History originally published in AutoWeek September 24, 2001 Allied bombing had done its best to destroy the ability of the Third Reich to wage war. Mercedes-Benz, according to estimates made in the spring of 1945, suffered about 70 percent damage to his automobile assembly plant at Untertürkheim and 85 percent to the coachbuilding facility at […]
BMW 2000Tilux: A sports car for sharing
History originally published in AutoWeek April 11, 1983 Find the roughest road you know: 40-year-old concrete, cracked, broken and rudely patched. Knife-edge ridges and holes. A road that rattles and shakes the torque out of every nut and bolt of a normal car. Loctite and all. Drive the BMW 2000 Tilux there first. The ride […]
2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4: Om du bygger det
Contemporary review originally published in examiner.com December 2010 Om du bygger det, så kommer de. Or translating the Swedish into English, if you build it, they will come. The “it” in this case is Saab, particularly for this car review, it is the Saab 9-5. Or even more specifically, the 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4. The […]
2006 Pontiac Solstice: A solstice-tested Pontiac Solstice
Contemporary review in CarBuzzard on December 23, 2005 We indulged ourselves one afternoon. We put the top down on a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. That’s not an unusual thing to do with a roadster, but when the temperature hasn’t yet cracked 40 it’s the kind of behavior that makes one’s neighbors regard one with suspicion. At […]
1970 Opel Kadett Rallye 1.9: Imported Sizzle
History originally published in AutoWeek August 5, 2002 The Opel Kadett was advertised as the “Mini-Brute,” and one could hardly argue with the first half of the nickname. The Kadett, built by GM’s German subsidiary and imported for sale in Buick dealerships, rode on a 95.1-inch wheelbase and its front track didn’t even break 50 […]
1979-82 Fiat Strada: End of the Road
History originally published in Sport Compact Car, October 1998 The Fiat Strada arrived in the United States with considerable fanfare and a lot of press coverage. And why not? Fiat had been in this country for a long time. It’s sports cars provided Italian entertainment for those not in Ferrari or even Alfa territory, even […]
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