Ford is moving into the future with their many different alternative fuel technologies. They are embracing the same idea as General Motors: energy and fuel diversity. 

Ford is looking into multiple options of new lines of cars and trucks as far as fuel. Options include E85, biodiesel, hydrogen, electric, and electric-hybrid.

Watch the Ford Bold Moves Episode 24 video.

The Alternative Transportation Festival held on the East Coast was a boiling point for all of these technologies to come together.  Within the next hundred years we may well be out of oil and gas. Panic time? Not with Ford already on the road with the right moves to fuel our vehicles clean into the future.

We took a breather for the L.A. Auto Show this week so the Gift Garage is moved officially to Thursday. Now every week on Thursday you can come to Ask Patty and learn all about the coolest auto gifts for gals. Make sure to mark your calendars!

Speaking of calendars, the Lyn St. James Foundation has a calendar on sale for this year and it’s super cute! The Mission of the Lyn St. James (LSJ) Foundation is to provide leadership, vision, resources and financial support in order to create an open environment for women's growth in automotive fields. Through its driver development program, the LSJ Foundation has trained more than 150 female race car drivers from 38 states and two countries and has also contributed to Girls, Inc., the Wilbur Shaw Soap Box Derby in Indianapolis, as well as other charitable organizations. Show your support and purchase this great motor sports calendar!

Purses are always great gifts. But if you want a unique take on the plain, check out Bucklebags. They have purses, messenger bags, and backpacks all made out of seatbelts! And it’s not just the ugly tan and brown and black colors that you see in your own car. They have pink and white and orange and yellow… and just about any color you could think of! They even have great options for the man in your life.

If you are feeling crafty and want to make something automotive for a gift, why not create your own purse out of seat belts? Copy these directions and give it a whirl. Hey, it’s better than gluing some gears together and calling it “art.” Better yet, save your time and just buy a cute one from Bucklebag and say you made it!

What do you get the gal with everything and a huge driveway? How about a CarTurn? Wait, I’ll tell you what it is. It is basically a large turntable for your car or truck. CarTurn allows you to turn your car effortlessly, eliminating the need to back into traffic. It can be installed above ground in a few minutes in your driveway or even your garage. It will rotate your car or truck up to 360 degrees!

There are other car-type belts out there but this one has panache and funky style add to the equation.  Be the first to own it! The Tattoo Bottle Cap Belt is all about attitude and looking good. It is made from recycled rubber and bottle caps with creative tatoo art. The belt features an automotive seat belt buckle with three snaps for micro-adjusting your belt, plus the buckle snaps off so that you can easily glide your belt through smaller belt loops.

Dings in your car are about the worst thing to come back to when you are out holiday shopping. Someone parked too close to you and they come out of the shop, loaded to the sky with shopping bags, open their car door too wide and BANG! Well, what if you could saunter right over and with a tool as small as a pen, cover up the ding? You can! With the AutoVisuals pen, you can get the exact match to your car paint and carry it right in your purse. It covers up dings and scratches like a charm!

We cover mostly automotive products at Ask Patty but we couldn’t pass up this seriously funky lamp. It is made from bike components and has unique ways of lighting up. Even for a weekend gearhead, this is a fun gift. We guarantee it will be different from every other gift they receive!

Tune in next week for more great gifts!

By Michelle Wingard
My personal vehicle is more than just machinery; it is a way of life. Nearly every positive experience I've had in my life can be traced back to my passion for cars. While I consider myself an aficionado when it comes to high-performance vehicles, the Ford Mustang is everything I am looking for
in a car.

I purchased my first Mustang, a dark green 1995 GT coupe, brand new. My intent was to use the car as a daily driver as well as a strip car to feed my drag racing addiction. I read as many car magazines as I could get my hands on, and tried to do little tweaks here and there as money would permit. I frequented car shows with my Mustang, and at that time, I encountered my first positive experience at one of these shows. I met the man who would later become my husband.

