Some Car Companies Are Just Bad Parents - The Carmudgeon Show - Ep. 42
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Automotive alliances and buy-outs are commonplace. Sometimes they go well: BMW did a great job of bringing back Mini in the early 2000s. Sometimes they go poorly: BMW did a terrible job with Rover during the same period. But BMW isn’t the only marque that’s done this, in fact most of the big players do: Ford with Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo, GM with Saab, Chrysler with Lamborghini, Fiat with Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari, Volkswagen with Lamborghini, Ducati, Bugatti, Bentley, the list goes on.
In this episode, Jason and Derek discuss which marques are good parents, you know, the ones with happy, well-adjusted profitable and self-confident companylets, and which ones neglected, mismanaged, and otherwise stunted their charges with often tragic or fatal results.
The Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 million views on UA-cam alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile - and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.
Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering - which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or at least he tries. With a decade and a half’s experience buying, selling, driving and brokering classic and exotic cars, he’s experienced the world’s most iconic cars. And hated most of them.
Don't forget to visit: www.issimi.com/
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The fact that Jason still does these things make me like hagerty even more
As long as he gets to plug Hagerty, why would they complain? Free advertising.
@@TechnoLawyer not for motor trend
@@AdrianHernandez-ml5lh why did he leave Motor Trend?
@@dragospahontucos Jason said working for motortrend was terrible and he got a better offer from ISSIMI and left then went over to Hagerty cos again I think he said he got a better offer from Hagerty.
The Ferdinand Piech podcast is all i want for Christmas
Why is it taking so long?
Jason's video on the Supra at Hagerty is truly excellent, game-changing content; it shows the level of care and production and fact and logic that can be packaged into an entertaining product, and how good journalists in any field (cars included) go beyond the press releases and PR spin and deliver information to their readers/viewers.
20 minute intro before Jason and Derek even get into the main titled topic, ahh how i have missed the Carmudgeon show.
Why did they stop doing these?
@@dragospahontu Jason now works for Hagerty, i think he's pretty busy making content for them.
@@Ahhhdam850 surely he has a free hour every now and again
@@dragospahontu probably, but think about how much work goes into every show they make here, let alone at Hagrety. an hour show i believe requires a bit more than just an hour of of time.
The Yaris is only a Mazda in the Americas, where they slapped a Toyota bumper on a Mazda 2. Everywhere else it's a bespoke Toyota and the GR is based on that one.
But yeah, definitely do the DS episode. A wider talk about hydropneumatic Citroens would be appreciated too.
Important to state that. I was very confused by this statement because I didn't know that Toyota did this in the US.
It’s like they know when I’ve just finished rewatching the first 41 episodes, for the 8th time.
Citroen DS! I sat in one and the seat felt like Heaven.
Totally up for a Citroen episode with the SM and the SM
I WANT TO HERE HYPHEN TALK AT LEGNTH ABOUT THE DS
SCREAMING AT MY DESK: Jeep, Jeep, Chrysler did pretty okay as a steward for the Jeep brand!
Me too!!! Aside from the Commander, I think Chrysler did a good job with Jeep.
Jeep was reliable until Chrysler started using cheap parts for them.
@@simianmoonstudios yes but people don't buy Jeeps well at least wranglers because they're reliable they buy them because it's a cool toy
@@TwoDollarGararge Can't argue there. 👍
Yes! My week has been made! :D
Also, yes speak at length about the DS. But also include the SM and BX.
Thank you @issimi and @hagerty to let this inside icons to exist
Please speak at length about the Citroen DS. I wouldn't say no to a sprinkling of Traction Avant and 2CV on top.
YES on the DS. 🔥 And a bit on the FCA + Groupe PSA merger, maybe.
DS lecture? I’m in. 🙂
Ahh yes! Thank you for giving me a reason to put off my homework
I have 3 tests this week lol me too
@@evano8312 Listening to this during lab because my group partners refuse to cooperate
I'm in this exact situation
same
I’m doing a stats test right now. It’s great to see I’m mot the only one! Good luck guys!
The whole thing about the Supra is that it's entirely intellectually dishonest. There's some claim they made talking about how the car had to have an I-6, so they had to get that from BMW. Firstly, whining about I-6, vs v6 vs v8 or whatever engine would end if the car was good. Nissan flipped the Z to v6, the GTR to v6, BMW themselves dropped the I-6 in the M3 for a whole generation and it was great.
I feel like people would welcome a IS350 coupe with pumped up styling more readily than this... thing.
