Hendrick Durham Auto Mall Helps Camaro Keep Pace In 5-Decade Rivalry With Mustang

Fifty years ago today - Jan. 27, 1965 - marked the debut of the Shelby GT350, a version of a Ford Mustang sports car developed by American auto racer and car designer Carroll Shelby.

Since then, the Chevrolet Camaro and the Mustang have endured a fierce rivalry for muscle-car dominance. Drive a Camaro today at Hendrick Durham Auto Mall and discover its power for yourself.

"For five decades, the Camaro and the Mustang have been battling it out in every possible setting," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, GM Global Product Development. "These two cars have been striving to beat each other on the track, on the drag strip and on the streets. That competition is a big part of why both cars are so amazing, and so popular."

The Shelby GT350 featured a 306 horsepower V-8 engine and remained in production through the end of the 1960s. It has held value as a collector's item.

The GT350R is a more hardcore version of the Shelby GT350. The first 2016 GT350R, with VIN 001, sold for $1 million recently at the Barrett Jackson collector-car auction in Arizona. The Ford Motor Company originally planned to put the rights for the first Mustang Shelby GT350 up for sale but at the last minute decided to sell the rights to the first GT350R

The first Mustang rolled off the assembly line in 1963. Three years later, Chevrolet introduced the Camaro as a direct competitor to the Mustang and created one of the most enduring rivalries in the automotive industry.

"The new Camaro hit the ground running, and it's been a battle royale ever since with the bowtie vs. the blue oval," Ken Gross, a preeminent automotive journalist for 40 years, recently was quoted as saying. "Chevy readily admits its Camaro is constantly getting better, thanks to intense competition from Ford."

On June 28, 1966, during a press conference in Detroit’s Statler-Hilton Hotel, then-Chevrolet General Manager Pete Estes announced a new car line with a name that Chevrolet chose in keeping with other car names beginning with the letter C: Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, and Corvette.

When the new Camaro name was announced, reporters in attendance asked Chevrolet product managers what "Camaro" meant. The answer: "a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs."

Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived on a car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro in 2009.

The Camaro, which has a V6 and V8 engine, has been a big seller at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall. As the dealership prepares for its move to a new multi-million-dollar state-of-the art facility in the Souhtpoint area of Durham, the Camaro is part of its "Moving Sale."

So, come get one at a great price and keep the rivalry alive.

HDAM, Local Coalition Work To Keep Kids Safe

Representatives of the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall were guests at a luncheon held Friday by Safe Kids Durham County.

The dealership is a member of the Safe Kids Durham County coalition.

Coalition coordinator Theresa Cromling thanked the dealership for its involvement in coalition events and its continuing support of the coalition effort to keep kids safe in Durham County. Cromling also reviewed the highlights of a successful 2014, in which Safe Kids Durham County was named Coalition of the Year by Safe Kids North Carolina.

Safe Kids Durham County was established in 1989 as a way to reach parents in Durham County to give them vital information related to the safety of their children. The vision is to prevent childhood injuries through education. The coalition believe kids should grow up safe, healthy and injury free!

Because the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1-14 is accidental and unintentional, the coalition mission revolves around providing injury prevention education to the families of the Durham community. Safe Kids Durham County operates under the 501C3 umbrella of the Duke University Medical Center. Lead agencies for Safe Kids Durham County are Duke Children's Hospital and Duke University Hospital Emergency Department.

The Durham coalition is one of many coalitions of Safe Kids USA, the first and only national non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury.

Hendrick Durham Auto Mall staff often participate in the events, whether demonstrating how quickly parked cars can heat up on a warm day, or explaining the perils of an improperly installed car seat, or promoting pedestrian safety by helping walk kids to school.

It is an effort very much in keeping with the mission of the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall and essential to the wellness of its' customers' communities.

"I am proud to work with this wonderful group of dedicated safety advocates," Cromling said. "I thank you all for your commmitment to our community, and thank your families for supporting your commitment to our goals. I am looking forward to a very successful 2015."

The Hendrick Durham Auto Mall is among a group of strong core supporters of Safe Kids Durham County that includes the Durham Police Department, Durham COunty Sheriff's Office, Fed Ex and Durham Bike Co-op.

Plans are underway for a special Safe Kids event at the dealership's new location. The dealership is moving from its current downtown location to a spectacular state-of-the-art facility near Southpoint Mall in the next few weeks, and Cromling plans to offer car safety-seat checks and other car safety programs at the new location.

The coalition's work in 2014 was testament to the importance of promoting and raising awareness of keepikg kids safe. Various events were held in Durham County at which 1,600 car seats were checked for proper installation. It was detemrined that 60 seats were installed incorrectly.

