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DRIVEN TO WRITE
The author recalls his experience of Stuttgart’s first compact executive model. Not mine, but almost identical (c) rjhcars.co.uk. The 1970’s was a dismal era for the UK as the economy struggled with economic shocks such as the 1974 Middle-East oil crisis, stubbornly high inflation, a bloated and inefficient public sector, declining industrial base and a restive, militant workforce.BEST BITTER (2)
Second Pint: Bitter comes of age. Down but far from out, Bitter once again looked in Opel’s direction; the Diplomat having run its course, giving way to the Senator in 1978. Following two years planning and hefty external investment, the SC model was brought forth on the Senator platform. Assisting Bitter with production design were WOULD YOU ADAM AND EVE IT? The testament of ADAM. Choice, the holy grail of sales. Only sometimes too much is just that and those sales either fail to materialise or the product simply confuses potential purchasers. The story of the Vauxhall/ Opel ADAM bears witness to this. In the early part of the twenty first century, the small urbane hatchback GORFE’S GRANADAS: 1979 GRANADA GHIA SAPPHIRE This is a milestone in Granada history. For the second series of the square-rigged Granny, Ford imported the cars from Germany, writes the chief-assistant-editor (classics), Myles Gorfe. This is a 1979 Granada Ghia Sapphire with a 2.8 litre Cologne V6 and the smartest leather interior money could buy at this price range. Even today it DIRAVI – DRIVEN TO WRITE Diravi Steering Diagram. DTW Authors. New Posts at DTW. Third Time Lucky, but Second Time’s a Charm (Part Two)CANT RAILS ON CARS
Today we take a look at a small but important area of car body design, the window frames and cant rails. 2015 Land Rover Defender. Possibly the last passenger car with guttered side-glass: Topgear.com. Up until 1982, the standard solution for mating the roof to the sides of theglass house was a
THEME : ENGINES
Ah, the Triumph Stag V8, the stuff of classic car legends. It's all there for a long chat at the pub: dashed hopes, shoddy Midlands workmanship, the dark days of British Leyland's decline. There's even a bit of Italian in there, as Giovanni Michelotti styled the car. The bit we're interested in is the V8 KEN GREENLEY CAR DESIGNER They seem to have put a huge card saying “Autocar” inside the test car. While trawling other news sites, I read at Autocar that Alfa Romeo’s forthcoming SUV will be based upon the Maserati Ghibli. That bit doesn’t surprise me so much as the remark that “.there have also been unconfirmed rumours that the top of the range Alfa 2014 AUDI A3 SMOKER’S PACK AND OTHER DETAILS 2014 Audi A3 Smoker’s Pack and Other Details. A chance to look inside Audi’s A3 presented itself. I found what is referred to as a smoker’s pack. These are to ashtrays what “cotton rich” is to shirts. For a costly motor car such as the A3, the quality of the plastic is far below the expectations of this writer. SURE-FIRE FUTURE CLASSIC: 2010 RENAULT WIND The little car garnered a very nice write-up from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s “Top Gear” journal. “ The cheeky Wind blows a welcome blast of fresh air into Renault’s range,” they said. To drive, the car had a “nimble, athletic” feel. The same journal decided that theDRIVEN TO WRITE
The author recalls his experience of Stuttgart’s first compact executive model. Not mine, but almost identical (c) rjhcars.co.uk. The 1970’s was a dismal era for the UK as the economy struggled with economic shocks such as the 1974 Middle-East oil crisis, stubbornly high inflation, a bloated and inefficient public sector, declining industrial base and a restive, militant workforce.BEST BITTER (2)
Second Pint: Bitter comes of age. Down but far from out, Bitter once again looked in Opel’s direction; the Diplomat having run its course, giving way to the Senator in 1978. Following two years planning and hefty external investment, the SC model was brought forth on the Senator platform. Assisting Bitter with production design were WOULD YOU ADAM AND EVE IT? The testament of ADAM. Choice, the holy grail of sales. Only sometimes too much is just that and those sales either fail to materialise or the product simply confuses potential purchasers. The story of the Vauxhall/ Opel ADAM bears witness to this. In the early part of the twenty first century, the small urbane hatchback GORFE’S GRANADAS: 1979 GRANADA GHIA SAPPHIRE This is a milestone in Granada history. For the second series of the square-rigged Granny, Ford imported the cars from Germany, writes the chief-assistant-editor (classics), Myles Gorfe. This is a 1979 Granada Ghia Sapphire with a 2.8 litre Cologne V6 and the smartest leather interior money could buy at this price range. Even today it DIRAVI – DRIVEN TO WRITE Diravi Steering Diagram. DTW Authors. New Posts at DTW. Third Time Lucky, but Second Time’s a Charm (Part Two)CANT RAILS ON CARS
Today we take a look at a small but important area of car body design, the window frames and cant rails. 2015 Land Rover Defender. Possibly the last passenger car with guttered side-glass: Topgear.com. Up until 1982, the standard solution for mating the roof to the sides of theglass house was a
THEME : ENGINES
Ah, the Triumph Stag V8, the stuff of classic car legends. It's all there for a long chat at the pub: dashed hopes, shoddy Midlands workmanship, the dark days of British Leyland's decline. There's even a bit of Italian in there, as Giovanni Michelotti styled the car. The bit we're interested in is the V8 KEN GREENLEY CAR DESIGNER They seem to have put a huge card saying “Autocar” inside the test car. While trawling other news sites, I read at Autocar that Alfa Romeo’s forthcoming SUV will be based upon the Maserati Ghibli. That bit doesn’t surprise me so much as the remark that “.there have also been unconfirmed rumours that the top of the range Alfa 2014 AUDI A3 SMOKER’S PACK AND OTHER DETAILS 2014 Audi A3 Smoker’s Pack and Other Details. A chance to look inside Audi’s A3 presented itself. I found what is referred to as a smoker’s pack. These are to ashtrays what “cotton rich” is to shirts. For a costly motor car such as the A3, the quality of the plastic is far below the expectations of this writer. SURE-FIRE FUTURE CLASSIC: 2010 RENAULT WIND The little car garnered a very nice write-up from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s “Top Gear” journal. “ The cheeky Wind blows a welcome blast of fresh air into Renault’s range,” they said. To drive, the car had a “nimble, athletic” feel. The same journal decided that the10 JUN 2021
1 post published by brrrruno on June 10, 2021. Introducing the MegaPanda Emelba Chato. Image: Esacademic.com. After the fall of Generalissimo Franco’s regime, Spain became free in more than one way; its market could now be opened to more products and brands produced outside of the country. 9 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE 1 post published by Eóin Doyle on June 9, 2021. Life with a Peugeot 304S – part two. Image (c) The author. Domestic bliss with my newly acquired, more comely automotive companion from Sochaux was initially tempered by the fact that there were other, less savoury matters to attend to, like disposing of the now good as landfill Fiat. 7 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE 1 post published by Andrew Miles on June 7, 2021. Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculumvitae to back it
UNDERSTANDING THE WELSH AIR. AND YOGHURT. Lucid dreams. “We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world.” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculum vitae to back it up. Peter Rawlinson began life in South Wales, raised and GOING UP – DRIVEN TO WRITE Introducing the MegaPanda After the fall of Generalissimo Franco's regime, Spain became free in more than one way; its market could now be opened to more products and brands produced outside of the country. This revitalization of the market stimulated the foundation of many new businesses, of which coachbuilder Emelba was one. Commencingoperations in
THE MAN WHO BROKE BMC? (PART ONE) Did a brilliant but uncompromising engineer sow the seeds of BMC’s downfall? Sir Alec Issigonis was undoubtedly a brilliant and visionary engineer. He was also, allegedly, imperious and autocratic, and highly intolerant of what he perceived to be interference or compromise. Latterly, it has been suggested that BMC’s failure to manage Issigonis effectively and channelPETER RAWLINSON
Posts about Peter Rawlinson written by Andrew Miles. Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculum vitae to back itHISTORY IN CARS
Life with a Peugeot 304S - part two. Domestic bliss with my newly acquired, more comely automotive companion from Sochaux was initially tempered by the fact that there were other, less savoury matters to attend to, like disposing of the now good as landfill Fiat. A number of phone calls ensued before a man turned THEME : AERODYNAMICS What you’re looking at here is the last of the pure streamliners – the 1964 Panhard CD Le Mans. This Index of Efficiency contender for the 1964 Le Mans race boasted a drag co-efficient of a mere 0.12, reputedly the lowest of any racing car to date. This car is significant for two reasons: it marks Panhard’s final appearance inthe
ANDREW MILES
Amateur palaeontologist, Andrew Miles unearths a rare fossil. (c) Christopher Butt. 79 to 75 million years ago (not that we’re counting), dinosaurs walked the Earth. Known as the Late Cretaceous period, one example to roam the area we now recognise asDRIVEN TO WRITE
We recall its inauspicious start and chart its early progress. 1975 Hyundai Pony (c) Hyundai Motor. With global sales (1) in 2020 of 6.52 million vehicles, Hyundai Motor is the world’s third largest auto manufacturer, behind Volkswagen Group with 9.31 million and Toyota with 8.90 million sales. FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER LJKS Fifteen Years after LJKS. Fifteen years ago today LJK Setright departed this life at the age of 74. Bereft of his guide, one DTW writer looks at the years which followed, and considers how this extraordinary man might have viewed them. Firstly, I will assume that the reader has some level of familiarity with Setright’s work. MICHEL BOUÉ DESIGNER 1. Like many significant car designs, the Cinq was the brainwave of one man, originally created as something of a thought experiment. In 1968, Renault designer Michel Boué sketched the design proposal in his spare time, marking out the now familiar outline superimposed upon a photo of a contemporary Renault 4. Hence the silhouette and FILM: THE MYSTERY OF INSPECTOR MORSE’S CAR Firstly, in print, Lewis is a Welshman in the latter stages of his career, rather than a rather young and guileless Geordie (the clue’s in the name and should, on reflection, have been an obvious incongruity to anyone watching the TV series). Second, and most obvious, there’s a red Jaguar with a black vinyl roof instead of theLancia.
