EL PASO - If you are driving without insurance in El Paso, you have 90 days to clean up your act. After that, a new city law gives police the right to tow your vehicle on the spot.
In a 6-2 vote, El Paso City Council voted to authorize police to impound the automobile of any driver who cannot show financial responsibility.
Council rejected a more narrowly-tailored ordinance that would only have allowed impound in a handful of cases in which drivers couldn't prove they had insurance or a posted bond. Mayor John Cook, who was absent at the time of the vote, had threatened to veto the broad ordinance.
However, the 6-2 vote was enough to override the mayor's promised veto. City Representatives Eddie Holguin and Carl Robinson voted against the ordinance.
When you get pulled over for a traffic violation, an officer typically asks you for a license and proof of insurance. Before, if you didn't have insurance, you got a ticket. With the new law, you still get that ticket, but you may also lose your vehicle.
Under the new law, if you are pulled over without insurance, you will be expected to pay for the traffic violation, the cost of the tow, a fine and you will be required to show proof of insurance before you get your vehicle back.
Police estimate that 1 in 4 drivers in El Paso are driving uninsured. City officials say 50,000 drivers were cited last year.
"We have laws on the books that say you need to do x, y and z in order to be on the road and being on the road is not a right, it's a privilege. I would say to the family that needs to have the car, but can't afford insurance, you shouldn't be on the road...use our mass transit system," said city Rep. Steve Ortega.
There will be a 90-day grace period until the ordinance goes into effect so that police officers can be trained for its enforcement and to ensure the public is informed of the new law. However, no official start date has been set yet, El Paso Police Department spokesman Chris Mears said.
Police officers will have the power to tow any vehicle stemming from a traffic stop or accident investigation. The officer will use "any and all means" to verify financial responsibility, including the Texas Sure database.
As the ordinance stands now, police can ask for insurance and order the impound of an uninsured vehicle in any traffic stop, including speeding or red light. However, Mears said officers will use their discretion.
The El Paso Police Department will not tow cars at their insurance checkpoints, Mears said. Vehicles will be towed regardless of what state or nation they are registered in.
The company that now holds the city contract for towing is AD Wrecker. However, their contract will end before the ordinance goes into effect, so it's unknown if they will be the towing company handling insurance impounds.
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Economic stress creates instant classics
Economic cycles, like history itself, tend to repeat. In the world of cars, the ups and downs of our economy have pushed select types of cars out of production before. These cycles also have ushered in new types of technologies. Historians call it progress.
In the 1970s, for example, two independent trends came together to kill off America’s beloved muscle cars. The combination of more stringent exhaust regulations and escalating insurance rates caused the extinction of cars like the original Hemi Challenger, the Plymouth Superbird, the Mustang Boss 429 and all manner of big-block Corvettes. Today, these are some of the world’s most valuable cars. Muscle cars continue to set records at auctions according to experts such as Dana Mecum from Mecum Auctions.
Earlier this summer at Mecum’s Bloomington Gold auction in Marengo, a 1968 Corvette sold for $300,000. Presently two trends are again shoving a generation of great cars out of production. Like in the 1970s, emissions regulations are at work and this time new legislation targets lower-carbon emissions. The new regulations will likely make big-displacement engines a thing of the past. The second trend is purely economic: The winnowing of brands and nameplates will prove significant to car collectors in future decades.
As you contemplate a new vehicle, ask yourself if you might like the idea of driving an “instant classic” – a car or truck that is cool right now and might be even cooler a few decades from now when they no longer exist.
When pondering the purchase of an instant classic, the biggest considerations are style, performance and rarity. The right mix increases the likelihood of the vehicle retaining more of its original value and – many years down the road – becoming a genuine collectible.
The Solstice Coupe makes the list because it is a one-year wonder with a striking look and great performance that will soon go out of production forever. Because the highest-performance versions tend to be more collectible, choose the turbocharged GXP if you can find one.
As you may know, the Solstice Coupe has relatives: the soft-top Solstice Roadster and its Saturn stable mate, the Sky Roadster.
The high-performance recommendation stands for these models as well: Try to find the GXP for the Solstice and the Red Line version of the Sky. The manufacturing plant that produces the Solstice and Sky closed at the end of July, and even though Saturn has survived as a brand, its salvation is not enough to keep these cars in production.
The Pontiac G8 GXP is another onemodel- year edition that is heading out of production. But the big Poncho has an additional attraction – its 6.2-liter, 403-horsepower V-8. Large-displacement engines are likely to be legislated out of existence as President Obama’s new vehicle standards take hold. Most Pontiac dealers are charging full sticker price for these models because enthusiasts who want the last best Pontiac have been clamoring for them.
Like the GXP, a monster V-8 is the focal point of the Grand Cherokee SRT8 (inset), only in the Jeep it’s a 6.1-liter 425-horsepower HEMI. Given Chrysler’s condition and the new 2011 Grand Cherokee displayed in April at the New York Auto Show, the likelihood of a next-generation SRT8 GC isn’t high. The company’s priorities lie elsewhere, like building electric vehicles and rebadging Fiat Puntos into Dodge Colts.
