(first posted 3/29/2018) Volkswagen, which quite literally means “people’s car” in German, was founded on the principle of making the automobile attainable to everyday working people by means of the economical and humble Beetle. While that was a reasonable way to start, as its customers grew wealthier, Volkswagen grew to meet their needs and retain their business with larger and more luxurious automobiles — so much so that by the early 2000s, VW was selling a near-$100,000 W12-powered flagship that competed directly with its Audi A8 corporate sibling, not to mention the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series et al.
Vintage C&D Road Test: Iso Grifo G.L. – “Proof that pedigree doesn’t mean a thing”
(first posted 3/29/2018) Tatra87’s superb look at the Italian “assembler” Iso, with its use of Chevrolet V8 engines clothed in superb Italian suits, included the Grifo. Intended to compete more directly with Ferrari’s GT cars, the Grifo used a shortened chassis, a higher-output 350 hp 327, and a superb new body designed by Maestro Giorgetto Giugiario. Car and Driver subjected one to its road test regime.
Curbside Outtake: Mitsubishi 3000GT and Datsun 280ZX 2+2 – Two Veterans Of The Great Japanese Sports Era
The original Datsun 240Z kicked off the great Japanese Sports Car Era in 1971. Yes, there was the Datsun 1600/2000 roadster, but its numbers were tiny compared to the overwhelming success of the Z car, which unleashed a raft of competitors, including from Mitsubishi. Here’s a couple of survivors from that era, which ended some time ago. Hopefully the parts its owners might be wanting are still available.
Making A Truck Driver – Week 5
The final week of my five-week course in learning how to drive a big rig was a week of soaring highs and crashing lows. At the start of the week, I was presented with the “Top Of The Class” award, which meant that I had done the best on all of the tests we had taken. It was a small class, but it was a good feeling to be at the top of it. However, I missed out on the second award.
Curbside Classic: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187) Cabriolet A – Back In Benz-ness
To end this week dedicated to German convertibles on a high note, what else could we have but a classic Benz? We’re talking classic in the most literal sense in this case – pretty much a pre-war design, albeit with quite a few advanced features.
CC Capsule: The Colonnades of Melbourne Part 1 – 1973 Buick Century Luxus 2-Door Coupe
(first posted 3/7/2018) Welcome to another semi-regular series from me. I have – at last count – captured six different GM colonnades around town. That’s quite extraordinary given they weren’t officially imported here. Even more extraordinary when you consider their immediate A-body forebears, particularly the performance variants, should theoretically be more popular. But I don’t think I’m up to six on those.
Vintage C&D Review: 1969 Mustang Mach1 428 Cobra-Jet – 59.3% Of Its Weight On the Front Wheels
(first posted 3/28/2018) Let’s face it; the original Mustang was never really well-suited for big block engines. The 390 in the 1967-1968 generation was widely panned for its atrocious handling. And then adding another 3.8″ inches of front overhang to the restyled 1969 version was only going to make things worse. The 428 didn’t really weigh anymore than the 390, but combined with the heavy C6 automatic, power steering and an oil cooler, the Mach 1 weighed in with 59.3% of its weight over the front wheels. Is that a record for front-engine RWD cars?
Needless to say, handling suffered, as well as traction.
Cohort Pic(k)s Of The Day: ’70s – ’80s Vintage Iron At The Junkyard
It’s been a while since we caught up with the junkyard visits that canadiancatgreen uploads at the Cohort. With his finds being quite plentiful, for today I decided to highlight mostly American/Canadian iron from the ’70s-’80s era. To begin the proceedings, this Ford LTD. Why first? Mostly because there’s a nice shot of the interior as well.
Vintage Snapshots: Pontiac People In The ’60s And ’70s — A Good Deal Of GTO And A Bit Of Firebird
It’s time to showcase some vintage shots of Pontiac products in the ’60s and ’70s. A few of these feature the brand in its heyday, some a bit before it, and some at the start of its decline. But even the shots from the late ’70s show followers hanging on that Pontiac image from the ’60s. Even as used cars in the ’70s, you could tell owners still felt the brand’s magic.
CC Capsule: 1973 Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia (Type 14) Cabriolet – Wie K-G In Frankreich
I know, it’s a pity this couldn’t be a little older. Those stupid big bumpers and oversized rear lights are kind of disgraceful. As is the interior, frankly. But despite all those outrages, catching one of the timeless Type 14s is still cause for celebration, particularly in stock form and in a nice colour. They tried, but the design was not ruined. Well done, Ghia. And you as well, Karmann.
Curbside Classic: 1978 Toyota Cressida — That Euro-Brougham Kind Of Thing
I don’t quite remember the first time I ever saw a Toyota Cressida, but I do remember noticing it. Not a common feat for a Toyota with me. When it came to Corollas, Coronas, Mark IIs and Crowns, they were just part of the traffic. None were too outstanding to call my attention in any way, for better or worse. Other than the Celica, it was hard to think of any vehicle in the brand’s lineup that my eyes gravitated to.
Yet, when the Cressida appeared, it was a car that I noticed. Not that I was blown away, as my kiddie mind craved nothing but sporty cars. But I did admit the car had a certain presence, and it was clear it had a different mission than the rest of the company’s lineup.
Vintage C&D Review: Opel GT 1.9 – The First Lutz-Mobile
(first posted 3/24/2018) Bob Lutz is associated with a lot of cars; some good, some so-so (or worse). There is a recurring thread in the latter category — aggressive styling but with compromises in the packaging or underpinnings. The Opel GT laid down that formula for the first time and went all the way to the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, the latter being sold in Europe as the Opel GT.
To be fair, Bob Lutz isn’t solely or even primarily responsible for the Opel GT, as he was a mere marketing executive. But he became its most enthusiastic promoter, pushing hard to put into production the concept Opel GT shown back in 1965 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. But in order to make it work cost-wise, the GT had to share the platform of the quite-lowly Opel Kadett, a car designed to be as cheap to build as possible in order to compete against the VW Beetle. So it should come as no surprise that the production Opel GT looked quite a bit better than it really was, hardly a unique and unusual reality at GM. The one consolation: most of its veteran sports car competitors in 1969 weren’t any better technically. But that house of cards would quickly collapse in 1970, when Datsun unleashed its similarly-priced 240Z.
Curbside Classic: 1965 VW Deluxe Micro Bus “Samba” – A Truly Revolutionary Vehicle
(first posted 6/26/2012) How many vehicles have effected radical and lasting change? Not just in the automotive sphere, but also the realms of society, politics, popular culture, comedy, philosophy; even our very physiology? The VW Bus is such an agent of change, perhaps the most potent one since WW2. It’s a truly revolutionary vehicle that redefined that concept, most of all the relationship of inner space to outer. A 169 inch-long hybrid of egg, box and windows with an ability to comfortably and economically transport eight adults; an impressive feat by any measure, yet just the start of its many capabilities. Perhaps it should have been called the VW Transformer.
The Samba version of the VW Bus is the most transformative of the family. So if seven of you want to hop aboard, I’ll open that giant sunroof, take you for a ride and tell you how that came to be. It’s going to be leisurely and a bit noisy, as any ride in an old VW bus inevitably is. Will you be transformed? Well, if not, at least the views will be good. Read the rest of this entry »
Vintage Snapshots: Will You Marry Me? — A Gallery Of Wedding Cars
“Will you marry me?” aren’t words lightly thrown. And if the answer is “Yes”, it’s the beginning of a new life to be properly celebrated. Along with the many rituals during that life-defining event, the wedding car often plays a key role. With that in mind, here’s a gallery celebrating that tradition with various folk and their vehicles in wedding regalia.