Alfa Romeo                                                                                                          

1975 Alfetta GT/GTV Coupe

1991 Alfa Romeo 164

Allard

1954 Allard K2 (outtake)

American Motors (incl. Nash; but not Jeep)                       

1957 Metropolitan

*1961 Rambler Classic Cross Country

1964 Rambler Classic 770 Coupe

1968 Rambler American

1971 AMC Gremlin (1971 Small Car Comparison)

1975 AMC Pacer X

British Motors/BLM/Austin/Morris/Triumph/Rover/Sterling/Etc.

1951 Austin A40 Devon

1967 MGB-GT

1971 Mini

1987 Sterling 825 SL (Rover 825i)

1973 Triumph TR-6

BMW                                                                   

1964 BMW 1800

1972 BMW 2002Tii – The Second Most Influential Modern Car In America

1985 BMW 635CSi

Buick

1956 Buick Century Riviera Hardtop

1964 Buick Riviera

1967 Buick Electra 225: The Jayne Mansfield Of Convertibles

1968 Buick Riviera

1972 Buick “Boattail” Riviera

1986 Buick Riviera: GM’s Deadly Sin #1

1990 Buick Roadmaster Woody Wagon (Outtake)

Cadillac

1950 Cadillac Vintage Hot Rod Series 61 Coupe (the official CC Logo-mobile)

1954 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan: GM’s Greatest Hit #2

1962 Cadillac Series 62 Six-Window Sedan

1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Outtake)

1970 Cadillac Hearse

1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (the first CC)

1977 Seville – GM’s Deadly Sin #11

1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Classic Coupe

Cimarron: GM’s Deadly Sin #10

Checker

1967 Checker Marathon (also Checker Motors History)

Chevrolet                                                              

1959 Chevrolet Biscayne

1960 Chevrolet Impala

1962 Corvette – The Marilyn Monroe Of Cars [NSFW]

1965 Corvair Monza: The Best European Car Ever Made In America

1967 Chevrolet El Camino (Outtake)

1968 Camaro

1968 Chevrolet Impala Coupe (with Olds 455 engine)

1970 Camaro RS: GM’s Greatest Hits #1

1970 Chevrolet Impala: The Best Big Car Of Its Time

1971 Chevrolet Vega: GM’s Deadly Sin #2 (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)

1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic: GM’s Deadly Sin #7

1976 Chevrolet Nova Coupe

1979 Caprice Classic: GM’s Greatest Hit #3

1979 Chevrolet Malibu Coupe

1980 Citation – GM’s Deadliest Sin Ever

1987 Turbo Sprint (Suzuki Cultus)

1989 Camaro RS: GM’s Deadly Sin #6

1990 Corvette: GM’s Deadly Sin #9

1990 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ (Outtake)

2000 & 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Coupes (Outtake)

Chevrolet Trucks                                                       

1950 Chevrolet COE truck (Outtake)

1951 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup

1964 Chevrolet Suburban

1967 Chevrolet C20 Pickup

1970 Chevrolet Suburban C10

1980 Chevy Vanup (Outtake)

1977 Chevy LUV Long Bed Pickup (Outtake)

1983 Chevy S-10 Blazer: GM’s Deadly Sin #5

Chrysler/Imperial

1960 Imperial Crown Southampton: The Frankenstein Of Cars

1965 Chrysler New Yorker

1965 Chrysler Newport Coupe

1974 Imperial LeBaron Coupe

1985 Chrysler New Yorker

1987 Fifth Avenue Edition – Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #2

Cisitalia

1946 Cisistalia 202GT (MoMA)

Citroen

Citroen Ami 8

Citroen 2CV Hoffman Cabriolet

Citroen H Van

Daihatsu

1989 Daihatsu Charade

Datsun/Nissan

The First Mini-Pickups: Datsun’s 1964, 1967 and 1969 Pickups

1970 Datsun 510 (Bluebird/1600)

The Revolutionary 1971 Datsun 240Z

1976 Datsun 710 Wagon (Outtake)

1977 Datsun 810

1977 Datsun F-10: The Ugliest Car Ever?

1978 Datsun 310GX (Outtake)

1980 Datsun 210 Wagon (Sunny)

1984 Nissan 300 ZX Turbo

Nissan Pulsars (gen1 & gen2)

