•Ford will euthanize Mercury this year to focus on Lincoln and itself. Mercury was 71.
Life story in one easy bl...
Life story in one easy blink.
•Speaking of aging, this year Range Rover hits 40.
•When the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center opens in December, it will be called AMSOIL Arena.
•iPhone and iPod touch users can take advantage of the Toyo Tires mobile fitment guide, which features info on tire sizes and pressures. Check it out at tirefinder.toyotires.com.
Auto Graphs
•Seatbelt use is at a record high-but 45 million Americans are still not wearing them.
•We're not sure of the number in the "not wearing" category here, but a survey by underwear company Jockey International revealed that the person Americans would most like to bring along on a road trip is George Clooney, followed by Will Smith, Will Ferrell, and a bunch of athletes. Sorry, Trasborg, you ranked on the list somewhere between the Jersey Shore people and a pair of used Jockey underwear.
•Wondering about that red decal on New Jersey license plates? It's part of a law to help identify the state's new drivers (the target is teens).
•The U.S. Senate proclaimed July 9 Collector Car Appreciation Day, thanks to the work of SEMA, the Automotive Restoration Market Organization, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, and Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina.
•Need a book to read? Need it to be about wheeling in Colorado? The third-edition of Guide to Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails from FunTreks (funtreks.com) has arrived.
•USA Today, by way of research by J.D. Power and Associates, reported that in the first quarter of this year, four-cylinder engines were found in 46.5 percent of new vehicles. It was 41.9 percent for the same window of time last year.
•Lord Jesus Christ was hit by a car. According to the Associated Press, a woman hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk in Northampton, Massachusetts, and when police checked his ID, they saw that was indeed his (or should we say His?) legal name.
•Leasetrader.com is noticing a trend in popularity of lease takeovers for pickups, most likely pointing to an improving economy and weather conducive to construction projects.
Smart chick and her smart...
Smart chick and her smart concrete.
•Michelle Pelletier, who is a University of Rhode Island master's degree candidate, has developed a self-healing concrete. The technology behind it? A microencapsulated sodium silicate healing agent embedded in a concrete matrix; tiny stress cracks in the concrete make the capsules rupture, releasing the healing agent. It could mean safer roads and bridges in the future.
Why William Shatner is Cool (Reason #34)
Attention Twits: You might want to follow @williamshatner on Twitter if for no other reason than one of his top 10 vehicle picks was the "Willys Army Jeep." In case you care, the others making the cut were the Packard 426, Dodge Viper, Jaguar XKE, Chevy Corvair, Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, Ferrari Enzo, Citroen 2CV, and Jaguar D-Type.
Things To Do With Your Jeep
•September 12: Fall Mud Bog hosted by Sodbusters Off Road Club, South Bend, IN, sodbustersoffroad.com
•October 1-3: 24th Annual Dixie Run hosted by Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, Golden Mountain OHV Park, Sparta, TN, sfwda.org/dixierun
•October 14-16: 4th Borrego Springs, hosted by Jeep Jamboree USA, Borrego Springs, CA, jeepjamboreeusa.com
•October 21-23: 17th Gateway to the Cumberlands, hosted by Jeep Jamboree USA, Williamsburg, KY, jeepjamboreeusa.com
•October 21-23: 12th Moab, hosted by Jeep Jamboree USA, Moab, UT, jeepjamboreeusa.com
•October 23-24: Fright Night by Point Mugu 4 Wheel Drive Club, Lockwood Valley/Miller Jeep 4x4 Trail, Gorman, CA, Point Mugu 4x4 on Facebook
•October 28-30: 17th Pine Barrens, hosted by Jeep Jamboree USA, Hammonton, NJ, jeepjamboreeusa.com
•October 28-30: 21st Ouachita, hosted by Jeep Jamboree USA, Hot Springs, AK, jeepjamboreeusa.com
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