History originally published in the Illustrated Volvo Buyer’s Guide, 1983, by John Matras; republished by the author The 1983 Volvo Limited Edition 240 Turbo is called the “Flat Hood” because it has a flat hood. If politics makes strange bedfellows – keep your prurient thoughts to yourself – then racing makes unusual variants available to […]
‘57 Ford Stocker: NASCAR veteran runs again
History/track driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek November 13, 1986; republished by the author I pulled a knob on the dash turn on the ignition and pressed a button where the lighter had been to crank the starter. The engine fired with a blagga, blagga, blagga that echoed in my helmet like a headache remedy […]
1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega: Great Expectations never realized
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek January 19, 1987 Oft expectation fails, and most oft there where it most promises. –William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well How odd that the Bard of Avon, writing at the beginning of the 17th century, should so aptly describe the 1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega. Expectations great and otherwise […]
1927 Volvo PV4: The first boxy Volvo
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 1, 2002 Volvo’s first sedan was immediately disowned by Helmer MasOlle. The landscape and portrait painter – and car enthusiast – had indeed designed a prototype sedan and its touring car counterpart. He gladly took credit for the open torpedo-bodied ÖV4, bearing strong resemblance to a Voisin he […]
2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition: Diesel racer
Review originally published in Examiner.com May 2010 Race on Sunday, sell on Monday. That’s been the motto of many auto manufacturers since the dawn of the automotive age. In fact, the first car race in the United States, in 1895, was staged to encourage domestic manufacture of automobiles. It’s no surprise, then, that Volkswagen took […]
2005 Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG: The fast and the seniorious
Review originally published in CarBuzzard 2005 One would like to think that the Mercedes-Benz AMG C55 is the fast and the furious for grownups. Sorta grownups, anyway, but with that corner office, a couple of kids in private school and a feeling that it’s really somewhat gauche to pull in to the lacrosse field parking […]
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