DIRAVI – DRIVEN TO WRITE Diravi Steering Diagram. DTW Authors. New Posts at DTW. Third Time Lucky, but Second Time’s a Charm (Part Two) GORFE´S GRANADAS: 1980 GRANADA CHASSEUR 2.8 The Mk 2 Ford Granada had a lot going for it writes editor-at-large Myles Gorfe. With a range of powerful engines, excellent roadholding and sharp-styling, it virtually sold itself. Ford didn't like to rest on their laurels though. So, to celebrate the Olympics of 1980, they made a limited run of Chasseur special edition estates. KEN GREENLEY CAR DESIGNER They seem to have put a huge card saying “Autocar” inside the test car. While trawling other news sites, I read at Autocar that Alfa Romeo’s forthcoming SUV will be based upon the Maserati Ghibli. That bit doesn’t surprise me so much as the remark that “.there have also been unconfirmed rumours that the top of the range Alfa AUTOPSY: MERCEDES-BENZ SL (R231) It it takes a lot to bring one of the most revered models in automotive history to the brink of extinction. Yet this generation of Mercedes SL's got what it takes. Despite having possessed neither quality in ages, the Mercedes Sportlich-Leicht has been a car for the ages, and, on certain occasions, even age-defining. The UNFORGETTING: 2006-2007 HONDA LEGEND 2007 Honda Legend. Brand new, the Legend cost forty thousand pounds sterling. If you fancy one of these now there’s a 2006 model for 10,000 with 27,000 miles on the clock here. And on the same page, for £695 there’s a 1997 with 97,000 miles. I can’t tell which isthe bigger bargain.
MICROPOST: 1972-1975 FORD CONSUL 3.0 GT As well as being the car from the Sweeney, the Consul is where Ford UK’s gradual loss of independence began. 1972 Ford Granada Consul 3.0 GT. The nameplate came from an earlier line of British Fords, indicating a lower level of accoutrification. It also masked the German Ford input to the line of cars better known as Granadas.DRIVEN TO WRITE
We recall its inauspicious start and chart its early progress. 1975 Hyundai Pony (c) Hyundai Motor. With global sales (1) in 2020 of 6.52 million vehicles, Hyundai Motor is the world’s third largest auto manufacturer, behind Volkswagen Group with 9.31 million and Toyota with 8.90 million sales. FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER LJKS Fifteen Years after LJKS. Fifteen years ago today LJK Setright departed this life at the age of 74. Bereft of his guide, one DTW writer looks at the years which followed, and considers how this extraordinary man might have viewed them. Firstly, I will assume that the reader has some level of familiarity with Setright’s work. MICHEL BOUÉ DESIGNER 1. Like many significant car designs, the Cinq was the brainwave of one man, originally created as something of a thought experiment. In 1968, Renault designer Michel Boué sketched the design proposal in his spare time, marking out the now familiar outline superimposed upon a photo of a contemporary Renault 4. Hence the silhouette and FILM: THE MYSTERY OF INSPECTOR MORSE’S CAR Firstly, in print, Lewis is a Welshman in the latter stages of his career, rather than a rather young and guileless Geordie (the clue’s in the name and should, on reflection, have been an obvious incongruity to anyone watching the TV series). Second, and most obvious, there’s a red Jaguar with a black vinyl roof instead of theLancia.
DIRAVI – DRIVEN TO WRITE Diravi Steering Diagram. DTW Authors. New Posts at DTW. Third Time Lucky, but Second Time’s a Charm (Part Two) GORFE´S GRANADAS: 1980 GRANADA CHASSEUR 2.8 The Mk 2 Ford Granada had a lot going for it writes editor-at-large Myles Gorfe. With a range of powerful engines, excellent roadholding and sharp-styling, it virtually sold itself. Ford didn't like to rest on their laurels though. So, to celebrate the Olympics of 1980, they made a limited run of Chasseur special edition estates. KEN GREENLEY CAR DESIGNER They seem to have put a huge card saying “Autocar” inside the test car. While trawling other news sites, I read at Autocar that Alfa Romeo’s forthcoming SUV will be based upon the Maserati Ghibli. That bit doesn’t surprise me so much as the remark that “.there have also been unconfirmed rumours that the top of the range Alfa AUTOPSY: MERCEDES-BENZ SL (R231) It it takes a lot to bring one of the most revered models in automotive history to the brink of extinction. Yet this generation of Mercedes SL's got what it takes. Despite having possessed neither quality in ages, the Mercedes Sportlich-Leicht has been a car for the ages, and, on certain occasions, even age-defining. The UNFORGETTING: 2006-2007 HONDA LEGEND 2007 Honda Legend. Brand new, the Legend cost forty thousand pounds sterling. If you fancy one of these now there’s a 2006 model for 10,000 with 27,000 miles on the clock here. And on the same page, for £695 there’s a 1997 with 97,000 miles. I can’t tell which isthe bigger bargain.
MICROPOST: 1972-1975 FORD CONSUL 3.0 GT As well as being the car from the Sweeney, the Consul is where Ford UK’s gradual loss of independence began. 1972 Ford Granada Consul 3.0 GT. The nameplate came from an earlier line of British Fords, indicating a lower level of accoutrification. It also masked the German Ford input to the line of cars better known as Granadas. 7 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE 1 post published by Andrew Miles on June 7, 2021. Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculumvitae to back it
UNDERSTANDING THE WELSH AIR. AND YOGHURT. Lucid dreams. “We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world.” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculum vitae to back it up. Peter Rawlinson began life in South Wales, raised and 6 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE The author recalls his experience of Stuttgart’s first compact executive model. Not mine, but almost identical (c) rjhcars.co.uk. The 1970’s was a dismal era for the UK as the economy struggled with economic shocks such as the 1974 Middle-East oil crisis, stubbornly high inflation, a bloated and inefficient public sector, declining industrial base and a restive, militant workforce. LUCID – DRIVEN TO WRITE Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculum vitae to back it up. THE MAN WHO BROKE BMC? (PART THREE) The story continues: BMC struggles with the failure of the 1800 and Maxi, but Issigonis has moved on. The Austin Maxi was reluctantly launched by BLMC* in 1969 and was greeted with a similarly lukewarm reception to that given to the 1800. With its five-door layout, itGOD SAVE THE QUEEN
"There's no future, in England's dreaming" Ah, the Allegro: Worst car ever. All Aggro. These and other less flattering terms have been routinely flung like wet rags at BLMC's 1973 compact saloon offering in the intervening decades since the car ceased production in 1984. But while ADO67 itself would over time become notorious, its more 5 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE “There’s no future, in England’s dreaming” “That look of distinction”. Image (c) VPOC. Ah, the Allegro: Worst car ever.All Aggro.These and other less flattering terms have been routinely flung like wet rags at BLMC’s 1973 compact saloon offering in the intervening decades since the car ceased production in 1984. PHOENIX FOLLIES (PART ONE) At a crucial moment, and to the detriment of their mainstream business, MG Rover's management squandered time and money on frivolous distractions. It had all started so well, or so it appeared. It was May 2000 and, after months of uncertainty and worry, Rover Group, the UK’s last remaining indigenous volume car manufacturer, wasindependent
1963 HILLMAN IMP ROAD TEST “A new car from Rootes”. Mr Archibald Vicar motors north of the border in the Hillman “Imp.”. “From The Practical Car Driver”, Dec 1963, we present what looks like a transcript of a road test of Rootes' legendary rear-engined Mini-slayer, the Imp. Drawings by Miss Caroline Dallington. Owing to the poor quality of Caroline's originalANDREW MILES
A much-derided, now defunct German carmaker comes under the spotlight. A simple yet honest emblem: name, white and red stripes, triangle. Mathematically sound, an engineers friend, a car company that had two bites of the cherry only to be swallowed upDRIVEN TO WRITE
Catch a Crown Comfort while you still can. Tokyo Taxi. Image (c) The Author. In what now seem like very distant times, procuring the services of a taxi in New York would inevitably see one on the vinyl-clad rear seat of either a big yellow Checker, later a Chevrolet Caprice Classic or Ford Crown Victoria, whereas in swinging London an Austin FX4 “black cab” or its similar looking successors. FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER LJKS Fifteen years ago today LJK Setright departed this life at the age of 74. Bereft of his guide, one DTW writer looks at the years which followed, and considers how this extraordinary man might have viewed them. Firstly, I will assume that the reader has some level of FILM: THE MYSTERY OF INSPECTOR MORSE’S CAR This piece relates not to a film, but to a TV series translated from a collection of detective books. Hopefully readers will allow me a little latitude. I think most people know that (Chief) Inspector Morse was originally the owner and driver of a Lancia, not a Jaguar Mark 2 (or was that really a MICHEL BOUÉ DESIGNER Five reasons why the Cinq was a benchmark small car. Every living room should have one. 1972 Renault 5 – image credit (c) curbsideclassics. 1. Like many significant car designs, the Cinq was the brainwave of one man, originally created as something of a thought experiment. MICROPOST: 1972-1975 FORD CONSUL 3.0 GT As well as being the car from the Sweeney, the Consul is where Ford UK's gradual loss of independence began. The nameplate came from an earlier line of British Fords, indicating a lower level of accoutrification. It also masked the German Ford input to the line of cars better known as Granadas. Gradually Ford UK GORFE´S GRANADAS: 1980 GRANADA CHASSEUR 2.8 The Mk 2 Ford Granada had a lot going for it writes editor-at-large Myles Gorfe. With a range of powerful engines, excellent roadholding and sharp-styling, it virtually sold itself. Ford didn't like to rest on their laurels though. So, to celebrate the Olympics of 1980, they made a limited run of Chasseur special edition estates. ART BLAKESLEE CAR DESIGNER Failing to learn from experience only condemns you to repeat your errors. (c) motorbase. By the mid-1970’s it was abundantly clear that the Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre was a flop.WORD ON A WING
On the surface, Renault's 1983 Gabbiano was simply an innocuous concept, but could it also stand as a metaphor for a decades-spanning rivalry? Following former head of Citroën bureau d'études, Robert Opron's move across Paris to head Renault's styling studios in 1975, design responsibility appeared to remain an in-house arrangement. However over time, a decisionTHEME: JAPAN
Japanese automotive engineering went into warp-drive mode in the middle 1980s. The Nissan CUE-X of 1985 remains an impressive tour de force of the purest styling and technical experimentation. Starting under the skin of this elegant and minimalistic design, we find electronic air suspension which controlled the spring rates, ride height and attitude. UNFORGETTING: 2006-2007 HONDA LEGEND This could be only one of these cars I've ever seen. The pleasing headlamps and dart-like prow caught my eye. What a handsome car, I thought. No-one else thinks so (and the boot looks odd). It's the short-lived Honda Legend née Acura RL. AutoExpress saidDRIVEN TO WRITE
