East Valley Tribune - Auto News

Chevy II

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It wasn't glamorous, but it was the beginning of the domestic compact-car category.

The Land Rover

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A last-minute, last-ditch effort to build a Jeep clone led to the modern-day sport-utility movement.

1969 Ford Torino Talladega

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

 NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow, meet the Car of Yesterday.

1963 Corvette Z06

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Z06 was defiantly built to win races and keep Chevy’s underground competition program alive.

Challenger Muscle: Let the Ponycar wars begin!

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Has it really been that long? Has it actually been nearly 40 years since the Dodge Challenger first attempted to muscle its way onto the scene for a share of the Ponycar pie?

Jaguar E-Type

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

England has always been considered the ancestral birthplace of the sports car, and the Jaguar E-Type’s arrival on our shores four decades ago merely accentuates that point.

William Durant

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Down, but never defeated, the founder of General Motors was a perpetual optimist.

2005-'06 Ford GT

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It was a blast from the past in more ways than one. Ford’s GT, which celebrated 100 years of company history, capitalized on the popularity and success of the GT40, one of the most fabled automobiles of all time from any manufacturer.

1970 Buick GSX

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It was far from the most popular muscle car available back in the day, but the short-lived GSX was definitely one of the fastest street machines around.

The original Land Cruiser

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today's FJ Cruiser attempts to capture the grit of the company's post Second World War workhorse that became one of the most durable and desirable off-roaders of all time.

1998-'03 Prowler

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Was it an audacious street machine, an outrageous affront to hot rodders everywhere, or perhaps both?

1966 Olds Toronado

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As the forerunner to the front-wheel-drive movement, the big coupe's show-car styling only told half the story of one of the most unique vehicles in American automotive history.

Cadillac LaSalle

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As the second General Motors' line named after a French explorer, LaSalle ended up fading into history

American Motors AMX

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Compared to many other hot cars on the street, the AMX was tame, but for AMC it was a walk on the wild side.

'86 Ford Taurus

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Taurus revived a troubled Ford and became a much-copied style setter

BMW 2002

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Why don't you take it for a spin and see what you think," offered Pierre as a slight smirk crossed his lips. His earlier banter had been convincing, without the hard-sell. But then again Pierre, an acquaintance who moonlighted at the local BMW outlet while earning his law degree, excelled in quiet self-assurance. In a funny way, my BMWstore buddy's demeanor was much like the product he represented, which was the 1970 edition of BMW's 2002 coupe.

1970-'78 Datsun 240Z

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It was red, it was gorgeous and it was mine. From the long snout to the sensuous slant of its rear hatch, I was the owner of an original, albeit slightly used, one-year-old, 1971 240Z Datsun, one of the most lusted-after, yet affordable sports cars to ever put a wheel to pavement.

BMW Isetta 1955 - '62

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For a company best known for its high end sports and luxury cars, the little Isetta seems remarkably out of place. But the story as to why BMW took over Isetta production is a fascinating one that's based on one thing: cash flow. Different doesn't really begin to describe the tiny, 90-inch-long Isetta.

Hudson Hornet: This NASCAR 'car of yesterday' won on Sunday and didn't sell on Monday

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Who, or what, is a Hudson Hornet? And why should anyone care? Serious devotees of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) are likely aware that it was the upstart Hudson Hornet that, in the early 1950s, helped solidify the sport's rock-solid Southern U.S. fan base, laying the foundation for what would eventually become a continent-wide obsession.

Subaru 360

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Most imported small cars have managed to find some kind of niche with buyers looking for economical and affordable transportation. The Subaru 360 just wasn't one of them. In hindsight, the Japanese-built two-door sedan was not well-suited to North American travel and if it hadn't been for a budding entrepreneur, it never would have been sold here. The original importer was Malcolm Bricklin, an ambitious Philadelphia native who would eventually earn even greater infamy as the creator of the plastic-bodied Bricklin sports car.

Shelby Series 1

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Few people can build cars Carroll Shelby's lean and mean way. Take his original Cobra of the 1960s for example. His personal car, with 800 horsepower, recently sold at auction for $5 million. Rare and powerful defines all Shelby vehicles and the Series 1 was no exception. With plenty of Oldsmobile power corralled inside an ultra-sleek structure, this hot-shoe roadster represented pure driving pleasure for the well-heeled enthusiast.