1939 Archives - America's Car Blog By John Matras

1942-43 M4A3 Medium Tank: As a Yank Tank, Sherman’s strength was in numbers

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek August 24, 1994 Five seconds. That’s how much time a GI had to exit a burning Sherman tank, if…

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,…

1989-1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16: Last date

History originally published in Sport Compact Car January 2001 If looks could kill, the Peugeot 405 Mi 16 could be the love of your life.…

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…

1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS-6: Heavy breathing in the aviary

Cars 1996 Contemporary review originally published in Road & Track Sports & GT 1996 We know, as you do, that the pony car concept is…

1969 Dodge Dart GTS 383: A high-water mark of straight-line performance

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek January 15, 1990; republished by the author Crank the steering wheel around at least a couple of times, gingerly…

1984 Lamborghini Jalpa P350: Mimran had a little Lambo

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek August 12, 1996 Ain’t no substitute for cubic inches. No matter how many camshafts you have, adding cubes is…

1976 Lancia Scorpion: In Search of a Stinger

Originally published in European Car, August 1994 1976 Lancia Beta Scorpion, photos by John Matras What a concept. The country that gave us the Fiat…

Jackie Stewart remembers his time in a Lola T260

History originally published in AutoWeek November 11, 1985 Jackie Stewart has the voice of the veterinarian. With aged-in-an-oak-cask Scottish brogue, he could anesthetize a horse…

MGA Coupe: A junior GT for road or track

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 27, 1987 I never quite understood why Julius Caesar wanted to conquer the British Isles. It never seemed…

1978 Dodge Warlock: Playing with Adult Toys

History originally published in AutoWeek October 29, 1978 Dodge advertised “Adult Toys” in the late 70s. To Dodge dealers, this meant trucks: 4x4 Ramcharger SUVs…

Callaway’s LM—as in “Le Mans”

News report originally published in Car and Driver October 1995 Here’s the deal—bring an LT1 Corvette and at least $80,000 to Old Lyme, Connecticut, and…

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…

1998 Honda Prelude Type SH: Pulling its weight in style

Road test originally published in Road & Track Sports & GT Cars 1998 “It is one thing to show a man that he is in…

2005 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG: The fast and the seniorious

Review originally published in CarBuzzard 2005 One would like to think that the Mercedes-Benz AMG C55 is the fast and the furious for grownups. Sorta…

Driving the new Maserati Biturbo

Originally published in AutoWeek, January 3, 1983 There are two Maserati Biturbos in the country, and AutoWeek has just driven one of them. It was…

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

Contemporary first drive review originally published in CarBuzzard, Nov. 1. 2016 There were two things we were worried about with the new 2017 Fiat 124…

Datsun 2000: An English sports car from Yokohama-on-Thames

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 17, 1986 One of the best traditional British sports cars was the Datsun 2000 Sports. British, perhaps, as…

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…

Jaguar Mk V: Cat with a hot landau roof

History/driving impressions originally published August 13, 1984 There is no better way to pave one’s own road to the automotive scrapheap of history than to…

1939

1939 BMW 321: From bureaucrat to burgher, the war changed many things

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1942-43 M4A3 Medium Tank: As a Yank Tank, Sherman’s strength was in numbers

Saab Sonett I: The open sports car the Swedes should have produced

1989-1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16: Last date

Tom Yeager’s Trans-Am Mustang had all the right stuff

1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS-6: Heavy breathing in the aviary

1969 Dodge Dart GTS 383: A high-water mark of straight-line performance

1984 Lamborghini Jalpa P350: Mimran had a little Lambo

1976 Lancia Scorpion: In Search of a Stinger

Jackie Stewart remembers his time in a Lola T260

MGA Coupe: A junior GT for road or track

1978 Dodge Warlock: Playing with Adult Toys

Callaway’s LM—as in “Le Mans”

2005 Chevrolet Classic: You can’t buy a Classic day in paradise, but you can rent it.

1998 Honda Prelude Type SH: Pulling its weight in style

2005 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG: The fast and the seniorious

Driving the new Maserati Biturbo

2017 Fiat 124 Spider Lusso quick drive review: Mostly familiar but different

Datsun 2000: An English sports car from Yokohama-on-Thames

Austin Princess limo: It really had all the Aminities

Jaguar Mk V: Cat with a hot landau roof

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