I was instantly drawn to his Mustang (also a 1995), but wanted to learn more
about the man behind the wheel as I absorbed the eye candy (both he AND the
car). We made small talk, and following that car show, we lost contact for a short time. Months later, while driving my Mustang, I encountered him on the street in his yellow Mustang. I pulled up next to him, revved a few times,
and we ended up stopping in a parking lot. We exchanged phone numbers, and we have been together ever since. In fact, when we got married the following year, my Mustang was our "getaway car."

While I'd love to think that I learned most of what I know from my research of publications, that's simply untrue. I was proficient enough to "talk the talk" when I met my husband, but I simply didn't have a clue when it came down to actually working on a vehicle. I was eager to learn, and even more eager to offer up my own personal car as a test horse. I loved the idea that making changes, both small and large, would yield an increase in feel and performance. With seemingly endless patience, my husband became my educator. He started off by showing me the basics, such as how to change out spark plug wires, and do simple maintenance, like oil changes. Soon, we were working on the addition of bolt-on modifications, like exhaust headers and under-drive pulleys.

United Spinal Association’s Motorsafe program is a nationwide public awareness campaign promoting safe motoring and spinal cord injury prevention. Education on the proper use of all motorized vehicles will help prevent “risky” behavior. While focused on younger drivers, the program targets all people who operate automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorboats, personal watercraft (PWC), and snowmobiles. United Spinal’s goal is to share information and knowledge of specific hazards involved in operating these types of equipment and to highlight good practices that will prevent serious injury or even death.

Studies have shown that even at slow speeds (i.e., 5 mph), motor vehicle accidents can cause neck injuries. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the typical driver will narrowly avoid a motor vehicle accident one to two times per month and all drivers will be in a collision of some type on average of every 6 years.

Every 13 minutes, there is a death caused by a motor vehicle accident. There are approximately 3 million car-related injuries per year, 2 million permanent injuries, and 40,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. U.S. Department of Transportation statistics indicate that accidents are generally related to irresponsible driving behavior.

Currently, automobile accidents are the number one killer of people ages 1 to 37. About 1 in 30 young drivers will be injured in an accident each year. Young drivers are four times more likely to die in car accidents and are much more prone to speed, drive recklessly or intoxicated, and not wear their seat belts, than middle-aged drivers. There were 17,419 alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities in 2002.

Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents

• Reckless and negligent driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Inexperienced and irresponsible drivers
• Inattentiveness to the road and other vehicles (i.e., tuning the radio, talking on a cell phone, or chatting with passengers, etc.)

Ways to Protect Yourself

• Always wear your seat belt.
• Properly maintain your vehicle with routine tune-ups.
• Be aware of road conditions.
• Avoid driving if your intoxicated, tired, or on medication.
• Take defensive driving classes.
• Obey traffic laws and speed limits.

The L.A. Auto Show has been an exciting event this year. It is the 100th anniversary of the show and there were so many wonderful choices of new environmentally friendly vehicles, you will turn green with envy when you see others driving them on the street! Wednesday marked the opening of the event for media members and there were some big names there to kick it off with style.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was present and spoke about the push toward making L.A. the largest “green” city in the U.S. He presented the Auto Show with a commemorative plaque for their 100th anniversary as well. The highlight and keynote speaker was General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner. The topic of the day was new energy for automobiles.

Wagoner brought up the scary fact that in 2030 we will need 70% more energy than we did in 2003. What a scary thought! Well, GM has committed to a plan to help increase the development of alternative energy sources. Wagoner said, “The key, as we see it at GM, is energy diversity. We believe the best way to power the automobile in the years to come, is to do so with many different sources of energy.” Bravo! We like the sound of that! But what does that mean?

It means GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler announced they will double their production of vehicles capable of running on renewable fuels by 2010. In fact, General Motors plans to make half of their annual vehicle production bio-fuel capable by 2012, provided there is a decent supply of filling stations out there for us. So write your Senator and Congressperson!

