HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS
AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS WE ROLL BACK THE
MOTORWEEK ODOMETER TO 1981...

REVISIT SOME OF THE ICONIC
VEHICLES WE'VE TESTED...

LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF
CAR STYLING FROM THEN TO NOW...

TRACK THE REVOLUTION
IN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY...

AND SEE THE AUTOMOTIVE
WORLD AS WE DROVE IT...

AND POKE A LITTLE FUN AT
OURSELVES ALONG THE WAY...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

ANNOUNCER: THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF
MOTORWEEK ,

TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE
MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

PHYLLIS IS HEADED TO A SCIENCE
CONFERENCE,

SO SHE'S NOT THINKING ABOUT
TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, ALL SHE'D NEED TO
KNOW IS TIRERACK.COM.

BUT PHYLLIS IS THINKING...

"UHHH...I'M NOT REALLY SURE,
BUT IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT
TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM
HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS,

OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS,
PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM,

ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR
WILL EVER NEED.

John: WELCOME TO MOTORWEEK .

I'M GLAD YOU'RE WITH US.

THIS IS A TELEVISION SERIES
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE CARS.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'D JUST
LIKE TO FIND OUT A BIT MORE

ABOUT THEM...

WELL HELLO, AND WELCOME AGAIN TO
MOTORWEEK .

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US
FOR THIS SPECIAL EDITION

CELEBRATING OUR 35 YEARS
ON THE TELEVISION.

YOU KNOW,
THIS ORIGINAL SET EXISTS ONLY

IN VIRTUAL REALITY NOW,

BUT IT WAS MOTORWEEK'S HOME
IN STUDIO "A"

AT MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION
FOR OUR FIRST 6 SEASONS.

THE SET DESIGN WAS SOMEWHERE
IN-BETWEEN

AN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN STUDIO,
A PLACE FEW OUTSIDERS

HAD EVER SEEN,
AND A NEW CAR SHOWROOM.

WE WANTED TO CREATE A SPACE
WHERE OUR VIEWERS COULD

EXPERIENCE THE NEWEST CARS
AND TRUCKS FROM AN INSIDER'S

POINT OF VIEW,
BEFORE THEY WENT ON SALE.

WHILE NOT ALL OF OUR EARLY TEST
CARS HAVE SURVIVED THE TEST

OF TIME, A FEW STAND OUT AS
IMPORTANT MILESTONES ON

THE AUTOMOTIVE TIMELINE.

SO LET'S START THINGS OFF WITH
A LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

AT A FEW OF OUR MOTORWEEK
AUTOMOTIVE ALL-STARS.

WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE WITNESSED
SEVERAL AUTOMOTIVE MILESTONES

OVER THE COURSE OF OUR HISTORY.

FOR MOTORWEEK'S FIRST BROADCAST,
OUR STUDIO CAMERAS FOCUSED ON

THE TREND SETTING NEW WORLD CAR
FROM FORD, THE ESCORT,

ALONG WITH A FUN AND QUIRKY
ITALIAN IMPORT, THE FIAT STRADA.

BOTH WERE FRONT-RUNNERS IN THE
FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE REVOLUTION,

AS MAINSTREAM CARS WENT FROM
PUSHERS TO PULLERS SEEMINGLY

OVERNIGHT.

IN 1981, THE K-CAR WAS ALREADY
TAKING BADGE-ENGINEERING

TO THE EXTREME.

AND OVER THE NEXT 8 YEARS,
SPAWNED COUNTLESS SPIN-OFFS FROM

THE SAME BASIC CHASSIS,
INCLUDING THE UBIQUITOUS

MINIVAN, ARGUABLY THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE OF

THE LAST 35 YEARS,
AND ONE THAT CHANGED THE FACE

OF FAMILY TRANSPORTATION
FOREVER.

WE SAW THE END OF AN ERA IN
THE MID '80s WHEN VIRTUALLY

ALL OF THE COOL EUROPEAN SPORTS
CARS PACKED UP THEIR

SIDE CURTAINS AND HEADED BACK
ACROSS THE POND...

ONLY TO BE REINCARNATED,
IN SPIRIT AT LEAST,

BY THE 1990 MAZDA MIATA,
WHICH LED A ROADSTER REVIVAL

THAT IS STILL LURING SUN SEEKERS
TODAY.