Catch a Crown Comfort while you still can. Tokyo Taxi. Image (c) The Author. In what now seem like very distant times, procuring the services of a taxi in New York would inevitably see one on the vinyl-clad rear seat of either a big yellow Checker, later a Chevrolet Caprice Classic or Ford Crown Victoria, whereas in swinging London an Austin FX4 “black cab” or its similar looking successors. FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER LJKS Fifteen years ago today LJK Setright departed this life at the age of 74. Bereft of his guide, one DTW writer looks at the years which followed, and considers how this extraordinary man might have viewed them. Firstly, I will assume that the reader has some level of FILM: THE MYSTERY OF INSPECTOR MORSE’S CAR This piece relates not to a film, but to a TV series translated from a collection of detective books. Hopefully readers will allow me a little latitude. I think most people know that (Chief) Inspector Morse was originally the owner and driver of a Lancia, not a Jaguar Mark 2 (or was that really a MICHEL BOUÉ DESIGNER Five reasons why the Cinq was a benchmark small car. Every living room should have one. 1972 Renault 5 – image credit (c) curbsideclassics. 1. Like many significant car designs, the Cinq was the brainwave of one man, originally created as something of a thought experiment. MICROPOST: 1972-1975 FORD CONSUL 3.0 GT As well as being the car from the Sweeney, the Consul is where Ford UK's gradual loss of independence began. The nameplate came from an earlier line of British Fords, indicating a lower level of accoutrification. It also masked the German Ford input to the line of cars better known as Granadas. Gradually Ford UK GORFE´S GRANADAS: 1980 GRANADA CHASSEUR 2.8 The Mk 2 Ford Granada had a lot going for it writes editor-at-large Myles Gorfe. With a range of powerful engines, excellent roadholding and sharp-styling, it virtually sold itself. Ford didn't like to rest on their laurels though. So, to celebrate the Olympics of 1980, they made a limited run of Chasseur special edition estates. ART BLAKESLEE CAR DESIGNER Failing to learn from experience only condemns you to repeat your errors. (c) motorbase. By the mid-1970’s it was abundantly clear that the Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre was a flop.WORD ON A WING
On the surface, Renault's 1983 Gabbiano was simply an innocuous concept, but could it also stand as a metaphor for a decades-spanning rivalry? Following former head of Citroën bureau d'études, Robert Opron's move across Paris to head Renault's styling studios in 1975, design responsibility appeared to remain an in-house arrangement. However over time, a decisionTHEME: JAPAN
Japanese automotive engineering went into warp-drive mode in the middle 1980s. The Nissan CUE-X of 1985 remains an impressive tour de force of the purest styling and technical experimentation. Starting under the skin of this elegant and minimalistic design, we find electronic air suspension which controlled the spring rates, ride height and attitude. UNFORGETTING: 2006-2007 HONDA LEGEND This could be only one of these cars I've ever seen. The pleasing headlamps and dart-like prow caught my eye. What a handsome car, I thought. No-one else thinks so (and the boot looks odd). It's the short-lived Honda Legend née Acura RL. AutoExpress said 6 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE The author recalls his experience of Stuttgart’s first compact executive model. Not mine, but almost identical (c) rjhcars.co.uk. The 1970’s was a dismal era for the UK as the economy struggled with economic shocks such as the 1974 Middle-East oil crisis, stubbornly high inflation, a bloated and inefficient public sector, declining industrial base and a restive, militant workforce. 4 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE Concluding our profile of the Mercedes-Benz W201 compact saloon. Image: Autoevolution. Pilot production of the W201 began at Mercedes-Benz’s Sindelfingen plant in early 1982 in preparation for its launch on 8 December. 7 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE 1 post published by Andrew Miles on June 7, 2021. Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculumvitae to back it
LUCID – DRIVEN TO WRITE Lucid dreams. Lucid Air. Image: yankodesign “ We aim to make not only the best electric car but also the best car in the world. ” This may sound somewhat boastful but the chap expressing these words has quite the curriculum vitae to back it up. THIRD TIME LUCKY, BUT SECOND TIME’S A CHARM (PART TWO Concluding our profile of the Mercedes-Benz W201 compact saloon. Pilot production of the W201 began at Mercedes-Benz’s Sindelfingen plant in early 1982 in preparation for its launch on 8 December. Following an extensive modernisation programme, the company’s Bremen plant, which had previously produced commercial vehicles and the S123 estate car derivative of the W123, would 5 JUN 2021 – DRIVEN TO WRITE “There’s no future, in England’s dreaming” “That look of distinction”. Image (c) VPOC. Ah, the Allegro: Worst car ever.All Aggro.These and other less flattering terms have been routinely flung like wet rags at BLMC’s 1973 compact saloon offering in the intervening decades since the car ceased production in 1984. THE MAN WHO BROKE BMC? (PART THREE) The story continues: BMC struggles with the failure of the 1800 and Maxi, but Issigonis has moved on. The Austin Maxi was reluctantly launched by BLMC* in 1969 and was greeted with a similarly lukewarm reception to that given to the 1800. With its five-door layout, itGOD SAVE THE QUEEN
"There's no future, in England's dreaming" Ah, the Allegro: Worst car ever. All Aggro. These and other less flattering terms have been routinely flung like wet rags at BLMC's 1973 compact saloon offering in the intervening decades since the car ceased production in 1984. But while ADO67 itself would over time become notorious, its moreANDREW MILES
The Goddess makes a triumphant return. All Images (c) Citroenvie.com. Designers, akin to writers are seldom idle. Whereas us impoverished keyboard jockeys are tied to our workstations, the designer usually prefers to get stuck in, hands dirty and not simply bear witness to his (or her) thoughts, more help them bear fruition. 1963 HILLMAN IMP ROAD TEST “A new car from Rootes”. Mr Archibald Vicar motors north of the border in the Hillman “Imp.”. “From The Practical Car Driver”, Dec 1963, we present what looks like a transcript of a road test of Rootes' legendary rear-engined Mini-slayer, the Imp. Drawings by Miss Caroline Dallington. Owing to the poor quality of Caroline's originalSkip to content
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LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI! THE PROUD, IF PATCHY TRADITION OF THE FRENCH _GRAND TOURISME_ DIDN’T QUITE END WITH THE CITROËN SM.(c) Houtkamp.nl
The French relationship to automotive luxury is similar to how Germans deal with fine food. Just as those stemming from east of the river Rhine tend to be more willing to spend a fortune on engine lubricants, rather than extra virgin olive oil, their more occidental counterparts usually gain more pleasure from visiting a fine _auberge_ on a regular basis than a car showroom or garage. How he or she gets to said _auberge_ is a secondary concern, too. Yet, just as there are Germans who care deeply about fine food (FritzEichbauer
being
a particularly striking example of this), the French aren’t totally immune to the charms of decadent motoring either, as the erstwhile success of proud names like Bugatti or Facel proved. It was only some time after the war, and due in large part to stringent domestic luxury taxation, that the French GT found itself on the wane. Continue reading “Le roi est mort, vive le roi!” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 12 Aug
201911 Aug 2019
Categories
Citroën , Design
, Marques
, Renault
, The History
Tags 1998 Renault VelSatis concept car
,
2002 Citroen C-Airdream, Florian
Thiercelin , grande
tourisme , Jean-PierrePloué , Mark Lloyd
, Patrick Le Quement33 Comments on Le
roi est mort, vive le roi! WEEKEND REISSUE : FILIGREE AND SHADOW A TALE OF THE DIAMOND AND THE CHEVRON.(C) wikipedia
As automotive aficionados, we accept and embrace the backstories which sit behind the cars we choose immortalise, yet as with most aspects of life, the people behind these vehicles are often themselves at least equally compelling when viewed from a narrative perspective. Rivalries between carmakers frequently loom large over marque iconographies: General Motors versus Ford, Austin and Morris during the pre-war era in Britain, or indeed, BMW and Mercedes in more recent times. However, for a great many years, an equally compelling battle of wills was said to have played out in France between Louis Renault and André Citroen, with both carmakers seemingly hell-bent to Continue reading “Weekend Reissue : Filigree and Shadow”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 11 Aug 201910Aug 2019
Categories
Simon Selects , The
History , The
Industry Tags 1927
Renault 40 CV tourer, 1934
Citroen Traction Avant, André
Citroën , Louis RenaultLeave a comment on
Weekend Reissue : Filigree and Shadow FLIRTING WITH DISTINCTION WE LOOK BACK AT THE CAR THAT STARTED THE WHOLE DISTINCTIVE SERIES DEBACLE – WAS IT REALLY TEN YEARS AGO? So much going on to so little effect. (c) dieselstation “_This is twice as much as what we aimed for, the DS line is a huge success_,” Citroën’s Frederic Banzet told _Automotive News_ in 2011. And for a time at least, it did appear as though Groupe PSA had pulled off a marketing masterstroke, with DS3 sales at one point accounting for a quarter of the volume for the entire C3 range. It wasn’t as if the DS3 was necessarily a bad idea. The market for small upmarket B-segment hatchbacks had been dominated by BMW’s MINI brand and certainly, there was a decent slice of that market to be had – with the right product. PSA’s difficulty was twofold: the lack of a competitive platform and more fundamentally its fundamental neglect of the Citroën name, which had been allowed, if not actively shoehorned into a low-transaction price, value-led cul-de-sac. Continue reading “Flirting With Distinction”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 10 Aug 201911Aug 2019
Categories
Citroën , DS
Auto , Marques
, The History
Tags Anniversary
Waltz , CItroen
C-Airplay , Citroen
DS3 , Class of 2009
, DS 3
, DS Brand
, Mark Lloyd
6 Comments on Flirting WithDistinction
THEY ROAM AT NIGHT
BE INDOORS BY NIGHTFALL… Aaarrgghh! (Author’s image) In 1997, then Tory Party MP, Ann Widdecombe was asked whether she would endorse former Home Secretary, Michael Howard’s bid to become the leader of the UK Conservatives. She refused, stating in the House of Commons that there was “something of the night about him.” It was a nice line in waspish put-downs and one which is believed to have scuppered Howard’s leadership ambitions, but given Ms. Widdecombe’s reactionary and somewhat unpleasant views on, well, just about everything really, there was a strong whiff of pot and kettle about it. In reality however, the phrase probably served both politicians’ purposes – Howard later going on to Continue reading “They Roam At Night”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 9 Aug 20198Aug 2019
Categories
BMW , Design
, Marques
, Oddities & SightingsTags 2020 BMW
7 series , Adrian
van Hooydonk , BMW
7-Series , BMW X7
20 Comments on They RoamAt Night
GOODYEAR? FOR SOME (PART ONE) WE RARELY NOTICE THEM, BUT THEY’RE THE ONLY THINGS WHICH KEEP US IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD SURFACE. IN A NEW SERIES FOR DTW, ANDREW MILES GETS UP TO HIS NECK IN THE BLACK STUFF. Charles Goodyear offers a rubber napkin. (c) Flickr.com. Charles Goodyear died in debt. Frank Seiberling did no such thing. What links the two is a story of endeavour, brutality, aggressive tactics and a whole host of honest “Ites”. Oh, and a rather largeballoon.
