‘Car Guys’ Still Necessary?

The gravelly voice, filtered through an erratic cell phone signal, is moving fast along I-75 somewhere north of Detroit.

“American culture is always looking for heroes,” the voice says. “You’ve got mega-stars that are car guys, and you’ve got mega-stars that aren’t car guys. Hold on a second, I’m going to have an accident here.”

There is a pause, punctuated by what sounds like warning beeps from an adaptive cruise control system, then the unmistakable rush of air that ...