Automobile History

Secret Jeep Easter Eggs

A tiny spider greets you in Italian when you open the fuel door. Flip-flops honor a journalist who refused to wear proper shoes. A dinosaur skull hides under your floor mat. Jeep Easter eggs are small hidden designs that Jeep designers incorporate into every vehicle model. These range from tiny animal silhouettes to Morse code messages to tributes honoring the brand’s 1941 military origins. The tradition spans nearly three decades and includes every current Jeep: Wrangler, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Grand Wagoneer, and Compass. Some owners drive for years without noticing them. Others make finding every last one a personal mission. The tradition started with a single designer who wanted to leave his mark on an icon. According to Motor Authority’s

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Aston Martin Bulldog exceeds 200 mph 44 years after debut

The first and only Aston Martin Bulldog has finally reached the 200 miles per hour milestone it was built to achieve. It took decades. Classic Motor Cars, a United Kingdom-based vintage car repair shop, recently announced the Bulldog reached a top speed of 205.4 mph at a former NATO base in Scotland. Darren Turner, three-time Le Mans class winner and test driver for Aston Martin, piloted the Bulldog. “Bulldog’s 200 mph goal has been over 40 years in the making, being part of that legacy is a fantastic feeling,” said Turner whose previous attempts at reaching 200 mph in 2021 fell short. Classic Motor Cars spent 7,000 hours over 18 months to bring this Bulldog as close as possible to

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Adam Levine singing Fake Maserati Blues, sues dealer

Adam Levine, lead vocalist for pop music group Maroon 5, purchased a $1 Million, one-of-25 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 Spyder in exchange for two Ferraris from classic car dealer Rick Cole in late 2020. Levine filed a lawsuit last Friday against Cole two years after the deal, claiming the ultra-rare Maserati isn’t authentic. The lawsuit accuses the classic car dealer of negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and breach of contract and is asking for at least $850,000 in damages or to undo the $950,000 exchange. Documents obtained by the New York Post claim Cole or those affiliated with his business intentionally faked the documentation, chassis, and engine authentication. Markings on the build plate, VIN, and stampings on various parts of the chassis were shown

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Velocity Invitational: Mario Andretti, epic races, big crowds

LAGUNA SECA – The Velocity Invitational, a motorsports festival held Oct. 14-16 at WeatherTech Raceway, was a nod to the adage that good things come in threes. First, there was living legend Mario Andretti, 82, behind the wheel of a modern Formula 1 car for the first time. Second was exciting split-second race finishes that thrilled the crowd of more than 15,000. Third was the tens of millions of dollars worth of vintage race and hypercars gracing the track. It made the Velocity Invitational one of the country’s more unique motorsports experiences. While the three-day event featured hundreds of vehicles across 10 different groups and classifications, it wasn’t hard to argue Andretti’s turn on the raceway was the highlight for

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Chevrolet SSR: Odd, defunct truck, passionate owners

(As a contributor to RVTravel.com, I recently posted the following article about the Chevrolet SSR to the RV industry’s largest site. It attracted a lot of attention from readers, most of it from SSR owners. A few letter writers sent “nasty grams.” The remaining letters were from SSR owners, who forwarded opinions, suggestions and general praise for writing about the vehicle they enjoy. The audiences of RVTravel.com and TheWeeklyDriver.com are different, thus the reason for the re-posting. I’ve also posted two comments from readers, and, of course, readers’ comments are always welcomed.) *** The Chevrolet Super Sport Roadster (SSR) may be the weirdest pickup ever made. The carmaker had elaborate marketing plans and anticipated success for the retro-styled machine. But

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Rare, rugged Jeep J10 Honcho precursor to 2020 Gladiator

Jeep doesn’t make a lot of pickup trucks, but for seven years beginning in 1976, a trim package called The Honcho was available. The limited-edition offered on the J10 model and only on the step side and short bed offerings included bold striping and decals. Optional extras included an interior made by Levi’s (in blue or tan) or a roll bar. The specialty trucks also included the Golden Eagle and 10-4. The latter was offered with an optional CB radio corresponding to the radio acknowledgment decal “10-4.” The Jeep J10 Honcho was manufactured through 1983, and it could be ordered with a combination of the specialty items. Only 1,264 examples were made. It’s not the most coveted, but it’s now

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The worst car ever? Auto-Kabine, a VW Bug on steroids

The ugliest car ever made is an ideal topic over a great burger and couple of beers. There’s plenty of room for discussion. But the worst car ever? There seems to be a consensus: The Hoffmann Auto-Kabine. M. Hoffmann, a post-WWII engineer and entrepreneur, built bicycles and Vespas in Germany in the late 1940s and then decided to entry automobile manufacturing. It was disastrous. The Auto-Kabine microcar, which resembles a VW Bug on steroids, couldn’t have been a more contrary mechanical assemblage. The engine drives the single rear wheel mounted on a cradle. It pivots on a kingpin in the center of the vehicle’s triangular frame. An extraordinarily complex lever mechanism operates the steering. The short wheelbase, rear-wheel steering proved

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Nissan legacy: small sedans, SUVs, super cars

Approaching its 85th birthday, Nissan has endured ownership changes, collaborations and mergers and has emerged as the manufacturer of a varied collection of popular cars and trucks. Shortly after debuting in 1933 as the Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd., the company merged with another Japanese company and was renamed Nissan Motor Company. It manufactured cars under the Datsun brand and those vehicles, like the Datsun 100, were first available in the United States in 1958. Another merger later, the Datsun 510 sedan was unveiled and proved a hit. But it was outdone by a sibling, the arrival of the first in series of edgy sports cars, the Datsun 240Z. It was a revelation for the era, equipped with an inline six-cylinder

