Chicago area tourist attraction offered on eBay

Just about everyone has seen images of the Berwyn Car Spindle statue on their tv screen while watching Wayne's World. For the last 20 or so years, the statue in the parking lot of Cermak Plaza Shopping Center near Chicago has been entertaining shoppers, movie buffs and car enthusiasts alike. The statue by artist Dustin Shuler contains 8 cars stacked on top of one another looking as though they are stuck on a giant nail.

Now a Walgreens(as if we DON'T have enough of those around) is going to take the place of the landmark statue. So Cermak Plaza owners have decided to auction the statue off via eBay. That way atleast there is the possibility to have the Spindle live on in another location. Auction Link

For a starting bid of $50,000 you can own this one of a kind piece of history. Though shipping the item, may be a bit of a challenge. That is unless of course you own an 18 wheeler car hauler.

Artist Dustin Shuler, who built the piece in 1989, calls the dismantling "painful" and "a loss for Chicago." "Personally, I would have moved the Walgreens and left the Spindle where it is," he said.

The Spindle is made up of the following cars. 1967 VW Beetle, 1976 BMW 2002, 1981 Ford Escort, 1974 Mercury Capri, 1978 Ford Mustang, 1981 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1980 Ford LTD and a 1981 Mercury Grand Marquis.

Should the name Shuler ring a bell with some of the VW enthusiasts. Dustin Shuler is brother to none other than VW historian and author Terry Shuler.

Source: eBay, via Jalopnik.com

The price is wrong Bob. Winner claims car she won was used and wrecked

In a very interesting article. A winner on "The Price is Right" has filed suit against the show, CBS, the selling dealer and the transport company. Donna Tillman claims that the 2004 Pontiac GTO that she won on "The Price is Right" was given to her under the pretense that it was a brand new car. The car she received was in fact used and wrecked, according to Tillman.

When she took the car in for servicing was when she was notified of the damage to the front end of the car. The car was blatantly damaged and repaired. The owner of Thorson Pontiac GMC is of course stating that he knows nothing about this. Of course being the good dealer that he is, is trying to cover his rear. There's a good chance that he didn't in fact know anything about the car being damaged. Though the odds are also highly favorable that he did know. And used selling the car to CBS as a way to make the "problem" go away. We may never though. But this is certainly an interesting article.

Full Article:
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The price was right but the car was wrong, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. In June 2004, a contestant on "The Price is Right" guessed that a sports car was worth $33,495 and left the stage thinking she had just won a new 2004 Pontiac GTO Coupe.

Donna Tillman on Thursday filed suit against the game show, CBS Broadcasting, the auto dealership that provided the vehicle and the transportation company that delivered it. Tillman alleges the GTO Coupe she received was not new, as she had been promised, and had been in an accident.

Tillman competed on the popular game show on June 28, 2004. Thorson GMC Pontiac and Precise Auto Transport delivered the car to her home in Washington state on September 13, 2004, according to the lawsuit.

When Tillman took the car in for service the next year, she was told that it had suffered structural damage to the frame and front end, "but the repair work was such that an obvious effort had been made to conceal or hide the damage," the suit alleges.

Tillman is suing for breach of contract and negligence, and is seeking damages of more than $25,000, plus attorneys fees.

Tom George, the owner of Thorson GMC Pontiac in Pasadena, Calif., said that according to his dealership's records, the car was not in any accident and was sent to Tillman brand new.

"I don't know what this lady is talking about," George said Friday. "I certainly wouldn't sell a car with prior damage."

A spokeswoman for CBS declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Sema Preview: Pontiac Solstice SD-290 Concept.

GM released only this single view of the Pontiac Solstice SD-290 Concept for SEMA. The Solstice features a cover over the passenger compartment that is reminiscent vintage single-seat club race cars and includes a new windscreen and separate review mirror mounted in the middle. It's likely powered by something that's green and mean. Look for further updates this week.