Archive for February, 2022
What If…1955 Ford Crown Ranchero

1955 Ford Crown Ranchero
Two of Ford Motor Company’s most memorable vehicles of the Fifties were introduced within a couple years of each other. Launching for 1955 as the flagship of Ford’s dramatically restyled passenger-car line, the Crown Victoria two-door hardtop brought a new level of glamour and style to the brand. Two years later, the 1957 Ford Ranchero melded the passenger car and the pickup truck into a “best of both worlds” proposition—at least for some shoppers.

Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you’ve come to the right place. Join the editors of Consumer Guide Automotive as they break down everything that’s going on in the auto world. New-car reviews, shopping tips, driving green, electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.

1938 Studebaker State Commander
Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2016 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine
Most people associate Studebaker with South Bend, Indiana, or maybe even Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but the Studebaker State Commander on these pages was built in Los Angeles. In 1935, Studebaker opened a plant there for assembly of cars destined for the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii.

1987 Suzuki Samurai
Sometime in the middle of the Eighties, Americans developed an appetite—albeit a modest one—for pint-sized sport-utility vehicles with legitimate off-road capability. Early on the scene were the Suzuki Samurai and the Daihatsu Rocky. Few people actually recall Daihatsu’s brief flirtation with the U.S. market—briefly, Daihatsu sold cars Stateside between 1988 and 1992. Only two models were ever offered here: the aforementioned Rocky, and a subcompact car dubbed Charade.