(BroBible.com)
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
An All Time Epic Sale Promotion Fail
The strange and unlikely story of 100 identical Ford Mustang convertibles
A Christmas gift guide gone wrong, and a whole fleet of misfit toys.
You're now wondering, as we were, why a dealer would need or want 100 matching manual-transmission GT convertibles. The answer has to do with the 2015 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. You may be familiar with the limited-edition cars sold through the annual holiday catalog – stuff like Hennessey Vipers, Astons with special paint, and this past year's glittery Infiniti Q60. They're generally regular-production cars modified with unique paint and other touches, offered in limited quantities and often coinciding with a model's introduction. For 2015, it was something a little different: a Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition custom Mustang with a supercharged, 700-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and an elaborate body kit. A total of 100 were to be offered. Neiman's limited-edition Christmas cars tend to sell out in a matter of hours or even minutes. Not this one.
There were some problems. The original Neiman Marcus listing described the car as having all-wheel drive. Being a Mustang, of course, it did not. We immediately questioned the description and soon found that this was, in fact, a rear-drive Mustang like all the others before it. (The corrected catalog entry is still available on the Neiman Marcus site.) That may have turned some people off, especially if they were reading the printed version of the catalog and called to order a mythical all-wheel-drive pony car. The price may have also had something to do with the relative lack of takers: $95,000 for a custom-painted Mustang with a roll hoop, a hard tonneau, wheels, tires, exhaust, and lowering springs, plus a two-day Ford Racing School course. That's a roughly $40,000 premium over the base car.
It's not clear exactly who was responsible for the conversions or how Russ Milne Ford was originally involved. Neiman's catalog entry mentions SMC Productions LLC as the seller, and the body kits were sourced from Classic Design Concepts in Troy, Michigan. Most of the parts, aside from the tonneau and roll hoop, match those included in CDC's Outlaw kit for 2015+ Mustangs. Until recently, SMC Productions had a one-page website that basically mirrored the description from the Neiman Marcus catalog, but the domain registration has since expired. We emailed the address on that page looking for answers but did not hear back.
(AutoBlog.com)
A Christmas gift guide gone wrong, and a whole fleet of misfit toys.
You're now wondering, as we were, why a dealer would need or want 100 matching manual-transmission GT convertibles. The answer has to do with the 2015 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. You may be familiar with the limited-edition cars sold through the annual holiday catalog – stuff like Hennessey Vipers, Astons with special paint, and this past year's glittery Infiniti Q60. They're generally regular-production cars modified with unique paint and other touches, offered in limited quantities and often coinciding with a model's introduction. For 2015, it was something a little different: a Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition custom Mustang with a supercharged, 700-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and an elaborate body kit. A total of 100 were to be offered. Neiman's limited-edition Christmas cars tend to sell out in a matter of hours or even minutes. Not this one.
There were some problems. The original Neiman Marcus listing described the car as having all-wheel drive. Being a Mustang, of course, it did not. We immediately questioned the description and soon found that this was, in fact, a rear-drive Mustang like all the others before it. (The corrected catalog entry is still available on the Neiman Marcus site.) That may have turned some people off, especially if they were reading the printed version of the catalog and called to order a mythical all-wheel-drive pony car. The price may have also had something to do with the relative lack of takers: $95,000 for a custom-painted Mustang with a roll hoop, a hard tonneau, wheels, tires, exhaust, and lowering springs, plus a two-day Ford Racing School course. That's a roughly $40,000 premium over the base car.
It's not clear exactly who was responsible for the conversions or how Russ Milne Ford was originally involved. Neiman's catalog entry mentions SMC Productions LLC as the seller, and the body kits were sourced from Classic Design Concepts in Troy, Michigan. Most of the parts, aside from the tonneau and roll hoop, match those included in CDC's Outlaw kit for 2015+ Mustangs. Until recently, SMC Productions had a one-page website that basically mirrored the description from the Neiman Marcus catalog, but the domain registration has since expired. We emailed the address on that page looking for answers but did not hear back.