The list of Safe Kids Durham County's events for 2015 is long - with emphasis on car safety, water safety, bike safety, firearm safety, pedestrian safety, and the dangers of Hyperthermia. Last year, 52 kids died from hyperthermia in North Carolina.

Safe Kids Durham County was named Coalition of the Year at the 2014 N.C. Safe Kids Conference, beating out 40 other coalitions.

The Hendrick Durham Auto Mall is proud to be associated with such a successful group.

Thank You, Jeff Gordon

Perhaps the biggest advantage that the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall holds over other dealerships is the Hendrick name.

Being part of the Hendrick empire proves positive in maany regards: core values, knowledge, experience, resources, customer focus and the employees themselves.

Hendrick is synonynous with success - be it a car dealership or NASCAR team.

Synonymous with the Hendrick name is Jeff Gordon, perhaps the most fanous name in NASCAR racing since he signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 1993. He has won four NASCAR championships, won the Daytona 500 three times and ranks third in all-time victories.

Gordon has visited the Durham dealership. There are photos of him adorning walls in the showroom, hallways and parts department. There are photos of him on sales desks, posing with sales reps. His car has been on display in the showroom. His likeness has been worn on many hats and T-shirts of customers who have come to the Durham dealership to buy Chevrolets like Gordon drives and owns.

The Hendrick Durham Auto Mall has benefited from the Gordon-Rick Hendrick relationship in many ways, for many years - parlaying their success and popularity into success for the dealership, which soon will move into a new upscale state-of-the-art facility in the Southpoint area of Durham.

Thursday morning, Gordon announced that he will retire as a full-time driver following the 2015 season that starts next month.

On behalf of the dealership, we say: "Thank you, Jeff." You have helped us thrive in Durham. Congratulations on your career, and good luck in your final season.

For the story of his announcement and what he has meant to Hendrick Motorsports, the Durham dealership, and the sport of auto racing, Click Here.

Buick's Impressive Heritage On Display At Hendrick Durham Auto Mall

When you come to the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall to browse through or purchase the many beautiful Buicks in its extensive on-site inventory, you can thank a late sewing-machine inventor for his impact on making these vehicles a reality.

In 1899, Adam Opel converted his sewing machine and appliance factory into an automobile works in Russelheim, Germany, where the first Opel automobile was produced on Jan. 21.

Later, in 1902, Opel introduced its first original car, a 2-cylinder runabout.

In the decades that followed, Opel became one of the premier forces in the European automobile industry, modernizing its factories and adopting the continuous-motion assembly line before its European competitors.

Today, Opel is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, produces about a quarter of all German cars and exports heavily to South America and Africa.

The company also was founded on this date, Jan. 21, in 1862, in Rüsselsheim, Hessen, Germany. At the beginning, Opel just produced sewing machines in a cowshed in Rüsselsheim.

In March 1929, General Motors, impressed by Opel's modern production facilities, bought 80 percent of the company, increasing the percentage to 100 in 1931. The Opel family gained $33.3 million from the transaction.

The Opel influence is prevalent in the Buicks of today. Come to Hendrick Durham Auto Mall to see for yourself.

The Buick Regal is a rebadged Opel Insignia.

The Buick Encore is the Buick version of the Opel Mokka.

The Buick Lacrosse is based on a long wheelbase version of the Opel-developed Epsilon II-platform and shares many key components with the Opel Insignia and the Regal.

Buick is in the process of producing its first convertible since the first Bush administration. The 2016 Cascada convertible, which is sold today in Europe as an Opel of the same name, will reach Buick showrooms this year.

Unlike the largely forgotten Buick Reatta convertible, the Cascada is a four-seater and is based on the compact Opel Astra platform.

So, thank you, Adam Opel, for getting out of the sewing-machine business in order to produce the cars of the future.

Understanding, Planning, Adapting

Alvin Toffler is a world-renowned futurist - a strong believer that the awareness of our need to understand, plan and adapt to the future forms the foundation for everything we do.

He is famous for a quote being coined by many of today's businesses and corporations:

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

Although Toffler first made that statement several years ago, his words appear to be ringing true today more than ever as the country, consumers' habits and lifestyles continue to evolve and change.

Change has been great in the automotive industry, as well as at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall. Our business is moving toward a new level of trust and transparency.

Consumers are more knowledgeable than ever before, with so many more research resources available to them than ever before. Dealerships are forced to be knowledgeable, straightforward and consumer-oriented like never efore.

That movement is fine with Rick Hendrick and his staff at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall, which trains and focuses every single day on giving its customers the shopping experience they want.

Among Hendrick's and the dealership's core values are "Commitment to Customer Enthusiasm" and "Commitment To Continuous Improvement."