The theme was green throughout the show this year for sure. Shortly after hearing GM’s commitments, we heard Ford announce their plans to expand their clean vehicles, including more work on the hydrogen fuel cell option. The all-new Saturn VUE Green Line was debuted by Jill Lajdziak (Saturn’s General Manager) and this particular model uses a “two-mode” hybrid system which provides—get this!—a 45% increase in fuel efficiency over the standard VUE. Whoa! That’s a huge jump. Think of all that extra cash… you could buy more lattes, or more holiday gifts for the family, or put it into a savings account!

What if you could plug your car into an outlet in your garage and reasonably recharge the battery at night before work, just like you would a cell phone? Well, line up for the Saturn VUE in a few years, which will be the first vehicle with a “plug-in” system. Hmm… should they go with a two- or a three-prong plug? And what about a DC adaptor so you could charge your car from… your other car? Maybe that’s getting too carried away!

One last little note on this whole trend toward helping the environment. There was an interesting little interaction between a few “activists” who called GM CEO Rick Wagoner out on his commitment, trying to nail him down on this plan. They were skeptical of this turnaround, and we are a little as well. While we applaud the push toward green autos, we wonder if the rubber will meet the road. We truly hope so.

To follow up our report on the great new designs by GM, we wanted to bring you the spin on the new Buick Enclave crossover vehicle. General Motors and Buick revealed their new 2008 Buick Enclave at a swanky little reception in Pasadena Tuesday night. The coolest part about the reveal? Tiger Woods drove the vehicle out onto the stage.

You heard us! Tiger drove the Enclave out onto the platform and he and Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of GM, stepped out of the gorgeous brown vehicle to answer some questions. And guess who stepped up and asked a question? That’s right, Ask Patty. We asked him the question that Ask Patty continues to ask the automotive industry at all levels, “What are you doing to market this vehicle to women?” And what did the CEO of GM say? He gave the somewhat disappointing, generic, non answer.

The reason why this is so terribly troubling is that the Enclave practically does the marketing FOR them. This vehicle has so many touches to it that were made with a woman in mind. And we can say this with certainty because we met one of the co-designers… and it was a woman! She had her hands all over this crossover ute and it shows.

For example—and this is just such a great design element—she told us that she specifically designed the left foot rest to allow room for a heel. Now your foot can rest on that dead pedal in comfort with your heel slipping neatly into the provided pocket. Genius! And this baby seats eight. Eight. That is very carpool and family friendly. On top of all of that, the color of this vehicle was beautiful. It reminded us of a rich chocolate silk pillow. Breanne wants to pain her living room the same color now. It actually matched the svelte brown jacket Jody wore to the event!

So can you see what we mean? GM doesn’t have their work cut out for them with the product, but they do when it comes to their marketing plan. All that aside, we met with some lovely blogger women from the Silicon Valley Mom Blog and Mommies With Style. We shared a great Italian dinner with people from all over blogland, including Automotive.com, PSFK and The McGinn Group.  We talked about marketing  to women strategies over yummy ravioli and spaghetti.

Stay tuned for more updates as we travel through the L.A. Auto Show!

by Jennifer Frey
"Are there any Service men that I could talk to?"
"I'd like to talk to someone that knows what they're doing."
"I didn't realize there were women in the Service Department."

Sadly, these phrases are not uncommon when you are a female working as a Service Writer. These things have been said to me everyday, by men AND women alike. Unfortunately, the world doesn't seem ready to take their Automotive advice from a woman. There have been times when the male Service Writer had 5 customers waiting for him, while I had no one. I have often wanted to explain my background and experience, so customers would be willing to work with me.

I caught the Automotive bug when I was about 16 years old. My older brother was trading up for a new sports car, so I got his old Honda. I wanted to learn how to fix it up, so I went to my local bookstore and started thumbing through the car magazines. I saw all these amazing cars, customized to the extreme and race ready. It was then that my passion for all things Honda was born.

I went down to my local Honda dealer and basically begged for a job. Even though I had no experience, the Service Manager was amazed at how passionate I was about cars. I started working as an assistant to the Service Writers, answering phones and writing up oil changes. I would sneak back to the shop every chance I could and the mechanics were glad to show me the ropes. I knew I wasn't supposed to be back there, and I'd try to hide whenever I saw my boss coming, but he could always spot my bright pink shoelaces.

