Category: Classic Cars

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ASTON MARTIN ZAGATO

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The Aston Martin company has had a truly chequered career. Over the years there have been a number of times when it looked certain to be going to the wall but, on each occasion, it was saved by fortunate circumstances – like a major win of a title or at an important event. In 1960 Aston Martin introduced their DB4GT Zagato, a great performing road-legal semi- competition car but one that proved difficult for the average driver to manage on the road and was outperformed by the Ferrari 250GTO on… Read more

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CHEVROLET FB-4

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The Chevrolet FB-4 became the car which eventually unseated the Ford Model T from its proud position as the world’s best-selling car. Introduced in 1919 it took only eight years for this four-cylinder Chevrolet to achieve top-selling status as it more suited the needs of the American motorist. After the First World War roads were progressively improved and many well-to-do Americans thought the Ford Model T car, which had earned the nickname `tin lizzie’, a little too crude to be seen driving. With the FB4, Chevrolet set a new standard… Read more

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RENAULT R12

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The original design concept for the R12 described it as a high-class, medium sized car for the 1970s. The Renault R12 was a front-wheel drive vehicle powered by a 1289cc engine which was built, over its model life in three body styles: four-door saloon, five-door estate and a three-door panel van. The saloon and estate were available in two versions: TL and L. In the R12’s introductory year Renault was the third largest motor manufacturer in Europe. The R12 was powered by a four-cylinder engine rated at 40 kW. This… Read more

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WILLYS JEEP

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Around 1938 as the situation in Western Europe worsened and the prospect of a second world war looked a possibility, the US Army indicated to all automobile manufacturers that they were looking for a light reconnaissance vehicle to replace the motorcycles previously used in this role. First to respond was the American Bantam Car Company who were invited to supply three test models in September 1939, but these were rejected as too light. Shortly afterwards Willys-Overland produced sketches of a concept vehicle which would soon be known to the world… Read more

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ROVER 200

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The Rover 200 is an interesting example of `badge-engineering’. The car started out as the Honda Ballade and evolved during the period when there was a strong relationship between Austin-Rover and Honda. The Triumph Acclaim was another `badge-engineered’ car from this relationship. In the early 1980s the British company did not have the funds to develop a wider range of models to make it more competitive and Honda was looking for a way of entering the British and European markets when the most obvious way was blocked due to a… Read more

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MAZDA RX-3

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The RX3 is best viewed as an uprated, restyled R100. Its heart was still the 10A rotary, which drove back through a slick shifting all-synchro four-speed to a live rear axle suspended by leaf springs. To reduce its emission and noise levels, the RX3’s 10A differed somewhat from its predecessors. On smooth roads it could be coaxed around corners reasonably quickly, but as with its stablemates any kind of bumps threw the RX3 quickly off line. In the wet, the leaf- sprung rear end slid readily when the driver poured… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL

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In the immediate post-World War II period Mercedes was struggling to get back on its feet. With almost three-quarters of its factories being razed it was not until 1948 that the company was able to start making cars again. Initially these were pre-WWII carry over models which continued until 1953 when the company released the 180 Ponton saloon. It was this car that formed the basis of the 190SL. The first prototype was built early in 1954 but underwent considerable reworking before the production model appeared in March of that… Read more

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CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY

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The Chevrolet Corvette has always embodied the American concept of a classic sports car. It went into production as the world’s first mass-produced plastic car in 1953 and since then has continued to prove that Chevrolets do not have to be boring. The introduction of the Corvette was seen by GM executives as a means of testing new technology. As an example, the body was to be of fibreglass as used during WWII in naval patrol boats – hence the choice of the name Corvette. By confining their testing to… Read more

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AUSTIN SEVEN

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With the exception of the Model T Ford, which was produced in even greater quantities, the Austin Seven probably introduced more people to motoring than any other car. Certainly, after its introduction the market for motorcycles took a dive as people found an alternative means of transport which was not only economical but much more comfortable. The fact that these cars were also amazingly long-lasting meant that through the second-hand car market many more people could enjoy motoring in an even cheaper second-hand Austin Seven. More than a quarter of… Read more

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PONTIAC GTO

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The US muscle car craze was started by Pontiac when John DeLorean conceived the idea of putting the largest engine that Pontiac produced, the 7.45-litre V8 used in the large Grand Prix model, into the body of the smaller compact Tempest sedan. A compact car with this much power was considered by DeLorean to be just the thing to attract the young buyer in the early 1960s since Pontiac was losing market share and their model range was perceived as most suitable for older drivers. The Pontiac GTO is renowned… Read more