Classic and Collector Car News, Features and Interviews.
The first in our Collector Series features, the Fiat 750 GT Zagato was launched in 1956 and had a curvy aerodynamic body styled by Zagato. It quickly became known as the “double bubble” Fiat thanks to the unique roof design and rear engine cover. Debuting at the Turin Motor Show in 1955, it was based on the Fiat 600 and had an Abarth tuned and enlarged 750cc engine. The light…
A bit like Peugeot, who didn’t start out making cars, German manufacturer NSU originated as a knitting machine maker in the late 1800s before eventually moving on to produce bicycles. By the early 1900s they began making motorbikes and in 1905 built their first car. It wasn’t a success so they focused on motorbikes instead. This continued during World War II with production resuming after the war and in 1957…
Our latest eBay pick is an interesting import. Badged as a Dodge Colt GS Coupe, it’s actually a Mitsubishi Galant Coupe. Sounds strange doesn’t it. In 1971 Chrysler purchased a stake in Mitsubishi which gave them access to the Japanese marques model inventory. As a result Chrysler began importing the Galant to the US and rebadged it as the Dodge Colt. It was also sold in New Zealand. The Colt…
Update 26-06-2015: The Caravelle is back on eBay again and has been listed with no reserve. Current bidding is at £3,600 with just over eight days remaining. The new eBay listing can be found here. Can’t believe no one has bought this cool racer. Update 04-03-2015: The Caravelle has been relisted after a typical trigger finger Buy it Now incident. The seller has updated the listing and states the car…
The Dodge Dart was Chryslers mid range offering which was first launched in 1960. Based on the Plymouth unibody, they were offered in sedan and coupe forms and were downsized compared to other offerings from Chrysler. By the late 1960s the model was in its fourth generation with the Dodge Dart receiving a refresh in 1970. This year also saw the introduction of the two door coupe Dodge Dart Swinger….
In the 1970s Lancia was dominating the world rally scene with its devastating V6 powered Stratos. In 1980 a new car was needed to comply with new FIA regulations so the Stratos was no longer viable. In stepped the Lancia Rally 037 making it’s debut in 1982. The new car notched up a few wins in its debut year but suffered a raft of teething problems which forced numerous retirements….
The Nissan Cedric was first launched in 1960 by Datsun and was their first car to be called a Nissan. The Nissan Cedric GX 230 was the third generation of the model and it’s name was apparently inspired by the main character (Cedric) in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel Little Lord Fauntleroy. The model went through ten generations before finally being dropped in 2004. The third generation models were offered in…
Andre Citroen, founder of the company that bore his name, was a shrewd business man and made good use of marketing. He famously had his name installed on the Eiffel Tower, dominating the Paris night sky from 1925 – 1935. It was therefore no surprise when the Citroen 5CV was announced in 1922 that the decision was made to target a new and as yet untapped market… the woman driver….
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a car that needs no introductions really. The brainchild of John DeLorean, it is one of the most recognisable and infamous cars ever made. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it’s stainless steel body and gull wing doors caused a sensation when the prototype was announced in 1976. It was a huge gamble for the former General Manager of Chevrolet who wanted to build the ultimate sports car….
The Citroen DS is without doubt one of the greatest cars ever made. Styled by Flaminio Bertoni and André Lefèbvre, it managed to combine beauty with incredible engineering advancements. Considering the original DS19 was launched in 1955, in a country still recovering from the effects of World War II, it’s technological achievements are even more remarkable. Looking back you could argue that the signs were there in the Traction Avant…