The tyres on all our road vehicles today are, in the main, synthetic rubber * Oil and various chemical compounds are brewed together in order to Continue reading “Goodyear? For Some (Part One)”Author Andrew Miles
Posted on 8
Aug 20197 Aug 2019
Categories
Not Exactly Cars
, People &
Profiles ,
Technology & Engineering, The
History , The
Industry Tags BF
Goodrich , Goodyear
, Michelin
Leave a comment on Goodyear? For Some (Part One) THE SURFACE OF THINGS A KEENLY ANTICIPATED VISUAL ENCOUNTER ENSUES. YOUR CORRESPONDENT COMESAWAY IMPRESSED.
Author’s image
The products of Hiroshima are not without their exponents upon the pages of Driven to Write – we have both editorially and in the submissions from our contributors been rather generous in our praise both of the previous generation 3 model and its shapely newreplacement.
On the surface of things, Mazda appears to have taken a noticeable step forward with this car, moving closer to the upmarket German makes, both in aspiration and overall desirability – especially now as the latter move towards an ever more attention-seeking and repellent visual palette. But up to now, the new 3 existed for me only in the occasional fleeting glance and in static two dimensional form. As we know however, there is no substitute for a three-dimensional viewpoint and yesterday evening, I received my first clear sighting of Mazda’s latest C-segment midliner in natural evening light. Time to Continue reading “The Surface of Things”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 7 Aug 20197Aug 2019
Categories
Design , Marques
, Mazda
Tags 2015 Mazda 3
long term test
, Mazda 3
driving impressions
, Mazda3
, Mazda3 2.2S Skyactiv 15049 Comments
on The Surface of Things THE ALFA ROMEO EXPERIMENTAL WANKEL ENGINE PROGRAMME TALES FROM FUTURES PAST: THE ALFA ROMEO ENGINE YOU’VE NEVER HEARDABOUT.
Display parts leftover from the Alfa Romeo Wankel programme (picturefrom the Author)
During the entire Sixties decade, the rotary engine as conceptualized by the German inventor Felix Wankel and developed by NSU became something of the auto industry’s darling: compact, light, powerful yet smooth, and made of few moving parts, it looked like the future. No car company wanted to Continue reading “The Alfa Romeo Experimental Wankel Engine Programme” Author Matteo LicataPosted on 6 Aug
20195 Aug 2019
Categories
Alfa Romeo ,
Marques , Technology &Engineering
, The
History Tags Alfa
Romeo 1750 , Alfa
Romeo concepts ,
Alfa Romeo Engines
, Alfa Romeo Spider
, Giorgio Figliozzi
17 Comments on The
Alfa Romeo Experimental Wankel Engine ProgrammeINTO THE MYSTIC
THE GREAT CONTRACTION IS NO LONGER A THEORETICAL CONSTRUCT. IT’SHERE.
First cross my hand with silver… (c) cwallpapersgallery The era of unfettered expansion and niche-filling is not only over, it would appear to be in the process of being unceremoniously dumped at the hard shoulder. As European carmakers face a deeply uncertain commercial and regulatory future, previously inviolate marque-orthodoxies are being stuffed into hessian sacks and abandoned, as auto executives contemplate an epochal shift. While this is a phenomenon affecting the entire industry, it is one that appears to be hitting one with particular force. Already somewhat embattled, having rather publicly persuaded its former CEO to step down, Bayerische Moterenwerke, as reported by _Automobile_ magazine recently by veteran German automotive soothsayer, Georg Kacher, appears to either be (a) in worse shape than their compatriot prestige rivals or (b) is taking decisive (if not precipitous) action to Continue reading “Into the Mystic”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 5 Aug 20195Aug 2019
Categories
Technology & Engineering, The
Industry Tags
Bayerische Motoren Werke, BMW
, BMW Achter
, BMW Z4
, Harald Krüger
, Oliver Zipse
4 Comments on Into theMystic
WEEKEND REISSUE – EL CAMINO A LA FIESTA ROBERTAS PARAZITAS’ 2017 FIESTA OPUS JOINS THE ‘LONGER READ’FOLD.
(c) : classiccarcatalogue As anyone who has tried to manoeuvre a supertanker can probably attest, when a leviathan changes direction, the process is both slow and not without considerable disruption. During the early 1970s, the ultra-conservative Ford Motor Corporation, having toyed with front-wheel drive during the previous decade, made the decision to Continue reading “Weekend Reissue – El Camino a la Fiesta”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 4 Aug 20194Aug 2019
Categories
Ford Europe ,
Ford North America
,
Marques , Simon SelectsTags 1976 Ford
Fiesta , 1983 Ford
Fiesta , Ford FiestaVignale , Ford
Fiesta Zetec S Red
Leave a
comment on Weekend Reissue – El Camino a la Fiesta WEEKEND REISSUE : PREVIEWING THE PANAMERA MORE BACKWARDS GLANCES. THIS FROM ZUFFENHAUSEN. Porsche 989 concept. (c) pf-magazin.de Ah the 1980s. If you can remember it without wincing, you probably weren’t there. An era of big hair, big shoulderpads and for those Big-Bang boys and girls, big bonuses – ergo flash motors. Preferably with the emblem of Stuttgart prominantly emblazoned upon its preferably engineless snout. But it’s probably true to say that there are more model lines that made decisive contact with the cutting room floor at Zuffenhausen than those which actually made it intoproduction.
As has been pointed out ad nauseum upon these pages, the fortunes of Dr. -Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has not been the unbroken run of success its current ubiquity and sector dominance might suggest. These two statements are not mutually exclusive -in fact they are intrinsically aligned, if not conjoined. Continue reading “Weekend Reissue : Previewing the Panamera”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 3 Aug 20192Aug 2019
Categories
Marques , Porsche
Tags 2015 Porsche
Panamera engine range. what engines do Porsche have,
Dr. Ulrich Bez , PorscheCayenne , Porsche
Panamera 1 Comment on Weekend Reissue : Previewing the Panamera ARE THOSE THE REFLECTIONS OF THE TAGUS? AFTER A LONG STINT HAMMERING OUT FIRST-RATE ARTICLES AND SECOND-RATE HEADLINES I AM IN NEED OF A PAUSE, DEAR READERS. 1991 Opel Astra: source As you may have noticed I have been rather quiet of late, concerned mostly with fridge magnets, vacation and vermouth. It has been gratifying to see continued signs of life and active discussion carrying on in my absence. It is time to Continue reading “Are Those The Reflections Of The Tagus?” Author richard herriottPosted on 2 Aug
201931 Jul 2019
Categories
Ashtrays , Not ExactlyCars Tags 1993
Opel Astra 29 Comments on Are Those The Reflections Of The Tagus? THINK OF A NUMBER, ADD A LETTER ANDREW MILES TALKS ALPHANUMERICS. Mr. Johnny Ball. (c) express.co.uk Would the elder brother of Bertrand Russell really have camped out all night by the London council offices? Or, as one would back in the autumn of 1903, simply sent ones butler? History on this occasion justmay be bunk.
