Originally published in the 1991 Road & Track Ferrari Special. Suspicion in Maranello is that, with no automatic transmission in the Ferrari line, the market for Ferraris may be limited. Not that it should matter, some say. Those who can’t use three pedals and a shift lever aren’t Ferrari people anyway. Nevertheless, the solution proposed, […]
Bahn-bound Buick: Bulgari takes on the Bavarians in a ’70 Skylark GS-455
Originally published in AutoWeek November 26, 2001 Warning: BMWs and Mercedes drivers on the autobahn, you’re about to experience “Detroit iron” in a way you never known it before. Nicola Bulgari, third-generation scion of the Italian jewelry company that bears his family name, will soon do it to you in a Buick. In collections in […]
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. […]
Arnolt-MG: Wacky’s Small Wonder
History originally published in Sport Compact Car. February 1998 Stanley H. Arnolt Jr wasn’t a big man, but to casual acquaintances, he seemed taller than his actual five-foot-ten-inch frame, partly by his high-heeled riding boots and partly by his manner. He liked his nickname, “Wacky,” and seemed to try to live up to it in […]
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 […]
Social climber: The BMW 507 was upwardly mobile
History originally published in AutoWeek October 24, 1983 The BMW 507 is a beautiful car. It is well-proportioned, refined and visually harmonious. It is a shape of classic grace and timeless elegance. The 507, however, is more than a collection of well-drawn curves. Those who know the model know it was designed by Albrecht Goertz. […]
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