Whether it's the construction of a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility near Durham's Sreets of Southpoint, to which the dealership soon will move its operation, or scouring the Internet and the used-car market to determine accurate and competitive vehicle values, or researching the shopping ways of today's consumers, or taking time to simply ask every vistor what we can do to enhance their experience, or training the sales staff on "Selling the Hendrick Way," everything that's done is done for the benefit of the consumer.

The goal is to ensure our clients' complete satisfaction - "Completely Satisfied" is the only passing score. Anything else is a failiing grade.

In this ever-changing time, it's the right thing to do.

Thank You, Mr. Michelin, For Adding Value To GM, Hendrick Durham Auto Mall Inventory

Thank you, Mr. Michelin - and happy birthday.

On this date 162 years ago - Jan. 16, 1853 - Andre Michelin was born in Paris, France. In 1888, at age 35, he founded with his brother the Michelin Tire Company, which invented the pneumatic tire found today on many vehicles at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

Michelin is one of the three largest tire manufacturers in the world, along with Bridgestone and Goodyear. In addition to the Michelin brand, the company also owns the BF Goodrich tire brand.

Hendrick Durham Auto Mall sells a complete General Motors product line that includes Buick, GMC, Cadillac and Chevrolet vehicles. Adding to the value of those brands - all of which enjoyed historic success in 2014 - is the fact that they can be equipped with Michelin tires, considered the premier tire brand in America.

Buick vehicles are known for their luxury, which includes available Michelin tires.

The Michelin company announced two months ago - November of 2014 - that it had plans to open a plant in North America dedicated to the manufacture of airless tires called "Tweels."

A punctured tire can cause a bad, not to mention expensive, day for many vehicle owners and drivers. Michelin's proposed $50 million plant will be used to make the Michelin X Tweel Airless Radial Tire and others for commercial and agricultural applications - a move toward eliminating the possibility of tires that puncture.

Happy Birthday, American Motors Corporation

Say what you want about General Motors vehicles. You cannot say they are unattractive.

Since the days of Bill Mitchell - perhaps America's most famous automobile designer - GM has placed extraordinary emphasis on the design and styling of its product line. You can see that for yourself when you examine and drive the latest and greatest inventory at the Hendrick Durham Auto Mall.

Mitchell was responsible for creating or influencing the design of more than 72.5 million automobiles produced by GM, including such landmark vehicles as the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special, the 1949 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, the 1955-57 Chevrolet Bel Air, the 1963-65 and 1966-67 Buick Riviera, the 1961-76 Corvette Stingray, the 1975-79 Cadillac Seville and the 1970-81 Chevrolet Camaro

Since then, GM's vehicles have continued to get more and more beautiful. Recent redesigns of the Cadillac SRX and Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu and Impala are testament to that, as well as the creation of elegant new products like the GMC Terrain and Buick Encore.

The appealing pricepoints and low-maintenance qualities of GM vehicles have been well-documented reasons that many consumers choose GM vehicles for their purchases and other transportation needs. But the aesthetic qualilty of all the vehicles across all the GM brands has been moving to the top of the appeal meter.

Anyone who believes any GM vehicle is unattractive needs to just remember back to the days of the now-defunct American Motors Corporation.

It is appropriate that we go back there today because it was on this day in history - Jan. 14, 1954 - that the American Motors Corporation was founded. The company was formed by the merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company, which at the time was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.

AMC was known for producing such beauties as the Pacer and the Gremlin. Remember those? The nmuber of people who drove those vehicles with pride has got to be small.

If you Google "Ugliest Cars In America," pages and pages of artlcles and lists appear. Prominently featured on most of those lists are the AMC Pacer and AMC Gremlin. Those cars were ugly.

The Pacer has been described as a fishbowl. It was the widest car on the road, with room in the backseat for four people to sit side by side, but also was terribly heavy and slow. It was in production for just five years - between 1975 and 1979 - and its unconventional styling was commonly cited in its lack of success.

The AMC Gremlin, meanwhile, is ranked on many lists of the 50 worst cars of all time by several measures. But you will be hard-pressed to find an uglier vehicle. It was manufactured for just eight years, from 1970-1978, at the same Kenosha, Wisconsin, plant that rolled out the Pacer.

Unlike the Pacer, the Gremlin today has a following among old car hobbyists and collectors of historic vehicles. In some cases, the Gremlin enjoys a cult-like following in today's collectible car market.

Perhaps we can credit the founding of the American Motors Corporation 61 years ago today for influencing and adding to the beauty of today's vehicle designs and styles. Certainly GM engineers have taken note and used the many years since to tweak and add to the beauty of Cadillacs, Buicks, GMCs and Chevrolets.

We should all be thankful for that.