Always a treat to see another new carmudgeon
Also JLR just made the Land Rover design director head of whole JLR design, so hopefully Jaguar would have more beautiful interiors
Love these shows, great to see you back....cheers from new Zealand
My favorite podcast.
Loving the new vids by Jason. The Supra/BMW vid was brilliant but I’m so glad he’s still doing these podcasts as well
Yes, please speak about the DS. I've been trying to convince my girlfriend that she wants this car. Sadly, she refuses to sell her 1996 Mazda Protege, and who can blame her. That car is stupid reliable and surprisingly fun to drive.
Yo! Where’s the podcast version lol.
Seriously though, I’m so glad you guys are still doing these. Keeps me sane when it’s -30°C out and I can’t go play with my cars
I wouldn't dare start a E90 BMW M3 at that weather.
one of the only times I can focus for 1 hour 😂😂 great content bros
So happy to see a new episode!!!!
I really really love this show. Like if you said, “why do you live this show,” I’m not sure I could say why... but it’s definitely my favorite show on UA-cam. A+ 💯
Jason - I can help with the sight issue (getting old). If you wear contacts, you can get one that's a weaker strength into your left eye and correct in the other. That way, your brain trains to use your left eye for reading and the both for far. It's my current setup and it's awesome. Not sure how long it will last but so far so good!
Is this really a thing? It’s like making a monocle out of yourself 🧐
@@forzaviola9512 - my eyesight has been terrible since I was a kid. Last year my contacts in each eye was like -4.0 and when I started having trouble reading, my optometrist put a -4 in my right and ‘think’ about a -3.4 in my left. My right is my dominant so again, after about a week I was able to train my brain to see close with left and far with both (but really right).
If I take out my contacts, reading becomes crystal clear. I just cannot see anything ahead.
Multi-focal contact lenses, with portions of the lens for near, and portions of the lense for far. GAME changers. Couldn't see both the road and the instrument panel before.
As a lifelong car enthusiast and having worked in the exotic car industry for 25 years who despises so much of the new car marketing and rebranding BS thank you guys for telling it like it is. I can't believe I just discovered you.
More Citreon DS content!
Please, please let Derek speak at length abour the DS.
Maybe you could even continue the French theme and talk about Alpine as well...?
YES! Please do the Citroen DS. The goddess deserves it!
Oof, that classy DTS burn at 34:23!!
This is my favorite content on the whole damn internet. Thank you both.
Jason, keep doing your thing. You're killing it!
Yes PLEASE! The DS deserves a full episode!
I would very much like to hear Hyphen talk at length about La Desse
Hell yes for the DS!! (It rhymes so it must be true)
Please speak lengthily about the DS
This is a great theme for an episode. Loved hearing Saab in the mix as they are a very rare topic for Jason-Hyphen. Every time I think about selling my 9-3 ragtop, there's a sunny day in Seattle and, like Jason, that thought turns to noooo never. It's been a minute since they did this, will have to look to see if they ever did the Peugeot DS episode.
Thanks guys, love this stuff!
+1 for Derek to talk about the DS.
7:30 yes that episode was absolutely amazing, and yes cars just kept coming out of nowhere.
12:02 also in most modern engine bays, there is enough space for the biggest engine and THAT IS IT. unless they redesigned the firewall (they didn't) there was not 2 inches of room to move the engine back.
37:02 I'm pretty sure the reason the electric system wouldn't work on a rolls yet, is simply because it's the wrong kind of luxury for what that customer wants at this specific time. Electric is still way too cutting edge for Rolls, a company that exudes old money. They don't spend so little attention to their Infotainment by accident, it's to get the driver to focus on something else other than the gizmos. yes, low volume is great, but the customer base just isn't there yet.
48:07 the funny thing is SAAB almost survived, had it not been for GM. The way I understand it, what happened is that GM had a deal with Spyker that the 9-4x would get lead production for x amount of time. which would have saved SAAB and spyker by giving the company to to properly finish the 9-5. But once the check cleared from Spyker for SAAB, GM ignored the deal, focusing on other cars on the same platform in the same facility. this meant that the 9-5's production, which Spyker did have control over, had to start ASAP. crunching development down to unacceptable levels, and resulting in an unfinished product and a flop. A move that killed both Spyker and SAAB.
