Today’s show features George Kennedy, the co-founder of Cartender.com, and the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. George is a prominent contributor to various publications including U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and The Drive with Alan Taylor. In today’s segment, George shares with us a list of the most expensive trucks, starting with the Dodge Ram TRX, Ford Raptor R, GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate, Rivian RI, Ford F150 Lightning Platinum, and finally, the most expensive, the Hummer EV First Edition. Ranging from 85,000 on up. Moving on, George talks about the 2023 Infiniti QX60, which boasts a premium interior, and advanced technology, and is a great all-around 3-row SUV. The V6 engine packs a punch with 295 horsepower and is available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive. The mid-size luxury SUV starts at $50,000, and the Sensory model with added options starts at $55,000. While it may not be the sportiest or most comfortable SUV in its class, the Infiniti QX60 offers great value for a luxury vehicle.

Coming up next is Lauren Fix, Editor-in-Chief for Car Coach Reports. She is here to talk about the recent strike by the UAW. On Thursday night at midnight, the UAW went on strike, demanding a 44% increase in pay as one of their stipulations. Stelantis, Ford, and GM offered a counter proposal which the UAW declined. Lauren believes that CEOs make excessive amounts of money, but that is the board members’ responsibility, and workers shouldn’t be blamed for asking for a wage increase. Most UAW workers make $17.00 an hour, which is less than what McDonald’s pays. The UAW has done a “Targeted Strike,” focusing on the Jeep Plant, Bronco Ranger Plant, and the Colorado Plant. Although not all employees left, the majority did go home. Interestingly, the impact of the UAW’s strike goes beyond the car manufacturers to their suppliers. Lauren thinks that if the UAW targets the “Cash Cow” which includes the F150 plant, Silverado Plant, and the Ram Plant, this will force the manufacturers to make quicker decisions. Before Lauren leaves, she shares a little tidbit: the average price of diesel in the US is $5.01, and the average for gas is $3.88. Could this be the government’s way of encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles?

John Clay Wolfe is not only the CEO of GiveMeTheVin but also the host of The John Clay Wolfe Show. He holds a Guinness World Record for selling a whopping 1585 cars in a single day. In the last two years, his business has generated nearly $5 billion, making him the largest wholesale dealer in the country. When asked how he manages to do so much business, John explains that he started wiring an automated system to bid cars for the masses. He now has a team of 250 people spread throughout the country that helps manage the mayhem.  Alan then switched topics and asked about the Ultimate Barn Find in Birmingham, Alabama. John managed to purchase 25 cars from a widow, including a 1996 C4S Manual Porsche with only 600 miles on it, a 1997 C5 First year with just 80 miles on it, a 1990 ZR1 with only 20 miles on it, a 454 SS Chevy truck, and a 1971 Stingray, among others. The late husband, who originally purchased these cars, did not trust banks and Wall Street and chose to invest in cars instead. Many of them still had plastic wrapped around the interior. The collection also included a ’56 Cadillac, ’65 Short bed Chevy Truck, ’98 Corvette, and ’01 Firebird Trans am W6. They are not for sale as John intends to keep these collectibles to admire. The next question from Alan is, have you ever had a car you were forced to sell because, well, you needed to make ends meet?  Dealing with an injury, the wife leaving, and an associate embezzling money, John had no choice but to do a controlled bankruptcy. Still, before he does, he hides a ’72 Challenger and a ’69 GTX in his friend’s barn and eventually sells them to finance his ‘start over’ start-up. The final question is, how is he able to make everything work? John has a talent for recruiting good people and establishing relationships with radio stations, which allows for plenty of opportunities for growth. Building a brand on a national level is a challenging and expensive process, and many competitors fail due to the high cost of marketing. But ultimately, seeing others succeed is what makes it all worth it.

[00:00:00] – Contributor George Kennedy III
[00:06:54] – Top Most Expensive Trucks
[00:13:00] – 2023 Infiniti QX60
[00:20:51] – Contributor Lauren Fix
[00:30:35] – UAW Strike
[00:37:22] – Cash Cow
[00:43:42] – Special Guest John Clay Wolfe
[00:50:41] – 1585 Sold In A Single Day
[00:56:44] – Wiring System for Public Mass Bid
[01:04:34] – Birmingham Ultimate Barn Find
[01:13:43] – From Heartache to Success
[01:21:05] – Building Relationships

CREDITS

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Colleen Mahi

Contributor: George Kennedy III
Contributor: Lauren Fix
Special Guest: John Clay Wolfe


  • Contributor: Laruen Fix |  Editor in-Chief for Car Coach Reports. www.carcoachreports.com
  • Contributor: George Kennedy III |  Co-founder of Cartender.com, and the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. He contributes to U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and here on The Drive. 
  • Special Guest: John Clay Wolfe | CEO of GiveMeTheVin and Host of The John Clay Wolfe Show.

Vehicles Discussed:

2023 Infiniti QX60, Nissan Rogue, Range Rover, Dodge Ram TRX, Ford Raptor R, GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate, Rivian RI, Ford F150 Lightning Platinum, the Hummer E\V First Edition, 1996 C4S Manual, Porsche, 1997 C5 First Year, 1990 ZR1, 454 SS Chevy truck, 1971 Stingray, 1972 Challenger, 1969 GTX, ’56 Cadillac, ’65 Short bed Chevy Truck, ’98 Corvette, and ’01 Firebird Trans am W6.

OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTED CHARITIES:

Austin Hatcher Foundation
AutoTempest.com
Brembo
Dodge
Foundation of Human Understanding
Shell
Subaru

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