A remnant for when station wagons roamed the USA. My wife and I were out last night and experienced what's known as Lake Effect here in Southeastern Wisconsin. Snow wasn't forecast, but we got a light dusting. As this area is known to put down copious amounts of salt, we were surprised to see this... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1st-generation K-5 Chevy Blazer
More than just a pretty drop-top Once the weather warms up here in Wisconsin, I love going topless. Whoa there, this is a G-rated blog entry, and you wouldn't want to see my dad bod without a shirt on. I'm talking about car owners who drop the top on their vehicles, like this week's spot,... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Pontiac Solstice
It was only with us for 5 short years I can't think of a car guy who has been more instrumental in bringing so much performance to the market than Bob Lutz. The ex-Marine, while at Ford of Europe, led the creation of the Ford Escort III and Ford Sierra, at Chrysler, the Viper, and... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 69 Olds Vista-Cruiser
The most famous of the 33,387 that were built that year. If you grew up in the 70s like I did, your family most likely had 2 cars in the garage, a sedan and a station wagon. For us, it was a 63 Rambler Classic 4-door and a 67 Rebel Wagon. Mom and Dad took... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 79 Hurst Olds
Hurst and Olds had a great run touting both brands' performance.
Car Spot: 88 Jeep Comanche Eliminator
It might not have been first to the party, but it was the coolest Well, that might just be my opinion because I'm a Jeep guy. Jeep had just revolutionized the SUV world by introducing the new XJ model in 1983 and it was an immediate hit. Developed when American Motors Corp. owned Jeep, they... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 72 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
Classic 4x4 fun Classics are cool. Whether you're talking Jeeps, Fords, Toyotas, or whatever, there's something about the lines and design of classic iron that draws the eye and captures the imagination. This is one reason why so many vintage 4x4s survive today. This '72 FJ40 Land Cruiser is a perfect example of a classic.... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 2011 Magnum Roadside Aircraft
One of the most daring hybrid creations of its era My friends often ask me which I prefer, cars or airplanes. My answer is both, and the reason this spot caught my eye while I was visiting the Dallas Car and Toy Museum last week. Born from the hands of architect-turned-aviator Rick Johnson, this remarkable... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1985 Renault Fuego
"A" for effort, but "D" when it came to dependability I remember my dad talking about the growing partnership that American Motors Corp. had with Renault in the late '70s and early '80s while he was working at the National Parts Distribution Center in Milwaukee. After periods of intermittent independent success, Renault acquired a significant... Continue Reading →
Truck spot: 55 Ford F-100 pickup
A landmark truck, if there ever was one Happy New Year! $30 million bucks is a lot of money today. Still, in the mid-50s, it must have represented a fortune to Ford when it decided to go back to the drawing board to redesign its F-100s using something that had never been done before, an... Continue Reading →