There are car anniversaries that somehow pass you by relatively silently. Take the seventieth anniversary of the Toyota Land Cruiser, for example, which was not celebrated with too much fanfare. It also fits the Toyota icon,…
Chevrolet's 'small' engine, the small block, is a legendary series of V8 automotive engines in production at the Chevrolet division of General Motors between 1954 and 2003. The entire line used the same basic engine block. And that was referred to as a 'small-block' because of its small size compared to the physically much larger Chevrolet big-block engines.
Fifty years ago, Maserati presented the Bora. At the Geneva Motor Show the public was introduced to the super sports car where the engine was mounted directly behind the occupants. The official history of the Bora started on March 11, 1971...
Sometimes you have to look twice before you see something. A Jeep from WWII, which was recently restored to perfection, was at the Silfhout auto parts trade. This time there was a XNUMXs Škoda. However? Time for a second look. The Škoda Coach looked a bit steroid. And exuberant, with a dash of Patricia Paaij and Patty Brard and a touch of Liberace on speed. Or as Rambo in drag. Party! Or "FOEI!"
Malcolm N. Bricklin (born March 9, 1939) is an American businessman, widely known for an unorthodox career spanning more than six decades that included numerous prominent failures and successes—primarily manufacturing or importing automobiles to the United States—to eventually starting up more than thirty companies.
It was 1990, and an acquaintance of a friend of a colleague was building a 650 hp Chevy Malibu. The costs of that project got out of hand. That's why his Nova had to go. Shortly afterwards, the Malibu project also had to go. Because the brave Willie Wortel who worked in the field, put so much working time into his project that his employer gave him much more time for it. He became unemployed.
With men like The Boxerwhisperer and the famous Flemish (ex?) Secret agent Walter W. has in the circle of friends Auto Motor Klassiek strong links with the Flemish, where in fact a classic culture prevails that is somewhat low profile for the more exuberant kind of Dutch.
Pay attention: Name the 'automotive blockbuster' of model year 1966. Answer: the Toronado. Not only did it make headlines in all the major auto magazines and most national news magazines, but also in The States drew crowds to the auto shows and dealer showrooms from coast to coast. And what caused all that fuss was above all a feature.
That patina is nice and nice. But when purchasing such a sturdy American pickup, structural health counts more than the paint job or fresh chrome. Americans are masters of cosmetic work that hides the world of misery. For example, in American 'restorations' we have regularly encountered centimeter-thick filler layers surrounded by Chinese chrome.
A classic dealer recently received a reproachful letter from such a wandering keyboard knight as they too often escape their medication today.
It was a prestige project by Hans Glas Gmbh, a serious V8 coupe from Dingolfing. The Glas 2600 V8, designed by Frua, was intended to rival the large luxury sports coupes of that time. Glass had developed since the XNUMXs…
During WWII the Germans confiscated everything in the process. In addition, 'our bicycles' only came into play at a late stage. But in Czechoslovakia, the Germans found the Tatras with their air-cooled V8 blocks in the stern.
Meanwhile, Corvettes are, of course, wonderfully pointless icons. It doesn't take four people, you can't tinker with a towbar and the classic 'Vettes' prove that for the fun factor torque and power are much more important than handling and that kind of details. You can't put a lot of groceries in it either. The classic Chevrolet Corvette is beautiful in a Dolly Parton way elegant and they are just wonderful cars. And they are polyester, plastic.
Twelve cylinders are for exotics. But V8 engines are the standard when it comes to Groot & Sterk. Mercdes-Benz has of course become famous for the indestructible and tractor slow 200D models. But those were taxis and cars for the better kind of representatives. Mercedes showed its muscles with the Mercedes-Benz V8.
The Ford Fairmont was a civilized, solid and reliable civilian car in times and countries where gasoline was cheap.
Opel also wanted to join the big boys. And KAD stood for Kapitän, Admiral and Opel Diplomat. These were the Big Three of Opel and the brave attempt of the then General Motors brand with its well-behaved…
People over sixty speak with awe about the 'great Americans' of their youth. And those great Americans had a somewhat questionable reputation in the 1950s and 1960s. According to Dutch Calvinist views of the time, they were not only large, but also vulgar. It…
Many people know the Citroën 2CV. And that 'CV': isn't that an indication of assets? A Cheval is a horse. Two horses are deux chevaux. And weren't those ugly ducks two fiscal horsepower? The off and on…
Communism and beautiful things? There was a tension there. This is evident from the Tatra JK2500, the fantastic creation of Július Kubinský. A dream that almost came true. The Tatra JK2500 Sports cars or real GTs in the sense of Gran Ruismo?…
England stood at the cradle of the automotive world and has succumbed to the merciless laws of the 'braking lead'. But wonderful things have been invented. Like a cool 4WD for men: the legendary Range Rover. There was a…