Suzuki’s first U.S. model (aside from some early imports to Puerto Rico) was the Samurai, aka the Jimny SJ413 – and it was an instant hit when it debuted in 1985. Just as it had…
It’s Hip to be Square: Volvo 740 & 700 Series
The Volvo 700-series profile looks sharp to this day and these cars were the epitome of the popular “boxy Volvo,” around for years a hugely successful. But the Volvo 700 series didn’t get off to the easiest start.
Saving the best for last: Volkswagen Scirocco 16V
The basic bones of the Volkswagen Scirocco were over a decade old by the time of the 16-valve version, but the 16V was definitely a case of saving the best for last. The fastest factor…
From the Forest to the Ranch: Subaru BRAT Mk1
Datsun and Toyota’s small trucks were selling like air conditioners in a heat wave. Ford and GM were getting in on the action with rebadged Isuzus and Mazdas (also sold under their own labels). Though…
Panther Lima: The NeoClassic that Could
Robert Jankel had always been a car enthusiast and restorer, but he was a fashion designer by trade until, on a trip to Spain, he was offered a princely sum for a Rolls-Royce he’d restored….
Iron Man: 1985 Toyota 4WD Pickup
These are the unmistakeable colors of eighties racing Toyotas and in particular the look of Ivan “Ironman” Stewart and his PPI (Precision Performance Inc.) offroad race trucks. The N50 Toyota Pickup (aka the Hilux) was…
Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider: Twilight of the Big Alfas
It’s an Alfa and it’s a Spider, but possibly not the one you’re used to seeing. The 1962-65 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider was Alfa’s senior droptop in the 1960s, part of the flagship 106-series 2600…
Canadian Cargo: Ford Cortina MkII GT Estate
After Ford UK’s CEO, Sir Patrick Hennessy, discovered in 1960 that Ford of Germany had been gifted an unused front-drive Detroit compact (“Project Cardinal” – the Taunus 12M), he convinced Dearborn to allow Dagenham to…
AMC and Renault’s Alliance
Word of a potential merger between FCA and Renault can’t help but evoke memories of the long ago tie-up Renault-AMC tie up; which began in 1978 as both parties were struggling in North America and…
Peak Rover: The P5B Coupe
The term “4-door Coupe” is overused today to the point of being meaningless, but for decades there was only one car that used this term and actually pulled it off. Rover’s P5 Coupe was an…
Everywhere But Here: Renault R12 Wagon
A huge global success, more than 2.5 million Renault R12s were made from 1969 to 2000 (when the last Renault Toros, a Turkish-built version, rolled off the line). Nearly 2 million more were license-built in…
Innocenti Mini: The Italian Jobs
The Minis blasting through Turin’s streets in The Italian Job were from BMC (who reportedly supplied only the bare minimum, so the production had to buy more) and shipped in from the U.K.; but Italy…