Willys Jeepster the first crossover? ... Everyone likes Jeeps and they were the real deal in leading the way to today’s SUVs and AWD vehicles. But did you know Jeep made a crossover, sort of? In 1948 the Jeepster debuted as a car that looked much like a Jeep/car/truck combo, with a convertible top. What... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Ixo’s 1937 Bugatti Type 57G Le Mans winner
Bugatti was racy from the get-go at Le Mans ... In the early years, a lot of competitors, and winners, in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race were from France. Many of those makes are legendary, but many also are gone. One that remains is Bugatti, now known as a super car maker... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Whitebox’s Valiant Acapulco
1960s Valiant Acapulco a simple car, no matter the year ... We all have our first car stories, but in 1963 my dad brought home our first new car, at least in my lifetime. It was a white 1963 Plymouth Valiant convertible with black soft top and red vinyl interior and a push-button automatic transmission.... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1956 Buick Centurion XP-301
Buick's 1956 concept car really did have futuristic features ... GM’s concept cars of the 1950s were showcased in traveling shows called Motorama and actually looked futuristic and in some cases included features that would show up on future cars, sometimes way into the future. One was the bright red over white Buick Centurion XP-301... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1935 Stout Scarab
1935 Stout Scarab, the first minivan ... I’ve seen two Stout Scarabs in my life, one up close and personal, one in a museum. Both were amazing. The Scarab was a minivan before anyone even thought of minivans. It’s a rounded aerodynamic bug of a car, before the world was aware of the VW Beetle,... Continue Reading →
NEO’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
Often overlooked '56 Chevy Bel Air gets its due ... Whose family didn’t own a 1950s Chevy when the entire country was seeing the U.S.A. from their Chevrolet? Our family had a green 1955 Chevy 210, the mid-level model that ultimately became the Biscayne. That car ran forever and was still an attractive hardtop (ok,... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1959 Chevy El Camino
Chevrolet's first El Camino blends car, truck ... Today the blending of cars and trucks seems natural as SUVs and crossovers have become the preferred mode of personal transportation in the United States. But in the late 1950s and early 1960s such a thought was downright odd. Ford stirred the beast first when it created the Ranchero and... Continue Reading →
Diecast: Automodello’s 1974 Bricklin SV1 Scottsdale Police
Automodello retools its Bricklin SV1, adds cop car markings ... Bricklins were unique in their day, the mid-1970s, but even more unusual were three white over blue Bricklins with sirens, a bubble gum strobe and other police gear. They were part of the Scottsdale, Ariz., police. Malcolm Bricklin basically gave the Scottsdale police the three... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: NEO’s 1932 Packard 902 Standard Eight Coupe
1932 Packard's beauty shines through in resin model ... You know you’re mature when you remember seeing Packards for sale at the corner used car lots and driving around the neighborhood, and mine was not a ritzy area. But for those of us who grew up in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Packard was still a... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Replicarz’s 1970s Indy Eagles
Indy 500 Eagles continue to fly, multiply at Replicarz ... Dan Gurney remains one of the biggest names in open-wheel racing. His Eagle race cars dominated the Indianapolis 500 and Indycar circuit in the late 1960s through much of the 1970s, but really set the establishment on its ear starting in 1972. That’s when Bobby... Continue Reading →