Originally published in AutoWeek August 12, 1985 They don’t build elegant race cars anymore. Sophisticated lines don’t mesh with the crunch and thrust of modern racing, where equipage is carbon fibered and monocoqued and wind-tunneled and sponsor-covered and as functionally ugly an IBM PC. But it wasn’t always that way. Once upon a time one […]
Austin Princess limo: It really had all the Aminities
Originally published in AutoWeek December 26, 1983 Item: late in the evening of March 20, 1974 Princess Anne was returning to Buckingham Palace in a royal Austin Princess limousine when some disaffected Third Worlder blocked her car with his, then opened fire. It was a kidnap attempt that failed, and although the Princess (the one […]
Tom Yeager’s Trans-Am Mustang had all the right stuff
Originally published in AutoWeek on February 27, 1984. Wayne Conover bought the car for parts. As the proprietor of Conover’s Cobra Ranch, a restoration shop specializing in Shelby automobiles, he was always on the lookout for Shelby performance pieces, and the ‘66 notch back Mustang was a gold mine. Disguised, maybe, by a hideous black […]
Ginetta G4: Not a Car for the Dilettante
Originally published in AutoWeek, November 22, 1982 I look in the tiny dash-mounted rear view mirror and all I see is a grill-mounted Chevy bow-tie. To my right is a Karmann Ghia, and I’m looking up at it. In the passenger seat to my left is Allan Modney, president of Automarque in Arlington, Virginia. We’re […]
Bristol 408: Superb Performance Plus Individuality
History originally published in AutoWeek, December 27, 1982 For some, a Rolls is to ostentatious. For some, a jaguar is too common and flashy. Mercedes or BMW, too, well, German. Italian cars are simply too exotic. Even a Bentley is too obvious. For these people, however, there is Bristol. Bristol is a carmaker for a […]
MGA Twin Cam: Perfect for the Perfectionist
Originally published in AutoWeek December 13, 1982 1959 MGA Twin Cam; photos by John Matras Pity the poor MGA Twin Cam. Imagine: four years, count ‘em, four years in development, and on the market for less than two. And despite a successful record in amateur racing and even several scores in the big time, the […]
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