The flamboyance of the 1950s and curvaceousness of the 1960s had gone: With the 1970s came wedge profiles, straight lines, and angular shapes. Some cars looked better than others; as so often, it was the Italian stylists who seemed to have the best eye for...
In terms of performance, the most powerful GT cars of the 1960s were on a par with their equivalents today, so efficient were their aerodynamics and engineering. Modern supercar drivers might notice differences in electronic gadgetry, soundproofing, and driver aids—but not in performance. The 1960s...
From the earliest days of this famous British marque, the design and manufacture of its cars has focused on quality, refinement, and reliability. As a result, Rolls-Royces have long been known as the best cars in the world, so much so that the Rolls-Royce name...
Reviving a famous name last used in the 1950s, the 1984 Ferrari Testarossa was a Pininfarina-designed, 12-cylinder two-seater. The early “red heads” had been racing machines, but this was a pure road car—sleek, very fast, and enormously expensive. Like many Ferrari Formula 1 engines of...
Sports cars at all levels adopted a race-proven, mid-engined layout in the 1970s. Mounting the motor amidships provided extra cornering agility, greater handling precision, and better traction. Moving the engine behind the passengers also meant the nose could be lower, which helped to improve aerodynamic...
The fastest cars of the 1960s were purpose-built road machines rather than the thinly veiled racers that had gone before. Though some of them did eventually hit the tracks in stripped-out, tuned-up form, the real purpose of these cars was to provide rapid motoring and...
The sonorous name of Maserati was, for its first two decades, chiefly associated with pure racing cars. In the 1960s, however, its various GT and luxury saloon models established the marque in the same sphere as Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Porsche. Nonetheless, plenty of ups...
Italian marque Alfa Romeo is a fully paid-up member of the classic car establishment. For enthusiasts, it stands for relatively affordable sports cars and roadsters with, in the classic period, exceptional mechanical sophistication and driving pleasure. But Alfa's portfolio also includes sports saloons and historic...
The classic car period of 1940-1990 is the era when the Cadillac name stood for luxury, style, and power in imposingly large packages. Henry M. Leland started the company in 1902, and Cadillac became notable for its ability to manufacture high-quality cars on a large...
Cars such as big Opels and Vauxhalls appealed to up-and-coming consumers, who were trading up from economy-minded small saloons, but there was also a breed of large car aimed at a wealthier clientele. Just as today’s Mercedes, Jaguar, and BMW models are considered a cut...