1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon (Prairie)

1989 Nissan Pao

1989 Nissan 240SX (S13) and Silvia/SX History

1990 Infiniti M30 Coupe (Outtake)

Infiniti Q45 gen1 & gen2 (Outtake)

Dodge  

1948 Dodge (Outtake)

1974 Dodge D-100 “Gypsy Wagon” Camper

Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #1: 1976 Plymouth Volare And Dodge Aspen

1976 Dodge Royal Monaco Coupe

1978 Dodge Omni (and Plymouth Horizon): Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car

1981 Dodge Challenger

1982 Dodge Rampage mini-pickup

1983 Dodge Aries (The Original K-Car)

1984 Dodge Caravan

1985 Dodge Ram Van (Caravan C/V) (Outtake)

1986 Dodge Daytona

1986 Dodge 600ES Convertible

Fiat 

1972 Fiat 850

Ford

1950 Hot Rod Ford: A True Love Story

1956 Ford (UK) Consul II

1958 Ford Thunderbird

1959 Ford Courier Wagon

1961 Thunderbird Convertible – The American Dream Car

1962 Ford Fairlane

1964 Ford “Police Car”

1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Coupe (Outtake)

1965 Mustang six

1966 Galaxie 500 7-Litre

1971 Ford Galaxie 500

1971 Ford Pinto (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)

1973 Mustang Mach 1

1975 Mustang Cobra II-Ford’s Deadly Sin #1

1978 Ford Fiesta

1984 Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer

1985 Ford EXP: Ford’s Ugly Little Sin

1986 Ford Tempo: A Deadly Sin? Mostly

1989 Ford Festiva – Shitbox Shootout Loser (Winner)

1995 Ford ZX2 With Lambo Doors (Outtake)

Ford Trucks

The Ultimate CC: 1956 Ford F-350 Still Hard At Work Six Days A Week

1960 Ford F-600 Truck Also Still Hard At Work

1963 Econoline Pickup

1965 Econoline SuperVan Camper

1984 Bronco II

Geo

1990 Geo Metro Convertible

GMC & GM Coach

1947 PD-3751 Greyhound Bus “Silversides” – The First Modern Diesel Bus

1956 GMC 300 Truck (Outtake)

1965 GMC Handi-Van

GMC TDH-4523 “New Look” Transit Bus

Grumman

1983 Grumman KubVan

Honda

1963 Honda T360/T500 trucks (history)

1970 Honda 600

1973 Honda Civic – The Revolutionary Small Car

1976 Honda Accord: The Most Influential Modern Car In America

1980-1983 Civics – When Honda’s Mojo Was Working

1981 Honda Prelude

1985 Honda Civic CR-X (Outtake)

Hyundai

1988 Hyundai Excel – The Damn Near Deadly Sin

International

1963 International Scout 80

1964 International Travelette Pickup

Isuzu   

1982 Isuzu I-Mark Diesel

1983 Isuzu Trooper II

Jaguar

1973 Jaguar XJ12

1975 Jaguar XJC V12 Coupe

Jeep

1945 Willys Jeep MB

Jeep Gladiator pickups

1987 Wagoneer (XJ) Outtake

Jensen

1973 Jensen-Healey

Kia  

gen1 Kia Sportage shorty (Outtake)

LaForza

1989 Laforza 5 Liter (Outtake)

Lincoln/Continental

An Illustrated History of Lincoln Up To 1961

1946 Lincoln Continental Coupe

1965 Lincoln Continental

1968 Lincoln Continental (Outtake)

1970 Lincoln Continental Coupe

1973 Continental Mark IV

1977 Lincoln Town Car

1977  Lincoln Versailles

1985 Lincoln Town Car

1986  Lincoln Continental

1989 Lincoln Mark VII

Lincoln Mark VIII

Lincoln Mark VIII (Outtake)

Mack  

Mack B77 (Outtake)

