TTAC Death Watch

Signs are TTAC, aka The Truth (no less) About Cars, is on its death bed or on the last leg of its journey to the bottom of online obscurity which is the same thing (that is if it ever was out of it).

Writers and even managing directors editors and various senior contributors seem to abandon it first chance they get so it is mainly staffed (if staffed is the word) with moonlighting wanna-be auto expert hacks, with only one or two notable exceptions (well, maybe three or four). 

Also, witness the erratic behavior by its chief whoever called Mark Stevenson or something in the past month or so.

TTAC is Hiring:We are Looking for a News Writer

Oops, TTAC is NOT Hiring. I'll Do the Job

Ends up hiring some hack called Steph Willems (this after first announcing the job would go to one of the TTAC readers, as above, and then claiming he would do it himself).

Stealing Videos from Volkswagen - I mean did he think the emission-scandal-hit VW had too much on their hands and wouldn't notice?

Taking a holiday at the start of a working week. Going for a drive. Allegedly. Hardly, if past history of truthfulness is anything to go by. 

And of course there is his introduction as managing director which even today -- after multiple edits for spelling and factual mistakes and stuff -- reads like a contrived Aesopian fable leading nowhere after much beating about the bush (which particular bush that bush is and where is also a good question).

Seas, Ships, Old Men and Butter Knives 

Not to mention the fact that none of his "improvements" or "changes" hinted at or vaguely referred to in that piece have come to pass at TTAC since.

Mark Stevenson himself is the alumnus of a minor Death Watch -- that of Suzuki in Canada which he correctly predicted -- Suzuki died (who wouldn't?) in Canada.

Now, I am going to predict the long overdue death of TTAC... or at very least the demise of Mark Stevenson as its managing editor.

EDIT 21.02.2016
Having been missing in electronic print at TTAC for a week Stevenson returns today with a questionably headlined post:

VIDEO: Dykes Reviews the New 2016 Chevrolet Volt, and You Should Watch It

Didn't the Bertel Schmitt "Dykes" debacle teach them not to mention "dykes"?

Small SUV Crashopalooza: Detroit Loses, Dykes Win

EDIT 23.03.2016

We do Texas in Every Which way and Throw a Party yo!!.. No We Don't Do it, We're Too Sick After all, Each of us Has got Issues, Cue Sad Trombone

Btw, you don't do Texas, Texas does you, sickos.

EDIT 17.04.2016

Another hit by Mark Stevenson hate baiting TTAC commentariat (and probably most of the contributors as well).

Are Volkswagen Fanboys the Most Anti-Semitic Car Enthusiasts?

But there is a reader revolt backlash going on already... because apparently TTAC readers are more sensible than their writers, Mark Stevenson in particular, who unfortunately happens to be the boss there.

Also note how this latest fiasco fits the pattern of Mark Stevenson having some kind of thing going re: VW.

EDIT: 2016 06 22.
Doug De Muro, Steve Lang are all gone.
Murilee and others are but rarely there.
The whole TTAC is now Stevenson's bedfellow and Steph Willems show with cute titles but it is redeemed somewhat by Jack B. and Bark M.

EDIT: 2017 03 02
Bark M appears to have parted ways with ttac. for now.

EDIT: 2017 08 04
As predicted by me not so long ago, having almost run TTAC into the ground, Mark Stevenson is finally given the kick that's been long overdue.

Goodbye and Hello

Also, it appears TTAC is genuinely in disarray; oh those pesky Canooks, Vertical Scope... the destroyers of many a good website and forum.