Category Archives: Commentary articles

Commentary – Customized Automotive Coachbuilding May Make A Return Just Yet…

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This month, we’re starting off by turning the clock back 100 years to take a quick look at the automotive coachbuilding era that largely began in the 1920s, with a focus on Mercedes-Benz.  If you’re not familiar with custom coach-built … Continue reading

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Is The Porsche 911 The Quintessential Sports Car? We Talk With Several Owners To Find Out.

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PART 1 – THE 911, AND WHAT OWNERS SAY ABOUT IT: The definition of quintessential is “representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class”.  So could the Porsche 911 be the perfect, quintessential sports car? Since … Continue reading

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A Guide To The Regular Cars In The TV Show “Mad Men”

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Mad Men (which ran 7 seasons during 2007-15) is a fictional TV series set in and around New York City spanning the years 1960 to 1970.  It was named for a slang expression people in the advertising business used to … Continue reading

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My Idea of a Perfect Bare-Bones Economy Car

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Has this happened to you? You buy a lower-priced car intending to save money only to end up dropping paychecks into it later in the interest of upgrading things. I don’t mean spending money on necessary repairs – I’m talking … Continue reading

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5 Unsung Hero Vehicles of the 1990s

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Today, we’re traveling in the wayback machine to the 1990s – a decade where motorized seatbelts, manual locks, crank windows, manual transmissions, carburetors, and drum brakes were still commonly found as standard automotive equipment. That said, advanced technology that had … Continue reading

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Have You Experienced The Monte Carlo Effect?

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In a recent discussion with some friends, we recalled times in our lives when new vehicle designs struck us as tremendously unattractive at first sight. The best example I could think of was when, working as a young technician at … Continue reading

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Some Interesting Base Models You Don’t Often See

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We find base models ordered with a minimum of extra-cost items represent a unique vehicle segment.  Strippers, plain Jane models.  Sure, many are used as commercial fleet vehicles or chosen by dealers to use as loss leaders in advertisements.  Those … Continue reading

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A Top 10 List of cars with the highest % of overhang. Number 1 may surprise you.

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Recently, I was reading an article on Curbside Classic’s website titled “Design Analysis: Did The Lincoln Mark VI Have The Biggest Overhang Ratio Ever?”.  After studying that new-for-1980 design, author Paul Niedermeyer comments that the fundamental problem with the Mark … Continue reading

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Commentary – Giving car buying advice to those you’re not sure are listening…

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A friend recently asked me for advice on helping her select a new car.  Since I’ve worked in the automotive repair field, I get requests for car purchasing advice periodically.  I don’t mind because having been a car fanatic since … Continue reading

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Commentary – Popularity of today’s paddle shifters reminds us the best place for gear shifting really is on the steering column.

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(By contributor John Bleimaier) The advent of paddle shifters in today’s cars should cause us to consider once again where the gear shift lever should ideally be placed.  Paddle shifters located on either side of the steering wheel and affixed … Continue reading

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Commentary – If the U.S. Constitution had been written in the 20th century, the automobile would have found its way into the Bill of Rights

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(by contributor John Bleimaier)   The automobile and the concept of freedom are intimately intertwined.  The open road and the sense of mobility are at the epicenter of American culture.  When foreigners think of our country, their predominant image is … Continue reading

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Commentary – Speed traps are more about money than morality

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(By contributor John Bleimaier) Back in the 1950s and early ‘60s, owners of sports cars from England and the rest of Europe commonly flashed their headlights after encountering each other on the road.  It was a gesture of good will … Continue reading

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Commentary – Can Cars of the Future Be Classics, Too?

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by contributor Kristi Burns… At Classic Cars Today Online, our interest and focus  gravitates towards classic cars.  However, at one time all of these classics were “cars of the future” that someone dreamed up and pushed the proverbial envelope to … Continue reading

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When all is said and done, a ’65 Mercedes diesel has a higher automotive Intelligence Quotient than several of today’s microcars.

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When considering three elements of performance: speed, handling and economy – vehicle weight impacts all of them.  That’s why racehorses are lean and jockeys are diminutive.  Every race car engineer knows that weight is the single most important factor in … Continue reading

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Commentary – 15 ways modern cars spoil us compared to older classics

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Working in the automotive service field has conditioned me to value mechanical simplicity and to pass up optional features that add complexity, likelihood of inconvenient failure, and unnecessary weight.  Because I often only see vehicles when things aren’t working properly, … Continue reading

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Commentary – I always vary my exercise walk to pass by driveways with more interesting cars

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It’s springtime and the sights along my daily walk are never more beautiful than this time of year.  Like most people who exercise with a starting point of their front door, I vary my 2.5-mile path to keep things interesting. … Continue reading

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My mother claims cars were more recognizable 60 years ago. I analyze decades and disagree (Part 1)

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Walking through a parking lot with my mother started the debate.  “All cars look alike these days”, she said.  “Back in the 1940s, you could distinguish the different makes easily.  I could tell the type of every car the adults … Continue reading

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Commentary – Road salt not only corrodes your classic car, but politicians as well

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(by contributor John Bleimaier)… In the culinary world, salt is one of a few truly magical ingredients which release taste and enliven sensory responses without relying on artificial chemicals that are detrimental to the human body.   Any chef that … Continue reading

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Commentary – Mercedes needs to leave the first version of its “Illuminated Star” front LED emblem in the rearview mirror

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We’ve been curiously watching the publicity Mercedes-Benz has chosen to release about its new “Illuminated Star” grille insert. The assembly, which uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to create a glowing Mercedes emblem at night, is a new factory option on … Continue reading

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11 must-read web sites for the classic car fan

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  If you appreciate classic cars and enjoy finding fresh commentary about your favorite models, vintage automotive advertisements, memorabilia, original commercials, or any related subject you can think of, the internet is a vast and unparalleled resource.  From finding pictures … Continue reading

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Commentary – Does being loyal to one car brand make you a glutton for happiness, or punishment?

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Erica is a friend of mine who recently became the owner of a used 2006 BMW 750Li.  An enviable purchase by any stretch of the imagination, but one she agonized about due to feelings of brand loyalty to another marque. … Continue reading

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Commentary – When you buy an old Mercedes diesel, make sure you like the color…

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…because you may end up owning it longer than you expect.  It’s not hard to do, because 4- and 5-cylinder Benz diesel models built through the end of 1985 are put together extremely well and require a lower-than-average amount of … Continue reading

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Need a gift for that car fanatic in your life? Check out our online store of vintage car ads and brochures

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If you’ve been searching for an inexpensive, unique gift that will intrigue the car fanatic in your life, our online store BEST OF THE PAST CAR ADVERTISEMENTS (Click here to visit our page) has just what you need.  Specializing in … Continue reading

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Commentary – My “Must-Have” Car Accessories

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My name is Kristi Burns and I am NOT a mechanic, so I don’t mind being spoiled by “modern” car accessories as my husband does. In fact, this can be a bone of contention when we both look for a … Continue reading

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Commentary – Regarding automotive design, I just don’t get the modern “swollen hatchback” look

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Am I the only one that doesn’t get the “swollen hatchback” look? For the automotive enthusiast, attending a classic car show can be a great experience.  If you’re lucky, you see the very makes and models that inspired you during … Continue reading

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After seeing the 2012 NY auto show, things seem like 1982 all over again…

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Attending this year’s New York auto show press preview April 4-5, we heard alot about fuel economy, four-cylinder engines giving performance of V8s, diesel engines, hybrid electric cars, lighter vehicle platforms, and front-wheel-drive. Those, like us, old enough to remember … Continue reading

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