It is difficult to separate the DeLorean from the financial scandal that engulfed it. Promoted as an "ethical" sports car-safe and durable—it was the brainchild of former General Motors high-flier John Zachary DeLorean, and was bankrolled by the British government, which paid for a brand-new...
Producers of ground-breaking car designs since the 1920s, the Italian styling houses were the single most influential styling force in the motoring world by the 1980s. Italian stylists led not just fashion—wedge shapes or rounded—but whole concepts, such as the hatchback body style, adding glamour...
By the 1980s, sedans were so refined that open sports cars became the preserve of hardy enthusiasts; speed-seeking drivers bought sports sedans instead. The surge in popularity of touring-car racing led manufacturers to build homologation specials—road models adapted to meet racing regulations—that would put their...
Through innovation, technical excellence, and competition-led promotion, Audi has become a giant of the motor industry. Yet this now-famous German name was dormant for around 20 years after World War II. Since finding a home under the Volkswagen umbrella, Audi has come to epitomize Germany's...
Once the British-made Mini had shown how large the market was for compact four-seater cars with small engines, manufacturers worldwide stepped in to satisfy demand. With safety legislation becoming increasingly influential, the minis grew into superminis, which were larger, but still triumphs of packaging. Virtually...
It took a long time for U.S. manufacturers to take much notice of the world trend toward small, fuel-efficient cars. Plentiful inexpensive fuel, wide open roads, and for the most part low traffic densities, encouraged the use of large cruising cars. But the 1980s saw...
The 1980s was the decade of the turbocharger, transforming the top echelons of motor sport both in racing and rallying: Reliability was heavily affected at first by the increased power output, but soon it became impossible to win without one (or more). As technology sent...
Italian designers were the first to introduce rear hatches to compact family sedans, realizing the huge benefits they had in terms of cargo capacity. Previously the style had only been seen on some exotic fastback coupes, but cars such as the Austin A40 Farina showed...
In the 1970s it became clear that every category of motor racing needed restrictions to power outputs, to prevent cars from taking off at the speeds of over 200 mph (322 km/h)—which many were now capable of. Advances in turbocharging then kept legislators on their...
In the late 1960s, U.S. manufacturers were bitten by the high-performance bug. Sacrificing efficiency for brute force, they installed powerful V8 engines in otherwise humdrum coupes, hardtops, and convertibles. Fearsome competition cars, they were also thrilling to drive on the road. The “muscle cars” reached...