On this week’s thrilling installment of RoundAbout . . . Toyota turns back the clock on race relations. The City of Chicago moves a mountain of cars. And our panelists play another game of LIE OF THE BEHOLDER!

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Play RoundAbout Episode 136

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Featuring: Michelle Naranjo, Dave Sullivan, Steven Ewing, Craig Cole and Ben Sanders

With additional research and assistance from: Mark Malonzo

RoundAbout records LIVE on Fridays at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. Visit RoundAboutShow.com and click Watch Live to watch our webcast and look in on all the antics.

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How do you find the proper title for a man like Bob Lutz? In the end, there’s really only one choice: Automotive Icon. He’s been everywhere from BMW to Ford to GM to Lotus, and he hasn’t quit yet. This week, he gives Autoline After Hours the unique honor to visit his farm where we’ll get to tour his extensive collection of automobiles and motorcycles. For the man who could own just about anything, what does he choose to keep in his garage? We’ll find out. But, we won’t let him go without asking what he thinks of the state of GM now that he’s no longer the much-vaunted vice chairman. And, is Lotus going to survive? On hand to do the hard work of hanging out with the ultimate car guy is John McElroy and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone and Chevrolet.

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Thanks to our partners and friends AllPar.com, GMInsideNews.com, DrivenMavens.com and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

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(Archived video after the jump below)

He made Hyundai the hit of the Super Bowl a few years back. He brought a 21st Century advertising attitude to a historically stodgy GM. And he even gave Facebook a frown back in May. “He” is Joel Ewanick, General Motor’s Global Chief Marketing Officer who joins John and Peter on this week’s Autoline AFTER HOURS. Of course they’ll hit on all the highlights of his career and talk about where GM is going as they continue to grow globally. And though we don’t expect him to reveal “the secret sauce” as it were, we’re expecting Joel to talk about about the types of marketing & commercials that really move the metal.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone and Chevrolet.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends DrivenMavens.com and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

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Al Capone’s Cadillac is headed to the auction block. A newfangled technology prevents drivers’ cell phones from working while they’re behind the wheel and alerts the cops to their illicit activity at the same time! All that and more, plus later in the show we introduce a brand-new segment featuring THE Safety Advocate, Donald Bloomberry.

Brought to you by Amazon.com and Advance Auto Parts

Play RoundAbout Episode 135

Download MP3 | | |

Featuring: Michelle Naranjo, Josh Lewis, Craig Cole and Ben Sanders

With additional research and assistance from: Mark Malonzo

Video after the jump!

RoundAbout records LIVE on Fridays at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. Visit RoundAboutShow.com and click Watch Live to watch our webcast and look in on all the antics.

continue reading »

Audio-only version:

Download MP3

They’re on the clock…almost. This week the Autoline After Hours studio transforms into Draft Central as the show conducts its second-annual Automotive Draft. If you recall last year’s event, John McElroy led a contingent of four “team owners” — made up of his colleagues from the auto press — in choosing the executives who would lead their own car companies. This year’s automotive draft is bigger, better and even has its own ESPN-like “Draft Reporter” — Ms. Tiffany Stone from Productions Plus – The Talent Shop — who will try her best to moderate the show’s returning Draft analysts, Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press and Scott Burgess from AOL Autos. Join John McElroy from Dymaxion Motors, Jim Hall from Automobiles Bistango, Michelle Krebs and her team Edmunds iMobility, Drew Winter and New America Motors along with Todd Lassa and Jaeger Motor Car Company and see who they choose during the seven rounds of the 2012 AAH Automotive Draft.

Thanks to our sponsors who make Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone and Chevrolet.

Subscribe to the free podcast version of Autoline After Hours:

Thanks to our partners and friends Autoblog.com, DrivenMavens.com and WardsAuto.com for embedding AAH!

Ford’s Model U concept showed a number of new technologies for the company. A supercharged hydrogen-fueled engine lies under the electrically operated hood. The roof of the small SUV also folds away under the rear floor allowing for open air motoring as well as a small pickup truck-style bed.

This ad pits a Mini against a fire-breathing Italian supercar of the period. The nimble mini easily outruns the dramatic sportscar through twisty roads and even threads the needle between two oversized elephants, while the supercar gets stuck leaving the driver stranded. The Mini driver then shows off the practicality of his car by loading countless racing trophies into the trunk.

Join John McElroy, Jim Hall, Michelle Krebs, Drew Winter and David Welch as they assemble their automotive super teams in the second-annual Autoline After Hours Automotive Draft. What corporate team will put you in charge? You can only find out at one place: right here LIVE at 6PM ET Thursday, July 12, 2012.

The Plymouth Pronto Cruiser was supposed to be the car that would save the Plymouth brand by injecting it with a spirited small car that would give new buyers a reason to walk into Plymouth showrooms. Unfortunately for Plymouth, DaimlerChrysler decided to fold the brand and the Pronto Cruiser became the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

These are promotional films of the Thunderbird produced by Ford Motor Company when the cars were new to showcase the features of their personal luxury car. The narrator mentions technical features such as a telescoping steering wheel and removable hardtop being special to this vehicle.