Odds are you probably never liked the Chrysler PT Cruiser, a retro-style five-door hatchback sold from 2001 through 2010. In fact, you might even hate it. Most people do. Just ask Tom Gale, Chrysler Corporation’s former vice-president of design.
"The PT Cruiser gets hammered by a lot of people,Θ Gale said. “But it really hit a spot. You know, we sold 1.3 million of those things.Θ
Today, it’s easy to forget how outrageously popular this compact car was when it was launched. Credit the PT Cruiser’s success to its retro look, which was a relatively new automotive design trend that was growing in popularity at the time. The PT Cruiser would ultimately be but one of many retro-style vehicles created by automakers. Others include the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo, 1991 Nissan igaro, 1992 odge Viper, 1993 BMW Z8, 1994 odge Ram, 1994 ord Mustang, 1997 Jaguar XK-8, 1998 Plymouth Prowler, 1999 Jaguar S-Type, 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle, 2001 Mini Cooper, 2002 ord Thunderbird, 2002 Jaguar X-Type, 2004 Chevrolet SSR, 2004 Chrysler Crossfire, 2004 ord GT, 2004 Jaguar XJ-8, 2006 Chevrolet HHR, 2008 odge Challenger, 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, 2011 iat 500, 2017 iat 124 Spider, and, most recently, the forthcoming 2022 ord Bronco.
When Pete Buttigieg took office as mayor of the Indiana city in 2012, he changed that. He pitched a $25 million plan to convert downtown’s wide, one-way roads into two-way streets with bike lanes and sidewalks. He hoped making it safer to get out on foot would encourage more people to spend time and money in the area.
Automakers around the world, from Japan to Texas, are grappling with a global shortage of computer chips.
Volkswagen sounded the alarm about the growing problem last month. Now more automakers are reporting problems, including a ord plant in Kentucky that shut down temporarily, a Jeep plant in Mexico that extended its holiday shutdown and other factories that are trimming production plans based on their supply of semiconductors.
Wickman, it turns out, pretty much invented intercity bus travel—which for most Americans equals Greyhound, the company that emerged from that long-ago Hupmobile ride. “Greyhound has become generic for bus travel,Θ says Robert Gabrick, author of Going The Greyhound Way. “Like Kleenex for tissues.Θ Indeed, this classic American business icon—which, as it happens, is now owned by a British conglomerate—today has more than 7,300 employees, with estimated yearly sales of $820 million and 2,000 buses serving 3,800 destinations in 48 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces. “I’m amazed at Greyhound’s brand recognition,Θ says ePaul University professor Joseph Schwieterman, an authority on intercity bus travel. “It’s an American success story.Θ
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a series of initiatives to increase the number of electric buses in New York as part of the State's efforts to mitigate climate change, create healthier communities, improve air quality, and boost access to clean transportation in underserved communities. Specifically, this effort includes $16.4 million in incentives for the expansion of electric bus usage amongst public transportation authorities, as well as $2.5 million for school bus operators to acquire cleaner forms of transportation with lower emissions. These measures will help take polluting vehicles out of service across the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in support of Governor Cuomo's nation-leading clean energy and climate goals in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
"Electrifying transit and school buses at scale is an important step in our fight against climate change and is essential in helping us reach our ambitious goals to create a greener New York State," Governor Cuomo said. "Through these initiatives, bus operators will now have the support and resources they need to modernize their fleets, reduce emissions and ensure underserved communities have cleaner public transit options as we work to further reduce our carbon footprint."
That raises concerns about the long-term health of a sector that generally operates on thinner margins and has less financial cushion.
Pantuso estimates that 85% of the 100,000 people who work in the bus industry have been laid off or furloughed — in most cases since March.
It's not just long-haul services like Greyhound that are limping. Traffic on commuter lines that ordinarily ferry workers to and from the suburbs has also dried up, since many people are working from home.
Fairly early in the development of the automobile, pioneer inventors seized upon the steering wheel as an ideal method of controlling a vehicle. (They were borrowing from the marine world, we presume.) But it wasn’t long until creative variations on the theme began to appear—square, rectangular, ovoid shapes. None of them ever caught on, but these unusual forms continue to appear occasionally to this day. Here are just a few examples.