“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 […]
Merkur XR4Ti: The T-Bird’s continental cousin
History/buyer’s guide originally published in European Car, August 1996 Anyone partial to European mobiles was all the more frustrated by the new Ford Sierra XR-4i. The Sierra debuted in 1983, replacing the Cortina and Taunus , and the XR-4i was its high-performance variant. Reports filtered back to the states about the fast and funky new […]
1960 Mazda R360
History originally published in Sport Compact Car October 1996; republished by the author. No matter how fine you hone your products, if the market has moved on to something else, you’re dead. The best widgets in the world are useless if they been replaced by framuses. That was the dilemma facing Toyo Kogyo , as […]
Ferrari 250 GTO: Star-crossed racer’s day in the sun ends in the pits
History originally published in Road & Track Specials Ferrari 1990; republished by the author Embedded in a sandbank at the end of the Mulsanne straight is a hell of a way to start a 24-hour race, particularly a Ferrari team car with the second-fastest time in qualifying and a real chance at an overall win. […]
BMW “Batmobile” 3.0 CSL: Lapping Lime Rock in a LeMans-winning race car
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek June 22, 1987; republished by the author. BMW “Batmobile” 3.0 CSL driven by Richard Conway, photo by John Matras The public address system blares as Richard Conway finishes strapping me into his car. I am about to drive a few laps at the BMW Vintage Fall Festival at Lime […]
Volkswagen Corrado G60 and SLC: The short run of a German sprinter
History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car, August 1999 Volkswagen called it the Corrado, allegedly from the Spanish correr, to sprint or run. And the new coupe, having its debut in the fall of 1989 as a 1990 model, had the no waste, and just put the leftovers in the trash bin. It followed […]
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