Snoop Dog, "Gangsta Ride," and Automobiles

Hi folks -- periodically and in preparation of teaching my automobile and American life course next term I am still exploring the world of hip hop music and the automobile. One of my favorites has always been Snoop dogg, if for no other reason that his name. Here is one of Snoop Dogg's songs involving the automobile, done in 1999:

Snoop Dogg Gangsta Ride Lyrics:
[Chorus: Snoop Dogg singing (2X)]

It's a gangsta gangsta ride
On the nutty danger side
As we ride, dip and slippin
Take your mind, on a high

[Silkk the Shocker]
Yo yo, from that DPG nigga to the CP3
Back to the house, East to the West
Now take it BACK to the South
You know.. how I switch my flow
If I'm lapsin you glad niggaz'll
get mad then, hit the flo'
Gotta bag me some dank so I, hit the sto'
In the winter it's the Hummer for the
summer it's the, six-fo'
Got niggaz mad at me (why?) Cause they can't get no six
Bitches upset with me (why?) Cause
they can't get no dick
I'ma be on top of the game whether I'm, broke or rich
I don't stop once I'm on top I just drop mo' hits
I'm in the club with the thug, I just pop mo' Crist'
Tell Snoop to get the Coupe his new
shit I just, gots to go get
Cause when I cock my shit, usually I pop my shit
Tell all you teary eyed females gettin over-offended
cause I don't jock no chick
I'm the Boss, and I don't follow
no person, I follow Jesus
Y'all blame a bunch of kids, so I gotta roll my Adidas
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/KDEf ]

[Chorus]

[Snoop Dogg]
Boom bam as I step in the jam, god damn
Don't need no introduction, cause you know who I am
The S-N-double-O-P, the only, fo' sho'
Now motherfuckers let me hear you say hoe
I spit ya, spat at ya, whoot wham, get at ya
Rider, I threw a slider, right at ya
Mash ya, gat ya, drip-drop the hatchet
Keep the party crackin, while I'm steady rappin
This game we run, y'all know what's happenin
We back in effect, we got the heat on deck
I'm slidin down South with a blunt in my mouth

I catch a plane out East and try to make some peace
I'm hangin with my niggaz in the projects
The homie's throwin a party, I gotta get back West
Oh yeah -- that's right, we are the best
No Limit DPG Southwest connects, ya feel me?

[Chorus]

[Snoop Dogg]
Keep it gangsta
Keep it gangsta, keep it gangsta dogg
Keep it, keep it gangsta dogg
Yeah, we keep it gangsta dogg
Fo' sho', we keep it gangsta dogg, what?
Yeah, I wanna say whattup to all them gangstas
out there on the Eastisde
(on the Southside, on the Northside) Yeah
(on the Westside)
Y'all niggaz need to point the guns
in the right directions
Ya know, ya heard?

[Chorus 3X]

[Snoop and Silkk talk to outro]
Lyrics: Gangsta Ride, Snoop Dogg [end]

Porsches (356, 911, 924 Carerra, Tractor) -- The Taj Garag Epilepsy Foundation Fundraiser, Dayton Ohio, December 5, 2009

a nice bug rat rod
A Porsche tractor

One beautiful early 356


A 924 Carerra
Take off the cover!! -- wall art at the Taj Garag


a 1967 Porsche 911


John Dixon's Taj Garag in Dayton is a remarkable place to view Porsches and VWs. Every time I go I see new cars added to the collection, and the mural wall artwork is simply fabulous. And as usual John opens his doors for a worthy cause, this time the Epilepsy Foundation. From what I was a good crowd came today, and I am sure they were not disappointed.

A Brief Review of Charles K. Hyde's Storied Independent Automakers: Nash, Hudson, and American Motors

Recently I came across Charles Hyde's most recent effort in the area of automotive history, and I wanted to share with you some initial impressions. Hyde is a well-known automobile historian, and this work does not disappoint those who want to read a more critical business history than material that is more coffee table in nature. Personally, I very much enjoyed this book, and learned much from it. Business history (and there is extensive labor history in this book as well) can be a very complex undertaking, given the documents that one has to sort through and the twists in terms in legal agreements that has to be inevitably sorted out. Hyde's style is above all very clear and concise. His introductions and conclusions leave little room for misinterpretation and nebulous explanations. I thoroughly enjoyed his discussions of the various key personalities involved in the firms that were under the microscope -- Thomas B. Jefferey, Charles W. Nash, George W. Mason, Roy D. Chapin, A.E. Barit, and George W. Romney.

