History originally published in AutoWeek December 31, 1984 Henry Payne’s Lincolnesque frame slouches in the fiberglass driver’s seat, the steering wheel down between his knees, his big hands on either side of the wood-rimmed circle. It’s odd that he should look-– or even be – so comfortable in the 904’s small and Spartan cockpit. Outside […]
1959 Deutsch-Bonnet HBR5: Frenchmen team for Panhard-powered bulbous bullet
History originally published in AutoWeek October 15, 1990 Charles Deutsch was the designer and Rene Bonnet made the engines go faster, together these two Frenchmen built cars. The cars they built were built to win races. And win races they did. A never more than semi-formal alliance that began when Bonnet started a Citroen agency […]
1993 Jaguar XJR-S: Delicious decadence
Contemporary review originally published in Road & Track Sport and GT Cars 1993 The six-cylinder XJS makes sense, but I have to admit I was relieved by Jaguar’s announcement of a special limited-edition, powered by a bigger, more powerful version of the V-12. It sounded like my kind of decadence. The XJR-S is the product […]
Cord 810 Westchester: Wurlitzer on wheels
History originally published September 7, 1984 America was a different place in the Thirties. It was a land of coal and coke, iron and steel. It was a time when motor oil was judged by where it came out of the ground. Man was muscle and sweat was honest. The throb of the foundry was […]
What’s New… Dodge Omni GLH Turbo
Contemporary review originally published in AutoWeek February 11, 1985 When I was a boy, my grandfather would stop his Chevy pickup on East Texas prairie at the telltale sign of a pair of ears above the tall dry grass. With a “Yonder, Pardner,” I’d be dispatch in pursuit, always in vain. With casual contempt, the […]
Model T speedster: Hot rod of an earlier age
History originally published in AutoWeek February 16, 1987 The crackle of the exhaust was like nothing you’ve ever heard, popping and snapping it idle, booming down the solid brass 4.0 inch diameter pipe that ran almost the length of the car. This crisp bark wasn’t the plebeian putt-poutt-putt of the Ford Model T. It certainly […]
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