Curbside Classic -

Curbside Classic: 1972 MG Midget MkIII – Small Pleasures

– Posted on October 15, 2026

(Updated 10/15/2026) The world was once a very different place. Automotive scale has changed dramatically, more in terms of height than length. Sure, American cars were long in the sixties, but they weren’t three times as tall as an MG Midget. Stature is everything now; just ask the young guys yearning for some in their jacked-up F350s with giant exhaust stacks. Did men have more self confidence in themselves and their bodies fifty years ago? Can you even imagine a car company using the word “Midget” nowadays? Read the rest of this entry »

Automotive History: Panhard – Back To The Future

Paul Niedermeyer

– Posted on October 15, 2026

(updated 9/12/2026)

To many today, the French automaker Panhard (pronounced panAR) may be unknown or rapidly slipping into obscurity. But the story of this once renowned firm, one of the very earliest pioneers of the automobile is remarkable and more relevant than ever. It developed a distinguished series of ultra-efficient two-cylinder cars in the post war era that culminated in this tasty 24TC of 1967, the very last Panhard.

It reflected the French approach to automobile making perfectly: innovative, eccentric, stylish, and all too often, out of the mainstream and financial success. But Panhard’s efforts were always highly memorable, advanced, and foreshadowed the cars of today and the future. Before long, we may all be driving updated versions of small, ultra-light and super-efficient 850 cc two-cylinder cars like this. And if this delightful and sporty coupe is anything to go by, it may be something to actually look forward too. Read the rest of this entry »

1997 Smit Orion Grand Luxe – A Coach Reunited With Its Team

Johannes Dutch

– Posted on October 15, 2026

In 1996, DAF Bus International acquired the esteemed Frisian coachbuilder Smit (generally referred to as Smit Joure). At that point, DAF Bus was already a division of ~~Paccar~~ the VDL Group, the internationally operating Van der Leegte family business.

Prior to the takeover, DAF had supplied their rolling hardware to the independent Smit company for decades, so they were certainly no strangers to each other.

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1950s Station Wagons In Vintage Photos

Rich Baron

– Posted on October 15, 2026

Text by Patrick Bell.

Station wagons were the people haulers and utility vehicles of the 1950s, and we have a good gallery of the more basic models that were seen most everywhere, and doing most anything. I know I have many memories from the back of a wagon, perhaps you do as well. Let’s take a look.

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1949 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe: Will Anyone Want To Save This Neglected Orphan?

Stephen Pellegrino

– Posted on October 15, 2026

Here it sits–looking a little forlorn and dejected, but still surviving and mostly intact–a rather unlikely sight: When was the last time you saw a 1940s Studebaker at a used car lot? Well, I found one. And you can buy it right now, if you’re so inclined…

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1996–97 Ford Mustang Cobra Coupe: The Four-Cam Cobra That Almost Caught Up To GM’s F-Bodies

Aaron65

– Posted on October 15, 2026

The Ford faithful had high hopes in 1996 when it was announced that the Mustang GT’s good old pushrod 5.0 was being replaced by a 4.6-liter single-overhead-cam “Modular” V8, but those hopes were soon dashed when it was found that the new car was no faster (and even slower in some tests) than the old one. Then, the new dual-overhead-cam 305-horsepower Cobra was announced, and finally Ford fans had something with enough firepower to go head-to-head with the LT1-powered F-bodies that were introduced in 1993. Hyperpack posted some pictures of one of those special Mustangs, this down-on-its-luck 1996/7 Cobra, on the CC Cohort, and it reminded me of the Cobra I got a chance to test drive when these cars were new.

