoration/build-up in the either GRMS or CMS. I think it is time for the "X" to get recognised for what it is; a groundbreaking and revolutionary design that deserves to be assigned true classic status. The only way to achieve that is to get the word out, and that is exactly what some of us are trying to do. Think about it. Everyone is pleased when a new X owner finds Xweb. Why? Because when they come here, they are not just an X owner, they are an X lover. As the community grows, the "X" becomes safer and more likely to be preserved for the future. Isn't that good for all of us? -Doug
 
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Sounds like they are listening...

Give them a shot. I have met several of the guys at CMS in person and they are a swell bunch. We need to stick to what we know (X1/9s) and let them stick to what they know (magazines). We can meet in the middle somewhere.

As for the British vs Italian thing, my car solves that problem, it is a RHD British market Italian car. Talk about building bridges. If you ever want to do a story on my car and how it came to the US, let me know. How many cars can say they started life in the old worlde and came to the new world on-board the famous QE2. That is a story.

Anyway, this is an exciting time for us and I am sure that the SMS folks will give us a fair shake if we are fair enough with them. I will be watching though. :)
Brett
 
It's spelled "Rupunzell", not Rapunzel what is up with that?

As for what pissed me off, I went looking at CMS forum to see if the post was still there, it is:
http://classicmotorsports.net/forum...-refuse-if-given-to-you/3147/page2/#post51211

What car would I refuse if given to me.. Most anything from British Leyland. After taking apart two Triumph's and watching other car folks deal with their British cars, I'm so un-impressed with much of the design, engineering, build quality and production methods. Just recently there were two stories of a TR6 loosing it's rear wheel due to a failed rear hub which caused the car two crash into a open field. The hub's design and production is seriously flawed from the very start. The other is a TR6 where the front axle broke off causing the wheel to fly off again. Another serious design problem with this car.

Yesterday, while putting our TR6 front brake rotor and hub assembly together, the four 3/8"x24 bolts that hold the brake rotor to the hub stripped out at just over 35 ft/lbs of torque. To my shock and amazement, the wheel flange hub is made of cast iron... This was discovered when the holes were resized with a hand reamer as part of the repair process. The hand reamer had no problem at all cutting the cast iron using very little pressure. This is just one of the discouraging discoveries one makes when trying to put one of these back together after taking everything apart and doing a close evaluation of how it's really made.

The only British car exception would be Lotus. Like these, very, very much.