These independents fought a rear guard action since the Great Depression, subsequently were consolidated into American Motors in 1954, were bought by Renault, and then ultimately absorbed by the Chrysler Corporation. Nash, Hudson and its successor organization made a number of significant improvements to automobile engineering and design, appealed to a niche of the American market, produced a few iconic cars, and in the end largely disappeared from the American scene. DR. Hyde has made sure they will not be forgotten.

If there would be more to say than what is in this book, I would argue that the culture associated with these cars remains to be more fully studied. I found it hard to believe that Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues," the Terraplane -- a Hudson car of the 1930s, -- was not even mentioned, and there are perhaps other examples as well that one could explore as these cars entered the American consciousness. Additionally, I would have liked to know more about the quality of these cars, particularly after World War II. When we think of the failures of Nash and Hudson we think of design as a key reason. But what about quality? And that goes for American Motors products as well -- just how good were they?

Some Thoughts on Creating a New Culture at General Motors

Hi folks -- for more than 30 years I have been studying the history of institutions and how they work, or don't work, as the case may be. So the departure of Fritz Henderson from GM gives me an opportunity to comment on the nature of institutions -- their continuity and traditions, and how difficult it is to actually change them from within. There exists an institutional momentum that strives for stability and resists new ideas, and new kinds of people who might challenge the organization either from within or external to it. And as much as people within institutions state that they want to make the firm or school better, they tend to hire and promote their own kind, and not individuals who are considerably better than them and thus threaten their egos or very existence. So institutional drift goes on. John Kennedy Toole's "Confederacy of Dunces" is a very apt title to more than a piece of fiction -- it is lived out every day in numerous organizations that claim to be "emerging," but in fact merely just run in place. Newer hires accommodate the system rather than challenge it out of job security or fear. High paid administrators or executives want to maintain their standard of living. Furthermore, within organizations people identify with particular kinds of things -- products, processes, management systems. And these identifications are more than individual, as they can be collective protective cliques that ensure difficulties for any outsider trying to come into a situation and radically change it for the better. Every organization seemingly has a "old dog bullshitter," who hasn't done much at all in the 30+ years on the job, but who is clever enough to control the mechanisms that make change hard to accomplish.

In sum, it wasn't Rick Wagoner or Fritz Henderson that led to GM's decline, it was a pyramidal line and staff organizational structure where up and down the organization chart individuals and small groups protected themselves at all costs. It is for that reason that the only hope for GM is to shatter the structure, remove many of the old dogs, identify true talent and start over.

Complete bankruptcy was the best route to take at GM as we look back in hindsight. The frightening thing is that our federal government is in a similar institutional situation, and here the only recourse may be a kind of revolution that was first proposed by Thomas Jefferson as necessary to renew the country.

Good-bye to Fritz Henderson -- the Dsyfunctional New GM?

I was driving around this afternoon when I heard that a news conference was about to take place in which Fritz Henderson was to resigning from General Motors. Since then, The New York Times has labeled the move as surprising, but I was anything but surprised. After the Opel deal became muddled, now Saab is also in a confused state, reflective of tensions within GM. Seemingly, Henderson the once brilliant rising star -- was not in full agreement with others including Edward Whitacre. Changing the culture of a comp-any that has been operating on a multidivisional consensus/committee management system that has been in place for eight decades may be impossible. Perhaps the best route was to declare bankruptcy without the bailout, and allow the company to break up into smaller fragments that would be overly aggressive in attempting to survive. Many consumers do not want to support this Obama initiative, including former GM employees who feel abandoned. Government interference does not seem to be a part of this story. So now along with Rick Wagoner, Henderson is also no longer on the 14th floor, and who knows what will follow. GM still has a tough road ahead, as its products are not as attractive to consumers as those produced by Toyota, Honda, and Ford.
But whatever the state of things, GM is a hell of lot better off than Chrysler, a firm limping along on a reserve tank that is about to go empty. Selling 55,000 units a month and waiting for the Italians to play the role of a savior seems to be hopeless. Americans deserved better, but their leaders in business and government haven't done us any favors lately. "Everything rises and falls on leadership."

