At the grand opening of the Rolls-Royce dealership in Chicago’s Gold Coast area, Kicking Tires got the chance to sit down with David Archibald, president of Rolls-Royce North America. On discussion was the general business strategy of the ultra luxury brand and how electrics play into that.

Since its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the 102EX Concept electric vehicle has been making the rounds at various events and dealerships. The automaker is even letting customers drive the concept back-to-back against the Phantom (on which it is based) to get an idea if it has market potential. According to Automotive News initial feedback has been a bit lackluster, with the 100-mile range being the biggest hurdle.

However, Archibald pointed out, “If you’d have come here 12 months ago and asked our customers, ‘What do you think about alternative fuels,’ they would have said, ‘What are you talking about.’” Now, that’s starting to change as new electric vehicles are pretty much popping up weekly.

Still, no decision has been made regarding a production electric or hybrid. With alternative fuels now on the minds of even a luxury car buyer, it sounds to us like it’s not a matter of if but when.

Rolls-Royce discusses its potential future in electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If this year’s intense 24 Hours of Le Mans hasn’t satiated your thirst for the French race, SPEED has something special for you. The show ‘Dave Despain on Assignment’ is taking the time to get up close with one of the living legends of the great Ford versus Ferrari battles of yore: Carol Shelby.

The show details exactly how Shelby came to be in Ford’s employ, the Blue Oval’s motivation to put Ferrari in its place and how the mighty Ford GT40 eventually went on to Le Mans glory. The show first airs on June 24, but you can check out behind-the-scenes photography and video at the ‘Dave Despain on Assignment’ site.

SPEED discusses Ford GT40 Le Mans victories with Carroll Shelby originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A person’s love for his or her car is a beautiful thing. Some people realize that an automobile can be more than just a means of transportation. Kyle from Australia, the man behind this video, is one such person, and his 1963 Ford Falcon Squire is one such beautiful thing.

Filmmaker Tom Broadhurst sat down with Kyle to talk about the car and resulting work is a visual treat. Kyle knows that, unless serious financial troubles pop up in the future, the Squire is now part of the family. There’s no news here or information to digest, this post is about the basic admiration that a true enthusiast has for his machine. Click past the jump and enjoy The Squire.

[Source: Hemmings]

Continue reading Video: Australian man discusses his affair with The Squire

Video: Australian man discusses his affair with The Squire originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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