Regardless of all the doom and gloom you might be hearing about the economy, NOW is the perfect time to buy a new car.

California is the sixth state to make texting behind the wheel a punishable offense. Starting today, a California bill making it an infraction to write, send, or even read a text message goes into effect. The ban on texting is a follow-up to an earlier cellphone restriction that went into effect in July 2008, which requires adult motorists to use only handsfree devices when talking on cell phones.

With all the worrisome press about the automotive industry in the news lately, I thought it would be important to share some uplifting news and interesting factoids about our domestic manufacturers.

Christmas is here, and Santa's been making the headlines in lots of different ways. Times are tough, even for Santa!

It seems like everyone is digging deep into their pockets these days. But, did you know that by cutting corners and making little sacrifices along the way, you can find as much as an extra $1000 a month?

Okay folks, Winter Solstice occurs at sunrise on Sunday, December 21 and Hanukkah begins at sundown on the same day; Christmas is on Thursday, December 24 and Kwanzaa begins on December 26. No matter which celebration you observe, you're running out of time to find the perfect gift for those car-loving folks in your life.

The 95-year-old matriarch of the Heller family, (1919-2006), resisted pressure to sell the family's Ford dealership after her husband's death in a plane crash in 1959.  I wanted to share her story as she is a great woman with the drive and spirit to navigate her car dealership through rough waters.

AskPatty Holiday Gift Garage, Part Three:  Wondering what to get the young race fan, driver, or gear-head in your life this holiday season? Our friends at Bridgestone/Firestone have sent us a list of unique gift ideas that will not only put a smile on their faces but with a few of them may even save their lives. We've added to their suggestions with a few more items we've been gathering during the season!

Nancy Mills took an unexpected road trip in her Ford Explorer with three women to Montana a few years ago and had no idea how much this road trip would change her life, in her words, "Go on a road trip expecting the unexpected." While staying at a woman's home near a Native American Indian burial site, she took a walk and came upon a large rock that was shaped like a woman.

As we move closer to the holidays, AskPatty thought it might be nice to offer you some fun gift choices for those car-loving folks in your life. Whether you're looking for fun and frivolous, inexpensive and practical, or simply fantasizing about those luxurious and aspirational items you WISH you could give, we'll share it with you here in the second installment of our holiday gift guide.

As we move closer to the holidays, AskPatty thought it might be nice to offer you some fun gift choices for those car-loving folks in your life. Whether you're looking for fun and frivolous, inexpensive and practical, or simply fantasizing about those luxurious and aspirational items you WISH you could give, we'll share it with you here in our holiday gift guide.

When leaders of the Automotive Big Three left Washington empty handed Wednesday night, it became clear that the industry's immediate future may now lie with the Bush administration, which has staunchly opposed using the Treasury Department's $700 billion financial bailout program to aid Detroit.