Among Japanese automakers in the 1980s, few beyond flagship luxury brands attempted mid-engined sports cars owing to complexity and costs resisting mass-market viability. Toyota bucked convention by launching its peculiarly named, economically priced MR2 (Mid-engine Runabout 2-seater) in 1984. What seemed a gambit to attract younger buyers evolved across three distinct generations spanning 26 years…
The Ford Escort: Blue Oval’s Bantam Brash Hot Hatch Few automobiles embody pragmatic yet peppy motoring for the masses quite like Ford’s long-running Escort compact. As Ford’s analog to arch-rival VW Golf and analog to the British Ford Cortina, the little front-drive blue oval model connected owners worldwide with a fun, functional fusion of Yankee…
The Ford RS200: Rapid Rally Hero Turned ’80s Icon Among motorsports cars that transitioned for production-based homologation duties in the 1970s through the 80s, few proved more brutally effective—or primed for infamy—than Ford’s staggering RS200. Developed to spearhead Ford’s Group B rally effort against all-star competitors ranging from Audi’s indecently quick Sport Quattro to the…
Among automotive marques with lengthy production histories, few encapsulate the accelerated pace of cultural change through their era quite like Chevrolet’s quirky yet quick Corvair. Introduced in 1960 as a reaction to growing small car imports, the revolutionary rear-engine Chevy compact rode eccentric engineering and a burgeoning performance image to meteoric early sales. But conflicts…
When Ferruccio Lamborghini launched his eponymous Italian automaker in 1963, the mission involved targeting grand touring refinement. But mere years later, Lamborghini stunned rivals and customers alike when it unveiled an impractical yet immediately legendary vehicle at the 1966 Geneva Auto Show: the Miura. This risk-embracing model laid the groundwork for the passionate modern supercar…
Alpine A110 Timeless Formula Blending French Flair with Raw Driver Engagement Among vintage sports cars and early rally enthusiasts, few automotive brands elicit the passion and devotion enjoyed by France’s fledgling mid-century maker Alpine. Though production spans barely a decade between 1961 and 1977, the plucky Alpine A110 carved out an oversized reputation relative to…
The Legendary Appeal Behind Datsun’s 1971-1978 280Z Arriving in the wake of Nissan’s 1969 240Z introduction, the 1971 Datsun 280Z doubled down on its predecessor’s winning sports car formula. While the incoming 280Z preserved beloved 240Z design cues tracing back to earlier competition roadsters, its larger 2.8 L engine uptick power and performance to elevate…
De Tomaso Pantera – Italy’s American Muscle Superstar As the 1960s expired mourning lost luminaries, a daring Modenese hopeful named Alejandro de Tomaso harbored ambitions of returning racing glory back to Italian soil through a tiny upstart workshop bearing his name. Lacking resources to develop machines completely from scratch, he cleverly imported a surplus 351…