Satch Carlson

To all the principals of this literary/digital motorhead dispensary....the very fact that the Satch C has made his presence known here is a true blessing.....please embrace his presence and make him welcome....his commentary is beyond reproach....759NRNG

Whuuuuuut? I must have missed something (or perhaps I just haven’t read the latest issue yet). Please tell me more about this. 

Sidebar:

in college, I had Alaskan newspapers mailed to my dorm in Connecticut so that I could read more of his work. I even have an autographed copy of his book, which, for some reason, is missing about half of its ink. 

I even own a Curta calculator because of him. 

He wrote an article about an all black Saab that had darkened taillights and dimmed headlights and some banzai run across America?   I still wonder about that car.   

To woody and datsun310g  check out 'shut up and take my money' here on this thread...the Satch C ....unless this is some cruel trick and ECM is going to use banhammernattor..... 

Datsun310Guy said:

He wrote an article about an all black Saab that had darkened taillights and dimmed headlights and some banzai run across America?   I still wonder about that car.   

If I recall correctly, that car was called Blackbyrd, and it came from the factory with a leather covered roll cage. 

I have the AW in my archives.....

"You are all familiar with my hatred for all things Suberoid..."

I was a huge Autoweek fan in the 70s and 80s.  Satch was the reason why.  

Autocorrect changed it to Snatch.  I giggled and corrected it.  

Forget the Saab..best stories were about the  Citroën SM and any attempt to make it self propel for any distance. I seem to recall that Satch lent it to a young man for a Prom night with results not much less devastating than the famous prom night scene in "Something about Mary".

And Loti..I seem to recall Loti for some reason. And since we reminisce about AutoWeek, I cant help but think of the prose of Ms Denise Mc-Suitcase. Something about that broad...

Pete

Just came across this the other day cleaning out my home office. I loved him when he was at Autoweek. 

I must have been under the hood of two many cars over the years. Who is this person?  

I have never heard of him.  

Discovered his writing in AW in the early 70s. Fashioned my Saab 96 Pine Barrens fire trail runner after his Hawg of Steel rally car.

dean1484 said:

I must have been under the hood of two many cars over the years. Who is this person?  

I have never heard of him.  

You are dead to me.  

For years I subscribed to AutoWeek solely for SC's columns and the pre-Interweb publication's classifieds.

I read his stuff every month in the Roundel (BMW CCA magazine) and have ever since Autoweek's newsprint days in the '80s. I remember seeing the Piggue of Plastique in person at a rallye in the PNW back then, too.

spitfirebill said:

dean1484 said:

I must have been under the hood of two many cars over the years. Who is this person?  

I have never heard of him.  

You are dead to me.  

I don’t get out from under my rock enough

Rusnak_322 said:

 

Just came across this the other day cleaning out my home office. I loved him when he was at Autoweek. 

 

I'm curious...is the first half of your book only printed on one side of the pages too?

I went into mourning when he got fired from AW. 

Anyone remember "The Leggy Stockbroker"?

I have his book and a selection of saved articles from AW. A few I can recall are driving fast in the snow in his Audi with a guy in a Firebird; talking about how automotive heaters lead to divorce and a particularly hilarious one about feeding birds.

"The things I do for you people!"

I, too, was a huge Satch fan back when Autoweek was worth a damn.  His firing was the first step on the downward spiral, but when Leon Mandel died and his kid took over, it really went off the deep end.  

However, I seem to remember that the circumstances of his firing were a bit unsavory.  Obviously, I don't have any insider information, but I thought there was some kind of alleged sexual misconduct.

In reply to dean1484 :

Or you could just be a lot younger than many of us.  

A guy at work in the early 1980’s showed me an Autoweek newspaper copy?  

I was blown away - even the advertisements and cars for sale.   

dean1484 said:

spitfirebill said:

dean1484 said:

I must have been under the hood of two many cars over the years. Who is this person?  

I have never heard of him.  

You are dead to me.  

I don’t get out from under my rock enough

I, too, have never heard of him. Probably because I didn't get out of my mom's uterus until early 79.

Datsun310Guy said:

A guy at work in the early 1980’s showed me an Autoweek newspaper copy?  

I was blown away - even the advertisements and cars for sale.   

I loved the classifieds. Around 1982 someone listed an Italia for $3500.  

Tom_Spangler said:

I, too, was a huge Satch fan back when Autoweek was worth a damn.  His firing was the first step on the downward spiral, but when Leon Mandel died and his kid took over, it really went off the deep end.  

However, I seem to remember that the circumstances of his firing were a bit unsavory.  Obviously, I don't have any insider information, but I thought there was some kind of alleged sexual misconduct.

I seem to recall that Leon M's concern was the image of the periodical regardless of the individuals guilt or innocence....thrown under the bus so to speak.