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The Edsel has passed into popular modern mythology as the ultimate in corporate blunders. It was a marque pitched by Ford at the lower medium market sector, between the much bigger Fords and the budget Mercury models. By the time it was launched, the market was in a slump, buyers were looking for smaller cars and the Edsel, the wrong car at wrong time, became an unfortunate victim of its own massive type. Forecasting 200,000 sales in the first year, Ford claimed that the new car, named after the dead son of Henry Ford, had cost #250 million to develop. When only 62,000 buyers were tempted, critics blamed the styling, with its unusual vertical grille. In fact, the Edsel was reasonably restrained by the excessive standards of the period, its fins well clipped with a clean side profile. Spanning 15 separate models, the Edsel was actually something of a separate Ford division, with saloon, convertible and station wagon bodies on the same ultra conventional floor pan. As usual with Ford at the time, there were six cylinder and V8 engine options, ranging in output from 145 bhp to 345 bhp, with three speed manual and automatic transmission versions.

There was a mid restyle for 1959, when Ford bosses tried to arrest dramatically falling sales. A totally new shall in a much reduced line up followed for the 1960 model year. In fact, the Edsel line was dead by the end of 1960, cancelled due to lack of interest. The ill omened name came to represent just how badly motor manufactures could misjudge the marketplace and a car’s appeal to the public.

Posted March 11, 2010 Comments(0)

Although European enthusiasts often deride post war American cars, the Duesenberg SJ model is proof that, before the Second World War, the Americans could produce a car as good as any in the world. As well as being the basis for some spectacular coach work, the SJ was more than just a pretty face. In supercharged form, its twin camshaft, four valves per cylinder Lycoming straight eight engine produced 320 bhp, and could push the monstrous 50 cwt (2545 kg) car up to a more than respectable speed of 130 mph (208 km/h). With its hemispherical combustion chambers and fully balanced, five bearing, nickel plated crankshaft, this long stroke design could rev safely to 5000 rpm. There were servo assisted hydraulic brakes to do the stopping, and the chassis was a massive affair with six tubular cross members. In chassis form alone, the car was more expensive than a Rolls Royce. Ownership was strictly the preserve of millionaires, celebrities and film stars, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Greta Garbo and William Randolph Hurst all owned SJs.

Founded in 1920 by Ferd and August Duesenberg, the company was best known for its racing cars, but poor sales led to a take over by E.L. Cord and the Auburn film at the end of the decade. Cord provided the brothers with the money to build an ultimate car from the ground up, the J and SJ being the result. Only 26 SJs were built between 1932 and the end of production in 1937.

Posted March 10, 2010 Comments(0)

One of the largest and quickest growing segments of the American new car market is the last half of the nineties was the full size pick up truck. Huge and brutish, these vehicles sold on their macho image rather than their utility – massive carrying capacity and the ability to tow enormous weight were merely side issues to the all important business of looking tough on the quite roads of suburbia. These vehicles were not about subtly, economy practically of discreet charm. The pick up trucks were huge, throbbing power house of industrial engineering which screamed for attention. None of them ever looked tougher than the bull nosed Dodge ram. Some 20 feet long and 2573 kg unladen it was available with a range of options that made the mind boggle. There were 200 possible drive train combinations two or four wheel drive was just the beginning. It also featured all kinds of labour saving additions to make the driver think he was driving a luxury saloon. The engine was powerful with 7997 cc, separate chassis were included with Disc/ drum brakes. Its have three speed automatic transmission along with independent front and live axle rear suspension. Top speed is 113 mph, it reached 0-60 in just 8.5 seconds.

However, it was in the engine department that the Ram truly made other trucks that were supposed to be its competition look puny. The basic power plant was a V6 but, for just a few hundreds dollars more, buyers could upgrade to an 8 liter V10. This meant Golf GTi type acceleration and a top speed electronically limited to 113 mph. for thriftier motorists, there was always the V8.

Posted March 9, 2010 Comments(0)

The Dodge Viper GTS wasn’t just a Viper with an impressive roof. About 90 percent of the car was all new. Inspired by the 60s Cobra Daytona Coupe racers, the GTS sweeping double bubble roofline gave a much batter drag factor too, helping to push the top speed up to over 180 mph. There was a bigger front spoiler with NACA intake, and louvers to stop air pressure building up. Inside the facia was all new, with the speedo and rev counter closer together and the inevitable air bag where the glove compartment was on the open topped version. However, what you lost in the glove box you more than gained in the boot. For the first time Viper had a luggage compartment, now accessed through a glass rear panel, and what’s more, it was big enough to hold two or three large cases. Best of all, the GTS had an improved, lighter V10 engine with an extra 35 bhp and 10 extra lb/ ft of torque thanks to reworked heads and block. All this was slotted into a car that was actually lighter than the roadster by 27 kg, despite the added weight of the glass and the roof.