52:09 and they are crazy over valued as a result. their worth also greatly depends on keeping and expanding the Tesla domain indefinitely, that is not sustainable. Remember tesla doesn't just make money from selling their cars, they make their money from insuring their cars, their charging network, their second hand set up, and all different kinds of resale. so while they are doing well, all of those are pluses. the second any of that slows down, all of those pluses become minuses. their charging network becomes costly to maintain, if they can't get rid of their second hand cars they just be come a giant money pit for the company. if a company only insuring teslas suddenly has no teslas to insure, that's bad. you get the idea.
so that's why I'm carefully watching the cybertruck, if that goes badly and other companies start picking away at tesla's current customers this giant could fall over night
I'd also like to point out that this is the first year tesla made a profit. yeah there was a huge upfront cost to that but considering it looks like they are dumping it all right back into high risk investments, they have no room to recover once the dominos start to fall, and Paypal won't be able to come to the recuse this time.
YEEEEEEES!!!! citröen DS episode PLEASE!!! DS21 ;)
Regarding how RR should have gone electric... Absolutely spot on. I have been saying this ever since Tesla proved it could be done 10 years ago. the Phantom was the PERFECT platform to go electric. As you said, no one goes on cross-country trips with their phantom, that car is all about quiet, smooth, luxury. Weight would have been an asset. The floor being low and flat would have made ingress and egress easier, and given more room in the rear cabin. There are way more positives to it than negatives. I can't believe BMW missed this opportunity, but then again, maybe I can.
The list of consolidated British automotive manufacturers is an amazing who’s who of who’s that.
The GR Yaris certainly isn't a Mazda.
Hopefully it's just a stepping stone for Toyota for more cool cars. Already the JDM GR lineup is more tilted towards bodykits, mild suspension upgrades and strut braces.
They are talking about the North American market Yaris. Not the GR.
I dig this channel and love the content.
It's the Jason and Hyphen Traveling Show!... Jason, your eyes are perfect....it's the printing industry in this country that's gone to hell.
Still waiting for the Ferdinand Piech episode Jason!
You guys compulsorily go on road trips every week, awesome
Thanks Diet Sandler and Hyphen for keeping this podcast going!
Missed this show! Please keep doing it 😁
Speaking of Haldex, I bought a ‘08 R32 coming from a NC MX5, I learned the hard way that a front heavy FWD with Haldex does not behave at all like RWD...
Guys, you two create absolutely fantastic duet. This podcast rocks. YT contents based on real, not influencers', knowledge is smth to behold. Please, do it more frequently. Chris Harris with the collecting cars podcast, Andrew Frankel and Dan Prosser with the Drive Nation and You. Same master league.
To be clear, the current yaris SEDAN is a Mazda 2. The current yaris HATCHBACK is still Toyota’s in-house NCP platform with the in-house built 1.5 liter 1NZFE engine (that traces its roots to the 5-E engine from the Tercel)
The hatchback is a more genuine car, true to Toyota’s history of making simple no thrills reliable cars.
I was shocked with the lack of "hyphen" hahahhahaha
I just got to the NEON part. My first new car was a 98 Neon RT. It was a great car and at the time people stopped my to ask what it was...People think it was a joke but it was non stop.
Jason was spot on with the big brand’s electric cars looking like cartoons. Everything doesn’t have to look like a concept. Like the horrendous BMW i3, put that drivetrain in a normal 3 series body and it’s actually desirable. That’s why their e-golfs seem like such a great option because they look normal.
Yes for the DS theme and I'm curious what do you think of the new Stellantis group? Which way would you think it's the best to position the brands?
Well I dont think everything was bad at Jaguar under Ford
First of all the Quality of the cars (XJ40,XJS) improved dramatically. Also I think Jaguar nailed it with the "Jaguarness" with the X308 XJR, that was also under the control of Ford.
Can we just appreciate the fact that we have some form of successor to the Z4M coupe with the Supra? Especially with the rumoured S58 powered one.
Always happy to see you guys back.
Please explain the continued existence of Mazda. Is it an accident of history? Or evidence of a God, à la (Guy) Kawasaki?
This is downright Austere!
I'm stealing that
How much longer are they going to let Magnus Walker say the same stuff over and over at the new Hagerty. Camisaa always manages to keep it fresh, like his ____.
GM was making bizarre decisions here in the UK in the late 00s and early 10s. We got Vauxhalls, obviously, Saabs and then a few Chevrolet badged cars for some baffling reason. Also fly high Holden 🙌
At 46:40 - Finally they talk about the GM treatment of SAAB!
So every British company that are owned by the Germans😂
Btw, I remember when top gear talked about this a decade ago. True then and even more true now
Rolls Royce and Bentley are doing alright, aren't they? And Mini was resurrected from the dead.
