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 by the Roman Consul Flaminius in 220 B.C., and along its measured stones Rome’s legions marched northward to battle the Teutonic tribes. In 1958, Lancia introduced the Flaminia Berlina, the […]
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 like a duck. For a car, that is. A sculptor name Bertoni – no relation to the Italian coachbuilder Bertone – penned the shape for Citroen’s revolutionary DS-19, saying a […]
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 stunt plane, striking in brilliant red paint, contours rounded and aerodynamic, fat tires stuffed into spat-like fenders. The analogy goes beyond external appearances: The doors are light and the interior […]
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 tangible as steel. The Asardo was Helmut Schlosser’s dream and its name an acronym of American Special Automotive Research and Development Organization. Schlosser was a naturalized American of Austrian birth […]
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 for a new car introduction, but then the car being introduced was rather unlikely. Powered by a horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder air-cooled engine and sporting peculiar shovel-nosed front end styling that could […]
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 asked the question in a magazine ad and answered it with “Find out for $3995” and a picture of the P1800 (along with a $12,500 for a Ferrari, a similarly […]
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