Though still a challenging drive, improvements to the suspension had produced a car that was just that little bit more forgiving in the hands of a novice, though the razor sharp steering and strong brakes remained. Never a car for the shrinking violet, the Viper driver could at least now pose in all weathers in a car that was much more usable day to day.

Posted March 8, 2010 Comments(0)

Embodying the whole spirit of “Dependable Dodge,” the Diplomat was highly reliable, a real workhouse that endeared itself to police forces and taxi companies across the US. Its immediate design predecessor was probably the Dodge Aspen, but it is also shared design characteristics with many other vehicle of the time, it shared its production line too, with its “M” body twins,’ the Chrysler LeBaron and the Plymouth Caravelle. The Diplomat was a immediate hit, and after six months it was Dodge’s second selling car. Originally provided as a sedan, coupe and wagon versions were available for a brief spell, from 78 until 81. Somehow, the sedan body captured the spirit of the model in a way that other shapes did not. During the energy conscious early 80s, it was marketed as economical, if you had a slant six 225 engine and manual transmission, you could get an efficient 28 MPG on the highways. The 318 V8 engine was more commonly found on the road, alongside a Torquefilte 3 speed automatic transmission.  Like the most Dodge products of the time, the “M” body exterior was distinguished from its twins only through the trim and nameplates, although the up market LeBaron and several distinguished features bolted on. Throughout the later 80s, the Diplomat was sold as Chrysler’s baseline “large car”, although really, it was closer to midsize.

Performance was reliable rather than stunning, but it was the machine’s ability to soak up punishment that really made it stand out. It is sheer hardness was the deciding factor for many fleet buyers. Although the police fleet models featured several performance enhancements, the true core of the Diplomat remained unchanged, it’s stubborn unrelenting endurance.

Posted March 7, 2010 Comments(0)

Alexandro de Tomaso initially made his name building racing cars, but dreamed of producing a high performance road car. The Pantera and Mangusta are his most famous efforts, but before those big V8 machines came the delicate little Vallelunga of 1962. One of the pioneers of the mid engined layout in a road car, it was supplied by the Ford 1600 engine Hewland gearbox were structural members in the rear half of the car, bolted to a U shaped spine chassis that help give it good handling. The car has four cylinder 1498cc engine with 102 bhp. It has four speed manual transmission gearbox and independent suspension.Triumph Herald uprights could be found at the front, but there were few other propriety components in the Vallelunga, which was named after a Rome racing track that de Tomaso used for testing its sports cars. The prototype had unbolted two seater body, but manufacturing cars were coupes, fashioned by Fissore. Early cars were built in aluminum, but those built by Ghia have fiberglass bodywork. The top speed was 130 mph (208 km/h)

The car was know as the best car from de Tomaso production, although it didn’t catch many customers, but still the ride is ride know for its unique style and shape. Noisy, fast and furious and supremely agile, the Vallelunga was a car that pointed the way forward in sports car design, although it was destined never to be very popular. Just 50 were built before it gave way to the Mangusta on the production lines.

Posted March 3, 2010 Comments(0)

The Fairlady was Datsun’s answer to the British sports cars that dominated the lucrative North American market in the 1960s. is trim lines showed a strong European influence, and it is similar to the MGB of the time had to have been more than a coincidence. Even the hood looked the same. Inside, early versions had a traditional painted metal dashboard, but this was later changed to a padded, Federal type that was much less attractive. Launched with a twin carburetor, 90 bhp 1500cc engine with ladder frame chassis in 1965, the Fairlady improved steadily over the years, bowing out of the production in 1970 with a 2 liter twin cam engine. This allowed it to develop 145 bhp, and a five speed gearbox helped to get the maximum performance. A top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) was claimed for these cars, and they did pleasingly well in America club racing. It has disc/ drum brakes with four speed transmission. The suspension is independent in front and lives axle rear. It reached 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 13 seconds. Fairlady chassis engineering was rudimentary, with a separate ladder frame and a beam rear axle sprung located by semi elliptic left springds.

