Cab-forward in a small package In the late 90s, Chrysler had hit a home run with its revolutionary cab-forward designs. The LH platform cars, the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid, and Eagle Vision were considered way ahead of their time. That same concept also came in a smaller package, the Neon, and... Continue Reading →
Car Spot: Classic CJ-7
One of the many AMC cars found in my driveway growing up ,,, For those of you that don't follow this blog regularly, I have a fondness for the vehicles built by American Motors, mostly because my dad worked for the company from 1963 to 1989. 1970 was a special year because AMC swung for... Continue Reading →
So that’s a Matador
AMC’s entry into the personal luxury market. American Motors almost always had to swing for the fence when it came to introducing new products because they didn’t have the big budgets to work with like GM, Ford, and Chrysler did. The same went for their marketing. Enter the second generation Matador in 1974 and with... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Auto World 1977 Dodge Warlock
Blingy Warlock pickup stirred our love of custom trucks ... I have to admit that when I heard Auto World was releasing the 1977 Dodge Warlock I was confused. I’d never heard of it, and I pride myself in being a pretty heady car guy. Of course, it’s a truck. Still, in 1977 I was... Continue Reading →
Die-cast: Autoart’s 2017 Dodge Viper GTS-R ACR
Striking Viper GTS-R ACR is a 'super' car, in scale ... I consider myself lucky that as part of my gig of driving and reviewing new cars for newspapers and websites I’ve crushed the gas pedal on several Dodge Vipers, but not the Viper GTS-R ACR. That’s the racy version that put the cap on... Continue Reading →
Diecast: NEO’s 1956 DeSoto Firedome
Pink DeSoto Firedome will light up a display case … Pink was a hot color in the 1950s. Think Florida, think flamingos, think the Latin influence of Cuba and Desi and Lucy. Two-tone cars also were all the rage as the nation climbed out of the gloomy war years into the bustling 1950s. So, a... 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 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 →
Die-cast: BoS-Models 1957 Imperial Crown Southampton
Imperial Crown Southampton: When styling still mattered ... As a kid I, like many folks at the time, liked cars with jet-like fins. Plus I’ve always been a sucker for the cool fake spare tire molded into the trunk lid. So Imperials, Chrysler’s luxury brand, were, and are, a favorite. Few Imperials were more impressive... Continue Reading →
2017 Toyota Corolla XSE
Toyota Corolla still running strong 50 years on ... Like Energizer’s bunny, Toyota’s Corolla just keeps on running through the generations and has succeeded like no other car model. It’s now 50-year run has resulted in more than 40 million Corollas being sold, most of any model. That’s more than the VW Beetle, the other... Continue Reading →