Quality Weenie

Tomorrow Is "S" Day

Tomorrow is surgery day and actually by this time tomorrow I should be on my way home.

Have to be at the surgery center at 6am, should have surgery around 7:30am and be released about 10am.

I can't believe all I have had to do just to get ready for this and I am not talking about the paperwork and such.

I did laundry on sunday, went grocery shopping yesterday, have to go tonight and clean the house and cut Mr Weenie's hair. We were suppose to give the puppers their baths tonight but I forgot to put their Heartworm/Flea meds on last night so we can't bathe them now.

Mr Weenie is freaking because he thinks I will not beable to do anything, go anywhere for 8 weeks because I will be on crutches. I told him after a couple days on the crutches I should be able to go anywhere.

So I probably won't be posting for a few days at least, depending on how I feel and how crazy I am going.

Today In Automotive History

1916 : Heaslet Special debuts

Studebaker announced the release of the Heaslet Special, a semi-custom touring car. The car was named in honor of Studebaker's vice president of engineering, James G. Heaslet.

Today In Automotive History

1921 : Paragon factory breaks ground

Construction of the Paragon Motor Company factory began in Cumberland, Maryland. The company's production was limited to only four prototypes, and the factory was never completed.

Walmart Kills Pets For Profit

Walmart is more concerned with making a profit then it is in the health of your pet.

Yesterday we posted about Sheri McComber, an Alabama cat owner, who bought recalled Special Kitty cat food from a Wal-Mart store. She claims that four of her cats are sick from eating the recalled cat food.

This was not just an isolated incident in one Wal-Mart store. There is still more recalled cat food on shelves in another Wal-Mart store. A TV news team in Alabama went to the Clanton Wal-Mart and found dozens of Special Kitty Pouches just like the ones McComber had purchased.

Initially, the product code checks out as safe, but if the sticker is peeled off, there is another product code underneath. The original UPC code underneath the sticker matches the ones on the pet food recall list.

Because the stickers are over the recalled product code, the items can be purchased by consumers. The news investigator left one of the stickers off of the packages. When the cashier scanned the label on the package, it said do not sell and the cashier would not let him purchase it.

Yes, you read that correctly. Walmart is restickering recalled food and re-selling it.

Calls were made to Menu Foods and Wal-Mart in regards to the recalled cat food still on shelves. Wal-Mart issued a statement: “We have worked with our supplier to investigate the concerns raised by WSFA 12 News. Menu Foods, the manufacturer of Special Kitty products, assures us that the products currently available in Wal-Mart stores are, indeed, safe.”

Walmart's answer for everything, deny, deny, deny

And in case you thought maybe Walmart is a victim in this ...

She bought the pouch cat food at the Ann Street Wal-Mart. When she tried to purchase it, McComber said there was a warning sign. One of the pouches wouldn’t scan and it said “item not to be sold.” Instead of putting the item to the side, she said the cashier just picked up another pouch and scanned it twice.

When all of her four cats became sick, she checked the labels on the cat food. She pulled back the sticker on the back and read the UPC code. The numbers on her cat food matched the ones on the recall list.

They sold the food even though the scanner told them not to.

Today In Automotive History

1859 : Oil is found in Pennsylvania

Edwin Drake struck oil at 69 feet near Titusville, Pennsylvania--the world's first successful oil well. This source of crude oil, or petroleum, opened up a new inexpensive source of power and quickly replaced whale oil in lamps. Within a few decades of Drake's discovery, oil drilling was widespread in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the East Indies. However, it was the development of the automobile that catapulted petroleum into a position of paramount importance, for petroleum is the primary source of gasoline. Asphalt, also derived from petroleum, is used to surface roads and highways.

American Airlines SUCKS

DO NOT, EVER AGAIN FLY AMERICAN AIRLINES.

They are terrorist bombing waiting to happen as they feel they are above Homeland Security's rules about baggage flying without it's passenger.

What One Has The Other Has To Have

Lance is feeling really good now, and is doing the meal dance at every meal now.

