It was called the “people’s car,” or volkswagen. Its origins date to the late 1930s, when a restive Germany and its fanatical leader dreamed of world conquest. In the early and mid-1940s, the rear-engine vehicle was part of that global war effort. In the late 1940s, the people’s car renewed life as civilian transportation. ByContinue reading “No. 140: No Love for This Bug”
Category Archives: Cars
No. 139: Plying the Roads No More
We’d settled into post-war prosperity. American factories churned out the greatest product in the world, steel, and that material rendered up an astonishing array of wide cruisers. Some, like Cadillac and Lincoln, steered toward folks with money. Chevrolet and Ford were cars for those who one day would move up to a Caddy or Lincoln.Continue reading “No. 139: Plying the Roads No More”
No. 138: A Rusted Enigma
Chevrolet had struck a decisive blow in the late 1920s when it put an inline 6 under the heavy hoods of its cars and trucks. The more-powerful engine caught Ford by surprise, but not for long: In 1932, the Dearborn manufacturer responded with the flathead V-8, tucked in a cute little package that would morphContinue reading “No. 138: A Rusted Enigma”
No. 136: Something New!
It was time. As the end of the decade neared, Chevrolet’s tough-ass line of pickups, the 3100, had grown old. In 1959, Chevy introduced the C and K series of trucks. Owners reported it rode as much like a car as a truck. “C” meant light-duty, rear-wheel drive. The “K” designation meant four-wheel drive. IfContinue reading “No. 136: Something New!”
No. 135: A Little Paint and a Lot of Prayer
It’s easy to overuse “iconic” when discussing American steel, but if it fits, use it. And the word certainly fits here. Ford Motor Co. held on to prewar car and truck designs in its hurry to answer pent-up public demand for any kind of transportation following World War II. But even as plants in DearbornContinue reading “No. 135: A Little Paint and a Lot of Prayer”
No. 134. A Long Dinner Break
When the Maverick finally breathed its last, Ford promptly trotted out its replacement. The Granada was built from 1975 to 1982. In all, more than 2 million Granadas clogged the American roadways — each, surely, driven by an old lady with blue rinse in her hair. This car? Great Aunt Myrtle, according to our correspondent,Continue reading “No. 134. A Long Dinner Break”
No. 133: “Sven, I Think We’ve Come to a Stop.”
“Sven,” of course, is a Swedish name – appropriate for this sad wreck. In 1974, Volvo turned from its 140 series of cars to the 240 series. From a distance, they looked virtually the same – the same straight lines, the same boxy rider compartment. The front and rear ends were slightly different. You hadContinue reading “No. 133: “Sven, I Think We’ve Come to a Stop.””
No. 131: Dust, Dirt, Decline
What is this? Hard to say. Time and use have removed any identifying badges that would indicate if this car rolled off an assembly line at Dearborn, Detroit, Auburn, Toledo or some other city that prided itself on auto production. It was built in the early 1930s; the slightly swept windshield post was a designContinue reading “No. 131: Dust, Dirt, Decline”
No. 129: Angling for a New Life
The Model T was a hit in Great Britain. The public snatched up the cars just as avidly as their cousins across the pond. But when the Model A debuted, in 1928, Brits didn’t get as excited. That led, ultimately, to Ford Motor Company’s decision to create a new line of cars for the BritishContinue reading “No. 129: Angling for a New Life”
No. 128: No Power, No Worries!
The Rover. Most people see that name and think of the nearly indestructible 4-wheel drive vehicles that have bounced over every continent on earth. But the badge also came attached to other vehicles. This is a Rover P5, most likely a ’68. The first appeared in 1958; the last, in 1973. It was a bulbousContinue reading “No. 128: No Power, No Worries!”
It Was Running When I Parked It 