Curbside Classic -

Curbside Classic: 1989 Chrysler’s TC By Maserati – The (Deadly) Sin Of Pretentious Overreaching

– Posted on September 13, 2024

(first posted in 2011) You got to hand it to Lee Iacocca; he was given an utter basket case of a car company and one new K car. And just like a magician, he kept reaching into his hat for a solid decade, pulling out one new variation after another on a theme in the key of K. Would you believe this? Ah,…yeah. This? Maybe. How about this? Umm…And when he reached in one last time and pulled out the TC, everybody laughed. Which is not what Lee had in mind at all. Lee was given the hook, but we’ll always associate the TC with the sin of pretentious overreaching. Read the rest of this entry »

Curbside Classic: 1994 Ford Escort – Success And Shame

Perry Shoar

– Posted on September 13, 2024

(first posted 4/2/2014) When is a world car not a world car? When it’s Japanese. I can hear our readers’ responses already: Ford didn’t call the 1991 Escort a world car because it wasn’t engineered by its European subsidiary, making it the product of a different company. But this only makes limited sense. Dearborn exerted a very great deal of control over Mazda, strong arming it into using Ford powertrain components, while shaping its US lineup and installing executive personnel, effectively treating it as a Japanese subsidiary. And whether or not this assessment of the relationship between the two companies is one you agree with, there’s little denying that the products it created had far more global appeal than the distinctly American 1981 Escort.

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Vintage Snaphots: Chevrolet People In The ’60s-’70s

Rich Baron

– Posted on September 13, 2024

It’s bow tie time again today; thanks to these shots showcasing Chevrolet products and Chevy people in the ’60s and ’70s. The models and people featured here vary widely but are quite representative nonetheless. From the sporty offerings to the full-sizers; with many views of daily life of the time.

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Curbside Classic: 1980 Citroën Visa Club – Ugliness Does Sell

Tatra87

– Posted on September 13, 2024

Let’s end this flawed Froggish four-door foursome with – in my opinion – one of the most horrid cars ever committed by Citroën, the indescribable Visa. The problem is that, although most contemporary critics lambasted the car for its questionable appearance, the buying public did not seem to mind it so much. Something’s not adding up. Was it the critics, the people or the car?

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In-Motion Find: 1986-98 Ford F-1000 – Brazil’s F-Series In Dual Cab Garb

Rich Baron

– Posted on September 13, 2024

Photos from the Cohort by riveranotario.

Time to check out some Ford truck variants, this time courtesy of Ford do Brasil with the added creative impulses of local customizing houses. The latter –whoever it was– responsible for this F-1000’s fiberglass customized double cab. Not that it was a rare modification in that market, from what I gather.

Want to see the stock F-1000? Here is one, also uploaded by riveranotario at the Cohort:

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Curbside Classic: 1996 Subaru Impreza Coupe – The Acorn And The Oak

SophieN

– Posted on September 13, 2024

Subaru is a powerhouse today. And particularly, it’s a powerhouse in the American market. In 2023, Subaru sold just shy of 1 million cars worldwide; of which 632,000 found homes in the US. Subaru has built its modern brand image on the pillars of all-wheel drive, boxer engines, practical wagon/SUV body styles, and outdoorsy ‘adventure-ready’ styling. Our featured car, a first-gen Impreza from 1996, has two of those things. But nonetheless, it’s a fascinating relic of another era, when Subaru was still finding itself and trying to nail down exactly what kind of car company it wanted to be. Mighty oak, meet acorn.

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Curbside Classic: 1967 Camaro Convertible – Perfect Patina

Dave Skinner

– Posted on September 12, 2024

(first posted 4/3/2014) I’ve seen this Camaro running around town for a couple of months, and last week I caught up with it in the parking lot of a local community service organization (Kiwanis as I recall). Based on my earlier sightings, I wanted to get a better look at this pony car. As you can see, it carries a working man’s patina, with a clean body and original parts. Read the rest of this entry »

CC Outtake: 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham – The Great Brougham Extinction Is In Its Late Stages

Paul Niedermeyer

– Posted on September 12, 2024

(first posted 9/13/2018) CC used to be crawling with post’77 B-Bodies, Broughams, and both together. Not so much anymore. Has Brougham Fever abated? Are B-Bodies passé? Well, they’re getting to be a bit scarce on the ground, and now I make a point to document each one. Like this ’82 Delta 88 Royale Brougham, which is actually something of an imposter since it’s missing both the requisite padded vinyl top and the fake wire wheel covers. Brougham? In name only. Is the Great Brougham Era at CC coming to an end?