Mazda

1983 Mazda RX-7

2000 Mazda 626 (Outtakeke)

Mercedes         

1965 Mercedes 220S (W111)

1966 Mercedes 250S (W108)

1977 Mecedes 24oD (W123)

Mercedes 207D and other older Mercedes Vans/Small Buses

Mercury

1960 Comet

1968 Cougar – Mercury’s Greatest (only) Hit

1970 Marauder X-100

1970 Mercury Montego Coupe (Outtake)

1978 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham

Steam Injected 1978 Mercury Bobcat

Ford’s Sin of Name Debasement: 1981 Mercury Cougar

Military Vehicles (no brand name)

M37 Military Truck (Outtake)

Mitsubishi 

1986 Mitsubishi Cordia

1987 Mitsubishi VanUp

1987 Mitsubishi Precis (Outtake)

1992 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Oldsmobile  

1951 Oldsmobile Super 88

1959 Oldsmobile Super 88

1963 Olds Dynamic 88 Convertible

1968 Oldsmobile 442

1985 Olds Toronado

Opel

1971 Opel Manta (Outtake)

1974 Opel Manta

Packard

1946 Packard Clipper Super

1951 Packard 200

Panhard

Panhard Dyna Junior X-87 Roadster

Plymouth

1936 Plymouth

1951 Plymouth Cranbrook

1958 Plymouth Savoy

1965 Plymouth Valiant Wagon: The Ultimate A-Body – Daily Long-Distance Driver

1966 Plymouth Barracuda

1970 Plymouth Duster 340

1972 Plymouth Fury Suburban

1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)

1978 Plymouth Horizon: Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car

1983 Plymouth Colt & 198o Champ

Pontiac

1963 Tempest LeMans: Pontiac Tries To Build A BMW Before BMW Built Theirs And Almost Succeeds

1963 Pontiac Catalina: The Sexiest Big Car Of Its Time

1969 Pontiac Grand Prix

1965 Pontiac Le Mans Coupe

1971 Pontiac Ventura II: GM’s Deadly Sin #3

1976 Pontiac Firebird (Outtake)

1979 Firebird Trans Am

1984 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham: GM’s Deadly Sin #8

Pontiac Transvertible and Trans Sport

1987 Sunbird GT: The Exciting Collectable Deadly Sin

1988 Pontiac Safari

1990 Le Mans (Daewoo) GM’s Deadly Sin #12

Porsche

1958 Porsche 356A

1978 Porsche 928 (Outtake)

Porsche 944 (Outtake)

Renault

Renault R4

Renault R-17 (Outtake)

Saab

1968 Saab 96

1969 Saab 99

1970 Saab 95 Wagon

Saturn

1991 Saturn SL2: GM’s Deadly Sin #4

Simca

1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)

Studebaker

1961 Studebaker Lark VI

1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

Subaru

1977 Subaru Four Wheel Drive Wagon: The First Of Its Kind

1992 Subaru SVX

Subaru Legacy Wagon (Outtake)

Sunbeam

1965 Sunbeam Tiger – The Other Cobra

Suzuki  

1979 Suzuki Jimny (LJ80/SJ20) Pickup

Suzuki Samurai (Outtake)

Suzuki X-90 (Outtake)

Toyota

1965 FJ40 Land Cruiser

1971 Toyota Corolla (1971 Small Car Comparison)

1974 Toyota Celica Coupe

1975 Toyota Hilux Pickup

1976 Toyota Corolla Liftback (editorial)

1980 Toyota Celica Supra Mk I

1983 Toyota Starlet: The Most Reliable Car Ever Built?

1984 Toyota Celica Supra Mk II

1984 Toyota Tercel Wagon

1985 Toyota Corolla EA86 GT-S

1986 Toyota Camry

1987 Toyota Supra Mk III

1990 Toyota Camry LE V6

2001 Toyota Prius

1993 Toyota T-100

gen1 Rav4 shorty (Outtake)

JDM Toyota Hi-Ace 4×4 Van

Vauxhall

1966 (Vauxhall) Envoy Epic (guest writer)

Volkswagen

1957 Volkswagen 1200

1960 VW Bus (Type 2) Westfalia

VW Beetle Shorty Pickup

1969 VW Type 3 1600 Fastback

1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle (Small Car Comparison)

