In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show

Celebrating 60 Years of Ford Bronco: An Automotive Journey

• In Wheel Time Podcast | Automotive talk with Don Armstrong, Michael Marrs, and Jeff Dziekan • Season 2025 • Episode 248

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Ted Ryan, Ford's Heritage Brand Manager, joins us from a golf course to share exciting news about the 60th anniversary of the Ford Bronco. The special commemorative model features stunning Wimbledon white paint with red accents, including the Bronco name spelled out in red on the hood and "1966" embedded in the hubcaps. The original Bronco was unveiled on August 11, 1965, when Ford handed reporters cowboy hats and scarves, telling them "let's go rodeo" before introducing what would become an American icon.

Ryan shares delightful stories about the Bronco's enduring appeal - from his 84-year-old father who's on his third new Bronco to being stopped by a Mississippi police officer who wanted to see the vehicle so badly that Ryan handed him the keys for a test drive. The officer's immediate reaction? "I'm buying one of these things." Ford has already sold over a million combined Bronco and Bronco Sport models in just four years since their revival.

We also explore fascinating Bronco trivia, including how Pope John Paul II used customized white Broncos as "Popemobiles" during his New York visit, with a famous photograph showing him surrounded by admirers at Yankee Stadium. Ryan debunks the myth that O.J. Simpson's infamous white Bronco chase killed the model's popularity, noting it was already being phased out before that event.

The episode rounds out with Jeff's Racing Calendar highlighting upcoming motorsport events, Mars's automotive history segment covering everything from the first US steam-powered carriage to NASA's founding and its impact on automotive technology, and current industry news including tariff changes, Tesla's planned chauffeur service, and record-high average car payments. Whether you're a Ford enthusiast or simply appreciate automotive heritage, this episode offers a rich exploration of how iconic vehicles shape our cultural landscape.

Have you checked out the 60th anniversary Bronco on Ford's website yet? The order window is now open!

Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast, a 30-minute mini version of the In Wheel Time Car Show that airs live every Saturday morning.

Speaker 2:

This is your place to 11 am. This is All Things.

Speaker 1:

Automotive, the award-winning In Wheel Time Car Talk Show Coming up. We're going to talk to Ted Ryan, ford's Heritage Brand Manager. He knows everything. Later, jeff has the racing calendar, mars has this Week in Auto History and I'll get you caught up on some of the stories making automotive news headlines this week. Howdy Along with Mike out of this world, mars down there Over here is Jeffrey. We always need more.

Speaker 1:

Jeff Zekin, I'm Don Armstrong, glad you could join us for this Saturday morning. I did want to mention one thing. You know, since we've been doing this show from Sugar Shack Studios here, you have from time to time commented about my dog of 13 years, susie. Well, susie's no longer with us, unfortunately. I had to put Susie down a week before last and she lived a good life. I can promise you that, yeah, she did, and she was 13 1⁄2 years old. I had her for 13 of those 13 1⁄2. And I miss her every day and walking in the house these days and if you've ever lost a dog, you know what that means when you come home in that tails wagon ready to greet you. So I just had to mention that Suze isn't with us anymore, unfortunately, and lots more changes are headed our way and we're going to blame it on her.

Speaker 3:

No.

Speaker 1:

No but the blame is good.

Speaker 3:

She's influenced the changes Very much. So yes, she has.

Speaker 1:

All right, so I've done my due diligence on that. I wanted to mention that to our friends. I know that Candace Thackeray and Mr Skelton have been big fans of Sue's throughout the years and I appreciate it, and so does she. Everyone has.

Speaker 4:

George is up in Arkansas, by the way.

Speaker 1:

Oh, he is oh boy.

Speaker 4:

He said hello from Springdale. Is he cliff diving?

Speaker 3:

I'm not sure what he's doing up there Cliff diving in Arkansas, I thought maybe he was going to the Hot Springs or something Woo-hoo.

Speaker 1:

George in the Hot.

Speaker 4:

Springs, I don't know, speaking of rejuvenation.