But as is with siblings, what one has the other one just has to have it too.

Maggie hasn't been feeling well the past couple days and has horrible diarrhia. I mean German Sheppard sized poops. We still can't figure out how she can poop that much when she isn't eating that much. She also threw-up this morning.

So I called the vet and told them that Maggie was starting to feel bad and had the same syptoms as Lance (but she is still eating) and do we have to bring her in or can we just get some medicine for her.

And they are just going to give us medicine with a promise that if she doesn't feel better in a day she has to be brought in.

Yea! That saves us some money.

So hopefully she will start feeling better by tomorrow because she is even more cranky when she isn't feeling good.

Sneak Peek: 2009 Dodge Ram

New Dodge Ram goes in for aerodynamics

Even under heavy camouflage, it's clear that Dodge is moving away from the Ram's trademark big rig looks in favor of better aerodynamics. The prominent crosshair grille remains -- with stronger horizontal and vertical bars and slant-forward styling shared with the Dodge Charger.
When it goes on sale late next summer, expect to see new or revised engine choices including improved V-8s. The Ram's current 235-hp 4.7-liter V-8 should get the same makeover as the 2008 Dodge Dakota received, boosting power to 290 horses.
After 2009, Dodge will include a diesel in its light duty pickups. Currently the only oil burner is Dodge's 6.7-liter Cummins V-8 found in heavy duty pickups.

Hattip: The Detroit News

Do Greenies Really Want To Use Europeans As Examples

Everyone who wants Americans to drive small, fuel efficent cars point to Europe as an example of how "well" people get along with small cars.

But do they really?

Since Democrats took control of Congress in January, Washington has targeted automobiles to reduce the alleged threats of energy dependence and global warming. Solutions have centered on increased government fuel economy mandates (40 percent in 10 years) and gas taxes (50 cents per gallon) to force Americans into smaller vehicles.

A test laboratory for the results of these proposals already exists in Europe, where the European Commission a decade ago mandated a 35 percent increase in miles-per-gallon standards and where gas taxes have driven fuel to nearly $7 a gallon.

So what Congress keeps ignoring, the data experts in the U.S. are pointing to to show that increasing fuel economy mandates to extreme amounts doesn't really work. To show that they really don't work all we have to do is look across the pond.

In 1998, the global warming-panicked commission set a goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and raising fuel economy 25 percent to an equivalent of 39 miles per gallon by next year with the ultimate goal of raising fuel efficiency 35 percent to 45 mpg by 2012. The measure is similar to the U.S. Senate's goal of a 40 percent increase to 35 mpg by 2020.

Europe is nowhere close to meeting the goal. Makers of small cars like Renault are near the goal, while larger carmakers like Audi are off 25 percent.

But why are they not close to meeting the goals set by the goberment?

Europe is missing its targets because even with $7-a-gallon gas (bolstered by a $3-a-gallon gas tax in France and similarly high taxes elsewhere), European Commission bureaucrats CANNOT CONTROL CONSUMER TASTES. (emphasis mine)

WHAT?

You mean consumers are not rushing out to buy fuel efficent small cars like everyone of the greenies and goberment officals claim everyone wants?

The fastest growing segment in Europe these days is -- gasp! -- the SUV. Even as he lectures manufacturers to make smaller cars, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso drives a Volkswagen Touareg SUV -- the highest carbon dioxide-emitting vehicle in Europe. Customer demand for light trucks is so strong that even holdouts like Renault and Peugeot this year started selling SUVs.(emphasis mine)

WHAT?

They want SUV's? But how could that be, I thought Europeans wanted small vehicles. Isn't that what our Goberment keeps insisting?

But of course, all this is the fault of the Auto Makers.

Like their American peers, European greens think it's all an industry conspiracy to withhold better technologies. Jos Dings, director of the influential environmental lobby group, Transport & Environment, protested recent efforts to postpone the 45 mpg goal by arguing that the European Commission shouldn't be "conned by the hysterical lobbying of ACEA."

