History originally published in AutoWeek June 4, 1984 A little-known chapter in American automotive history began in 1958 in a small white building on the Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, grounds of Curtiss-Wright, the aeronautical firm with roots dating back to the air pioneers of America. In that building, Dr. Max Bentele and Charles Jones made America’s […]
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: What the rich folks drove while you were at sports car races
History originally published in AutoWeek September 19, 1988 It was the product of an era when the best the average man could hope for was a big cigar, a buxom blonde and a Cadillac convertible. It was, for 1958 at least, the popular conception of the signs of success, conspicuous at its conspicuously consuming best. […]
1956 Chrysler New Yorker: Styled in a flight of fancy, but the power was very real
History originally published in AutoWeek October 31, 1988 Chrysler called it “Flightswept” and although 1956 didn’t bring the ultimate in befinned automotive extravaganzas from Chrysler styling chief Virgil Exner – memories of the Chrysler Airflow were still too recent to rush into things – the trend was definitely set. Advertisements showed the cars not very […]
2005 Chevrolet Classic: You can’t buy a Classic day in paradise, but you can rent it.
Contemporary review originally published in CarBuzzard August 6, 2005 You can’t buy a Classic day in paradise, but you can rent it. You can rent a Classic day in Newark, New Jersey, too. You can rent a Classic day just about anywhere. The Chevrolet Classic is, in fact, a mainstay of the rental car business, […]
1988-89 Chevrolet Beretta GTU: One hit racetrack wonder
Originally published in Sport Compact Car March 2001 In 1988 Chevrolet went racing in the IMSA GTU class and that, simply, is the reason for the 1988-89 Chevrolet Beretta GTU. Of course, the reason Chevrolet racing is, simply enough, marketing. It certainly has paid off grandly for anyone associated with NASCAR, despite the fact that […]
1934 Brewster Ford: Beauty was more than skin deep, but not to the frame
History originally published in AutoWeek October 9, 1995 The Great Depression was no kinder to the makers of luxury automobiles than it was to most other businesses, and perhaps it was even worse. Cars are, even for the wealthy, a deferral purchase. Remarkably, the 1930s produced some of the grandest motorcars ever made, as some […]
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