For although A1 is the perceived and openly referenced original British number plate, with one Earl Russell being the purchaser, DY1 is in fact the first officially registered number plate in England. DY1 is recorded as being issued on 23rd November 1903 in Hastings, A1 in London the week before Christmas 1903. 24/11/1903, BH1, Buckinghamshire. 25/11/03 Y1, Somerset. Records show that Russell was indeed an early motoring enthusiast, just not the owner of A1. But it makes for a good story. Continue reading “Think of a Number, Add a Letter”Author Andrew Miles
Posted on 1
Aug 201929 Jul 2019
Categories
Car Culture , Not
Exactly Cars
Tags Car
Registrations ,
Danish commercial licence plates11
Comments on Think of a Number, Add a LetterOPUS DI BUSSO
FURTHER TO LAST WEEK’S DISSERTATION ON THE 1979 ALFA SIX, WE EXAMINE THE CONTEMPORARY RECEPTION TO GIUSEPPE BUSSO’S ALFA ROMEO 2.5 LITRE V6 UNIT, THROUGH THE ACERBIC EYE OF LJK SETRIGHT. The Busso V6 as fitted to the 1979 Alfa Six. (c) movitcars Some engines arrive fully formed, others however, enter the world imperfect, but through a process of development and retrospective correction evolve to defy their early criticism. A fundamental element of Alfa Romeo’s iconography was intrinsically linked to its engines, especially its pre-war thoroughbreds, those patrician in-line fours, sixes and eights which powered the carmaker into history books, not to mention the hearts and minds of all those with the blood of Portello coursing through their veins. Continue reading “Opus di Busso”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 31 Jul 201930Jul 2019
Categories
Alfa Romeo ,
Marques , Technology &Engineering
, The
Industry Tags 1979
Alfa Romeo 6 , 1979
Alfa Six , Alfa 6
, Alfa Romeo 2600
, Alfa Romeo 6
, Ing. Giuseppe Busso9 Comments on Opus
di Busso
THE BEAT GOES ON
OUTSIDE OF THE _DRIVEN TO WRITE_ BUBBLE, A NUMBER OF NEW CARS WERE LAUNCHED OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. TIME TO DO A BIT OF CATCHING UP. The gentleman in the red jacket points out the part that matters, photo (c) Auto, Motor & Sport The AUDI Q3 SPORTBACK is Ingolstadt’s take on the BMW X4. It features all the overwrought details that can be expected from a Marc Lichte-era Audi, including the token overly accentuated ‘shoulders’ above the wheels. Continue reading “The BeatGoes On”
Author Christopher ButtPosted on 30 Jul
201929 Jul 2019
Categories
Audi , Bentley
, BMW
, Design
, Kia
, Marques
, Peugeot
, Skoda
, The Industry
, Uncategorized
Tags 2020 Audi Q7
, 2020 Bentley FlyingSpur , 2020
BMW 1 series , 2020
BMW X6 , 2020 Peugeot 2008, 2020 Skoda Superb
, Audi Q3 Sportback
, Kia XCeed
34 Comments on The BeatGoes On
HAVE I COME IN AT A BAD TIME? THE BORGWARD BX7 TS NEARLY FOUR YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE NEUE BORGWARD PRESENTED THE BX7 AT THE 2015 FRANKFURT IAA. DTW’S BORGWARD-OBSESSIVE SHARES HIS IMPRESSIONS OF ONE OF THE FIRST SHANGHAI-BUILT CARS TO ARRIVE IN THE GREAT LOST CARMAKER’S HOME CITY.Image: Borgward AG
The car is a left hand drive BX7 TS Limited Edition, not long arrived at Bremerhaven from Shanghai, but tested in south-east England. The first visual impression is how easily the car fits into the British carscape, registering in the visual continuum as just another big European SUV, not quite an Audi Q5 or XC 60 clone, but only by the grace of some well-executed details of its own. There’s nothing awkward or ham-fisted about the styling, but neither is there much that hints at the brand’s ancestry in a subtle or ingenious way. Continue reading “Have I come in at a bad time? The BorgwardBX7 TS”
Author Robertas Parazitas Posted on 29 Jul 201929Jul 2019
Categories
Borgward ,
Marques , Road Tests &Impressions
Tags 2016
Borgward BX-7 revealed, Borgward
BX7 , Carl Borgward
, The Borgward Affair6 Comments on Have
I come in at a bad time? The Borgward BX7 TS SUMMER REISSUE : SHOWING OFF IS THERE ANY POINT IN MOTOR SHOWS, WE ASK?(c) autoexpress
The traditional large-format motor show it appears, is dying, as increasing numbers of carmakers are not only baulking at the expense of these lavish affairs but also the fact that in an era where data can target customers far more effectively and cheaply, the car show has for some considerable time now been seen both as something of a blunt instrument as much as a throwback to a more naïve time. With manufacturers increasingly choosing to make their splashes at smaller, more targeted events, many commentators are predicting that the Motor Show as we know it will Continue reading “Summer Reissue :Showing Off”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 28 Jul 201928Jul 2019
Categories
Car Culture , Motor
Shows & Car Museums
, Simon
Selects Tags Motor
Show Babes , Motor
Show Concepts 2
Comments on Summer Reissue : Showing Off SUMMER REISSUE : WITH ALL DUE ACCLAIM TRIUMPH’S FAR-EAST HYBRID-SWANSONG RECEIVES THE LONGER READTREATMENT.
(c) cosasdeautos
It is possible to argue that despite a track record of producing frequently ground-breaking, if sometimes ill-judged and inadequately realised car designs, the various iterative companies that eventually became the Austin Rover Group enjoyed greater commercial success (and profit) from producing vehicles of a more conservative technicalcomposition.
Equally debatable is the notion that successful carmakers rarely fall prey to over-estimating the intelligence or discernment of their customer base, and certainly in BMC/BLMC/BL/ARG’s case, a case could be made that in doing just that, they were in fact acting against their own best interests. Continue reading “Summer Reissue : WithAll Due Acclaim”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 27 Jul 201926Jul 2019
Categories
Marques , The History, Triumph
Tags 1965 Triumph 1300, 1975 Triumph
Dolomite , Honda
Ballade , Triumph
Mayflower Leave a
comment on Summer Reissue : With All Due AcclaimC21 ROMAN CHARIOTS
FORGIVE THE RASH OF SMARTPHONE HOLIDAY SNAPS, BUT A RECENT STAY IN ROME PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK OUT THE LOCAL MOTOR CARS. Urban Panda – far from extinct on the streets of Rome Sadly, the biggest impression left on me by scanning the roads of Rome from the Borghese Gardens down to the Colosseum was what I did not see: not one of my beloved Cinquecenti. And, I don’t mean bright, Broom Yellow, Sportings, I mean none of any type or colour; not one! I am not sure what that says about that model – I saw examples of both its replacement (the Seicento) and antecedents (the 126 and the Nuova 500), but of the Cinq, ‘niente’! Maybe they were all culled in a round of Government-sponsored ‘scrappage’? Continue reading “C21 Roman Chariots” Author S.V. RobinsonPosted on 26 Jul
201922 Jul 2019
Categories
British Leyland
, Car
Culture , Fiat
, Lancia
, Oddities &
Sightings ,
Smart , Toyota
Tags Fiat 500
, Fiat Cinquecento
, Fiat Panda
, Fiat Seicento
, Lancia Ypsilon
, Rover Mini
11 Comments on C21 RomanChariots
CAN YOU HANDLE THIS? I DON’T THINK YOU’RE READY: WAS THE 2009 5-SERIES GT TOO ‘BOOTILICIOUS’ FOR ITS OWN GOOD?(c) moibbk.com
Looking back at matters from the distance of a decade, it does appear that niche-filling was the post-millennial pastime du-jour for the automotive industry – at least for those cash-rich and expansionist prestige German carmakers who weren’t busily reinventing them. BMW were somewhat late to this particular party, albeit having introduced the vulgar and corpulent X6 SUV fastback in 2008,
they hadn’t exactly been idle. During the protracted run up to its 2009 introduction, the Bavarian carmaker made much of their forthcoming Progressive Activity Sedan, but when the covers came off the PAG concept, earlier that year, the reaction was let’s just say, somewhat tepid. Like Mercedes’ 2006 R-Class, the 5-GT was aimed at buyers who wanted to Continue reading “Can You Handle This?”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 25 Jul 201924Jul 2019
Categories
BMW , Marques
, The History
Tags 2014 BMW 5 GT
, Anniversary Waltz
, BMW 5-series
, BMW 5-Series GT
, BMW X6
, Chris Bangle
, Christopher Weil
, Class of 2009
13 Comments on Can YouHandle This?
DRIVEN, WRITTEN: VW T-CROSS (2019) THE TIMES ARE CLEARLY A-CHANGING AT WOLFSBURG, IF VOLKSWAGEN’S SMALLEST ‘SUV’ OFFERING IS ANYTHING TO GO BY. One of the nicknames given to Herbert Diess during his tenure at BMW was ‘Scrooge’. Even though he’s in charge of the VAG empire in general and the VW brand in particular these days, it would appear his business instincts haven’t changed one bit. Certainly not if the VW T-Cross, one of the first products into which he had any significant input, serves as an indication. For this Polo with rugged pretensions barely feels like the kind of car one expects a Volkswagen to be. Obviously, it wasn’t just_ Herr _Diess’ parsimonious tendencies that cast such an unflattering light onto the T-Cross during the week I and my partner got to sample it. The sometimes merciless nature of the rental car lottery was equally to be blamed. After all, just a few weeks prior, we’d truly been spoiled with the excellent VW Golf GTIPerformance
– a car that highlighted what Wolfsburg can be capable of, in truly impressive fashion. The contrast with the T-Cross therefore could scarcely have been any harsher. Obviously, the T-Cross is supposedly one category below a Golf-size car (which is what we’d booked and I insisted upon, to no avail), and a 1.0 litre three-cylinder engine, producing the grand total of 115 metric horsepower cannot hope to Continue reading “Driven, Written: VW T-Cross (2019)” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 24 Jul
201914 Jul 2019
Categories
Marques , Our Cars
, Road Tests &
Impressions
,
Volkswagen Tags 2019 VW T-Cross driving impressions,
Volkswagen , VW
, VW T-Cross
, VW T-Cross 1.0 review16 Comments on
Driven, Written: VW T-Cross (2019) QUÉ PASA, MI ALMA? EIGHT DAYS AND 1100KM THROUGH ANDALUCIA – DTW INTRODUCES READER, MARTIN FRANKLIN WHO REVIEWS THE NEW BMW G20 320D.(c) The Author
As far back as memory goes, I’ve loved BMWs. I’ve owned two to date: a 2003 E46 325i M-Sport Manual Convertible, followed by a 2005 E46 330i M-Sport Manual Convertible; the latter fixing the primary issue with the former, and both a satisfying driving and ownership experience. But living and working in central London since 2009, owning a car hasn’t been a justifiable luxury, so I compensate on holidays by hiring the cars I’d maybe like to own and then designing some good driving into the travel plans. This mid-June trip to Andalucia would see us picking up a car in Malaga, and following a more or less circular route through Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Jerez, Cadiz, Vejer, Ronda, Marbella and back up to Malaga. Eight free and sunny days on a mix of Andalucian roads: I was keenly looking forward, pending my luck with the hire car allocation gods. Continue reading “¿Qué pasa, mi alma?” Author martinfranklinPosted on 23 Jul
