It went from sitting pretty to utter doom in just three years Do you remember DeSoto cars? I vaguely remember seeing comedian Groucho Marx pushing them. They are one of the many car brands that was a victim of competition and getting squeezed out of existence in the 60s. Introduced by Walter P. Chrysler in... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Buick Grand National
Not your grandpa's Buick Growing up I remember my uncle having a Buick and that's pretty much the image the brand had with an aging demographic preferring a cushy ride more than performance. With not a lot of foot traffic in the dealerships they needed something much like American Motors that I've written about in... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1991 Nissan Figaro
Cuter than a soft, fuzzy puppy. I'm usually a guy who likes the cars that have the big rip-roaring V8 engines but this week's spot, the Nissan Figaro, is just as cool but in a different way. Our daughter Meg spotted this Figaro at a show near Madison, WI. Note Vette right next to it.... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Lamborghini Urus
Lambo's big ol' SUV packs a punch ,,, Fast SUVs were a thing for a while and this week's spot, a Lamborghini Urus, is a great example. While Lambo had a run at an SUV with the beastly LM002, this one the Uris, was much more refined and built for speed. Spotted this Uris at... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Trabant 601 S “Delux”
East Germany's answer to West Germany's "People's Car" .... Growing up in the 1960s and '70s I remember the Cold War, and how the communists used East Berlin as a showcase for the success of socialism. Automobiles were a big part of that but ultimately, they were just terrible cars like this week's car spot,... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: AMC Eagle
A touchdown pass that came too late in the game ... This is one of those “I was there when it happened” stories. For any of you who follow me regularly, you know I'm a huge American Motors geek and that's because my dad worked there from 1963 to 1989. Those early years were booming... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: A Mustang that’s not a Mustang
At least in Germany ... The hottest car on the planet in 1966 was the Ford Mustang. By the end of the year, it set an all-time sales record with just over 600,000 rolling off the assembly line. Mustangs were everywhere, except in Germany where somebody else, a truck manufacturer, had a trademark for the... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Checker Marathon
The pride of Kalamazoo was created by a Russian immigrant ... Nothing screams New York City more than the bright yellow Checker Cab. The spacious taxi served New Yorkers in the Big Apple from the 1960's into the latter part of the 20th century before being replaced mostly by the Ford Crown Victoria and Chevy... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Chrysler LeBaron Woody Convertible
If you can find a better convertible, buy it ... The mid-80s was a desperate time for Chrysler and Lee Iacocca knew he had to move fast to save the company. The K Car did it. Yup, that crappy K Car Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, Chrysler LeBaron, and Dodge 400 sold more than 2 million... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Ford Festiva
The International House of Ford ... Growing up in the 1970s and having a dad who worked in the auto industry, American Motors, I can tell you it was not a fun time. If this sounds familiar, let me know as it was pretty much all about politics. Because the United States supported Israel in... Continue Reading →