Fast And Furious Star Paul Walker Reportedly Dead In Car Accident insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Fast And Furious Star Paul Walker Reportedly Dead In Car Accident

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There's at least one report that Fast And Furious star Paul Walker died after a single car accident earlier today in Santa Clarita, California.

It seems the speculation on the crash first started on TFW2005 forums:

So I work in Santa Clarita at an automotive performance shop and a good customer just came from Paul's shop, AE (Always Evolving) where they were having a car show. It seems Paul went for a ride in a guys Porsche and they ended up around a phone pole, the car burst onto flames and rumour has it Paul is dead. I hope he got it wrong but he insists it was Paul. I'm reluctant to post this being just hearsay, but the guy who informed us is a wealthy car enthusiast that just pulled up in his Maserati and nothing to gain from a lie, and has video on his phone of the burning car. If it does turn out to be true, damn... RIP Paul.

According to TMZ, who say they have sources on the scene, Walker was giving rides in his new "Porsche GT" when the incident occurred. The fiery accident reportedly happened during one of those test spins.

This is the image of the scene that appeared on TMZ:

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According to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal:

Spectators gathered at the scene, and several said the driver was the star of "The Fast and the Furious" series of films. One witness at the scene said he tried to put the fire out and recognized Walker inside the vehicle.

The crash completely destroyed the red Porsche Carrera GT that was involved. An assistant to Mr. Walker's manager could neither confirm nor deny the report.

The Carrera GT appears to be from Always Evolving, a performance shop that Mr. Walker is financially involved in. This is the car earlier today on their Facebook page:

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The LA County Sheriff's department has confirmed to Jalopnik that two people were DoA in a collision earlier today, but haven't released names. This is their official release:

Patrol deputies from Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station responded to a report of a traffic collision at approximately 3:30PM in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop, Valencia, on Saturday, November 30, 2013.

When they arrived, deputies found the vehicle engulfed in flames. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded, extinguished the fire and subsequently located two victims inside the vehicle. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the collision is under investigation. The Coroner's Office will determine the identities and the cause of death of the victims.

More as we have it.

Fast And Furious Star Paul Walker Reportedly Dead In Car Accident

The Game-Tying And Game-Winning Auburn Touchdowns In A Wild Iron Bowl insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® The Game-Tying And Game-Winning Auburn Touchdowns In A Wild Iron Bowl

Auburn began the drive on its own 35 with 2:15 left in the game, down seven. Six consecutive rushes from Tre Mason later and the Tigers were Alabama 39 with 32 seconds left. On first down, Nick Marshall looked to pass it to Mason for a seventh consecutive time but tucked it back inside, rolled to the side line and fired off a mortally-wounded duck to Sammie Coates for a 39-yard, game-tying touchdown. To overtime we go (pending a 57-yard field goal from a red-shirt freshman).

Well FUCK THAT. Here's the game-winning return off the missed field goal. Holy shit!

[CBS]

The Game-Tying And Game-Winning Auburn Touchdowns In A Wild Iron Bowl

Your Ridiculously Awesome Pontiac Firebird Wallpaper Is Here insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Your Ridiculously Awesome Pontiac Firebird Wallpaper Is Here

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Some may call it sacrilege, but I actually found the Pontiac Firebird to be the prettier, albeit more overlooked sister of the Chevrolet Camaro. Especially in the second generation, when you could get that silly and wonderful flaming chicken on the hood. But now you can have the tailpipes right on your computer.

The second generation of the Firebird was a tale of triumph and tragedy. Triumph, because you could originally get a 370 horsepower V8 when it first debuted. And tragedy, because by 1974 the base model was a measly 100 horsepower I6. That wasn't really GM's fault, but a product of the new emissions regulations and the limitations of the technology of the time.

Either way, it looks like only pure power is coming out the back of these beasts.

Photo credit Brandon Minieri. Used with permission. For more of his work, check out his Flickr page. For a desktop version, click here.

Weekend Wallpapers are featured on Saturdays. Got one you'd like us to run? Send it to ballaban@jalopnik.com with the subject "Weekend Wallpaper." Just make sure you have the rights to use it.

Your Ridiculously Awesome Pontiac Firebird Wallpaper Is Here

A Few Words on Communist Cars insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® A Few Words on Communist Cars

You paid your advance to the official national dealer. You even slipped extra bills in there to get you a bit more forward on the waiting list and to make sure you are getting the make, type and colour of car you asked for. All you have to do now is to wait for five years.

Let me put this forward: I was born and raised in a dictatorship in my early years of childhood. I type this in as a reminder upon reading today's news that Soviet Union mk2 has come ever closer to manifestation. But before the story could get a darker twist, let us get on a more idle level of pondering and plunge ourselves into a bit more pleasing topic: cars. Communist car, that is.

I remember clearly as day standing outside no. 77 at the edge of the crowd, holding my mother's hand as a six year-old, looking at a police motorcycle and the German shepherd dog sitting next to some giant-looking police officers. I had no idea at the time but I was part of history happening at large. It was October, 23rd and we were listening to speeches at the very first free commemoration of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, outside Imre Nagy's birthplace, one of the key figures - and martyr - of the revolt, marking the occasion dropping the affix "People's" from the front of "Republic of Hungary".

Although I have had vague memories of preceding times, the physical evidences of past history still surrounded us as a memento of times, and to an extent they still do - most importantly in the minds of people.

One of those evidences I grew an extensive affection to in general were cars. Cars that were represented by about ten regular makes and about fifteen types altogether, serving as the only consumer choices ranging territorially from the middle of today's Germany to the Pacific Ocean. Lada, Moskvitch, Skoda, Trabant, Wartburg, Polski, Yugo, Dacia and some oddball and rare makes and types that were either available to government officials only or types that no one ever bothered to buy, they were so bad - even by contemporary standards.

Most of these cars were badge-engineered vehicles with some further development imposed on them to withstand the cruel Eastern Bloc environment. All Lada models were based on the Fiat 124, the Polski Fiat 125 and 126 were virtually the same as their Fiat counterparts, with all the Yugo cars deriving from Fiats, too. The Dacias were just mere Renults with even more shabby build, leaving virtually the Eastern German and Czechslovakian car industry doing relevant R&D.

There was this thing at the time, called the Comecon, where Moscow virtually decided which country would produce what products, thus when these factories were established all around the Communist bloc, Hungary was left with building buses.

