24th-Annual Nashville AutoFest breaks up the winter blues

Car show season screeches to a halt during the winter, but for two-dozen years, enthusiasts have met in Nashville in January for the big AutoFest Car Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The 2015 installment was a nice mix of show cars and swap meet vendors, meaning that there was something to see for every type of automotive interest. This was my first AutoFest, but several people told me this was the one to go to. I’m glad they did, because as you will see below, there was quite a bit of great stuff there.

Monster Jam hits Nashville's Bridgestone Arena

For almost 30 years, I would go to the monster truck show in Kansas City right around my birthday. Now that I’ve moved to Nashville, it looks like the tradition can continue, albeit a month early, as Monster Jam does the exact same kind of show in Bridgestone Area that they had in the Sprint Center. This event might even draw in a better-known selection of trucks. BHo and I went and checked out all the action last weekend, so I will share that experience with you now.

4th-Annual Tennessee Motorama keeps car show season alive

I moved to Nashville from Kansas City, and so far, the winter is considerably milder. Sure it gets pretty chilly, but I haven’t seen the snow, slop, and misery. The thing is, car show season gets over as soon, if not sooner here than it does in KC. Why not have some car cruises on through November and December? Come on, guys, let’s do this! Anyway, I was happy to see an announcement for the 4th-Annual Tennessee Motorama, which took place last weekend in Murfreesboro. This was an indoor event, although the rain probably kept some show cars away. But it was still a fair little car show and swap meet, and it was definitely something fun to do after a slow couple of months.

The top five most popular stories on Hover Motor Company for 2014

This has been one of the craziest years I’ve ever had. When 2014 rolled in, I had no idea that my life was going to change so drastically. We were humming along, hitting the usual Kansas City-area car shows and events in my old truck, when suddenly, General Motors offered me a job. And just like that, our house was sold, and the Hover family was off to Nashville. So the top-five stories of 2014 represent a little of the old and a little of the new. Let’s look back at the most popular stories on Hover Motor Company as calculated by Google Analytics.  By the way, if you click on the story title, it will take you to the story.

2015 GMC Canyon test drive review. The truckin' sweet spot

These days, when a manufacturer claims their truck is full-sized, they mean it. I’ve reviewed some pickups lately that completely dwarf the old HMC ’63 Chevy. And while these new trucks are capable of carrying payload and pulling trailers that would have been impossible just a few years ago, there are some people that just don’t want to drive something that big. That’s where the all-new 2015 GMC Canyon comes in. This truck is still able to handle most of the things people buy trucks for in the first place, but it comes in a smaller, more manageable package.

Luke Duke comes to Cooter's Place

We had a brush with fame last weekend.  I've mentioned before how much I loved old car-themed movies and TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard.  Well, those shows were more than just the cars--someone had to drive them.  BHo and I were really excited to hear that Tom Wopat would be at Cooter's Place in Nashville signing autographs.  Naturally, I forced everyone to stand in an hour-and-a-half line to meet Luke Duke.  We met people that were more obsessed with the show than me.  All-in-all, I'd say it was a pretty fun day.

Merry Christmas from Hover Motor Company

Christmas and cars.  Now there are two things that really go together.  Well, they go together for me anyway.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a Christmas where I didn’t get at least something car-related.   And apparently, they go together for car manufacturers too.  I can prove that claim by looking back at all the Christmas-themed automotive advertisements that have graced the pages of magazines over the years.  Of course, most of them are from a time when it wasn’t forbidden to mention Christmas in a main-stream advertisement.  So that’s been awhile.  But it’s still fun to look back on some of the stuff they used to print.  Who wouldn’t want a new Packard under the tree?!

Sporty things from the 2014 Nashville International Auto Show

As the weather gets colder, new car show season is heating up. The Nashville International Auto Show was this weekend at the Music City Center, and spectators got a chance to enjoy the heart of the auto industry in the heart of country music. This wasn’t a particularly large auto show (weird that Cadillac didn’t have a display in Johnny Cash’s hometown), but it sure brought out a lot of people. There were so many folks looking at the cars that taking pictures proved to be very difficult. I still managed to click off a few of my favorites, though. Let’s take a look.