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AMX GT redux – popular concept car in the midst of re-creation

Posted on Oct 14, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

Couldn’t be that hard, many people think, to slam an AMX and a Gremlin together to re-create the long-lost 1968 AMX GT concept car, right? Except that nobody has ever whipped up such an automotive portmanteau, given it the requisite red white, and blue paint scheme, and rolled it out to see the light of day—until now. We first got word of the project through...

88 Percent of Cars Have a Hidden History—Does Yours?

Posted on Oct 6, 2018 in Safety | 2 comments

Could you spot the $15,000 in damages? If you knew the car you were about to buy was once melted by fire, would you still buy it? I’m guessing the answer to that question is a resounding “No.” However, someone out there owns a 2004 Honda Pilot that had the driver’s side melted away by a raging fire that burned a mere feet from the then-brand-new SUV. The...

The 7 Most Dangerous Vehicles on the Road

Posted on Sep 24, 2018 in Safety | 3 comments

Mention the most dangerous vehicles on the road today, and the Ram 1500 pickup truck isn’t likely to make many people’s list. Dangerous to others, perhaps, but certainly not the most dangerous vehicle to ride in. The smart fortwo? That would make sense. But, once again, we have proof that we live in a world that doesn’t make much sense. Because, according to...

GMC Crossovers and SUVs Help Families Manage Extracurricular Chaos

Posted on Sep 23, 2018 in Technology | Comments Off on GMC Crossovers and SUVs Help Families Manage Extracurricular Chaos

For many families, the mayhem begins when the school day ends. That’s when kids must be driven to sports practices, dance lessons, scout meetings and more. GMC can’t break up fights in the back seat, but its roomy and connected crossovers and SUVs can take the edge off extracurricular chaos for harried parents and caregivers. GMC family of crossovers and SUVs...

Fiesta and Focus: Competing or Compatible?

Posted on Sep 10, 2018 in Racing | 5 comments

Ford will likely have two winners on its hands with the 2011 Fiesta—launched four months ago and doing quite well, thank you—and the new Focus, coming early next year. The Focus is being touted as a global car, though there will be different trims for different regions. The U.S. will get a four-door sedan and a five-door hatch, but the hot ST (250 hp), recently...

Why I Race a Crapcan Buick Regal

Posted on Sep 1, 2018 in Editorials | 1 comment

Mark recently asked me a question: “Why do you race a Buick?” No one has ever asked me that directly. Frankly, I didn’t have a specific answer. My team and I were simply playing by the strict-ish-ly simple 24 Hours of Lemons rule: “Vehicles must be acquired and prepared for a maximum of $500.” The rest is history — but that wouldn’t make for a good story. So,...

Feel Free to Flash Your Lights, It’s Legal! (At Least in One State)

Posted on Aug 27, 2018 in Safety | 3 comments

Flash ’em if you’ve got ’em We’ve touched on this topic before, but it’s time to revisit it: Should flashing headlights to warn motorists of a speed trap be illegal? A Florida man has won his First Amendment case against the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, which ticketed him for flashing his lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap. The...

Citroen SM

Posted on Aug 23, 2018 in Antique | Comments Off on Citroen SM

The dramatic and futuristic Citroen SM was a revolutionary car and its recent anniversary is a significant milestone. France has always had a history of producing strange, quirky little cars that were loved by its people. More than a few times, those cars changed the auto industry. Citroen cars like the Traction Avante, the 2CV, and the Citroen DS changed the...

I Sold a Scion Once

Posted on Aug 9, 2018 in Editorials | 2 comments

Being a car flipper, tuner and technician that falls within the millennial age group should make me an ideal candidate for various Scions. Yet, when I attempted to jog my memory yesterday, I could think of only a a few I’ve touched with my own two hands. In fact, I’ve only flipped a single vehicle from Toyota’s youth brand: a repossessed xB festooned with the...

G-Power BMW M5 Hurricane RR Sets Speed Record

Posted on Aug 5, 2018 in Racing | 3 comments

G-Power BMW M5 Hurricane RR The title of “world’s fastest” has a powerful pull on guys. We have a certain need for speed, which, in most cases, is a good thing and a source of bragging rights among buddies. A great example is a former boss who demanded we call him “Mr. 155,” because that’s how fast he once managed push his Audi A6 on a deserted stretch of I-90....

Regal Regie: 1956 Renault Dauphine brochure

Posted on Aug 2, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

Before the Volkswagen Sedan became an American best-seller, the title of the best-selling imported car was held by an attractive little rear-engined French car — the Renault Dauphine. This product of Renault Régie Nationale France was designed from the start as a car for the masses, as the automaker itself explained in rather self-deprecating fashion in this...

Quality? Don’t Care. Performance? No. Safety? Pass. Fuel Economy? Yes Please!

Posted on Jul 22, 2018 in Safety | 1 comment

Fuel economy, at least temporarily, has become the single most important factor to new-car buyers. I say “temporarily” because we all know it won’t last. Americans have a tendency to overreact to things. Remember in 2008, when gas prices jumped and folks traded in their SUVs en masse for more fuel efficient rides? Remember, later that year, when prices dipped...

The Ford Dealership Volume I: 1903-1954

Posted on Jul 16, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

All photographs and captions, courtesy of The Ford Dealership Volume I: 1903-1954. Car dealerships are, to most people, forgettable places. They exist simply to display inventory and, if all goes well, provide a place where paperwork can be signed. But automotive enthusiasts like Henry Dominguez, author of several Ford-focused books, tend to feel differently...