Archive for August, 2018
1955 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery
photos by Al Rogers
Note: The following story was excerpted from the October 2016 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Part car and part truck, the sedan delivery had been on the American motoring scene since the late Twenties. It was a convenient and fairly economical vehicle for tradesmen and small-business operators whose hauling needs didn’t warrant the use of a large truck or required a more genteel presence.
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring in Crystal Black Silica
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring
Class: Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 358
Fuel used: 19.0 gallons
First Spin: 2019 Ram 1500 eTorque
2019 Ram 1500 Hemi with eTorque
In a quest for better fuel economy in traditionally thirsty trucks, Ram takes a page from the automotive playbook and banks on … a hybrid.
Well, a mild hybrid, actually, and while unique in today’s marketplace, it’s not the first.
2018 Chevrolet Cruze LT Diesel Hatchback in Nightfall Gray
2018 Chevrolet Cruze LT Diesel Hatchback
Class: Compact Car
Miles driven: 364
Fuel used: 10.8 gallons
2018 Chevrolet Trax Redline Edition in Mosaic Black Metallic
2018 Chevrolet Trax LT AWD Redline Edition
Class: Subcompact Crossover
Miles driven: 332
Fuel used: 12.0 gallons
What Was The Iron Duke?
Though technically a Pontiac engine, the Iron Duke found a place under the hood of dozens of non-Pontiac models.
The Chevrolet Vega was meant to be a technical and efficiency tour de force. The good-looking, lightweight little car featured a number of cutting-edge features, and was positioned to prove that the Bow-Tie Brand—and on a broader scale General Motors—was in a position to take on the low-cost and fuel-efficient imports that were starting to show up in dealerships at the beginning of the Seventies.
First Spin: 2019 GMC Sierra
2019 GMC Sierra Denali
GMC has long used the tagline, “Professional Grade,” promoting the brand as being a cut above others in the same class. That has been best demonstrated in the top-line Denali trim level — recently offered on nearly all GMC models — which has been elevated to essentially a “luxury” sub-brand. It’s been particularly noteworthy in the case of the company’s Sierra full-size pickups, as the rest of the lineup didn’t really offer much over its very similar Chevrolet Silverado cousin. But that’s changing.
First Spin: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
OK, stick with us here—this gets a bit complicated. With the introduction of the redesigned 2019 Santa Fe, Hyundai is changing up its midsize-SUV strategy. Previously, the Santa Fe was offered in a 3-row, 7-passenger version called Santa Fe, and a shorter 2-row, 5-passenger version named Santa Fe Sport.
1940 Ford Regular Fire Truck
by Don Sikora
Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2013 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
The residents of Big Rock Township, Illinois, bought their first fire truck in spring 1940. They—and their descendants—still have it.
First Spin: 2019 Honda Pilot
2019 Honda Pilot
Honda’s popular midsize crossover has long been a Consumer Guide Best Buy, and revisions to the freshened 2019 Pilot only serve to make it better.
As this is a “refresh” and not a redesign, the Pilot platform and appearance haven’t changed much. Oh, the grille is different – taking on what Honda deems as a “more rugged” demeanor to reflect Pilot’s admittedly good off-road prowess – but the vehicle still looks and drives like a Pilot … which is just fine.