AMC/JEEP'S 1984 4-DOOR CHEROKEE
AND WOODY WAGONEER WERE

THE FIRST MIDSIZE VEHICLES TO
BLUR THE LINE BETWEEN

CARS AND TRUCKS,
BUT IT WAS THE HUGE POPULARITY

OF FORD'S EXPLORER IN THE EARLY
'90s THAT FUELED THE SUV

PHENOMENON.

THE 1982 HONDA ACCORD HIT
THE STREETS JUST A MONTH BEFORE

OUR PREMIER BROADCAST.

THE FIRST JAPANESE-BRAND CAR
BUILT IN AMERICA,

THAT ACCORD WAS EVERYWHERE
IN THE '80s,

AND WITH GOOD REASON...

...AS A TOTAL PACKAGE,
THIS HONDA TENDED TO BE

MUCH MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS
PARTS.

IN SHORT, THE HONDA ACCORD IS
A VERY COMPETENT FAMILY CAR.

John: WE WERE BULLISH
ON THE FORD TAURUS IN 1986,

AS IT USHERED IN THE AERODYNAMIC
OVAL ERA OF AUTOMOTIVE STYLING

AND REMAINED A BIG SELLER
FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES.

OUR EARLY EXOTIC CAR ADVENTURES,
IN CARS LIKE THE BITTER,

DELOREAN, AND LANCIA ZAGATO
WHET OUR APPETITES FOR

WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE,
WHILE THE DEBUT OF

A NEW CHEVY CORVETTE FOR 1984
SIGNALED AT LONG LAST

AMERICA'S ARRIVAL IN THE MODERN
SPORTS CAR CORRAL.

OUR FIRST DRIVES IN
THE PORSCHE 911 AND BMW M3

BECAME OUR PERFORMANCE
BENCHMARKS FOR YEARS TO COME,

AND SET A HIGH BAR FOR OTHER
SPORTS CARS TO REACH FOR.

THE OUT OF THIS WORLD
PORSCHE 959

AND FERRARI'S FABULOUS F40
BOTH BLEW OUR MINDS,

DELIVERING ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE
UNHEARD OF JUST A FEW YEARS

EARLIER.

THE CORVETTE ZR1 FULFILLED OUR
DESIRE FOR A UNIQUELY AMERICAN

HIGH PERFORMANCE ICON IN 1990.

DODGE FOLLOWED SUIT WITH
THE VIPER A YEAR LATER,

AND THE MODERN HORSEPOWER
WARS WERE BORN.

BUT AMAZINGLY,
ALL OF THEM ARE YAWNERS COMPARED

TO TODAY'S CROP OF MUSCLE CARS.

IN FACT, WE REMEMBER WHEN
THE BADDEST CAR IN THE LAND

WAS A SLAB-SIDED SEDAN.

COME TO THINK OF IT,
THAT'S STILL TRUE!

SUBARU MAY HAVE LAID CLAIM TO
THE FIRST SPORT UTILITY WAGON

IN THE '90s WITH THE OUTBACK,
BUT IF YOU ASK US,

THAT SEGMENT BUSTER STATUS WAS
WON BY THE AMC EAGLE MORE THAN

A DECADE EARLIER.

BY OUR RECKONING,
TOYOTA'S RAV4 WAS THE FIRST

TRUE CROSSOVER UTILITY,
BLENDING A CAR-LIKE UNIBODY

CHASSIS WITH AN SUV-LIKE STANCE
AND VERSATILITY IN A COMPACT

GARAGE FRIENDLY PACKAGE.

GMs EV1 SHOWED THE PROMISE OF
CLEAN, EFFICIENT ELECTRIC POWER,

BUT IT'S ORIGINAL HEAVY
LEAD-ACID BATTERIES WERE

ANYTHING BUT.

IT WASN'T UNTIL 1997 THAT THE
TOYOTA PRIUS GAS-ELECTRIC HYBRID

REALIZED THAT POTENTIAL
IN AN AFFORDABLE,

FAMILY-FRIENDLY MASS-MARKET CAR.

PERFECT PACKAGING AND BLING FOR
THE BUCK WAS THE CALLING CARD OF

LEXUS LS400, INFINITI Q45,
AND ACURA LEGEND

WHEN THEY TILTED THE LUXURY CAR
GLOBE OFF OF ITS EUROPEAN AXIS

IN THE LATE '80s,

AND OPENED THE UPSCALE CAR
MARKET TO THE MIDDLE CLASS.

