Unsafe at Any Speed

Check out this '65 Corvair. The Corvair underwent its only major redesign for 1965. Among the numerous improvements made, the coke-body styling is the most noticeable. However, the improvements to the chassis - including the implementation of a Corvette-inspired, independent suspension and optional short-ratio steering gear - were far more useful than any cosmetic upgrade.

Unfortunately, '65 was also the year that Ralph Nader's "Unsafe at Any Speed" was published. This widely read expose of the American Auto industry's resistance to implementing safety features included a chapter lampooning the Corvair's crash worthiness. Nader condemned the Corvair's design for numerous short-comings including poor front-end collision performance and unwieldy tale-happy steering. It would later be revealed - during Congressional hearings - that Nader's criticisms were exaggerated.

Regardless, the damage incurred by Nader's zealous attack would torpedo Corvair sales and lead to the model's demise. No matter, the "z-body" Chevrolet Corvair - with its rear-mounted, six-cylinder air-cooled boxer engine (110 hp - 140 hp) - was a radical departure from Chevy's standard sedan of the era and is still a looker today.

'55 Ford Fairlane

I have never been able to decide if the Studebaker Avanti is beautiful or ugly. Yet, I can not pass one with out taking its photo.

Gas prices got you down?

Well, maybe it's time to purchase a fuel-efficient subcompact. So, what should you buy: a Yaris, a Smart Car or a classic Saturn SL1? Efficient fuel misers each, but, they all lack the style of the BWM microcar known as the Isetta. Powered by a single-cylinder 300cc motorcycle engine, this post-war (which war? World War Two) Isetta makes a top speed of 53 mph and achieves 45 miles-per-gallon. Not sure I'd want to tackle the interstate in it. Merging with semis could be. . . well . . . taxing. The Germans called it the coffin car . . wonder why?

Behold, a '67 Mustang GT 390 - 390 being the displacement of the engine in cubic inches. Steve McQueen piloted a green '68 GT 390 in the flick Bullitt. With 320 hp, a GT 390 could sprint to 60mph in about 6 1/2 to 7 seconds. Of course, the real street machine in Bullitt was the '68 Dodge Charger RT 440 driven by the bad guys. In the movie, McQueen handily chases down the Charger during the film's epic car duel. However, in real life, the Charger was far faster. To remedy this for the film, the Charger was fitted with thinner tires in an effort to retard its performance. Alas, there were no Charger RT 440s at the show last weekend.

Also note the white '66 convertible Mustang in the background. This one's equipped with the ubiquitous 289 cu-in V8.

There is nothing more iconic than the grill work of a first generation Camaro.

Let the car shows begin...

I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, but, I hope to - as a minimum - post pictures from this summer's car show season. In fact, here's some juicy shots of the Corvettes in attendance at this year's Vermont Sports Car Club show in St. Albans, VT. I'll be posting more photos of this show through the week. Enjoy.

This blue Vette was by far my favorite. Ooooh, yummy chrome!

Check out the attention to detail in the cockpit. I love the layout of the gauges, especially the tachometer. Sadly, due to modern safety requirements, the metal dash is a thing of the past. It still surprises me, that with all the retro-remakes coming out of Detroit, that the modern Corvette hasn't picked up any of these historical cues.

Up next, a pair of red Vettes. The Stingray, according to the owner, is a '65 that started life in in a shade known as Glen Green. As for the older red Vette, I would guess it's a '60. Anyone?

Baby Sabbatical

Owen was born June 4th, and, like my mother-in-law, he showed up three-weeks-early and has already promised to stay late. I'll be busy for a while and will not have time to blog. I'll be back, though, once we've got everything bolted down. Until then, may your Volkswagens run with glassy-smoothness.

Marty, its the Libyans!

Look. . . a DeLorean DMC-12, as seen on the side of Gassetts Rd in North Springfield, Vt. This heavy, stainless steel wonder of the '80s was the brain child of John DeLorean - who was also the creator of the Pontiac GTO. Unlike the GTO, the DeLorean was not an unqualified success. Which is a surprise, considering that both Colin Chapman, the mastermind behind Lotus and Giorgetto Giugiaro, the pen behind the body designs of the BMW M1, the VW Scirocco, the Lancia Delta and countless other iconic automobiles, made substantial contributions to the effort. Unfortunately, engineering issues, financial troubles and - of course - legal problems torpedoed the effort before it ever got to sea. Still, the gull-wing doors and the brushed stainless steel - just like my fridge - is way cool. The good news is, DeLoreans are being produced again by a company out of Texas that bought all the original surplus parts from Big Lots - which had obtained the materials from the liquidated DeLerean Motor Company back in 1982. So, if you have an extra $60 large a brand-new, twenty-five-year-old car could be yours. Talk about time travel! Here's the URL: www.delorean.com.