Although it appeared to be a replacement for the MK 1 Golf based Scirocco coupe, VW was aiming the MK 2 based Carrado at higher targets. They were gunning for the wave of sophisticated Japanese coupes that arrived during the late 1980s, and the entry level Porsches that were proving so popular. The styling was [...]

With the success of the MK1 Golf, VW wasn’t going to stray too far from a winning format with its replacement model. Even, so, there was initial widespread disappointment that the Golf MK 2 wasn’t a bigger step away from the original. However, VW must have been very satisfied when early scepticism was replaced by [...]

Volvo was founded in 1927 and since the end of WW2 has been at forefront of safety, logging a huge number of innovations that have become industry norms. Volvo also became synonymous with family transport through its distinct estate cars. But as large 4×4 vehicles started to become the family vehicle of choice in the [...]

Unloved, and now almost forgotten, the Porsche 914 was a hybrid, conceived to give Porsche a foot hold in the mass market sports car sector, which later achieved with the Boxster. For collaborators Volkswagen worried by poor sales of its mainstay Beetle, it meant some much needed showroom glamour to draw in the customers. Launched [...]

Pontiac’s decision to build a small, inexpensive, mid engined sports car was not revolutionary, Fiat and Lancia had already marketed similar cars. But two things about the Fiero were unusual, it was commissioned as much as an economical commuting car as a sportster, and the vehicle was constructed in a radically new way. Under the [...]

The original Fire Bird had appeared in 1967, based on Chevrolet Camaro’s ‘F’ body, but interest in the car didn’t really begin to pick up the restyled 1970 versions were introduced. There were muscular looking cars, with fat arches curvy hips and huge implied machismo in their stance. Only one variant had the power to [...]

The 205, which was launched in 1983, became the definite small Euro hatchback over a 15 year production run that saw over 5 million examples sold. It is widely held that Peugeot management avoided the tricky business of replacing the 205 by simply avoiding the issue. Instead, it launched the tiny 106 City car in [...]

Before World War II, Packard had been one of Americans finest cars; fit to be compared with the likes of Rolls Royce on the World stage. They intended to keep that reputation after hostilities by building quality cars that were impervious to the yearly changes wrought by the big manufactures. As an independent Package couldn’t [...]

In the late 1990s, few people would have expected the conservative Opel to take an interest in producing a sleek, 2 seater sports car. Which is why when the Opel GT was previewed in 1996 as the XV/R concept car, the idea was not expected to go any further. Opel shocked the market when it [...]

Datsun (as Nissan was then called) established a fine reputation for its 1968 240Z coupe, especially in the USA. Its fine styling, exemplary reliability and punchy performance from the straight six engine meant it outsold the then dominant sports car rivals from Europe. Sadly, the subsequent 280 and 300Z replacements just fatter and less sporting. [...]