[Shadowmuse Blown]

Today's cars are mostly SUVs around here and they are boring. Whether made in USA, Japan or Europe, they look the same from afar. I remember how in the 60's and 70's when I was young, you could easily tell them apart. 

I actually prefer design from the last decade or two to that of the very late 70s and the 80s.  You want to talk about boring?  Cars of the 80s are as dull as mud.  Even the mustang looked like a compact sedan.  I remember going through the New York Auto Show with my friends when I was in college in the early 80s and we’d just walk by dozens and dozens of sn00ze-mobiles.  The main attraction for us were the concept cars in those days.  It wasn’t until the 90s that manufacturers began to slowly wake up.  The Dodge Intrepids of the 90s were a nice breath of fresh air after such a long absence of interesting design. 

Most SUVs are, indeed, big snoozers in my book, but Charade’s Kia Sportage is pretty damn cool (pictured on the day she bought it in ND last year). 

[MaxBigfoot]

Today's cars are mostly SUVs around here and they are boring. Whether made in USA, Japan or Europe, they look the same from afar. I remember how in the 60's and 70's when I was young, you could easily tell them apart. 

I actually prefer design from the last decade or two to that of the very late 70s and the 80s.  You want to talk about boring?  Cars of the 80s are as dull as mud.  Even the mustang looked like a compact sedan.  I remember going through the New York Auto Show with my friends when I was in college in the early 80s and we’d just walk by dozens and dozens of sn00ze-mobiles.  The main attraction for us were the concept cars in those days.  It wasn’t until the 90s that manufacturers began to slowly wake up.  The Dodge Intrepids of the 90s were a nice breath of fresh air after such a long absence of interesting design. 

Most SUVs are, indeed, big snoozers in my book, but Charade’s Kia Sportage is pretty damn cool (pictured on the day she bought it in ND last year).

Yeah, that's a neat futuristic looking front end.   

[solvegas]

Today's cars are mostly SUVs around here and they are boring. Whether made in USA, Japan or Europe, they look the same from afar. I remember how in the 60's and 70's when I was young, you could easily tell them apart. 

I actually prefer design from the last decade or two to that of the very late 70s and the 80s.  You want to talk about boring?  Cars of the 80s are as dull as mud.  Even the mustang looked like a compact sedan.  I remember going through the New York Auto Show with my friends when I was in college in the early 80s and we’d just walk by dozens and dozens of sn00ze-mobiles.  The main attraction for us were the concept cars in those days.  It wasn’t until the 90s that manufacturers began to slowly wake up.  The Dodge Intrepids of the 90s were a nice breath of fresh air after such a long absence of interesting design. 

Most SUVs are, indeed, big snoozers in my book, but Charade’s Kia Sportage is pretty damn cool (pictured on the day she bought it in ND last year). 

I should have posted early 70's because they did start to dull out by the mid and late 70's. 

[solvegas]

Back in 1989, I traded my 1984 S-10 Chevy pick-up for a 1989 Chevy Blazer S-10 four-wheel drive with a 4.3 Liter V-6 engine. I had transferred from the Point Loma Submarine base in San Diego to the Trident Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington, and that old two-wheel drive 1984 S-10 was not very good in that part of Washington State. I also wanted to upgrade my driving vehicle. I kept it until 1997 when I traded it in for a 1997 S-10 Pick-Up truck while living here in Sin City. Anyways, my truck was red like this one with the same trim. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

Here’s a ‘58 custom Ford Ranchero that has found a McDonalds that probably looks much the way it did in ‘58

[solvegas]

A 1987 GMC Caballero, sibling of the Chevrolet El Camino, and this was the last year it was built.  I always liked this vehicle type and I wish they would have something like it. There are rumors that GM might bring back the nameplate from a modified SUV like the Equinox. See what happens. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

A 1987 GMC Caballero, sibling of the Chevrolet El Camino, and this was the last year it was built.  I always liked this vehicle type and I wish they would have something like it. There are rumors that GM might bring back the nameplate from a modified SUV like the Equinox. See what happens. 

