2013 Ford Escape test drive review. Pug no more

One of the most popular dog breeds in America is the Pug. Pugs are little. Pugs are tough. They’ve got that flat little nose that means business, and they are one of the oldest dog breeds. Sure, others come and go—Poodles may be big one year, Dalmatians may be popular another—but the Pug always seems to hang out toward the top of the list.

Ads, auto shows, and bank robbers in this week's Thursday Drive-By

I guess I should apologize right off the bat. If you click the links in this week’s Thursday Drive-By, you are going to eat up most of your day. There are so many great stories and vintage photos in these five links that you aren’t going to have time to get anything else done.

We’re looking at an infamous lead-sled, a compelling first car, old school auto shows, and about a jillion old car brochures. I think this is a really good installment of the Thursday Drive-By. Check it out and see what you think.

Australian hybrid. History of the Chevrolet El Camino

It’s a car! It’s a truck! No—it’s an El Camino! Chevrolet’s light duty hauler is one of the most versatile machines out there. From hauling hay to heading to church, the El Camino is one of the best examples of sport plus utility ever to grace America’s highways.

The idea for the El Camino isn’t exactly American, though. Long before this concept had legs in the U.S., Australia had fully embraced the car/truck concept. Known down-under as the “Ute,” these hybrid Fords and Chevrolets were rolling through the Outback as far back as the 1930s. Even today, long after the El Camino’s exit from the American market, Utes are still a popular mode of transportation in Australia.

Shrine Swap Meet, Red X Cruise, and more. The Kansas City car show, car cruise, and car racing schedule for April 13, 14, 15, 2012

We’ve got another huge weekend of car events in Kansas City. You definitely want to check out the season opener Friday night at Lakeside Speedway. If you’ve never been there, you’re in for a real treat. We’ve also got a car show in Grain Valley, the Mustang Cruise in Shawnee, and a car show in Olathe.

Details, you need details! Luckily for you, we have some. See the complete list of car shows, car cruises, and car races below. Plus, you’ll get the TV schedules for all three major NASCAR series.

New Impala, Viper, and MKZ top picks at the 2012 New York International Auto Show

When I think of the most significant American auto show, Detroit generally is the one that comes to mind. But with all the new vehicle introductions taking place in New York City this week, the Big Apple is looking more important all the time.

With all the emphasis on fuel prices and economy lately, it may come as a surprise that most of the introductions in New York were full-sized sedans, as well as other decidedly non-eco-friendly rides. Chevrolet (Impala), Lincoln (MKZ), Acura (RLX Concept), and Toyota (Avalon) all revealed the latest versions of their flagship sedans. Chrysler eschewed any hint of economy by bringing out a new Dodge Viper and Ram pickup. And Hyundai, Buick, and Honda were among the manufacturers to show off their latest crossovers.

Edsel's hot rod, Packard mysteries, and celebrity cars in this week's Thursday Drive-By

Once again, we're traveling the net to bring you a few interesting car websites to check out on a lazy Thursday afternoon.  Do you like celebrity cars?  Old advertising slogans?  Vintage pictures?  We'll cover them all in this week's collection of links.

Normally I don't want to send people away from here, but I guess we'll make an exception this time.  See this week's top five below.

Events from Parkville to Ottawa. The Kansas City car show, car cruise, and auto racing schedule for April 6, 7, 8, 2012

Now this is more like it! After months of relatively no activity, the list of Kansas City car events explodes this weekend. We’re talking about the Longbranch Cruise in Overland Park. We’re talking about the Parkville Cruise. We’ve got a Corvette Show in Ottawa. We’ve got races. We’ve got swap meets. We are going to be busy!

Where are you going to be this weekend? If you have an old car, now’s the time to dust it off and get out there. And even if you don’t, you’ll have fun checking out other peoples’ rides. Whether you like car shows or car races, this is a good weekend to be in Kansas City.

This is also Easter weekend, so there is no NASCAR racing scheduled. See the entire list below.

Affordable bargains, six-figure gems, and one heck of a car show. 750 photos from the Mecum Spring Collector Car Auction in Kansas City

The inside of Kansas City's Bartle Hall is 388,800-feet. Now they can do lots of things in there--home shows, religious conventions, RV shows--you name it, they can fit it in there. But as far as I'm concerned, the best way to utilize eight football fields of indoor space is to fill it up with cars.

Luckily, the folks at Mecum Auctions share that opinion, and once again they managed to draw more than 750 sparkling vehicles to the Kansas City Convention Center for the Mecum Spring Classic Auto Auction.