I spied this Oldsmobile in a well-hidden valley in Watkins Glen, NY. From over 500 feet away and looking at the rear of the car through brush and such, I thought it was a mid to late-seventies Lincoln. Upon closer inspection, it is not a Dearborn-based product, but one from Flint. This example looks great with current registration and tags, it also seems to be driven in the fair weather.
After turning my E39 BMW 540i back over to my aunt, I still had an itch for another modern BMW, but something smaller, with a stick shift. I turned my attention to the E46, which to my eye is the best-looking of the 3 Series line. The E36’s styling always seemed a little underdeveloped to me, as if BMW was still trying to figure out the transition from boxy to sleek. But the E46 is the perfect modern distillation of the 3-Series. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 9/6/2011) This car made me embarrassed to be a newly minted American in the fall of 1960. We had just arrived for the unveiling of Detroit’s spectacular new 1961 models, and I was in car hog-heaven. In my rambles to car dealers, the Rambler-purveyor was last, in part because of its location. But when I finally made it, and laid my eyes on the new 1961 American, I felt betrayed. It was all wrong: the proportions didn’t work, its wheels were too big–the rear ones weren’t even centered in their openings–and the greenhouse was way too skinny in relation to the lower half of the car. If Tonka Trucks had made cars, this is what I might have expected. And if things weren’t bad enough, then I opened the hood. I was not proud to be an American that day. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 7/13/2013) I spotted this Nova while rolling down Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach, California. While you don’t need to know I was in Redondo Beach, I did want to slide in the fact that I can drive over and cruise Catalina Avenue anytime I have a spare 40 minutes. (Not bragging, just saying…)
Still, the location is significant- We all know California’s climate is friendly to sheet metal, but the UV energy here does no favors to vehicle finishes. This Nova shows the impact of our California sun in the faded blackout paint around the window frames, as well as the disintegrating red and blue body striping. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 7/4/2014) What says classic American more than V8 power, rear-wheel drive, and body-on-frame construction with a front bench seat, lots of chrome, and a vinyl landau roof? While this may not be everyone’s definition of “old school American”, it’s cars like this 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis that continued to offer more traditional virtues of American cars in the face of the growing number of imports from Europe and Asia.
A few months ago we posted a gallery on cars and parades of the 50s-’60s that got considerable comments and interest. With that in mind, what better day than the 4th of July to follow up on the subject?
The Eldo was not driveable when we purchased it. Electrical short and overheating issues.
(Text submitted by Erik Fretland)
My father taught me many things that prepared me for adult life, but the top lessons that have helped shape my life as a father (of 3 children) and husband (married 32 years) are:
1953.
My dad was 19, recently graduated from high school…and desperately trying to avoid being drafted into the Chinese Nationalist Army under the ultimate oversight of the dictator Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Dad failed in this regard. He was drafted, only not into the Army. Rather, he was conscripted into the Air Force where he was assigned to pilot a tank. Presumably in Taiwan in 1953 tanks were much easier to come by than airplanes. Anyhow, the assignment didn’t last for long. That gig was up after his poor tank-piloting skills led to an unfortunate incident involving the destruction of a farmer’s field and maybe killing – or at least substantially scaring – a water buffalo or two. In short order my Dad was ejected from the service, sent to college, and the rest is history.
(first posted 2/5/2013) So far in this series, we’ve seen only British cars from this storage yard. While most of its inhabitants originated in the UK, there were also a few mainland Europeans. So, in the words of Monty Python, “and now for something completely different.” In things automotive, the French can always be counted on for something rather different, and while Renault might be one of their more conservative makes, the R4 is still a little quirky by North American standards.
This isn’t the first time that this exact car has been featured at CC before, as well as other classic car blogs, but to my knowledge this is the first time that this “1988” Cadillac Cimarron “convertible” has been documented after being spotted in the wild. Quite possibly the most infamous example of one of the most infamous American cars of all time, I use air quotes because of course, there was neither a factory Cimarron convertible nor any authorized aftermarket conversion, and while this car may have started off as a 1988, in its current state, it’s much less of a 1988 than it is an amalgamation of multiple model years. Confused yet?
Old Beetles aren’t that common anymore around the streets of San Salvador, but they aren’t all that rare either. However, there’s no way to deny that they’re dwindling in numbers, and somewhere in the back of my head, I’m slowly trying to come to terms with the idea of a world with no Beetles by the roadside.
On the other hand, while old Beetles aren’t that rare, daily-use ones tend to be post-1968 models. As you can easily guess, most pre-67 Beetles have been snatched by collectors and restomod folks. To find any pre-68 Beetle, still providing regular service and in stock condition, has truly become a rarity. At least, around my surroundings.
Lots of imports to get through again, as always. But they weren’t all found in the usual tree-lined place, no no! One can encounter genuine in-motion classics, such as this magnificent Morris Minor, out in the wild. If you can call this wilderness…
It only took forty years to realize my dream. These photos were printed from 28-year-old film, only days before I submitted this article.
This is a vehicle that has held quite a strong hold on my imagination. My initial exposure to this car occurred in 1966, when I was in sixth grade. I had tagged along with my dad to an auto parts store located in Oakland’s Chinatown.
(first posted 2/3/2013) For some odd reason, on this (another) gray day, I have summer on the brain…so let’s dig out something apropos. Like this gnarly Jeep Commando, to take is into the woods further than just about anything else I can dig up right now. And if we get stuck, that winch will rotate the earth a bit closer to us. Read the rest of this entry »