What were these cars like? By almost all standards quite bad. Well, not all of them, but you didn't expect miracles sitting into one. Owning and able to afford a car was a miracle itself in the earlier years. As I put it in the preface, all these factories supported the needs of two half-continents with cars, so there were long waiting lists at the official - and national - dealers for these. It is almost impossible to imagine nowadays that people often waited seven (7!) years for such a box of excrement as a Trabant, which incidentally caused the effect used cars being evermore expensive as new cars. For one, there were almost no used cars at the time and potential buyers were pushing the prices up and up just to get a car instantly. If you had connections within the Party (as the majority of quite a few people were members of the Communist Party), you could do a streak by getting on the waiting list every 4-5 years, buying a new car and selling it off with a significant margin. Normally you would lose vast amounts of money on such a deal, but over this part of the world it was happening just the opposite way.

The indisputable champion of Communist cars was the Lada. More rugged and slightly better construction than the original Fiat 124, it was the obvious choice for those who wanted to get any horsepower for their money. Therefore it quickly became popular among the slowly developing racing and rallying community. It was so popular that the Soviet Union developed the Communist bloc's only worthwhile Group B rally car of it, the Lada VFTS.

Other sporty cars included the Skoda 130LR that went into the history book, as the other Group B rally car.

But the non-plus ultra sporty consumer Skoda was the 130 Rapid.

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Two-door fastback, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive. Want? Wait for this one, its predecessor, the earlier-generation 130RS:

Although the Ford Escort was the one entitled to put out a "Mexico" edition due to winning the infamous London-Mexico rally marathon, there were a number of Moskvitch 412s in the field, most of them finishing the rally just outside the top ten.

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Other motorsports pedigrees included the engine, which was an aluminium copy of the BMW M10 engine - which served in many racing cars, most notably as the turbocharged powertrain of the Gordon Murray-designed Brabham F1 cars.

What happens when you combine the worst of a Mini and a contemporary Saab? You get the Trabant, which - despite all the wrongdoings - turned out to be a decent rally car, where you were able to learn more about car control than anywhere else.

The truth is that people will always race whatever they will get their hands on. Never mind turbocharged V6 engines or electric formula cars. Awesomeness will always come from the drivers in the first place. Even at places and times you'd never expect.

If you liked what you saw, I recommend this post, too.

A Few Words on Communist Cars

China All Set To Launch Its First Lunar Rover Tomorrow insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® China All Set To Launch Its First Lunar Rover Tomorrow

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As China has grown in prosperity, it's felt the need to expand upon its space program, like all prosperous nations do. And like all prosperous nations, it's felt the need to send something to the moon. And now, it's sending its first lunar rover, which should send back some pretty neat pictures and science.

The Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit," launches at 1:30 AM local time on Monday, or 12:30 PM EST Sunday, and will land on a plain of basaltic lava called the Sinus Iridum. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe the last wheeled contraption to roam the surface of the Moon was Lunokhod 2, in 1973. Technology's come a long way since then, so humanity is certainly in dire need of some HD dashcam footage.

The six-wheeled, two-armed, four-camera'd rover should have a maximum range of about 10 kilometers, and I can't wait.

Photo via Getty

China All Set To Launch Its First Lunar Rover Tomorrow

[The workers of Willets Point, the post-apocalyptic-looking neighborhood of auto repair shops in Que insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® [The workers of Willets Point, the post-apocalyptic-looking neighborhood of auto repair shops in Que

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[The workers of Willets Point, the post-apocalyptic-looking neighborhood of auto repair shops in Queens, NY, faces a deadline today to move out or be forced out. The businesses of the 62-acre area are fighting back in the courts. Photo credit Michael Ballaban.]

[The workers of Willets Point, the post-apocalyptic-looking neighborhood of auto repair shops in Que

Five Fun Affordable Mid-Engine Rear-Drive Cars insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Five Fun Affordable Mid-Engine Rear-Drive Cars

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Being a millennial, there's nothing that I miss from the 1980s, mainly because I wasn't born yet. However, ever since I discovered Buzzfeed, I developed a nostalgia for that decade. This involved watching Cosby Show reruns and any John Hughes movie, as well as hoping that Eastern European geography would be simpler. But the decade of Reagan, Walkmans, and Eddie Murphy starring in watchable movies had its good moments when it comes to cars.

There was the F40, which made speculating on hearing aid futures necessary. The Audi Quattro, a car which would make its driver the next rally champion, as long as there were immense turbos on the engine. And the Buick Grand National, which was promptly snapped up by individuals who steadfastly believe their cars are collector items and refuse to sell them under $20,000 even if they have 100,000 miles. But most importantly, there were affordable sporty commuter cars.

Cars like the front-drive Nissan NX and Honda CRX, front-drive and zippy in town, but most importantly, there were mid-engine, rear-drive cars called the Toyota MR2 and Pontiac Fiero. And they were under $20,000 (though that's maybe around $30K adjusted for inflation), meaning any yuppie, or more likely, any middle-class IBMer/GM car enthusiast/Pan Am employee could have a fun car.

For this list, affordable meant under $30,000. So that took out the Acura NSX, Ferrari 355, and the Noble M400, all very good cars in their own right, but not inexpensive enough to be Miata alternatives, which will be to the chagrin of most Jalopnik readers.

Author's Note: Buick Grand National owners, I mean no harm to your cars' monetary values. I'm sure millennials will eventually pick them up. Of course, this will be after the prices have dropped to $15,000, which'll be $10K below what you paid for them (and a bad investment). What can I say? Generation Y doesn't have that kind of money to spend on a 1980s GM vehicle.

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Toyota MR2

Personally, I've never found the MR2 all that fun. In fact, I forget the MR2 exists more than I'd like to admit. But keep in mind that this is a Toyota from the 1980s, so maintaining it isn't much of an issue, and a good one can be had for under $7K. And one with high mileage and a ridiculous amount of mods can definitely be under $5K. It can also be used as a basis for a Ferrari replica. (This will become a common theme with MR cars on this list.)

In the end, the MR2 is a fine choice. Be aware that it may be difficult to find a first or second generation one in pristine condition (many of them have had a turbocharger slapped on or a more powerful engine swapped in), but I personally wouldn't hold the modifications against them, mainly because more power does make these cars more fun. Just don't even think about entering one in LeMons.

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Lotus Elise

There are many nice Elises for $30K. But I will discuss the downsides first. People will think it's a lot more expensive than it actually is. They may approach you at the gas station simply to talk about Colin Chapman for a long period of time. The interior has no storage space. Making a quick getaway will be impossible with the top on. Also, be aware, these cars do snap at the absolute limit with little warning.

On the bright side, there is a Toyota engine, meaning engine maintenance costs will be reasonable, unlike, say, an Esprit Turbo, with its lethal combination of a high-pressure turbocharger and Lucas electrics. There's thankfully no Ferrari replica conversion kit readily available. And if I haven't convinced you by now, allow Doug DeMuro to. Air your grievances to him if you disagree with this choice on the list.