201912 Jul 2019
Categories
BMW , Marques
, Road Tests &
Impressions
Tags BMW
3-Series , BMW E46
, BMW G20 3-er
35 Comments on ¿Quépasa, mi alma?
THE FORGOTTEN ALFA
AMONG THE CARS THAT TURN 40 THIS YEAR, THERE IS THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD AND UNDERAPPRECIATED ALFA ROMEO EVER: THE ALFA 6. IT’S ABOUT TIME TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON ARESE’S FAILED _“AMMIRAGLIA”_. “Series 1” Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 (picture from the Author) Presented to the international press on the shores of Lake Como in the spring of 1979, the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 (yes, that is its actual name) has been mostly forgotten by everyone bar the most hardened _“Alfisti”_. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that in period the Alfa 6 was mostly ignored by its target market. Alfa Romeo planned to sell 10,000 Alfa 6 models each year, of which 7000 were expected to be absorbed by the Italian market. The company eventually managed to sell 12,000 over an entire production span of seven years! Continue reading “The Forgotten Alfa” Author Matteo LicataPosted on 22 Jul
201922 Jul 2019
Categories
Alfa Romeo ,
Marques , The History Tags 1979 Alfa Romeo6 , 1979 Alfa Six
, Alfa Romeo Alfetta, Class of '79
, Fillipo Surace
29 Comments on The
Forgotten Alfa
SUMMER REISSUE : 75 INTO 190 REFLECTING UPON THE 75’S YOUNGER, LEERIER BROTHER. MG-ZT. (c) autoevolution The Rover 75 is one of those cars which will probably form the basis of reflection and examination for decades to come. On paper at least, perhaps the most comprehensively realised Rover Group product of all, yet it proved to be a flawed product, courtesy of its problematic K-Series power units and what transpired to be a somewhat quixotic marketing proposition. But I have not gathered you together today in order to Continue reading “Summer Reissue : 75 into 190”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 21 Jul 201918Jul 2019
Categories
Design , Simon Selects, The History
Tags 1998 Rover 75
, Richard Woolley
, Rover 75
9 Comments on Summer Reissue: 75 into 190
SUMMER REISSUE : JOKING ASIDE THE YARIS WAS ONE OF TOYOTA’S BETTER EFFORTS. IT STILL LOOKS GOODTODAY.
The Yaris was previewed by this 1997 Toyota Funtime concept. autowp.ru Toyota signalled a stylistic change of heart at the 1997 Frankfurt motor show when they presented the Funtime concept, a cheerful looking five door hatchback marking a significant departure from the rather anonymous looking Starlet, which by then was being left behind by the increasingly sophisticated and considerably more modernist Europeanopposition.
A more Euro-centric design both in conceptual and stylistic terms, it was introduced in production specification the following year at the Paris motor show. Intended to Continue reading “Summer Reissue :Joking Aside”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 20 Jul 201919Jul 2019
Categories
Marques , Simon Selects, The History
, Toyota
Tags 2000 Toyota
Yaris Verso ,
Class of '99 , ToyotaFuntime , Toyota
Starlet 8 Comments on Summer Reissue : Joking AsideCOMMERCIAL LOGIC
MERCEDES-BENZ CONTEMPLATES EUTHANISING THE X-CLASS. GOOD. (c) caradvice.com.au If the current febrile automotive and geopolitical climate is any reliable indicator, there may well after all be limits to growth. Certainly, the _premium_ heyday within the auto sector appears to be hitting the buffers with both BMW and Mercedes recently issuing profitwarnings.
The situation at BMW is such that it appears its CEO has been ‘encouraged’ to Continue reading “Commercial Logic”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 19 Jul 201918Jul 2019
Categories
Current Affairs ,
Marques , Mercedes-Benz, The
Industry Tags dieterzetsche , mercedes
X-Class , Ola
Källenius 12 Commentson Commercial Logic
BEST OF THE BEZ
INTENDED AS THE CROWNING GLORY OF A NEWLY-INDEPENDENT, NEVER-MORE-GLAMOROUS ASTON MARTIN, THE ONE-77 TURNED OUT TO SYMBOLISE SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.photo (c) Bonhams
2007 must have been a year of triumph for Dr ing Ulrich Bez. Over the course of the previous seven years, the German engineer and Aston Martin managing director had turned an outdated, but well loved marque trading on past glories and an awful lot of goodwill into a serious prestige sports car brand. On top of that, he’d overseen the sale of the company from Ford to a consortium backed by Kuwaiti investors. Bez was now no mere executive henchman anymore. He was the true boss. After having spent most of his career playing second fiddle (most notably to his direct superior at BMW, Wolfgang Reitzle, who’d also hired Bez to run Aston Martin during his brief stint in charge of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group), Bez had become the undisputed boss of not just any old business, but a company that had refused to Continue reading “Best Of The Bez” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 18 Jul
201917 Jul 2019
Categories
Aston Martin
, Marques
, The History
Tags Aston Martin
, Aston Martin One-77, Class of 2009
, Making Aston Martin, Ulrich Bez
12 Comments on Best OfThe Bez
SPACE ODDITY
AUDI’S A2 CONFOUNDED THE BUYING PUBLIC AND LOST ITS MAKER BILLIONS, BUT IT WAS A STELLAR ACHIEVEMENT NONETHELESS.(c) bilmodel
Carmakers are for the most part, pathologically averse to matters of risk – and for good reason. The costs of failure can be ruinous. For instance, a cogent argument could be made that Fiat Auto never recovered from the commercial failure of their 2003 Stilo programme, precipitating a decline from which they have never recovered. Not so Audi, nestled safely within the VW Group mothership, and for decades now, a significant profit centre within the vast German multi-brand automotive titan. Nevertheless, the luxury carmaker is no stranger to the bitter tang of failure, or its financial cost. Twenty years ago Audi announced the A2, a revolutionary and futuristically styled monopod aimed at elevating the Ingolstadt carmaker’s perception as technological pioneers. Six years later, it was summarily axed, following losses which amounted to around €1.3 bn*, having failed to Continue reading “Space Oddity”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 17 Jul 201917Jul 2019
Categories
Audi , Marques
, The History
Tags 1997 Mercedes
A-class , 1999
Audi A2 , AnniversaryWaltz , Audi A2
, Class of '99
, Ferdinand Piech
, Luc Donckerwolke
, Peter Schreyer
11 Comments on SpaceOddity
BRINGING HOME THE BACON WE’RE PLEASED TO WELCOME ANOTHER READER TURNED AUTHOR. ANDREW MILES MAKES HIS DTW DEBUT. The Hammel car. (c) Wikipedia.com I love cars. I’m proud to say that they’ve dominated my forty eight years of life. From childhood memories of bashing up Matchbox (c) cars, gaining that hallowed piece of paper allowing me to drive on the queen’s highway and onto only recently discovering this site, it’s been quite a journey and one I’m hopeful of continuing forsome time yet.
It is the way my car interest has diversified over time that continues my fascination and finds ever differing avenues to pursue. From motor racing in general to specific drivers. From specific brands such as Jaguar or Rolls Royce for example to focusing on but a handful and delving into their designers, methods, history. That final word is key. Continue reading “Bringing Home the Bacon”Author Andrew Miles
Posted on
16 Jul 20199 Jul 2019Categories
Car Culture , The
History , The
Industry Tags Albert Hammel , Hammel Motorcar 5 Comments on BringingHome the Bacon
JIM RANDLE 1938-2019 TODAY WE REMEMBER FORMER JAGUAR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, JIM RANDLE IN THE WORDS OF THE MAN WHO PERHAPS KNEW HIM BEST. Jim Randle. (c) Steve Randle collection My Dad, Engineer Jim Randle, died at home on the 6th July after a prolonged battle with cancer. Jim served his apprenticeship at Rover, where the P6 2000TC was his first major project. He then moved to Jaguar, where he was swiftly promoted to Head of Vehicle Development. As a boy I often accompanied him to his office in the corner of the development shop at Browns Lane on a Saturday morning. Continue reading “Jim Randle 1938-2019”Author Steve Randle
Posted on 15 Jul 201915Jul 2019
Categories
Jaguar , Marques
, People & Profiles
, The History
Tags Bob Knight
, Jaguar Engineers
, Jaguar XJ13
, Jaguar XJ40
, Jim Randle
, Steve Randle
8 Comments on Jim Randle1938-2019
SUMMER REISSUE : PEAK BRISTOL THE BRISTOLISTE’S BRISTOL? THE 411 TURNS 50. Bristol 411 Series 5. Image: (c) bristolcars The Bristol Motor car, from its 1948 inception has always proven to be a rarefied and somewhat piquant recipe. Because for every individual who admires and covets the earthbound products of Filton, there are those who find them ungainly, crude and overpriced. But even amongst the former group, there are Bristols and there are Bristols. Like so many articles of faith, aficionados of the marque tend to Continue reading “Summer Reissue : Peak Bristol”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 14 Jul 201912Jul 2019
Categories
Bristol , Marques
, The Archie Vicar
Archive
, The
History Tags 1972
Bristol 411 ,
Anniversary Waltz ,
Bristol 603 , BristolBlenheim , Bristol
Cars , Class of '69
18 Comments on Summer Reissue : Peak Bristol SUMMER REISSUE : ANOTHER COUNTRY A NICE PAIR OF BRISTOLS? WE GO IN SEARCH OF SHUTLINE NIRVANA – BYAIR AND BY ROAD.
