CC commenter Martin left a link to this very brisk drive of a 1969 hemi Charger Daytona at today’s vintage comparison. The driver is Canadian driver Jacques Duval, and the track is Mont Tremblant in Quebec. His commentary is in French, unfortunately, but some commenters have given a thumbnail translation (below), although it’s not too hard to imagine what he’s thinking and saying from the video.
And here’s also a Bud Lindemann review of a Hemi Charger 500.
(first posted 12/2/2013) After last week’s rather busily-styled 1991 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, here’s something refreshing: An ’83 Delta 88 Royale Brougham. I spotted this on my usual route through Downtown Crossing, proudly guarded by orange cones.
(first posted 12/2/2017) Italy, Summer 1981. My father is hustling his brother’s black Mercedes-Benz 220 S heckflosse along the autostrada at speed. Inside the car it’s three children creating raucous havoc in the back seat, Dad yelling in the front and Mum not giving any quarter. Suddenly Dad grows quiet. He gently reduces the speed and steers the car towards the side of the road. Puncture. The car’s poise never faltered.
Not much excitement I’m afraid, but it’s one of those innocuous flashbacks that holds the emotive weight of that whole holiday. The heckflosse has a place in my heart.
There’s one thing I never liked about it, though. The heckflosse.
Photo from the Cohort taken by Ralf K in Maricopa, AZ. Read the rest of this entry »
1969 could well be considered the apex of the muscle car era. The ’64 GTO created the genre and 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner redefined it by stripping it down to the essentials. And by 1969, Ford finally had a competitive street engine in the 428 Cobra Jet. Car and Driver set out to compare six stripped-down “Econo-Racers”, and the results make for a (rapid) time travel back to 1969. Just don’t be too disappointed to find out that one of them was disqualified for being no where near stock; you can probably guess which one was judged to be an outrageous “ringer”.
Not my car, but the same color.
You can go your own way.
As Fleetwood Mac would sing in 1977, I decided to follow my own automotive path.
My 1966 Mustang had been a compromise. I had decided to honor my father’s advice and wishes and buy an appropriate young man’s car. But growing up in Oakland in the 1960’s had created a deep love for the Cadillac marque and my dream had always been to own and drive one of those magnificent machines.
(first posted 12/1/2013) Alfa has always been known and loved for their engines as well as all the rest of their seductive qualities. Perhaps even more so than the others, although given the superbly beautiful bodies and their typically fine handling, that may be a subject of endless debate. But what isn’t in question is the fact that the classic Alfa twin cam engine essentially pioneered the popular adoption of what is now under the hood of even the cheapest econo-box.
But once upon a time, a DOHC alloy engine in a relatively affordable car was almost unheard of. And such a beautiful one at that. So let’s have a little meditation on one of the most significant engine milestones in automotive history, and how this engine became the model upon which all modern engines are based on. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 12/1/2017) While developing the 1996 Taurus, Ford engineers purchased a Toyota Camry and took it apart to find out what made it such a superbly-built vehicle. Careful attention was paid to the smallest of details, right down to the screws and the panel gaps. The fresh new Taurus, even in base model guise, came standard with thoughtful touches like folding rear seats and solar glass windows, surprise-and-delight features that came out of a lengthy research and development period and were intended to please discerning Accord and Camry buyers.
For 1995, however, Chevrolet just put a new body on their five year-old Lumina and called it a day. Read the rest of this entry »
Today’s gallery is quite literally, just kids in the hood. A few adults and additional kids are standing around too, but I believe they don’t spoil the effect.
The 2023 Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 panel van on the left is the final edition of ICE-powered, one-tonne commercial vehicles developed and built by Volkswagen. Its successor will be unveiled next summer, yet it will be fully based on the latest Ford Transit Custom model.
One could forgive a first-gen. Dodge Lancer (Colt) for suffering from some form of identity crisis. According to Wikipedia, at least ten monikers were used to sell the model all over the world. And when as a child I saw this generation of the Lancer sold as a Dodge, I knew that something was askew. No Dodge I knew would ever look like a Lancer. But lacking car magazines at 5 years old, and with Mitsubishi being an erratic player, it took me years to sort it all out.
(first posted 11/30/2017) Earlier this month Jim Brophy shared with us the Technobus Gulliver 520, which is smaller than many passenger cars. This week a new autonomous bus service trial was launched at LaTrobe University in Melbourne’s northern suburbs – and it is smaller! But there is a lot more to the story than just size.
(first posted 11/30/2017) The Smart ForTwo may well be anathema to enthusiasts, considering its mediocre dynamics. However, the Daimler division did dip its toes in the enthusiast market. And here we have it: a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive, turbocharged, European roadster, but not like any other. Read the rest of this entry »
