History on four wheels Every year around the last week in July I head up to EAA's AirVenture in Oshkosh since I not only love cars but also aircraft. This is a massive event and a must-attend if you're into airplanes. One of the areas I spend a significant amount of time in is the... Continue Reading →
Review: 2023 Lincoln Navigator Reserve
Luxury looms large in Lincoln's full-size 3-row SUV ... Luxury comes in all sizes, but if you’re needing a luxury SUV in large or extra large, Lincoln has the answer in a big way. Navigator is a full-size 3-row luxury SUV with, as my aunts used to say, all the trimmings. Tested was the mid-range... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1937 Bantam Roadster
From the same company that built the first Jeep My first thought when "small cars" are mentioned is the 70s with the Japanese imports and domestics like the Pinto, Vega, and Gremlin. But way back in the 30s this country was introduced to a small car, the American Bantam similar to the one in this... Continue Reading →
2023 Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV Limited AWD Review
Plug-in power cuts emissions, boosts gas mileage for family SUV ... Nearly all automakers are now hybridizing their lineups, either with regular hybrid systems to extend gas mileage and mildly cut emissions, or with plug-ins that do more of both. No surprise then that Hyundai has dropped a plug-in hybrid system into its popular Santa... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Ford Pinto
America's answer to the Japanese car invasion ... Let me set the scene for you if you weren't around for the late 1960s to early '70s. Up until this point, gas was cheap in the US, about 31 cents a gallon, and we drove cars with big engines that got crappy gas mileage. But then... Continue Reading →
2023 Honda CR-V AWD Sport Touring
Top-selling CR-V adds length and hybrid power ... Adding a bit of length along with hybrid power to a top-selling compact crossover will likely boost its already strong sales, or so Honda suspects. They’re probably right. The Honda CR-V is already the segment’s sales leader and the latest refresh does nothing to hurt the sound... Continue Reading →
2023 Lexus LS 500h AWD
LS = Luxury Sedan (near perfect) with hybrid system ... No car is perfect, but the luxurious full-size Lexus LS 500h sedan wants to be, and edges closer to it with each iteration. The 2023 LS (Luxury Sedan one supposes) exhibits the usual stunning styling with its big grille that is a love it or... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1987 Studebaker Avanti
Its design started on the back of an envelope during an airplane flight I love this story because it's about an American automotive manufacturer that swung for the fence to save the company, much like AMC which I've written about many times on car spots here. This 1987 Avanti I spotted one day at the... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V Diamond Jubilee Edition
The longest two-door coupe Ford ever marketed ... The Lincoln brand has always been all about luxury and this week's spot is no exception. In the late 1970s and '80s a new segment popped up, personal luxury cars and they were huge profit makers for the manufacturers and even more with specialty releases like this... Continue Reading →
2023 Toyota Crown Platinum
Sedan melds luxury, looks with AWD and hybrid efficiency ... Those who remember the 1980 AMC Eagle (primarily Boomers), will recall it was a fine-looking wagon, but stood out because it rode higher than a standard wagon due to its AWD underpinnings. AMC’s trendsetting ways were rewarded briefly, but the look has persisted. Now all... Continue Reading →