(AutoBlog.com)
Monday, May 1, 2017
A Rare Intelligent Business Decision
Nike, Under Armour, Adidas not interested in deal with Lonzo Ball
An endorsement deal with Nike, Under Armour or Adidas is not in the cards for Lonzo Ball.
Ball's father, LaVar, confirmed that the three shoe and apparel companies informed him they were not interested in completing a deal with his son. Sources with the three companies told ESPN.com that they indeed were moving on.
Never in the history of modern-day shoe endorsements have the big companies all stepped away from a potential top pick nearly two months before the NBA draft. But LaVar, who has been representing Lonzo in the deal, has offered something that has no precedent.
In his meetings with all three companies, LaVar insisted that they license his upstart Big Baller Brand from him, according to the companies. He also showed the companies a shoe prototype that he hoped would be Lonzo's first shoe.
"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar told ESPN. "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either."
(ESPN.com)
An endorsement deal with Nike, Under Armour or Adidas is not in the cards for Lonzo Ball.
Ball's father, LaVar, confirmed that the three shoe and apparel companies informed him they were not interested in completing a deal with his son. Sources with the three companies told ESPN.com that they indeed were moving on.
Never in the history of modern-day shoe endorsements have the big companies all stepped away from a potential top pick nearly two months before the NBA draft. But LaVar, who has been representing Lonzo in the deal, has offered something that has no precedent.
In his meetings with all three companies, LaVar insisted that they license his upstart Big Baller Brand from him, according to the companies. He also showed the companies a shoe prototype that he hoped would be Lonzo's first shoe.
"We've said from the beginning, we aren't looking for an endorsement deal," LaVar told ESPN. "We're looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they're not ready for that because they're not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn't ready for Uber, either."
(ESPN.com)
Another Reason Why It's Expensive To Live & Visit California
California enacts $52 billion fuel tax hike for road, bridge repairs
EV owners will pay a $100 annual fee in lieu of gas taxes.
LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on Friday a bill to raise gasoline taxes and other transportation-related fees for the first time in decades in an ambitious $52 billion plan to repair the state's long-neglected roads and bridges. The measure will increase excise taxes on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, from the current rate of 28 cents, and on diesel fuel by 20 cents per gallon over the next 10 years. It will go into effect in November.
The bill cleared the state legislature three weeks ago, on the strength of a two-thirds super-majority the Democrats wield in both houses that allows them to pass new taxes with little or no Republican support.
Republicans condemned the increases, saying the state's transportation taxes and fees are already among the highest in the nation. They call the measure the largest gasoline tax in California's history.
"Californians got a lemon of a gas and car tax hike today," Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates said.
The average motorist in California, a state renowned for its car culture, will see transportation costs rise by about $10 a month, the bill's supporters say. The governor insisted the pain of higher taxes would be more than offset by economic benefits.
(AutoBlog.com)
EV owners will pay a $100 annual fee in lieu of gas taxes.
LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on Friday a bill to raise gasoline taxes and other transportation-related fees for the first time in decades in an ambitious $52 billion plan to repair the state's long-neglected roads and bridges. The measure will increase excise taxes on gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, from the current rate of 28 cents, and on diesel fuel by 20 cents per gallon over the next 10 years. It will go into effect in November.
The bill cleared the state legislature three weeks ago, on the strength of a two-thirds super-majority the Democrats wield in both houses that allows them to pass new taxes with little or no Republican support.
Republicans condemned the increases, saying the state's transportation taxes and fees are already among the highest in the nation. They call the measure the largest gasoline tax in California's history.
"Californians got a lemon of a gas and car tax hike today," Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates said.
The average motorist in California, a state renowned for its car culture, will see transportation costs rise by about $10 a month, the bill's supporters say. The governor insisted the pain of higher taxes would be more than offset by economic benefits.
(AutoBlog.com)
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