I always was more than bemused that some of the same people who criticized the cut-off look of the AMC Gremlin would put their stuck-up noses behind the wheel of these behemoth Cadillac Sevilles. Perhaps they would have gotten a clue if the wreath-and-crest Cadillac logo on the trunk was replaced by a Gremlin gas cap; it would have looked right at home at four times the cost. ... View more

I'm glad to see two American Motors ads; the ad featuring the purple Gremlin always has been a favorite of mine. A better Pacer ad would have been the great drawing of a yellow Pacer winding down a twisting mountain road proclaiming: "You only ride like a Pacer if you're wide like a Pacer." This ad is very similar to the spectacular Pontiac ads from the late '50s and early '60s penned and created by Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman. These Pontiac ads definitely should have been included. They truly are classics. ... View more

The Interceptor isn’t the only Jensen to be ignored. The 1961-66 Jensen C-V8 MK II was powered a Chrysler 383 V-8 and a three-speed Chrysler TorqueFlite. The C-V8 is best remembered as the car featured in the 1966 British television show “The Baron”. Actor Steve Forrest played antique dealer-turned-spy John Mannering in the show broadcast by the ABC Television Network in summer 1966. Of the 500 produced, only an estimated five with left-hand-driver made it across the Atlantic to the United States. A cool car for a equally cool show. ... View more

Alice Cooper has a number of cars, but recently professed his love for his 1963 R-2 Studebaker Avanti that he has owned for some time. I had the opportunity to interview Alice Cooper twice when I was a newspaper reporter. I queried Alice about a rumor I had heard that he slightly re-wrote one of the most popular songs from the 1971 album “Killer” to include an Avanti. Sure enough, Cooper confirmed, on a European 45-rpm single of “Under My Wheels” the opening lyrics were revised to so the word “car” was replaced by “Avanti”. The change was: “The telephone is ringing You got me on the run I'm driving in my Avanti now” ... View more

The early generation Monte Carlo’s relatively clean styling was marred by its faux-elegant emblem gracing the grille and later the hood featuring the head of what appears to be a Roman centurion perched atop a red shield. Like the ostentatious golden fleur-de-lis emblems on the Caprice, this was another example of GM adding gaudy bling so that Chevrolets somehow would appeal to the snooty country club set. ... View more

How great to see an article exclusively devoted to AMC! Thank you Hagerty. In a car collector world inundated with GMs, Fords and Chryslers, AMC vehicles stand out with their non-mainstream designs that exemplify the plucky underdog spirit of American Motors. I always have been amazed that prices for the two-seat AMXs, like that of the Studebaker Avanti, are all over the board compared to the run-of-the-mill Big Threes. The cars featured by RM Sotheby and Mecum appear to be great examples, although I must quibble over the grille on the Sotheby 1972 Gremlin X, which should be the color of the black body, not the color of the gold X-stripe. ... View more

I’m glad to see the list include the 1977-78 Oldsmobile Toronado XS rear window that must have been an absolute nightmare to install on the assembly line. That rear window design obviously was influenced by the 1947-52 Studebaker Starlight Coupes, which achieved a similar wraparound effect by using four glass sections. Those Studebakers would have looked even more spectacular if the technology existed back then for a single curved rear window. ... View more

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about the Grumman LLVs came from letter carriers who had to drive these trucks through the snow. Because the LLV front track width is narrower than the rear track width, front tires do not make tracks wide enough in freshly fallen snow to assist rear wheel traction. The Oshkosh Defense NGDVs appear to have addressed that long-standing issue by having similar front and rear track widths. ... View more

As the owner of a 1964 Studebaker Daytona convertible, I get sick and tired having it called a Dodge. But that's not the only Studebaker name from the 1964 models to be recycled. Commander was later used by Jeep. Challenger of course has become synonymous with Dodge. From the '50s, the Studebaker Land Cruiser now is a Toyota. Studebaker Hawks were embraced by Buick. Although not a car, but certainly a form of transportation, the Studebaker Starliner has become the Boeing Starliner CST-100 space capsule. ... View more

I know the folks in Lansing were under pressure to freshen up the Toronado, but in my opinion the ’68 and ’69 marred the original cleanliness of the ’66 and ’67. The new grille in 1968-‘69 always looked added on, like a pair of oversized glasses placed on a beauty queen, and did not integrated well with car’s total design. And the hot water bottle-like back view profile of the original was eradicated by the redesign. The 1970 at least did a far better job of integrating the grille and bumper, but the innovative look of the original still was lost. I’ve always wondered whether the Studebaker Avanti had an influence on the Toronado’s front fender design. I suspect the Toronado’s design was well along when the Avanti was introduced in 1962, but there is a similarity between the two. ... View more