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Manufacturer Spotlight: BMW, airplanes to supercars

With its legacy dating nearly 110 years to manufacturing airplanes, BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) is renowned for its luxury vehicles that provide a unique combination of driving pleasure and performance. It took 18 years after BMW began in Munich, Germany as Bayerische Motoren Werke AG for the company to transition from airplanes to cars. The Dixi, the first four-wheel effort, was a hit. It joined by the Type 328 roadster as the brand’s defense against the Depression. The two-seater was hugely successful on the racing circuit with more than 120 victories during a five-year tenure ending in 1940. Following WWII, BMW stretched its ever-advancing success with models like the 501 and 502, luxury and roomy sedans. But the carmaker didn’t

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Bugatti As Kinetic Art? Rare Pedal Cars Honor Iconic Brand

Bugatti is often considered the world’s most prestigious automobile. The French car company was founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti. Throughout its more its now nearly 108-year history, the craftsmanship of its vehicles is unmatched. Despite the beauty and legend of Bugatti, the exclusive company has endured its pitfalls like nearly every other high-end manufacturer. Ettore Bugatti died in 1947 and was preceded in death by his son Jean. The elder’s passing marked the beginning of the demise of the original company. The company was in such financial disarray in the early 1960s, its inventory was sold for use as airplane parts. The company was sold to Hispano-Suiza in 1963, and the Bugatti name was sold to its current owner

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Pick-up trucks honored with postage stamps

The U.S. Postal Service is honoring a U.S. automotive icon: the pick-up truck. The stamps will celebrate four models: the 1938 International Harvester D-2, the 1948 Ford F-1, the 1953 Chevrolet and the 1965 Ford F-100. The stamps were crated by artist Chris Lyons of Pittsford, NY, used Adobe Illustrator Art director Antonio Alcalá of Alexandria, Virginia, designed the stamps. Early Pickup Trucks Pickup trucks date to the early 1900s, when automobiles first became popular in the United States. They made personally hauling cargo, which once was the job of horse-drawn wagons, easier than ever. By the early 1900s, several manufacturers first began producing light-duty trucks in limited numbers. International Harvester supplied and maintained trucks on stateside military bases during

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The Family of Prius, hybrid cars still dominate

The Toyota Prius wasn’t the first hybrid vehicle in the United States. That honor belongs to the Honda Insight. But the Prius, which debuted a few months later, has been the most successful alternative fuel car in the United States, by a substantial margin, since its unveiling in 2000. In the past 15 years, many manufacturers have joined the gas-electric hybrid segment, some offering several varieties of environmentally “green” vehicles. Competition is keen, but the Prius still dominates the segment with Toyota expanding its hybrid offerings a few years ago. The family of Prii (the plural of Prius was put to public vote in 2011) now also includes Prius plug-in hybrid as well as v and c models. The third

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Toyota Camry: Top sedan through the years

Since its humble debut nearly 32 years ago, the Toyota Camry has been a hit. It wasn’t touted much, but soon after it replaced the Toyota Corona, the public responded. As such, with impressive quality, comfortable ride and durability, the Camry has been near the top or the top-selling sedan in the United States for more than 25 years. It’s been the sedan sales leader for the past 12 years. While impressive, Toyota made several surprising changes across all trims for the 2015 Camry, available at dealers since September. The changes include: a stiffer body, new grille, softer interior materials, new controls and, according to the manufacturer, about 2000 new parts. The surprise is that Toyota also revised the now

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What’s in a badge? Everything for carmakers

By any name: badge, emblem, insignia, logo, nameplate, whatever symbol a car manufacturer uses to market and showcase its vehicles means a lot in the automotive industry. Some car badges are globally recognizable, while other a far less well known but remain distinguished among collectors and automotive insiders. A car badge is some ways is no different from a badge on a law enforcement officer. In different ways, it means the same thing: authority. The three-point star of Mercedes-Benz means the authority of the open road and Germany engineering. The Leaping Jaguar is unmistakable as the symbol of the authority of elegance of Jaguar. Corvette has used several different badges, including the one below Not all automobiles badges or emblems

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Rare Corvair once deemed unsafe now collectors’ car

The Chevrolet Corvair has a unique status in automotive history. It was named car of the year. It was once defined as unsafe at any speed. And it was the first American-designed, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine. Produced in model years 1960 to 1969 and featuring an air-cooled rear-mounted flat-six engine, the Corvair was available in several trims including a two-door coupe, convertible, four-door sedan and four-door station wagon. The Corvair was also available as a passenger van, commercial van and a pickup truck. Tom Davenport of Sacramento, California, owns a 1964 Corvair convertible couple. He purchased the car from a relative three years ago and is the third owner of the now 50-year-old machine. In

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Rare Used Cars: 1993 Cadillac Allanté

The Cadillac Allanté, now considered among recent rare used cars, is a two-door luxury roadster manufactured by General Motors. It was designed by Pininfarina of Italy and sold for only seven years despite its superior performance and unique styling. About 21,500 Allanté units were made, equating to slightly more than 3,000 per year. In its final year, 1993, Cadillac made 4,670 Allanté units with a high-end price of $65,000. Originally designed under the code name “Callisto” to compete with the Mercedes-Benz SL and Jaguar XJS, the Allanté featured a modified variant of the 4.1-liter V8 used across Cadillac’s lineup. The Allanté is noted for an unusual production arrangement. Completed bodies, designed and manufactured in Italy, were shipped 4,600 miles from

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