Speaker 1:

we've got a guest right now His name is Ted Ryan.

Speaker 4:

No, we don't Hold on, oh we don't have him.

Speaker 1:

I thought you did Well, we did but now he's gone.

Speaker 4:

I'm trying to get him back, darn it. There he is.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. So here is the preview of what was apparently just released to the press just a short time ago, just a short time ago, and it's Ford Bronco stuff, and if you're a Ford Bronco fan, I think that you're going to be pleased with what Ted Ryan, the Ford Heritage brand manager, has to say about it. Ted, good morning to you, sir.

Speaker 2:

Good morning to you guys as well, and pardon my setting, but I sent a note. My son showed up out of the blue from Birminghamama this morning and surprised me with a round of golf. So I'm actually on a golf course right now. So if you hear clicks in the background, uh, that's what you're, that's what you're here. I'm going to take a hole up and talk to you guys, but uh, you can't, you can't say no to a son when they show up and go. Dad, let's go.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely not. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Are there echoes of Roll Tide over there on the golf course this morning?

Speaker 2:

No, I live in Detroit. He flew in from Birmingham, alabama. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, he went to Sanford in Birmingham. He's a bulldog.

Speaker 3:

This interview is over.

Speaker 2:

We've got the 60th anniversary of the Ford Bronco, which that's not a bad thing to be celebrating. August 11th 1965, all these reporters showed up from New York in their suits and their hats, their bowler hats, and Ford handed them a bunch of scarves and cowboy hats and said let's go rodeo. And they introduced the Bronco. So we're celebrating that 60th anniversary with the special edition Bronco.

Speaker 1:

So that was the news today.

Speaker 2:

That's the news today, and it's a fantastic looking car. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out at the price fromtheroadcom, which is Ford's website. You can see it. It's beautiful. It's Wimbledon white, it's got all these red accents. It's got 1966 buried into the hubcaps. Everything about the car is absolutely stunning.

Speaker 1:

That's so cool. Yes, and as a matter of fact, I hate to admit it, but I was around back then and it was a game-changer. I mean, everybody went, wow, look at that. And they sold like the Mustang, sold a ton of those for many, many years, without any changes to the body style or anything. The only thing that they did was they upgraded engine components, they upgraded suspension, all the things that you would expect that the Ford Motor Company would do.

Speaker 2:

They did, and that's actually how they sold it. They sold it as the Mustang for the off-road and when Don Fry introduced it in 65, he said we're adding another pony to the stable, and obviously alluding to the Mustang that had been introduced the year before.

Speaker 1:

Well, I have to tell you, when you guys first came out with the renewed version of it here about a year or two ago, I had a chance to drive it and I got more thumbs up, more people to stop me in the grocery store parking lot hey, is that a new one? I said yes, it is. Can I look at it? I had to do demos for you out in the parking lot, and I'm sure that you've heard the same stories.

Speaker 2:

One of my favorite tales is I was driving my other son to LSU and I was driving from Detroit to LSU for family weekend. I'm in my Bronco and I had a police officer stop me in Mississippi just so he could see the car and I was in a demo unit. So I handed him the keys and said take it for a spin. And he did. And he turned right around and said I'm buying one of these things, so they're beautiful. My dad is 84 years old and he's on his third Bronco already. He just trades it in every year and a half and gets a new one. He he loves it. They drive so well. And this new one, guys, when you see it, it looks amazing with the white and with the red accent, the Bronco on the front hood spelled out in red and then all the 60th anniversary details and the Easter eggs that we put throughout.

Speaker 2:

And and the Easter eggs that we put throughout, and do they make this particular model, the anniversary model, in two and four doors? Oh, you know that's a good question. You stumped me, I don't know. I'm suspecting it's only a two-door to be the traditional one, but I honestly don't know the answer to that question.

Speaker 3:

I stumped the band. I haven't seen one in person.

Speaker 2:

I've only seen the pictures.

Speaker 3:

Mike's online right now and he says four doors.