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Porsche Boxster/Cayman (987)

I'll be honest. I'm a 911 person through and through and will probably never consider buying a Boxster/Cayman. But they're both excellent sports cars and even better for the money when a good used one is under $30K. Most importantly, the engine isn't hanging out at the back, so instead of spinning out on a winding road, you'll knock over a few cones at the autocross course.

So why not the even more affordable (read: under $10K) 986 Boxster (the one with the exact front end of the late 1990s 911)? Google "IMS/RMS failure" and you'll promptly understand that those cars are a money pit. Especially when the cure is buying a brand-new engine at half the car's value. In that case, unless you wish to be part of a class-action lawsuit against Porsche Cars North America, stay away from those Boxsters.

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Pontiac Fiero

Believe it or not, General Motors did listen to car guys in the 1980s. Justified to the public (or more likely, the bean counters) as a mid-engined "economy" car with added sportiness, the Fiero was meant to show that GM under Roger Smith had a soul. There's no other way to explain the stereo speakers in the headrests. The Fiero also ended up being a godsend for Ferrari replica makers of the 1990s.

Add to that the fact that finding part is never a problem because of the numerous 1980s GM vehicles in junkyards across America and you have a winner. And that Fiero forum guys (and gals) are among the most helpful people on Earth. They will talk you through the cooling system issues and how to properly maintain your mid-engined, GM parts bin MR sports car. Honestly, the Chinese should recreate these cars.

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Ferrari Mondial

Admittedly, the owner of a Mondial won't have fun of the driving experience sort. This is because these cars can easily be beaten on any track by a new Honda Civic. Fast Ferraris like a 348 (it's fast relative to a Mondial) or 355 go for much more money. So all of you Ferrari fans can get ignore me from here, because the fun I'm about to propose will perhaps not be to your liking. (I suggest sending letters of encouragement to Stefano Domenicali.)

Instead, you'll have an in with the local Ferrari crowd who need to showcase their cars at every Ferrari owner event, every Concours d'Elegance, and every local upscale shopping center parking lot. It'll be fun parking next to that Enzo and insisting you're as much in favor with the factory as the Enzo owner. Bragging to the 355 owner about how you got a Ferrari for under $30K. And most importantly, telling the F40 owner that your Mondial is a better car because no passenger has ever requested a hearing aid afterwards, lowering your cost of ownership. Who needs Ferrari replicas?

All images courtesy respective manufacturers.

Five Fun Affordable Mid-Engine Rear-Drive Cars

What Cheap Car Makes The Best Noise? insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® What Cheap Car Makes The Best Noise?

This illustrious extended weekend contains what is probably the most American of American holidays. No, not Labor Day, that's for Pinko Commies. We've had Black Friday, which is now also Black Thursday, and we're about to have Cyber Monday, which is like Black Friday, except Cyber. So what's the best vroom for your buck?

We've already seen the best performance bargains, the best cheap performance cars of the future, and some pretty good bargain SUVs, but for our purposes today I'm more interested in the noise a car makes. That glorious, glorious noise.

Not every car makes a good noise, even if they're considered "performance" cars. The Tesla Roadster was famous for making sort of a high-pitched whine at high speeds, and I always found the note of the rotors in a Mazda RX-8 a bit tinny and buzzy.

The Fiat 500 Abarth, on the other hand, sounds like the Devil's little brother, and it'll only set you back around 22 large. It's a perfect mix of burble-y goodness, the whoosh of a turbocharger, and the growl of the world's biggest little mouse.

It's simply wonderful. And it won't break the bank, either.

So what cheap car do you think gives the best bargain on noise? Let us know below in the comments!

What Cheap Car Makes The Best Noise?

The Mayflower Could Be Stuck In The Middle Of England insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® The Mayflower Could Be Stuck In The Middle Of England

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America is the Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave (TM), and as such it is built on a number of Great Founding Myths (TM). One of the myths that gets re-told to hapless schoolchildren this time of year is the story of the Pilgrims, who came on their boat, the Mayflower. But what happened to the boat?

Every little kid growing up in the USA learns the basic story of this illustrious group of immigrants, The Pilgrims. In case you're not from the USA, though, I'll recount it here, albeit very very briefly because when you get down to brass hat-buckles the founding myth starts to get weird. So here goes.

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The Pilgrims were a group of, let's be honest, religious nuts, who agreed significantly on issues of religion with the Puritan faction stirring up England in the early 1600s. While Puritans back then were known for their hatred of anything Catholic in the Church of England, nowadays they're known for hating anything fun, like dancing or gambling or an overly exuberant bit of hearty laughter, though I may be just making that last one up.

In 1620 the group of Puritans now known as The Pilgrims left England to seek religious freedom for themselves and Nobody Else, thus setting forward their most lasting impression on American society. About 135 people got on board a boat called the Mayflower and set sail for the continent of North America, which was discovered just a scant more than a century before.

This was significant because there was already a bigger, more established colony in Virginia, called Jamestown, along with a number of failed colonies, plus colonies throughout the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. So basically, it wasn't really seen as a significant thing at all, at least to the common Englishman at the time. That part will become important in our story later on, though.

Neither the boat nor its captain had ever crossed the Atlantic before, which is what employers traditionally refer to as "job experience" when hiring you for something, but the captain was all "I got this, bro," and the Pilgrims decided "well that's good enough" and headed out.

Two people died on the trip, and a baby was born, for a net gain of minus one, like all good journeys. The baby was named Oceanus, but then he died pretty soon after landing, too. So there's that. Either way, the cruise was kind of crappy, not least owing to the fact that they hit a bunch of storms on the way, and they had pretty much no room at all:

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Seriously, there's room for barrels, sacks, and some rope, and like no people. Once you got inside there was no room to stand up straight, unless you were somehow under five feet tall, which was possible because it's 1620 and tomatoes weren't a Thing yet. Oh, and because tomatoes weren't a Thing yet, everyone got scurvy. So all their teeth fell out, which was fun.

But anyways.

The Mayflower landed in Massachusetts at a place the Pilgrims called Plymouth because that's the place they left from and apparently they weren't very creative. I, personally, would've named it "Mundypants" after a coffee drink I like, but I suppose there's reasons I am not a Pilgrim.

After dropping off the Pilgrims in their non-creatively-named place, mostly to die, the Mayflower sailed on back to England, getting back in about half the time and landing in May of 1621.

After that, the Mayflower just sort of... disappears. This great, illustrious ship, which was actually kind of crappy, that was part of one of the Great Founding Myths of America (TM) was kind of just forgotten about. Because nobody really cared about it.

It shows up in 1624, but only in some court proceedings as to how best to value it. That's about it in the written record. It could have been torn apart, it could have sank, it could have exploded in a nuclear bomb of religious fury (all of these fates are unverified, and possibly completely unfounded, especially that last one).

There is an oral tradition of another fate, however.

It could have been turned into a barn.