La Carerra Panamericana III -- 1953 Mexico Road Race: Mercedes, Ferarri and Lincoln

1954 Lincoln with several innovations as used in the 1954 Mexico race. Shown here in Palm Springs.

The late Bill Stroppe

La Carerra III
A major develop in La Panamericana came in 1952 when it was announced that the event was placed on the World Championship calendar. It was like no other race in the world, and that may be been decisive in including it in ton the schedule. It was a wilderness adventure, quite different from either Lemans or the Mille Miglia, two set courses that had been unchanged for years. The course for La Carerra was changed again, however, as the same route was employed as was the case in 1950, with the exception that the El Ocatal leg was omitted. Also there was now a class for sports cars only, that is, vehicles with only two seats.
Consequently, teams from all over Europe came to this event. Several of these factory teams brought with them extensive factory support, and financial resources. The teams included
1. Mercedes. In part backed by the West German government, team Mercedes arrived with a new model that had recently been dominating the European circuit – the 300 SL. Along with two gullwing coupes and one roadster came a practice car and several heavy trucks to carry spare parts and supplies. There were also several expert mechanics, and a team manager who borrowed a number of local Mercedes sedans that enabled team members to drive the course. Between legs support teams were flown to the next stopping point in a chartered DC -3 aircraft.
2. Ferrari. Team Ferrari was unlike the German Mercedes team in that Enzo Ferrari had little to do with cars once they were built and sold. It was a collection of drivers. There were, however, three custom-built 340 Mexicos, constructed with the 4.51 liter V-12 and an additional 60 horsepower. The bodies were custom Vignale, prepared by a Milan dealer and then sponsored by a prominent Mexican businessman. Private parties also came back with their winning 212s from 1952, and American Phil Hill also drove an older 212.
3. Jaguar. Jaguar was represented by two Jaguar XK-120s, entered by private parties.
4. Gordini. The Gordinis were powered by a 154 horsepower six cylinder engine, and weighed only 1,300 pounds. Two of these were entered, but unsupported by mechanics or spares.
5. 5. Porsche. One coupe and one cabriolet were sponsored by the Mexican VW importer, and driven by Germans.
6. Lancia. Two 2.3 liter Lancia Aurelia coupes were brought by private drivers. One was supercharged.
Oeverall, Mercedes stole the show on four of the eight legs of the race. “German drivers and mechanics worded harder and spent more time practicing than their rivals. Their managers excelled in the intricate selection of types of tire best suited for various sections of road…Strategy was a major factor in the battle of the Pan American Highway, and Mercedes Benz briefed its men to keep their powder dry until others had overexerted their cars and nerves.” (Lessner, 306). To get to higher speeds, mechanics arranged for thin-walled race tires to be put on the cars just as they entered straights, thus enabling them to make time against cars that were forced to retain their heavier multi-terrain ties. The resulting speeds pushed the Ferraris to their limits; the stresses placed on one car led to a clutch failure. Other European teams were also simply outclassed. M-B swept the top two spots, with Ferraris finishing in the next five places.

In the stock class, dominance came from the Lincoln-Mercury cars. Ruttman had left the team, but Smith and Bill Stroppe had a Lincoln with a new 1953 V-8 that was rated with much higher horsepower than in previous years. Ford had no experience in organizing such a race venture, but after considering the risks, Ford became the first American manufacturer to enter a competitive speed event since the 1930s.
The task of making the Lincolns into successful stock competitors almost demanded that they take “stock” out of the vocabulary. Most modifications could not be done because of race rules. So these modifications became options, and Ford engineers began a process of designing, producing, and testing a series of new “standard” options. Different camshafts and lifters, a shot-peened steering arm and spindles, hardened rear axles, rear air-lifts all became catalog additions. The Lincoln was now a custom sports sedan, but what had taken place was within the rules.
Smith and Stroppe knew that cars alone would not win the race, so they planned a series of support strategies. A caravan of trucks, containing a chuck wagon, doctors, mechanics and factory engineers arrived along with several of the cars, and would follow the entrants throughout the eight legs. At several key points, Stroppe buried a cylinder of compressed air along with hidden spare tools, tires and a pneumatic lift. Mechanics were not allowed to touch the cars until the end of a leg, but there were short cuts in maintenance that were performed. Three factory Lincolns as well as a privately owned car, finished with an average speed of only 12 miles an hour slower than the Mercedes 300SLs. It might have been a monetary loss for Ford, but the gain in publicity was immeasurable. The finances and support precluded a place for local drivers and amateurs in this race—it was now largely a professional venture.