1972 VW Super Beetle Cabriolet (Outtake)

1973 VW Type 181 “Thing”

1974 VW 412: Volkswagen’s Deadly Sin #1

1975 VW Rabbit/Golf Mk.I: The Most Influential Modern Global Car

1978 VW Dasher/Passat

Volvo

1965 Volvo 122S

1968 Volvo 142 S

RVs

Ultra Van: Cross An Airplane With A Corvair For The Ultimate RV

1985 Winnebago LeSharo Turbo Diesel

Concours

The Curbside Classic Treasure Hunt: Skinner Butte District

The Curbside Classic Graveyard: May They Rust In Peace

The Official Curbside Classic Sales Lot: All $895 Or Less

Holiday Market: Eighty Parking Lot Curbside Classics

Wal Mart Concours

Miscellaneous: 

Art Car #1

Human Powered RV (Outtake)

You don’t need TTAC to tell you what’s new at this year’s Paris auto show. If you want the re-hashed-yet-excited PR-based bits about the newest 515 HP sports car concept, or if you want to hear about which electric cars VW will maybe/probably/possibly introduce in 2014, and how great they already are at this very moment, then you probably know where to go.

Yet there is, undoubtedly, plenty of stuff from Paris worth writing about. For any car nut, the place is a Xanadu. Especially for me personally, when the opportunity presented itself to see the Paris show with one of my very favorite automotive writers (and I’m not just saying that because he’s the boss’ father), Paul Niedermeyer. Here’s an (edited, because you don’t want to spend the next three hours reading this), highly subjective conversation between two car fans. – Martin Schwoerer (Read More…)

What exactly is it that magnetically stops us in our tracks to look at a junky old car sitting at the curb and ponder it? Yes, it might unleash a treasured or long-forgotten memory of our youth. Or it might dredge up experiences we’d just as soon forget. But for most of us, there are only so many cars that afforded us memories of happily spilling our bodily fluids within or that spewed its hot fluids in our faces. In the bigger picture, since old cars aren’t exactly fossils or butterflies, they tell the highly variable story of the humans that created them: that rare spark of true brilliance, or the flights of imagination, for better or for worse. But all too often, it’s really schadenfreude. Yes, there are few things guaranteed to make one feel better about one’s own foolish mistakes and shortcomings than to chortle at someone else’s.  And today, I’m going to need a really big helping of schadenfreude if it’s going to keep me from slipping into empathy for this car. Because the truth be told, we’ve all built our own personal Cimarrons. Or at least come mighty close to it. (Read More…)

Transitions are almost never easy, and leaving TTAC and Curbside Classics is downright painful. But for a number of reasons, that’s what needs to happen right now. Two of them are in the picture above. (Read More…)

You wake despite the hope that you would never awake, that it was all just a bad dream. But you know she’s there in the bed next to you. In the early gray light of morning, your bleary eyes reluctantly open and fall on her mottled and pallid white skin. She seemed so hot and glamorous last night, in the sparkly beams of light on the dance floor at the Rockin’ Rodeo. Everyone always raved about Camaro, what a hot number she was, and how you just had to have one some day. And last night there she was, and you finally screwed up your courage to ask her for a dance. At the time, all you could see were those hips, those glorious bulging hips. You just knew they promised action, despite the fact they weren’t hardly moving at all. Oh yeah; she was saving her energy for the big run, the final blast, you kept telling yourself. But it never came. (Read More…)

[Note: A significantly expanded and updated version of this article can be found here]

That air presented the greatest obstacle to automotive speed and economy was understood intuitively, if not scientifically since the dawn of the automobile. Putting it into practice was quite another story. Engineers, racers and entrepreneurs were lured by the potential for the profound gains aerodynamics offered. The efforts to do so yielded some of the more remarkable cars ever made, even if they challenged the aesthetic assumptions of their times. We’ve finally arrived at the place where a highly aerodynamic car like the Prius is mainstream. But getting there was not without turbulence. (Read More…)

In honor of our greatest president’s birthday this Friday, it’s going to be Lincoln Week at Curbside Classic. We’ll start with a brief history of the brand to set us up for the sixties, when our featured cars begin. (Read More…)