Sports car drivers were coming to expect rack and pinion steering, but the Fairlady made to with a steering box which inevitably meant that handling wasn’t one of the storng points. Datsun put on the market 40,000 Fairlady convertibles, not at all approaching close to the total domination of British marques in that sector of the market. The Fairlady was just a taster of thing to come, however. Its successor, the 240Z, would eventually manage to become the world’s best selling sports car.

Posted March 2, 2010 Comments(0)

By installing Daimler’s own hemi head 145 bph V8 an engine developed originally for the ill starred SP 250 sports car in its compact MK II saloon, Jaguar created the Daimler 2.5 liter V8. It was a very effective bit of niche market, creating genteel car that appealed to the slightly older buyers who were looking for something that wasn’t quite as brash as the MK II. It also gained a slightly better interior than that of the MK II, another strong selling point in its intended market. An incident benefit was gained in the handling, because, the little V8 weighed rather less than Jaguar’s XK straight six, yet was still good for well over 100 mph (160 km/h), even with the obligatory automatic transmission. The engine note held a distinct burble that simply added to the car is already extensive charm. The car was a strong seller from the start, a continued to live on in a slim bumpered form after 1967 as the Daimler 250 V8. Some of these later cars had the rare option of manual transmission, which unleashed extra performance, although it is hard to see any of the car’s intended drivers making the most of it.

The engine is very powerful of 2548cc with monocoque chassis. The ride is equipped with disc brakes with three speed automatic and four speed manual transmission. Suspension is independent in front and lives axle rear. It reached 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 13 seconds. The 250 V8 was the last MK II variant to go out of production (in 1969), and also the last Daimler to have a real Daimler engine, two additional reasons why it is remembered so fondly.

Posted March 1, 2010 Comments(0)

Imperial was originally the up market brand name of Chrysler vehicles built to compete directly with Cadillac and Lincoln models. For much of the 1950s, its cars had rather sedate styling, with much less glitz than that of rival marques, but after 1954, when Imperial became a separate division from Chrysler, all that began to change. Fins started to become taller and chrome embellishment more fancy. Finally, and entirely new Vigil Exner designed body was introduced in the 1957 in the market with wrap around screens and a set of quadruple front headlights. The comprised of the ride is two and four door hardtop models, a limousine and a wonderfully extravagant convertible all powered by a 345 bhp V8 engine. Each successive year Imperial tail fins grew bigger but so did everyone else’s. What the company needed was a gimmick that nobody else had, and they found it in their 1961 models, free standing headlights. Hoping to evoke memories of pre was classic, this was the ultimate in non functional design, which generated copy in the press but pleased few buyers. This outstanding ride has an engine of V8, with powerful engine of 6789cc.The chassis is Box section type, equipped with Drum brakes.

The car has three speed automatic transmission along with the independent front and live axle rear. The top speed was 112 mph (179 km/h). It reached 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in just 12 seconds. It was dropped in 1964 as the range began to feature the clean cut styling inspired by Lincoln’s MK IV Continental. The marque became more closely aligned to its Chrysler parent until 1975, When the Imperial was dropped as a separate line altogether.

Posted February 28, 2010 Comments(0)

Cord was founded in 1929, and set itself apart from other American manufacturers in its use of front wheel drive on a series of large, luxurious, straight eight powered machine described L29s. it is form the sarcophagus edged 810/812 Series cars that the marque is best remembered, however.cPowered by the specially designed side valve V8 engine this time, the 810/812 Series had crowd stopping looks featuring retractable headlamps and a wrap around grille on a long, narrow bonnet (hence the ‘coffin nose’ nick name). Created by Gordon Miller Buehring, their smooth and slippery profile was truly futuristic, and they had a futuristic specification to match that included an electric gearcahnge and, of course, Cord’s trademark front wheel drive. Several different variations on the original styling theme were employed. Without any doubt however, the most beautiful and sought after of these variants was the convertible model, particularly in 1937 812S form, featuring extremely an impressive supercharged 1700bhp engine. The engine was capable of 4730cc, with 170 bhp. The ride was fully equipped with Drum brakes with for speed manual transmission.

Thus equipped, the Cord was a supremely powerful 100mph (160km/h) car, capable of doing 0-60pmh (96km/h) in 13 seconds. In these 1930s, that was supercar performance. Unfortunately, Cord as a company was in a trouble by then, and its new owner decided to pull out of car production altogether for 1938. There would be no more big front drive American cars until the prologue of the Oldsmobile Toronado 30 years later.

Posted February 27, 2010 Comments(0)