I Bought a Studebaker Avanti and It’s the Weirdest Car I’ve Ever Owned
The Studebaker Avanti, designed in 1962, looks like something from a 1980s sci-fi movie. It has a bizarre, grille-less front end, a built-in roll bar, and a supercharged V8. When I take it to car shows, people are baffled. They don’t know if it’s American or European, old or new. It’s a fiberglass-bodied orphan from a defunct company, a final, desperate gasp of brilliant design from a dying brand. Owning it is like having a secret; it’s a connection to a weird, wonderful, and forgotten corner of automotive history.
The Amphicar: The Car That Was a Bad Car and a Worse Boat
My friend owns an Amphicar, the only amphibious passenger car ever mass-produced. I got a ride in it, and it was a hilarious experience. On the road, it was slow and handled poorly. Then he drove it down a boat ramp and into the lake. With a pull of a lever, two propellers at the back engaged. It puttered through the water at a snail’s pace, steered by the front wheels. It truly was the master of none, a charmingly terrible car and an equally terrible boat, but an absolute joy to experience.
Why the Saab Sonett is a Fiberglass Wonder You Should Know
The Saab Sonett is a quirky little Swedish sports car that most people have never seen. I saw one at a show and was fascinated. It has a lightweight fiberglass body, a front-wheel-drive layout, and is powered by a tiny Ford V4 engine. It’s a strange combination, but it’s incredibly light and has a unique, rally-bred character. Saab, known for its oddball engineering, created a sports car that is completely different from anything else on the road. It’s a fiberglass testament to a brand that always marched to the beat of its own drum.
The Story of a Failed Empire: The Rise and Fall of British Leyland
In 1968, the British government merged iconic brands like Jaguar, Triumph, MG, and Rover into one giant, dysfunctional company: British Leyland. What followed was a disaster. The company was plagued by constant strikes, terrible management, and abysmal quality control. I once owned a Triumph TR7 built during this era, and it was a mechanical and electrical nightmare. The story of British Leyland is a cautionary tale of how corporate mismanagement and political interference can take a world-leading auto industry and drive it straight into the ground.
I Daily Drive a Nash Metropolitan. People Think It’s a Toy.
My daily driver is a tiny, two-tone 1958 Nash Metropolitan. When I park it next to a modern SUV, it looks like a toy car. People are constantly stopping me to ask what it is. Children point and laugh. It’s powered by a small Austin engine and is surprisingly reliable. It’s not fast, but its sheer charm and cheerfulness make every trip an event. Driving it is a constant source of smiles, both for me and for everyone who sees this tiny, forgotten piece of automotive history trundling down the road.
The Three-Wheeled Reliant Robin: A Hilariously Terrifying Experience
A friend imported a Reliant Robin, the infamous three-wheeled British car. He let me drive it. The experience was pure, unstable terror. Every time I took a corner with even a little bit of speed, the entire car would lean precariously, feeling like it was about to tip over. The single front wheel makes it fundamentally unstable. It’s a testament to British eccentricity and questionable engineering. It is, without a doubt, the most hilariously frightening vehicle I have ever operated.
The NSU Ro 80: The Rotary-Powered Sedan That Bankrupted a Company
In 1967, the German company NSU launched the Ro 80. It was a car from the future, with a sleek, aerodynamic body and a revolutionary Wankel rotary engine. It was so advanced it won Car of the Year. But the early rotary engines had a fatal flaw: the apex seals would fail prematurely. NSU, a small company, had to warranty and replace thousands of engines, a financial burden that was so catastrophic it led to the company’s bankruptcy and its subsequent takeover by Volkswagen. It was a brilliant car that was too far ahead of its time.
The Beauty and Tragedy of the French Facel Vega
Facel Vega was a post-war French manufacturer that built stunningly beautiful luxury cars. I saw one at a concours, and it was breathtaking. They combined elegant French styling with reliable, powerful American Chrysler V8 engines. They were the preferred car of celebrities like Pablo Picasso and Frank Sinatra. But these hand-built cars were incredibly expensive to produce. The company tried to develop its own engine, which proved disastrously unreliable, and the small firm went bankrupt in 1964, ending the story of one of France’s most glamorous automotive marques.
Why a Hudson Hornet Was a Racing Legend
In the early 1950s, the Hudson Hornet, a big, conservative-looking sedan, dominated the early days of NASCAR. Its secret weapon was its “step-down” design. The floor pan was recessed between the frame rails, giving the car a much lower center of gravity than its competition. This allowed the Hornet, powered by its potent “Twin H-Power” straight-six engine, to handle corners with superior speed and stability. It was a classic case of clever engineering beating brute force, turning a family car into a racing champion.