And we all know how those evil Auto Manufacturers are forcing us to buy SUV's because that is all they make. We have no other choice.

So with the Goberments and the Greenies push to make everyone drive small, fuel efficent vehicles is failing and will fail. Because consumers will buy what they want to buy not what the Goberment feels they should buy.

Today In Automotive History

1913 : Cars and bears share Yosemite for first time

Automobiles were legally allowed to enter Yosemite National Park, California, for the first time on this day, marking a huge change in the national park system. Prior to 1913, most park visitors traveled by train to the park and then took scheduled stagecoach tours. The advent of motor tourism changed the face of Yosemite forever, for it demanded modern, high-quality park roads. The National Park Service's landscape architects, along with the Bureau of Public Roads, developed a systematic approach to the design and construction of park roads. From the mid-1920s through World War II, a "Golden Age" of park road development flourished as designers attempted to create roads that would "lie lightly on the land."

Lance Feels Better

We took Lance to the vet last night, they took an x-ray to see if he had an obstruction. The x-ray didn't show anything, so that is good.

They took blood and ran tests, showed liver elevated and dehydration.

So they gave him and IV of liquids. Now I have never seen a dog get an IV and I thought it would be like humans, but it's not.

They just poke the needle under his skin and pumped in fluids. He ended up with a camel hump on his back, which fell down his side after a half hour.

I took a picture after we got home, but it had gone down quite a bit, the arrow points to where his hump is.

He is doing great this morning and even did the breakfast dance. He hasn't been excited to eat in a couple weeks.

Today In Automotive History

1909 : Oldfield breaks five world records

Barney Oldfield broke five world records on this day, pushing his Benz to new speeds on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the record-breaking feat was marred by tragedy. Three other drivers died on the same track as 20,000 spectators watched in disbelief, and the three-day meet was ended early.

May You Rot In Hell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has agreed to plead guilty in a U.S. dog-fighting case that could wreck the star's football career, his attorney told Reuters on Monday.

Attorney Thomas Shuttleworth said Vick has reached a deal with prosecutors and will plead guilty in the case that has attracted worldwide attention.

You know the only reason he agreed to a plea-bargin is due to his other cronies turning over like a dog on him.

May you rot in hell Vick.

Small Cars Can Kill You

The gas prices of this summer and the people that feel everyone should
drive small vehicles are pushing congress to do something about it.

Congress is trying to push through unrealistic gas mileage increases with
the auto industry saying they are not possible unless they make vehicles
lighter, which will make them unsafe. Congress and environmentals are
saying that the auto industry is making up these claims and trying to
frighten people.

Americans are buying more small cars to cut fuel costs, and that might kill them. As a group, occupants of small cars are more likely to die in crashes than those in bigger, heavier vehicles are, according to data from the government, the insurance industry and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

As you will note, none of those agencies has anything to do with the
auto industry.

The newest small vehicles, of course, meet today's strict safety standards and can be laden with the latest safety hardware, such as stability control and side air bags. They are safer than ever. And differing designs mean some small cars are safer than average. But even the safest are governed by the laws of physics, which rule in favor of bigger, heavier vehicles, even in single-vehicle crashes.

All those safety measures in vehicles now a days is giving people a
false sense of security.

"I did take safety into account, which is why I wanted to be sure the car has side and head-curtain air bags," says Karen Jennings, 39, a saleswoman in Chattanooga, Tenn.

She's shopping for a replacement for her 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
small car. She's restricted her search to small cars because she's
short, 5-foot-2, and believes that small cars "are a little cheaper
to run, less expensive to buy."

She's unconcerned about small cars' relatively poor safety record
because of the available air bags and because "I'm a very defensive
driver. I haven't had an accident in 20-some years of driving."

Dey, the nurse in Santa Barbara, also cites safety hardware:
"It seems like every car I look at has at least six air bags."

Often heard is that small cars' agility lets them avoid crashes.
But the NAS report found no data to back that up.

Two things, I am a very defensive driver also but that hasn't stopped
the asshats that have hit me while I was stopped at lights.