Speaker 2:

well, Four doors well, oh, four doors. Well, oh, thank you. Thank you for you know, I just wasn't sure.

Speaker 1:

That's okay. Well, now you know. So all the rest of the interviews that you're doing today from the golf course you'll be able to be very knowledgeable about that.

Speaker 2:

Y'all are actually my last interview of the day. Oh, you didn't tell us that 13th hole, 19th hole, I'm on hole number eight. If we had made the turn, I'd be eating a hot dog while I was talking to you guys. But you know they block out my Saturdays for these calls and typically if I know I have something going on, I block it out. But this was a surprise, very pleasant surprise, good one. I'm shooting about double bogey average right now, so I'm not shooting well, but I'm having fun.

Speaker 1:

Well, you need to order up the drink cart.

Speaker 2:

Actually, if I drink a beer, my game goes to hell. I'm just not going to worry about that.

Speaker 3:

You know I've never gotten a hole in one playing golf, but I did hit a guy you did hit a guy.

Speaker 2:

I almost got hit a little bit ago.

Speaker 1:

Let. You did hit a guy. You did hit a guy. There is that I almost got hit a little bit ago. So let me ask you this Are these special order vehicles or do they have them at the dealers already?

Speaker 2:

No, they don't. In fact, you'll be customizing your order. The order window is what is opening up today, and I believe delivery will be a little bit in the future. So they aren't at the dealer yet, but you can look at what you're going to get online and the show sample. I saw the one that we're going to have at Woodward Dream Cruise. It just looks amazing. I'm a sucker for a white Bronco. Can I tell my two favorite white Bronco stories, though?

Speaker 1:

I wish you would. We all know the one we all know the one.

Speaker 2:

Did OJ kill the Bronco? No, he didn't. It was actually going away before OJ. But the other one is Pope John Paul II. In New York Secret Service bought three Broncos and customized them and turned them into Popobiles. And there's a famous photo of Pope John Paul II in Yankee Stadium surrounded by adoring throngs and he's in a white Bronco. So I don't think the drivers of those two or the riders in those two Broncos are meeting any time soon, are any, those two Broncos?

Speaker 1:

are meeting anytime soon. Are any of the Broncos in the Henry Ford?

Speaker 2:

No, they don't actually have a Bronco in their collection.

Speaker 1:

Well, there's another great idea from Houston Texas and the in-wheel time game.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's it. I've got one in my collection. I've got the one that was shown to the board of directors in February of 2020, right before COVID hit, where we showed what the finished Bronco was going to look like. So that's the one I have in my collection. It's pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

Do you have all the not necessarily the deep stats, but are there engine options on the Broncos?

Speaker 2:

I don't have those at my fingertips. If I was sitting at my house, I'd have my computer up in front of me and be able to give you all of the stats. I know that the 17-inch alloy wheels, 35-inch wheels and a lot of the different treads, but I don't know the particular stats on the engine. Sorry, that's where I'm at a disadvantage.

Speaker 1:

No, I hear you. Well, we have a picture from the Ford website of the new Heritage model that Jeff is showing us right now. Ford website of the new Heritage model that Jeff is showing us right now. And boy it's stunning looking. You know you don't think a Bronco in white would be really good looking, but this one is.

Speaker 2:

It looks fantastic. When I first saw it I was like, oh my God, this will be an easy one to talk about, because sometimes you go on air and you're talking about X, y, z. The other interesting thing on the Broncos is we sold a million of those guys between the bronco and the bronco sport. Uh, we've already surpassed a million in sales in the four short years that they've been out. So, uh, just this you know amazing story this has a hint of the flex in my opinion.

Speaker 3:

I've got, I've got visions of the flex on the on the board flex, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it just kind of squared off like people back yeah, yeah, you people back.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but we're old.

