Counting Cars

Anyone interested in a little anecdotal, totally unscientific auto industry research? Today when I was walking from my office at a Silicon Valley university to the train that would carry me very slowly back to San Francisco, I decided to count the number of American-made cars entering the campus through the main entrance. Those of you partial to "Made in America" t-shirts won't like the results. I thought it was going to be a shutout until an ancient, repainted Caprice Classic rolled into campus to make it 23-1.

That was worse than I thought, although most of the cars were probably owned by students in the night MBA program clearly partial to BMW's, so I decided to count cars in the Caltrain parking lot. Again, bad news for American automakers — 19-1 with a single Chevy truck. And yes, at this point I'm beginning to look very suspicious as I wander around the lot shaking my head and counting on my fingers.

When I get back to SF, I take a stroll down my block and it is another near shutout with a single new Ford Focus competing with 16 foreign cars. And the Focus is owned by neighbors whose other car is an Audi. There's even an old Alfa Romeo sedan on my street, proving that San Franciscans will buy an unreliable Italian car before they'll consider buying American.

I'm not questioning anyone's choices. After all, I drive a 1990 Camry that's been stolen and, unfortunately, returned three times. But the tabulations make me wonder what the count is in other parts of the country.

So if you feel like it, head out on the street and give me some numbers along with your location.

Handmade in Flint

Don't be fooled...people are still making things in Flint.

Buick City Aftermath

The Truth About Cars blog has a post on the Buick City cleanup:

Michigan Radio reports that GM’s plant in Flint, Michigan, has contaminated soil and ground water and environmental officials are currently investigating what the decommissioning clean up costs could be. “So this stretch of roadway is over a mile long of different factories, so the Buick City portion that we’re talking about is 200 acres,” said Keith Edwards of the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Rumor Alert: Powers High and G.M.

Here's a rumor that's been floating around...my sources claim that Powers High School is eying the General Motors Service and Parts Operations World Headquarters in Grand Blanc as a possible new location. Allegedly, Powers officials have visited the location at 6200 Grand Pointe Drive southeast of East Hill Road and I-475. There's even an unconfirmed report that the bishop paid a visit.

Notice the careful use of the words "rumor" and "allegedly" and "unconfirmed" in this post. But I have to say it would be a sad day if Powers had a street address that combined Grand Blanc and Grosse Pointe. I know it's a good location, but you can't get much more un-Flint than that.

Is the Flint school board positive it doesn't want to let Powers take Central High off its hands? There's still time.

Go here for a Flint Journal Story on the status of the GM building.

Have I mentioned that this is just a rumor?

Singing with the Sit-Down Strikers

A video on the Flint Sit-Down Strike featuring Dan Hall singing a strikers song written by David O. Norris.

Food for Flintoids

Not one but two grocery stores are slated for downtown Flint.

Flint Postcards: YMCA

Finally

The Detroit Lions win!

Flint Postcards: Industrial Savings Bank

Gerry Godin, author of the All Things Buick blog, has come to the rescue again with more photos and information about the Industrial Bank pictured above, which was once located at the corner of Hamilton and Industrial. This was the second location of the bank; the first was in the nearby W.F. Stewart factory.

Here's a close up of the original location.

Another shot of the bank at Hamilton and Industrial that includes the surrounding Oak Park neighborhood.

A new bank building was constructed at the corner of North Saginaw and Second Avenue in 1923. It's now the Northbank Center.

This 1930 Ariel view of Flint shows the Bank in the upper left corner,across from the Durant Hotel.

A more recent shot of the Northbank Center by Sarrazak6881, who has a great collection of Flint photos.

Straight Talk

The New York Times profiles Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who apparently isn't willing to pretend that Motown can go back in time:

“We’ve got to focus on being the best 900,000 populated city that we can be and stop thinking about ‘We can turn the clock back to the 1950s and ’60s,’ ” he said, referring to a time when the city, still the 11th most populous in the nation, was nearly twice as big. “That era is gone.”