SEMA News—January 2013 

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone (). It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2013 

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone (). It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2013 

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone (). It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2013 

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone (). It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2013 

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Mobile Check-Up

Making Sure Your Mobile Website Looks Good on All Devices

New research from Pew Internet Research and others indicates that the United States is still in a frenzy over all things mobile—and that you’re losing money if your mobile website is not rendering properly on all devices. It’s not enough to simply have a mobile-optimized website these days. Businesses must also verify that their mobile sites look good on as many mobile devices as possible.

One of the easiest reads on the current level of mobile fanaticism emerged in September 2012, when Apple booked two million units sold in pre-orders for its iPhone 5 in 24 hours.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, a senior vice president at Apple. Schiller added that the iPhone 5 essentially doubled the record held by the previous generations.

“[The] smartphone is an always-on companion tool that will surpass the usage of desktop computers within the next few years,” said Jacques Beaudoin, Mobile Websites Design founder. “This is why it is so important for your online business desktop website to be mobile-friendly.”

Equally eyebrow-raising stats were released in September by Pew, which found that tablet penetration in the United States nearly doubled over the Christmas gift-giving season in 2011 from 10% to 19%. Moreover, the combined penetration of tablets and e-book readers in the country (e-book readers can often be used to surf the web) is now 29%.

Pew also found that 66% of those aged 18 to 29 now own smartphones. Plus, the researcher found that 17% of all cell-phone users now rely on their cell phones to do most of their online browsing.

“We see the rapid rise in mobile devices as an important long-term trend,” said Stephen Antisdel, manager at Precept Partners, a web-design firm. “Companies that ignore smartphones and tablets may be doing so at their peril.”

Indeed, web browsing by cell phone is especially prevalent among African Americans, 51% of whom turn most often to their cell phones to browse and interact online, according to Pew. And 42% of Latinos have the same preference.

Of course, desktop users still represent a major force in web computing. Pew found that 58% of Americans have desktop computers, and 61% own laptops.

For many of these more-traditional computer users—who often cruise the web with twin 23-in. monitors and the “luxury” of fullsize keyboards—the lure of a PC the size of a deck of cards and sporting a keyboard best operated by two thumbs is a bit puzzling.

But Pew’s study found that cell phones are a major hit with other users because the units are always within arm’s reach—no matter where they go. Indeed, it’s tough to find an affluent young American teen girl who does not have a cell phone fused to her hand at any given time. And Pew also found that for 10% of “mostly cell” surfers, the cell phone is simply their only option for connecting to the Internet.

Fortunately, there are a number of quick and easy tools businesses can use to ensure that their mobile-optimized websites—or their second websites created especially for mobile users—are offering quality visual experiences on as many mobile devices as possible. Here are a few:

General Overview: For a great overall analysis of the mobile-friendliness of your site, check out the W3C mobileOK Checker. This is a page on the web where you can type in any URL and get a report back on any mobile trouble spots associated with your site. The analysis is based on the Mobile Web Best Practices specification, which was created by W3C, a highly respected, worldwide web-standards consortium. You’ll get a general feel for the mobile-friendliness of your site here. But you’ll need additional tools to see how your site renders on specific devices.

Quick iPhone Test: If you’re just looking for quick feedback on how your site renders on the iPhone, check out Test iPhone (). It’s an easy way to see how your site looks on one of the world’s most popular smartphones.

Gomez Cross-Device Compatibility Test: Type in a mobile URL here, and you’ll get a look at how the page renders on four of the most popular mobile devices in the world—one from Android, two running the Apple iOS and one running Blackberry’s mobile operating system. Gomez offers this free tool to introduce users to its paid services.

Perfecto Mobile’s Handset Cloud Test: Perfecto’s tool starts at $15 per hour and allows you to test your set on a wide variety of devices. Unlike many other tools, you’ll also be able to use Perfecto to actually see how interactions on your mobile website play out on various simulated devices. For example, you can interact with text and numbers and simulate events such as “Call Me” or “SMS Me”—features that you may have programmed into your mobile site.

CrossBrowserTesting.com’s Browser Compatibility Test: This is an extremely comprehensive mobile device tester that’s endorsed by heavy hitters in many industries. It starts at $29.99 a month and tests simulated environments in mobile, desktop and laptop computing.

Multi-Browser Viewer (MBV): Another heavily endorsed tester, MBV offers testing on 44 different types of browsers, including five mobile browsers or simulators, at $139.95 per year. It also includes special viewing for the iPhone and iPad, and it enables you to do side-by-side comparisons of your website on different simulated browsers.

