2000 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
by Don Sikora II
Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2019 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
Following the 1976 demise of the Cadillac Eldorado soft top, the 1982 Chrysler LeBaron—and very similar Dodge 400—helped restart the market for American-brand convertibles. While the earliest K-car-based ragtops are interesting for their own reasons, at the moment we’d like to take a look at one of their descendants, the 1996-2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible.
Test Drive: 2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR in Firenze Red
2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Class: Premium Compact Crossover
Miles driven: 190
Fuel used: 12.7 gallons
2018 Lincoln Continental
by Don Sikora
Note: The following story was excerpted from the February 2019 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.
The Lincoln Continental seemingly faded away after 2002, but the storied nameplate—so integral to the marque—apparently was too important to lose. It came back in 2017, applied to Lincoln’s largest sedan on a stretched version of the Ford Fusion chassis. It’s fair to say the car’s styling elicited mixed reactions, a pity for a nameplate first used by Lincoln on a car that oozed style. That said, this installment of Future Collectibles focuses on the latest Continentals in Lincoln’s Black Label Program.
Cool Color: Lexus Sunlit Green
2020 Lexus ES 350 in Sunlit Green
I don’t usually pay too much attention to the color of vehicles in the Consumer Guide evaluation fleet, though Senior Editor Damon Bell does. However, we both took notice of the paint on a Lexus ES 350 that recently spent some time at the office.
2019 Lexus LS 500 F Sport in “Liquid Platinum” silver
2019 Lexus LS 500 F Sport AWD
Class: Premium Large Car
Miles driven: 699
Fuel used: 35.3 gallons
1974 Honda Civic
Honda began running its “We make it simple” television and radio campaign in the late Seventies. The ads, which included an arguably catchy jingle, made the point that Honda automobile ownership was simple and uncomplicated. One 1978 television ad, for example, demonstrated that the Civic came with just a single key which worked in the ignition, doors, glove box, and locking fuel-filler door.
2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS53 in Cardinal Red Metallic (a $1080 option)
2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS53 Coupe
Class: Premium Midsize Car
Miles driven: 349
Fuel used: 17.7 gallons
2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR in Estoril Blue (a $1525 option)
2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 299
Fuel used: 21.8 gallons
First Look: 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid
2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid
Although there are updates to Honda’s entire CR-V lineup for 2020, the biggest news is that a Hybrid model will be added, due on sale early in 2020. It will be joined in the compact-crossover class by another new hybrid entry, the 2020 Ford Escape (which should be hitting dealerships soon), both adding to the existing roster that includes hybrid versions of the Toyota RAV4, and Kia Niro — which also comes in plug-in hybrid form, the type offered by the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.
1951 Lincoln
Question: What does Lincoln have in common with GMC, Jeep, and Ram? Answer: An all-truck lineup. Maybe.
