AMC’s Pacer: Rebel Without a Heart

Richard Read 1
AMC’s Pacer made its debut thirty-five years ago this past spring. It was a distinctive car, a futuristic hatchback with a gigantic glass area and unequal length doors. It is remembered today as a footnote of the disco era, the fishbowl with wheels. But the car that hit the showrooms bore little resemblance to what AMC had intended. [...]

Planning A Last-Minute Holiday Road Trip? Expedia Can Help

Richard Read
Thankfully, things have shifted: your Friday meeting has suddenly been canceled, or the dog-sitter called to say she’s got an opening in her schedule, or your partner just came home with a sparkling, new grand tourer, and he’s got “road trip” in his eyes. So now, it looks like you’ll be able to take a quick Memorial Day vacation after all. But where to turn for advice? Try Expedia. [...]

Imperial Decree: Imperial Statewide Meet in Palm Springs, CA

Richard Read
They’re sexpots with wheels: voluptous styling, plush interiors, and lots of automotive jewelry. They drip with chrome and styling gimmicks: monstrous fins, freestanding headlamp pods, swiveling seats, square steering wheels, and eagles literally woven into the upholstery fabrics and embossed into the leather. It’s like Chrysler Corporation meets Imperator. [...]

Cadillac Seville: The Baby Turns 35

Richard Read
It was 35 years ago this month that the Cadillac Seville made its debut. The smallest Cadillac since the 1920’s also debuted with the highest price tag in the Cadillac line up — the base price of $12,479 was the highest of any American made passenger car. This was a deliberate marketing move by Cadillac, which knew that in order for the car to succeed, it had to break through the “bigger is better” mentality that had permeated the domestic industry up to that point. [...]

Breaking: Naked Men Are Distracting To Rally Car Drivers

Richard Read
Mark Tapper was minding his own business, throttling down a dirt road and working hard to maintain his lead in last week’s Rally New Zealand. Then, out of nowhere, came a man — a half-naked man, giving Tapper a fleeting but powerful glimpse of his full moon. Said Tapper, “A very white bottom that was beside the road put me off for a fraction of a second, then I just ran wide and rolled”. We’ve seen similar accidents caused by women, but this is the first instigated by man-tuchus that we can remember. [...]

Friday Fun Stuff: Retro Rides, Twinks And ‘Stangs, And Jesus Christ Vs. The Monte Carlo

Richard Read
It’s easing on toward Miller Time (now known as Club-Soda-with-Lime Time, because we have to fit into a bathing suit sometime), and so, we’ve begun thinking about weekend pursuits. Here are a few of the items suitable for public conversation: 1. If you’re a bona fide car nut, you really ought to follow Glen H on Flickr. Based in Australia, the guy has a monumental knowledge of cars, and he posts fantastic shots of vintage production models and concepts (e.g. the 1956 Buick Centurion image above). Viewing his photostream is kind of like flipping through old issues of Physique Pictorial, but you could probably get away with it in the dentist’s office.  [...]