After about a year there I heard one of the mechanics mention a Honda school. As soon as I heard that I could learn about and work on Hondas all day long I made it my life's goal to get in that school. Luckily, it was only about an hour and a half from where I lived. I met with the Chairman and he told me I could start that September. All of my family, friends, and co-workers thought I was making a huge mistake. My parents were especially skeptical, telling me that I would drop out of this just like I did ballet, basketball, and piano.

Of course having everyone tell me I wouldn't succeed made me that much more determined to show them they were wrong. At first it was really hard, I was the only girl and the guys never took me seriously. They would put spiders down my shirt (dead and alive), make fun of me, and one day they even put 4 frogs in my backpack. They also constantly asked me what my quiz and test scores were, (everyone wanted to see if they did better than the girl). My teachers however, treated me fairly from the beginning. It didn't matter that I was a female, I was a student just like everyone else.
 
I embraced my femininity by painting my safety glasses bright pink and occasionally bringing cupcakes and other treats to class. The guys saw that I wasn't going anywhere and eventually started to accept me. I was also doing better in my classes, because I stopped analyzing everything I was taught and just accepted it. As time went by, everyone in the Automotive program became like family to me. My assigned partner stayed with me through several semesters, helping me along the way.

When you are removed from your comfort zone and placed into a difficult situation, it is so much more rewarding when you succeed. My 2 years in Automotive school have been the best in my life and I hope my story encourages more people to go after their dreams. I now want to use my knowledge to educate other women about their cars, so we will have a solid place in the Automotive Industry. When you know how your vehicle works, you feel empowered and independent.

It's been almost 7 years and over 100,000 miles since that fateful day in the bookstore. I have a bright future ahead in the Automotive field and more goals I want to accomplish. I get inspired when I hear about other women who are making a difference, they are leaders and great role models to all of us. They are changing the way that women are viewed in the Automotive Industry. I plan to join these ladies, with my old Honda by my side, my pink safety glasses, and a whole lot of courage.

Ask Patty has been invited to some great events taking place during the L.A. Auto Show this week, and one of them was the GM Design Dinner at the Simon LA Restaurant at the Sofitel in Los Angeles.

We met with Dave Rand, Executive Director of Design (Interiors), and Kathleen Zak, Global Design Director, both with General Motors. Kathleen has the incredibly interesting job of designing the interior pieces inside those GM cars and trucks! Next time you sit in a General Motors vehicle and remark on how perfect the seat feels and how nice the steering wheel design is, you can remember to thank Kathleen!

The design presentation was top notch and we love the great photos we have of the interiors and exteriors of the new generations of General Motors vehicles.  There were several bloggers from the automotive blogosphere present at the dinner so it was a great time to catch up with the automotive world and all the news out there.

And just for fun, check out the picture of the dessert we were served! It is called the Junk Food Sampler. For nostalgic '50s kitsch-food hounds, it's almost too good to be true. Here are rice crispy squares, pink coconut snowballs with chocolate inside, miniature Twinkies, a bag of warm chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, and more, all made with the best ingredients. Yum!

Check back frequently for our continued updates of the show! We get to meet with Tiger Woods later today so stay tuned!

Jody DeVere
President
Ask Patty

Welcome back to our Ask Patty Blog Carnival! We have some great posts for this week as usual. A big Ask Patty thank you to all of the submitters this week! We got some Toys for Tots, some Biodiesel babes, and child safety awards!

What do moms want in cars? Most people would answer: safety, reliability, comfort and ease of use. The Silicon Valley Mom Blog is talking all about it this week. In conjunction with the L.A. Auto Show, SVMB will be compiling lists of cool car accessories and all things modern in cars and trucks these days. Ask Patty will be stopping by her blog this week and updating the ladies about the show as well!

