The MGA should have happened several years before it did. The story of why it didn’t and how it came to be is one of the goals of this profile. Another goal is to introduce you to two very nice examples of the MGA line. It’s your choice which you like best. One thing this...
I was 19-years old and working nights at a Shell service station in San Jose, California, with my friend Jim Jett, when a tiny, roundish car rolled in that looked as if it had been inflated. A young woman stepped out of it and told us that a little red light was staying on. The...
I was out walking the other day, and tripped on a grate in the pavement and fell hard… down hill. As I was regaining consciousness, a neighbor stopped her car and asked me if I wanted a ride back to my house. I accepted gratefully. My doctor assessed my swollen face and blackened eye and...
Although the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 of the late-1930s and immediate post-war years lingered on the market until 1953, its replacement was first introduced in 1950—the Alfa Romeo 1900. The design of the 1900, and every subsequent Alfa through the Alfetta, was guided by Orazio Satta Puglia, known to colleagues as “Satta.” With a background...
Dodge and Plymouth stylists hated them, Bill France hated them, but, the racers? Racers loved them, as long as they were driving one of them. Other racers really hated them too. They were considered weird looking, but they worked very well, thanks to the engineers who were tasked with making a Dodge that would dominate...
If you believe that when a man puts his name on the building the products emanating from the enterprise embody his soul and spirit, then it’s unlikely you will ever find better proof of the concept than Enzo Ferrari. His story is, of course, a familiar one. Having joined Alfa Romeo in 1920 to begin...
The Bugatti 57SC has long been coveted by automotive historians and enthusiasts as one of the ultimate expressions of pre-war automotive design and engineering, with a precious few chassis originally constructed and each example appreciated as exceptional and bespoke. Some versions of the 57SC have achieved stratospheric desirability and value due to demand for a Bugatti that exemplifies the best in performance, styling and recognition for the period it represents. Adding to the Bugatti legend is an exceptional and exciting competition history that includes two overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Introduced at the Paris Auto Salon…
On July 18, 1955, in sunny Southern California an icon was born when Walt Disney opened the gates to his vision of an amusement park for all ages—Disneyland. Some will remember that in those early days of Disneyland, visitors needed tickets to experience the various rides and attractions. The more subdued rides might call for...
I was down in New Zealand recently with my good friend, photographer Dave Gooley on a working vacation, searching out unique cars. We struck pay dirt at the annual Ellerslie Concours in Auckland, which is New Zealand’s equivalent to Pebble Beach, and features classic cars from all over the world. I discovered that the little...
Though only a few Dutch vehicle makers are in operation today, in the early years of the motorcar around the turn of the 20th century, quite a number of automakers were at work designing and producing cars in the Netherlands. One such firm had its start when brothers Hendrik-Jan and Jacobus Spijker—blacksmiths by trade—founded Spijker...
A 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe eight-passenger station wagon’s doors are big, so climbing in is easy. The bench seats are covered in leatherette, a leather-like plastic-coated fabric designed to be tough and long lasting. The interior is roomy and handsome, though somewhat curious in that – though rich real wood moldings, with the feel of...