One option is to consult with new car dealers located in the area where the car being purchased. About five years ago, I bought a pristine 1965 Rambler American 440 convertible out of Thousand Oaks, Cal. that I needed to be transported to Michigan. The Rambler’s owner happened to be a good customer with the local Chevrolet dealer, which apparently does a brisk business of shipping Corvettes all over the country. As expected, the dealership had good car-hauler contacts and arranged for my Rambler hitch a ride on one of his hired trucks heading to the Midwest for $1,500. I probably could have found something a bit cheaper but the Rambler was delivered safe and sound to Michigan and on time. And just seeing the humble Rambler nestled among a cache of shiny new C7 Corvettes when the trailer doors opened made it worth it. ... View more

Three hood scoops from American Motors are among my favorites. The 1954-55 Nash Metropolitan featured a hood scoop that was as understated as the 1955-56 Ford Thunderbird. The 1969 SC/Rambler "A" paint scheme boasted a not-so-subtile hood scoop that was wonderfully accented with two “AIR” decals and large blue arrow pointing at the intake to remind those of the “390 CU IN” lurking under the hood. The unique 1970 Rebel Machine hood scoop included an integrated exterior tachometer. ... View more

Actually, Blind Faith’s premier album featured two covers. The first cover, to which you refer, was promptly dropped by Atco Records and replaced by a second boring cover featuring a poor quality black-and-white photo of the four band members. The first cover apparently was deemed too controversial at the time, not because of the hood ornament, but because the person holding the ornament was a topless, barely-budding, pubescent girl. Early editions of the album with the controversial cover are sought by collectors. ... View more

Ignoring the fact all of the featured hood ornaments designs were absolutely oblivious to the devastating and most likely fatal injuries they would inflict on errant pedestrians — I shudder at the thought of being struck by an Oldsmobile rocket — one of the best from ’50s were the variants of the “Flying Lady” or “Flying Goddess” offered by Nash Motors Co. starting with the 1950 Airflytes. Designed by renowned pin-up artist George Petty and featuring his signature, the ornaments boast a sensuous “lady” sprawled on a unique wing design. Incredibly sexist by today’s standards, the “Flying Lady” was promoted by Nash as “the least expensive date you every had.” ... View more

I'm sure 928 owners are tired of having their cars compared to an AMC Pacer even though there are numerous similar design elements between the two cars that are hard to deny. The Pacer elements are why I love 928s. So it won't sooth these owners one bit if I point out this 928 prototype reminds me of the AMC Hornet (Concord, Eagle) Sportabout. That's no all bad. AMC Designer Dick Teague at one point said the Sportabout design was influenced by the two-door Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari. ... View more

Here’s a winter tire fact— the tungsten carbide tire studs on most studded winter tires were manufactured by Studebaker Corp., even after it stopped producing automobiles in 1966. As part of its diversification program to financially bolster the company with non-automotive divisions, Studebaker in 1963 obtained the exclusive U.S. license to manufacture tungsten carbide tires studs through its newly formed StudeGrip Division. For years, Studebaker was the largest producer of tire studs in the United States, churning out close to 300 million a year well into the late ‘60s. ... View more

Other nose-worthy automobiles would be the 1949-50 Fords, the 1950-51 Studebakers and the 1954 Kaiser Darrin. The 1958 Edsel never would have escaped the Island of Misfit Cars. As for the so-called Rudolph-like automobile that initially was scoffed at by the general public only to become a hero in sales, that honor should go to the humble 1938-2003 Volkswagen Type 1. ... View more

Two Chrysler Corp. emblems deserved mention — the “Forward Look” emblem from the ‘50s and the Dodge triangle logo from the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Forward Look emblem, dubbed the Flookerang, featured a V-shaped arrow overlapping a less rakish boomerang shape and captured the spirit of the company’s Virgil Exner cars. The Dodge logo, dubbed the Fratzog, featured three Vs arranged in a triangle formation and was much more distinctive than today’s logo featuring block Dodge letters accented with two hash red hash lines.   ... View more

The AMC Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 made from 1981 through 1986 deserved a mention as a notable small pickup. The recently released Jeep Gladiator incorrectly has been compared by some to the much-missed Scrambler.   ... View more

If you’re looking for a car that was the star of a  movie, don’t forget the Lincoln Futura in the 1959 film “it Started with a Kiss”. Without the car, the movie is nothing and the marriage of characters Joe Fitzpatrick (Glen Ford) and Maggie (Debby Reynolds) would have foundered. It's not everyday a car actually saves a marriage. ... View more

The rim blow steering wheels of GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC also are worthy contenders. I believe GM and Ford were first, starting in 1969. ... View more

What, no Edsel Teletouch steering wheel? ... View more