Charles Fleming
Charles Fleming writes about automobiles and motorcycles for the Los Angeles Times’ Business section. He also writes the urban hiking column LA Walks. A former staff writer for Newsweek, Variety and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller "High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess," the New York Times bestseller "My Lobotomy," and "Secret Stairs, A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles" and its sequel, “Secret Walks: A Walking Guide to the Hidden Trails of Los Angeles.”
Recent Articles
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Look, Ma, no hands: Cadillac's new Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system
Cadillac is in the middle of a massive marketing campaign to introduce its new Super Cruise. The semi-autonomous driving system, available only on the CT6 luxury sedan, is being billed as offering the “first true hands-free driving on the freeway.” The car company has sent CT6 sedans literally...
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American Flat Track motorcycle racing closes season with strong numbers
The season is over. The numbers are in. Flat track is back and it’s big again. The American Flat Track race schedule for 2017 ended Oct. 7 at Southern California’s Perris Auto Speedway. At the conclusion of the 18-race series, the top three positions in the main class were held by Jared Mees, Bryan...
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Hike Vasquez Rocks, famous from 'Westworld' and 'Planet of the Apes'
People all over the world know Vasquez Rocks because it’s been a featured location for decades in movies such as “Planet of the Apes” and “Blazing Saddles” and TV shows like “Westworld” and “Star Trek.” But I’m always surprised by how few Los Angeles residents have seen the strange lunar landscape...
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2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe
Mercedes-Benz makes so many different cars that I pity the buyer who has decided on the brand but not on the model. The German car company currently offers 27 different vehicles through its U.S. dealerships. That’s not counting the different trim lines, the high-performance AMG and Maybach variations,...
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Adventure Rally draws riders and generates profit for motorcycle magazine publisher
Most motorcycle industry veterans are painfully aware that their business model is broken. New riders are not coming into the sport as fast as old riders are aging out of it. Bonnier Motorcycle Group, which publishes 11 moto-centric titles including Cycle World, Motorcyclist and Dirt Rider magazines,...
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RawHyde helps motorcycle riders get ready for rough stuff
The adventure bike niche is the fastest-growing segment in the American motorcycle industry. But many people who own the big, adventure-ready machines don’t know where to ride them, don’t know who to ride them with, and, perhaps of greatest concern, don’t know how to ride them off-road. Jim Hyde,...
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Complex infotainment systems are putting driver lives at risk, AAA says
American drivers are demanding increasingly complex infotainment systems when they shop for new cars. But a new AAA study says they’re putting themselves at risk if they use the systems while driving. The news is worse for luxury car buyers. The infotainment systems that could prove most distracting...
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New Ford CEO Jim Hackett promises a leaner, smarter company
Ford Motor Co.’s new CEO said his company needs to be smarter, run leaner and move more quickly into the future to remain profitable. Jim Hackett, who took the car company’s top job in May, told investors in Detroit that Ford must build more SUVs and trucks, move more quickly toward electrification...