Also, I have talked with my insurance dude about side curtain airbags
and he said that insurance industry doesn't offer discounts for side
airbags (like they do for driver/passenger airbags) because the data
has not shown the side airbags are as beneficial as the driver/passenger
airbags.

Lund was on an NAS panel that examined potential safety impacts and other consequences of stricter fuel-economy regulations. The panel's report, published in 2002, noted that there are safe, cost-effective ways to boost mileage, but cutting the size and weight of vehicles is not one of them. Years of statistics show that small cars "are involved in more collisions than larger vehicles," and "Small vehicles have higher fatality rates than larger ones," the NAS report said.

Guess congress hasn't seen this data, because they keep insisting that
cutting weight out of vehicles for better mileage won't change a thing.

The facts to back up the smaller the vehicle the higher chance of you
dying:

A driver is up to twice as likely to die in a small car as in a midsize, just one step up the size scale, according to IIHS data. A 2003 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report showed similar results.

Small cars can be made safer, but that can boost the price and cut the mileage, undermining the reasons for buying a small car in the first place.

"One of the safest vehicles is the VW Jetta, and it's a relatively
small vehicle. VW has designed it very carefully — and charges for
it," says Marc Ross, professor emeritus in the physics department
at the University of Michigan. He's written a number of papers on
small cars and safety.

Volkswagens, in general, he says, "tend to be safe, but they are
heavier and get lower fuel economy. If you improve safety, you make
a vehicle heavier, at least with today's technology."

I know your saying, but it's SUV's crashing into small cars that is
the problem ... um yeah right

The deadly potential of small cars isn't, as many people presume, because SUVs crash into them. Just one of every 11 people — 9% — who died in small cars died as the result of collisions with SUVs, NHTSA data show.

But, but, but, if everyone drove small cars it wouldn't be an issue ..

By contrast, 53% of small-car deaths in 2005 involved only small cars. Either a single small car crashed into something such as a guardrail or tree or two small cars crashed into each other, according to the NHTSA data.

(all emphasis mine)

They Really Are Just Like Kids

Lance hasn't been feeling well for the past week, he has allergies and they have been bothering him alot.

When they bother him that much he doesn't eat much, which the past week he wasn't eating much.

Thursday and Friday he threw up a couple times and didn't eat much Friday night.

Since then he has only eaten some yogurt, chicken baby food and a small handful of nuggets.

He threw-up several times saturday but was feeling better sunday. No throwing up but still wasn't eating. He threw-up sunday night and wouldn't eat anything but baby food this morning.

So he is going to the vet this evening to see what is up. You can almost hear the congestion in his little nose when he whines. And he is giving me those puppy dog eyes wanting me to make him feel better.

I felt so guilty leaving the little baby this morning and if I got paid for days off I would have taken the day off to get him to the vet sooner.

Thank-god we have the pet insurance now, hopefully this visit will be reimbursable.

Today In Automotive History

1946 : Civilian truck restrictions are lifted

World War II civilian truck restrictions were lifted in the U.S. Truck restrictions were only the beginning of special regulations during the war. Civilian auto production virtually ceased after the attack on Pearl Harbor as the U.S. automotive industry turned to war production, and gas rationing began in 1942.

Walmart Is Killing Pets

A Philadelphia woman says her dog died after eating tainted dog food treats bought from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has quietly pulled the made in China dog treat from its
stores. There has been no announcement to the public as of yet. It is also
uncertain of how many tainted bags of treats there may still be out among
consumers.

Kate Collins said it is hard to talk about. Bella, her two-year-old
Chihuahua, died suddenly in July after eating Bestro Chicken Jerky Strips.(emphasis mine)

HOLY F**K, JULY? QUITELY PULLED FROM SHELVES? NO PUBLIC ANNOUCEMENT YET?

How many more dogs need to die before the public is made aware of this?

Information can be found at Itchmo, a very good dog website.

