“Let`s just say that Jerry Hirshberg is a real fan of Jaguar,” said Nissan USA CEO Thomas Mignanelli in 1992. The Infiniti J30 that Mignanelli was being interviewed about hailed from the opposite side of…
Posts tagged Radwood
4WEverything: Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
Mitsubishi was still a new brand in the United States when the 6th-Gen Galant was introduced for 1988. For a little while, a version of the previous Galant continued on sale alongside the new Galant…
Special Performance: Saab 900 SPG
The original Saab 900 was a darling of the Turbo era – vigorous to drive, comfy, reliable, and accessible. The 900 was so good that despite being rooted in the circa-1969 Saab 99 it still…
The Iron Mask: Tekkamen R30 Skyline
Most of the time, when people talk about classic Nissan Skylines, it’s the R32/33 GT-Rs that dominate the conversation; or possibly the 1968-72 C10 “Hakosuka” or 1972/73 “Kenmeri” GT-Rs. But Nissan built millions of Skylines…
Almost an M: 1987 BMW 535iS
The BMW 5-series first appeared in 1972, picking up the baton from the Neue Klasse sedans that had reinvented BMW in the 1960s. Like the Neue Klasse, that original 5, the E12, was also a…
The Future is Now: 1986 Mercury Sable
The 1986 Ford Taurus and it’s close sibling, the Mercury Sable, were landmark cars six year in the making, and they revolutionized Ford’s U.S. operations.
Volvo 850: Sweden’s Biggest Ever Project
It took 13 years to bring to life and ended up the most expensive project in Volvo’s history (and the most expensive in Swedish industrial history at the time) – but on June 11, 1991,…
All’s Rad: BMW 325iX
Some months ago, we looked at the BMW E30 Touring, noting that the all-wheel-drive E30 325iX was worthy of its own story – and here we are with Anthony R.’s excellent iX. 325iXs are rare,…
Japan’s Jimny JA11
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…
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…