Usability Science’s Third-Party Usability Testing: Usability Science takes a different approach to mobile testing by employing live people to put your mobile site through its paces on as many devices as you desire, with negotiable pricing.

More Options: Other mobile-friendly analysis tools include Adobe Browser Lab; Browsershots and Sauce Labs.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. For more information, call 646-233-4089, e-mail joe@joedysart.com
www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—January 2013

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

60 Years

It has been 60 years since the first Corvette rolled off its assembly line in Flint, Michigan. A month before that first Vette was built, a Belgian-born engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of Duntov’s influence over the Corvette. The two-seater was hurried into production back in 1953 after a show-car version drew rave reviews at GM’s Motorama event in New York. Though it was clad in an innovative fiberglass body, the Corvette was assembled beneath the skin using what was available in Chevy’s parts bin, including a fairly anemic 150hp Blue Flame six-cylinder engine and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

It is testament to Duntov’s innovative thinking—as well as his persistence—that the Corvette was a true sports car just four short years later, able to compete with the best Europe had to offer on the street and the track. Duntov’s efforts at raising the Corvette’s performance bar weren’t limited to production models, either. He was responsible for several Corvette prototypes and racing cars, including the gorgeous ’57 SS Corvette seen here.

What sometimes gets lost in the telling of Duntov’s legend is his key role in the development of the performance aftermarket. Just months after his hiring, he drafted a memo to his supervisor titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders & Chevrolet.” In it, Duntov laid out what every teenaged car nut at the time knew: that Ford cars and parts to hop up Ford engines dominated the performance scene. The connection between young men and their hot rods established the kind of brand loyalty that kept them buying Fords as their age and means increased.

Duntov believed Chevrolet had an opportunity to get on hot rodders’ radar screens with its upcoming overhead-valve V8—especially if Chevy accompanied the introduction of the engine with “ready-engineered parts for high output,” he wrote. “This means the development of a range of special parts—camshafts, valves, springs, manifolds, pistons and such which will be made available to the public.” Should rodders be able to easily modify the new V8, Duntov reasoned, “the appeal of the new will take hold and not having the stigma of expensiveness like the Cadillac or Chrysler, a swing to Chevrolet may be anticipated.”

Duntov admitted that there was little connection between Chevrolet and high performance in 1953. “But possibly the existence of the Corvette provides the loophole,” he said in the memo. “If the special parts are carried as RPO [regular production order] items for the Corvette, they undoubtedly will be recognized by the hot rodders as the very parts they were looking for to hop up the Chevy.”

It took a while to convince the GM brass, but Duntov persisted, using the Corvette to roll out performance parts that would become state-of-the-art, high-demand pieces for rodders and racers of all kinds.

As the Corvette celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is still powered by a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine. The fifth-generation V8 displaces 6.2 liters and produces about 450 hp. Both it and the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette that surrounds it can trace their roots to that memo drafted back in December 1953.

 

SEMA News—January 2013

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

60 Years

It has been 60 years since the first Corvette rolled off its assembly line in Flint, Michigan. A month before that first Vette was built, a Belgian-born engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of Duntov’s influence over the Corvette. The two-seater was hurried into production back in 1953 after a show-car version drew rave reviews at GM’s Motorama event in New York. Though it was clad in an innovative fiberglass body, the Corvette was assembled beneath the skin using what was available in Chevy’s parts bin, including a fairly anemic 150hp Blue Flame six-cylinder engine and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

It is testament to Duntov’s innovative thinking—as well as his persistence—that the Corvette was a true sports car just four short years later, able to compete with the best Europe had to offer on the street and the track. Duntov’s efforts at raising the Corvette’s performance bar weren’t limited to production models, either. He was responsible for several Corvette prototypes and racing cars, including the gorgeous ’57 SS Corvette seen here.

What sometimes gets lost in the telling of Duntov’s legend is his key role in the development of the performance aftermarket. Just months after his hiring, he drafted a memo to his supervisor titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders & Chevrolet.” In it, Duntov laid out what every teenaged car nut at the time knew: that Ford cars and parts to hop up Ford engines dominated the performance scene. The connection between young men and their hot rods established the kind of brand loyalty that kept them buying Fords as their age and means increased.

Duntov believed Chevrolet had an opportunity to get on hot rodders’ radar screens with its upcoming overhead-valve V8—especially if Chevy accompanied the introduction of the engine with “ready-engineered parts for high output,” he wrote. “This means the development of a range of special parts—camshafts, valves, springs, manifolds, pistons and such which will be made available to the public.” Should rodders be able to easily modify the new V8, Duntov reasoned, “the appeal of the new will take hold and not having the stigma of expensiveness like the Cadillac or Chrysler, a swing to Chevrolet may be anticipated.”

