street legal Archives - America's Car Blog By John Matras

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…

1989-1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16: Last date

History originally published in Sport Compact Car January 2001 If looks could kill, the Peugeot 405 Mi 16 could be the love of your life.…

Sixty-Three and Counting (Mac McGrady’s Nash-Healeys)

His addiction began in 1953, explains Leonard Nelson “Mac” McGrady. As a son of an automobile dealer, McGrady had seen many cars, but when he…

1990 Saab 9000 2.3: John Matras traveled to the deep South – Talladega – to test the new engine from the far north

Contemporary review originally published in VW & Porsche and European Automobiles in August 1990 Talladega’s Turn One rises ahead like a 40-footer at the Banzai…

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…

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…

1984 Audi Sport Quattro: Ingolstad’s civilized rally car proves a “Thriller B”

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek April 26, 1993; republished by the author Audi excised 12.6 inches from the wheelbase of the standard Quattro coupe…

1985 Rotus 7: Custer takes his last stand…

Contemporary review/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek March 11, 1985 The big room is quiet on a Saturday afternoon as the December sun slants in…

1993 Jaguar XJR-S: Delicious decadence

Contemporary review originally published in Road & Track Sport and GT Cars 1993 The six-cylinder XJS makes sense, but I have to admit I was…

1976-1983 Renault 5 Le Car

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.”…

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

History/driving impressions originally published in European Car August 1995; republished by the author The first Saab to come to America, at least officially, was a…

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,…

1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek, September 3, 2001; republished by the author When the roll is called up yonder for great cars that no…

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…

The celebrated Lola T-163 of Munster, Indiana

History originally published in AutoWeek January 21, 1985 It’s madness. Adrenaline is surging like water from a big Seagraves pumper at a five-alarm fire. Scrunched…

Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF: Lancia’s great rally champion

History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek December 2, 1985 The little car growls over the upgrade, barking at the up shifts, snapping at the down,…

Oldsmobile XP-888GT: Oldsmobile’s stillborn sports car

History originally published in Automobile Quarterly Volume 36, Number 2; February 1997 Carmakers usually keep a shroud of secrecy over future products, as it’s unwise…

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…

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…

Jaguar Mk V: Cat with a hot landau roof

History/driving impressions originally published August 13, 1984 There is no better way to pave one’s own road to the automotive scrapheap of history than to…

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The celebrated Lola T-163 of Munster, Indiana

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Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale: Special Indeed

1989-1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16: Last date

Sixty-Three and Counting (Mac McGrady’s Nash-Healeys)

1990 Saab 9000 2.3: John Matras traveled to the deep South – Talladega – to test the new engine from the far north

1971-73 Plymouth Cricket: On a Sticky Wicket

1942-43 M4A3 Medium Tank: As a Yank Tank, Sherman’s strength was in numbers

1984 Audi Sport Quattro: Ingolstad’s civilized rally car proves a “Thriller B”

1985 Rotus 7: Custer takes his last stand…

1993 Jaguar XJR-S: Delicious decadence

1976-1983 Renault 5 Le Car

Saab 93B: The Saab America loved first

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

1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega: Great Expectations never realized

The celebrated Lola T-163 of Munster, Indiana

Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF: Lancia’s great rally champion

Oldsmobile XP-888GT: Oldsmobile’s stillborn sports car

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

1959 Toyopet Crown Custom: Toyota’s initial U.S. failure a lesson for later success

Jaguar Mk V: Cat with a hot landau roof

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1956 Lancia Aurelia Spyder: Simple, golden

1998 Volvo C70 Coupe and Convertible

1960 Plymouth Fury: The tale (fin) of the 1950s

1992-1994 Acura Vigor: Silent Running