The Scout gets most of the ink today when people talk about International Harvester SUVs, but it actually appeared several years after the company’s first SUV, the jumbo-sized International Travelall. Yes, General Motors built an…
Rover Montego Estate: The End Of The BAe Era
When BMW bought the Rover in early 1994—a moment that has lived in infamy for many parties ever since—its German bosses were surprised to learn that the former Austin Maestro and Montego were still in…
1971 Plymouth GTX: The Heat Of The Moment
The Plymouth GTX lasted just five years as a stand-alone model, and the car was a resounding sales dud, but they were five glorious, bonkers years. The 1971 GTX seen here was the slowest seller…
Ford Escort Mark II: Project Brenda
By the summer of 1980, Ford of Europe’s Escort Mark II was starting to feel old, and the automotive world was abuzz with news of its much-anticipated front-drive successor, “Project Erika.” However, while it was…
Simca 1204: Mésaventure Américaine
Almost 2.2 million were made. It set the template for countless small cars, including legends still with us today, like the VW Golf and Honda Civic. But in the U.S., this little car is all…
Lincoln Continental Mark VI: Unlucky Numbers
Technically, it’s not the only four-door “Mark” ever made, but the 1980-83 Lincoln Continental Mark VI sedan is probably the most famously misunderstood variation of this long line. It is, of course, the brainchild of…
Fiat Barchetta: Turin’s 1990s Roadster Revival
Sadly, the ten-year run of the Fiat Barchetta coincided with a period when Fiat was notably absent from the U.S., once Turin’s primary market for sporty droptops. When Fiat Auto boss Paolo Cantarella first proposed…
Renault R6: La Régie’s Forgotten Overachiever
Practical, plebeian and cheap, the Renault R6 was a forward-thinking hatch sold in the millions but survivors are very rare today.
TaskRabbit: The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf Van
More obscure than even the early “Swallowtails,” the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf Van might be the rarest of all Mk1s, and one of the most interesting.
1987-89 Mercury Tracer: Hecho En Mexico
Sometimes a car is less significant for what it is than what it represents, and the original Mercury Tracer definitely falls into this category. Although it had a Ford sibling, the Asia-Pacific market Laser, both…
1963 Trabant 600: An Early Trabbi Becomes A Car Show Hero
The Trabant 600 was the last of the early series Trabbis and a car still competitive with Western alternatives when new, but it was built for just two years.
Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid: Saving The Best For Last
We saw this Suzuki SC100 Whizzkid almost a decade ago and haven’t seen another one in the States since, but this little car is much more famous in other countries. Built from 1978 to 1982,…