History originally published in Sport Compact Car November 1998; republished by the author Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Sure, Bill, but would it sell? When Renault began importing its new econobox in 1976, they use their current practice of numerical model designation and called it the “5.” A […]
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 (a) it becoming illegal to honk one’s horn in Paris except in extreme emergency and (B) Simca’s purchase of Ford of France lock, stock and manufacturing plant in 1955. Simca […]
1980 Dodge Omni 024 De Tomaso: Phony Label but Still Avant Garde
History originally published in Sport Compact Car June 1998; republished by the author It should have been no surprise that in 1978 when Chrysler introduced its first homegrown front-drive subcompacts – the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon – it would follow later in the year with a pair of two-door coupes. Called the Dodge Omni […]
1967 DAF 55
History/driving impression originally published in Sport Compact Car March 2000; republished by the author The Amsterdam Automobile Show in early 1958 was an unlikely venue for a new car introduction, but then the car being introduced was rather unlikely. Powered by a horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder air-cooled engine and sporting peculiar shovel-nosed front end styling that could […]
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, so shift points come by ear. The column-mounted lever moves with typical reluctance, shafts and levers falling into place. Up, forward and up, first gear slides into second. Down on […]
1959 Toyopet Crown Custom: Toyota’s initial U.S. failure a lesson for later success
History originally published in AutoWeek August 3, 1992 Who would have believed that Toyota, maker of the 1959 Toyopet Crown, would have become the international automotive juggernaut of today? Toyota products have been almost immovable from the upper reaches of customer satisfaction studies. In 1959 America, they were often simply immovable–except by tow truck. Toyota’s […]
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