Mainstream News Links (147)
Why a $20 Million Art Collection ended up in a Long Island, NY, Body Shop
Written by WSJfor more information including shop photos go HERE
Media
Jerry Wientjes, owner of McCarran Auto Body, is accustomed to a flood of vehicles at his shop every winter. But not this one. Wientjes, whose career in automotive restoration spans 35 years, says McCarran Auto Body usually sees a roughly 70 percent increase in cars at its shop during wet winters when roads freeze and unlucky motorists spin out and crash.
Anchorage, AK, Body Shops Especially Busy This Winter
Written by Ted Land, KTUUAuto body repair shops in Anchorage, Alaska are not complaining about the near-record snowfall and icy roads which have sent so many drivers careening into one another this winter.
Click HERE to read KTUU coverage
Chrysler to revive Dodge Dart name for compact
Written by Jerry Edgerton, CBSChrysler is reviving the Dodge Dart name for a new compact car on sale next year.
Chrysler Group said the Dart is based on the design of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, much praised in Europe for its style and road manners. Like Chrysler Group, Alfa Romeo is owned by Fiat. The Giuletta platform has been lengthened and widened for the U.S. entry. Full details of the new car will be announced in January at the Detroit auto show.
Click HERE to Read CBS story
Auto body shops say they, not insurers, should set costs
Written by Adam Belz, USA TodayAuto repair shops are stepping up their efforts against insurance companies, which they argue are controlling their prices by steering customers toward preferred businesses that do their bidding. Auto body trade groups are promoting bills in state legislatures from Massachusetts to Iowa to try to change the rules of the game.
Continue Reading in USA TODAY HERE
This spring will be remembered as one of the wettest seasons on record. In addition to tornado damage, water-damaged vehicles may be flooding car lots, says a report by Arkansas' KTHV.
The Arkansas Attorney General's office is issuing a consumer alert on how to avoid car scams.
"Most of these cars will go onto be sold. A relatively small percentage will actually be junked," says Deputy Attorney General Jim DePriest.
for rest of the story, including video and photos go HERE
World Record Holder in (Legal) Staged Crashes for Police Training
Written by staffInsurance adjusters, law enforcement officials and prosecutors looked on as W.R.“Rusty” Haight, director of the Collision Safety Institute in San Diego, drove a car head on into another in the paved lot of the Wyman-Gordon Company in Grafton, MA on May 6.
For Mr. Haight, it was just another day at the office. He has staged thousands of crashes and holds the Guinness World Record for most human subject crash tests. In the past, he said he has wrecked 29 vehicles in a matter of seven hours.“This isn't like you see on CSI on television,” he said. “It's a lot more detailed and realistic. It's the way it is in the real world.”Mr. Haight said the staged crashes, done routinely for state police training, are the ultimate, full-scale labs.
to read full story with photo go HERE
Media
Collision shops feeling crunched
Written by Paul Wyche | The Journal GazetteDrivers make do or the insurers ‘total’ it, eliminating repair work
Collision repair shops are taking a hit. Today’s automobiles are safer, fuel-efficient and generally more technologically advanced than vehicles built years ago. Those strides have resulted in an array of on-board gadgetry that is costly to replace after a crash. In many cases, insurance companies cut their losses and will designate a vehicle as “totaled.” “There does seem to be more of that than it used to be,” said Terry Larson, owner of Terry Larson Insurance in Huntington. He said when a repair bill is more than a car’s current market value, the insured usually is handed a check for the vehicle’s worth.
to read the rest of the article with photos go HERE
Mercedes Recalling 137,000 SUVs Over Cruise Control
Written by CNN Money/StaffMercedes-Benz is recalling 137,000 M-class SUVs because the cruise control doesn't immediately disengage when drivers tap the brake pedal.
Cruise control systems are supposed to immediately shut off the moment the driver uses either the brake or gas pedal...
To read the rest of this article please CLICK HERE.
Ford Sales Beat Out GM for the First Time in Over a Decade
Written by StaffFord Motor Co. topped rival General Motors in U.S. sales in March, grabbing the No. 1 spot for the first time in nearly 13 years...
To read the full text of this article please CLICK HERE.