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Curbside Classic: 1989-1992 Nissan Stanza (Bluebird U12): The Shrinking Violet

Paul Niedermeyer

– Posted on October 14, 2026

(first posted 10/14/2026) Some time ago, Perry shared his thoughts on the first generation of the Nissan Stanza, in a post titled “Queen Dork”. This is the third and final generation, and the kind of car you have to make a concerted effort to notice, given its exceptionally generic styling straight out of an insurance company ad of the times. A cloak of invisibility normally surrounds these cars, and they only become visible on the third Monday of the month. I forced myself to stop and shoot this one, because I truly wondered whether I would ever run into another one again in that rare state. So in case you’ve not seen one exposed in a long while (or ever), here’s your chance. Read the rest of this entry »

Classic CARmentary: 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis LS — Big, Proud, and Ready for a Marauder

Adam Dixon

– Posted on October 14, 2026

(Updated 10/14/2026) Back in July 1999, I drove a Mercury Grand Marquis and came away with an unexpected impression: this big, old-school American sedan was more capable than I’d anticipated. But rather than simply enjoy it for what it was, I couldn’t help wondering why Ford hadn’t turned it into something a little more exciting. Four years later, the Mercury Marauder arrived.

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Museum Classic: 1961 Simca Aronde P60 Ranch – Le Magnifique Wagon Sport

Tatra87

– Posted on October 14, 2026

“Sport wagons” are a weird sort of combo, aren’t they? More roof equals more cargo space, not necessarily better aerodynamics. I suppose the shooting brake was the ultimate expression of this bizarre yet enticing concept, with the likes of Aston Martin, Volvo or Scimitar bringing the sporty element to the fore. But you know who had accidentally figured it out before everybody else? Simca, of all people.

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1960 Rambler American Super: A Cute And Fairly Inexpensive Way To Draw Attention

Aaron65

– Posted on October 14, 2026

As collector cars, I’m not the first nor will I be the last to say that Ramblers aren’t for everyone, especially the “so ugly they’re cute” 1958-60 Rambler Americans (heck, you might as well throw the similar 1961-63 models in there for good measure). But I’m also certain that not everyone wants to drive the same old muscle cars you see at every small-town car event, and this 1960 American Super is for those iconoclasts. It has some idiosyncrasies past the normal Rambler stuff, but it’s painted pink to draw attention and it’s priced at a not-bad-for-2026 ~~$6,500~~ $4,500 on Facebook Marketplace in Franklin, New York.

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My 1997 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo – A Space Efficient Sports Car

Neil Osborn

– Posted on October 14, 2026

By now it was 1997 and I wasn’t going to be too worried to see the back of my SAAB 900 SE Turbo. The sooner the better as far as I was concerned. Two and a bit years was quite long enough! The question was what to replace it with? With two children, now aged five and one, the only clear thing was that I needed another decent sized hatchback. So I bought new a ’97 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo. In yellow.

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1972 Ford LTD Convertible: Final Year For The Factory-Built Full-Size Ford Ragtop

Aaron Severson

– Posted on October 14, 2026

GM’s last full-size convertibles expired in 1975 (and the Cadillac Eldorado in 1976), but what about Ford Motor Company? This “Ginger Glow” 1972 Ford LTD ragtop is a late example of the final year of the full-size Ford convertible, a rare straggler offered after most of the company’s open cars had been already dropped.

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Curbside Classic: 1963 Buick Wildcat – I Think I Want To Fight

Laurence Jones

– Posted on October 13, 2026

(Updated 10/13/2026) For all middle children life is hard. And no life is harder in the automotive world than the middle model or trim level. The most difficult life to live is between the bargain entry point and the lap of luxury in any postwar line up. And in a middle brand family, the pressure to thrive is even harder to survive.

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Classic CARmentary: 1999 Nissan Frontier 4×4 SE-V6 King Cab — Ruggedness Over Refinement

Adam Dixon

– Posted on October 13, 2026

(Updated 10/13/2026) Back in July 1999, Nissan’s newly redesigned Frontier was still a fresh face on the compact pickup scene. After 13 years with its predecessor, Nissan went for ruggedness over refinement. The funny part? This version lasted just six years, while the truck that replaced it lasted until 2021.
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The GTO and Its Kin: Pontiac Intermediates in Scale Models

Peter Wilding

– Posted on October 13, 2026

What is an intermediate? On the surface it would appear to be easy to define: something in between a compact and a full-size car. But how did you engineer such a car? Ford’s answer (’62-on) was a stretched and widened compact. Chrysler’s answer (’65-on) was a rebadged downsized full-size car. GM tried a bit of both, and today we’ll be looking at Pontiac’s solution to that question.

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