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Lotus

Rock ‘n’ roll: Mazda MX-5 Miata versus Lotus Elan

1961-1970 1981-1990 England I-4 Japan Lotus Mazda

Rock ‘n’ roll: Mazda MX-5 Miata versus Lotus Elan

Comparison review republished by the author; originally published in Motor Trend’s 1990 Sports Cars of the World They don’t make rock ‘n’ roll like they…

JmatrasApril 3, 2025

Lotus 11 Le Mans: Made for Mulsanne

1951-1960 England I-4 Lotus

Lotus 11 Le Mans: Made for Mulsanne

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 31, 1986 Tears are streaming back into my ears. The 1100cc Coventry Climax engine is bellowing angrily as…

JmatrasApril 3, 2025

Lotus 23: Choice of Champions

1961-1970 4-inline England Lotus

Lotus 23: Choice of Champions

Originally published in AutoWeek September 17, 1984 Spectators at the 1962 Nurburgring 1000 could scarcely believe their eyes. A little Lotus from the under-two-liter class…

JmatrasApril 3, 2025

Lotus 47: Hard to get in, easy to go fast

1961-1970 England I-4 Lotus

Lotus 47: Hard to get in, easy to go fast

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek November 12, 1984 Down the hill and out of the right-hand turn, down the straight. Building revs and shift.…

JmatrasApril 3, 2025

Gang of Four: Lotus Evora S meets Porsche Cayman R meets Mustang Boss 302 meets Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

2011-2020 Dodge England Ford Germany H-4 Lotus Porsche USA V-6 V-8

Gang of Four: Lotus Evora S meets Porsche Cayman R meets Mustang Boss 302 meets Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

Contemporary comparison review originally published in CarBuzzard Sept 24, 2011 No matter what anyone says, you can compare apples to oranges. And you can also…

JmatrasApril 3, 2025

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1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek, September 3, 2001; republished by the author When the roll is called up yonder for great cars that no…

1998 Volvo C70 Coupe and Convertible

1998 Volvo C70 Coupe and Convertible

Preview originally published in European car, November 1996; republished by the author coup de main: a sudden action undertaken to surprise an enemy coupe from…

1960 Plymouth Fury: The tale (fin) of the 1950s

1960 Plymouth Fury: The tale (fin) of the 1950s

History/driving impessions originally published AutoWeek September 27. 1999; republished by the author If there is a single icon for the automotive 1950s, it’s the tailfin.…

1992-1994 Acura Vigor: Silent Running

1992-1994 Acura Vigor: Silent Running

History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car, October 2000; republished by the author It’s as if Acura had tossed a stone in a pond…

Land Rover Defender 110: No doubt, the redoubtable Brit

Land Rover Defender 110: No doubt, the redoubtable Brit

No doubt, from the bottom of its 16-in. Michelin mud-and-snow tires to the top of its Paris-Moscow-Beijing Rally externally mounted rollbar, the Land Rover…

1984 Audi Sport Quattro: Ingolstad’s civilized rally car proves a “Thriller B”

1984 Audi Sport Quattro: Ingolstad’s civilized rally car proves a “Thriller B”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 26, 1993; republished by the author Audi excised 12.6 inches from the wheelbase of the standard Quattro coupe…

1969 AMC Javelin SST 290: American Motors fields pony car-era bruiser-cruiser

1969 AMC Javelin SST 290: American Motors fields pony car-era bruiser-cruiser

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 22, 1990; republished by the author Growing up in the ‘60s, you were a Ford guy, a Chevy…

Suzuki X-90: Don’t ask Y

Suzuki X-90: Don’t ask Y

Review originally published in Road & Track Truck & Van ’98 Buyer’s Guide; republished by the author It doesn’t take more than one look the…

1975 Toyota Corolla Deluxe: The first “new Beetle”

1975 Toyota Corolla Deluxe: The first “new Beetle”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 24, 1999; republished by the author Something amazing happened in 1975. For the first time in two decades,…

1968 Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale: Dancing-in-the-street version of a prototype

1968 Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale: Dancing-in-the-street version of a prototype

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek February 1, 1999; republished by the author Like a persistent back-seat driver, the 2.0-liter V8 yammers incessantly. Sucking air…

1975 Ferrari 308GT4: The new Ferrari designed for a new era

1975 Ferrari 308GT4: The new Ferrari designed for a new era

I have a secret, but I'll tell you because we're old friends and I know I can trust you. Ready? O.K. The Ferrari 308GT4 is…

Ginetta Regeneration (Ginetta G4 and G12, Ginetta G 12 and Ginetta G 32)

Ginetta Regeneration (Ginetta G4 and G12, Ginetta G 12 and Ginetta G 32)

