Mike Hayes found a ’59 Ford Skyliner lurking in a parking lot. I thought it might make a nice bit of contrast to the Face-Vega posted yesterday. Talk about different approaches to end up with a coupe. Well, a coupe-cabriolet, in this case, as the Skyliner was the US pioneer in retractable hardtops.
But I always thought Ford missed a niche opportunity: turn the slow-selling Skyliner into an extended-cab Ranchero.
Light-up grille logos are the latest questionable automotive styling trend, popping up on vehicles ranging from Mercedes to Infiniti (and beyond). Many readers may not realize that this styling feature has far older origins. Let’s explore.
North and South American CC readers are likely familiar with the products of Superior Coach Company – you may have ridden in a Superior school bus “back in the day.” School buses were the company’s main claim to fame, though they were also a major player in the Professional car market. But as with any company, they had their “ups and downs” – let’s take a look at three somewhat obscure Superior buses that were less than a hit with customers. Read the rest of this entry »
Datsun 1200 Coupe – photo from ClassicCars.com
I grew up in northernmost New Jersey near the Palisades, which are the tall cliffs that overlook the Hudson River above the George Washington Bridge. I was 13 or 14 years old the first time I took a bus into the city to see the International Automobile Show in the New York Coliseum, an exhibition hall on Columbus Circle in Manhattan. This was a few years before OPEC and catalytic converters and 5 MPH bumpers ended the golden age of automobiles.
(first posted 7/3/2019) I don’t know about you, but I usually avoid talking about cars with most people, as I find most people don’t care much about these things. But every once in a while, you realize that someone you know is a fellow petrol head, opening up a whole new world of possibilities. Including the possibility that said friend is the owner of a stunning mid-‘60s Porsche.
The seventies were the first golden age for vans; they were everywhere, although their use and function was typically a bit different than when we think of #VanLife nowadays. They were more of a car-substitute for a bit of weekend partying at the beach or lake than boondocking in a remote desert spot. For those that could afford it, genuine Class-C mini-motorhomes were also popular. But there was a niche in between that a few companies exploited, Chinook being a prime example.
Thee Trans Van was one of the more enduring ones, although I’m not sure of their production beginning and end dates. With its wider and taller rear body it offered more room inside than the regular conversion vans; in fact it was essentially a small motor home, like the popular Chinook. But it lacked the Chinook’s raised center roof, which means it’s great for really short people, and rather sucks for anyone else. But hey, its graphics were the best of the era.
Oftentimes finding something to say about a particular car is rather simple as thoughts usually spring forth with wild abandon; harnessing them into a coherent assemblage is the challenge. Such is the case with this Chrysler; thoughts spring forth, but can they find any type of cohesion?
Perhaps they can. I found this Chrysler in the parking lot of a grocery store I have visited more times than I can remember – and this parking lot has seen a whole passel of Chrysler K-cars of every variety over the years.
It’s too bad that I just missed Bicentennial Fever in America: the cheesy cartoons, the shared sense of pride and purpose, the auto manufacturers’ ability to exploit a holiday for potential profits…it must have been a magical time. It might be that the ’69 SC-Rambler was the first salvo in patriotic paint jobs, but the ’72 Mustang Sprint and ’74 “Spirit of America” Impala were not far behind.
text by Paul Niedermeyer Americans have been celebrating the 4th of July with parades and other festivities since 1777. The nature of those celebrations has changed somewhat over the centuries, but Main Street parade featuring floats, marching bands, and attractive women riding on the back of open cars have been around for at least a hundred years. Let’s take a look at some of these parade cars and their riders from the ’50s to the ’70s, although not all of them are necessarily 4th of July parades. But it seems pretty safe to guess that these two being hauled by a 1959 Lincoln were part of an Independence Day parade.
Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his namesake company in 1963 to challenge Ferrari’s dominance in GT and high performance sports cars. The Italian industrial magnate (known for building tractors prior to founding his car company) burst onto the scene with some very impressive cars, including this 350 GT as tested by Car and Driver in the March 1966 issue. The driving capabilities and performance of the 350 GT were praised much more than the styling–and C&D wondered how Lamborghini would address that issue. The answer would soon arrive: the 1966 Geneva Motor Show would see Lamborghini unveil the landmark Muira, one of the world’s all-time most beautiful cars.
Volvo sports car? An oxymoron, if ever there was one. For over a decade, however, this little grand tourer managed to combine the traditional Volvo attributes of safety and durability with a modicum of flash and performance.
Ever since I did a post on the ’68 Chrysler Newport (here), something has been bugging me. Never quite able to place a finger on it, it suddenly hit me when I found this ’81 Chrysler Newport, a well loved example of the fabled Chrysler R-body.
This find by IdiotKing at the CC Cohort is something that doesn’t show up often, especially in the US; a 1960s Nissan Patrol, the maker’s counterpart to Toyota’s Land Cruiser. Now, you may not be familiar with these Patrols, but they did sell stateside from ’62 to ’69 in small numbers. And as can be seen, this one has been restored to “original” condition by someone who is clearly into off-roading and early Japanese cars. Which is not so strange, as these Patrols are rugged off-roaders and have their following. So, if a vintage Land Rover is just too common for you, this Patrol should do more than fine. Heck, it even looks like a Land Rover spinoff.
Let’s end this edition on a high, shall we? Various Volvos, juicy Jaguars and delicious Dinos… Well, one delicious Dino GT4, anyway. So I guess that means we’ll kick things off with Ferraris, huh. If we must, that’s what we’ll have to do. Grin and bear it.
