Curry hosting event in Dulles Corridor
Curry’s Auto Service is sponsoring a community car event called the “Curry Clash” tomorrow at its Dulles Corridor location.
The event is a combination car show, “dyna-shootout” and car-care clinic with two NASCAR vehicles on display, plus food and activities for car enthusiasts and their families, according to the sponsor.
Admission is free and the event is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, including directions to the site, call 571-522-1008 or visit the Web site at www.currysauto.com on the Internet.
Leesburg to be site of ’Spring Dust Off’
The Capitol City Rockets is sponsoring its annual “Spring Dust Off” car show April 12 in Leesburg, Va.
The event, from noon to 4 p.m., will be held rain or shine. There is no registration fee, but General Motors models are preferred for entries. The site is the Star GM dealership at 326 E. Market St. in Leesburg.
For information, call Scott Phillips at 703/858-5752 or Mike Stillwell at 703/799-2904.
Miniature car show planned for Sunday
The Capital Miniature Auto Collectors Club is holding the first of two annual shows Sunday at the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire House Community Hall.
The event, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2148 Gallows Road, will feature about 60 tables of vendors selling miniature automobiles of all types and sizes.
The fee is $5 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. Door prizes of model cars will be awarded at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information, call Jim Brostrom at 703/941-0373 or send e-mail to him at jwbrostrom@yahoo.com on the Internet.
GM uses styling to seal the deal
Exterior styling has replaced “the deal” as the top reason consumers give for buying a General Motors product. In 2003, 26.5 percent of those who bought a GM vehicle listed the deal as the top reason for their purchase, but in 2007 that changed. J.D. Power and Associates found that exterior styling led the rankings, with 12.6 percent of buyers listing it as the most influential reason to buy a GM car. Fuel economy and performance followed, according to Automotive News.
Beetle as police car has smile power
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Blount County’s newest police cruiser has been turning heads, but whether it could keep up in a high-speed chase seems unlikely.
Assistant Chief Deputy Archie Garner retrofitted a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle to add to the sheriff’s fleet of police interceptors, but with a top-end speed of about 70 mph, he is not writing a lot of speeding tickets.
The “bug-erceptor” was seized in a DUI case and boasts a new paint job, sheriff’s decals and tags, a siren, radio, barred rear side windows, a side-mounted spotlight and police lights.
The car even has the same number, 53, as Herbie the Volkswagen race car in the movie “The Love Bug.”
Garner said the car will be used mostly as a public relations tool for the department, making appearances in parades and at school events.
GM to expand NavTraffic in 2009
XM Satellite Radio announced this week the continued expansion of its real-time XM NavTraffic service into 22 General Motors vehicles for the 2009 model year.
Currently, XM NavTraffic is installed in the Cadillac CTS. The service will expand across the GM vehicle lineup to provide real-time traffic information to 22 vehicles.
Among the vehicles are: the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, Buick Enclave, Saturn Vue and Hummer H2 — some of GM’s most popular models.
XM NavTraffic is available in at least 80 major markets in North America.
The service ensures that drivers get the most current traffic and incident information, whether for commuting or traveling.
• Mail items of interest to Auto Notes, care of Bill O’Brien, The Washington Times Copy Desk, 3600 New York Ave. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002, or send information via e-mail to bobrien@washingtontimes.com.
The deadline is 5 p.m. on the Monday before the date of publication.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.