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THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor | Episode #361

Periodically, a person is born who perseveres through the thick and thin to do great things. We pay homage to one such man with our first guest, industry veteran and author of “Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automobile Empire”, Luca Dal Monte. Enzo’s life was a rollercoaster ride, from his involvement in World War 1, to the death of his first born son, to the founding of Scuderia Ferrari, and eventual creation of one of the most iconic brand of cars the world has ever known. Shifting gears, we chat with serial entrepreneur and star of Fast N’ Loud and Garage Rehab, Richard Rawlings, about the new season of Garage Rehab and upcoming season of Fast N’ Loud. Also, hear about Richard’s planned reveal of a 1972 Boattail Riviera at the SEMA Show 2019, thoughts on the new Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Bronco, wayward Ferrari F40, and other upcoming events. Closing the show, automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, updates us on the financial woes of Elon Musk and Tesla, Carlos Ghosn situation in Japanese prison, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recent pedestrian safety test results in which the 2019 BMW X1 didn’t fare so well. Tune in for more on Enzo Ferrari, Garage Rehab, Fast N’ Loud, and the latest automotive news.

 

• [00:00:00] Luca Dal Monte’s “Enzo Ferrari”
• [00:05:56] A Life of Triumph and Tragedy
• [00:12:31] Enzo Ferrari’s 1920s Nervous Breakdown
• [00:19:52] From Failure to the Birth of Ferrari
• [00:28:30] Racing Priority and Ferrari’s Second Son
• [00:35:53] A Life in Search of True Love
• [00:42:13] Garage Rehab, Fast N’ Loud, Ford Bronco
• [00:48:09] Social Media and Upcoming Projects
• [00:54:44] Boattail Riviera and Ferrari F40
• [01:02:04] Elon Musk Financial Problems?
• [01:10:45] The Carlos Ghosn Saga Continues
• [01:18:05] BMW X1 Fails IIHS Safety Test!?

 

Discover more about segments and guests below…

 

[00:00:00] Luca Dal Monte’s “Enzo Ferrari”

When people think of super cars, they think of Ferrari, but how did that name become so prolific in the automotive industry? Auto industry veteran, Luca Dal Monte, has worked with the likes of Maserati, Ferrari, Toyota, and Pirelli and through his years in the industry he learned much about the icon that was Enzo Ferrari. Recently, Luca published “Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automobile Empire”, which delves deep into the life of the famed race car driver and auto manufacturing titan. Tune in for more.

 

[00:05:56] A Life of Triumph and Tragedy

When you’re an icon and a legend, people tend to forget that you’ve gone through your share of trials and tribulations. Author of “Enzo Ferrari, Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire,” Luca Dal Monte, sheds some light onto some of the tougher times in Enzo Ferrari’s life. Enzo was no stranger to loss, from the early death of his father, and the loss of his brother in World War 1, to the death of his son, “Dio” Ferrari, in 1956. Many of his friends and racing buddies also met with untimely deaths on the track. Choosing not to be burdened by the grief, Enzo cherished those who he’d lost, often speaking of them as if he’d just them the day before; but Enzo did not escape such loss unscathed. After the death of his first son, Enzo never again raced major circuits, like the Grand Prix. Learn more about the hardships Enzo had to face.  

 

[00:12:31] Enzo Ferrari’s 1920s Nervous Breakdown

Enzo Ferrari’s passion for automobiles was ignited by his service in World War 1 as an ambulance driver and operator of other cars. Once the war is over, he starts his career as a race car driver with Alfa Romeo, but in 1924 when his career was just about to take off, he abandons his position in Lyon, France, to return home to Italy. Author of “Enzo Ferrari, Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire,” Luca Dal Monte, tells us about the letters he had written to his wife during that time which revealed a nervous breakdown and fear of dying at the wheel of a car. Find out more about these letters and Enzo’s flight home.

 

[00:19:52] From Failure to the Birth of Ferrari

Being an entrepreneur means facing and overcoming failure to meet success. No one’s story better exemplifies this than that of Enzo Ferrari. Auto industry veteran, Luca Dal Monte, explains how Enzo’s first entrepreneurial endeavor, a coach building company in Modena, Italy, met with horrible failure and financial ruin. Enzo went through great lengths to have this disaster buried, but took the lessons with him. In 1929 he founds his racing team, Scuderia Ferrari, but he did not use his own money, he found investors. Then, in 1940, Enzo decides to start building cars, but his plans are put on hold until 1947 by the outbreak of World War 2. Learn more about this tale of great modern success.

 

[00:28:30] Racing Priority and Ferrari’s Second Son

You may love and cherish Ferrari automobiles for their sleek designs, but Enzo Ferrari couldn’t care less about passenger cars – his passion was racing! Author of “Enzo Ferrari, Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire,” Luca Dal Monte, takes us through the founding of Ferrari on the basis of raising money for Enzo’s racing team. Also, we learn about the extra-marital birth of Enzo’s second son, Piero Ferrari, and his journey to becoming the present day Vice President of Ferrari.

 

[00:35:53] A Life in Search of True Love

People adore Enzo Ferrari for his automotive empire, but there’s more to the man than that. Author of “Enzo Ferrari, Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire,” Luca Dal Monte, explains Enzo’s reputation as a womanizer, and why it’s not necessarily true. Enzo lived a life in pursuit of true love, which he unfortunately never found. Find out why Luca thinks if Shakespeare had been alive during Enzo’s life, he would have written a tragic play about him.