AND WE'D BE REMISS TO NOT
MENTION THE FORD F-150.

IT WAS ALREADY THE TOP-SELLING
VEHICLE IN AMERICA

WHEN WE DEBUTED IN 1981,
AND HAS REMAINED SO THROUGHOUT

OUR ENTIRE 35-YEAR RUN.

SIMPLY AMAZING!

WITH THE ONCE SCIENCE-FICTION
AUTONOMOUS CAR OF THE FUTURE

NEARLY UPON US,
WE CONTINUE TO BE ASTOUNDED BY

THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY,
EFFICIENCY, AND PERFORMANCE THAT

IS BEING PACKED INTO OUR CARS.

AS THE CARS HAVE BECOME MORE
SOPHISTICATED,

SO MOTORWEEK HAS EVOLVED TO
KEEP PACE.

BUT THE SAME CONCEPT FROM
35 YEARS AGO STILL GOES TODAY.

FOR US THE CARS ARE STILL
THE STARS!

Yolanda (Yoli) Vazquez : BOY
THIS IS QUITE A GROUP OF CARS,

AND NOT A BAD LOOKING ONE
IN THE BUNCH!

John: YOU'RE RIGHT, YOLI.

YOU KNOW IT'S FASCINATING HOW
MUCH AUTOMOTIVE STYLING HAS

EVOLVED, EVEN IN THE RELATIVELY
BRIEF TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN ON

THE AIR.

Yoli: THAT'S RIGHT, JOHN.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SHOW
ARCHIVES, LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING,

YOU'LL SEE SOME PRIME EXAMPLES
OF THE ART OF AUTOMOTIVE STYLE.

Yoli: WHEN MOTORWEEK FIRST
HIT THE AIRWAVES

IN THE EARLY '80s,
BOXY WAS BEAUTIFUL.

THE STRAIGHT EDGE WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT TOOL IN A DESIGNER'S

ARSENAL AND WHEN IT CAME
TO BODY LINES...

WELL, THE SHARPER THE CREASE,
THE SMARTER THE CAR.

CHROME WAS STILL KING OF
THE BLING IN THE '80s,

BUT WITH THE NEW DECADE CAME
A NEW EMPHASIS ON MODERN DESIGN.

PLASTIC WAS FANTASTIC,
AERODYNAMIC AIDS

AND BODY COLORED CLADDING RULED
THE DAY AS THE JELLY BEAN LOOK

TOOK OVER.

THE FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE REVOLUTION
AND IT'S EFFICIENT DRIVETRAIN

PACKAGING GAVE DESIGNERS
THE FREEDOM TO SHAPE CARS

TO THEIR LIKING AGAIN.

BIG ON THE INSIDE, SMALL ON
THE OUTSIDE WAS THE NEW NORM,

AND CAB FORWARD WAS NOW IN
EVERYONE'S VOCABULARY.

WITH THE TURN OF THE CENTURY
THERE CAME A LONGING FOR

BYGONE DAYS,
AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY THE CASE

IN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN;
SOME CARMAKERS WERE INSPIRED BY

CLASSIC DESIGN LANGUAGE TO BRING
A THROWBACK VIBE WITH

A MODERN TWIST TO THEIR CLASSIC
STYLING.

WHILE FULL-ON RETRO LOOKS LIKE
THE VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE,

MINI COOPER AND FORD THUNDERBIRD
WERE ALMOST CARICATURES OF

THEIR OWN '50s AND '60s SELVES.

OVER THREE-AND-A-HALF DECADES
WE'VE ALSO SEEN FAMILY

TRANSPORTATION EVOLVE;
FROM WAGONS, TO MINIVANS,

TO SUVs,
AND NOW TO THE ENDLESS ONSLAUGHT

OF SO CALLED CROSSOVER UTILITIES
OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

WE'VE WITNESSED THE RISE
AND FALL.

AND PERHAPS RISE AGAIN,
OF 5-DOOR HATCHBACKS.

DOWNSIZED LUXURY,
THE DAWN OF MONOCHROME MADNESS,

THE BANGLE BUTT,
AND MORE CUTE UTEs THAN YOU CAN

SHAKE A DIPSTICK AT.

AND WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT
TRUCKS,

OTHER THAN THEY TEND TO GET
BIGGER AND BOLDER

WITH EACH NEW GENERATION?

