Story & photos by Bill Griffith, NEMPA. December is reserved for Santa Claus at NEMPA’s annual Christmas party, but July is when we and our guests get to enjoy New England’s famous lobster claws. The occasion is always NEMPA’s time-honored summer driving and eating gala known as the Ragtop Ramble & Crustacean Crawl. (more…)
Author Archive | Bill Griffith
Ground-breaking Fiesta Three at NEMPA
You’d have thought Ford was unveiling an array of Shelby Mustangs, the way NEMPA members converged on the Automotion garage on June 17. Instead, Ford PR rep Vanessa Cook had brought a five-pack of Ford’s new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Fiestas.
Chrysler brings new 200s to NEMPA
Brand manager J.T. Delcamp, Kathy Graham of Chrysler communications and East Coast PR manager Lisa Barrow visited the Automotion garage on June 10 with the message that Chrysler is determined to be a serious player in midsize sedans.
Ford 2015 F-150 takes home coveted Yankee Cup
The Yankee Cup, presented each year by NEMPA, with input from MIT’s automotive engineering faculty, to a “feature or system that significantly enhances the motoring experience, whether by making driving safer, more cost-efficient or simply more enjoyable.” For the first time, the Yankee Cup has been awarded to an entire vehicle—and a truck, at that: […]
Engineering Safer Drivers
Distracted driving was on the agenda in the 1940s when Massachusetts state legislators wanted to ban automobile radios because people were singing in their cars. It was a concern in 1959 when Paul Evans’ pop tune reached No. 9 on the Billboard charts. And today distracted driving is becoming a critical issue, thanks to the […]
Visiting Manheim New England on sale day
Visiting Manheim New England’s auto-auction facility during a sale has the feel of being at the track for a big stakes race.