Bristol Beaufighter
Earlier in the week, we spent a fair amount of time examining shutlines and the lengths to which some carmakers will go to engineer solutions to the issues left by the stylists, not to mention the depths to which the marketing team will descend to cast them in the best possible light. So it is perhaps timely that we Continue reading “Summer Reissue :Another Country”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 13 Jul 201912Jul 2019
Categories
Bristol , Design
, Marques
, Shutlines Theme
,
Technology & EngineeringTags
Bristol 603 , BristolAircraft , Bristol
Blenheim , Bristol
Bullet , Bristol Cars, Bristol Pinnacle
project 10
Comments on Summer Reissue : Another Country SUMMER RE-ISSUE : ROCKET’S TALE A TIMELESS FLIGHT MAY BE DRAWING TO A CLOSE AS ROCKETMAN, VIA CHINA’S GREAT WALL, FINALLY COMES HOME. WELL, MAYBE… Rocketman. (c) ausmotive The word icon is often bandied about and for the most part misplaced, but in the case of the original team-Issigonis BMC Mini, it is probaly a justifiable one. Of course, like most people or objects who have this soubriquet thrust upon them, the Mini’s iconography came about over time and in no small part from a combination of factors: motor racing successes, becoming symbolic of an entire epoch and a certain comedy motion picture filmed amid the streets of Turin. Continue reading “Summer Re-issue : Rocket’s Tale”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 12 Jul 201912Jul 2019
Categories
Current Affairs ,
Design , Marques
, MINI
, The Future
Tags 2011 MINI
Rocketman Concept
, BMW R50
mini , Minki
, Morris Mini Minor
, Neminisis
3 Comments on Summer Re-issue : Rocket’s Tale MR. WARBURTON WRITES A LETTER ANALYSTS BERNSTEIN RESEARCH REDISCOVER A LOST ART, BUT IN DOING SO HAVE THEY SHIFTED THE PARADIGM?(c) grandprix247
Something unprecedented has happened. It’s probably too early to tell whether it will prove to be an isolated occurrence or a sign of a wider shift in the manner in which the industry operates, but the implications could well prove to be far-reaching. Max Warburton, the senior automotive analyst from Wall Street financial analytics firm, Sandford C Bernstein, and leading soothsayer on matters pertaining to the motor business wrote an open letter last week to Renault Chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, suggesting he Continue reading “Mr. Warburton Writes a Letter”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 11 Jul 201911Jul 2019
Categories
Current Affairs ,
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles,
Nissan , Renault
, The Industry
Tags Bernstein
Research , Max
Warburton , Renault-Fiatmerger 7 Comments
on Mr. Warburton Writes a Letter IN MEMORIAM : JIM RANDLE THERE ARE SOME THINGS A WRITER NEVER WISHES TO PUT TO PAPER, SO I WRITE THESE WORDS TODAY WITH A HEAVY HEART. The late Jim Randle in 2016. (c) DTW / Auto-Didakt In the summer of 2016, I did what one should never do and met a personal hero, fulfilling a long-held ambition by interviewing former Jaguar Director of Vehicle Engineering, Jim Randle. At the time, he had been out of the public gaze for some time and was perhaps understandably wary of this pair of interlopers from afar asking him questions about a past he had largely put behind him. Yet as he warmed to his interrogators, the memories of people, places, events and of course, the vehicles he helped create flooded back and between the quiet ironies and the uproarious laughter, he not only lent us almost five hours of his time but for myself, memories that I treasure. Continue reading “In Memoriam : Jim Randle”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 10 Jul 201910Jul 2019
Categories
Car Culture , Jaguar, Marques
, People & Profiles
Tags Jaguar
Engineers , Jim
Randle 2 Comments on In Memoriam : Jim Randle DENIED: PORSCHE BOXSTER CONCEPT THE PORSCHE BOXSTER WE ULTIMATELY RECEIVED IN 1997 WAS QUITE UNLIKE THE PORSCHE BOXSTER WE WERE PROMISED IN 1993.(c) Auto-Didakt
Porsche has become so synonymous with success over the past two decades, it’s easy to forget that the erstwhile sports car maker form Stuttgart Zuffenhausen was on the brink of bankruptcy more thanonce.
On one such occasion, in the early 1990s – amid a significant recession, on top of internal issues (such as poor productivity and ageing products) – the powers that be at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG decided that the then-current range of products overstretched the company’s resources and therefore wouldn’t be replacedlike-for-like.
The evergreen 911, incidentally the newest and best-selling model at the time, was to stay, but the 968 2+2 and 928 GT were to be axed. In their place, Porsche wanted to Continue reading “Denied: PorscheBoxster Concept”
Author Christopher ButtPosted on 9 Jul
20199 Jul 2019
Categories
Design , Marques
, Porsche
, The History
Tags 1993 Porsche
Boxster concept
, Grant
Larson , Harm Lagaay, Porsche Boxster
, Stefan Stark
15 Comments on Denied: Porsche Boxster Concept UNSIGHTLY SHUTLINE SYNDROME TODAY, WE’RE PLEASED TO INTRODUCE DTW READER, BRUNO VIJVERMAN, WHO POSES A QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN BOTHERING HIM OF LATE. Image: Author’s collection Bill Mitchell considered the 1965 GM cars to be his best work. And he may very well have been correct: The already beautiful Buick Riviera’s styling was cleaned up with the hidden headlights it was always supposed to have, the Chevrolet Corvair was restyled in a faintly Italianate fashion, while the regular Chevrolets had a more dynamic and flowing look if compared to the somewhat boxy 1964 models. The same could be said of the other full-size offerings from Oldsmobile, Buick and especially Pontiac. The GM flagship Cadillac was of course also fully restyled for 1965, and is generally regarded as a handsome, and in view of the era and fashion, relatively uncluttered and cleanly styled car. I also like the 1965 Cadillac. Apart from one thing: the weird trajectory of the shutline between the front and the rear door on the four-door models. Since this caught my eye I cannot Continue reading “Unsightly Shutline Syndrome” Author brrrruno Posted on 8 Jul 20197 Jul 2019Categories
Cadillac
,
Design , General MotorsNorth America
,
Marques , The HistoryTags 1965 Cadillac
Range , Bill
Mitchell , Cadillac
Fleetwood ,
Cadillac Sixteen ,
shutline management
, Vehicle
Shutlines 24
Comments on Unsightly Shutline Syndrome SUMMER REISSUE : ROMANCE IS DEAD OR IF NOT DEAD ENTIRELY, IT’S CERTAINLY DEEP INTO THE ARENA OF THEUNWELL…
(c) simplywellblog
When was the last time you simply got into your car and drove – simply for the loving hell of it? You are reading this today because, we are minded to assume, you are an enthusiast of the automobile. Of course it’s also possible you are here by accident, and if so, we can only apologise for yourtrouble.
As aficionados and captive users of the motor car, we probably don’t need to Continue reading “Summer Reissue : Romance is Dead”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 7 Jul 20197Jul 2019
Categories Car
Culture , Not ExactlyCars Tags
Romance 6 Comments on Summer Reissue : Romance is Dead SUMMER REISSUE : GEAR CHANGE A TIMELY REMINDER OF A FINE BUT FORGOTTEN HONDA CONCEPT LEADS YOUR CORRESPONDENT INTO A BOUT OF FRUITLESS HAND-WRINGING. 2013 Honda Gear concept. (c) autos.ca Before continuing, I am impelled to point out that I deserve no credit for highlighting this vehicle once more. It was fellow scribe, R. Herriott (currently en vacances) who first brought the Honda Gear to our attention during DTW’s formative months in 2014. I should also make clear that it is purely coincidental (if convenient) that this piece appears the same week that Honda invited journalists to sample its forthcoming electric-drive E model. More on that in a moment. But first I invite you to Continue reading “Summer Reissue : Gear Change”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 6 Jul 20195Jul 2019
Categories
Design , Honda
, Marques
, The History
Tags 1997 Honda EV
, 2013 Honda FCev
concept car
, 2013
Honda Gear concept car, 2015
Honda N/ , Honda Urban EV 7 Comments on Summer Reissue : Gear Change EXPONENTIAL ACCELERATION JUST HOW RESILIENT IS A STRONG BRAND? BMW ARE IN THE PROCESS OFFINDING OUT.
Photo (c) instagram.com/autodidaktblog Supposed elitism is one of the car industry’s preferred counter-arguments/excuses. When challenging a particular product, particularly with regards to its design, one is quickly dismissed as a snob, out of touch with what ‘the market’ really wants by those who conceived that product. Any criticism is therefore at best a matter of ‘personal taste’ or, at worst, highly patronising. The strength of a brand is one of the car industry’s preferred arguments. If the brand is strong, a company should be able to Continue reading “Exponential Acceleration” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 5 Jul
20192 Jul 2019
Categories
BMW , Design
, Marques
, The Industry
Tags BMW
, BMW Design
, design crisis
, Harald Krüger
, Oliver Zipse
13 Comments on
Exponential Acceleration IL DESIGNER DIMENTICATO THE SECRETIVE NATURE OF A CAR DESIGNER’S JOB MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE, TO THE POINT THAT ACTUAL AUTHORS OF CELEBRATED DESIGN ICONS OFTEN REMAIN UNKNOWN, EVEN AMONG ENTHUSIASTS. 1948 Ferrari scale drawing: The signature of Federico Formenti is clearly visible (c. Petrolicious) This sad, age-old state of affairs is particularly unfair in the case of Federico Formenti, quite possibly the greatest car designer you’ve never heard of. While the mention of the name _“Carrozzeria Touring”_ is likely to send most car enthusiast’s minds fantasizing about graceful, elegant mid-20th Century cars, it’s far less likely said enthusiast will know that those timeless beauties were mostly designed by one man. Continue reading “Il Designer Dimenticato” Author Matteo LicataPosted on 4 Jul
201929 Jun 2019
Categories
Design , The HistoryTags Alfa Romeo
, Car Design History, Centro Stile
, Death of the
Carrozzieri ,
Federico Formenti ,
Jensen Interceptor
, Touring
Superleggera 5
Comments on Il Designer DimenticatoODE TO JOY
A MAD NICHE CAR OR A CUV PATHFINDER? WE EXAMINE THE HONDA HR-V. Better as a 5-door? (c) autoevolution Had we realised how the mainstream motor vehicle would evolve over the intervening time, we might have paid a little more attention to the announcement of Honda’s HR-V, an event which occurred all of twenty years ago. As it was however, the automotive press were content to file it with all the other amusing, if slightly lightweight offerings from the more whimsical side of the Japanese automotive juggernaut. The HR-V, which rather un-memorably stood for _High Rider vehicle_ was previewed in mildly conceptual form at the 1998 Geneva motor show as the even more memorably coined J-WJ,
where the positive reception was said at the time to have stiffened Honda’s resolve to Continue reading “Ode to Joy”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 3 Jul 20192Jul 2019
Categories
Honda , Marques
, The History
Tags 2015 Honda HRV
engine range
,
Anniversary Waltz ,
Class of '99 , Honda HR-V 10 Comments on Ode to Joy DRIVEN, WRITTEN: VW GOLF GTI PERFORMANCE (2019) THEY STILL KNOW HOW TO DESIGN AND ENGINEER A DECENT CAR AT WOLFSBURG, AS PROVEN BY GERMANY’S PREMIER HOT HATCH. Three surprisingly meaningful letters, photo (c) DrivenTo Write
The rental car lottery: Source of frustration, surprise and disillusionment. In the case of myself and my partner, the feeling of an outright win had eluded us so far – until I was handed the keys to the car I’d booked as ‘VW Golf Automatic or similar’, which turned our to be not just a VW Golf indeed – a first in itself. Moreover, this Golf was arguably in the model’s most appealing guise, which meant we would be crossing half of Germany in a Golf GTI Performance. Hurrah! Typically any special edition model boasting a name like ‘Performance’ is expected to Continue reading “Driven, Written: VW Golf GTI Performance (2019)” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 2 Jul
20193 Jul 2019
Categories
Marques , Road Tests &Impressions
,
Volkswagen Tags 2019 VW Golf GTI Performance review,
VW Golf GTI driving impressions, VW
Golf GTI Performance review17
Comments on Driven, Written: VW Golf GTI Performance (2019)THE FOURTH LETTER
THE RELATIVE CONVENTIONALITY OF THE DELTA DISMAYED MARQUE AFICIONADOS IN 1979, BUT IT WOULD GO ON TO EMBODY MARQUE VALUES OF BOTH PERFORMANCE AND COMMERCIAL LONGEVITY FAR BEYOND ITS SEEMLY NARROWREMIT.
