Hey fool! Custom vans were popular once – a long time ago. They combined coolness, power and utility in the same package. But they disappeared because of the Rise of the Minivan in the early ’80s – which happened as a result (chiefly) of rising fuel prices. Old-style custom vans like BA Baracus’ A-Team...
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Trying to keep the performance flame flickering in the late ’70s wasn’t easy. Big-cube, high-powered V-8s had been all but outlawed. Only a handful of smallblocks were still gimping along, their power output reduced to pathetic levels by emissions control and fuel economy considerations. Ford’s once-proud 302 V-8, for instance, had been reduced to...
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The circle is now complete. The very first “SUV” – the vehicle that almost singlehandedly turned the market for passenger cars into a market for trucks - and truck-based vehicles called SUVs – is now a car. Or at least it’s built on a car’s underthings. The previous Explorer’s truck-based frame – and truck-based...
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America’s Big Three have had more than their share of bad ideas over the past 20 years. Let’s look at Ford’s flops first. * Lincoln Mark VIII (1993-1998) – This car snuffed what had been a successful franchise for Ford. In the ’80s, the Mark VII (http://www.lincolnsofdistinction.com…ark-vii-02.jpg) was thought of by many as an...
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American car companies lost market share in the ’70s and ’80s to a great extent because they lost consumer confidence. Hit or miss quality control – an endless conga line of embarrassing recalls. Buyers came to believe that American cars were second-rate. It’s happening all over again – only this time, it’s the Japanese...
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