News report originally published in Road & Track Exotic Cars Quarterly, spring 1991; republished by the author Ginetta, the tiny British firm that has been…

1976 Mazda Cosmo: A hit in Japan, but an energy-crisis miss in the States

1976 Mazda Cosmo: A hit in Japan, but an energy-crisis miss in the States

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 11, 1994; republished by the author The Mazda Cosmo should have been a runaway success. After all, it…

BMW 2002 Cabrio: Taking the lid off a beefier Bimmer

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek November 19, 1984; republished by the author Putting the top down. It’s a delight, it’s a fascination, it’s a…

The Monster: Saab goes double or nothing

The Monster: Saab goes double or nothing

History originally published in AutoWeek July 19, 1999; republished by the author It looks so innocent, like any other Saab 93 there in the Saab…

1968 Lancia Flaminia Berlina: Italy’s most luxurious sedan

1968 Lancia Flaminia Berlina: Italy’s most luxurious sedan

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek February 25, 2002; republished by the author The Via Flaminia, one of the great Roman roads, was laid down…

1963 Citroen ID-19: Smooth as cheese & crackers, but not our can of soup

1963 Citroen ID-19: Smooth as cheese & crackers, but not our can of soup

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 17, 1994; republished by author “Je me suis inspire d’un oiseau aquatique.” Well, it does look a little…

1976-1983 Renault 5 Le Car

1976-1983 Renault 5 Le Car

History originally published in Sport Compact Car November 1998; republished by the author Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”…

Special Edition’s Shogun: Here’s to crazy ideas

Special Edition’s Shogun: Here’s to crazy ideas

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 24, 2000; republished by the author “By the fifth Corona it seem like a bitchin’ idea,” Rick Titus…

1985 Maserati Quattroporte: Italian definition of a four-door makes a statement

1985 Maserati Quattroporte: Italian definition of a four-door makes a statement

History/driving impression originally published in AutoWeek November 12, 1990; republished by the author English is an efficient and purposeful language, but Italian is more exquisite…

1976 Triumph TR6: Symbolizing the twilight of the British sports car’s reign

1976 Triumph TR6: Symbolizing the twilight of the British sports car’s reign

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek July 18, 1994. The hood is narrow, much more so from the driver’s seat them when viewed from outside.…

1957 Simca Vedette Versailles: Nee Ford, Simca’s star of the 1950s

1957 Simca Vedette Versailles: Nee Ford, Simca’s star of the 1950s

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 27, 1995; republished by the author Two of the least frequently noted developments regarding automobiles in France were…

Mazda RX-7 convertible conversion, 1979-1987: Pacific Avatar and the Topless Californians

Originally included in Mazda RX-7 Sports Car Color History, by John Matras, published by Motorbooks International, 1994; republished by the author Just looking at the…

1967-73 Saab 96 Sport & Rally: Swedes maximize potency of “stunt plane for the road”

1967-73 Saab 96 Sport & Rally: Swedes maximize potency of “stunt plane for the road”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek July 22, 1991 Eager and alert and minus only wings, tail structure and propeller, this Saab 96 resembles a…

1997 Acura NSX

1997 Acura NSX

Originally published in The Complete Road & Track ’97 Car Buyer’s Guide; republished by the author Back in the mid-60’s, a serious sports car had…

1913 Zinn-Buick racer: Re-bodied Model 24 roadster lays claim to longevity

1913 Zinn-Buick racer: Re-bodied Model 24 roadster lays claim to longevity

History originally published in AutoWeek March 13, 1989; republished by the author Zinn – Eugene “Huey” Zinn, that is – doesn’t exactly spring to mind…

1980 Dodge Omni 024 De Tomaso: Phony Label but Still Avant Garde

1980 Dodge Omni 024 De Tomaso: Phony Label but Still Avant Garde

History originally published in Sport Compact Car June 1998; republished by the author It should have been no surprise that in 1978 when Chrysler introduced…

1951 Dellow Mk I: Sports car evolved from traditional British “trials” racers

1951 Dellow Mk I: Sports car evolved from traditional British “trials” racers

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek December 13, 1993; republished by the author If you can think of history as waves of rising and falling…

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

Contemporary first drive review originally published in CarBuzzard, Nov. 1. 2016 There were two things we were worried about with the new 2017 Fiat 124…

Hemi Under Glass: Sometimes a design mistake lives forever – if it’s spectacular enough to keep packin’ ’em in

Hemi Under Glass: Sometimes a design mistake lives forever – if it’s spectacular enough to keep packin’ ’em in

Feature originally published in AutoWeek, July 15, 1985; republished by the author The two drivers are buckled in and helmeted. Each cranks the giant Chevy…

