History originally published in Road & Track Specials Ferrari 1990; republished by the author Embedded in a sandbank at the end of the Mulsanne straight is a hell of a way to start a 24-hour race, particularly a Ferrari team car with the second-fastest time in qualifying and a real chance at an overall win. […]
1969 Dodge Dart GTS 383: A high-water mark of straight-line performance
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek January 15, 1990; republished by the author Crank the steering wheel around at least a couple of times, gingerly let out the heavy clutch and edge up the revs just a bit. The big V-8 chuffles and the car edges forward and around, out onto the narrow two-lane blacktop […]
The De Tomaso Mangusta: The best car in the world, the worst car in the world
History/driving impressions originally published AutoWeek October 26, 1988; republished by the author The De Tomaso Mangusta. All the visual impact of the wrong end of Dirty Harry’s gun. Organic as a cat, fluid as a crayon on the sidewalk on August 15. Slick in the dorsal region and thick in the haunches. Colored Revlon’s best […]
BMW “Batmobile” 3.0 CSL: Lapping Lime Rock in a LeMans-winning race car
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek June 22, 1987; republished by the author. BMW “Batmobile” 3.0 CSL driven by Richard Conway, photo by John Matras The public address system blares as Richard Conway finishes strapping me into his car. I am about to drive a few laps at the BMW Vintage Fall Festival at Lime […]
Volkswagen Corrado G60 and SLC: The short run of a German sprinter
History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car, August 1999 Volkswagen called it the Corrado, allegedly from the Spanish correr, to sprint or run. And the new coupe, having its debut in the fall of 1989 as a 1990 model, had the no waste, and just put the leftovers in the trash bin. It followed […]
Henry’s Revolution: The Model T put the nation on wheels and changed it forever
Originally published in Motor Trend Presents 100 years of the Automobile in America (1995); republished by the author Henry Ford stands with the Model T Set the handbrake, open the throttle lever slightly, set the ignition timing lever at “full retard,” and close the carburetor choke by pulling a wire protruding through the radiator. Then, […]
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