British automotive manufacturing began its long, slow descent in the 1960s when the UK slipped from the world’s second-largest maker to third. Mergers brought no relief: rather than rationalizing costs across makes, merged companies continued to maintain almost every… more»
• For Sale • 26 Comments
Outlaw? 1956 MGA 1500 Roadster
What’s your definition of an “outlaw” car? I think of Emory and Singer Porsches, and a comment made on the Pelican Parts forum – that the term arose when someone dared deviate from the accepted orthodoxy established by Ferdinand… more»
• For Sale • 20 Comments
Competition Motors Tribute: 1963 Volkswagen Type 2 Pickup
This Volkswagen Type 2 pickup has seen a lot of restoration work already, including a rebuilt engine, a new clutch, and a front disc brake conversion. Its sheet metal is said to be all original. It’s a handsome tribute… more»
• For Sale • 12 Comments
Missing Cylinder Head Screw: 1978 Lotus Esprit Series 1
Giorgetto Giugiaro went to work at Fiat’s Special Vehicles Division at seventeen – mostly likely younger than many of us were when we purchased our first car. Fiat ignored his design work, so he approached Bertone, who sold one… more»
• For Sale • 10 Comments
Estate Sale: 1960 Triumph TR3 “A”
It’s 1953 and Triumph has brought a new car to Jabbeke, Belgium, to race it down a nearly flat, nearly straight stretch of road between Brussels and Ostend. This unique bit of carriageway was a perfect test “track” for… more»
• For Sale • 16 Comments
British Supercar: 1997 TVR Cerbera
Before we embark on this next review, true confession: I’d really like to own an early TVR Griffith. I would even settle for a Grantura. That’s just so you know I am not anti-TVR. However, the Cerbera is a… more»
• For Sale • 16 Comments
One of Four Survivors: 1955 LeGene Californian Sports Special
The 1950s hatched a lush variety of cars called American Specials. Mostly fiberglass, these cars were made in tiny handfuls by guys in garages. Some were kits, others sprang fully formed from their inventors’ workshops. Few are so rare… more»
• For Sale • 14 Comments
Desert Dweller: 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
Studebaker’s Hawk series took flight starting in 1956, with an array of variants topped by the Golden Hawk. Styled by Raymond Loewy, the Hawks incorporated both pillared coupes and pillarless hardtops, sharing a low stance and a prominent radiator…. more»
• For Sale • 7 Comments
Road or Track: 1991 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Consider the poverty of the American car scene in the 1970s. The dominant themes were horsepower reduction and fuel efficiency, sapping fun from the driving experience. Only Japan was meeting our new requirements handily, sending over cars like the… more»
• For Sale • 16 Comments
Italian Boxer Engine: 1963 Lancia Flavia Pininfarina Coupé
Prominent on the flanks of the Lancia Flavia above are the initials “HF” – letters profoundly significant to Lancia, its history, and the Flavia coupé. Lancia was founded in 1906 by two racers, Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin. Despite… more»
• For Sale • 27 Comments
Nearly Ready to Go: 1971 Ford Maverick, 302CID V8
Ford launched its subcompact Maverick for model year 1970, capturing buyers who wanted sporty looks in an economy car. Once the Falcon shifted to an intermediate platform, the Maverick became the de facto compact option. It was never meant… more»
• For Sale • 33 Comments
Rare Notchback: 1965 Volkswagen Type 31
Let’s talk about nomenclature. Our subject car is a Volkswagen Type 3, but more specifically it is a Type 31. The “3” means it was of the notchback/squareback/fastback family, introduced in 1961; and the “1” means it’s a notchback…. more»
• For Sale • 9 Comments
One Owner! 1989 Honda Prelude Si
Honda’s first sports car was its S500, launched in 1963. It entered a market already populated with Datsun’s Fairlady and soon, Toyota’s Sports 800. From then, it was just a few short years until Japanese sports cars proliferated into… more»
• For Sale • 40 Comments
Last of the Breed: 1961 DeSoto Two-Door Hardtop
In the 1950s, DeSoto was knocking the ball out of the park. The nameplate had migrated upscale from a bread-and-butter necessity in the immediate post-war period, to a fashionista by 1957. That year, Virgil Exner gave the car exuberant… more»
• For Sale • 14 Comments
Previously Swanky Brit: 1967 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
Rolls-Royce began suffering a sales shortfall in the 1960s, a victim of its culture of tradition. This tenacity had already prevented the adoption of the first, modernized design drawn by John Blatchley a decade before, for its new Silver… more»
• For Sale • 36 Comments
Low-Buck Cult Classic: 1995 Ford Taurus SHO
The Ford Taurus was a best-seller when it arrived in 1986. Its styling broke new ground, introducing the rounded lines that have become ubiquitous today. It was the ultimate family car, with decent gas mileage and adequate performance. But… more»