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

History/driving impressions originally published in European Car August 1995; republished by the author The first Saab to come to America, at least officially, was a…

Asardo 3500 GM-S: Dream car went from ’59 N.Y. show to GM V-8 power

Asardo 3500 GM-S: Dream car went from ’59 N.Y. show to GM V-8 power

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 30, 1990; republished by the author Dreams are wisps of fantasy, but to the true believer they’re as…

1968 Lamborgini Islero: Unloved styling marked “The Forgotten Lamborghini”

1968 Lamborgini Islero: Unloved styling marked “The Forgotten Lamborghini”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 23, 1989; republished by the author The Lamborghini Islero has been called “The Forgotten Lamborghini,” which shouldn’t particularly…

1967 DAF 55

1967 DAF 55

History/driving impression originally published in Sport Compact Car March 2000; republished by the author The Amsterdam Automobile Show in early 1958 was an unlikely venue…

1995 Toyota MR2

1995 Toyota MR2

Contemporary new-car review originally published in Road & Track 1995 Buyers Guide Following is a list of affordable mid-engine sports cars: Toyota MR2. Yes, that’s…

1954 Volkswagen-Okrasa Cabrio: A rare survivor of the hot-rodded Beetles of the 50s

1954 Volkswagen-Okrasa Cabrio: A rare survivor of the hot-rodded Beetles of the 50s

History originally published in AutoWeek June 19, 1989 We have become so accustomed to the radically modified VW – it approaches minor religion status in…

The Great Volvo Sports Car: Buying the Volvo 1800 Series

The Great Volvo Sports Car: Buying the Volvo 1800 Series

History and buyer’s guide originally published in European Car in August 1993; republished by the author “What’s it like to own a $10,000 car?” Volvo…

Sixty-Three and Counting (Mac McGrady’s Nash-Healeys)

Sixty-Three and Counting (Mac McGrady’s Nash-Healeys)

His addiction began in 1953, explains Leonard Nelson “Mac” McGrady. As a son of an automobile dealer, McGrady had seen many cars, but when he…

The Sting Ray: King Corvette (1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray)

The Sting Ray: King Corvette (1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray)

“Collectorfile” originally published in AutoWeek June 17, 1991; republished by the author What a year 1963 was for the Corvette: a new body style, including…

1993 Ford Bronco: The big-selling, big ute

1993 Ford Bronco: The big-selling, big ute

Review originally published in Road & Track Sport-Utilities Pickups & Vans Buyer’s Guide 1993; republished by the author. With all the hoopla surrounding Ford’s Explorer…

1949 Maserati A6/1500: Lusty little coupe became Italian firm’s benchmark car

1949 Maserati A6/1500: Lusty little coupe became Italian firm’s benchmark car

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek January 7, 1991; republished by the author. Two years after the end of World War II, with most of…

1989-1994 Mercury Capri XR2

1989-1994 Mercury Capri XR2

History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car October 2001; republished by the author It just goes to show you how things so similar can…

1928-36 Duesenberg J/SJ: Driving Miss Doozy

1928-36 Duesenberg J/SJ: Driving Miss Doozy

History/owner’s guide (CollectorFILE) originally published in AutoWeek April 18, 1994; republished by the author “It’s a doozy.” The phrases entered the American lexicon to the…

Merkur XR4Ti: The T-Bird’s continental cousin

Merkur XR4Ti: The T-Bird’s continental cousin

History/buyer’s guide originally published in European Car, August 1996 Anyone partial to European mobiles was all the more frustrated by the new Ford Sierra XR-4i.…

2007 Saturn Sky Red Line: Raisins in the Sky

2007 Saturn Sky Red Line: Raisins in the Sky

Contemporary review originally published in CarBuzzard September 9, 2007; republished by the author Do you know what it’s like to sit down to a warm…

1960 Mazda R360

1960 Mazda R360

History originally published in Sport Compact Car October 1996; republished by the author. No matter how fine you hone your products, if the market has…

1969 Dodge Dart GTS 383: A high-water mark of straight-line performance

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…

Ferrari 250 GTO: Star-crossed racer’s day in the sun ends in the pits

Ferrari 250 GTO: Star-crossed racer’s day in the sun ends in the pits

History originally published in Road & Track Specials Ferrari 1990; republished by the author Embedded in a sandbank at the end of the Mulsanne straight…

The First Automobile Race in America: Chicago, November 28, 1895

The First Automobile Race in America: Chicago, November 28, 1895

Originally published in Automobile, February, 1991; republished by the author “As impassable as the alleys of Stamboul; as filthy and mucky as the roads of…