Others, most anything from Detroit and Early Japanese cars (pre-80's) would be on my list of stay far, far away.

~~~~~~~~~~~then~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't own the TR6 or the TR3, it's owned by another member of this house hold. I just got inducted into working on them. IMO, the TR3 is a better car than the TR6. The TR3 is the more honest design of the two and it's design, build and engineering is reasonable. Given the technology, production methods and materials used in the car industry of the time, the TR3 is quite reasonable and it's got loads of British charm and personality. It's performance is limited by the reality of when it was built and designed and intended use. Of the TR series, it looks like the solid rear axle TR4 would be the best of that series.

When BL introduced the TR6, they tried extend what was basically a design from the post war days to Standard Motor. Adding a independent rear suspension (full of problems), a straight six, body by Karmann and the usual Brit car interior touches. While the marketing and reputation was built on Triumph's winning races in SCCA and glowing reviews by some members of the automotive media, the hard reality of this car is quite different than the facade of a track champion. If Triumph was forced to use only original Triumph parts as supplied and designed, the race cars would not be reliable enough to be a successful race car. I learned much about this from reading Kas Kastners books, from the Triumph community and from my own experience with these cars. After taking apart the TR3 down to the frame and later the TR6 down to every last nut and bolt, I have a pretty good idea of what really goes into this car. The problems are know within the Triumph community and just about anyone who is willing enough to hear and understand the real problems with the TR6 and take them seriously.

My motivation for being so vocal about the problems with these cars is give the Classic Car Community a reality check of what these car really are and not see these cars beyond their reputation and myth of durability and "how good they are". Problem areas like rear hubs or front axles that fail which could easily result in serious injury and damage to the car should be considered and addressed. Front suspension A arm mounts that break off, rear differential mounts that fail, frames that rust from the inside out which can result in structural failures and more should all be taken seriously by TR owners and not live in under the denial of a shiny coat of paint and spiffy interior. Part of the problem of denial rest on the current automotive media for not truthfully and accurately telling the entire reality of these cars. Instead, they worry more about offending their British car readership and selling more magazines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tim Baxter's reply~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rupunzell, you have a knack for making a point forcefully, but even a point made well doesn't necessarily make it right.

Fact is with any classic car, there are problem areas, and those problems are probably going to be exacerbated by years of use and misuse. It's true no matter what country or company the car originally came from.

Any car from that era can rust badly, often times with disastrous consequences Consider the BMW 2002s well-known propensity for rotted shock towers. Or 240Zs, which rusted pretty much everywhere. Or Fiats, which rusted so badly some were recalled before they were ever sold.

And design failures/weak points? Not exactly a TR exclusive, either. You point to two anecdotal incidents of TR hub failure, without thinking of the hundreds of thousands of cars built using the same design that have covered millions of miles over decades without a problem.

If you think a Lotus is going to win awards for good, durable design, well..... a Lotus has many virtues, but robust design is generally not among them.

All classics were built with old technology, using old materials, to old designs, and there WILL be problem areas. For that matter, old has nothing to do with it, really. There's plenty of new cars with well-known and documented weak points.

The reality is that as classic car owners we have a responsibility to ourselves and everyone else on the road to know the cars weak points and make sure they're up to snuff. You show me a TR with a failed hub, and I'll show you a TR that was probably long overdue for a close inspection.

Tim, think about what you said to me... and why I might be still pissed off to this day about what was written. Hint, what I wrote about the TR6 is based on hard facts and knowledge gained from taking the TR6 completely apart to it's last bits and doing some engineering detective work.


Baxter said:
Rapunzel, what DID I say to you that upset you so?

As for variety, I'd put us up against just about anyone. Just taking a look at recent covers, you'll see a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Volvo, a BMW and a Honda--pretty diverse!
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I agree with you on this..

Problem is it seems no matter what media coverage the X receives, it appears to make little difference. Hemmings did a short on the X a while ago and followed up with a more in-depth article.

Neither seems to have affected market values or market interest in the X. I have many, many magazine articles written about the X over the years, most every single one of them are positive. CAR magazine voted the X and Road & Track voted the X as one of the very best sports cars of the 80's. Still, all this historical positive media coverage has done little to affect it's market value.

I do believe part of the difficulty is how car folks in the US perceive FIATs and the brand has been tarred with the same rusty brush even if it's all based on urban legend. Remember when Bertone imported the X to the US via Malcom B? Bertone hid the FIAT emblem on the intake plenum with a stainless steel cover with the smog diagram on it.

It is very difficult to change market inertia or ingrained public beliefs. This is a similar problem Detroit has in trying to change their perceived public image of "Poor quality cars". Even SAAB 900's key on the transmission drew criticism like a moth to light bulb in the night.