Today In Automotive History

1890 : Inventor of cruise control is born

Ralph R. Teetor, inventor of the cruise control, was born in Hagerstown, Indiana, on this day in 1890. A mechanical engineer with a degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Teetor began working at the Light Inspection Car Company. This family business eventually evolved into the Perfect Circle Company, of which Teetor became president. Teetor had a knack for invention and continued to work on new ideas after his retirement. His accomplishments are even more remarkable because he was blinded at the age of six, but never let his handicap keep him from his dream of becoming an inventor.

Sneak Peek: 2009 Ford Fusion

This is no ordinary Ford Fusion. It's a prototype for the 2009 hybrid and will likely be powered by a 2.3-liter I4 HEV similar to that of the Escape's setup. A concept version of this new hybrid will be on the auto show circuit later this year or early next.

But there's still a bit of time before you can buy one. The Fusion hybrid won't arrive at dealerships until the 2009 models roll out.

Hattip: The Detroit News

Today In Automotive History

1937 : Harvard introduces traffic engineering

Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the first school to institute graduate study courses in traffic engineering and administration.

I Heart Natural Balance Dog Food

We use Natural Balance dog food for the puppers. It is an "allergy" free dog food which uses human grade food and doesn't contain wheats, additives, grains, etc. We have to use allergy free foods because Lance has food allergies (poultry, pork, milk, eggs and yeast).

They are on of the few companies, who after the recalls hit, actually made changes not only to their food manufacturing but also getting information out to their customers.

The first thing they did was create Club Natural Balance. You sign up with your email address and they send out updates, notices or recall information directly to you. No waiting to hear things through the FDA.

The next thing they did was create a "Buy with Confidence" site. You input the best by date from the package and can look at the actual testing they did on your batch of food.

Natural Balance Pet Foods has created this new "Buy With Confidence" feature for pet owners to monitor the testing of their pets' food, and ClubNB Members are the first to know! Now you can type in the "Best By" Date on your pet food and read the actual testing results! Learn more about our testing!

Please understand that this is a brand new feature that requires an enormous amount of data entry, which we are working diligently to upload. If you don't see the test results for a particular product, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-829-4493 during normal business hours (8am-5pm pacific time) or e-mail us and we will assist you in getting test results.

How cool is that. This is a company that actually cares about my puppers.

Today In Automotive History

1899 : Ford exits Edison

Henry Ford resigned as chief engineer at the main Detroit Edison Company plant in order to concentrate on automobile production. On call at all times, Ford had no regular hours and could experiment in his free time. His tinkering was fruitful, for he completed his first horseless carriage by 1896. After turning to automobiles full time, he would revolutionize the automotive industry with the Model T, also known as the "Tin Lizzie."

Today In Automotive History

1893 : Paris issues first license plates

On this day, the world's first automobile license plates were issued in Paris, France. However, plates were not issued in the United States for a few more years, when they were finally instituted as a safety measure. The city of Boston was the first to require its motorists to hold a license and register their vehicle--the owner would make his own plate with the corresponding registration numbers. The rest of Massachusetts soon followed the trend and began issuing registration plates made of iron and covered with a porcelain enamel.

Dearborn Is Quite, Too Quiet

I have been seeing a lot more blogging on potential attacks on the U.S., there has been a lot more "chatter" and more attack talk from Al Qaeda.

In the past I haven't taken them "too" seriously but this time, I am worried.

Why?

Living in the Middle East of the U.S. there are a lot of chicken shit reports on the nightly news, some Muslims are always complaining (screaming, crying, carrying on) about something. Usually small stuff, injustices perceived by them. Nothing that would attrack large news media to SE Michigan or that most people would even pay attention to.

It has stopped, they have stopped. I haven't heard a peep from them in over a month. It's like they have stopped complaining and are keeping to themselves.

I am afraid this might be another "sign".

Sunday Doggie Bloging

More artsy pictures.

Really? It's Today?

I am so embarassed, I had to read over at my blog momma's place, Tammi's World, that today is my 3rd Blogging Anniversary.

Oh and a shout out to my blog daddy, Harvey, the biggest, baddest blogging daddy ever!

