Road test originally published in Road & Track Sports & GT Cars 1998 “It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.” – John Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, 1690 The Big Lie: Front-wheel drive is better for handling because it […]
Carina! Carina! 1972-73 Toyota Carina
History originally published in Sport Compact Car March 1996 Carina. For most it’s not a name that sparks instant recognition. Those who had one in the family will know it. Others may make the Corolla-Corona-Celica connection and recognize it as a Toyota. But few will be able to fix it in the model lineup or […]
1999 Isuzu VehiCross: Going far out
Contemporary test originally published in Road & Track’s Open Road Winter 1998/1999\ Keep the lava field but draw in a chromium bikini-clad warrior woman toting a laser gun set to stun. By all rights, illustrations accompanying this article should not be photographs but cartoons. Not Roger Rabbit, but the futuristic bizarre world of Japanimation. That’s […]
1998 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4: Survival of the nifty
Contemporary review originally published in 1998 Road & Track Sports & GT Cars Not long ago car market was awash in Japanese high-performance cars and coupes. Buoyed by Japan’s bubble economy, it was a sine qua non for that country’s carmakers to have a high-powered 2-seat or 2+2 flagship to carry its corporate honor. But […]
1959 Toyopet Crown Custom: Toyota’s initial U.S. failure a lesson for later success
History originally published in AutoWeek August 3, 1992 Who would have believed that Toyota, maker of the 1959 Toyopet Crown, would have become the international automotive juggernaut of today? Toyota products have been almost immovable from the upper reaches of customer satisfaction studies. In 1959 America, they were often simply immovable–except by tow truck. Toyota’s […]
Subaru Streega: Could this be the next stage in car-based SUVs?
Concept drive originally published in Open Road, Summer 1996 As a matter of history, the first Subaru with four-wheel drive was based on the company’s 1300G commercial station wagon, requested in 1971 by the Tohuku Electric Power Company for winter maintenance work. Only 20 were made, but they worked so well civilian models came the […]
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