I have spent nearly 30 years with an X1/9 in my life in one way or another.. I have seen it's ups and downs in the US car market and what various folks have done to the X over these years. The X has indeed reached a place where it will either be recognized as one of the most significant affordable sports cars designed or fall into cult status much like the Lotus Europa.

This might upset some X owners, but, part of the problem lies in what some X owners are willing or expect to pay for the car and parts. There are many, many Brit car folks who are more than happy to spend to keep their cars happy. Example $250.00 for a single Koni damper on a Triumph while some X owners are shocked that KYB's cost about $70.00 pre damper. Heck, you can still get new Koni's for a Triumph Stag, but not an X1/9. A rebuilt over drive TR transmission can cost over $2500.00 and a Toyota 5 speed conversion more than that, yet they sell to that crowd just fine. If suppliers are to have the ability to deliver reproduction parts, the car owners need to be willing to spend for them. It's also coupled to the market value of the car in question. If an X could be had for $100.00 (yea, basket case) why should the potential owner spend on trying to restore it or keep it on the road since even a really nice X today sells for under $5K..?

Kinda of the same problem FIAT faces with their current involvement with Chrysler.. Until FIAT is able significantly alter public perception, their history (even if it is completely false) will follow and haunt them to the their very end. The automotive media perpetuating myths about old FIATs to this day is not helping what so ever.

Beating up on CMS in trying to get them to do a "Project X1/9" is not likely going to alter US car folks perception of the X or it's market value.

Classic car fans are usually into the cars they are passionate about based on good memories of they youth and good times spent in these cars. It's more about the "ride" vs the "drive" which is why performance is not always the factor that classic car owners becomes passionate about a specific car.

DPVOG said:
If that is the question, Jim, then I agree with you that "X" world should stay the same. On the other hand (and I freely admit I could be wrong here) I think we may be facing a different sort of question. Bayless used to be huge, FAZA used to be busy, and PBS used to turn out big valve heads like they were making Cheese-its. I can also remember, not too long ago from my point of view, when most of the body panels on an X could be bought brand new for very short money. But the world is different now. Today, those established and successful businesses listed above are all but gone, and the "X" is coming to a crossroads. I suspect the question now is whether the "X" will become a true classic with a commensrate increase in value and attention, or sink into obscurity with the likes of the Saab Sonnet, the Opel GT, and the 1st generation Sciroccos. Before you start swearing at me, think about my point.I recognise that the the "X" has a lot more to offer than any of those cars, but the fact is that the "X" is becoming obscure in the same way that those cars did just before they all but disappeared. I want continued parts availibility and support for our cars, and in order for that to happen, the remaining cars must catch the attention of the broader classic sportscar community. An multi-issue feature in the leading sportcar magazine of our times is the best way to help that start to happen.

Is this a double-edged sword? You bet it is. The cars we love will become more expensive, more common on the roads, and the parts cars that we have all been cannibalizing to keep our "X"s on the road will become harder and more expensive to find. Used parts will climb in value, and as they do, manufacturers will slowly begin to produce new aftermarket parts to replace the used ones that are no longer availible. That's the way it happened with the MGA, the MGB, the Alfa, and the TR6. So the question as I see it is, do we want our cars to become the next Opel GT, or the next Alfa Spyder? I know what I want, and that is why I'm pushing for a multi-issue project "X" restoration/build-up in the either GRMS or CMS. I think it is time for the "X" to get recognised for what it is; a groundbreaking and revolutionary design that deserves to be assigned true classic status. The only way to achieve that is to get the word out, and that is exactly what some of us are trying to do. Think about it. Everyone is pleased when a new X owner finds Xweb. Why? Because when they come here, they are not just an X owner, they are an X lover. As the community grows, the "X" becomes safer and more likely to be preserved for the future. Isn't that good for all of us? -Doug
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Uh oh...

Hi Rupunzell,
Check his "join" date. Today is Tim Baxter's first post to Xweb because he joined today.:dunce: He came over here because he was invited by us last week. Some of us are pressing him for a greater Fiat presence in his magazine and therefore, he wanted to see who we were and what we were about. I see your point about the exchange you had with him on the CMS forum a while back, but at the same time, I read the whole exchange and you weren't exactly delicate with him, either. You basically called him a dummy on his own forum without actually saying the word "dummy," and made it very clear to everyone following the thread that you knew one heck of a lot more about the engineering of cars than he does. Even given that is the case (I'm not technically sophisticated enough to even attempt to make a judgement here) I'm not sure it was very subtle to march into his house (he created that website and that forum) and tell him what a knucklehead he is. If you want to tell me to shut up on the topic, I'll back off and never say another word, and I'm not trying to piss you off. I respect your knowledge of cars in general, and of the "X" in particular, and realise that you are a highly valuable contributor to Xweb. -Doug
 
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It's a different issue now...