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This old gray barn in the middle of Buckinghamshire, England, is claimed to be made out of the remnants of the Mayflower.

Located in the middle of the sleepy village of Jordans, it's pretty close to where William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, is buried. The area was already a hotbed for American tourists owing to the famous dead guy, so when it was identified as "The Mayflower Barn" in the 1920s, that just fit so very perfectly. For the tourist dollars.

The guy who stuck the label on this barn in the middle of England found that the barn was built in 1624, there was a big crack in one of the beams just like on the original boat, and the Mayflower was last heard of in 1624, possibly to be appraised to be scrapped, ergo, ipso facto, Mayflower Barn. Add in some "oral tradition," and you've got a very lucrative business model.

Could this actually be the resting spot of the famous Mayflower, a ship nobody really cared about? Maybe. We don't really know, and we might never know.

Add in the fact that there were over 30 Mayflowers plying the waters around this time, and some were plausibly broken up for scrap within the era, and you've got a weird bit of history going on indeed.

Either way, both the country and the barn have a Great Founding Myth (TM).

Photos via the Boston Public Library, Shutterstock, Mupshot, and David Squire

The Mayflower Could Be Stuck In The Middle Of England

This Is How Stone-Cold Cool Bike Tricks Were In The 1950s insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® This Is How Stone-Cold Cool Bike Tricks Were In The 1950s

You kids these days, thinking you invented everything and you're so "cool" and you even invented the word "cool." When you're sitting down for awkward Thanksgiving dinner with your grandparents, just remember it was their generation that had these hilarious bike tricks.

Harry Kramer is the name of our Bearded Hero in this video, and his performance was recorded as he performed his beautiful craft down Main Street in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, according to the video description.

In the future, everyone will pedal with their butt.

This Is How Stone-Cold Cool Bike Tricks Were In The 1950s

The new Ghost Rider is ditching his motorcycle for a car insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® The new Ghost Rider is ditching his motorcycle for a car

When Ghost Rider drives back into comic stores next year, he won't be doing it on his iconic bike. Now the skull-headed purveyor of vengeance drives a classic Dodge Charger — don't worry, the wheels are still on fire.

Actually, the driver will also be new — writer Felipe Smith and artist Tradd Moore are introducing Robbie Reyes as the brand-new Ghost Rider when the first issue debuts. Smith told Comic Book Resources:

"Our All-New Ghost Rider, as the title suggests, is an absolutely new character: Robbie Reyes. Robbie's an East Los Angeles high school senior with a short fuse and a passion for electronic music and absolutely anything powered by an engine. In comparison to previous Ghost Riders, he's young and inexperienced in life; but his harsh inner city upbringing, overall distrust for most people, and serious contempt for his violent surroundings make him the perfect host for a Spirit of Vengeance."

I have zero problems with this.

[Via Comic Book Resources]

The new Ghost Rider is ditching his motorcycle for a car

Saab Production Re-Starts Monday, Huzzah insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Saab Production Re-Starts Monday, Huzzah

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After keeping us all under baited breath ever since they made one single, solitary car a few months ago, National Electric Vehicle Sweden has announced that they are re-starting production of the Saab 9-3 on Monday. And despite the company name, the new-old 9-3 is not electric! Huzzah!

The car will still be powered by a "turbocharged gasoline engine," according to Reuters, which sounds a lot like the last Saab 9-3 engine, though there's no confirmation if that's actually the case.

New Saab, which is what I have decided to call NEVS while they're still making Saabs, will make the new-old 9-3 in "small and humble numbers," for only the Chinese and Swedish markets for now, which means you've got about a moose's chance in Hawaii of getting one here in the States.

Eventually they plan on selling an electric version of the 9-3 in China, but when that will happen is sort of anybody's guess right now. The new-old 9-3 reportedly looks only "similar" the last 9-3, though if the photo of the first pre-production model rolling off the line above is any indication, it looks pretty much exactly the same. Let us know if you spot any real differences.

Either way, Saab fans are clearly a loyal bunch. As I count myself as one of those mythical "Saab fans," I only have one reaction to this whole thing:

Topshot photo of the first pre-production 9-3 rolling off the assembly line via NEVS

Saab Production Re-Starts Monday, Huzzah

A Helicopter Has Slammed Into A Pub In Glasgow, Fatalities Reported insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® A Helicopter Has Slammed Into A Pub In Glasgow, Fatalities Reported

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A police helicopter that was flying over Glasgow smashed through the roof of a local pub last night, in a scene in which the word "terrifying" is most probably an understatement. At least one person is reportedly dead, and the number of fatalities is expected to rise.

Sniffer dogs are now combing the scene, according to the BBC:

Eyewitness Fraser Gibson, 34, was inside the pub with his brother to see his former band, Esperanza.

"Midway through their set it sounded like a giant explosion," he told BBC Scotland.

"Part of the room was covered in dust. We didn't know what had happened. We froze for a second; there was panic and then people trying to get out the door."

The Clutha pub was already crowded as people gathered to watch a local ska band, according to the AP, when the Eurocopter EC135 T2 helicopter came crashing through. More than 30 were taken to local hospitals, but more work is continuing as of now as people may be trapped in the rubble. Sniffer dogs are reportedly at the scene.

A BBC reporter who lives nearby reported a definite change in the rotor noise, followed by silence as it crashed into the establishment. It's not know what caused the crash, but a helicopter landing pad is approximately just two miles away from the pub.

Of course, we'll update you as we get more information.

Photo via AP

A Helicopter Has Slammed Into A Pub In Glasgow, Fatalities Reported

Did You Know That The Yugo Was Holy-Crap Levels Of Cheap? insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Did You Know That The Yugo Was Holy-Crap Levels Of Cheap?

The Yugo has been called a punchline. The worst car in history. Even a whale. But one thing that was no joke at all was its price – just $3,990 when it went on sale in 1987. In 2013 dollars, that's only $8202.89. Holy crap that's cheap.

Even the Mitsubishi Mirage, which is damn cheap at $12,995, doesn't come close to that. And we used superlatives like "bargain-bin," "leather-like," and "muppet" for it.

This ad is great in that it makes no bones about what you're getting. Unlike most car ads, which have long lists of features, performance figures, even some MPG numbers, the Yugo does away with all of that. Features? Ain't got any. Performance figures? What's that. MPG? I'm sure there are some.

But the Yugo's one selling point was that if you were in the goddamn poor house because Ronald Reagan, or something, you could at least afford a Yugo.

Consider the list of people offered who could afford a Yugo, who can afford nothing today because America:

- Poor students

- Poor couples

- Poor people like us who want a second car just to say they have a second car, no matter what that second car actually is

- Poor kids who have been forced to appear on national television in red suspenders and a matching bowtie

Basically, only the tragic and the unfortunate of the 1980s (and the "middle class" of today). It was Morning in America once again, and the Yugo was going to take us forward into the bright new dawn.