Duntov admitted that there was little connection between Chevrolet and high performance in 1953. “But possibly the existence of the Corvette provides the loophole,” he said in the memo. “If the special parts are carried as RPO [regular production order] items for the Corvette, they undoubtedly will be recognized by the hot rodders as the very parts they were looking for to hop up the Chevy.”

It took a while to convince the GM brass, but Duntov persisted, using the Corvette to roll out performance parts that would become state-of-the-art, high-demand pieces for rodders and racers of all kinds.

As the Corvette celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is still powered by a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine. The fifth-generation V8 displaces 6.2 liters and produces about 450 hp. Both it and the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette that surrounds it can trace their roots to that memo drafted back in December 1953.

 

SEMA News—January 2013

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

60 Years

It has been 60 years since the first Corvette rolled off its assembly line in Flint, Michigan. A month before that first Vette was built, a Belgian-born engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of Duntov’s influence over the Corvette. The two-seater was hurried into production back in 1953 after a show-car version drew rave reviews at GM’s Motorama event in New York. Though it was clad in an innovative fiberglass body, the Corvette was assembled beneath the skin using what was available in Chevy’s parts bin, including a fairly anemic 150hp Blue Flame six-cylinder engine and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

It is testament to Duntov’s innovative thinking—as well as his persistence—that the Corvette was a true sports car just four short years later, able to compete with the best Europe had to offer on the street and the track. Duntov’s efforts at raising the Corvette’s performance bar weren’t limited to production models, either. He was responsible for several Corvette prototypes and racing cars, including the gorgeous ’57 SS Corvette seen here.

What sometimes gets lost in the telling of Duntov’s legend is his key role in the development of the performance aftermarket. Just months after his hiring, he drafted a memo to his supervisor titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders & Chevrolet.” In it, Duntov laid out what every teenaged car nut at the time knew: that Ford cars and parts to hop up Ford engines dominated the performance scene. The connection between young men and their hot rods established the kind of brand loyalty that kept them buying Fords as their age and means increased.

Duntov believed Chevrolet had an opportunity to get on hot rodders’ radar screens with its upcoming overhead-valve V8—especially if Chevy accompanied the introduction of the engine with “ready-engineered parts for high output,” he wrote. “This means the development of a range of special parts—camshafts, valves, springs, manifolds, pistons and such which will be made available to the public.” Should rodders be able to easily modify the new V8, Duntov reasoned, “the appeal of the new will take hold and not having the stigma of expensiveness like the Cadillac or Chrysler, a swing to Chevrolet may be anticipated.”

Duntov admitted that there was little connection between Chevrolet and high performance in 1953. “But possibly the existence of the Corvette provides the loophole,” he said in the memo. “If the special parts are carried as RPO [regular production order] items for the Corvette, they undoubtedly will be recognized by the hot rodders as the very parts they were looking for to hop up the Chevy.”

It took a while to convince the GM brass, but Duntov persisted, using the Corvette to roll out performance parts that would become state-of-the-art, high-demand pieces for rodders and racers of all kinds.

As the Corvette celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is still powered by a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine. The fifth-generation V8 displaces 6.2 liters and produces about 450 hp. Both it and the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette that surrounds it can trace their roots to that memo drafted back in December 1953.

 

SEMA News—January 2013

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy of the Petersen Archive

60 Years

It has been 60 years since the first Corvette rolled off its assembly line in Flint, Michigan. A month before that first Vette was built, a Belgian-born engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of Duntov’s influence over the Corvette. The two-seater was hurried into production back in 1953 after a show-car version drew rave reviews at GM’s Motorama event in New York. Though it was clad in an innovative fiberglass body, the Corvette was assembled beneath the skin using what was available in Chevy’s parts bin, including a fairly anemic 150hp Blue Flame six-cylinder engine and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

It is testament to Duntov’s innovative thinking—as well as his persistence—that the Corvette was a true sports car just four short years later, able to compete with the best Europe had to offer on the street and the track. Duntov’s efforts at raising the Corvette’s performance bar weren’t limited to production models, either. He was responsible for several Corvette prototypes and racing cars, including the gorgeous ’57 SS Corvette seen here.

