My introduction and the goal of my column

September 26, 11:34 PMOrlando Auto ExaminerMichael Block

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Most people would regard Detroit as the automotive capital of the United States. The man who is credited with inventing the motorized vehicle, Henry Ford, was born there after all, and the automotive culture as we know it spawned from Ford’s success in Detroit.

I do not want to take away Detroit’s claim to fame for being the place where automotive culture began. However, I propose that we begin to consider Orlando the nation’s new haven for the automotive enthusiast.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Michael Block, and I am the latest addition to The Examiner’s assemblage of automotive columnists. I was born, raised, and currently reside in Orlando, FL, and it is the abundance of automotive stuff in this city that has fueled the proverbial engine for my enthusiasm all my life.
Allow me to demonstrate:

- I have been to Hot Import Nights at the Orange County Convention Center several times, where the new generation of car guys show off their heavily-modded Japanese and European pocket rockets. But not only have I been to HIN, I have worked the event with a local tuner shop for two years.

- I have been to countless local unregulated meets all over Orlando, and despite some of the unruly shenanigans that are known to take place at such meets, I have made a personal network of hundreds of fellow enthusiasts and friends.

- I have enjoyed the privilege of attending the Central Florida International Auto Show at the Orange County Convention Center a staggering 15 years in a row.

- I was even so fortunate as to get in with a racing team at this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring and take advantage of full VIP benefits thanks to a connection with one of the team’s sponsors.
But that’s just the drop of oil at the end of the dipstick.

As my column progresses, I will delve into other automotive experiences I have had and plan to have in the future. Since the automobile is a machine with very precise and intricate engineering, there are many hard and indisputable facts that I plan on researching and presenting in the articles to come.

But I do not plan on writing a series of technical manuals. I will also give my own personal opinions of any and all cars I can, from ancient to cutting edge, from microscopic to gargantuan, from frighteningly slow to frighteningly fast.

Upon learning I was accepted as a member to the team of automotive Examiners, I immediately began to think of a spin to put on my column; a direction I wanted to take it in. I considered focusing on racing, on repair advice, on automotive styling trends, and yes, on the issues of fuel prices, impact on the environment, and so on.

But as I thought about the type of medium on which I will be posting this column - the essentially limitless expanse of white space that is the Internet – I decided that I will likewise disallow it from being bound by any limits, such as make or model of car, the country that it is manufactured in, type of fuel that it uses, et cetera.

Furthermore, with the vast array of automotive experiences that are available to the enthusiast right here in Central Florida, it would be foolish to do so anyway.

So, as my column develops, expect to see a large variety of automotive subjects being covered. But also understand that I will be tailoring it specifically to fit you, the Orlando reader. I will be covering things like local events, local establishments that can cater to your needs, and issues that you as Orlando enthusiasts in particular have to deal with.

I look forward to meeting and working with you all, and I want to extend my sincere thanks to The Examiner for the opportunity to do so!
 
Michael