 

[00:42:13] Garage Rehab, Fast N’ Loud, Ford Bronco

If you’re a fan of rip, roarin’, loud automotive fun, then we have some news for you. Owner of Gas Monkey Garage and star of Fast N’ Loud on Discovery Network, Richard Rawlings, gets us pumped up for the new season of Fast N’ Loud in June and Garage Rehab airing now! Shifting gears, we pick Richard’s brain about the new Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Bronco. Are you a fan of the new Chevy Blazer?

 

[00:48:09] Social Media and Upcoming Projects

Fast N’ Loud star, Richard Rawlings, is a busy man with lots of irons in the fire. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have time to blaze 3,000 miles around the Mediterranean Sea in a Corvette, in partnership with Hot Wheels! Keep tabs on this wild ride on the Fast N’ Loud social media channels. Speaking of social media, we learn about Fast N’ Loud’s huge social presence, with over 2.9 billion impressions last year! Are you a Fast N’ Loud fan?

 

[00:54:44] Boattail Riviera and Ferrari F40

The SEMA Show is the Super Bowl of the automotive industry, so naturally Fast N’ Loud star, Richard Rawlings, is already prepping for it. He can’t get into specifics, but Richard fills us in as much as he can on the 1,400-HP 1972 Boattail Riviera he’s building for the 2019 SEMA Show.  Also, we learn about the crazy road the Ferrari F40 that Richard and Dennis Collins sold at Barrett-Jackson traveled. After it originally auctioned for $630,000, the auction winner resold it for $800,000, then the next owner had to forfeit it to the government, who was then able to sell it for $730,000! Are you a Ferrari fan?

 

[01:02:04] Elon Musk Financial Problems?

Sometimes it pays to be a serial entrepreneur business-maniac, sometimes it doesn’t. Automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, describes the financial troubles of Elon Musk and Tesla. Tesla stock is down 11% so far this year, after failing to release the promised $35,000 version of the Model 3. On top of this, Consumer Reports recently pulled their recommendation of the Tesla Model 3 due to body hardware issues, faulty in-car electronics, and rear windows cracking from cold weather. Combined with the fact that the electric vehicle tax credit has begun to run out for Tesla, does this mean that the Tesla Model 3 is no longer a smart buy? Will you be ordering a Tesla Model 3?

 

[01:10:45] The Carlos Ghosn Saga Continues

Carlos Ghosn has been in a Japanese jail for four months, and there is still very little information pertaining to why. Automotive journalist, BJ Killeen, fills us in on the situation in Japan, including the hiring of a new, more aggressive defense team, headed by Junichiro “The Razor” Hironaka. The former Nissan-Renault chairman faces accusations of misappropriation of funds. Is this just a political ploy by the Japanese government?   

 

[01:18:05] BMW X1 Fails IIHS Safety Test!?

There are two major road safety organizations that everybody should be paying attention to: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and  the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Automotive journalist, BJ Killen, tells us about the recent IIHS test that measured popular small crossover vehicles ability to stop themselves from hitting pedestrians with no input from drivers. Among the top ranking vehicles in this test were the Honda C-RV, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Volvo XC40. Runners up were the Chevrolet Equinox, Hyundai Kona, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, and Mazda CX-9. The Mitsubishi Outlander ran into a little trouble, hitting the adult test dummy at a speed of 6 mph. Most surprisingly, the BMW X1 failed in horrific fashion, as it failed to even attempt to stop for the pedestrian test dummies, drilling into them at the full 37 mph testing speed with no application of brakes. The BMW X1 scored zero points, and therefore was not given a ranking. Does this inform your next vehicle purchase, or do you think drivers just need to pay more attention?

 

Explore More with Helpful Links:

• Contributor: BJ Killeen | Automotive journalist
• Special Guest:  Luca Dal Monte | Author, “Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automobile Empire”
• Special Guest: Richard Rawlings | Owner/ Star, Gas Monkey Garage/ Fast N’ Loud/ Garage Rehab
• Website: Ferrari
• Website: Tesla
• Website: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
• Website: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Vehicle Mention: 2020 Chevrolet Blazer
• Vehicle Mention: 2020 Ford Bronco
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Honda CR-V
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Subaru Forester
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Toyota RAV4
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Volvo XC40
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Chevrolet Equinox
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Hyundai Kona
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Kia Sportage
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Nissan Rogue
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Mazda CX-9
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander
• Vehicle Mention: 2019 BMW X1 

Episode Credits:

• Program Host: Alan Taylor
• Producer: Dave Milligan
• Production Assistant: Joanne Bolden
• Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
• Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

• Austin Hatcher Foundation
• Barrett-Jackson
• Brembo
• Bridgestone
• Dodge
• Foundation of Human Understanding
• Go RVing
• Patriot Outreach
• Shell
• Subaru
• The Little Rock Foundation

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This episode was produced by Entertainment Right Now (ERN). If you found value in this episode, and you’d like to hear more, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a beat. Your feedback helps us to reach more enthusiasts around the world! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, please leave a comment below or e-mail us at info@ernlive.com.