There is a $100 reservation with my name on it. But I have... reservations. Why would anyone want to drop fifty grand on a vehicle that could not be used on a cross country trip and travel 600 miles a day. ... View more

The first NASCAR road race was won by a Jaguar in 1954.  NASCAR banned imports after the 1958 season.  The "imports" racing today, like Toyota, qualify because they are made in the USA. ... View more

Thank you for giving THE UNZ Internet immortality in spite of not providing a photograph of my Saab Sonett. ... View more

Back in the '70s I had a Saab Sonett III.  Because of its silhouette and orange color most people at first thought it to be a Datsun 240Z.   Around that same time, 7up was running an advertising campaign that 7up was the uncola.  My custom plate read THE UNZ.     The plate now hangs on a wall of plates collected by a friend next to a plate with but a single letter, Z. ... View more

And the MV Agusta F4Z motorcycle. https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1105852_this-is-the-motorcycle-zagato-designed-for-mv-agusta ... View more

The redevelopment that is making Michigan great again is due entirely to becoming a Right-to-Work state in 2013. ... View more

The scent of a woman commercial for the 2014 Evoque haunts me still. A black hound finds a scarf and leads the handsome driver of the nimble Evoque through a Spanish village to the beautiful, aristocratic owner of the scarf. The viewer does not know if it is a perfume commercial or an ad for Hermes scarves. Not a word is spoken until the ever so brief announcement at the very end and even then we learn nothing about the vehicle. Pure, undiluted aspiration. https://youtu.be/zdcqAxaJrlI ... View more

A bit of Imperial presidential trivia.   Eisenhower had custom dual-cowl roofless, windowless, Parade Phaeton 1953 Imperials with suicide doors. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a26410397/1953-chrysler-imperial-presidential-limousine/    The White House leased a 1960 black Crown Imperial Ghia limousine for the use of the First Lady.  It would become the lead limousine in the funeral procession upon the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. https://www.web.imperialclub.info/Yr/1960/Kennedy/index.htm    In addition to their presidential state car, the Nixon and Ford administrations had armored Imperial limousines for use by foreign dignitaries and the like. https://www.web.imperialclub.info/Yr/1972/Limo/index.htm    The presidential connections were not enough to save the marque. ... View more

Devoted Chrysler product enthusiasts, my Dad decided to upgrade from our four-door 1956 Firedome DeSoto and bought a used swoopy, two-door 1957 Imperial. Yellow it was, with gunsight tail light rings and faux spare tire cover trunk lid. He was very proud of it until there were transmission problems. Still a Chrysler devotee, he replaced it with a sensible four-door 1961 Chrysler Newport. Later, he would again scratch that personal luxury car itch with a used, swoopy two-door 1960 Chrysler New Yorker, again with a faux spare tire cover trunk lid. The long fins made it look like it could fly, and with the 413 sucking premium through a four-barrel and letting spent gasses out through dual exhausts, it was indeed a low flying object. ... View more

If you have both hands on the wheel, how are you going to hold your beer ? ... View more

We decided to trade in our old square body Suburban for "Cash for Clunkers." The third row seat had been hanging from the rafters in the garage the entire time we had it. When we let it down, thousands of acorns fell out. The squirrel had also torn up the upholstery to make a comfortable nest. Other old vehicles we had owned had the wiring chewed by rodents. Back in those days, wiring insulation was made with tasty ingredients: soy, peanut oil, rice husks, and various plant-based materials. Rodent repellent scent pouches tucked into the engine compartment brought that to a stop. Modern vehicle wiring insulation is made without the tasty stuff. ... View more

One might ponder why on earth any responsible automobile manufacturer would conjure such a treacherous creation, or perhaps more poignantly, why would anyone ever risk their life to drive one. The reason: Taxes. "The car proved popular in the UK market, where its three-wheel configuration meant that it qualified for a lower rate of purchase tax, lower vehicle excise duty and cheaper insurance than comparable four-wheel cars. The three-wheel configuration, low weight and lack of a reverse gear also meant that it could be driven on a motor cycle licence." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_Minicar ... View more

We have a tractor with a screw in dipstick and it is also hard to read. We took an old screwdriver and transferred the full and add marks to it. Then filed notches to hold the oil, which is clear hydraulic fluid, so we could see it. ... View more

Head out the window and tears in my eyes, the better to see to the horizon beyond the slow moving 18-wheeler, longer than an aircraft carrier. There is a gap in the oncoming vehicular stampede. Downshift and drop back. Timing a death defying charge into the mudflaps, then whipping into the passing lane, into the break in the merciless approaching convoy, keeping the tiny gas pedal of the 1956 VW beetle hard to the floor, engine screaming, maximum velocity, then ducking under the truck's bulldog hood ornament. The slingshot pass. A lost art. ... View more

A two-seater with Cadillac luxury and style. They did that. You youngsters may not recall the Cadillac Allante, 1987 to 1993. https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/dont-expect-your-cadillac-allante-to-get-top-dollar-any-time-soon/ ... View more

Of the many vehicles I've owned over the past 55 years (I'm 73) my early 1974 Honda Civic (pre CVCC engine) was probably my all time favorite. ... View more

What a steaming pile bovine excrement.  The carmakers already have have the service diagnostics and manuals for their own dealership service departments.  Plug an OBDII adapter into a smartphone and download an app.  Problem solved.   When you pay $50 large for a vehicle, you should have the means to maintain it. ... View more

Our 1956 Desoto had a "firedome" emblem.  Yes, it had a hemi in it. ... View more

In an East Texas Walmart parking lot, I saw a couple getting into their tribute General Lee Dodge Charger.  Looked exactly like it, except it was a Dodge Aspen.  When I complimented them on their ride, they smiled.  That's when I realized they were able to pay for it with the money they had saved on dental work. ... View more

When I was stationed in West Germany in 1971, I bought a used Fiat 850.  The previous owner had outfitted it in Abarth livery and exhaust, a Spyder rear end, racing seat and a Halda Speed Pilot rally instrument.  It was great fun. ... View more

When the Camaro was introduced, I remember reading that it was the first car designed using CAD, Computer Aided Design. ... View more

I feel your pain, but they did tell us in the lead in, " We love pop-up headlights too, but that’s for another discussion."  Since we have already gone off the rails, I must put a plug in for the Saab Sonett I owned which had a droopy eye that I corrected. ... View more

How could they leave out the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser / Buick Sportwagon with the distinctive  raised roof and skylights  over the cargo and second seat area. ... View more

One reason that there is no road through the Darien Gap is to attempt to stem drug running from Colombia. ... View more

Chrysler push button transmissions, instrument domes and rectangular steering wheels.   On a different note, it's really hard to find good naugahyde upholstery these days, now that naugas are an endangered species. ... View more

Buick's little push rod 215 cubic inch all aluminum V8 went on to Great Britain to power the Rover 2000 sedan, the MGB GT V8 and Triumph TR8 sports cars and Land Rover, Range Rover models in variations up to 4.6 liters.  I had a 215 in a 1962 Buick Skylark convertible with the tiny four barrel carburetor and two speed automatic.  Great fun.  ... View more