PICKUPS NOW EQUALLY AT HOME ON
THE JOB SITE OR OUT ON THE TOWN

HAS BROUGHT BIG CHANGES IN
CONTENT AND COMFORT,

AS WE WON'T SEE THIS BODY STYLE
DISAPPEARING ANYTIME SOON.

INTERIOR DESIGN HAS
COME A LONG WAY AS WELL,

WITH PLAIN ROUND ANALOG GAUGES
GIVING WAY TO THE VIDEO GAME

LOOK OF THE DIGITAL ERA,
AND THE VIRTUAL TOUCH-SCREEN

WORLD WE SEE TODAY.

EVEN THE IMPROVED QUALITY
AND FEEL OF INTERIOR MATERIALS

HAS GIVEN DESIGNERS MORE FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION.

UNIVERSAL ROUND AND RECTANGULAR
SEALED BEAM HEADLAMPS LIMITED

A DESIGNER'S VISION TO CERTAIN
PREDICTABLE SHAPES,

WHILE MODERN XENON,
HID BULBS AND NOW FULL LEDs

ALLOW THE LIGHTS THEMSELVES TO
BECOME MAJOR STYLING THEMES.

WHILE WE DON'T MOURN THE DEMISE
OF LANDAU ROOFS,

FAUX WOOD PANELING,
AND WIRE WHEEL HUBCAPS,

WE DO MISS SOME OF
THE WONDERFULLY UNIQUE,

PROUDLY QUIRKY DESIGNS THAT HAVE
PASSED THROUGH OUR TEST LOT.

IT'S HARD TO PREDICT WHAT WILL
DRIVE TOMORROW'S CAR STYLING,

BUT WITH INCREASING SAFETY
REGULATIONS AND AERODYNAMICS

BECOMING A MAJOR FACTOR IN
ALL DESIGNS,

IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT CARS WILL
CONTINUE TO LOOK MORE ALIKE

THAN DIFFERENT.

BUT WE'LL STILL SEEK OUT
AND APPLAUD THOSE DESIGNS

THAT PLACE A VALUE ON STYLE.

John: YOU KNOW PAT, IT'S REALLY
SAD TO LOOK AT OUR OLD

GOSS' GARAGE SET BEING BASICALLY
NOW, AN ENGINEERING GRAVEYARD.

DO YOU REALIZE WE'VE OUTGROWN
THREE GOSS' GARAGE SETS

OVER 35 YEARS,
AND THAT YOU'VE PRODUCED OVER

900 GOSS' GARAGE SEGMENTS.

THAT'S A LOT OF CAR CARE ADVICE!

Pat Goss: YEAH, IT SURE IS,
AND TO THINK THAT IT ALMOST

DIDN'T HAPPEN.

REMEMBER IN THE PILOT,
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE

"MOTORSHOP" AND CRAIG SINGHAUS
WAS GOING TO BE THE HOST!

WELL,
I GUESS IF THAT HAD HAPPENED,

I COULD HAVE DONE THE HIGH ROAD
SEGMENTS!

John: OH,
I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING,

I THINK IT HAS WORKED OUT
PERFECTLY JUST THE WAY IT IS.

Pat: YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.

I SURE DON'T MISS THAT HOT NOISY
GAS STATION WE FILMED IN FOR OUR

PILOT EPISODE.

MOVING IN HERE,
THE ACTUAL PARKING GARAGE FOR

THE STATION'S REMOTE TV TRUCK,
WAS A LUXURY.

BUT, I DO REMEMBER HOW CRAMPED
THIS SET WAS.

BY THE TIME WE GOT A CAR
AND A COUPLE CAMERAS IN HERE,

I COULD BARELY TURN AROUND!

IN 2004,
WE TOOK OVER OUR CURRENT STUDIO,

A FORMER CARPENTER SHOP FOR
BUILDING PROPS, AND SCENERY,

AND HAVE EXPANDED OUR BOUNDARIES
TWO OR THREE TIMES SINCE THEN.

HAVING A WORKING LIFT,
AND ROOM TO SPARE HAS HELPED

TO DELIVER BETTER INFORMATION
TO THE VIEWERS,

AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
FOR ME.

BUT WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING TO ME
IS HOW FAR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

HAS PROGRESSED.

IN 1981,
WE DIDN'T HAVE COMPUTERS

IN OUR OFFICES,
MUCH LESS IN OUR CARS!

LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF THOSE
EARLY SHOWS,

IT'S SHOCKING JUST HOW CRUDE
CARS WERE IN THE EARLY '80s,

AND HOW MUCH WE TAKE FOR GRANTED
TODAY.

TAKE BRAKES FOR INSTANCE.

YOU'D HAVE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY
IF I'D SAID THAT "CARS WOULD

ONE DAY STOP THEMSELVES
TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT."

AT THE TIME,
ABS WAS VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF.

WE WERE IMPRESSED THEN WHEN
A CAR HAD FOUR-WHEEL DISCS.

A GOOD STOPPING DISTANCE ON
THE TEST TRACK WAS SOME

THIRTY FEET LONGER THAN TODAY'S
AVERAGE.

THAT'S ABOUT THE LENGTH OF
TWO BIG SUVs,

AND WAS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY
COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF TIRE SMOKE!

WHILE RADIAL TIRES WERE BY
THEN UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED,

THEY WERE ALSO UNIVERSALLY
MEDIOCRE IN PERFORMANCE.

FERRARI'S AND PORSCHE'S WORE
RUBBER UNSUITED FOR TODAY'S

ECONOBOXES.

13 INCH WHEELS WERE THE NORM,
WHILE 15s WERE A BIG DEAL.

THAT'S A FAR CRY FROM
TODAY'S 22-INCH MONSTERS.

A LUXURY CAR WAS ANYTHING WITH
LEATHER SEATS,

AND POWER WINDOWS,
OR BETTER YET, CRUISE CONTROL.

A CASSETTE DECK WAS
CONSIDERED STATE OF THE ART,

NAVIGATION REQUIRED
A PASSENGER AND A MAP,

AND DUAL-ZONE CLIMATE CONTROLS
MEANT YOU OPENED BOTH

FRONT WINDOWS.

THE TYPICAL CAR CAME EQUIPPED
WITH A THREE-SPEED AUTOMATIC,

OR MAYBE A 4-SPEED MANUAL
TRANSMISSION.

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT
6-RATIO GEARBOXES WOULD BECOME

THE NORM, AND THAT ANYBODY
WOULD EVER NEED 9-GEARS?

THE CVT TRANSMISSION CAME
AND WENT WITH THE SUBARU JUSTY

IN THE EARLY '90s, BUT IS BACK
NOW AND BETTER THAN EVER.

THE OLD SLUSHBOX AUTOMATICS OF
THE '80s AND '90s WOULD NEVER BE

AN ENTHUSIAST'S CHOICE,
BUT TODAY'S DUAL-CLUTCH,

PADDLE-SHIFT GEARBOXES ARE
SO INTUITIVE AND QUICK,

THE THIRD PEDAL IS NOW SEEN AS
A HINDRANCE WHEN THE GOING GETS

FAST.

IF YOU WANTED AN ALL-WEATHER
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE CAR IN 1981,

YOU HAD TO SHOP FOR
AN AUDI OR A SUBARU.

NOW THERE ARE AT LEAST 20
MANUFACTURERS PEDDLING THE

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ADVANTAGE.

ELECTRIC CARS IN THE '80S WERE
HOME BUILT CONTRAPTIONS OR

ONE-OFF CONVERSIONS LOADED
DOWN WITH LEAD-ACID BATTERIES,

A FAR CRY FROM THE LITHIUM-ION
POWERED EV AND HYBRID VEHICLES

OF TODAY THAT PROVE GREEN
MOTORING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED

WITHOUT COMPROMISE.

YES INDEED JOHN, WE TAKE MANY
THINGS FOR GRANTED THESE DAYS

THAT WERE DISMISSED AS SCIENCE
FICTION 25 YEARS AGO:

ACTIVE SUSPENSIONS,
NAVIGATION SYSTEMS,

100,000 MILE WARRANTIES.

BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT AUTO
ENGINEERS HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO

DO AWAY WITH,
DESPITE ALL THE COMPUTERS,

ALL THE SENSORS AND BILLIONS
OF DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS,

AND THAT IS SIMPLE
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.

I SAID IT IN OUR VERY FIRST
SHOW,

AND IT STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY...

"THE ONE SINGLE THING THAT IS
MOST IMPORTANT AS FAR AS

THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF YOUR
CAR, IS CHANGING THE OIL."

John: IN 1983 WE STARTED OUR
ANNUAL MOTORWEEK

DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARDS.

SO NAMED BECAUSE THE WINNERS IN
EACH CATEGORY ARE THE MODELS

WE LIKE DRIVING THE BEST.

