I've never seen a gear pattern like that before--with 4th over 3rd. I wonder how many times I would shift 1, 2, 4 before getting the muscle memory right. 🙂   ... View more

AMC pairing with Jensen speaks volumes about why AMC was on death's doorstep at the time. While other brands were partnering with brands that consumers associated with high quality, AMC was offering K-Mart $69 Jensen units usually only purchased by high-school kids who couldn't afford anything better. That AMC thought it was a good idea to advertise this explains a lot. ... View more

"...that would be like me reading a biography of Mike Tyson to help my weekend boxing and coming away from said perusal with nothing but the determination to get a face tattoo."   This alone was worth the read. 🙂     I've had to special-order several cars because dealers tend to only want to stock white, black and silver cars and then only with weird option mixes. It makes me wonder how many people  absolutely have to drive home with a new car the same day they go to the dealer? What if the dealer had stock of just a couple of models to show what was available and allow for a test drive and people just ordered exactly what they wanted? And manufacturers filled those special orders quickly because they weren't busy making tens of thousands of vehicles that will languish on dealer lots for months. I'd bet a lot of people would wait two weeks to get exactly what they wanted. The problem is a special order can take three months (or more). ... View more

Back in the day, I thought these were kit cars based on the Datsun Z. Every time I look at one, I can't help but see a Z car in disguise. ... View more

I will never be a future buyer of an ordinary vehicle at inflated prices. A 1990 Suburban was never a coveted vehicle when new. Makes me think I should hold onto my Ford Escape, as it could be worth $100k in 20+ years! 😂 ... View more

Link is broken. I clicked the link for "9 tantalizing cars" and I got this page. 😆 ... View more

Not going to get into a "my SUV is better" contest. I say the best SUV is the one that takes you to places like Moab. I've been to Moab and Arches in a couple of different SUVs and what I remember most isn't the SUV. 🙂     5 stars to the author for an excellent article and inspiration to check out new areas. ... View more

I'm guessing they classified Opels as "pop up headlights," though I'd argue they should get an exception waiver since they are "rollover" headlights and special and unique. ... View more

I'm a proponent of competition--it breeds better products. On that note, I say, "Welcome, TRX." I'm a customer of either truck (TRX or Raptor) only in fantasy land, though. It will be interesting to read about the head-to-head comparisons soon. ... View more

Pretty sure the ZR2 doesn't go where the TRX and Raptor go. Or if it does, it takes three times as long to get there. These trucks are in a class of their own. ... View more

There are 1,000 parts under the hood, but the only ones that fail are in the most miserable places.  ... View more

Basically, any Lexus design for as far back as we can remember. Long derided for having generic, forgettable designs, Toyota said, "We'll show you!" and lost their sanity and their way. Good thing I'm not interested in Lexus. It must be hard for owners to like the car but hate to look at it. ... View more

The Ford 427 concept, which could have given the Chrysler 300C serious competition, instead became the completely forgettable Ford 500: ... View more

How about the VW Microbus concept that turned into...a lightly modified Chrysler Town & Country (aka Routan)?  😫 ... View more

Both Ford and Jeep have loyal followers that probably don't crossover unless they've been burned by the brand. It will be interesting to see where new customers bring their money. ... View more

Under powered? Compared to the Wrangler, which has less power? Or the old Bronco, which is down more than 70 hp and 40 lb./ft. from the base 4-cylinder motor and a massive 110 hp and 140 lb./ft. from the V6?  Not sure why you think 35s are small. Real off-roading has been done for years on smaller tires. I've done level-4 trails in Moab with 33s on a Wrangler--a far less capable setup than the Sasquatch Bronco. That's one great thing about off-road SUVs like these--they get so many people thinking they need more than they actually do, as they imagine themselves conquering the Baja 1000 or the Rubicon trail when most never even get close. ... View more

@nsg24, many very capable off-readers (Land Rover, etc.) do fine without a solid front axle. What they gain is far better on-road driving dynamics. The Bronco will be a better daily driver and match or exceed the Wrangler off-road. ... View more

Don't hold your breath for a V8 Jeep priced under $50K. It's going to be a halo model, and will likely easily pass $60K when even modestly optioned.  As well-thought as these vehicles are, the Bronco models are bringing much-needed competition to Jeep. FCA (and it's precursors all the way back to AMC) have been slow to improve the Jeep for far too long. It looks like Ford asked every Jeep owner what they would want improved and did it. Maybe now Jeep will start to fill those long-overdue wish lists. Healthy competition is good, the same way the big three make full-size trucks better. ... View more

The Bronco uses the 2.3 I-4 or the 2.7 6-cyl. The Sport uses the 1.5 or 2.0 4-cyl engines from the Escape. ... View more

You can leave it in "normal" and use your own talent. ... View more

I don't know how much the auctioneers spent on free liquor for all of the bidders, but it was money well spent. What are you going to do with an '88 Blazer for $80+ grand? Most of the cars mentioned aren't even <i>desirable</i>. ... View more

Nobody really cares these days what other cars share the same platform as their car. The reality of car production today is that multiple models need to share a platform. It's the execution that matters. If the higher-end model feels worth the upgrade, people will buy it. ... View more

As a teenager, I always thought the early '60s Continentals were the coolest. The styling so good that even though the car was entering "classic" status, it still looked good. We now call it retro-modern. When I heard about a new Continental, I'd hoped that my dreams of having a classic-inspired Continental in a modern car would be met.  Impressive features like 30-way power seats and disappearing door handles teased that promise. But the first letdown was when the car was not offered with the suicide doors. Those doors made a statement in the '60s and would have made a similar statement today. Even when they were offered, it was only on what were essentially a limited run of custom cars. Ultimately, I think the Continental's demise is that it wasn't a head-turner. People needed to say "wow!" when they looked at it, as they did in its heyday. ... View more

Those that choose to by and own a salvage vehicle should obtain "agreed value" insurance. This is where you and the insurance company have agreed on a specific valuation for the vehicle. ... View more

Also, you should have reported the seller, because you just rewarded his dishonesty, so he's likely to do it again. ... View more

That's like saying any car with a wheelbase approximately 105" owes credit to any care before it that had a wheelbase approximately 105". The Mustang and the Corvair are substantially different. They don't even share all of the same purposes. They only merely have a few vague things in common, like having sporty aspirations.  ... View more

Anyone else think of that Married With Children episode whenever they hear "Allanté"? I don't think I'll ever get that out of my head. Kelly Bundy: "The newwww Allanté!" 😆 ... View more

The 7-year warranty didn't cover those issues? ... View more

It could have been Italian built with Chrysler parts. 😆 ... View more

I've been a fan of the Dino for decades, since I was a teenager. However, as I'd saved and hoped to find my way to own one, their values seemed to increase faster than my ability to be able to purchase one. Always just a bit too far out-of-reach. Perhaps that's why I never lost the love: admiration from afar. ... View more