Looking Back: August 2006
Gas prices rise along with temperatures. You can’t go a day without hearing about the pain at the pumps. Luckily, there is also some good news in August.
Hummer doesn’t seem to understand its own public perception.
Dr. Z is now hard at work for Chrysler as spokesman in countless commercials. America begins to get really tired of his accent.
In the Really Big Recall department, Jeep recalls 832,000 Liberty SUVs; Ford recalls more than 1 million SUVs and trucks.
Chevy reveals the all-new Silverado truck before everyone memorizes that new John Mellencamp song. No one notices that the GMC Sierra also got the all-new treatment.
Ford, playing the role of the spoiled kid, gets all huffy and ups the F-150’s towing capacity in the 2007 model. Again, no one notices amid Mellencamp/Silverado mania.
Cars.com determines the Top 10 Car Innovations. Michigan’s new license plate design is not one of them.
What does happen after retro? We still don’t know, but at least we figured out what the mystery bubble is.
The big surprise award goes to Chevy for announcing it will indeed build the Camaro concept that was universally adored at last year’s Detroit auto show. Every auto analyst/pundit in the country would have collectively slapped their foreheads if GM decided not to build it.
BMW drops the famous slogan: Ultimate Driving Machine. Oops, no it doesn’t.
New cars for everybody in the family: An all-new BMW X5 – while not the ultimate Ultimate Driving Machine — should make the upwardly mobile soccer mom happy. Teenagers might be more interested in the updated Honda Element and its new SC trim. Dad is secretly wishing for the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT, not to be confused with the GT500 or GT-H. Single urbanites get a better look at the new Mini Cooper.
Car mileage and gas prices are the topic of the day almost every day in August.
Cars.com announces its first Fantasy Football Tailgate Team. The photo shoot turned into a really hot day for the staff, but at least the food was good.