STILL, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE
100 PERCENT CORRECT

100 PERCENT OF THE TIME.

SO HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR MORE
MEMORABLE HITS AND MISSES.

OUR MOST PROLIFIC WINNERS
HAVE BEEN THE DODGE CARAVAN,

PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
AND CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY,

RACKING UP A TOTAL OF
13 VICTORIES AS BEST MINIVAN.

NOT SURPRISING, SINCE
THEY INVENTED THE CLASS.

BUT TRUTHFULLY, MOST OF OUR
CHOICES HAVE BEEN RIGHT

FOR THE TIME, AND GENERALLY HAVE
STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.

YET, AS THE CAR MARKET
AND BUYING HABITS HAVE CHANGED,

SO HAVE OUR CATEGORIES.

IN FACT, THE ONLY CATEGORY TO
BE INCLUDED ON EVERY AWARD LIST

SINCE 1983 IS BEST LUXURY CAR.

CADILLAC HAS TAKEN TOP HONORS
THERE WITH 4 DIFFERENT MODELS,

INCLUDING THE ODD-DUCK, AND VERY
FORGETTABLE CATERA IN 1997.

A FEW CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN
ONE-YEAR WONDERS LIKE

BEST TECHNOLOGY,
BEST EXAMPLE OF

THE AUTOMOTIVE ART AND
1984s BEST AUTOMOTIVE ODDITY,

THE MONTE CARLO SS.

OUR ODDEST PICK SO FAR IS
ARGUABLY THE RAGTOP DODGE DAKOTA

PICKUP AS BEST CONVERTIBLE
FOR 1990.

DODGE DESCRIBED IT AS
THE ULTIMATE FUN TRUCK,

AND WE AGREED.

THEN...

...BUT WE CAN'T HONESTLY
SAY WE'VE SEEN ONE SINCE.

BUT FOR OUR CLEAR MISSES,
WE'LL NOMINATE CHRYSLER'S

1988 EAGLE PREMIER,
THE 1989 PEUGEOT 405,

AND THE 1991 MERCURY CAPRI.

WE PROCLAIMED THEM BEST IN
CLASS.

AND THEN WATCHED AS THEIR
SALES TANKED AND ALL THREE WERE

JUST AS QUICKLY AXED WITHOUT
REMORSE.

HEY GUYS, NO HARD FEELINGS?

WHY HELLO,
AND WELCOME AGAIN TO MOTORWEEK ,

IT'S GLAD TO HAVE YOU...
[LAUGHS]

Patrick Lucas: ...WHOAAA,
WE ARE GOING FAST!

Pat: SOMETHING VERY
INTERESTING, AND COULD MAKE YOUR
CAR

SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW...

Patrick: ..THAT WAS...
55 MILES AN HOUR.

Ben Davis: ..UM, I GUESS WE HAVE
ONLINE DATING TO BLAME

FOR ALL THAT.

ALL THESE ONLINE DATING
WEBSITES...

Pat: TO THE BACK OF THE VAN.

.. TO THE BACK OF THE VAN.

.. THIS IS THE BACK OF THE VAN.

.. I'M AT THE BACK OF THE VAN.

Lisa Barrow: IT'S CALLED
"THE INCREDIBLE CALYPSO BEVERAGE

HOLDER,"
AND AS YOU CAN SEE,

WHEN I TILT THE BACK OF THIS...
[LAUGHS]

Yoli: IN FACT, DISTRACTED
DRIVING.

..IS IT AND MORE,
IT'S "OR MORE SPECIFICALLY...

Greg Carloss: WHICH IS WHY IT'S
IN THE SPORT TRIM LINE...

...MAN, SAY IT RIGHT...

Yoli: ..WHERE'S THE SEATBELT ON
THIS THING? [LAUGHS]

John: WELL HELLO,
AND WELCOME AGAIN TO MOTORWEEK ,

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU TESTED...
[LAUGHS]

Zach Maskell: HAHAHA...
GODZILLA!

Ben: YEAAAAHHHHH!

Yoli: DON'T KILL ME, NOW!
"DON'T KILL ME, NOW!

OH BOY!

John: ..AND A REAL PLACE,
WHERE THE SUN RUNS ON CARS.

...NO! [LAUGHS]

John: ..I'M JOHN DAVIS,
WE'LL SEE YOU THEN...

