Posts from ‘Classic Cars’
Favorite Car Ads: 1949 Ford
In high school, a buddy of mine and I often traded notes between classes. These notes consisted of little more than the random wit and doodles of two really bored teenagers, but they were often pretty funny. One practice we engaged in was creating ad copy for fake products. This copy was always rich with absurd branded slogans and liberal use of the ™ tag.
A Brief History of Car Radio
By Jim Flammang
Commercial radio stations were transmitting signals to the public in the early 1920s, amplified in 1924 by the broadcast of the final campaign speech by newly elected president Calvin Coolidge. Two years earlier, outgoing president Warren Harding had installed a radio in the White House.
1986 Chevrolet Pickup
By most accounts, the automotive period known as the Malaise Era lasted from 1973 until 1983. During that time, the performance of most new vehicles paled in comparison to the less-regulated cars of just a few years earlier. Blame the government if you will, as low-lead gas, fuel-economy standards, and emissions regulations all took a serious toll on the horsepower output of most engines. I say most, because some cars suffered less than others. And there was one main reason for that relative immunity to the Malaise Era woes: fuel injection.
1934 Studebaker Commander Four-Door Sedan
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2017 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine
From the Speedway Comes Their Stamina, From the Skyway Comes Their Style” was the tagline for Studebaker advertising in 1934. The skyway reference was an attempt to tie Studebaker’s streamlined styling to aviation. The speedway reference was more grounded in fact.
1975 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon
After a year of cancelled car shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s lots of pent-up energy and interest around the 2021 car-event season—car lovers are anxious to get out of the garage and back to their favorite shows and cruise nights. One of our favorite summer “super shows” is the Goodguys Heartland Nationals at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, IA. One of the longest-running events on the Goodguys schedule (this year’s edition was the 30th annual), the Heartland Nats always takes place on the weekend closest to the 4th of July, and regularly draws more than 4000 vehicles. This year’s show enjoyed record-breaking participation: almost 5000 registered vehicles filled the spacious fairgrounds facility.
1955 Willys Utility Wagon
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2017 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine
After building 362,841 four-wheel-drive 1⁄4-ton military scout cars—the legendary “jeep”—during World War II, Willys needed something to sell postwar. A civilian version of the Willys MB was introduced, but the company wanted something more mainstream.
Forgotten Concept: ZIL-4102
ZIL-4102 Concept
This is an installment in a series of posts looking back on show cars that we feel deserved a little more attention than they got. If you have a suggestion for a Forgotten Concept topic, please shoot us a line or leave a comment below.
Compact Cars of 1969
1969 Plymouth Valiant 100 4-door Sedan (with 200 Decor Group)
Sadly, our official home-office archive of Consumer Guide new-car-test magazines is pretty thin before 1970. We do have a digest-size magazine from 1967, but it’s most prices and such—no photos, no specs, and no test-drive evaluations.
1959 Cadillac
We apologize in advance. There’s a pretty good chance your favorite Cadillac isn’t included in the gallery below. As it turns out, though a luxury brand, General Motors’ luxury division has made available a surprising number of models and body styles over the years–more than we could cover in this gallery of vintage Cadillac ads.
1941 Dodge WC-18 Ambulance
Note: The following story was excerpted from the August 2012 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine
Of the many things Chrysler Corporation manufactured for American and Allied military services during World War II, perhaps the ones most likely to be still seen today are four-wheel-drive trucks produced by Dodge. They were manufactured in an array of body types for myriad battlefield tasks, and military-vehicle collectors still covet and preserve examples that have survived the ravages of war and time.
