Curbside Classic Archives
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American Brands: GM 
American Brands: Ford 
American Brands: Chrysler 
American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others 
Automotive Histories and Misc. 
Asian Brands 
UK Brands 
Australian Brands 
European Brands 
Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography 
Buses 
Trucks, Pickups and Vans 
Design 
Trains, Planes & Ships 
Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles 
Engines, Transmissions and other Tech 
Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment 
RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers Privacy
Automotive Histories Archive
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Automotive History: The Toyota 5 Speed Transmission Takes Over the World
Posted on May 3, 2025 | 173 Comments(first posted 5/2/2014) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed gear […] -
1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 454 Wagon – The Dad ‘Stache Superwagon
Posted on April 29, 2025 | 51 CommentsYes, the SS emblems on this Dark Red 1973 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon are authentic, and yes, if you look closely, that is an equally authentic “454” call-out on […] -
All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 3: 1965-1969 – Now Available In Sizes S, M, L & XL
Posted on April 27, 2025 | 29 CommentsThe second half of the sixties is often called the golden age for American cars, and that certainly applies to four-door hardtops. Not only did full-size versions continue to expand […] -
The History of The Curious F-Head Engine
Posted on April 24, 2025 | 85 Comments(first posted 9/2/2013) The recent Jeep FC-150 and Jeep Commando CC with their Hurricane Four engine that featured an F-head (Intake Over Exhaust – “IOE”) cylinder head gave me […] -
Automotive History: Hans Ledwinka’s Revolutionary Tatras
Posted on April 21, 2025 | 43 Comments(first posted here on 8/16/2013. Updated 4/9/2019) Not uncommonly, a brilliant career and an enduring reputation for innovation all derive from a single kernel of inspiration. Perhaps even a rather […] -
1965 Chevrolet Caprice Vs. 1965 Buick Electra 225 Custom – Working-Class Luxury Takes On The Establishment
Posted on April 17, 2025 | 53 CommentsRecently, I ran across a 2022 listing for an unusual 1965 Chevrolet Caprice, the light purple (“Evening Orchid”) four-door hardtop pictured above. The original Caprice, Chevrolet’s response to the popular […] -
1969 Buick Sportwagon 400 – The Soccer Mom Supercar
Posted on April 16, 2025 | 29 CommentsHigh-performance luxury cars are often described “businessman’s hot rods,” presumptively aimed at affluent middle-aged men who demand performance as well as panache. But what about affluent suburban soccer moms […] -
1988–1992 Mazda Persona: A JDM Four-Door Hardtop Version Of The Mazda 626
Posted on April 10, 2025 | 26 CommentsWe tend to think of four-door hardtops as a mostly American phenomena, but this body style was also popular in Japan for many years. From 1988 to 1992, Mazda even […] -
Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 3) – De Tomaso, The Serial Sinner
Posted on March 31, 2025 | 35 Comments(first posted 3/30/2019) Welcome, one and all, to the Grand Finale of this edition of Italian Deadly Sins. And I’m not using the term lightly. This […] -
Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 2) – ASA, A Tra-GT In Three Acts
Posted on March 30, 2025 | 30 Comments(first posted 3/29/2019) This one is a real tear-jerker. A lovely little sports car with a sweet-looking body, orphaned from birth, fights for its life amid competitors […] -
Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 1) – Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa: The Tatra That Came From The Dolomites
Posted on March 29, 2025 | 20 Comments(first posted 3/28/2019) Bienvenuti a tutti! The European Deadly Sins caravan is touring Italy for the second time to glance at three Deadly Sins from three […] -
All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 2: 1960–1964
Posted on March 27, 2025 | 45 CommentsThe sixties was the decade of the four-door hardtop. What had been the exotic hot new thing in American automotive styling in the fifties—along with fins, of course—was now increasingly […] -
British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 3) – Reliant Kitten, The Discreet Charm Of The Toiling Masses
Posted on March 26, 2025 | 58 Comments(first posted 3/7/2019) Unlike Invicta and Standard, the incredible story of Reliant Motors is one that stretches to living memory for most people over 30, especially if […] -
The Missing 1961 Lincoln Continental Hardtop – It Was Cancelled At The Last Minute
Posted on March 26, 2025 | 29 CommentsTake a close look at the car above – what’s missing? There’s no center pillar. All non-convertible 1961-69 Lincoln Continentals have a B-pillar between the front and rear side windows; […] -
All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 1: The 1950s
Posted on March 22, 2025 | 50 CommentsGiven the immediate popularity and glamour of the 2-door hardtop that was first introduced by Cadillac in 1949, it was just a matter of time—five years, precisely—before the first four […]