Rupunzell wrote: Problem is it seems no matter what media coverage the X receives, it appears to make little difference. Hemmings did a short on the X a while ago and followed up with a more in-depth article. Neither seems to have affected market values or market interest in the X. I have many, many magazine articles written about the X over the years, most every single one of them are positive. CAR magazine voted the X and Road & Track voted the X as one of the very best sports cars of the 80's. Still, all this historical positive media coverage has done little to affect it's market value.

Hi Rupunzell,
Most of those articles to which you refer (other than a very few recent ones) were written when the X was still for sale new in the US. The X was never sold to the right audience or marketed to the right people in the US when it was sold new. There were almost no exclusive Fiat dealers in the US. Almost all of them were combined dealers, as in Chabot Chrysler-Plymouth-Fiat. As a result, people walked into a domestic dealership with certain expectations about what amount of owner involvement a new car required and had their breath taken away by a "cute little car." The result; secretaries, psychologists, college professors, flight-attendants, and school teachers who never cared about cars at all were suddenly driving cars that were never designed to be driven by people who never cared about cars. Oops.

We are now in a totally different situation. I agree that Fiat has a rotten reputation in the US, but the factors that caused that reputation are ancient history, and the new potential audience for the "X" is precisely the audience it was originally designed for; namely, car enthusiasts who love to drive. That is who the CMS audience is made up of. Now, I'm not saying we can change the "X"s reputation with a single article. It will take time, it will be evolutionary, and will require many articles and many drives in an "X" by car people who have never driven one before. But if we keep the "X" alive until enough people can come to rediscover it in a new context, I believe it will eventually start to win a new and larger following of people..., people a lot like us! -Doug
 
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I'm not shy about calling a spade a spade...

Another example on the TR6 stuff. About two years ago Richard Good (Goodparts) offered CV joint conversion axles and rear hubs for the TR6. We ordered a set, when they arrived, I as typical took them completely apart to discover just how poor the quality and engineering were in these parts. Contacted Richard about the problem axles and he continued trying to get the supplier to correct these problems. Then a number of folks on TR6-pack was experiencing failures of these axles. Once this began to happen, I posted everything had discovered about the problems with these axles on 6-pack. Why, I simply did not want anyone getting injured or wasting their $$$$ on a inherently defective product. I had another discussion about the CV axle problems with Richard over the phone and suggested some fixes and suppliers. To my amazement, he took them seriously and now the current product offering is fine. Richard sent us a replacement set of axles free, much to my surprise.

Then there is the Tony episode when we ordered a frame for the TR6 and I ended up re-designing quite a bit of what he did. It's difficult for engineers or designers to take criticism about their designs and work, but we got alone very, very well. Tony even incorporated a few on my suggestion into his current offering..

I do what I do to try and educate or help folks who are passionate about the cars they own. If there is an inherent problem that is serious enough to cause death or injury, I'm not going to be silent about it which resulted in what I wrote at CMS.

One of my simple pleasures is helping folks on X web solve their problems or make suggestions on what might help. Yes, I was HARSH with the folks at CMS.. but there are times when the reality does not get understood until some one :mallet: over the head with facts and reality. I have eaten enough humble pie over the years from folks who are WAY more astute than I will ever be in their speciality, yet, I always learn something from them which is always wonderful for me. Knowledge gained and learned does not come easy, there is always much work to get to really know something about any topic and so easy to dismiss those who might be trying to educate another about a topic they need to know about if they are going to be involved with it.

Also, keep in mind I'm a woman working in a very male dominated profession for a very long time. Over the years, I have had to :hammer: other technical folks to get my point across which is why I write the stuff I do some times.


DPVOG said:
Hi Rupunzell,
Check his "join" date. Today is Tim Baxter's first post to Xweb because he joined today.:dunce: He came over here because he was invited by us last week. Some of us are pressing him for a greater Fiat presence in his magazine and therefore, he wanted to see who we were and what we were about. I see your point about the exchange you had with him on the CMS forum a while back, but at the same time, I read the whole exchange and you weren't exactly delicate with him, either. You basically called him a dummy on his own forum without actually saying the word "dummy," and made it very clear to everyone following the thread that you knew one heck of a lot more about the engineering of cars than he does. Even given that is the case (I'm not technically sophisticated enough to even attempt to make a judgement here) I'm not sure it was very subtle to march into his house (he created that website and that forum) and tell him what a knucklehead he is. If you want to tell me to shut up on the topic, I'll back off and never say another word, and I'm not trying to piss you off. I respect your knowledge of cars in general, and of the "X" in particular, and know that you are a highly valuable contributor to Xweb. -Doug
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I have watched this happen with other cars too. Initially, car buyers are drawn to a specific car for various reasons. Be it marketing, image or simply that cute little car on the show room floor.. nudges them to buy it now.

Even if it turns out to be the wrong car for them.

I'll use Lotus again, over time I do believe older Lotus cars have found their rightful owner(s) that understand what the cars are and what is required of their owners to keep and enjoy them for what they have to offer.