Speaker 2:

Do you know what the code name on the Flex was. By the way, guys, no. You can stun people at cocktail parties. It was actually a concept model called the Fairlane no. Which eventually became the Flex yeah, and Fairlane was the home of Henry Ford.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, you had tours of Fairlane. It is closed right now for in-depth renovations, but will be reopening soon and they're actually going to be restoring the garage, which is going to be great news.

Speaker 3:

I grew up in Dearborn Heights, spent many a time at Greenfield Village and the museum and all that. So every place you've talked about I know about.

Speaker 2:

So it's fantastic. I saw Fairlane garage two weeks ago when they were fixing the turntable. Henry installed a turntable so that he could store more cars in his garage and it actually had electric chargers. Because Clara Ford drove battery cars. She didn't like to. She didn't like starting a Model T and she didn't like the smell of the gas, so she liked the quiet electric cars and you know, most people don't really realize that Henry did have electric cars back in the day.

Speaker 4:

Really they were more popular than the original gasoline-powered cars just for a lot of reasons, like you say convenience and stuff.

Speaker 1:

Well, this is great to talk to you Particularly with women.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, you say convenience and stuff.

Speaker 1:

Well, this is great to talk to you, particularly with Lintman yeah Well, we can certainly understand that, the way that the cars were designed back then, I mean, go a few blocks and you're filthy dirty by the end of the trip.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, it's been fun. Do you mind if I go ahead and jump? I'm going to play the next hole and there are kids and golf carts there one and two so it's time for me to get back on the range.

Speaker 1:

Go to it, my friend.

Speaker 2:

I'm excited and everybody go check out Fordcom. You got it, ted.

Speaker 1:

Great talking to you. Thank you, my friend, go play golf. All right, just ahead, jeff has the racing calendar, mars has this week in auto history headlines, the In Real Time Car Talk Show is back in a flash. The Tex-Mex dining experience is defined by Loopy Tortilla your destination for Texas's best beef fajitas and frozen margaritas. Since 1983, loopy Tortilla has served authentic and time-tested recipes made with the freshest ingredients. Atmosphere is part of the award-winning experience at Loopy Tortilla, all developed in a little house near Highway 6 and I-10 in West Houston. Visit any of the Loopy Tortillas and you'll see the same attention to detail in each and every location. Start your Loopy experience with queso flammeado and guacamole, along with a classic frozen margarita. Dine on famous Loopy beef and chicken fajitas or pepper pepper shrimp brochette or a fish or vegetarian entree, and finish with a scrumptious flan for dessert. Find Loopy Tortilla in Houston, college Station, beaumont, austin, san Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth. There's a Texas location near you. The recipes are authentic and time-tested, the ingredients always fresh. Loopy Tortilla it's pretty good. Apple or Android In Wheel Time podcasts can be found everywhere on the stream and through downloads, whether you're on the road or at home, and jones in for a different kind of car talk show.

Speaker 1:

Give In Wheel Time a try. Honest new car reviews, fun, informative interviews with real car people, weekly automotive news features like Jeff's Car Culture and Mike's Driving Destinations all on InWheelTime. Check us out on SiriusXM Podcasts, iheartradio or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music. Inwheeltimecom has a list and we know you love lists. Welcome back to InWheelTime. You're invited to join our live broadcast every Saturday 10 to noon, central on InWheelTimecom Facebook and YouTube, and we hope you'll check us out from our home base in the Sugar Shack studios. If you miss us, you'll be able to hear the paint dry on your favorite podcast channel. Time now for Jeff's Racing Calendar, sponsored by Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for that. We've got IMSA this weekend. It's the sports car weekend at Road America that will be on your Peacock channel at 2 pm today. Craftsman Truck Series next week they're off today but they're going to be running next week Watkins.

Speaker 1:

Glen.

Speaker 3:

Well, you've got to have time to fix all the crashed trucks? Well, yeah, I'm supposed. And then this week for the Xfinity and also the Cup guys, they're going to Iowa, the Iowa Raceway, and they've got a story about Indy on NASCAR too. The rating results for the Indy Brickyard 400 absolutely sucked 60,000 people in 120,000. And NASCAR is defending it that, yeah, these are bigger crowds for some of our bigger stadiums Horse hockey, you blew it, and there's all kinds of stuff going on with NASCAR.