![Automotive History: The Toyota 5 Speed Transmission Takes Over the World (first posted 5/2/2014) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed gear […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Primary-pattern.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 454 Wagon – The Dad ‘Stache Superwagon Yes, the SS emblems on this Dark Red 1973 Chevrolet Malibu station wagon are authentic, and yes, if you look closely, that is an equally authentic “454” call-out on […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1973-Chevrolet-Malibu-SS-454-wagon-Mecum-Auctions-F195-front-3q-lead.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 3: 1965-1969 – Now Available In Sizes S, M, L & XL The second half of the sixties is often called the golden age for American cars, and that certainly applies to four-door hardtops. Not only did full-size versions continue to expand […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/a-66-corvair-tile.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![The History of The Curious F-Head Engine (first posted 9/2/2013) The recent Jeep FC-150 and Jeep Commando CC with their Hurricane Four engine that featured an F-head (Intake Over Exhaust – “IOE”) cylinder head gave me […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/F-Head-Rover-P4.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Automotive History: Hans Ledwinka’s Revolutionary Tatras (first posted here on 8/16/2013. Updated 4/9/2019) Not uncommonly, a brilliant career and an enduring reputation for innovation all derive from a single kernel of inspiration. Perhaps even a rather […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/tatra-87rear.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![1965 Chevrolet Caprice Vs. 1965 Buick Electra 225 Custom – Working-Class Luxury Takes On The Establishment Recently, I ran across a 2022 listing for an unusual 1965 Chevrolet Caprice, the light purple (“Evening Orchid”) four-door hardtop pictured above. The original Caprice, Chevrolet’s response to the popular […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1965-Buick-Electra-225-and-1965-Chevrolet-Caprice-left-side-1.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![1969 Buick Sportwagon 400 – The Soccer Mom Supercar High-performance luxury cars are often described “businessman’s hot rods,” presumptively aimed at affluent middle-aged men who demand performance as well as panache. But what about affluent suburban soccer moms […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1969-Buick-Sportwagon-400-Mecum-Auctions-front-3q.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![1988–1992 Mazda Persona: A JDM Four-Door Hardtop Version Of The Mazda 626 We tend to think of four-door hardtops as a mostly American phenomena, but this body style was also popular in Japan for many years. From 1988 to 1992, Mazda even […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1991-Mazda-Persona-right-side.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 3) – De Tomaso, The Serial Sinner (first posted 3/30/2019) Welcome, one and all, to the Grand Finale of this edition of Italian Deadly Sins. And I’m not using the term lightly. This […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_dT.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 2) – ASA, A Tra-GT In Three Acts (first posted 3/29/2019) This one is a real tear-jerker. A lovely little sports car with a sweet-looking body, orphaned from birth, fights for its life amid competitors […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_asa.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 1) – Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa: The Tatra That Came From The Dolomites (first posted 3/28/2019) Bienvenuti a tutti! The European Deadly Sins caravan is touring Italy for the second time to glance at three Deadly Sins from three […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_isotta.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 2: 1960–1964 The sixties was the decade of the four-door hardtop. What had been the exotic hot new thing in American automotive styling in the fifties—along with fins, of course—was now increasingly […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/a-cad-61-6w-crop-vert.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 3) – Reliant Kitten, The Discreet Charm Of The Toiling Masses (first posted 3/7/2019) Unlike Invicta and Standard, the incredible story of Reliant Motors is one that stretches to living memory for most people over 30, especially if […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GB_DS3_rel.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![The Missing 1961 Lincoln Continental Hardtop – It Was Cancelled At The Last Minute Take a close look at the car above – what’s missing? There’s no center pillar. All non-convertible 1961-69 Lincoln Continentals have a B-pillar between the front and rear side windows; […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CGHIYRXWEAAzFNF.webp?resize=115%2C115&quality=70&ssl=1)
![All Those Glamorous Four-Door Hardtops, Part 1: The 1950s Given the immediate popularity and glamour of the 2-door hardtop that was first introduced by Cadillac in 1949, it was just a matter of time—five years, precisely—before the first four […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/a-chev-56-sfq-vert.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)