OH... [LAUGHS]

John: HEY ZACH,
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?

Zach : AH, I'M JUST RESEARCHING
SOME SEGMENT IDEAS FOR OUR

35TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON.

John: WELL, YOU'VE
COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

THESE TAPE ARCHIVES HAVE
THOUSANDS OF GREAT FEATURE

STORIES FROM CRAIG SINGHAUS,
LISA BARROW, HENRY KOPAZ,

STEVEN CHUPNICK,
AND EVEN A FEW OF MINE.

IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH,
I THINK YOU COME UP WITH

SOME GREAT INSPIRATION.

GOOD LUCK!

Zach: GOODLUCK.
AH, HE'S A FUNNY GUY.

I TELL YOU WHAT,
WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?

Craig Singhaus: HERE,
TRY THIS ONE.

IT'S MY STORY OF DRIVING
THE OSCAR MEYER WEINERMOBILE.

Zach: CRAIG SINGHAUS!

WHAT'S GOING ON?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

CRAIG: AH, THINK OF ME AS
THE GHOST OF MOTORWEEK'S PAST.

Zach: LAST TIME I SAW YOU,
YOU HAD A TRUCKER HAT

AND A CAMARO T-SHIRT ON!

Craig: I STILL HAVE
THAT HAT!

BUT SERIOUSLY, WHENEVER I WANTED
TO LOOK FOR A GOOD STORY,

I WOULD JUST LOOK FOR A BUNCH
OF GUYS AND GALS HAVING

A GREAT TIME WITH THEIR CARS,
AND THEN,

THERE WAS SURE TO BE A GREAT
STORY BEHIND IT.

Zach: SO, EVERYONE IS WELL
FAMILIAR WITH YOUR WEINERMOBILE

STORY.

..TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

Craig: WELL ACTUALLY,
I DROVE THREE GENERATIONS OF

THE WEINERMOBILE.

I DROVE A 1968, A 1988,
AND A 1996.

AND YOU MIGHT SAY I RELISHED
THE OPPORTUNITY.

Zach: SO, I KNOW YOU LIKE TO
BE INVOLVED IN YOUR STORIES,

RATHER THAN JUST REPORTING
ABOUT THEM.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MORE
MEMORABLE ONES?

Craig: WELL, THE IDEA WAS
THAT I DID THE THINGS THAT A LOT

OF OUR VIEWERS WOULD WANT TO
PARTICIPATE IN.

FOR EXAMPLE, I GOT TO RIDE IN
A P-51 MUSTANG FIGHTER PLANE.

ONE TIME, I KIND OF RODE IN
THE GOODYEAR BLIMP.

IT WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY
WINDY DAY,

SO WE WERE ONLY ABOUT 25 FEET
OFF THE GROUND.

BUT HEY,
I WAS RIDING IN THE BLIMP!

Zach: RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT...

ANY STORIES THAT REALLY HIT
HOME FOR YOU,

THAT YOU GOT PERSONALLY
ATTACHED TO?

Craig: WELL, I'LL TELL YOU,
BACK IN THE LATE 1990s,

I ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO
NORMANDY, FRANCE

AND RETRACED THE STEPS
THAT THE ALLIES TOOK DURING

THE NORMANDY INVASION IN 1944.

IT WAS A REAL LIFE CHANGER
FOR ME.

REKINDLED MY INTEREST IN
HISTORY.

Zach: YOU MUST HAVE MET SOME
PRETTY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE

ALONG THE WAY.

Craig: I TELL YOU,
SOME OF THEM WERE FAMOUS,

AND SOME OF THEM WEREN'T.

SOME WERE JUST PEOPLE WHO LOVED
CARS.

BUT PROBABLY THE ONE GUY THAT
REALLY STICKS OUT IN MY MIND?

WELL, EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE
KID,

I ALWAYS IDOLIZED
CARROLL SHELBY.

AND IT WAS THE BIGGEST THRILL OF
MY LIFE TO BE ABLE TO HANG OUT

WITH HIM SEVERAL TIMES.

HE USED TO SAY,
"HEY, CALL ME CARROLL."

AND I USED TO SAY,
"YES, MR. SHELBY."

Zach: IT SEEMS LIKE A RECURRING
THEME THAT YOU ALWAYS HAD FUN

FIRST IN YOUR SEGMENTS.

Craig: WELL, NOBODY GOT RICH,
SO THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE AS MUCH

FUN AS YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE.