GM has built some great vehicles in its day, but nothing can top their buses. They literally owned the bus market from the forties through the seventies, but they earned that spot with superior technology and quality construction. One of the most brilliant and enduring examples of that is the “New Look” transit bus that came out in 1959, and revolutionized the field with advanced stress-skin aluminum construction and absolutely indestructible build quality. These buses are still on the road in transit duty fifty years after they first saw the light of day. A variation of this bus (the Classic) was still being produced by MCI until 1997. Given that this pictured bus was built about the same time as the 1978 Cadillac Eldorado in our last Curbside Classic, we have here a study in GM contrasts. Of course, even GM’s bus business eventually ended badly in its inimitable way. (Read More…)

It was the mother of all drifts. Forty feet behind me, the back of the passenger bus was coming around fast, threatening to wipe out a block’s worth of cars parked across the street. By the time I caught the first slide, I had overcompensated. My arms were a whirling dervish on the giant steering wheel, flying back and forth, until the bus straightened out. No need to stop for coffee THAT day; I was wide awake on a triple-shot of adrenalin. (Read More…)

Here’s some Saturday morning pictorial randomness to start out the day. Shall we have a thetruthaboutbuses theme today? I’m very fond of them. These folks living in this lot have a pretty wide variety of transportation options ready to roll, right down to the Cozy Coupe. They’re probably off riding their gas powered skateboard.

Update: To see all of TTAC’s related articles on the subject of Toyota gas pedals, go here:

In yesterday’s post , we offered a bounty for anyone to open up both the CTS (bottom) and Denso (top) Toyota gas pedal assemblies. No one took us up, and no one anywhere else has done it, so we took it upon ourselves . Here they are, both e-pedal assemblies taken apart and examined, in our quest to understand if and what the significant differences are, and how Toyota’s possible “shim” fix would work.  On initial observation, it appears that the CTS may be perceived as being the more solidly engineered/built unit, in that the pedal pivots on a traditional and solid steel axle whose bearings are brass or bronze sleeves. The Denso’s whole pivot and bearing surfaces are relatively flimsy-feeling plastic. But that can be deceptive, and we’re not qualified to judge properly if it is indeed inferior or superior.  So the question that goes beyond the analysis of these e-pedals is this: are these units really the full source of the problem, or are they scape goats for an electronics and/or software glitch? Pictures and tear down examination and analysis follows:

Update #2: It’s clear to me now that the CTS unit I took apart already had the side cover plates (sheet metal) removed before I examined it. One can see where they fit, and are obviously intended to protect the exposed axle pivot and bushing seen above and below:

(Update #3: Also see our follow-up stories on Toyota’s fix and our replication of the fix and its results)

(Read More…)

When I started writing for TTAC, I could never have imagined the wild ride I was in for. Luckily I’ve been able to draw on wisdom and support of a number of TTAC’s contributors, not the least of whom was my dad, Paul Niedermeyer. He first suggested that I start blogging for TTAC, and his seemingly infinite knowledge of all things automotive has been a constant resource for me. Now, I’m pleased to announce that he will be stepping up to be my Managing Editor. In addition to his twice-weekly Curbside Classic series (and who knows, maybe a few more Auto-Biographies), Paul will be developing new content, blogging stories in his formidable areas of expertise, and filling in for me when my work pulls me away from the keyboard. I can’t imagine a better person for the job, and together we hope to bring TTAC to new heights.

Still too easy! rpol35 unveiled the ’68 Chevy on the first guess. Must try harder to make it harder. And why is this color so popular in Eugene? Did Maaco get a deal on a tanker truck’s worth? Did I make it hard enough yet?

Update: Someone said it was plenty hard indeed. OK; Hint: we’re looking at the right (passenger side) rear quarter.

Look at the picture above. Now pretend it’s your rearview mirror. That giant set of batwings is right behind you and gaining; now it pulls into the fast lane. A couple of teenagers grin as they zip by you ass-backwards at seventy miles an hour. The front grille of the ’59 Chevy slowly recedes in the distance ahead. If you spent any time on the roads of Cincinnati around 1969, this may well have happened to you.

(Read More…)

All right, all you expert sleuths of vintage chrome moldings and extruded textures. I will once again try to stump you and will undoubtedly fail. I apologize for the lack of resolution, but it’s a small crop. And you’re too good. A shout out to last week’s winner, 6c1500, who nailed the stick-shift Caddy early on.