The story of TheTruthAboutCars will make for a fascinating book some day. It has it all: sex, violence, ego, backroom dealings, threats, cowardice, and more. With that said, it’s the characters behind TTAC that make it interesting. Most of the car blogs are either some undifferentiated group of default-liberal hipsters-for-hire or a crocodilian coterie of cynical codgers. TTAC’s had the most diverse group of idiots you could possibly imagine. Some of them arrived with a bang and turned out to be useless, others are just using the site to attract the attention of someone who will put them on the buffet-and-business-travel plan.
Then there’s Steve Lang.
From the start, Steve’s content was decidedly different from the rest of the stuff you’ll find on the site. As a career trawler through the dregs of society and automobilia, selling junk to idiots on a buy-here-pay-here basis, repossessing Sundances from impoverished mothers and marking everything up 200% of its auction value, Lang sees a side of the car business most of us never will. His stories have often offended people and they’re rarely comfortable to read, but they’re valuable in the way that nothing you ever read on Autoblog could possibly be.
Naturally, after a while Steve looked around and saw that it was more profitable, and far easier, to take press cars, slap out reviews, and go on five-star hotel junkets. So that’s what he did. His decision to partially abandon his unique niche did him no favors, in my not-so-humble opinion. A series of personality conflicts and a final, high-profile middle finger to the TTAC management sealed his fate at our little blog.
There was much speculation and rumor about where Mr. Lang would go next, but I’m pleased to note that Steve’s returning to his strengths with the newest Hammer Time at Paul Niedermeyer’s Curbside Classic site. He’s taken the time to really examine and understand the current and future state of subprime auto credit. If you want to know how cars are bought and sold beneath the poverty line, you need to read this. If you want to know where the next bank crisis is brewing, you need to read this. It’s worth checking out. So go do it, okay?
TTAC has lost much of its shine for me.
I began reading it in 2004 and am still a daily visitor to see what magic Jack has given us for the day. But I lament the departure of founder Robert Farago and am disappointed with the loss of the Booth Babe’s feminine perspective.
And judging on this weekend’s content it would seem to be becoming a Canadian political blog written by ideologues pinning for a return to things two generations ago.
Alas our man Jack has seen fit to give us this new playground perhaps soon to eclipse the need for TTAC.
Wow! What great inside view of TTAC, though, I haven’t really spent any time there.
Your comments about Lang, sure have peaked my interest, so will take a look at his emissions.
Thanks for the interesting post, Jack.
Curbside Classic is a very neat site, and I think you’d really like it there.
Thanks! Jimmy, will be checking it out.
As it relates to Curbside Classics I just read a story of a supposed ‘skunk works’ at GM of Canada Limited that is said to have produced special 9C1 Caprices.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/1990-iraqi-9c1-from-canadas-skunkworks/
After more than a year of studying 9C1s in the pre-Internet age, I ordered a 1988 Caprice 9C1 from GM of Canada Limited. This car was built in Arlington Texas - not Oshawa. I knew the order guide inside out and there were no references to much of the equipment referred to by Len Peters in his story. I knew people who worked in fleet sales at GM Canada headquarters and never heard about a ‘skunk works’ or Iraqi specials. Furthermore, I owned the last printing of the parts book (about ten inches thick) for these vehicles and knew the Special Equipment Option chapter inside out. It did not contain part numbers for much of the equipment cited. As well, in the early days of the Internet I was in regular contact with Scott Mueller who was writing a book on the B bodies, and who never mentioned anything like what Len Peters writes.
So based on my own experience and knowledge, and without any facts to support his assertions, I’m forced to conclude that Len Peters’ story is at least fictional in part. And therefore casts my doubt on the editorial policy and quality of the other content posted on Curbside Classics.
@Tomko: I agree with you that this particular post was not credible. This was a series by Len Peters, and it went up without my having fact-checked it. Unlike you, I’m not an expert on these cars, but my BS Meter works pretty well. But since it was an auto-biographical post, and already up, I wasn’t going to jump all over it and make a scene.
If it had been a “Curbside Classic” post, I would not have let it stand. There is a difference between the two. Mistakes do appear on those too, but I fix them as they’re brought to my attention.
There’s no good way to do that with Len’s post except perhaps add a disclaimer at the end.
Thanks Paul for the explanation. It is much appreciated as it demonstrates your editorial policy and what you desire to achieve.
I now feel that I can bookmark Curbside Classics for return visits.
Thanks for the clear up here. I was split on the explanation given by BS and the resulting fallout that happened afterward.
I’d have put Mr. Lang as a close second to your work back when he was still onboard though I’d definitely take your word any day over his and another certain blog *cough*.
So much drama and nothing was explained on Steve’s part other than “BS’ bs is too much.”
nue, what was there to explain?
Bertel bashed gay people for the sole pursuit of clicks. I took the issue up with the management at Verticalscope after speaking with the majority of the editors of the site. Nothing was done, and so I resigned my position.
I didn’t do it for a position at Jalopnik or a desire to run the ship at TTAC. I resigned because it was simply the right thing to do. Nothing more.
If you want me to pursue the role of bashing others via telling my side of the story… sorry. There comes a point in all our lives when a higher road needs to be taken, and I’m glad to have done it.
All the best.
Hi Steve,
BS’ public mud dragging of your name was uncalled for and relatively childish on his part. Still, some of the points he pointed out were valid in my eyes and I thought something was amiss.
It might have helped your cause to at least address a few of them WITHOUT making it personal like BS did and still have taken the high road.
Regards.