Speaker 4:

What are you trying to say?

Speaker 3:

Jeff Horse hockey. They're actually Boston Red Sox are playing in the infield of. I've got the story right here. I did have the story right here. They're playing on the infield of a NASCAR here they're playing on the infield of a NASCAR track. They're playing baseball.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

I got it here somewhere.

Speaker 4:

They were talking about how they're going to convert. They've converted it to play baseball on it. It's going to take them 40-something days to convert it back to a NASCAR track. Why would they do that?

Speaker 3:

They said the name of it Similar to. To convert it back to a NASCAR track. Why would you do that here? It is right here. Yeah, they said the name of it Similar to the Field of Dreams, bristol Motor Speedway.

Speaker 1:

Bristol, bristol Motor Speedway. Why do they keep jacking with that track? I don't know they turned it into dirt for a race.

Speaker 3:

Well, they did that thing in California, the Coliseum, and they thought oh on, horse hockey, formula One.

Speaker 1:

I want.

Speaker 3:

Riverside to come back. There you go. Wouldn't that be cool? Oh, that'd be great. I think they'd have to redo the track, though. Resurface it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, like tear down all the homes that are now on it Exactly Well, driveways, Hungarian Grand Prix.

Speaker 3:

So there you go. That's on tomorrow for Formula 1. Nhra is off. This weekend there were some pretty big records 343s, 344s, 1,000 feet Serious speed. Serious speed.

Speaker 1:

They did an interview with David Grubnick, who is a tuner for Brittany.

Speaker 3:

Brittany.

Speaker 4:

Brittany was the first one, top fueling.

Speaker 1:

And the guy said well, how do you feel about the speed? He says we don't tune for speed, we tune to get the car down the track and win the race. We don't tune for speed. Speed has nothing, it's just a byproduct of getting it down the track.

Speaker 4:

Just a measurement of how. Another measurement of how fast it got down the track Exactly. But, Another measurement of how fast it got down the track Exactly, but nobody cares about that.

Speaker 1:

Who won, that's the big thing.

Speaker 4:

That's true, that's very true. All right, so there you go.

Speaker 1:

Thank you very much, sir. Yes sir, interesting Time now for this week in auto history, mr Morris.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, this week in auto history. There's a few things in here that we found were rather interesting,63 was the first successful steam-powered carriage in the United States. Don't tell Jay Leno that Built by Sylvester Roper, I think Leno has one. It was known as the Roper steam carriage. It was a four-wheel vehicle, coal-fired boiler. Yeah, and this guy was an inventor. He later went on to invent some of the earliest motorcycles as well. Now, also this week, in 1953, the first production Corvette leaves the factory. Now, this is designed by Harley Earl Corvette. Guys like you, don, I'm sure, know all this stuff, but I did not realize that the first year, 1953, they only built 300 because they were hand-built. They were all white convertibles with red interiors and a black canvas top. I thought the top was beige, but whatever, go ahead. Well, the uh, blue flame, six cylinder with a two-speed power glide, 235 cubic inch, and they only built 300 of them. In 1954 they built, started building over 3 000 I saw a number two.

Speaker 1:

I saw a number two and it's worth millions, but I saw it. And if you were to see the car, if somebody were to say here's a brand new car, check it out, I'd go. What in the world is wrong with the paint? Because they barely put any paint on it and all of the? You can see all of the fiberglass underneath the paint. Really, you can see the actual fibers of the fiberglass, not because it's 60 years old.

Speaker 1:

They didn't put a gel coat on the top of it which hides the fibers, right right, they didn't do that, they just painted it. I'll be darned. It's the most amazing thing I saw, number two. I don't know whatever happened to number one.

Speaker 4:

It's probably in some museum somewhere.

Speaker 1:

But I saw number two and I was proud of the fact that I got to see number two.