You would think one would remember there entrance into the blogging world.

Gah ...

3 years ago today I introduced a Quality Weenie to the world, had such high hopes for this blog but it has gone down hill and isn't really where I thought it would go.

Have thought about shutting it down to many times to count, still do.

But I have met some wonderful people and I guess that is all that really matters.

So Happy Blog Anniversary to me.

Huh, 3 years old, who would have thought.

Jumping For Joy Will Get You Sued

Toyota claims that jumping for joy is patented by them and can sue you if you jump for joy without getting their permission first.

Toyota Motor Corp. Australia Ltd. is threatening to sue Qantas Airways Ltd.’s budget subsidiary Jetstar because the carrier used a Toyota-style “jump” in an advertising campaign. The Japanese auto maker says it has trademarked its, “Toyota: Oh, What a Feeling” jump and an accompanying 2-bar jingle. “Someone has executed a ‘jump’ that’s not dissimilar to ours, and it would be remiss of us to ensure that our brand isn’t properly protected,” a Toyota spokesman tells Australia’s Melbourne Age newspaper.

So remember the next time you jump for joy, make sure nobody from Toyota is looking at you.

Today In Automotive History

1986 : Race held behind Iron Curtain

The Hungarian Grand Prix, the first such race held behind the Iron Curtain, was won by Nelson Piquet on this day. Grand Prix racing is the most popular kind of racing internationally, and more than 15 races are held each year in countries around the world. This type of racing is controlled by automobile manufacturers under the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). All Grand Prix racing is for open-wheeled, single-seater cars.

Sneak Peek: 2009 Lincoln MKS

In January 2006,Lincoln showed the MKS concept car, which they announced would arrive at dealers in spring 2008 as a 2009 model. Now, the latest prototypes of the MKS have been spotted during hot-weather testing in Death Valley.

Despite the disguise on front and rear ends, the production MKS' close relationship to the concept car is evident. Some phony panels at the rear of the roofline disguise its shape but the proportions and even some concept details have emerged intact to this point. The big chrome wheels and door handles in particular keep the classy look.

The MKS' engine will be a 4.4-liter V-8 with 315 horsepower, teamed to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Inside, the car will feature the latest luxury touches including heated and cooled leather seats, a panoramic glass roof, a navigation system, and Bluetooth.

Hattip: The Car Connection

American Vehicle Ties For Most Dependable

Today JD Power released it's Vehicle Dependability study. It surveys owners that have had their vehicles for 3 years.

Buick ties with Lexus to rank highest among nameplates in vehicle dependability—marking the first time in 12 years that another brand ties with Lexus for the highest-rank position, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today.

So I guess we can stop with the american vehicles are worse in quality than Japanese vehicles thing now.

Oh and that thing about the more expensive a vehicle is (think BMW, Mercedes, etc) the better it is ... ya, not.

“With three non-premium nameplates—Buick, Honda and Mercury—ranking within the top five, and particularly with Buick tying with Lexus for the top rank, consumers seeking a vehicle with strong dependability have good choices at various price levels,” said Neal Oddes, director of product research and analysis for J.D. Power and Associates. “Consumers don’t necessarily need to pay premium prices to obtain high quality and dependability.”

To view vehicles by segment

Where Is My NAAWP

Since White's are now the MINORITY in the U.S. I guess that means we can now offically form a National Association for the Advancement of White People.

Whites are now in the minority in nearly one in 10 U.S. counties. And that increased diversity, fueled by immigration and higher birth rates among blacks and Hispanics, is straining race relations and sparking a backlash against immigrants in many communities.

Where is my welfare?

As of 2006, non-Hispanic whites made up less than half the population in 303 of the nation's 3,141 counties, according to figures the Census Bureau is releasing Thursday. Non-Hispanic whites were a minority in 262 counties in 2000, up from 183 in 1990.

I want demand diversity aimed at white people.

Nationally, the number of minorities topped 100 million for the first time in 2006 -- about a third of the population. By 2050, minorities will account for half of U.S. residents, according to Census Bureau projections.