What sometimes gets lost in the telling of Duntov’s legend is his key role in the development of the performance aftermarket. Just months after his hiring, he drafted a memo to his supervisor titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders & Chevrolet.” In it, Duntov laid out what every teenaged car nut at the time knew: that Ford cars and parts to hop up Ford engines dominated the performance scene. The connection between young men and their hot rods established the kind of brand loyalty that kept them buying Fords as their age and means increased.

Duntov believed Chevrolet had an opportunity to get on hot rodders’ radar screens with its upcoming overhead-valve V8—especially if Chevy accompanied the introduction of the engine with “ready-engineered parts for high output,” he wrote. “This means the development of a range of special parts—camshafts, valves, springs, manifolds, pistons and such which will be made available to the public.” Should rodders be able to easily modify the new V8, Duntov reasoned, “the appeal of the new will take hold and not having the stigma of expensiveness like the Cadillac or Chrysler, a swing to Chevrolet may be anticipated.”

Duntov admitted that there was little connection between Chevrolet and high performance in 1953. “But possibly the existence of the Corvette provides the loophole,” he said in the memo. “If the special parts are carried as RPO [regular production order] items for the Corvette, they undoubtedly will be recognized by the hot rodders as the very parts they were looking for to hop up the Chevy.”

It took a while to convince the GM brass, but Duntov persisted, using the Corvette to roll out performance parts that would become state-of-the-art, high-demand pieces for rodders and racers of all kinds.

As the Corvette celebrates its 60th anniversary, it is still powered by a small-block Chevrolet V8 engine. The fifth-generation V8 displaces 6.2 liters and produces about 450 hp. Both it and the all-new, seventh-generation Corvette that surrounds it can trace their roots to that memo drafted back in December 1953.

 

SEMA News—January 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

International Vehicle Measuring Program Puts Global Vehicles in the Hands of U.S. Manufacturers

		More than 100 SEMA member manufacturers have signed up to measure the HiLux, a vehicle popular globally. “It’s a great benefit to have domestic access to vehicles that are popular around the world, but that aren’t sold in the United States,” said Keith Alinder, technical manager for Wheel Pros. “Being able to touch that vehicle here gives a competitive advantage to SEMA members doing business internationally.”

C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. won two Global Media Awards at this year’s SEMA Show for the new Powr-Slider for the 1-ton Toyota HiLux—a vehicle-specific application for a truck the company had never even seen until three months before the Las Vegas event. That is because the vehicle, wildly popular around the world, isn’t available in the United States.

Despite talk about vehicles becoming uniform from market to market, some of the hottest global vehicles are currently not sold in the United States. Examples include the HiLux, new Ford Ranger T6, Chevy Trailblazer and VW Amarok, which are all widely available on every continent but are not sold in the United States or Canada.

A new SEMA program was launched in July 2012 to assist U.S. companies in gaining access to vehicles found only overseas. The program delivers the opportunity for members to measure and scan these vehicles in order to make new export-ready products. The HiLux was the first to be provided in a SEMA Measuring Session held at SEMA’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, California.

“Prior to the SEMA Measuring Session, we did not have access to the truck,” said John M. La Bare, C.R. Laurence vice president of automotive sales, still marveling at how well his company’s new products were received at the 2012 SEMA Show.

A buyer from South Africa said that he came to the Show looking for products to sell but hadn’t considered the Powr-Slider for the popular HiLux until he saw it in Las Vegas. Another buyer from Italy said that he saw the Powr-Slider in the SEMA Show’s Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Product Showcase displays and was ready to place an order. The Powr-Slider was also selected by two leading international journalists who thought that the C.R. Laurence product was one of the top 10 new items at the SEMA Show that would resonate in their own home markets of Panama and Venezuela.

	2011 Toyota HiLux Sales (Top 15 Countries) Country / 2011 Sales Thailand 115,592 Saudi Arabia 52,412 South Africa 37,876 Australia 36,124 Brazil 33,261 Malaysia 21,472 Argentina 20,668 Colombia 9,777 Peru 8,569 Indonesia 8,301 Brazil 8,197 United Kingdom 7,439 Chile 6,176 Ecuador 5,958 Philippines 4,538 Source: IHS
	Companies That Developed New HiLux Products and Displayed Them at the 2012 SEMA Show: American Racing AMP Research ATS Design C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. Cequent Performance Products Dynatrac Products Co. Inc. Firestone Industrial Products Hellwig Products Husky Liners JRi Shocks K&N Engineering McGard LLC OMIX-ADA Penda Corp. Rugged Liner Inc. Stampede Products Timbren Industries Inc. Truck Covers USA

The new SEMA program was launched through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the ’12 4x4 double-cab HiLux arrived in the United States in mid-July. To date, more than 100 SEMA-member manufacturers have measured or are in a queue to measure the 1-ton pickup, which is currently available in 135 countries. The vehicle has since criss-crossed the United States, beginning with the Measuring Session at SEMA headquarters and then moving on to a Link Engineering facility in Dearborn, Michigan, and Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina. Manufacturers may also host the vehicle in their shops for additional fitments.