Definitely let Derek speak at length about the DS. There is so much about that car that is utterly pointless and at the same time essential.
Hyphen isn't really Adam Sandler's friend. Letting him do a whole hour long episode with whatever the hell was on his neck
I AM SO ANNOYED, I can't even focus on what they are saying - is that a fucking piece of gum?
Derek looks a bit like a Tintin character... did he happen to meet Herge at some time in his spiritual past? Lol...
Citroen DS. Yes, please! About Jason's observation about Subie drivers being left lane bandits; They used to be in Volvos. Volvo pushed safety so hard that people who don't know how to drive bought them, thinking they would be safer. Now Subaru pushes safety hard, and they still don't know how to drive. This is not a comment about all Subaru drivers, obviously. Plenty of WRX and BRZ bros tearing it up out there.
🙌 for telling the truth about the supra mk5, every mule I saw around the socal canyons was always testing with assorted group of BMW mules, never with other Toyotas.
LIKE TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR THE BEST AUTOMOTIVE PODCAST ON UA-cam
30:25. Was expecting 10 minutes on what's going on with Seat (Leon Cupra =GTI) and Skoda.
Toyota is a pretty good parent to Lexus, Mazda, and Subaru.
Honda tried its best with Acura in the 90’s, but kinda dropped the ball after the 2008 recession hit.
Nissan and Mitsubishi are struggling to raise Infiniti, and even with the rebadged Mercedes help.
BTS with DTS on the C DS?
Yes!
Missed your banter gents.
Ahh yes for Derek for talking about the Citroen DS. If he’s got anything to say about the S(n)M that’d be pretty kinky too.
u guys are baaaack
Stellantis (PSA and FCA) have said they are going to create unique identities for all (Fiat, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Opel, Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot, and DS, wait, this sounds like the international version of British Leyland!) brands.
Respect for speaking the truth on Haldex.
Please keep more episodes coming!!!
opel and vauxhall are still quite alive in europe as economy cars but the times of the opel vxr's are sadly over
Btw there are two French car companies, Renault (which is partly owned by the French government) and the PSA group (which has Peugeot, Citroen, DS and then bought Opel/Vauxhall). PSA is also about to merge with FCA while Renault is working with Nissan/Mitsubishi
Okay, I've never actually driven a quattro, Subaru or other full-time 4WD car, but I have owned a Skoda Octavia Haldex 4x4 estate (station wagon) and after the front -wheel-drive VRS I owned before it, the difference in handling was night and day, especially on wet roads. Maybe the always-on systems are better, but compared to 2WD, Haldex is a godsend.
Definitely up for DT-S's long talk on the DS.
Yaris being a Mazda is US problem. In Europe it is totally Toyota :)
That Contour was NOT a shitbox! That thing could dance!!
Yay....it has returned.
You talk about Subaru and hybrids, but the Crosstrek is just a Prius Prime drivetrain with added rear wheel drive and a lift kit.
To add to the Rolls Royce point - Rolls Royce owners don't do road trips, period. If they need to go anywhere farther than a 2-hour drive, they fly.
GM, worse parent company that killed Saab
Subaru enthusiast - they hit a market in the midwest and are nealy unmatch for not only capable and practical but the fact that they are seemingly behind the curve attributes to conventionality which is good for the time being. They seem aged when you get in a few of the recent models but that's what appeals to some.
Many are the people driving 10 mph you referenced 😂
You should do one on car advertisements, from the 2012 super bowl passat to the recent Lamborghini V10 BMW M2. Only do the DS if you do this first.
YES all the worst and best Car ads. My favorite is the Porsche Taycan muesum add
I neeeed an episode on the ds!! And the modern day equivalent! And if you're broke and want that kind of transportation where should you look! Please! Awesome conversation as always!
Chrysler also owned the Rootes Group, which was a mishmash of French and British car companies. And companies like DeSoto and Fargo.
Hyphen can speak about the DS as much as he'd like as far as I'm concerned, and I look forward to it.
This is amazing.
It took me way to long to find Carmudgeon, so much better than anything you will find on Motor Trend, etc. - refreshing.
Can you make a episode about the fca-psa merge called stellantis. Would like your opinion on where the different brands should be, how to take them there and if they will kill of some brands of. It will also be a nice way to bring the Citroën DS in to the episode.
You missed Aston Martin's styling rebirth that happened under Ford. They might have been terrible cars, but they set the stage for the next quarter century plus worth of Aston Martins.
Yes! Tell us all about the Citroën DS!