Naturally, compared to their modern counterparts, classic muscle cars aren’t quite as fast. But the appeal of vintage cars is about more than just outright speed. It’s why Jay Leno enjoys driving both his ’02 Pontiac Firebird and his 1979 Trans Am. And it’s why he enjoyed being behind the wheel of a museum-loaned 1966 …
The Great American Race has a long, storied history, and its roots run deep within the country. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a shock that a good ol’ American car won the first Daytona 500. The race took place on Feb. 22, 1959. And the vehicles involved hardly resemble NASCAR’s next-gen cars. But just …
Of all the cars featured on That ‘70s Show, the 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon was arguably the most well-known one. It was used mostly as a prop in the background of the show and for the occasional driving shot, but over time, it became less of a car and more of a character …
Is it a luxury minivan, or is it a vacuum? That’s right — the original luxury minivan looked remarkably like a handheld vacuum. This quirky vehicle’s designers apparently thought that adding pinstriping and decals would cover up its quirkiness. Unfortunately, nothing they did could hide its resemblance to an oversized hand vac. Not only is …
While wagons can make great high-performance vehicles, the same usually can’t be said of minivans. However, that hasn’t stopped some manufacturers from trying to give these practical haulers a touch of sportiness. The Toyota Previa, for example, had a mid-engine layout with an optional supercharger and manual. And the Mercedes-Benz R-Class was a luxury minivan …
Never bet against trees when it’s cars vs. trees. Trees always win, as we will show you in these next few images as we celebrate Rustober. For some reason, it just seems like trees are attracted to cars like tornadoes are to trailer parks. They are so infinitely tied together that if a felled tree …
“I can do it fast, good, or cheap; pick two.” That‘s known as the “iron triangle” in the project management world. General Motors had been in business for more than enough years to understand that mantra all too well. And yet, when it came to delving into diesel engine development, it all went out the …
Some Rusty Mondays are meant to make you cringe. If you’re into rare post-war American cars you know what this is. If you’re not read on. This find we’re calling the Holy Grail of rust. It is a 1953 Olds Fiesta convertible. In 1953 GM produced four very special limited-edition models each for Chevy, Oldsmobile, …
What started out as the American car revenge on Japanese economical, front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder sedans quickly turned into a mess. GM, Ford, and Chrysler had never attempted to do this type of car. A car with maximum space, small size, and a high degree of quality. We guess it could only do two as the quality …
Worst Car Wednesday will delve into how and why some truly horrible mass-produced cars were ever created. We set the stage and report on how consumers reacted and what the manufacturers did to “fix” their mistakes. Look, we know there are fans for some of these creations. We are some of those fans. But the …
The late 80s and early 90s weren’t a great time for fans of American performance. True, there was the occasional bright spot, like the Impala SS, Buick GNX, and GMC Syclone. However, many muscle cars struggled to deliver on their famous names. That’s why import cars like the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra SE-R, Mitsubishi Eclipse, …
There are many reasons why there are so many front-wheel-drive cars. We’ll try to knock out what most of those reasons are. First some background. Front-wheel-drive has been around forever. It came into prominence in the US for racing with Harry Miller’s Indy 500 efforts in the early-1920s. In Europe, there were a number of …
General Motors makes decisions in a time/space netherworld we mortals know nothing about. While we look upon many of its historic brands with reverence, it looks to them as only names bonked onto an ever devolving line of subcompact mushmobiles. What once stood for performance, style, engineering excellence, or desirable transportation in its simplest form, …
There was a gang of TV shows in the 1950-1990s where a cool pickup was as integral as any character actor, maybe even more so. We miss some of these shows while others, well, they are best left to memory. Still, with an average TV series broadcasting 26 shows a season not counting summer reruns, …
When you think about the first muscle cars you think of the mid-1960s GTO, the Hemi-Mopars in the late-1960s, and big-block Camaros and Cobra-Jet Mustangs. But none of those were close to being the first factory hot rods. You have to go back to just after WWII to see the first muscle cars that came …
Oldsmobile was a pioneer of car making. However, after over 100 years of car making the company went out of business. What happened?
How did household names like Hummer and Pontiac turn into failed car companies? Even the most innovative car brands can go under depending on factors like cost, performance, and popularity among consumers. While you won’t find these brands on any current top-selling car lists again, it’s interesting to see how these giants in the automotive …
Perhaps I’m being overly nostalgic, but do you remember when station wagons were unequivocally rad? If you grew up in a large family from 1960 to 1985, chances are you’ve had the luxury of riding in one. It never fails to surprise, but a majority of the car enthusiasts I’ve met over the years always …
The Achieva SCX was designed to be unsuspecting pocket rocket dressed in the guise of an ordinary Oldsmobile.
