Shell recently did a survey of the favorite color of cars for U.S. drivers:

• 21% Blue
• 18% Black
• 13% White
• 12% Red
• 11% Silver

Oddly, green was left off this list (that is the color of my car).

What is your favorite?

There is nothing worse than having a car paid off and then being in a terrible car accident, believe me, I know. We’d just paid off our old car, had enjoyed no car payments for a whole month, when my husband was hit by a merging SUV and spun across five lanes of highway to be hit head on by a Maxim. Luckily my husband was unscathed. The same could not be said for the car. So we started shopping.

We knew that a new car was going to be completely out of our budget so we went in search of a good used car. You have to be very careful when buying used and make sure you do your research. We took our search to a used car lot. Although there are other options like buying privately, we wanted the added assurance of dealing with a professional even if the prices were higher.

When we decided on the car, a 2005 Pontiac Grand Am GT for a really good price from a reliable dealership, these are the steps we followed to make sure we didn’t drive a lemon off the lot.

1) We inspected the inside and outside for rust, cracks in glass, leaks and checked the odometer.

2) We test drove the car listening for unusual sounds, and then we made sure that the A/C, heater, stereo, windshield wipers, and power windows and locks worked.

3) We took the car to our mechanic to have the engine checked out to make sure it was sound.

4) We asked for a vehicle history report. We wanted to ensure that the car didn’t have habitual problems that needed repair, nor been in any major accidents.

Then before you even start to think of signing on the dotted line, consult the Kelley Blue Book and make sure that what they are asking isn’t astronomically out of proportion to what the car is worth — keeping in mind they are a little more expensive bought off a lot.

In a recent article, I noted that Mini had the biggest increase in sales for the month of March.  Now, there is more news that more car purchases are based on gas economy with an increase in the amount of hybrid vehicles purchased.

According to R.L. Polk & Co., hybrid vehicle sales increased by 38 percent in 2007.  While hybrid sales account for less than 3 percent of total auto sales in the U.S., that is still a significant increase.

With more hybrid styles being offered through different manufacturers, it seems that hybrid sales should continue to rise.

I wonder if there might be a surge of Hummers at an auto auction.  Perhaps, the mammoth Ford Excursion will become a frequently seen vehicle at the weekly car auction.  I surely doubt that  many  hybrids will be available.

There are signs of spring in New England:  the Red Sox playing at Fenway, the official Ice Out of Lake Winnipesaukee, the arrival of robins to everyone’s front yards, and classic cars on the roads.

With all of the snow that we get in a typical New England winter comes plenty of sand and salt on the main streets and back roads.  So, shortly after the geese fly south, classic vehicles get put in garages for the winter.  Just like flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts, so are the Ramblers and Deuce Coupes put away for the season.

However, spring is here.  Vintage vehicles are on the road again, which leads me to ponder, are any of these classic cars for sale. . .

Recently I was able to do a great interview with a leading collision repair instructor, Donnie Smith and his site: www.LearnAutoBody.com

1. What is your name and what shop do you own/operate?
Well, I don’t know if I’m what you’re looking for or not, but I will give you my information. My name is Donnie Smith; however, I am a Collision Repair Instructor for Butler Community College in Kansas. I am not a shop owner.

2. How long have you been in the collision repair business?
I started working in a dealership in high school. After graduating, in 1988, I went to Laramie, Wyoming (WyoTech) and obtained an Associates degree in Collision Repair and Management. Since them I have worked in the collision industry. The last four of those years as an instructor. Three in Texas ans one in Kansas.

3. What do you think is the single biggest development in the business in the last couple years?

Internet has been the biggest development of the way a shop does business. The shop-insurance relationships, auto part shop-parts relationships, drp shops, and even training have been affected by Internet.

4. How has the business component of the industry changed in the last couple years?
All the different types of metals used today: mild steel, high strength steel, ultra high strength steel, boron steel, laminated steel, laser rolled steel, aluminum, cardon fiber, etc. This has greatly affected the industry, as each one of these take different procedures to repair. The days of sectioning and and performing tasks by a general set of procedures are gone. Each car may have different recommendations of the correct repair procedure. Therefore, the technician must be highly trained to work on these modern day cars.

5. What do you think will be the next great development in the business?
I’m not sure, with the speed of new technology today; nothing would surprise me.