History/driving imressions originally published in AutoWeek October 20, 1986 Grand routier. It has that certain sound even on paper, without even being spoken. There can be no doubt that it is French, nor of its meaning, even for someone who doesn’t know the language and even if there is no direct translation into English. This […]
Robert Valpey’s Allard J2: The first Cad-Allard
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek September 2, 1985 When Sidney Allard introduced the Allard J2 in 1949, it was to be powered by war surplus Mercury flathead V-8s. It wasn’t a bad engine as flatheads go, producing 110 bhp and certainly better than the flathead English Ford Pivot V-8 of the J1 of 1946-47, […]
1958 Dual-Ghia 400 Prototype: This show car reached the road, but not production
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek May 5, 1995 When Eugene Casaroll, owner of Dual Motors, decided to go into the car business, he wanted to make sure his cars wound up in the hands of all the right people. He reportedly used the Social Register to screen the 100 buyers of his first Dual-Ghia, […]
MGA Coupe: A junior GT for road or track
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 27, 1987 I never quite understood why Julius Caesar wanted to conquer the British Isles. It never seemed quite worth the effort, especially when home was sunny Italy and offered all the vino you could tote to the Forum. It also never made much sense to me that […]
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 along, as comfortable as a Divine Right king in an election year and twice is safe. I am securely fastened in the passenger seat by the wide lap belt, and […]
Jaguar Mk V: Cat with a hot landau roof
History/driving impressions originally published August 13, 1984 There is no better way to pave one’s own road to the automotive scrapheap of history than to become known as purveyor of obsolescent crocks. Even in eras of high demand and sellers’ market, such as existed after World War II, it ill behooves a manufacturer to become […]
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