OK, kids, don't try this at home.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past where American cars didn’t get a whole lot of validation post assembly. I’ve driven nearly new convertibles that leaked like a sieve in the rain, and I’ve had low mileage cars with more creaks and rattles than a haunted house. Fortunately, those days are in the past, and most of todays cars are tested to the point of failure before they even see production. Chevy wants you to know that they go well beyond “reasonable” in testing the top of the new Camaro convertible, running it through over ten years of simulated hard use in testing. Even production cars don’t get loaded for shipment until they’ve been tested under water spray of 900 gallons per minute. Like the video says, don’t try climbing into the trunk of your car at home. From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s not a particularly comfortable ride.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
