The 1900 Alfa Romeo of 1950 marked a turning point for the marque. Gone were the straight-eight and supercharged projectiles that had written so much motor racing history. Now Alfa replaced them with a modest four-cylinder engine housed in a modern-style steel saloon body. But still the engine possessed twin […]
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1991 Ferrari 348 tb Berlinetta
The 348 tb was a dramatic departure for Ferrari. Its 3,405-cc dual overhead-camshaft engine is mounted longitudinally in the chassis like the 288 GTO. However the 348’s chassis is only four inches longer than the transverse-engined 328 GT that preceded it. To accomplish this magic, Ferrari applied lessons learned in […]
1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Convertible
If ever there was an auto manufacturer to take lessons learned from racing and apply them to their street cars, it was Jaguar. The legendary D-type was a formidable competitor on the track and Jaguar included all the D’s best traits when it debuted the E-type in 1961. Arguably the […]
1973 Datsun 240Z
Few realize the roots of Nissan reach back to 1912, when a young man named Masujiro Hashimoto created a car. The car was named DAT, after three family member’s initials. By 1934, the cars were Datsuns and the company was Nissan. By the late 1950s, Yuraka Katayama, a young engineer […]
It’s a Vision Thing
DETROIT, MICHIGAN The future of the automobile will be shaped by the collision of grand strategies and the realities of the marketplace. At the recently concluded North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), held at Cobo Center in Detroit, the struggle between car makers to hold and increase market share was […]
1963-64 Studebaker Avanti R-1/R-2
The Avanti was an automotive Hail Mary, a last-ditch effort to bring excitement and warm bodies to Studebaker showrooms. In 1961 Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert made the decision to build a sports car-and to do it as fast as possible. He called upon one of the best-known industrial designers in […]
1965 Volkswagen 21-Window Deluxe Micro Bus
When the boxy Volkswagen Transporter arrived on American shores in 1949, its effect and influence was immediate. Using standard Beetle components, it was easy to maintain and was one of the best ways to move small groups of people. Dubbed the “Micro Bus,” Volkswagen’s unique Transporter survived through the decades […]
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Rally Sport
Introduced to compete against Ford’s popular and youth-oriented Mustang in 1967, the Camaro’s brawny good looks and high-performance options resulted in an immediate sales success. Building on this, Chevrolet debuted a completely redesigned second breed of Camaro on February 26, 1970, that was aimed to be “the Corvette for everyday […]
1958 Alfa Romeo 750 Giulietta Sprint Veloce
It only took delivery of a few Giulietta Sprints to their new owners in 1954 for word to spread that Alfa Romeo had built something exceptional. Alfa Romeo, caught by surprise, had to quickly figure out how to increase production in order to meet demand. Alfa’s previous best-seller had been […]
1981 Ferrari 308 GTBi
The advent of the new Pininfarina-designed 308 GTB was hailed as one of the best Ferraris of modern times. And it is no wonder-following on the heels of the mechanically inspired but visually challenged 308 GT4, the new 308 was drop-dead gorgeous. As Sergio Pininfarina himself pointed out, “Every Ferrari […]