And how can you call them minorities when they are not in the minority?

Chery's Autos "Crumple Like Newspaper"

The Chinese Automotive manufacturer Chery had one of their vehicles, the Chery Amulet, crash tested by a Russian Car magazine.

The results?

The magazine said the vehicle "crumpled like a newspaper"

In one of the few crash-tests to date of a Chinese-made vehicle outside China, a Chery Amulet sedan's front end folded like a concertina in a recent trial here.

The Russian car magazine that organized the test said it was one of the worst performances ever and called upon Chery Automobile Co. to withdraw the car from the market. A clip of the crash test posted on Google Inc.'s video-sharing service YouTube has drawn almost 163,000 viewers.

Of course the Chinese are saying the test was biased even thought Chery officals were present at the crash and said nothing at the time.

The lab, Russia's biggest and a tester for a wide variety of vehicles, says the presence of auto magazine AvtoRevu was "a guarantor" of the test's independence. The magazine, which paid the lab to conduct the test of the Amulet, rejected any claim of bias; it said the test was "200% independent," and says it has no affiliation with any manufacturer.

Among Russia's most respected car magazines, AvtoRevu has conducted 39 crash tests in its 17-year history, many of locally made cars not tested by governments elsewhere. One of the worst performances -- a score of 0 out of 16 -- was recorded by an Avtovaz model in 2001. At times, the magazine has been scathing about the safety record of some homegrown models, and it has also given top marks to some foreign models that compete with Russian ones, including cars from the U.S., Italy, France and South Korea.

The Amulet was subjected to a test that AvtoRevu calls Europe's benchmark, the EuroNCAP. On impact with a metal crash barrier at 64 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) per hour, the Amulet's front door sills "crumpled like newspaper," AvtoRevu said in its June issue. The magazine said the test dummy became so entwined with the wreckage of the car that it had to be removed piece by piece. Out of a possible 16 points, the Amulet got just 1.7.

They can't be all that biased if they criticize their own country's vehicles more than competitors.

But of course the Chinese had to re-test the vehicles in their OWN labs to prove it untrue and of course they passed, no shock there.

A month after the Russian test, Chery had the Amulet tested in China, hiring the commercial arm of the U.K. government's Vehicle Certification Agency to conduct the trial in its lab in Shanghai. The conditions were less demanding: the car's speed was 56 kilometers an hour; the impact was full-frontal rather than the more difficult angle the Russian lab used; there was an airbag, unlike the model in Russia; and the crash barrier was less rigid than in the previous test.

The U.K. agency said the Amulet met European safety standards in this test. But a spokesman for the agency later stressed that the result applies only to the single car on that one day and didn't amount to an endorsement of the entire line.

Yes, the vehicle did pass but they did a completely different test. And who knows how that vehicle was built, could have built it to withstand the tests. It doesn't say who or how the vehicle was chosen.

Folks, this is the same Chinese auto maker that is in partnership with Chrysler to bring their very small (unsafe), cheap vehicles to the U.S. in a couple years.

Cerberus-owned Chrysler last month finalized a deal making Chery its partner to develop a range of small cars for sale in the U.S., and has vowed to work with the Chinese to improve vehicle safety. The Amulet, one of the oldest models in Chery's young lineup, isn't slated for sale in the U.S.

Steven Landry, executive vice president of marketing and sales at Chrysler, said he realizes customers have concerns about Chinese-made products and that is why Chrysler will have a lot of its staff involved in the development of the Chery-made vehicles at an early stage to ensure quality and safety. Frank Klegon, Chrysler's executive vice president of product development, said Chrysler officials will help choose suppliers that have a demonstrated track record. "It's Chrysler's reputation at the end of the day," Mr. Klegon said.

And we already know how the Chinese change materials to make a better product after their American buyers are not watching anymore.

In the past, Chinese auto-industry officials have acknowledged that their vehicles aren't up to Western safety standards, which other tests have borne out. (emphasis mine)