(c) Weilinet
The old guard was falling away. After a decade on sale, Lancia’s entry level Fulvia Berlina ceased production in 1973. The patrician compact saloon had proven a modest commercial success in its native Italy over that period, appealing to those who had both the means and the discernment to appreciate a such a finely wrought and technicallynoteworthy vehicle.
But while its mechanical specification left little to be desired, the level of complexity it incorporated would not square with that of Lancia’s new owners, who were masters of cost-control. Furthermore, its uncompromisingly rectilinear three-volume style had become widelyviewed as outdated.
While legions of Lancisti will most likely Continue reading “TheFourth Letter”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 1 Jul 20193Jul 2019
Categories
Lancia , Marques
, The History
Tags Anniversary
Waltz , Class of '79, Fiat Ritmo
, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Ital Design
, Lancia Delta
, Lancia design
35 Comments on The
Fourth Letter
SUMMER REISSUE – DAILY GRIND THE LAST TRADITIONAL PEUGEOT SALOON MARKS ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. WE LOOK BACK AT THE 505.(c) autoevolution
The final flowering of a fine tradition, the 1979 Peugeot 505 marked the last generation of rear-wheel drive saloons to emerge from Sochaux. A late ’70s update of the popular and durable 504 model, the 505 cleaved so closely to its predecessor’s conceptual template those of a more cynical mien could scarcely Continue reading “Summer Reissue – Daily Grind”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 30 Jun 201930Jun 2019
Categories
Marques , Peugeot
, Simon Selects
, The History
Tags 1979 Peugeot 505, 1986 Peugeot 505
turbo , Class
of '79 , Peugeot 505, Peugeot 604 40th
anniversary
4
Comments on Summer Reissue – Daily Grind SUMMER RESISSUE : ART FOR ART’S SAKE IF CARS REALLY CAN BE VIEWED AS ART, WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE THE 1999 CITROËN XSARA PICASSO?(c) auto-abc.eu
Here at Driven to Write, we are fond of celebrating the worthy, the left of field and the more outlying inhabitants of our vehicular rich pageant. However, nobody in possession of the requisite technical or visual discernment would willingly choose to scribe a hymn of praise for the Citroën Xsara Picasso (to lend it its full name) – a motor vehicle which could perhaps only lay claim to the quality of mercy. There have been many phases to the double chevron’s creative trajectory over the 100 years of its existence, and it would not be especially uncharitable to Continue reading “Summer Resissue : Art for Art’s Sake”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 29 Jun 201928Jun 2019
Categories
Citroën ,
Marques , Our Cars
, Simon Selects
Tags 1997 Citroen
Xsara Picasso
, 2015
Citroen C4 Picasso review, Art
Blakeslee car designer, Class of
'99 10 Comments on Summer Resissue : Art for Art’s SakeDTW SUMMER RECESS
WE’RE ON HOLIDAY – WELL, SOME OF US ARE. Well for some. (c) ew.com Summer has returned and in now habitual fashion, the newly vacated DTW offices have taken on a distinct Marie Celeste bearing. Creaking timbers, the unmistakable aroma of stale sherry, cigars and charred office furniture – not to mention a gaping hole in the schedule – consequence of Mr. Editor Kearne’s precipitous departure to fortify his appetites at some unspecified summer retreat deep in the Andalusian hills – lord help them. In the unaired half-light of our ninth floor headquarters, mystery abounds. The whereabouts of Myles Gorfe remains a pointedly unanswered question. His seasonal ticket to Granada lies unopened upon his desk. Packages of secondhand blue oval spares from as far afield as Bosnia–Herzegovina pile up, yet nobody, least of all his estranged wife Brigit appears keen to investigate his disappearance. Even the normally felicitous Mr. R. Herriott has exercised his unalienable rights and chosen to Continue reading “DTW SummerRecess”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 28 Jun 201927Jun 2019
Categories
Simon Says Tags
Editor's Dispatch ,
Summer Reissue 1
Comment on DTW Summer RecessUNFLINCHING LOYALTY
PERSONAL AFFECTION FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE BRAND IS ONE OF THE MORE PECULIAR ASPECTS OF MODERN-DAY CULTURE. Dedication, photo (c) YouTube Worshipping symbols aimed at identifying one’s affiliation to a particular tribe/race/religion/club are as old as humans’ capacity to create objects. It therefore isn’t a surprise at all that an automotive brand would be appropriated and exploited as a means of signifying status, even beyond the company’s own marketing efforts. What is surprising though is the levels of passion and dedication (or, depending on one’s viewpoint, parochialism and fury) this canelicit.
I recently got to Continue reading “Unflinching Loyalty” Author Christopher ButtPosted on 27 Jun
201926 Jun 2019
Categories Car
Culture , Marques
, Mercedes-Benz
Tags
Mercedes-Benz ,
Mercedes-Benz design, trolling
32 Comments on UnflinchingLoyalty
LEAP OF FAITH
IT WAS BRAVE, IT WAS A FAILURE AND ITS FATE WAS ETCHED IN JAGUAR’SPAST.
(c) barrettjaguar.com Acts of creative reinvention are rarely acknowledged at the time of committal, being far more likely to be misunderstood and derided by those whose expectations were, for a variety of reasons subverted or otherwise denied. Brave or foolish? There is a fine line which separates both polarities, because inevitably, whenever these adjectives are appended to matters of a creative nature, it tends to be connected to its failure. The X351-series Jaguar was a brave design, attempting to break from the creative straitjacket the over-familiar, and overworked XJ silhouette had evolved into. But now, a decade on from its Summer 2009 debut, and with the curtain soon to fall upon its production career, we can Continue reading “Leap of Faith”Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 26 Jun 20192Jul 2019
Categories
Jaguar , Marques
, The History
Tags Adam Hatton
, Anniversary Waltz
, Class of 2009
, Ian Callum
, Jaguar X351 XJ
, Jaguar XJ
10 Comments on Leap of Faith DENIED: LANCIA KAYAK (1995) MORE THAN TWO DECADES AGO, TWO PROUD NAMEPLATES IN THE PROCESS OF LOSING THEIR LUSTRE JOINED FORCES TO CREATE A SPLENDID CONCEPT CAR PERFECTLY IN TUNE WITH ITS TIME. Tasteful pensioner’s car, photo(c) carstyling.ru
During the mid-’90s, car buyers and enthusiasts were in an unashamedly romantic mood. Roadsters and coupés were the kind of niche models devised not just to polish a marque’s image, but to actually sell and earn money. Peugeot’s splendid (Pininfarina-designed and built) 406 Coupé being a particularly resonant example of this phenomenon. In those days, Lancia not only offered a full range of models, but the marque’s image hadn’t been tainted quite beyond repair either. The recently launched Kappa executive saloon and second-generation Delta hatchback may have constituted the first steps of Fiat Auto CEO, Paolo Cantarella’s ambition to Continue reading “Denied: LanciaKayak (1995)”
Author Christopher ButtPosted on 25 Jun
201924 Jun 2019
Categories
Design , Lancia
, Marques
, The History
Tags 1997 Lancia
Kappa coupe ,
Bertone , Bertone Kayak, Lancia Kayak
, Luciano d'Ambrosio, Paolo Cantarella
, Stile Bertone
5 Comments on Denied: Lancia Kayak (1995)FATE ACCOMPLI
THE LESSONS OF HISTORY ARE FATED TO BE REPEATED – ENDLESSLY. (c) luxurycarsworld.com It was all going to plan. In 2002, production of the X308-series XJ ceased at Jaguar’s Browns Lane plant, after all, an all-new replacement was shortly to come on stream to replace it. However, with the decision taken and implemented, a crisis arose. Jaguar engineers hit significant hurdles in the pressing of the X350 XJ’s aluminium bodyshell, necessitating a significant delay in series production. As it transpired, it would be another year before the XJ was launched and in the interregnum, Jaguar was absent, not only from its core market, but also its most lucrative. When the 2003 XJ did reach buyers, not only did the car itself meet with a less than rapturous reception, but a significant number of former Jaguar customers had taken their business elsewhere. Many failed to Continue reading“Fate Accompli”
Author Eóin Doyle
Posted on 24 Jun 201922Jun 2019
Categories
Current Affairs ,
Jaguar , Marques
, The Industry
Tags Jaguar X308
, Jaguar X351 XJ
, Jaguar XJ
, Jaguar XJ Series
31 Comments on Fate
Accompli
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