Devoted to the auto industry – builders to enthusiasts

The first car I owned was a 1962 Volkswagen Bug. I bought it from family friends for $500 in 1971. I learned how to change the oil and adjust the valves. I was 16 years old, the car was in meticulous shape and life was good. I washed and waxed my Bug often and eventually I got the car painted from its original off-white to light blue. It was the last car I've ever worked on.

Through the years, I've owned my share of other cars — a 1962 Ford Falcon station wagon, 1967 Karmann Ghia, a 1974 Saab and then a series of leased vehicles. The last car I owned was a 1979 Mercedes Benz 280CE. I sold it nearly three years ago, and I've since been solely driving new vehicles for my syndicated review column, The Weekly Driver. 

The column began in 2002 in what was my 25th year as a reporter for many newspapers, magazines, web sites and news service. I'll use my veteran writing experice and self-described status as the Everyman Driver as the new Automill.com blogger.

I'm not a mechanic, a car salesman or a manufacturer's rep. I am an active middle-age guy with a wife and no kids, and I live in Sacramento, California. I drive on city streets, freeways, in the mountains, on back roads and on coastal highways. I prefer functionality over speed in my cars and I long to own an Old Rambler or Mercedes Benz convertible.

In addition to writing about automobiles, I write often about the Monterey Peninsula, Golf and endurance sports. To read samples of my writing, visit my sites, ByJamesRaia.com, GolfTribune.com and MontereyPeninsula.org.

Welcome again to Automill.com. I welcome and encourage readers' comments and suggestions.

Cheers, James.