The sessions have drawn parts producers from across the industry, including manufacturers of wheels and tires, suspension products, engine performance enhancements, audio, exterior and interior components and more. The project is already drawing praise from participants and resulting in new products being put on the market.

With 14 million units sold since its initial launch, the HiLux was chosen by SEMA-member manufacturers as the first vehicle to enter the SEMA program because of its popularity overseas and for the variety of opportunities it presents for specialty equipment and accessories. The applications range from off-road components and utility products to items that enhance interior comfort and convenience. The vehicle was the best-selling light truck in Europe for the fifth year running and is the best-selling car or truck overall in markets such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. It is equally popular throughout Latin America.

In the short time since the vehicle arrived in the United States, 18 SEMA-member companies have already created products, all of which were displayed at the 2012 SEMA Show (see sidebar below). In addition, two new vehicles will be available to members early in 2013: a ’13 Ford Ranger and a ’13 Chevy Trailblazer. Both vehicles are expected to be widely sold but are not intended for the U.S. market—at least not yet.

For more information on the SEMA International Vehicle Measuring Program, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org or visit www.sema.org/international.

What Members Are Saying About the Program

“One of the major challenges that we face as an international supplier is development of our products to fit trucks not sold in the United States. Nothing can compare with having the actual truck available for our engineers to study. In addition to the engineering benefit, it was great for our employees to see the final application, since most of them never get to experience what we do internationally.”

—Debbie Sweet, Penda

“We manufacture suspension kits and being able to actually look at the vehicle is very valuable. We were able to measure key dimensions and clearances on the suspension and take pictures of both the rear and the front. We have never been able to directly measure the HiLux before. All of our design data has come from working with components only. This is more
difficult, time consuming and costly.”

—Brian Skipper, Sway-A-Way

“The SEMA International Vehicle Measuring Program is a great opportunity to have access to vehicles that would otherwise not be feasible to develop product for. With the availability of the vehicle in-house, it’s going to be easy to expand our offerings.”

—Eric Schuling, Dee Zee Inc.

		C.R. Laurence is pictured here with SEMA Vice President of Finance and Administration George Afremow (far right) getting two Global Media Awards for their new HiLux products. Their new Powr-Slider for the 1-ton Toyota HiLux was chosen by journalists from Panama and Venezuela in their top 10 picks for new products that they believe would resonate with consumers in their country.

“When overseas customers place orders for our company’s rims, the customer really doesn’t know if they will fit the specific vehicle or not. Through this measuring program, we gather and keep data in our company-wide system and are able to retrieve it and give our customers answers in seconds instead of weeks.”

—Frank Dobler, Ultra Wheel

“After looking at the HiLux SEMA made available to us, we see that we have a product that would fit the truck but was not listed as such in our database. So this will be a new application to K&N, and we will now list the application on our website and database.”

—Travis Ginter, K&N Engineering Inc.

“As a U.S. manufacturer, AMP Research has been expanding its reach into international markets where HiLux trucks represent a significant customer base. Our research has shown that high-quality, American-made products are valued. Gaining access to the HiLux has given AMP engineers critical hands-on time with the truck that has sped up both the design and product-development processes.”

—Mark Wronski, AMP Research

“The Measuring Session program helped us in a couple ways—one is by test-fitting products that we previously developed. And if we don’t have the product ready yet, we can develop it with the measurements. Definitely if SEMA can offer Measuring Sessions and or CAD files for the popular new international trucks, it will increase our application list and, consequently, elevate our international sales.”

—Judith Nehring, Rugged Liner

“In previous years we have had buyers from South America come in our booth and ask for an air spring helper kit for the Toyota HiLux truck. Because of previous interest in this truck at past SEMA Shows, we decided to develop a kit for the truck when SEMA presented this new measurement program to us. Firestone Industrial Products is planning to release the Toyota HiLux air spring helper kit in the first quarter of 2013.”

—Richard Myers, Firestone Industrial Products

“Earlier this year, I had the chance to measure the HiLux at a SEMA Measuring Session in Diamond Bar, California. We found this to be very useful. We now have a buyer in Venezuela that is very interested in our running boards for this vehicle. We’re going to pursue this!”

—Kevin Moss, ATS Design