(first posted 12/21/2011) Before hitting a performance bonanza with the Turbo’d Imprezas that cheerfully embarrass performance cars costing twice as much, Fuji Heavy Industries drilled a dry hole with the premium coupe SVX. But the effort was certainly a memorable one.
(first posted 12/22/2018) It’s a question we’ve probably all been asked before whenever someone finds out we’re into cars. “What’s your dream car, money no object?” they ask. Well, I feel we’re in a safe space here. I don’t have to pretend my dream new car is some $3 million Bugatti Chiron. It’s still a high-end vehicle but it’s a little bit more humble… about as humble as an $87k luxury sports sedan with a supercharged V8 engine can be. Yes, my dream car is a Cadillac, to the surprise of nobody here. Another American car – similarly sized yet diametrically opposed in specification – is a close second. With the CTS-V soon to make way for the inevitable V-Series versions of the upcoming CT4 and CT5, it will no longer be my go-to dream new car. Will those new Caddys take over or will Tesla win my heart? Read the rest of this entry »
Time to celebrate once more the station wagons of yore. This time, in a collection that features them more or less in action as they used to appear on the roads back in the day. It’s a mix of photos that contain at least one station wagon per shot, sometimes with a pair or more, in images dating to the 1950s and 1960s. And for those interested in the first installment of this series, the link is here.
It’s a real conundrum, isn’t it? Shell out a few more bucks and get that oil changed, brake fluid flushed, or HVAC filter replaced? In my over fifty years of driving, I’ve been all over the spectrum. I imagine if you’re my age or close to it, you fit the same pattern. Read the rest of this entry »
A while back we reviewed the Yutorito Elevated Busway, let’s now take a look at one that’s more down-to-earth – and is also currently the longest in the world. Read the rest of this entry »
For today, I’d like to take you on a journey in the move of a lifetime that turned out to be sort of a train wreck. I’ve read articles here at CC about rental cars, but I don’t recall any fun stories about rental trucks, so here you are. So grab your favorite beverage and be ready to laugh and maybe have compassion on my family! I will add I’ve told this story to several people and the same response is given every time: “Only you, Chip!”
images: Autobild.de via Myles Kornblatt
(first posted 7/21/2014) Bruce Mohs was obviously a visionary, anticipating future automotive trends long before they took root. That probably explains why no one actually bought any of his Ostentatienne Opera Sedans back in 1967; it was just too far ahead of its time, although I could well see the Beatles driving a psychedelic-painted one in their Magical Mystery Tour movie.
It had all the requisite features of a blinged-out Escalade: a genuine truck chassis by International, giant 20″ wheels, over-the top styling and gobs of bling and gold. But the Ostentatienne went even further than that; it had such an overwhelming presence, one that would make it the ultimate “look-at-me-mobile” today. Maybe its time has finally come. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 12/23/2018) Well, this was about the last car I expected to see parked outside a local burger joint on a Monday afternoon in December. I had first caught a glimpse of it half a block away, where I immediately noticed it was 1) old and 2) German. At this time, I didn’t know how old or which variety of German it was, but this was enough to pique my curiosity. It might be a BMW 2000CS, I surmised. That would be worth a stop. But as I got closer, I did a double take. It can’t be…an Audi? A 100 LS? But it was. Read the rest of this entry »
Can failing to use good pictures be wrong? Such a failure could be considered a form of wastefulness, which can be wrong – or at least shameful. I must correct that. Like our last installment, these are unused, one-off’s, and other miscellaneous pictures (automotive and otherwise) I don’t remember using before.
Such as this Kaiser.
Last May, I posted about this car – a one-of-a-kind Swiss-bodied Ferrari – under the “In-Motion Classic” rubric, as it was one of those infuriating cars that never seemed to stop. I saw it a few times and it was always in a hurry to go someplace else. And then, in early November, it showed up again but this time, the driver parked it. I could finally snap away to my heart’s content.
The Sloan Ladder (“the ladder of success” or “a car for every purse”) was created by GM President Alfred P. Sloan in the 1920s when income and automobile price stratification were much greater than today. Prior to that there was no coherent and consistent price structure among the many GM entities, so he created the “ladder” resulting in little or no overlap. The Great Depression forced a compression of the ladder and the 1950s and ’60s saw increasing erosion and overlap due to a wider range of sizes, types and models. But certain key aspects of the ladder still held, especially the prices of the high end models of each division.
That is, until 1963, when Oldsmobile came out with its Ninety Eight Luxury Sedan, priced above the top tier Buick Electra 225 sedan. In the decade to come, these two luxury sedans would duke it out for the #2 spot below Cadillac until late in model year 1972, when Olds upped the ante again, even more significantly.
(first posted 3/12/2014) France is justifiably famous for good food, good wine, great scenery and (outside of Paris at least) a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and pace of life. One aspect that always pleases is that some of best of these are also amongst the least glamorous and thus, cheaper options. The best food is from small local markets; a small restaurant in a village or by the main road will often be just as good as someplace charging twice the price, and there is no need to buy from anywhere other than a local producer or cooperative to find an excellent wine. French cars are similar: the smallest, cheapest ones are often the best, and the Renault 5 is a prime example. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 5/17/2012) Poor Chrysler. They have certainly had their issues, both in the distant and not so distant past, eh? But somehow, they manage to get up, dust themselves off and carry on. Even if you don’t agree with their business decisions through the years, you have to admire their moxie. In the mid to late 1970s, when this Newport came off the lines, Chrysler was in the soup – again. Read the rest of this entry »
Given how CC hunting is done in Tokyo, one is liable to get a second bite at the apple on occasion. It’s not something you can count on: some cars are there pretty much every week, others just show up once. Earlier this year, we had a look at this rather exceptional Italian racer. It showed up again sometime after I had written the post; the owner opened it up for all to take a deeper gander, I thought I might take a few additional photos. Now’s a perfect time to share these…
