Archive for July, 2018
The quixotic tale of a doomed luxury car and an interview with a veteran car designer turned out to be golden opportunities for two freelance contributors to Collectible Automobile® magazine, a companion publication to Consumer Guide® Automotive.

1954 International Model R-140 Station Wagon
Note: The following story was excerpted from the October 2009 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in North Dakota needed three tough station wagons that could go anywhere in the wilds of the Northern plains, it chose the 1954 International R-140 with four-wheel drive. Why the Corps needed three such wagons is a mystery.

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Some may not know that Alfa Romeo and Maserati — both upscale Italian brands — are part of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), and thus “corporate cousins” to Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Ram vehicles. But that’s about where the similarities end.

1941 Packard One Sixty Deluxe Convertible Coupe
Note: The following story was excerpted from the June 2016 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Packard’s policy of gradual styling changes helped it to maintain a gold standard of resale value and allowed owners to keep their cars longer without looking dated. This linear styling policy served Packard well until the Forties. By then, though, American car design was changing at an incredible rate. Packard’s unhurried design evolution couldn’t keep up with the pace, and by ’41, its cars looked old fashioned.

2018 Chevrolet Silverado Custom 4×4 Crew Cab in Summit White
2018 Chevrolet Silverado Custom 4×4 Crew Cab
Class: Large Pickup
Miles driven: 347
Fuel used: 20.4 gallons