Speaker 4:

Oh yeah, yeah, that'd be pretty impressive, you and your number twos. Yeah, also this Proud of them. In 1958, nasa was founded. Now this is important because of the technology that NASA developed and all the innovations that are created in materials, science, electronics. All that stuff has been incorporated, such as your GPS and ABS and engine management tools. All came from being developed off of NASA's development.

Speaker 1:

That's correct. Thank you, Katie Armstrong.

Speaker 4:

There you go and Jeff. In 1960, the first Toyota Land Cruiser arrives in the United States. Now it was initially targeted for a rugged use, you know, a big off-road vehicle like it had been in other parts of the world. But the FJ40 became a cult favorite and established Toyota's reputation for reliability and off-road capability. And of course, later on the Land Cruiser evolved into a luxury SUV, which is what it is now. It's tough heritage is kind of dependent on what you're doing. 1990, the last Citroen 2CB, citroen Citroen, citroen Citroen.

Speaker 2:

Whatever, whatever.

Speaker 4:

Anyway, the last one was built in 1990 in Portugal, which I did not realize that's where it was Now. This ended a 42-year production run because it was introduced in 1948 to be a rugged, affordable car for rural France and they built over 5 million of these things and I'm not sure and I didn't get in and find a good reason why it ended in Portugal.

Speaker 1:

Well, because people were mentally hurt by the look of that car.

Speaker 3:

Wow, no, I'd tub it out and put an LS in it.

Speaker 4:

That's what's wrong with it. It didn't have the LS. 1990, iraq invades Kuwait. Now this is important because of the impact to the oil prices which impacted the auto industry. Because of all the oil crisis, the auto industry tried to adjust and start building different kind of vehicles that were more fuel efficient and trying to think of real alternative fuels kind of leads to what some of the crap we have nowadays. Then in 1996, I'm heartbroken the final Chevrolet Beretta was produced. Oh God, this was a sleek two-door coupe. You'm heartbroken. The final Chevrolet Beretta was produced. Oh God, this was a sleek two-door coupe. You would Mars. Well, I had a friend that had one a GT, a GT, yes, wow yeah.

Speaker 4:

So you could get it in a GT. A GTZ and a Z26 was the hot rod.

Speaker 1:

Oh.

Speaker 4:

It really wasn't really much of a muscle car, but it was respectable. 3.1 liter quad four engine. It just it was a nice little car.

Speaker 1:

It was a turd is what it was. That's what you're trying to say, isn't it? Politely, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, 2005,. The production of the Ford Fusion begins Now. I saw this as a midsize sedan and they built a lot of these cars and they quit building them in 2020. But there's still a lot of them out there and it's still considered a very reliable, comfort, value-driven, performance-type car that kind of competed against the Camry and the Honda Accord and my granddaughters have had two now so far and they were very good cars, as long as they didn't wreck them, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I've decided I want to be the Ford Heritage brand manager. I've decided I want to be the Ford. Do you play golf? I'm going to put this down. I'll play golf On this date in history automotive history.

Speaker 4:

Don Armstrong applied for.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the Heritage brand manager. Except I think I'd rather do it for Chevrolet. You know, we've listed you as a heritage.

Speaker 4:

I am yeah, you're a world-class heritage yeah, an old heritage.

Speaker 3:

You're a stop on the heritage crosswalk.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that's right, right there by the Beatles. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

All right, here's some stories making automotive news headlines this week. President Trump signed an executive order July 31st increasing tariffs on Canadian imports to the United States to 35exico-Canada agreement, leaving little changed for automotive, in which the bulk of cross-border trade is covered by that agreement. So we all think that, oh well, if the car was built in Windsor Ontario, it's going to receive some 35% increase in tariffs. No, it's covered under a different agreement, the US-Mexico-Canada agreement. That has not changed. But if you're going to import steel, things like that- 35%.

Speaker 4:

To build the cars, didn't.

Speaker 3:

George Bush Jr. Didn't he put that in act? Didn't he start?

