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Curbside Classics Archives
Automotive Histories Archive
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![Earlier this year Daniel Stern wrote an article that looked at General Motor’s HEI ignition system. The GM HEI ignition is well known among car enthusiasts, but it was far […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ford-Transistor-Ignition-Decal-2.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Electronic Ignition – Losing the Points, Part 1")
Automotive History: Electronic Ignition – Losing the Points, Part 1
Posted on May 7, 2019 | 62 CommentsEarlier this year Daniel Stern wrote an article that looked at General Motor’s HEI ignition system. The GM HEI ignition is well known among car enthusiasts, but it was far […] -
![(first posted 5/2/2014) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Primary-pattern.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: The Toyota 5 Speed Transmission Takes Over the World")
Automotive History: The Toyota 5 Speed Transmission Takes Over the World
Posted on May 3, 2019 | 161 Comments(first posted 5/2/2014) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed […] -
![(first posted 9/2/2013) The recent Jeep FC-150 and Jeep Commando CC with their Hurricane Four engine that featured an F-head (Intake Over Exhaust – “IOE”) cylinder head gave me the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/F-Head-Rover-P4.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: The Curious F-Head Engine")
Automotive History: The Curious F-Head Engine
Posted on April 28, 2019 | 77 Comments(first posted 9/2/2013) The recent Jeep FC-150 and Jeep Commando CC with their Hurricane Four engine that featured an F-head (Intake Over Exhaust – “IOE”) cylinder head gave me the […] -
![Could the 1941 Studebaker President be the most obscure car from the late pre-war years? It could very well be, which is a shame. While “Every Car Has A Story”, […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1941StudebakerPresident09Small.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Curbside Classic: 1941 Studebaker President Skyway Cruising Sedan – The Ex President")
Curbside Classic: 1941 Studebaker President Skyway Cruising Sedan – The Ex President
Posted on April 23, 2019 | 78 CommentsCould the 1941 Studebaker President be the most obscure car from the late pre-war years? It could very well be, which is a shame. While “Every Car Has A Story”, […] -
![(first posted here on 8/16/2013. Updated 4/9/2019) Not uncommonly, a brilliant career and an enduring reputation for innovation all derive from a single kernel of inspiration. Perhaps even a rather […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/tatra-87rear.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Hans Ledwinka’s Revolutionary Tatras")
Automotive History: Hans Ledwinka’s Revolutionary Tatras
Posted on April 9, 2019 | 41 Comments(first posted here on 8/16/2013. Updated 4/9/2019) Not uncommonly, a brilliant career and an enduring reputation for innovation all derive from a single kernel of inspiration. Perhaps even a rather […] -
![Located in Southwest Missouri, Springfield (population 167,000) is the third largest city in the state and has seen a lot of notable residents over time; actor Brad Pitt grew up […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/IMG_8082.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Museum Review: The Route 66 Car Museum in Springfield, Missouri – International Fare In Middle America")
Museum Review: The Route 66 Car Museum in Springfield, Missouri – International Fare In Middle America
Posted on April 8, 2019 | 32 CommentsLocated in Southwest Missouri, Springfield (population 167,000) is the third largest city in the state and has seen a lot of notable residents over time; actor Brad Pitt grew up […] -
![photo by Curtis Perry The big RWD car was once the iconic symbol of America, where everything was big, and the bigger the better. America’s post war optimism and global […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Big-car-shot-C-Perry.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Who Killed the Big American Car?")
Automotive History: Who Killed the Big American Car?