And because it was Morning in America, and the Yugo was made in communist Yugoslavia, it was a total sales flop. And forgive me if my basic economic principles are off, but when you're selling something based on volume, you usually want it to sell in big numbers.

Today the Yugo is a bit of a quirky novelty, something that's actually quite rare. When you see one, it's more funny than anything else.

But funny is what you'd expect from a car that even the guy who wrote the book on it tells jokes like "Yo mama drives a Yugo."

But that cheapness is no punchline.

Did You Know That The Yugo Was Holy-Crap Levels Of Cheap?

Mitt Romney's Son Rescues Victims, Smiles For Photo Op insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Mitt Romney's Son Rescues Victims, Smiles For Photo Op

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In a stunning display of Romneycare, Mitt Romney’s son, Josh, says he lifted four people out of a car that crashed into a home late Thursday night after celebrating Thanksgiving. He updated his Twitter with the not-so-candid picture, and later sent a written statement to the Salt Lake Tribune:

“Last night, after Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and family, I drove with my wife and children to my home. We exited I-215 South at 4500 South and came to a stop at the intersection. Just then, a vehicle traveling at highway speed passed narrowly by my car, through the intersection and into the kitchen of a home across the street.

I drove to the accident site and entered the home where the car had come to a stop on its side. I opened the car door and spoke with the four passengers inside the car. Miraculously, they appeared to have no major injuries. I was able to help each of them get out of the car and lift them down to the ground.

My family and I are grateful that no one was seriously injured and glad to have been able to help those affected by this terrible accident. What I did to help the people involved in the accident is what anyone else would do who witnessed such a potentially dangerous situation.”

While the lack of pupils in his eyes suggest not having a soul, his actions certainly suggest otherwise. Nice work, Josh. Now work on your Twitter-Fu, your humblebrag is showing.

Mitt Romney's Son Rescues Victims, Smiles For Photo Op

Weekend Motorsports Roundup, November 30 - December 1, 2013 insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® Weekend Motorsports Roundup, November 30 - December 1, 2013

Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what's going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend?

There you sit, still stuffed with turkey and turkey leftovers, in the barren, prostprandial somnoletic wasteland that is the country once known as America (#1!). You can barely lift the remote, let alone actually rise from the couch. So why not sit and watch some racing?

As this weekend does, technically, bring us into the depths of December, there's not a whole bunch of the live stuff going on. The replays we do have, however, seem to be masterfully curated.

First up is the Silk Way Rally, which is kind of like the famous Dakar Rally in that it has a lot of big trucks slogging through the ends of the Earth, but is unlike the Dakar Rally in that it is entirely run through Russia. This year's Silk Way Rally was run from Moscow to Astrakhan, a city world famous for its voting fraud in the last mayoral election, according to Wikipedia. I may have won my school's Geography Bee twice, my Astrakhan trivia is a bit rusty, so... sorry, I guess. According to Wikitravel, though, it does have one restaurant, so there's that.

Astrakhan natives, feel free to chime in with your local sights and sounds in the comments.

If road rallies through forested Russia aren't your thing, and you crave naught but sand and heat and sand, there's the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which is another rally, but this time through the sands of the United Arab Emirates. Should be fun.

We've also got replays of Australian V8 Supercars and the FIA GT Series, and those are always swell. Seriously, some of the best racing around.

If there is some live racing near you, please do let us know where it is, and where we can catch the race. Help a petrol-headed brother out.

We know there's been a few site changes recently, so in the interests of comfort and familiarity we'll be keeping the races in the body of the posts. Of course, please use our image annotation tool on the map above to show us races we might have missed, where they're being held, and where we can livestream them.

All times Eastern.

Silk Way Rally (replay)

Moscow to

Just Russia.

1 PM Saturday on VELOCITY

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (replay)

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

2 PM Saturday on VELOCITY

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Supersport Race 1 (replay)

Snaefell Mountain Course

Isle of Man

8 AM Sunday on VELOCITY

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series - Pro Buggy and Pro Lite - Rd 15 (replay)

Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park

Lake Elsinore, California

12 PM Sunday on FS1

Australian V8 Supercars Sargent Security Phillip Island 360 (replay)

Phillip Island

Victoria, Australia

3 PM Sunday on FS2

FIA GT Series Slovakia (replay)

Automotodróm Slovakia Ring

Orechová Potôň, Slovakia

5 PM Sunday on FS2

FIA GT Series Spain (replay)

Circuito de Navarra

Los Arcos, Spain

7 PM Sunday on FS2

Weekend Motorsports Roundup, November 30 - December 1, 2013

HAI OUTPUT: Cadillac Sedan de Ville insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® HAI OUTPUT: Cadillac Sedan de Ville

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Every week, Peter Hughes weighs in with a Friday haiku inspired by a car he's encountered on the street. This week's installment? A Sedan de Ville.

at last Bob allowed,

"Yeah, maybe we've gone too far

with this whole 'stance' thing"

-Peter Hughes

---

When not playing bass in the Mountain Goats or releasing Fangio fan-fic solo albums, Peter Hughes maintains the syllable-conscious automobilia blog Firebird Man.

More installments of Hai Output are posted at Road & Track.

HAI OUTPUT: Cadillac Sedan de Ville

"There, I Fixed It:" 996 Edition insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® "There, I Fixed It:" 996 Edition

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Porsche made a big mistake in the late 1990s with the 996. Let's ignore the mechanical woes of Porsche's experimentations with watercooling the 911 for a second and just look at 'em. The front of 'em. Melty. Egg. Headlamps. THE HORROR.

Lucky for you, some enterprising whackadoodle in Germany grafted an entire 2010 911 GT3 RS body onto a 996!

Problem solved!

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Currently listed for €38,000 on mobile.de, this example features über-gaudy 20" Mansory wheels (does Mansory make anything subtle, ever? NO!) and absolutely zero pictures or mention of the interior.

I can see a rollcage—excellent. I can't see that the interior was swapped for a 997's—not so excellent.

The 996's dashboard is a blobby flashback to my junior high years, and a woefully dated reminder that you're sitting in a nineties car. Yeah, I'd hide that from the pictures, too.

