History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek June 9, 1986 Bound in this white plastic projectile I dance on the offset pedals and coax the stubborn column shifter from gear to gear, surrounded by the peculiar note of the two-stroke triple. I brake early for the corners and then slither through the corners at full throttle, […]
Volvo P1900 1956-1957: Volvo’s first sports car
History originally published is Illustrated Volvo Buyer’s Guide (1993) by John Matras It left as quickly as it had, leaving hardly a ripple to mark its passing. Yet for an exotic Volvo, one would be hard-pressed to find a better example than the 1900. The short story of the P1900 began in 1953 when Assar […]
2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4: Om du bygger det
Contemporary review originally published in examiner.com December 2010 Om du bygger det, så kommer de. Or translating the Swedish into English, if you build it, they will come. The “it” in this case is Saab, particularly for this car review, it is the Saab 9-5. Or even more specifically, the 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4. The […]
Volvo 122-S and 123GT, Sporty Volvos: Did You Say Peppy, or Preppy?
History originally published in AutoWeek, January 9, 1984 By some strange twist of circumstances, the automobiles produced by one Swedish manufacturer have come to represent a group of people equally defined by alligators, ducks and plaids. This is, we are told, because these people respect a good value and admire the frumpy. They have therefore […]
Saab Sonett I: The open sports car the Swedes should have produced
Originally published in VW & Porsche, June 1990 The winter nights around Trollhattan are cold and long and snow is always on the ground. But, in January 1955, in a rented barn a few kilometers out of town, a group of Swedish engineers began building an open sports car. They had permission from Saab, funding, […]
What They’re Saying