The De Tomaso Mangusta: The best car in the world, the worst car in the world

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…

Random Picks

Lamborghini 400GT 2+2: Simply That Good

Lamborghini 400GT 2+2: Simply That Good

Originally published in AutoWeek July 1, 1986 Smoother than prom night velvet, slicker than satin sheets, more exotic than a night in Bangkok, that’s the…

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

History/driving impressions originally published in European Car August 1995; republished by the author The first Saab to come to America, at least officially, was a…

1989 Mazda RX-7 Infini IV: The Orient Express

First published in the book, Sports Car Color History Mazda RX-7 (1994) by John Matras 1989 Mazda RX-7 Infini IV; photos by John Matras The…

1979-82 Fiat Strada: End of the Road

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…

Honda S800: Honda’s first sports coupe preceded the Prelude by 14 years

Honda S800: Honda’s first sports coupe preceded the Prelude by 14 years

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 19, 1987 Singing through traffic like haiku on wheels, we are a blur of rpm and red and…

Ford Model T sprint car: The red, white and blue roots of American racing

Ford Model T sprint car: The red, white and blue roots of American racing

History/driving impressions republished by the author; originally published in AutoWeek February 24, 1986 The front wheels are dancing over the dirt, bumping, shaking and bouncing…

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

Contemporary first drive review originally published in CarBuzzard, Nov. 1. 2016 There were two things we were worried about with the new 2017 Fiat 124…

Jackie Stewart remembers his time in a Lola T260

Jackie Stewart remembers his time in a Lola T260

History originally published in AutoWeek November 11, 1985 Jackie Stewart has the voice of the veterinarian. With aged-in-an-oak-cask Scottish brogue, he could anesthetize a horse…

Excalibur SS Series 1: In the beginning, it was a sports car

Excalibur SS Series 1: In the beginning, it was a sports car

History originally published in AutoWeek, April 6, 1985 All right, let’s have a show of hands. Who thinks that Excalibur is a sports car? Ha,…

Alfa Romeo Giulietta by Bertone: Driving the Bertone-Alfa that never was

Alfa Romeo Giulietta by Bertone: Driving the Bertone-Alfa that never was

History/driving impression originally published in AutoWeek February 13, 1986 Condensation gathered on the windshield, but the soggy mist was not enough to justify wipers. Even…

Volvo V70 Hunter Arctic Tested

Volvo V70 Hunter Arctic Tested

Review/driving impressions originally published in Road & Track’s Open Road, Spring 1997; republished by the author There isn’t much Norway north or east of here.…

Mercedes-Benz 300SL: The class of ‘54

Mercedes-Benz 300SL: The class of ‘54

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 15, 1984 At 90 mph on the sparsely traveled two-lane highway, the big Mercedes is at ease, loping…

Mazda RX-7 convertible conversion, 1979-1987: Pacific Avatar and the Topless Californians

Originally included in Mazda RX-7 Sports Car Color History, by John Matras, published by Motorbooks International, 1994; republished by the author Just looking at the…

’54 Corvette: Chevrolet’s flawed fiberglass flyer

’54 Corvette: Chevrolet’s flawed fiberglass flyer

History originally published in AutoWeek May 2, 1983 Ah, the clarity of hindsight. The perfect 20/20, read-the-union-bug-at-the-bottom-of-the-eye-chart ability to see what should have been seen,…

1928-36 Duesenberg J/SJ: Driving Miss Doozy

1928-36 Duesenberg J/SJ: Driving Miss Doozy

History/owner’s guide (CollectorFILE) originally published in AutoWeek April 18, 1994; republished by the author “It’s a doozy.” The phrases entered the American lexicon to the…

1971-73 Plymouth Cricket: On a Sticky Wicket

1971-73 Plymouth Cricket: On a Sticky Wicket

Originally published in Sport Compact Car, September, 1996 1972 Plymouth Cricket; Chrysler Corp. photos The Plymouth Cricket is largely forgotten today, but in 1971, it…

Ferrari 275 GTB/6C: The V-12 with a sound that stirs

Ferrari 275 GTB/6C: The V-12 with a sound that stirs

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek October 21, 1985 Just the sound of the starter says this is going to be something special, that high-pitched…

Boom Box or Sports Car: Nissan Pulsar NX Sportbak

Boom Box or Sports Car: Nissan Pulsar NX Sportbak

Contemporary review originally published in Corridor Today February 12, 1988 Okay, Nissan, we’re on to you. This isn’t a car. It is really the world’s…

Lotus 11 Le Mans: Made for Mulsanne

Lotus 11 Le Mans: Made for Mulsanne

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 31, 1986 Tears are streaming back into my ears. The 1100cc Coventry Climax engine is bellowing angrily as…

Model T speedster: Hot rod of an earlier age

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…

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