Neil Young Likes Autos, Would Like To Save Auto Industry

Neil Young has always been a man of timeless, simple tastes. Over a four decades-plus career, he's displayed an expertise of seemingly every form of rock n' roll, including rockabilly, grunge (which he famously "godfathered"), country rock and folk. He smoked funny stuff with the hippies in late 60's Laurel Canyon before settling down on a ranch near San Francisco.

He is an insatiable model train hobbyist. He has copped to standing barefoot in horse manure for proper, pre-practice inspiration.

And he likes cars. Classic cars. The kind of automobiles that this here land of ours was built on: solid cars and trucks made by solid people before the industry went into a tailspin. Which is why Young has taken to the Huffington Post to pen a treatise on how to save the American auto industry. Finer details are in the piece (and a New York Times article from late October) of course, but the Big Points deal with a repurposed industry in which cars are still manufactured, but without engines and transmissions. Instead, take these so-called Transition Rollers (that is, the cars without the engine/transmissions) and have them refitted to become, essentially, electric cars. Assembly lines remain busy, mileage is increased, existing technology is used, and we all have neat new electro-cars to drive to the next Crazy Horse show.

Before anyone suggests that Young is just another celeb using an available soapbox to spout armchair policy, consider that Young puts his motor where his mouth is: Young has assembled a team intent on winning the Progressive Insurance Project X Prize, which will deliver $10 million to anyone, any team or any company that can develop a vehicle with the ability to get 100 miles to the gallon... and develop it by 2009.

But such a tantalizing goal is not in itself the most intriguing aspect of Young's entry. Rather, it is the fact that Young is developing an engine to completely replace the gas-guzzling one that came with his beloved 1959 Lincoln Continental (pictured above, and right), soon to be renamed the Linc Volt. Young knows that though greener results have become hip, and accepted, people still want cool, and big, vehicles.

And if Neil has his way, we might have some cool, old cars to plug in and charge before the next road trip.

Postscript: If Neil Young albums were vehicles, what vehicles would they be? Glad you asked! Here's a random sampling:


Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - 1957 Chevy truck

After the Gold Rush - 1969 F-250 pickup

On The Beach - 1974 ambulance

Rust Never Sleeps - 1979 Ford Thunderbird

Trans - 1982 AMC Pacer

Everybody's Rockin' - 1957 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

This Note's For You - Pepsi Bottling Truck

Ragged Glory - 1954 John Deere Model 60 tractor

Mirror Ball - Pearl Jam Tour Bus

Greendale - A public bus