E.L. Cord Archives - America's Car Blog By John Matras

1950 Saab 92: Simple two-stroke served as bridge from aircraft to cars

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek August 23, 1993 Whirring like an Evinrude, the little Saab gathers up velocity hand over hand. There’s no tachometer,…

The De Tomaso Mangusta: The best car in the world, the worst car in the world

History/driving impressions originally published AutoWeek October 26, 1988; republished by the author The De Tomaso Mangusta. All the visual impact of the wrong end of…

Innocents Abroad: Phil Stiles and George Schrafft and the Crosley Le Mans

History originally published in Automobile Magazine, June 1993 No one had expected this much of the first timers at Le Mans, not even the entrants…

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 Today’s Jeep Still a Jeep? The 1991 Jeep Wrangler doesn’t forget 1941 Jeep MB war vet ancestor. That’s good and bad.

Contemporary review/history originally published in AutoWeek April 22, 1991 So the Jeep is 50 years old. For a motor vehicle, or for just about anything…

1985 Maserati Quattroporte: Italian definition of a four-door makes a statement

History/driving impression originally published in AutoWeek November 12, 1990; republished by the author English is an efficient and purposeful language, but Italian is more exquisite…

Singer Roadster: The Last Aria of a Dying Diva

Originally published in AutoWeek in August 8, 1983. It must’ve been rather bleak at Singer Motors as 1956 approached. The Birmingham firm predated the automobile…

Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale: Special Indeed

Originally published in Autoweek, September 13, 1982 Walk around the car. Watch the light work on it, cascade over the body like the ripples of…

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…

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…

Volvo 122-S and 123GT, Sporty Volvos: Did You Say Peppy, or Preppy?

History originally published in AutoWeek, January 9, 1984 By some strange twist of circumstances, the automobiles produced by one Swedish manufacturer have come to represent…

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,…

1971-73 Plymouth Cricket: On a Sticky Wicket

Originally published in Sport Compact Car, September, 1996 1972 Plymouth Cricket; Chrysler Corp. photos The Plymouth Cricket is largely forgotten today, but in 1971, it…

1965 Matra-Bonnet Djet: The first mid-engine production car

Originally published in AutoWeek, April 25, 1988. 1965 Matra-Bonnet Djet, photos by John Matras. Europa. Miura. Manguta. Dino. Stratos. Pantera. Countach. Boxer. Bora. Esprit. M1.…

1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429: Riding the Shotgun

Originally published in AutoWeek 1July 19, 1982 The engine has nicknames. The Blue Racer. The Semi-Hemi. The Blue Crescent. Ford’s Porcupine. But one seem to…

1997 Acura NSX

Originally published in The Complete Road & Track ’97 Car Buyer’s Guide; republished by the author Back in the mid-60’s, a serious sports car had…

Is the 2016 Buick Avista concept the next Pontiac Firebird?

News report originally published in CarBuzzard on January 15, 2016 If Hal Needham made a movie with the Buick Avista in a starring role—a Smokey…

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…

Maserati Ghibli Spider: Driving under the Influence.

Originally published in AutoWeek October 18, 1982 Maserati Ghibli Spider, photos by John Matras. Summer nights are special magic, a sorcery that suspends time and…

1992-1996 Mazda MX-3 GS: Do the math

History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car February 2002 Do the math. MX-5 plus RX-7 divided by two equals MX-3. Well, the Mazda MX-3…

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1950 Saab 92: Simple two-stroke served as bridge from aircraft to cars

The De Tomaso Mangusta: The best car in the world, the worst car in the world

Innocents Abroad: Phil Stiles and George Schrafft and the Crosley Le Mans

Ferrari 250 GTO: Star-crossed racer’s day in the sun ends in the pits

Is Today’s Jeep Still a Jeep? The 1991 Jeep Wrangler doesn’t forget 1941 Jeep MB war vet ancestor. That’s good and bad.

1985 Maserati Quattroporte: Italian definition of a four-door makes a statement

Singer Roadster: The Last Aria of a Dying Diva

Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale: Special Indeed

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

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

Volvo 122-S and 123GT, Sporty Volvos: Did You Say Peppy, or Preppy?

Kibler Aircar

1971-73 Plymouth Cricket: On a Sticky Wicket

1965 Matra-Bonnet Djet: The first mid-engine production car

1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429: Riding the Shotgun

1997 Acura NSX

Is the 2016 Buick Avista concept the next Pontiac Firebird?

MGA Coupe: A junior GT for road or track

Maserati Ghibli Spider: Driving under the Influence.

1992-1996 Mazda MX-3 GS: Do the math

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