Chrysler Airflow

When the discussion turns to the Chrysler Airflow, the sum of the  talk  is normally: early attempt at streamlining that the public didn’t like.Classic car Chrysler AirflowIn others words, nice attempt; call us again when you have a winner.

This thumbnail model considerably under-rates the importance of the Airflow because, despite its commercial failure, Chrysler’s brave  trial  at innovation may well have been the most important vehicle of the 1930’s. Not only did the Airflow lead the way in terms of aerodynamics (or “streamlining” as it was then named), it was the first mass-market car in the world to use the “modern” architecture that has now become the benchmark.

Chrysler was great marketer

The man, Walter P. Chrysler was an American “automobile man.” A promoter with a genius for Read more . . .

Sunbeam Tiger

Nobody ever accused Maxwell Smart (alias Agent 86) of being the brightest gemstone in the jewelry box, but there is one thing you can say for him, he knew how to pick a car. When he cruised up to the clandestine offices of Control each week to get his newest assignment, the Sunbeam Tiger he left at the curb drew knowing smiles from teenage  auto freaks in the television audience (as well as one Jack R. Nerad of LaGrange, Illinois.) Read more . . .

Lamborghini Diablo

How do you follow a tale? As the 1990s were about to flourish, Automobili Lamborghini faced that question on two fronts. Classic car Lamborghini Diablo redIt was forced to meet head-on  the problem of replacing both a legendary leader and a legendary car. Either  topic  would be difficult enough, but both at one time? Some might call the job impossible.

Its spiritual leader and founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, had long since sold his brainchild and moved on to less stressful ventures, including his death (eventually). Absent from the company for more than a decade, Lamborghini’s long shadow still stretched over the company that carried  his name. The Countach, the  final car that he inspired,  was not only in production nearly twenty years after Lamborghini had signed the final sales agreement, it was still regarded by many as the epitome of “supercardom.” The company contemplated: How to follow a cover girl crowd-pleaser similar to the Countach? Read more . . .

Chrysler C-300

If William Durant hadn’t got involved in a heated discussion with Walter P. Chrysler,  there might never have been a Chrysler Corporation. classic Chrysler 300 carThus, there would not have been the Chrysler C-300 and this space would have been filled with the fable of  the Chevrolet Corvair or the Nash Metropolitan. But in 1920, soon after Billy Durant regained control of General Motors, Durant and Chrysler a got into a knockdown, drag-out argument that ended with Chrysler slamming the door and walking away from GM forever. Read more . . .