Jeff is a lifelong automobile enthusiast with a penchant for sports and racing cars. He has raced SCCA, local circle track, and stage rally as a co-driver. He makes his living as a freelance automotive journalist and is the author of six books on automotive topics. As a rule, he practices catch-and-release fishing when it comes to collectible automobiles, trying to leave each one in better condition than he found it. Enduring passions include his MGA and Austin Mini, and his 1969 Corvette. He recently purchased a 1920 Ford Model T Touring because “you just have to have one of these once in your life.”
The imported mini-truck surged in popularity in the wake of the first 1970s fuel crisis and rising gas prices. The 4-cylinder engines in the import trucks were more economical than the V8 and straight-6 engines that powered the bigger domestic models.
The little trucks from Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, and Mazda offered more responsive handling than their larger cousins. The Big Three got into the import truck market as well. Ford sold a Mazda pickup as the Courier, while Chrysler sourced its Read More
Going to a collector car auction is a lot like visiting an online dating site. You get to check out the prospects — and you have one quick chance to decide if you want to get involved. If you’re interested, you present your best offer and hope the competition doesn’t make a better one. It’s an unpredictable game of dashed hopes and dreams come true. And, sometimes, there’s buyer’s remorse the next morning.
With that in mind, here are six Read More
On any given Saturday morning you can find a Cars & Coffee event in most American cities. The phenomenon is less than 10 years old, and it’s delightful in its simplicity. There’s no entry fee, no class structure, no judges, and no trophy to take home. It’s just about driving your car and enjoying what everyone else brought. Call it a cruise-in for the Millennial Era.
The vehicles and the people you find at a Cars & Coffee tend to Read More
Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003, the Gallardo was intended to complement the 12-cylinder Murciélago in Lamborghini’s model line. Far from entry level, however, the Gallardo was a 10-cylinder, fire-breathing supercar that not only offers world-class performance, but all the refinement and technology that Audi ownership has afforded the sports car manufacturer from Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Two years after the introduction of the coupe, the Gallardo Spyder was released. This new model featured a folding soft top; the Spyder’s Read More
Introduced at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1962, the Elan roadster followed the Colin Chapman principle of lightweight aerodynamic coachwork coupled with the suspension, brakes and transmission of a race car, and a remarkable new Lotus-Ford twin-cam engine to provide the power.
To put this into perspective, this was a time when disc brakes were still two years off for a Porsche, and Ferraris were fitted with a live rear axle. The attention from buyers and the motoring Read More
The Honda S Series was Honda’s first real foray into automobile production.
Japanese Keiretsu politics threatened to limit Honda to motorcycle production only, so the company started the S600 as part of a broad development effort — one that led to greatness with the Honda Civic a few years later.
But in the early 1960s, Honda was still finding its way into the automobile market. Japanese motorcycle and automobile makers in this era had simultaneous tendencies to copy established designs Read More
From the beginning, the Fiat 850 Spider has been overshadowed by its big sister, the 124 Spider. The 124 was prettier, more powerful and arranged as a proper sports car with the engine in front and the drive wheels in back. In contrast, the 850 Spider had its engine in the back. Although the little Fiat still pushed from the rear wheels, it never pushed very hard.
The Fiat 850 was developed in the early 1960s from the same underpinnings Read More
Of all the variations made of VW’s venerable Type 2 van from the first model in 1950 through the end of the air-cooled engine in 1984, the Westfalia camper is probably the most recognizable and the most popular among American buyers. Further, if there was a vehicle that could capture the hippie spirit of the 1960s, what else could it be but a VW Microbus kitted out for camping?
From the beginning of the line in Read More
By 1970, Volkswagen’s “People’s Car,” the venerable Type 1 Beetle, was long in the tooth. The company knew it was time for a successor — something cleaner than the stinky old air-cooled model, with a modern body design. The company got to work on a new project called the Type 17.
The new car used a transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout borrowed from VW’s Audi subsidiary, and Italdesign Giugiaro provided the bodywork for an attractive compact hatchback car.
Most of Read More
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