Posted on April 5, 2019 | 183 Commentsphoto by Curtis Perry The big RWD car was once the iconic symbol of America, where everything was big, and the bigger the better. America’s post war optimism and global […] -
![Welcome, one and all, to the Grand Finale of this edition of Italian Deadly Sins. And I’m not using the term lightly. This is truly going to be a fireworks […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_dT.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 3) – De Tomaso, The Serial Sinner")
Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 3) – De Tomaso, The Serial Sinner
Posted on March 30, 2019 | 30 CommentsWelcome, one and all, to the Grand Finale of this edition of Italian Deadly Sins. And I’m not using the term lightly. This is truly going to be a fireworks […] -
![This one is a real tear-jerker. A lovely little sports car with a sweet-looking body, orphaned from birth, fights for its life amid competitors that dominate it in terms of […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_asa.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 2) – ASA 1000 GT, A Tragedy In Three Acts")
Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 2) – ASA 1000 GT, A Tragedy In Three Acts
Posted on March 29, 2019 | 29 CommentsThis one is a real tear-jerker. A lovely little sports car with a sweet-looking body, orphaned from birth, fights for its life amid competitors that dominate it in terms of […] -
![Bienvenuti a tutti! The European Deadly Sins caravan is touring Italy for the second time to glance at three Deadly Sins from three different eras. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ita_DS2_isotta.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 1) – Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa: The Tatra That Came From The Dolomites")
Automotive History: Italian Deadly Sins (Peninsular Peccadilloes, Part 1) – Isotta Fraschini 8C Monterosa: The Tatra That Came From The Dolomites
Posted on March 28, 2019 | 19 CommentsBienvenuti a tutti! The European Deadly Sins caravan is touring Italy for the second time to glance at three Deadly Sins from three different eras. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the […] -
![Hoods and trunk lids that go for days were par for the course for full-size American cars of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. For that extra dimension of extravagance and […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/1970-buick-electra-convertible.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive Histories: The Last Full-Size Convertibles")
Automotive Histories: The Last Full-Size Convertibles
Posted on March 13, 2019 | 107 CommentsHoods and trunk lids that go for days were par for the course for full-size American cars of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. For that extra dimension of extravagance and […] -
![(first posted 3/4/2014) The car business sometimes creates strange bedfellows. When an automaker lacks the knowledge or expertise to build a car in a previously unexplored segment, they will often […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/800px-SsangYong_Rodius_270_Xdi_rear_20100719.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Obscure Rebadges From Around The World: Part 2")
Obscure Rebadges From Around The World: Part 2
Posted on March 12, 2019 | 67 Comments(first posted 3/4/2014) The car business sometimes creates strange bedfellows. When an automaker lacks the knowledge or expertise to build a car in a previously unexplored segment, they will often […] -
![Unlike Invicta and Standard, the incredible story of Reliant Motors is one that stretches to living memory for most people over 30, especially if they spent some time in the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/GB_DS3_rel.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 3) – Reliant Kitten, The Discreet Charm Of The Toiling Masses")
Automotive History: British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 3) – Reliant Kitten, The Discreet Charm Of The Toiling Masses
Posted on March 7, 2019 | 55 CommentsUnlike Invicta and Standard, the incredible story of Reliant Motors is one that stretches to living memory for most people over 30, especially if they spent some time in the […] -
![The demise of Standard is a puzzle. It came out of the blue, in the summer of 1963, a time blessed by relative peace and prosperity throughout the Western world […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/GB_DS3_sta.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 2) – Standard: Raising The White Flag For Britain’s Car Industry")
Automotive History: British Deadly Sins (A Touch Of Class, Part 2) – Standard: Raising The White Flag For Britain’s Car Industry
Posted on March 6, 2019 | 46 CommentsThe demise of Standard is a puzzle. It came out of the blue, in the summer of 1963, a time blessed by relative peace and prosperity throughout the Western world […] -
![(first posted 3/5/2014) Succeeding Franklin Roosevelt upon his death in 1945, Vice-President Harry S Truman became the 33rd President of the United States. Also a former Senator from Missouri, Truman […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/truman.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Automotive History: The Cars of President Harry S Truman")
Automotive History: The Cars of President Harry S Truman
Posted on March 5, 2019 | 104 Comments(first posted 3/5/2014) Succeeding Franklin Roosevelt upon his death in 1945, Vice-President Harry S Truman became the 33rd President of the United States. Also a former Senator from Missouri, Truman […]