At the extreme other end of the spectrum, Chrysler inadvertently created two more instant classics: the Aspen and Durango hybrids. These models use top-flight hybrid technology that was co-developed with General Motors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. They were to be Chrysler’s green flagships, but when the economy collapsed management decided to end production of all Aspen and Durango models, including the hybrid editions. Just a few hundred of these green sport utilities were produced and you may still be able to find one on a dealer’s lot. While they do not have the performance panache of the Cherokee SRT8, they are unique from a technology point of view and their low-production run virtually ensures collectibility.
Another Chrysler that makes the list is the Art Deco-styled Crossfire. According to some sources, more than 200 examples from the 2008 model year are still on dealer lots around the country. Because the coupe was developed during Chrysler’s ownership by Mercedes-Benz, the wild exterior shape rides upon Mercedes-Benz SLK mechanicals sourced from Chrysler’s former German owner. The Crossfire came as a coupe and a convertible.
So this is the list, but be forewarned: It will take decades for these cars to become truly collectible and only those in the best condition will command top dollar down the road. Most examples will simply become used cars.
Source
In the 1970s, for example, two independent trends came together to kill off America’s beloved muscle cars. The combination of more stringent exhaust regulations and escalating insurance rates caused the extinction of cars like the original Hemi Challenger, the Plymouth Superbird, the Mustang Boss 429 and all manner of big-block Corvettes. Today, these are some of the world’s most valuable cars. Muscle cars continue to set records at auctions according to experts such as Dana Mecum from Mecum Auctions.
Earlier this summer at Mecum’s Bloomington Gold auction in Marengo, a 1968 Corvette sold for $300,000. Presently two trends are again shoving a generation of great cars out of production. Like in the 1970s, emissions regulations are at work and this time new legislation targets lower-carbon emissions. The new regulations will likely make big-displacement engines a thing of the past. The second trend is purely economic: The winnowing of brands and nameplates will prove significant to car collectors in future decades.
As you contemplate a new vehicle, ask yourself if you might like the idea of driving an “instant classic” – a car or truck that is cool right now and might be even cooler a few decades from now when they no longer exist.
When pondering the purchase of an instant classic, the biggest considerations are style, performance and rarity. The right mix increases the likelihood of the vehicle retaining more of its original value and – many years down the road – becoming a genuine collectible.
The Solstice Coupe makes the list because it is a one-year wonder with a striking look and great performance that will soon go out of production forever. Because the highest-performance versions tend to be more collectible, choose the turbocharged GXP if you can find one.
As you may know, the Solstice Coupe has relatives: the soft-top Solstice Roadster and its Saturn stable mate, the Sky Roadster.
The high-performance recommendation stands for these models as well: Try to find the GXP for the Solstice and the Red Line version of the Sky. The manufacturing plant that produces the Solstice and Sky closed at the end of July, and even though Saturn has survived as a brand, its salvation is not enough to keep these cars in production.
The Pontiac G8 GXP is another onemodel- year edition that is heading out of production. But the big Poncho has an additional attraction – its 6.2-liter, 403-horsepower V-8. Large-displacement engines are likely to be legislated out of existence as President Obama’s new vehicle standards take hold. Most Pontiac dealers are charging full sticker price for these models because enthusiasts who want the last best Pontiac have been clamoring for them.
Like the GXP, a monster V-8 is the focal point of the Grand Cherokee SRT8 (inset), only in the Jeep it’s a 6.1-liter 425-horsepower HEMI. Given Chrysler’s condition and the new 2011 Grand Cherokee displayed in April at the New York Auto Show, the likelihood of a next-generation SRT8 GC isn’t high. The company’s priorities lie elsewhere, like building electric vehicles and rebadging Fiat Puntos into Dodge Colts.
At the extreme other end of the spectrum, Chrysler inadvertently created two more instant classics: the Aspen and Durango hybrids. These models use top-flight hybrid technology that was co-developed with General Motors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. They were to be Chrysler’s green flagships, but when the economy collapsed management decided to end production of all Aspen and Durango models, including the hybrid editions. Just a few hundred of these green sport utilities were produced and you may still be able to find one on a dealer’s lot. While they do not have the performance panache of the Cherokee SRT8, they are unique from a technology point of view and their low-production run virtually ensures collectibility.
Another Chrysler that makes the list is the Art Deco-styled Crossfire. According to some sources, more than 200 examples from the 2008 model year are still on dealer lots around the country. Because the coupe was developed during Chrysler’s ownership by Mercedes-Benz, the wild exterior shape rides upon Mercedes-Benz SLK mechanicals sourced from Chrysler’s former German owner. The Crossfire came as a coupe and a convertible.
So this is the list, but be forewarned: It will take decades for these cars to become truly collectible and only those in the best condition will command top dollar down the road. Most examples will simply become used cars.
Source
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