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Curbside Hooptie: Geo Metro Convertible – Dreams in the Bin

Gray Walters

– Posted on September 12, 2024

I find tons of survivors stuck in the wide gulf between classic and just plain old still plodding along. Why not turn some attention to some proper jalopies? The cars that survive out of spite rather than their owners’ dedication to maintenance?

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Curbside Classic: 1951 Hotchkiss Anjou 13.50 – Wasted Potential

Tatra87

– Posted on September 12, 2024

Of all the traditional French luxury carmakers, the one that could have conceivably survived a bit longer was Hotchkiss. They had a deep industrial roots, a large factory, were still very active in the truck and military vehicle business, had their own body shop and, crucially, money in the bank and talent in their midst. But the top brass were hoodwinked by a narcissistic engineer, who was bleeding the company dry to pursue his pet project. Meanwhile, Hotchkiss tried to keep their car branch afloat with the Anjou.

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CC For Sale: 1956 Dodge Custom Royal–Pink and Lavender Dreams

Stephen Pellegrino

– Posted on September 12, 2024

This charming little chariot is so cute! Not many cars could pull off tri-toned pink, lavender, and white . . .

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The Legendary Mack V8 (1962-2003): Big Diesel Power With A Distinctive V8 Sound – And Its Scania V8 Offspring Is Still Going Strong

Robert Bray

– Posted on September 12, 2024

The Mack diesel V8 was unique in a number of ways, most of all in just being the only really successful four-cycle diesel V8 designed for big trucks. It was a powerhouse from day one and developed into the legendary Mack E9, an engine still held in high esteem for its huge power output at the time (up to 500 hp) and its distinctive thumping throb of its exhaust which made it instantly recognizable when hard at work.

There were higher output versions made for marine and other uses (up to 1000hp), and today the E9 is often boosted to 3000 hp in modified racing and pulling trucks. Although Mack gave up on the big V8 in 2003, back in 1962 they sent some V8 blocks to Scania in Sweden which spawned a line of Scania V8s that are now the most powerful road truck engines with 770 hp.

The Mack V8 has a long and powerful history.

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Curbside Classic: Volvo 122S – The Cult Of The Amazon

Paul Niedermeyer

– Posted on September 11, 2024

(first posted 3/30/2013) How exactly did the Volvo 122 “Amazon” achieve its mythological stature? Naming it after the eponymous nation of all-female warriors was a good start. Legendary ruggedness and durability solidified its status. Sporty performance burnished it further. Then there’s the magic belt: one of the twelve labors of Hercules was to secure the girdle of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Giving up her belt ended up costing Hippolyta her life. But it was a worthy sacrifice, because the Amazon’s first-ever three point seat belt has saved untold others theirs, and established the Volvo safety myth. That may now have run its course, but the Amazon’s status on the automotive Mt. Olympus is secure. Read the rest of this entry »

Curbside Classic: 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe – This One’s A Keeper

J P Cavanaugh

– Posted on September 11, 2024

(first posted 9/13/2018) The classic prewar Ford V8 has always been something that danced in the background of my life. My mother grew up in one, almost literally in that her family owned it from the time Mom was two years old until she was a high school senior. Later they became common collector cars – the Mustang or Camaro of the 1970s with a better selection of reproduction parts than almost anything else. And then there were/are the hot rodders. Prewar Fords were always one of their favored canvasses upon which to create something new and unique. Therefore, wherever old cars have been found early Ford V8s have been there.

But despite nearly a lifetime of constant (if minimal) exposure, I do not recall ever just happening upon one in ordinary, everyday life. Until now.

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Vintage Snapshots: What’s On The Road? – 1970s Traffic In Raleigh, North Carolina

Rich Baron

– Posted on September 11, 2024

The following images come from a collection I recently came across that I truly enjoyed. The photos were taken in the early ’70s in Raleigh, North Carolina, and offer much to see in regard to period traffic. Being the ’70s, American iron is the norm; from PLCs to station wagons, to sports cars, and compacts. But there’s also a decent number of European and Japanese samples scattered around.

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