The early 1990s is not a period fondly remembered by either auto-styling aficionados or performance enthusiasts. This was the era of the inglorious 250-horsepower Corvette, when a new Ferrari infamously got outrun by a stock GMC pickup, and Giorgetto Giugiaro was slumming with the likes of Subaru. From this time […]
With regard to cars, I’m a sucker for two things: Italian sports cars and a perceived good deal. I scraped my knuckles on Fiat X1/9s, 124s and 850s. I’ve owned not one, but two Alfa Romeo Milanos. As a friend likes to joke, I provide food and shelter to the […]
When the salesman wearing the JCPenney fedora with a fishing lure snagged in the brim tells you his Acme Premium Plan is “the Cadillac of insurance policies,” there’s a reason why. In post-war America, Cadillac was unequivocally the car to have. It was an aspirational vehicle to own and to […]
The oil crisis of the 1970s frowned heavily on Mazda’s gas-guzzling rotary engines. Under constant development since licensure from NSU in 1961, the enormously expensive rotary-engine program had placed Mazda on the brink of financial ruin. The future looked bleak when Mazda’s largest creditor, Sumitomo Bank, inserted its own corporate […]
So this Bentley owner is getting out of his car and he gets sideswiped, ripping the door clean off its hinges. The police show up and he starts yelling about the damage, and the cop says, “Sir, your left arm is torn off!” The Bentley owner looks down and says, […]
The Audi TT is still in production, but don’t feel bad if you have forgotten. Since its U.S. debut in 2000, the TT coupe and roadster have morphed through three generations, each one becoming more luxurious, tech-laden and powerful than the last. Unfortunately, each iteration has become less memorable. That […]
Honda turned a generation of otherwise pragmatic buyers into driving fans when the Civic-based CRX hit showrooms in 1984. The 2-door, 2-seat hatchback was a smaller, livelier version of Honda’s compact commuter car while still maintaining a healthy dollop of practicality. Today, history most fondly remembers the second-generation CRX, which […]
The Supra made a name for itself as Toyota’s halo car, enough that the company brought back the nameplate to the U.S. after a 22-year absence. The fifth-generation 2020 Supra is mostly a BMW Z4 under the skin, but like any sports car that sticks around for multiple generations, some […]
It wasn’t terribly expensive. It didn’t sound exotic. And with the exception of its oversized rear wing, it was invisible to most. But Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution, born from World Rally Championship competition, was unquestionably a driver’s car. We’d even go so far as to call the “Evo” o ne of […]
There are certain words in a Porsche model name that give you a hint that something special is going on. “Speedster” is one, but also “Spyder.” The latter moniker harks back to the mythic mid-engined 550 Spyder, which James Dean made famous after dying in one on a California backroad […]
Sign up for a free weekly insider's report on the collector car market — and get a free gift.