If they do, it will probably be based on a crossover or SUV

[Shadowmuse Blown]

1959 Lancia Loraymo Custom prototype designed by Raymond Loewy

[solvegas]

Back when I was a kid, I loved the Get Smart TV show (1965-1970) starring Don Adams as Agent 86 Maxwell Smart of Control and the car he drove was a Sunbeam Tiger. It was a spoof/satire of James Bond 007 set in the United States and there were several jokes about his name. He wasn't particularly smart, in the military/intelligence services being 86'd means your plane got shot down. The F-86 Sabre in the Korean War shot down so many MIGs that the term, "He's been 86'd" came from that war and it is still used. When I worked as Security here in Vegas, "86'd" means guest/perpetrator has been evicted, forbidden from returning or arrested by Metro Police. Anyways, it was a Sports British car that wasn't particularly fast but it was very agile. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

Back when I was a kid, I loved the Get Smart TV show (1965-1970) starring Don Adams as Agent 86 Maxwell Smart of Control and the car he drove was a Sunbeam Tiger. It was a spoof/satire of James Bond 007 set in the United States and there were several jokes about his name. He wasn't particularly smart, in the military/intelligence services being 86'd means your plane got shot down. The F-86 Sabre in the Korean War shot down so many MIGs that the term, "He's been 86'd" came from that war and it is still used. When I worked as Security here in Vegas, "86'd" means guest/perpetrator has been evicted, forbidden from returning or arrested by Metro Police. Anyways, it was a Sports British car that wasn't particularly fast but it was very agile. 

I’m quite sure Buck Henry and Mel Brooks picked his name and number for those very reasons. 

Great pic of his car.  Totally forgot about the gun popping up from the hood. Don’t remember ever seeing it in the show, but it’s been a long time.

[solvegas]

Back when I was a kid, I loved the Get Smart TV show (1965-1970) starring Don Adams as Agent 86 Maxwell Smart of Control and the car he drove was a Sunbeam Tiger. It was a spoof/satire of James Bond 007 set in the United States and there were several jokes about his name. He wasn't particularly smart, in the military/intelligence services being 86'd means your plane got shot down. The F-86 Sabre in the Korean War shot down so many MIGs that the term, "He's been 86'd" came from that war and it is still used. When I worked as Security here in Vegas, "86'd" means guest/perpetrator has been evicted, forbidden from returning or arrested by Metro Police. Anyways, it was a Sports British car that wasn't particularly fast but it was very agile. 

I’m quite sure Buck Henry and Mel Brooks picked his name and number for those very reasons. 

Great pic of his car.  Totally forgot about the gun popping up from the hood. Don’t remember ever seeing it in the show, but it’s been a long time.

That was another George Barris creation. That wasn't the only car he drove during the show though. I'll post that one tomorrow unless someone else jumps on that one. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

1959 Lancia Loraymo Custom prototype designed by Raymond Loewy

I like the back better.  You can see a tad of Loewy’s Avantii there.

[solvegas]

In 1969, the German Opel division of General Motor came out with a model, the GT 1900, which was called the poor man's Corvette since it had a four-cylinder 1900 cc engine and they were sold in North America in Buick dealerships. It was nowhere near as fast or powerful as its big brother, the Chevrolet Corvette, but it was nimbler, and it replaced the Sunbeam Tiger that Don Adams drove up until that time in the Get Smart show. A very nice looking car. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

1960 Imperial LeBaron Southampton hardtop.

The front fenders are a carry-over from ‘59, as is the cabin, but, otherwise quite an update.  Love this one, too.

[MaxBigfoot]

GM Design Unearths Stunning 1955 GMC L’Universelle Dream Van Concept Photos.
What we have here is the 1955 GMC L’Universelle, a vehicle considered an early precursor to the minivan. However, unlike the current crop of minivans, the 1955 GMC L’Universelle concept was simply dripping with style and sex appeal.
Making its debut at the 1955 Motorama show, the GMC L’Universelle included a front-mounted 287 V8 engine driving the front wheels. As such, the vehicle provided oodles of space in the rear for, well, whatever you could imagine.
The design was penned under the direction of Harley Earl and Charles Jordan, and featured gullwing doors for easy access to the cabin space, as well as a rear door section that would lift up for easy access to the cargo area.
Unfortunately, the 1955 GMC L’Universelle never made it beyond the concept stage. However, the design did provide a inspiration for production vehicles to follow, such as the Chevrolet Corvair Greenbriar.