Vintage cars tend to discover owners whom they are suited and appreciative of what they have to offer. It's basic "Car_arwinism."

My hope is for the same to happen to the X and it seems to be going in that direction, slowly.

There are a number of "X-heads" who are seasoned veterans with these cars and share their depth of knowledge with the folks on X web. Along with the current suppliers who continue to support the X, makes ownership viable and possible.

We should all be thankful to have this space to share our passion and interest for this car.

Media exposure and racing an X can help generate interest for the X, but there is still the lingering stigma of what FIATs might be in the minds of potential owners.

Over the years, I have watched the Original Mini go from a mostly unknown cult car to a valued classic collectible. Yokohama offers performance tires in 10" specifically for the Mini, that says something about the original Mini's popularity. It all happened after the current Mini took hold and found it's place in the US car market.

It is possible if the FIAT/Chrysler merger becomes successful in the US market that older FIATs could loose their "Fix It Again Toni" reputation which could result in a wider interest of older FIATs like the X1/9...

DPVOG said:
Hi Rupunzell,
Most of those articles to which you refer (other than a very few recent ones) were written when the X was still for sale new in the US. The X was never sold to the right audience or marketed to the right people in the US when it was sold new. There were almost no exclusive Fiat dealers in the US. Almost all of them were combined dealers, as in Chabot Chrysler-Plymouth-Fiat. As a result, people walked into a domestic dealership with certain expectations about what amount of owner involvement a new car required and had their breath taken away by a "cute little car." The result; secretaries, psychologists, college professors, flight-attendants, and school teachers who never cared about cars at all were suddenly driving cars that were never designed to be driven by people who never cared about cars. Oops.

We are now in a totally different situation. I agree that Fiat has a rotten reputation in the US, but the factors that caused that reputation are ancient history, and the new potential audience for the "X" is precisely the audience it was originally designed for; namely, car enthusiasts who love to drive. That is who the CMS audience is made up of. Now, I'm not saying we can change the "X"s reputation with a single article. It will take time, it will be evolutionary, and will require many articles and many drives in an "X" by car people who have never driven one before. But if we keep the "X" alive until enough people can come to rediscover it in a new context, I believe it will eventually start to win a new and larger following of people..., people a lot like us! -Doug
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I think we`ll be better of if we contact Hemmings Sports and Exotics magazine...

They do a better job at covering all kind of cars even thou they are also biased more towards British cars.But if we send them a good candidate story,i bet you they`ll do it,specially now that Fiat is coming back to USA!!!
Anyone here in the Northeastern USA(close to Vermont) willing to volunteer?....A good nice looking early/74X(Paul Valentes car comes to mind) and a late one would make a great article.And what if we throw them a modified one?.......You guys tell me what you think.:brow:
 
Damn Rupunzell...

I hate to say it....but as you say you call a spade a spade...I must say that through your writing, you are just sounding like you are just trying to "prove" you know more about a particular subject, than someone else, and that is it. I must say you are coming across more juvenile at this point than superior. I am just sayin'...Your presentation techniques do not help your position.
 
Tim I enjoy the CMS and have for

many years now! :read: Thanks for stopping by the forum and giving us some other points of view...
Just bring up at the meetings to show the FIATS and especially the X1/9 some love and ink time to time. Hopefully won't be long before the 500 is actually on US soil.
It was really nice to see this cover story last season with Chris O's exxie!:thumbsup:
Mag.jpg
 
Half serious...

Doug,

I hope you realized that my "be careful what you wish for" comment was only half serious. I hardly think a single article would change perceptions significantly. However, being a long time Brit fan I have watched prices on those cars gradually rise into silly teritory, and this is something I would rather not see happen to the X. I remember the days that with a couple thousand bucks you could buy clean MGBs all day long... and at that price it made sense to do so... much fun was had for your dollar. But now I see late model, emasculated, buggy-bumpered 'Bs going for close to $10K. That is simply ridiculous as those cars are horrible. Yes, a better aftermarket parts supply that would follow higher X recognition would be enjoyable, but if decent cars cost twice as much to get, that would take much of the fun out of it ...at least for me.

It may be my contrarian nature, but I like the current Q-ship / sleeper status of the X. I think its fun that most have no idea what it is and I really like the fact that I can drive the thing around and not see another coming at me. And I would argue that many X owners enjoy their cars for similar reasons.

...and why would I want to "swear at you"... :)
 
A Black Day in "X" World!

http://classicmotorsports.net/articl...ngine-madness/
Truely a hate peice, with all the bile and spite those Anglophilic bastards from CMS could possibly pack into an undersized and slanted article. Spineless, muckraking, yellow journalism like this cannot go unanswered. Yes, I was warned, but I didn't listen, and now those chickens have come home to roost in the form an article so libelous, so tabloid-like, that the Fiat/Chrysler merger is collapsing under the weight of the negative fallout. CSM, we thought you liked FIAT?!? Baxter, thy name is Judas, and your free membership to Xweb is hereby revoked! -Doug
 
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