Iffy English translation of the seller's description, thanks to The Google:

996 .. completely rebuilt with original parts on the 2010 997 GT3 RS ! ... All with original Porsche parts: GT3 RS side walls , GT3 RS sills, 997 rear -front and side windows , 997 Sport Classic LED tail lights, 997 Bi - Xenon headlights , GT3 RS front bumper, GT3 RS facelift rear bumper , 997 GT3 RS Exhaust with Headers and Kat , 997 heat shields , GT3 roll bar, roof frames 997 , 997 rear panel . 997 GT3 RS 2005's rear spoiler, everything was made in Karroseriefachbetrieb , no filler bomber , it finally is after all a Porsche ... he has a KW coilover / Porsche racing dampers and stands on 9 and 12x20 original Mansory Rinspeed rims with 345/25/20 . Front tires new, rear 60%. All fully Registered ! complete vehicle history available , original checkbook present, full - Lederausstatung in black Porsche , Porsche had a damaged rear right , front right and on the passenger door , pictures of the damage present ..... Price deals possible . Vehicle is in 97909 , call with questions simple, and no I am not a dealer. Thank you

I'll give him this much—when the 996 body was damaged, he definitely picked a better looking body to replace it with. Unfortunately, this makes it a 997.2 GT3 RS look-alike that's all show and no go.

A previously crunched 996? What's German for "crack pipe?"

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At least it's a manual.

Full ad is here; see here if deleted.

"There, I Fixed It:" 996 Edition

How I Made This Saab 9-5 SportCombi Prototype Road Legal insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com

insuranceinstantonline.blogspot.com ® How I Made This Saab 9-5 SportCombi Prototype Road Legal

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The beautiful Saab 9-5 SportCombi never made it to dealerships, meaning that the few wagons built and auctioned off were non-road legal pre-production models. That didn't stop a Saab fan from 9-5sc2012 from figuring out how to get his dream car on the road.

I've been a Saab fan for as long as I can remember. The Saab virus hit me through my best friend in school whose father had his own Saab dealership. I still vividly remember the test drive we took with the brand new 99 Turbo he had just received from the factory that day. I sat behind him and saw the Turbo meter that was mounted on top of the dashboard spike as we were vastly accelerating. I was sold on Saab but had to wait until 1999 before I could afford to buy my first one.

Advancing many years and about some 10 Saabs later, I read about the fact that many unique Saabs would be auctioned out in December 2012, among which several 9-5NG SportCombi's.

I have always admired Saab's quirkiness, performance, reliability and above all its design. The new 9-5 launched in 2010 I just find stunning and when I realized I could get my hands on one of the extremely rare SportCombi's, I set my mind to it. It would take me almost a year before I actually was able to call one my own and drive it.

This epos (it got quite a bit longer than I initially envisioned) is a summary of the different events that happened from the date of the auction until the day I received my permanent Swedish license plates in the mail. A journey and a struggle of more than 10 months to get a truly unique car that was supposedly "never to be allowed back on the road again" road legal.

After many nerve-racking minutes and frantically hitting my browser's refresh button I finally understood that I had won the highest bid and that I had just bought a very coveted 9-5NG SportCombi!

The beautiful Arctic White was now mine!

My blood was still rushing as I received the confirmation mail from auction house KVD.

I understood that the car was located in Wallhamn (near Gothenburg) and as there was no obvious way to drive it to Stockholm myself I had KVD arrange for transport to their facilities in the Stockholm area.

However, many more things had to be figured out: how to get the car insured, but more importantly, how to get it registered?

This text was written on a metal plaque that was mounted in the engine department of all the MY12 cars that were sold in the auction, including mine. Even though the message itself (i.e. it would be impossible to get it on the road again) was repeated all over the media, it sounded strange to me. Why would it be impossible to get one of the world's technologically advanced and safest cars refused that privilege?

I decided to do whatever it would take to give it a try anyway and was immediately backed by the two other Saab fanatics in the family: my daughter M and her boyfriend F.

No CoC = IVA

Under normal circumstances, vehicles get approved using a so-called type approval process. The car manufacturer performs extensive tests on a new car and when it passes gets granted a "Certificate of Conformity" (CoC). Any new cars that are produced using the same specifications are then automatically approved as they conform to the specs from the earlier approved vehicle. Virtually all new cars in the European Union carry a CoC, which makes life much easier and cheaper for the manufacturer (they don't have to get each individual car approved) and for consumers (as it facilitates cross-border trade by not requiring new approvals in another member state). Unfortunately, Saab didn't manage to complete the type-approval process in time before they went bankrupt and hence my SC didn't have a CoC.

So now what? Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) came up as the most plausible option in the research M + F did. IVA is a process where vehicles without CoC are being assessed for compliance against all applicable technical, safety and environmental requirements. For that IVA to work, I would need "all" the paperwork available for my car.

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The quest for the papers

Saab Automobile AB had my car registered earlier as "LSO 372". One would think that given this, there would be relevant documents available. Well, think again. We called KVD. We called Saab Parts. We called the Saab Museum. We called NEVS. We called the bankruptcy estate. We called Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Road Administration). Twice. Three times. Four times. The people at Transportstyrelsen were contradicting each other; emails to the other organizations remained unanswered. Nobody knew or seemed to want to know.

Community help

As I wasn't the only new owner of a SportCombi (18 were offered in the December KVD auction), I really wanted to get in touch with other owners to exchange experiences. I quite quickly found H in Norway, owner of the Glacier Silver #10. He proved to be really passionate about his SC but also motivated to try and help through a private forum he immediately created for all owners to keep track of everyone's registration efforts.

H considered IVA but went for something different in the end: Norwegian law has a special rule for cars that have historical value. Unfortunately this didn't help me as Norway isn't member of the EU and the rules for "veteran" cars are different in Sweden. It would take until April 25th for H to get the decision and his car road legal in Norway.

However, the first SC to get permanently back on the road again was the beautiful Fjord Blue #13.

Located in southern Germany, its owner M was successfully worked with his local TÜV (German inspection authority) and got his car through the IVA process on January 14th already. Very encouraging news for all of us in the SC community!

Media attention

On the back of the news from the completed auction, Car Magazine "Teknikens Värld" published a test of two SportCombis (featuring Laser Red #19 and my Arctic White #17!) in early January and I contacted the author of the article to see whether he could possibly help. He was quite supportive and encouraged me to continue with my quest and stressed that registration in his opinion should be possible as the SC was built using known technology and specs.

Just a few days later on 23 January, Jet Black #04 was featured in daily newspaper "Aftonbladet". An article about the owner M triggered me to also contact him. As it turned out, he was located in Kiel, Germany and ran a Saab dealership. His "road to registration" wasn't obvious at all either. Although #13 had been approved a few weeks earlier.

I contacted him via email and mailed him the last printed copy of Aftonbladet (the one containing the article with his car featured) I could find. BTW Interesting that journalists can be all over you yet don't seem to have a process to send you the final result…

In any case, I asked M whether he could consider helping us to get my car approved in Germany as it looked like he would get his own through now. He immediately confirmed back that he would be happy to and that he had received a similar request from A, the owner of Jet Black #20 from Latvia.

When M got confirmed on the 30th that his #04 had passed all tests and had been approved by TÜV, I decided that approval through Kiel was going to be the route to take.

