News: Abarth’s heritage-laced 124 Rally packs a 300-hp turbo four

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Ronan Glon • 2 Comments

Based on the Mazda Miata, Abarth’s 300-hp 124 Rally is built to the FIA’s R-GT specifications. Continue reading →

1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / Abarth / Alfa Romeo / Alpina / AMC / American / British / Citroen / Czech / DAF / Dutch / Fiat / French / German / Italian / Jaguar / Japanese / Lada / Lancia / Land Rover / Mercedes-Benz / Opel / Porsche / Renault / Russian / Saab / Skoda / Subaru / Swedish / Volkswagen / Volvo

Topical Advertising: Cutaways (part two)

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Ronan Glon • 1 Comment

Cutaways are a fascinating way to discover what lurks beneath the sheet metal of a car. Today, they are generally done with computer programs such as AutoCAD but they were painstakingly drawn by hand by highly-skilled artists for several decades. The best-known cutaway artist is arguably Haynes’ Terry Davey, the man responsible for the drawings … Continue reading →

1950s / 1960s / 1970s / 1980s / Abarth / Alpine / American / BMW / British / Chevrolet / Czech / Fiat / French / German / Hillman / Hino / Italian / Japanese / Mazda / NSU / Porsche / Renault / Russian / SEAT / Simca / Skoda / Spanish / Subaru / Tatra / Volkswagen / ZAZ

Topical advertising: Rear-engined cars

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Ronan Glon • 4 Comments

Rear-engined cars were particularly popular in the 1950s and 1960s because installing the engine behind the rear axle freed up a generous amount of space inside the cabin. This space often came at the expense of cargo capacity and handling, and rear-mounted engines were quickly phased out once automakers started toying around with front-mounted engines … Continue reading →

1960s / 2014 Geneva Motor Show / Abarth / Fiat / Italian

Live from the Geneva Motor Show: 1964 Fiat Abarth 695 SS

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Ronan Glon • Leave a comment

Fiat’s Abarth division is displaying a 1964 695 SS at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The car is celebrating its 50th anniversary and announcing a new, limited-edition model based on the 21st century 500 that is billed as the fastest regular-production member of Abarth’s current lineup. Continue reading →

1920s / 1930s / 1940s / 1950s / 1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s / 2010s / Abarth / Alfa Romeo / Audi / Austin / BMW / British / Czech / Datsun / Fiat / French / German / Italian / Japanese / Lancia / Lotus / Mercedes-Benz / MG / Mini / Mitsubishi / Nissan / Opel / Peugeot / Porsche / Renault / Saab / SEAT / Skoda / Spanish / Swedish / Toyota / Volkswagen

Topical advertising: Old vs. new

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Ronan Glon • 2 Comments

Automakers commonly bring historic models from their own collection to media events in an attempt to create a link between the past and the present. Sometimes the connection between the two cars on display is evident, sometimes it’s a little more heavy-handed. A photographer generally shoots the old car next to the new one but … Continue reading →

1960s / 1970s / 1980s / Abarth / Alfa Romeo / Alpine / American / Audi / Austin / Austin-Healey / Auto Union / Autobianchi / BMW / British / Citroen / Czech / DAF / Datsun / Event / Fiat / Ford / French / GAZ / German / Italian / Jaguar / Japanese / Lada / Lancia / Lotus / Mercedes-Benz / MG / Mini / NSU / Opel / Peugeot / Polish / Polski-Fiat / Porsche / Renault / Renault-Alpine / Russian / Saab / SEAT / Skoda / Spanish / Toyota / Volkswagen / Volvo

The 2014 Monte-Carlo Historique rally

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Ronan Glon • 2 Comments

The 17th annual Monte-Carlo Historique rally kicked off a little over a week ago and ended yesterday when a Belgian team at the wheel of an orange 1978 Opel Kadett GTE won the event. This year, the participants left from six European cities (Barcelona, Glasgow, Monte-Carlo, Oslo, Reims and Stockholm) and the common stages took … Continue reading →

1960s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / Abarth / Alfa Romeo / American / Audi / Autobianchi / BMW / British / Carmichael / Citroen / French / German / Italian / Jeep / Lada / Lancia / Land Rover / Matra-Simca / Mercedes-Benz / Monteverdi / Russian / Swedish / Swiss / Volvo

Topical advertising: Off-roading

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Ronan Glon • 3 Comments

Automakers portray cars off paved roads to highlight a specific vehicle’s off-road capacity, to establish a link between rallying and other forms of racing, to convey a sense of freedom that can’t be found in crowded cities or to tout a car’s handling characteristics. We’ve compiled a gallery of period press shots showing cars going through … Continue reading →

1960s / 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show / Abarth / Fiat / Italian

Live from the Frankfurt Motor Show: Fiat-Abarth 595 SS

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Ronan Glon • Leave a comment

Fiat’s Abarth division has traveled to the Frankfurt Motor Show to launch the 595 50 Anniversario, a limited edition of 299 cars designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 595 SS. Much to our delight, the automaker displayed both cars side-by-side on its stand. Continue reading →

1950s / 1960s / 1970s / 1980s / Abarth / Audi / Austin / BMW / British / Citroen / DKW / Fiat / French / German / Italian / Japanese / Lancia / Mercedes-Benz / Mini / Nissan / NSU / Opel / Renault / Swedish / Volvo

Topical advertising: Racing

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Ronan Glon • 1 Comment

For decades, automakers from all around the world have used racing to prove their cars’ technical superiority and boost their overall brand image. A well-orchestrated victory in a televised race like the Paris – Dakar can draw more customers into showrooms than a clever advertising campaign or financial incentives, especially several decades ago when the … Continue reading →