Speaker 1:

that Don't get me to lie.

Speaker 3:

Okay, I'm thinking.

Speaker 4:

When you talk to him tomorrow, ask him Okay, yeah, please.

Speaker 1:

US and the European Union agreed on a hard-fought deal that will see the bloc face 15% tariffs on most of its exports, including automobiles, steaming off a trade war that could have delivered a hammer blow to the global economy. The pact was concluded less than a week before an August 1st deadline, so congratulations on that. South Korea also did a similar deal 15%. They've got to spend a lot of money here in the United States on top of the tariff on the cars because they're going to build things and have things for sale in the United States, but they're plugging in a bunch of dough.

Speaker 1:

Tesla plans to offer get this a chauffeur-style service, oh, operated by human drivers, to a limited number of people in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that's contrary to a media report that the EV maker would offer a robo-taxi service. Unlike Alphabet's Waymo unit, tesla cannot operate its service using autonomous vehicles because the EV maker does not have the required permits and is not applied. According to a spokesperson for the California Public Utilities Commission, tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Automotive News. Elon Musk said on an all earnings report that the company was getting the regulatory permission to launch robo taxis in several markets, including San Francisco and, I'll bet you, in Austin as well. Business Insider reported on Friday that the service would be a robo taxi operation with humans in the driver's seat who would be able to control the car.

Speaker 4:

Didn't that kind of defeat the purpose of having the remote?

Speaker 1:

No, because right now they're going to have no robo-taxis. It won't be robotic, they'll have kind of like a car service. Remember the difference between a car service and a taxi cab. No, it's a difference, there's a difference.

Speaker 4:

So it's kind of like in the movie Airplane where they had the autopilot that's right the blow-up doll thing, yeah, yeah, yeah, autopilot.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I remember that very well, never seen it, you've never seen. Airplane.

Speaker 4:

Yuck.

Speaker 1:

My God.

Speaker 3:

You don't even know.

Speaker 1:

Santa Claus. Mercedes-benz has temporarily halted the order bank for its electric EQS and EQE sedan and utility vehicle models in the US. A Mercedes spokesperson attributed the decision to current market conditions and did not say when the automaker would resume taking orders. By the way, the plant that builds those, I think, is in Alabama, I think it's in Alabama.

Speaker 1:

So what are you going to do? They're going to build other stuff at the Alabama plant. I'm sure JD Power projected July will end with an average new vehicle loan payment reaching $742, up 1.6% from a year earlier and setting a record for the month. The average new vehicle price was expected to rise 2.1% to $45,063, and the average vehicle was predicted to sell for 90% of its sticker, up 1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to preliminary estimates JD Power released on July 23rd. All right, well, that's no surprise there. Everything keeps going up, price of groceries in particular, and I'm not a fan of that. I like going grocery shopping, but I sure don't like the way my weekly bill keeps oozing up. I'm telling you, you know, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I mean you don't because you've got a wife that does all that.

Speaker 3:

I shop. Oh well, what do you shop for? Group participation? No, we fill out lists together. We go together to shop. I read labels oh yeah, she lets you go to the grocery store with her?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but you have to trail behind. Y'all don't walk together, have you ever seen?

Speaker 3:

puts me up in a basket. Have you ever seen puts me up in a basket? There's that.

Speaker 1:

Oh my God, yeah, hey, we'd love to hear from you. Shoot us an email. The address is info at inwheeltimecom. We're back after this. You own a car you love. Why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it? Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts. We promise you'll be impressed. Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like-new appearance, apply a ceramic coating, install a paint protection film, nano-ceramic window tint or new windshield protection called ExoShield, gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go. Curbed your wheels. Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired? How about a professionally installed radar detector? Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too. Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshieldcom. Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston Tollway, just south of the Southwest Freeway, and get a personal tour. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior. Call them today 832-930-5655, or gcautoshieldcom.

Speaker 1:

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People on this episode

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Don Armstrong

Host
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Jeff Dziekan

Co-host
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Michael Marrs

Co-host