With this principal decision taken, lots of logistics had to be taken care of still. While the appointment at TÜV was confirmed quickly for March 1st, the question of how to get the car there (and back to Stockholm) wasn't too easily answered. Many, many phone calls and web searches later I found out that with the TÜV appointment confirmed, I could use German temporary plates that are actually designed for this purpose and valid for 5 days, so I could drive the car myself (vs. transporting it on a trailer). With the help of DHL I received the plates and special insurance papers just in time for my trip to Germany. In fact, I should say "our trip" as my great and faithful aids M + F tagged along- they didn't want to miss the opportunity! First stop was going to be Autohaus Lafrentz in Kiel, where I would get the car first inspected and prepared before heading over to TÜV to get the actual inspection done.

Thumbs up

The trip itself was amazing. I could experience the car for the first time for real, driving it for nearly 1,000 kilometers. What a great car and what great improvements Saab had made in the MY12 series! I love the subtle additions (e.g. the classic airplane symbol on the odometer) and the impressive performance of the 1.6T engine. Not only is it unbelievably silent, it provides a stunning 180hp combined with great mileage. OK, it isn't as performant as the 260HP I am used to from my Hirsched 9-5NG Sedan, but more than sufficient power and in fact great fun to drive!

The other unexpected element of the trip was the enormous interest along the way. When the first car just kept on driving besides us for several minutes on the E4 motorway, I first thought that there possibly was something wrong with my car. Then I realized that its driver was actually getting his camera phone out and taking pictures while giving me the "thumbs up". That ritual repeated itself numerous times and at some point I lost count of the number of people filming, photographing or just complementing us on the road, at the petrol stations and on the ferries. What a great feeling that so many people found the SC so beautiful and special and even more incredible to see the multiple posts on different Swedish, Danish and German Internet forums from people that had spotted us!

Upon arrival in Kiel, I was amazed to see four SC's in one location! #20 and #04 that had already been approved, my #17 and we were also joined by J from Switzerland and his Carbon Grey #46. Early in the morning on the 1st of March we drove headed over to TÜV for the inspection. Although M from Autohaus Lafrentz accompanied us and seemed very confident that everything would work out, I was quite nervous- would my car pass the test?

We didn't have to wait long after we arrived and we were welcomed into the inspection hall by M, the engineer who had previously also had been involved in the approvals of #04 and #20. It took M some two hours to very thoroughly inspect the car and perform applicable tests. When he was done with the practical part, he confirmed to us that the car had passed this inspection, but that he would need some days to ensure that all the required certifications and paperwork were in place before he could officially approve the car.

Very satisfied and happy we then returned home as we passed had the first – critical – phase!

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7 March: Road Legal!

On the 7th I received a phone call that all the paperwork was ready and that my car had been officially approved and that I would receive the permanent German plates later that week. WOW! I got my SC road legal in Germany and getting it approved in Sweden should be a straightforward exercise.

Just days later I filed an application for verification of origin at Transportstyrelsen, which I got granted on March 27th.

5 April: "Så är det bara"… the agony starts…

With the verification of origin done, the next step was to simply book a registration inspection. Now it would just be a matter of days or weeks to get the last phase done and my car road legal in Sweden. At least, so I thought…

In the early morning of Friday 5 April, my daughter M and I arrived at inspection agency "Carspect" in Vårby/Stockholm. We were met by a very brisk technician that without asking us anything virtually immediately said "it's not going to happen". He flat out refused to take a closer a look at the car and chose to ignore all the technical papers and certifications I had with me. Instead, he kept on repeating himself by saying "it's just the way it is" without providing any further explanation. Having done a fair bit of research myself, it was crystal clear to me that he didn't know what rules and exceptions to apply in this case and that it was going to be an uphill battle. This feeling was further strengthened when he finally started showing a few paragraphs of the Swedish vehicle regulation on the screen of his computer and when I pushed him on the fact that I felt he was missing the point entirely and was applying the wrong procedure, he flashed a note from Transportstyrelsen that stated that they felt that the German authorities had incorrectly approved my car and that therefore he wouldn't do anything more. "Så är det bara" ("it's just the way it is") were his famous last words before we were summoned to leave again. No approved car, not even a formal rejection. We were just flabbergasted. Both by this incredibly rude and unprofessional behavior from Carspect (they surely won't see me as their customer anymore!) and the existence of this mysterious note from Transportstyrelsen.

No giving up.

What was this note from Transportstyrelsen all about? Did Carspect make this up just to not have to deal with this case? Were they afraid to end up in the spotlights given all the negative publicity around the "KVD Saabs"? It all sounded so unreal. How can the Swedish authorities question the validity of the official registration papers from another EU member state and, why?

I had to revisit my strategy. Was the current strategy of going through for registration inspection still the right one? Should I apply for dispensation instead (first)? Or give up altogether as it appeared to be "impossible" in any case? Having come this far in the process and being convinced that I was ultimately going to find a solution, giving up was not an option.

With Carspect having moved completely out of the picture, I went to look for alternatives and found "Ystad Bilbesiktning", a specialized company in the South of Sweden. YBB pride themselves in working with "enthusiast cars" and seemed the perfect fit for my challenge. While the initial discussions were encouraging and they did spend some time in further researching the issue, they also seemed to get hung up on this mysterious note from Transportstyrelsen. They pulled out of the process hinting that they felt it was too risky as "the whole world was watching", but came with the suggestion to book an appointment at an inspection agency in the Stockholm area. Assuming this inspection would lead to a negative result, I would then have the opportunity to appeal the decision and refer back to the earlier German registration.

12 April: TransportStyrelsen: "just an opinion"

After many attempts to reach the right person, Transportstyrelsen finally confirmed to us that they had indeed issued a notice. The person that had written it said that she wrote it because of the fact that "she felt "test cars should not be registered as they don't have CoC and EU type approval".

Interestingly enough, she did say that the notice was "just an opinion" and that it couldn't be the showstopper as the final decision about the registration was up to the individual inspection agent and that Transportstyrelsen would not be able to block/reverse a potential positive decision.

EU Directive 1999/37

It felt a bit that I was back at square one when YBB withdrew from the process yet it encouraged me even more to research further in order to strengthen my case. After all, I got my car approved and permanently registered in one EU member state and hence it should be perfectly possible to get it on Swedish plates. The EU was founded many years ago on the premise that its citizens would benefit from the free flow of goods, services, capital, and labor across borders within the EU. For motor vehicles, this base principle is made concrete through "EU Council Directive 1999/37". One of the areas this document regulates is the fact that member states should mutually recognize registration documents in order to facilitate and simplify the process for vehicles that were previously registered in one member state to be able to get on the road again in another without further hassle. So with that in mind, I continued my quest and got the principle and the details confirmed through several official sources including the EU help service provided by the Swedish parliament, the European Consumer Forum and EU's own helpdesk. So if it all was that obvious, why was I unable to get the car registered in Sweden?

