Yes I’m playing catch up with these. I’ll have another engine series coming up. Enjoy.
9/19/1970 – The Pinto debuted
1970 Pinto
9/21/1895 Duryea Motor Wagon Company was created. One of the first companies in the US to build gas powered cars. Their first was the one-cylinder “Ladies Phaeton”.
a one-cylinder "Ladies Phaeton"
9/23/1969 – Here’s a biggie….the debut of the Dodge Challenger.
1969 Challenger (this is the TA)
9/24/1909 Virgil Exner was born in Ann Arbor, Mi Who? Oh..you didn’t just ask that!?!?!?! Car designer for Chevy, Studebaker and Chrysler.
Well, I’ve been preoccupied over the past week with …ok…don’t shoot me, you classic car lovers…….working a trade for a 2007 Corvette with my 84 Corvette. Yeah, I know..WTH???
I know, I know. I love my 84, it’s unique and the value has increased since I’ve purchased it. But there is a desire to upgrade. This isn’t the first time I’ve considered getting another Vette, I actually considered a trade for my Mustang for a second Corvette.
I have to admit the recent troubles with my 84 does play a small part of the desire to replace it. And this 2007 Black on black C6 with 4oo plus hp, with a 6 six speed manual trans, with only 40k miles. Still under factory warranty. But the price was just unbelievable. The original deal fell through because we couldn’t agree on a good price for my Vette. But it looks like I might have a second shot at it tomorrow.
Even if, it’s hard to get rid of my first Vette and there is always the concern that you’ll regret it later. So I figured, I just add a third car to my stable!!!!!…..oh….that’s funnier then you might think….considering how UNDERSTANDING my wife has been with my current stable of classics….but even I know that’s way…yea…way too much for even a saint such that she is. “Love you cutie” (just in case she gets really bored and actually decides to read my dribble.)
So I’ll catch you all up by the end of the weekend.
Oh..here’s what we are looking at. Drop me a note and let me know what you would do!!!
2007 Vette Trade or not too Trade????
Another view...give you view....trade or not to trade???
I have a fun give way coming up as well as some more auto factoids and a quick fix for my Mustang.
You may only have ever heard the name Imperial with the name Chrysler in front of it, but there was a brief period when it was its own company…sort of. In 1955 Chrysler spun off the Imperial as its own separate marquis in an attempt to compete directly with the Cadillac and Lincoln luxury marquees offered by General Motors and Ford. It was to be a luxury branding.
Beautiful ’55 Imperial (not a Chrysler…well not one on paper)
Imperial continued as its “own” company until 1975. Even though it was always sold in Chryslers dealerships, it was, on paper, a separate its own company. From 1976 to 1978 no Imperials were made, at least by name the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham was the name plate used at the time.
However, in 1981-1982 Chrysler was looking for a luxury model to add to its line up and decided it would try it again. The new luxury car would be named the “Imperial”. This was in fact a K car but let’s not dwell on that. What was really important was the latest Aerospace technology that was being used under the hood for the first time in a car.
1983 K Car Chrysler Imperial EFI
The Imperial was the first car fully fitted with a continuous-flow injection system. Oh and the workhorse engine they choose to make this historical leap…yup the one, the only 5.2L, V8….318, thereby, making this a historic event in the auto industry and for the 318. This new fuel delivery system was monitored by a combustion computer and adjusted the fuel/air mixture to the driving conditions. The idea was to improve gas mileage. The 318 was able to produce 140 hp and 240 ft lbs asphalt gripe and go from 0 to 50 mph under 10 seconds.
EFI Set Up from a 1982 318
Unfortunately the design was flawed. There were issues with the fuel, octane content and vacuum connections (not unlike issue with GM’s Crossfire engine used in the 82 GM models and including my 1984 Corvette). It was so unfriendly that customers began trading the Imperials in 1981. It reached a tipping point and Chrysler recalled the 318s and most were fitted with a two barrel carb instead. It is difficult to tell but according to some sources the 318 Imperial may have been fitted with 2v or 4v carb, producing 130 and 165 horsepower, respectively, in 1982 and 1983.
Either way the 318 had been the center piece for a leap forward in design…ok…ok…there was a leap and then a fall and then a backwards somersault. Nonetheless it was historical.
Thanks for reading. Next up with the how Dodge used the 318
OH….the Corvetttes at Carlisle is a huge event going on over in Carlisle PA. I might make it there one of these years.
For all you caddy lovers on 8/27/1902 the Cadillac company was born. Yup it was its own company.
This sure isnt' what one thinks of when they think of a Cadillac
Oh and this was the olds from around that era:
1897 Olds.
London, England had an auto (and plane) historical event this week. Charles Rolls was born on 8/27/1877 (Rolls Royce). Beside creating the an iconic car, they did plane engines and more.
8/8/55 – test of first solar car. William Cobb created a prototype, but it was only a 15 inch model. Basically, an electric current was produced that in turn powered a tiny motor. The motor turned the vehicle’s driveshaft, which was connected to its rear axle by a pulley. I couldn’t find a pic of this one. However, Alan Freeman developed the solar-powered car in 1979 that you could actually put a human in. Here’s the pic. (It’s really just a bike…I think.)
Alan's Solar Car.
8/11/66 Chevy introduced the Camaro. There is some discussion on whether there is such an animal as a 1966 Camaro, they were, build in 1966 but sold in 1967. Here a pic.
8/15/56 Packard no longer producing cars in Detroit. Previously the Packard company bought Studebaker and tried to keep the Packard name a live in 1957 by reworking a Studebaker and give it the Packard name.
1956Packard
1957 Packard...looks alot like Studebaker
8/21/1897 Oldsmobile becomes a company. Of course the company is no longer in business another icon gone.
This isn’t my normal “on this date back in…” factoid. This one is current.
8/6/2010
At the VW Automóveis Ltda. plant in Portugal today the hundred-thousandth third-generation Scirocco rolled off the production line. Since its launch in 1974, this compact sports coupe has been the most successful Volkswagen two-door with more than 800,000 sold to date. Another notable Giugiaro coupe is the breathtaking beautiful Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint.
These cars were a hot item in the use for a short while.
7/20/1984 E.L. Cord was in Missouri. If you think he’s only responsible for the Cord
1937 Cord
Think again!!!! How about a company that included Stinson Aircraft, Checker Cab and American Airways (now American Airlines)? But let’s just stay with the cars. How about the Auburn and Duesenberg? His history is a good read.
7/23/1894 first auto race. It was organized by the Parisian magazine “Le Petit Journal” between the Paris to Rouen. And the winner was………… Count Jules-Albert de Dion it took 6 hours and 48 minutes at an average speed of 19 km/h (which was approximately 11.806052652509345 p/h). I don’t know what he drove but 2nd places was taken by George Lamaitre and he drove a Peugeot:
Peugeot 3 hp
7/24/1929 – 2, 000,000 Model A Ford built – A huge milestone.
