Originally included in Mazda RX-7 Sports Car Color History, by John Matras, published by Motorbooks International, 1994; republished by the author Just looking at the first-generation RX-7 was enough to provoke speculation about Mazda’s Rotary sportster’s appearance as a convertible. The cockpit styling of the first generation RX-7’s roofline had a break between the body […]
1989-1994 Mercury Capri XR2
History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car October 2001; republished by the author It just goes to show you how things so similar can be so different. On the surface, the Mazda Miata – introduced in the fall of ‘89 – and the 1989 Mercury Capri are very similar: two-seat sportsters powered by Mazda […]
1954 Volkswagen-Okrasa Cabrio: A rare survivor of the hot-rodded Beetles of the 50s
History originally published in AutoWeek June 19, 1989 We have become so accustomed to the radically modified VW – it approaches minor religion status in Southern California, but then what doesn’t?– that it’s easy to forget that in the 1950s the Volkswagen was just another imported car and that buying in imported car was like […]
The Sting Ray: King Corvette (1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray)
“Collectorfile” originally published in AutoWeek June 17, 1991; republished by the author What a year 1963 was for the Corvette: a new body style, including a never-before coupe version, a new frame, new front suspension, new independent rear suspension. It’s no wonder the St. Louis plant went on double shifts as sales topped 20,000 for […]
2007 Saturn Sky Red Line: Raisins in the Sky
Contemporary review originally published in CarBuzzard September 9, 2007; republished by the author Do you know what it’s like to sit down to a warm wedge of homemade apple pie like grandma used to make, if grandma was the kind of grandma that frozen pies picture on the outside of box without matching grandma’s best […]
Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder: The Spyder inside the Daytona
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek December 29, 1986 It shouldn’t have existed, the Daytona Spyder. At least it shouldn’t have been what it was. By tradition, Ferrari had usually differentiated between coupe and spyder versions of his cars. Spyders weren’t just topless versions of roofed models. They were completely different cars, sharing engine and […]
What They’re Saying