31 May: Bilprovningen doesn't bow either

Equipped with the confirmations about the validity and applicability of the EU rules in my specific case plus pretty much all the technical documentation I had, F and I had an early morning appointment at inspection agency Bilprovningen in Moraberg/Södertälje for a second registration inspection attempt. It started much better than the previous one at Carspect as the car was actually let into the building and was made subject of a technical inspection. While the welcome had been nice and friendly, when the technician came back after some 40 minutes, apparently his mood had changed. Holding a few papers, he asked us in an icy voice to follow him to the cash register to pay the inspection fee of 1,380 SEK (approx. 150 EUR). After I had settled the bill he then informed us that the car had failed the test. While it had passed on all the technical aspects, he said that he couldn't accept the German registration papers as the basis to determine that the car was compliant with all the applicable directives and referred to the fact that Transportstyrelsen had said so. Like the previous person at Carspect, he wasn't open to look into any of the papers I had in fact with me, to listen to my side of the story and to reconsider his decision.

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Saabfestival Trollhättan

The "no" from Bilprovningen felt extra sour this time. Not only because I just knew I was right combined with the "just an opinion" comment from Transportstyrelsen, but because I had been hoping to be able to take my SC to the Saabfestival that same day and to join the other eight(!) SC's that had already succeeded in getting road legal. The "positive" though, was that I now had a decision on paper that I could in fact appeal.

The rejection of my car created a buzz amongst the Saabfestival attendees and not before long I was speaking with different people all wanting to help get me to the finish line. One person in particular, J from Germany, proved to be of additional value. J brought me in contact with two members of the EU parliament who after studying the facts immediately confirmed back to want to help with an appeal as they strongly felt I was being denied my rights as an EU citizen.

6 June: the appeal

Kind of symbolic, I sent my appeal to TransportStyrelsen on Sweden's National Day. While I had the main arguments pretty clear in my mind, getting them phrased in the best way on paper while adding relevant examples and other details wasn't too easy. My appeal really focused on the EU Council Directive 1999/37 and the fact that I felt Sweden was violating this in my case. To back up my statement even further, I added a reference to EU Court case where in a similar situation; the Kingdom of Belgium had been found guilty and fined for their earlier refusal to accept the registration documents from another EU member state.

I felt relieved when I finally could mail the appeal and while I was confident that I stood my right, based on the previous experiences with them I wasn't too confident that Transportstyrelsen would see matters my way. It had become a matter of principle for me and I decided that should I receive a rejection on my appeal, I would fight it in court. I could take it to "förvaltningsrätten", an administrative court in Sweden designated for disputes between citizens and governmental organizations, but given the content and scope of the issue, I felt that taking it to the EU Court would be more applicable.

12 June: the waiting starts

On 12 June, I received an email from Transportstyrelsen confirming that they had received my appeal and that I should count on approximately 5-6 weeks for them to process it and come back with a decision. When I checked in with them on the progress on the 10th of July, I instantly received an out of office message to contact them again upon return from vacation on the 22nd. That day I then received an update that as part of the process they were contacting TÜV for more information, that they apparently hadn't received it yet and therefore couldn't complete my appeal.

I responded that I didn't understand why additional information from TÜV was required as it in my opinion wasn't required in my case. I didn't receive a reply on my question and requested them to send me all the relevant documents pertaining to my appeal (as Transportstyrelsen is a governmental organization, I have the right to get these). The next day I received an email with PDF copies of the documents to date. Besides a copy the request for information they had emailed to Germany on 27 June, I finally got access to the mysterious notice that had caused all the issues with Carspect, YBB and Bilprovningen. I became speechless when I read the headline:"This is a test vehicle that has been incorrectly registered in Germany". Speechless because this wording doesn't really provide room for inspection agencies to deviate and to see this as "just an opinion" but for two more fundamental reasons: 1) there are no stipulations in Swedish or EU legislation/directives that prevent test vehicles from getting permanently registered and 2) Sweden was in indeed rejecting the registration papers from another EU member state.

On August 15th I sent another request for a status update. The response was that they still hadn't received the information from TÜV in Germany and were going to send them a reminder. I then requested a copy of all my documents again to find out that they in fact only sent this reminder on the 28th of August: two months (!) after having sent the original request. With my patience really being tested here, I contemplated whether it would make sense to start getting angry with them as this total lack of progress felt unacceptable, but I decided not to. Instead, I contacted M in Kiel, who in turn contacted TÜV to kindly request them to respond to Transportstyrelsen. I was pleased to hear through M that on 5 September TÜV had indeed sent their response.

Then on 10 October, two days after I had sent yet another request for a status update, I finally received good news: "We had a final meeting today about your case. Our assessment is that the German registration shall be accepted as grounds for certification compliance". The formal written decision in which my appeal was granted finally arrived in the mail two weeks later on the 25th. Incredible.

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4 November: FINALLY!

I booked a new appointment for registration inspection the same day as I had received the letter from Transportsyrelsen and on November 4th, I drove to Bilprovningen in Moraberg again. The technician was the same as the previous time in May and greeted me by my name. He then continued stating that he was of the opinion that I had booked the wrong type of inspection. Before the thought "here we go again…" really had the chance to strike me, he said "well, I'm going to just approve the car today. I obviously have already inspected it before and there was nothing wrong with it and now we have the appeal decision from Transportstyrelsen we are good to go". I went in, had a cup of coffee and some 10 minutes later he reappeared holding some papers. Yet again I had to tag along to pay another 1,380 SEK but this time I received a document confirming that my car had passed the inspection. I could hardly believe that I finally succeeded and when I called my wife to tell her the news, it finally started to sink in.

Later that day I posted the news on Facebook and the speed and breadth at which my message went viral greatly exceeded my wildest imagination in the days following I just got overwhelmed with the number of phone calls, FB messages and friend requests, emails and SMSes. What a contrast to all the skepticism and negativism from the previous period! Journalist from "Bilsport" and "AutoMotorSport" magazine did write-ups and I was interviewed on Swedish radio P4 Väst virtually a state of euphoria only to be topped when i received the licence plates in the mail and made the maiden trip together with my wife.

Thank you

I could never have done this without the support of many passionate people around me and I want to call out my daughter M and her boyfriend F for their endless dedication and great research work and M and M in Germany for their professionalism, positivism and passion. Without them and the many others that were involved in the process I believe we would still not have reached the finish line. Thank you.

Email us with the subject line "Syndication" if you would like to see your own story syndicated here on Jalopnik.

Photos: Michel Annik with permission from 9-5sc2012.com

How I Made This Saab 9-5 SportCombi Prototype Road Legal