AND WHAT'S NOT TO HAVE FUN WITH?

GREAT CARS, GREAT PEOPLE.

IT WAS A TERRIFIC TIME.

REMEMBER, HAVE FUN, FUN, FUN,
'TIL JOHN DAVIS TAKES

THE T BIRD AWAY!

Lisa: HEY WAIT A MINUTE,
HE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE FUN!

Zach: LISA BARROW!

I WAS JUST TALKING TO CRAIG,
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE WENT.

HOW ARE YOU?

Lisa: I'M GREAT!

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK HERE.

Zach: OKAY, SO HOW ABOUT YOU?

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR STORY
IDEAS?

Lisa: YOU KNOW,
IF IT INVOLVED ADVENTURE,

AND SEEING THE WORLD,
I WAS THERE.

AND USUALLY THAT INVOLVED
OFF-ROADING EVENTS AND THINGS,

SO HAD A PRETTY GOOD TIME GOING
TO PLACES LIKE AUSTRALIA,

WHERE I GOT TO LEARN TO DRIVE
IN THE SAND FOR THE FIRST TIME.

MONGOLIA AND MOROCCO.

MOROCCO WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST
OFF-ROADING EVENT

WHERE I REALLY THOUGHT,
"WHOA, I AM NOT

IN KANSAS ANYMORE."

Zach: WELL, THAT ALWAYS
MAKES FOR SOME GREAT VIDEO.

ABSOLUTELY!

Lisa: IT WAS CRAZY...

IT WAS FUN THOUGH,
LEARNED A LOT.

Zach: SO, HOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE?

WHO DID YOU COME ACROSS ON
THESE TRIPS?

ANYBODY VERY MEMORABLE?

Lisa: YOU KNOW,
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY,

THERE'S A LOT.

BUT DENISE MCCLUGGAGE WAS
AMAZING TO SPEND TIME WITH HER.

ACTUALLY, ONE OF MY FIRST
STORIES WAS GOING OVERSEAS

WITH DENISE.

IT WAS THE BURDE BENZ RALLY.

I GOT TO SHARE A CAR WITH HER.

AND IT WAS A 1912 MERCEDES-BENZ
WAGON IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.

AND THAT THING WAS SO HARD
TO SHIFT.

IT'S GOT THE SHIFT OUTSIDE
THE DOOR,

AND I HAD TO USE TWO HANDS
TO DO IT, IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

BUT DENISE, SHE GOT INTO IT,
AND SHE JUST DID IT.

AND I REALLY SAW HER COMPETITIVE
SIDE.

IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.

Zach: HOW ABOUT, WHEN IT COMES
TO BEING ACTUALLY A PART OF

THESE STORY?

YOU KNOW, WE DO SOME REPORTING,
BUT WE REALLY FEEL A PART OF

THEM SOMETIMES.

ANY MEMORABLE ONES THERE?

Lisa: OH YEAH!

I REMEMBER THE TANK STORY.

I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WHERE WE WENT UP TO

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS.

Zach: THE ABRAMS TANK?

Lisa: YEAH, THE ABRAMS M1A2
MAIN BATTLE TANK!

AND I'M CRAWLING INSIDE
THIS THING THINKING,

"WHAT AM I DOING IN HERE?"

Zach: JUST LIKE RIDING A BIKE,
RIGHT?

Lisa: EXACTLY!

Zach: THERE'S
NOTHING MORE TO IT.

Lisa: EXACTLY.

YEAH, THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

John: WELL, I HOPE YOU'VE
ENJOYED THIS DRIVE DOWN

35 YEARS OF MEMORY LANE AS
MUCH AS WE DID.

BUT DON'T FORGET TO JOIN US
NEXT TIME,

AS WE ROAR BACK TO THE FUTURE IN
TESLA P90D.

THEN ITS A TRACK ATTACK
IN FORD'S NEW

SHELBY GT350 MUSTANG.

TILL NEXT TIME;
I'M JOHN DAVIS,

THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HERE'S
TO ANOTHER 35 YEARS OF

MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
MOTORWEEK ,

TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE
MAGAZINE, VISIT

PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO
YOU BY...

PHYLLIS IS HEADED TO
A SCIENCE CONFERENCE,

SO SHE'S NOT THINKING ABOUT
TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF SHE WERE, ALL SHE'D NEED
TO KNOW IS TIRERACK.COM.