driving Archives - A Career of Great Car Articles by John Matras

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…

1957 Simca Vedette Versailles: Nee Ford, Simca’s star of the 1950s

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 27, 1995; republished by the author Two of the least frequently noted developments regarding automobiles in France were…

Trouble Afoot

Feature about how I lost my driver's license (and more) due to epilepsy, originally published in AutoWeek June 26, 1995 Can I go home now?…

1949 Maserati A6/1500: Lusty little coupe became Italian firm’s benchmark car

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek January 7, 1991; republished by the author. Two years after the end of World War II, with most of…

BMW 2000Tilux: A sports car for sharing

History originally published in AutoWeek April 11, 1983 Find the roughest road you know: 40-year-old concrete, cracked, broken and rudely patched. Knife-edge ridges and holes.…

Hot Foot at Talladega: Record setting in the Saab 900

Event report riginally published in Automobile Quarterly Volume 36, Number 3; May 1997 “For my next act, I will set myself on fire.” So said…

1978 Dodge Li’l Red Truck: A red-hot hauler

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 2, 1987 Overlap, overlap, overlap, the V-8 whispers, telling secrets about its camshaft, gently rocking the truck with…

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…

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…

The Beddors’ Ruf Carrera 4 turbo EKS Porsche live up to the description “Ultimate”: A Matter of-Fact

Contemporary review/driving impressions originally published in European Car February 1993 Lettered on the rear of the white Porsche is the word “Ultimate.” Rather heady and,…

1973 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham: Gas crisis! What gas crisis?

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek December 3, 2001; republished by the author You could play tennis on the poop deck of this thing. And…

1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

1956 Lancia Arelia Spider: Simple, golden When the roll is called up yonder for great cars that no one ever thinks about anymore, surely the…

1958 Dual-Ghia 400 Prototype: This show car reached the road, but not production

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek May 5, 1995 When Eugene Casaroll, owner of Dual Motors, decided to go into the car business, he wanted…

Lamborghini Espada: Two-plus-two equals success

History originally published in AutoWeek, February 2, 1987 For the large automobile manufacturer, the launching of each new model represents a risk of manageable proportions.…

Kibler Aircar

Originally published in Automobile, February 1988 Behind John Kibler’s head is a 400-cubic-inch V-8 rescued from a 1971 Chevy Kingswood station wagon. Its roar, however,…

1933 Rolls-Royce Park Ward Coupe: Right drive, left entry

History originally published in AutoWeek June 25, 1984 Rolls-Royce has never been predisposed to produce a range of vehicles designed and priced for a variety…

1998 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4: Survival of the nifty

Contemporary review originally published in 1998 Road & Track Sports & GT Cars Not long ago car market was awash in Japanese high-performance cars and…

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…

1967-73 Saab 96 Sport & Rally: Swedes maximize potency of “stunt plane for the road”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek July 22, 1991 Eager and alert and minus only wings, tail structure and propeller, this Saab 96 resembles a…

Kaiser Darrin: In the wrong place at the wrong time

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek August 10, 1986 “Henry, this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” gushed Henry Kaiser’s new bride.…

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