John Gilbert on Car Talk
Posted by Steve Frazier
Our program on October 12th was a presentation by John Gilbert, who was introduced by Tim Litfin. Tim prepared us by telling us that John was a hockey fan extraordinaire.
John is from Duluth, where he still maintains a home. He started writing for the Star Tribune in 1969 where he covered the hockey scene for the paper. He is an auto racing fan, and he also became the primary reporter for that sport. Through the years, he became friends with many sports figures, but he became a fan of Herb Brooks as well as a friend. After Brooks' death in an auto accident, John felt it was time to write a book memorializing a great person and hockey coach, so he wrote "Herb Brooks: The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind". Printed two years ago, it is still moving off the shelves in bookstores at a very good rate.
Most of us know John because a radio show Saturday mornings on WCCO, or as a writer about cars in the Star Tribune. Most of his talk was about test-driving new model cars and the state of the auto business. He said that no one can predict what the auto industry will look like in 10 years, nor is the "car of the future" easy to predict. He is about to test drive the much-promoted Chevy Volt, GM's electric car. Other car manufacturers put their hybrid products out on the road while GM bemoaned the lack of adequate batteries for their product, and now they are finally ready to market a vehicle using the present-day technology in batteries.
John made a trio to Korea to visit the home and factory of Kia-Hyundai there. The second largest auto manufacturer in Asia, they have developed some very good products - good enough to compete with the best in the market. A new engine was developed using direct injection that is incorporated in many of their new models.
John's website is www.newcarpicks.com. (Story by Tad Shaw and posting and photo by Steve Frazier.)
John is from Duluth, where he still maintains a home. He started writing for the Star Tribune in 1969 where he covered the hockey scene for the paper. He is an auto racing fan, and he also became the primary reporter for that sport. Through the years, he became friends with many sports figures, but he became a fan of Herb Brooks as well as a friend. After Brooks' death in an auto accident, John felt it was time to write a book memorializing a great person and hockey coach, so he wrote "Herb Brooks: The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind". Printed two years ago, it is still moving off the shelves in bookstores at a very good rate.
Most of us know John because a radio show Saturday mornings on WCCO, or as a writer about cars in the Star Tribune. Most of his talk was about test-driving new model cars and the state of the auto business. He said that no one can predict what the auto industry will look like in 10 years, nor is the "car of the future" easy to predict. He is about to test drive the much-promoted Chevy Volt, GM's electric car. Other car manufacturers put their hybrid products out on the road while GM bemoaned the lack of adequate batteries for their product, and now they are finally ready to market a vehicle using the present-day technology in batteries.
John made a trio to Korea to visit the home and factory of Kia-Hyundai there. The second largest auto manufacturer in Asia, they have developed some very good products - good enough to compete with the best in the market. A new engine was developed using direct injection that is incorporated in many of their new models.
John's website is www.newcarpicks.com. (Story by Tad Shaw and posting and photo by Steve Frazier.)