In the early ’50s Grand Prix regulations changed. Aurelio Lampredi was able to create for Ferrari a new, larger displacement,...
In 1951, the Spanish industrial manufacturer ENASA, under the leadership of former Alfa Romeo engineer Wilfredo Ricart, debuted an exotic...
Before WWII, the term “sports car” was an alien phrase in the USA. There was no such thing. Returning G.I.s changed that when they came home with MG TCs. This gave America its first taste of small, nimble, four-cylinder sports cars. Enthusiasts on this side of the pond said, “Please...
Not every Alfa Romeo 1900C chassis that went to a Carrozzeria for custom coachwork (see this month’s Roadcar Feature) emerged...
At the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York City, Cadillac unveiled a concept car designed by Harley Earl. Named...
In 1953, Chrysler’s famed design chief, Virgil Exner entered into a partnership with the Italian styling house Ghia to produce four Dodge concept cars on a 119-in wheelbase chassis with Dodge’s Red Ram Hemi V8 engine. The two-seat convertible pictured was the first of these Firearrows, but was a non-running...
Enzo Ferrari’s focus was on racing, not road cars, but he needed money to finance his racing addiction, so he...
The 1953 Turin Auto Show must have been quite a sight. It presented cars of what would become a landmark...
In the early 1950s, Americans looked forward to attending auto shows for the unveiling of the manufacture’s latest offerings. Adding to the excitement was the increasing number of concept cars that debuted at these events, presenting a possible glimpse into the future of the automobile that they may someday be...
The Ghia-designed Dodge Firearrow III is flamboyantly showcased on its stand during the 1954 Detroit Auto Show....
In 1954, Chrysler debuted the latest iteration of its “Forward Look” Dream Cars, the Plymouth Explorer. Designed by Luigi Segre...
Rolls-Royce’s brilliant, first post-war design is as enjoyable to drive now as it was then. The Silver Wraith was the first large-chassis Rolls-Royce produced after the second World War. The market for expensive, hand-crafted luxury automobiles was somewhat limited in the post-war era, with most people having more urgent needs....
You know how the saying goes? “Wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that.” The scene was...
Independent automotive designer Bill Flajole worked on a number of important designs, including the Nash Metropolitan, before turning his attention...
There are a number of cars that are better known by their nicknames, than their original designation, like the Alfa Romeo Montreal, or the Ferrari Daytona. But probably the most iconic and well-known nickname is Mercedes’ Gullwing. The 300SL was a road car based on Mercedes’ 1952 W194 racecar. The...
When I moved to Tennessee a few years ago, one of the first things I did was look for a...
In 1956, three Aston Martin DB2/4 chassis were sent to Carrozzeria Touring, in Milan, for custom, lightweight bodywork. The first...
Ray Petros is a dedicated Studebaker collector. It is natural that he focuses on that marque, since his family were Studebaker dealers for many years. Two of his cars, and two of Studebaker’s most iconic vehicles, have been featured in this magazine. His Avanti R1 was the subject of a...
In 1948, Jaguar launched the wild and wooly XK120 at the London Motor Show. It was a testbed and show...
It’s hard to imagine that what was probably the greatest range of post-war production sports cars, really started life as...
Max Hoffman was a racecar driver in Europe before immigrating to the United States to avoid the Nazis. Hoffman became an importer of European automobiles into the U.S., in the 1950s. Become a Member & Get Ad-Free Access To This Article (& About 6,000+ More) Access to the full article...
The MGA’s looks harken back to MG designer Sid Enever’s one-off, envelope body that he created for an MG TD...
When you think of Volkswagen you don’t often use of the word rare, but in this case, with a 1958...
One of many styling experiments built for day-to-day use by GM styling Chief Bill Mitchell, the XP-700 was built on a standard 1958 283/230 Corvette chassis but received “Grand Prix-inspired” styling cues such as wire wheels, side exhaust and an extended snout, rumored to have been inspired by a one-off...
Four-seater, mid-engined, sequential gearbox, what’s not to like? Short descriptions can be deceiving, but if you’re interested in an unusual...
In 1959, Buick introduced the Invicta line of full-size sedans, as an evolution of the Buick Century married to a...
Porsche put the word out to all its foreign concessionaires, in the summer of 1958, the now 4-year old rough...
Designed by Edward Turner, in 1958, the Daimler Dart was debuted at the 1959 New York Auto Show where it...
The Appia was introduced as Lancia’s new entry-level car in the 1950s. It started out as a passenger car in 1953, replacing the Ardea which had been in production since ’43. It was the last of the Lancias to incorporate sliding pillar front suspension—a feature that had been around since...