Speaking of the L.A. Auto Show, Ask Patty will be there and representing all you savvy women car shoppers out there. We will be viewing the reveal of the new Buick Enclave and hanging out with some great automotive bloggers! And guess who’s revealing the new Buick?! Check out our post to find out!

If you are like most people, the idea of biodiesel seems really foreign and super high-tech. Well there is one woman out there trying to change that, and trying to make it available and in the minds of the masses. Maria "Girl Mark" Alovert is a dedicated biodiesel advocate, and her biodiesel homebrew classes are certainly in demand. She even started up a Yahoo group that helps teach about the environmentally-friendly fuel!

Since we are talking about alternative energy, what about hybrids? Yada, yada, we know. Everyone talks about them; there’s nothing new! Well if you think that, then you haven't seen Don’t Be Fueled! They have all kinds of tips and an entire community of hybrid lovers! And it’s all for moms! It just keeps getting better and better! Check out their 10 Facts You May Not Know About SUVs.

Have you ever wondered why people name their cars? Do you name your car? Well if you do, you wouldn’t be the only one. Recent research at Colorado State University shows that about half of the 204 people surveyed identified their vehicles as being male or female and about 30 percent of those people named their vehicles.

At 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, they are questioning whether or not the new Toyota FJ Cruiser has a face you love or one from which you turn away. What do you think? Is it a car style that is here to stay? This vehicle has had an extremely polarizing effect on people… though some say that is a mark of sustainability.

Ah, the life of a commuter. What better way to spend your time than behind some fool on his cell phone in an expensive, foreign car during rush hour. People should pay money for such pleasure! Well, of course I am joking. The Mini Truckin’ blog has an entire post on all things commuting!

Car Audio will be opening their hearts (and their pockets) for a good cause this year. This year Eibach will host a car show to benefit Toys For Tots www.toysfortots.org on Saturday, December 9th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Admission is FREE for everyone. Toys for Tots is a great organization to give to during the holidays.  Read about how you can join in on their blog!

Ford Bold Moves' recent episode features...You! They are featuring women and the new 2007 Ford Fusion in their most recent episode, "Episode 23: Life in Drive." Ford headed out to some local hot spots and offered some sweet gift certificates to anyone who took a test drive. Ask Patty gives Ford Bold Moves a five-blue oval rating on this video!

Indianapolis entrepreneurs and auto enthusiasts Christina Baker and Denise Kissick have launched a unique business designed to help women breeze through the car buying process. Their company, Turning Point Auto Agents, is on the right track when it comes to taking the hard part out of buying a new car!

Child Safety is very important. Well the National Automobile Dealer’s Association shows that about half of the 204 people surveyed identified their vehicles as being male or female and about 30 percent of those people named their vehicles. (NADA) knows all about it! NADA has won the Award of Excellence for its Child Passenger Safety Month from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The award recognizes associations that "propel America forward" through innovative community service programs.

Thank you to all of those who submitted their posts to us this week! Make sure you submit next week or email your blog post to Breanne at breanne@askpatty.com.

Only one woman from the automotive world made the Wall Street Journal's list of 50 Women to Watch. Ranked 49th is Liz Vanzura, global marketing director of GM's Cadillac division.

Liz Vanzura is global marketing director for Cadillac. Her responsibilities include developing and executing Cadillac's overall marketing strategy as well as positioning and branding for Cadillac's products worldwide. Prior to assuming her position at Cadillac, she was global director of marketing for Hummer and director of marketing for Volkswagen of America, where she directed the historic re-launch of the Beetle. She began her career in 1982 as an engineering intern at General Motors Institute, working in sales, marketing, engineering, and design, and eventually becoming a GM product-planning manager. Ms. Vanzura recently initiated a partnership that resulted in a $4 million donation of Hummer vehicles and cash to support the Red Cross relief and recovery infrastructure. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the General Motors Institute and an M.B.A. from Harvard.

Liz Vanzura replaced Cadillac's long-time advertising agency with Modernista, who gave the brand a revamped, patriotic image.

By
Jody DeVere
President
Ask Patty.com, Inc.