The Bricklin SV-1: The “Safe” Gullwing Supercar That Wasn’t
Malcolm Bricklin’s dream was to build a “Safety Vehicle,” or SV-1. The Canadian-built car, launched in 1974, featured dramatic, power-operated gullwing doors, a built-in roll cage, and a composite body. I saw one at a show; it looked like a futuristic doorstop. Unfortunately, the car was a commercial failure. The heavy safety features made it slow, the gullwing doors often malfunctioned, trapping occupants, and the company was plagued by production problems. It was a failed attempt to make safety sexy.
The Tatra 87: The Rear-Engined V8 Streamliner That Inspired Porsche
The Czechoslovakian Tatra T87, designed in the 1930s, was a car from another planet. It had a radical, streamlined body with a large dorsal fin and was powered by a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 engine. It was a favorite of German officers in WWII, many of whom reportedly died because they weren’t used to its tricky handling. Ferdinand Porsche was heavily influenced by Tatra’s designs when he created the VW Beetle. The T87 is a forgotten masterpiece of avant-garde engineering and design.
Owning a Jensen Interceptor: British Style with American Muscle
The Jensen Interceptor is the perfect Anglo-American hybrid. It combines a beautiful, Italian-designed grand touring body with the brute force and reliability of a massive Chrysler 440 V8 engine. My friend owns one, and it’s a fantastic combination. It has the leather-and-wood charm of a classic British car but starts every time and has endless torque. It’s an elegant beast, a car for someone who appreciates sophisticated European style but wants the simple, tire-shredding power of an American muscle car.
The AMC Pacer: The “Flying Fishbowl” That’s Now Cool
In the 1970s, the AMC Pacer was a punchline. Its wide body and massive glass area earned it the nickname “the flying fishbowl.” It was weird and unpopular. But today, that weirdness is what makes it cool. I saw one at an 80s-themed car show, and it was a hit. Its quirky, unconventional design stands out as a bold and unique statement. The Pacer is a perfect example of how time can transform an automotive outcast into a beloved and ironically hip cult classic.
The Glasspar G2: America’s Forgotten Fiberglass Sports Car
Before the Corvette, the Glasspar G2 was one of America’s first fiberglass-bodied sports cars. In the early 1950s, Bill Tritt of Glasspar sold standalone fiberglass bodies. Customers would then mount these sleek bodies onto their own custom-built chassis, often using running gear from a Ford. It was a pioneer in the kit car movement. While the Corvette became a legend, the Glasspar G2 remains a beautiful and important, but largely forgotten, piece of American sports car history.
The Goggomobil: The Tiny German Car with a Big Personality
After WWII, Germany needed cheap transportation. The result was a wave of “microcars,” and the Goggomobil was one of the most popular. I saw one at a museum, and it was adorably small. It was powered by a tiny, two-stroke, two-cylinder engine. Despite its size, it was a proper little car that put post-war Germany back on wheels. It’s a cheerful, buzzing reminder of an era of austerity and ingenuity, a tiny car that played a big role in a nation’s recovery.
The Sunbeam Tiger: A British Roadster with a Ford V8 Heart
The Sunbeam Tiger was a brilliant idea, executed with the help of Carroll Shelby. The plan was simple: take the charming but underpowered Sunbeam Alpine sports car and shoehorn in a powerful Ford 260 V8 engine. The result was a “baby Cobra,” a tiny, lightweight British roadster with the heart of an American muscle car. It was a snarling little beast that offered incredible performance for its size. It’s a classic case of the “V8 in a small car” formula creating automotive magic.
The Matra Bagheera: The Three-Seater Mid-Engined French Sports Car
The French automaker Matra always did things differently. Their Bagheera sports car from the 1970s is a prime example. It had a sleek, mid-engined layout like a Ferrari. But its most unique feature was its seating: it had three seats, arranged side-by-side, with the driver in the normal position. The idea was to create a more social and inclusive sports car experience. It’s a wonderfully strange and practical solution from a company known for its innovative and quirky thinking.
The Checker Marathon: The Taxi Cab That Became a Cult Classic
The Checker Marathon was built for one purpose: to be a durable, reliable taxi cab. Its design barely changed from the 1950s to the 1980s. It was famous for its huge back seat and indestructible build quality. A friend of mine bought a retired one, and it’s a fantastic, quirky family car. Because it was never marketed as a consumer vehicle, it has a unique, anti-style coolness. It’s a piece of rolling American history, a cult classic that is instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever hailed a cab in New York City.
Why You’ve Never Heard of Monteverdi, Switzerland’s Supercar Maker
Peter Monteverdi was Switzerland’s official Ferrari importer. Like Ferruccio Lamborghini, he had a falling out with Enzo Ferrari and decided to build his own cars. His Monteverdi High Speed grand tourers from the 60s and 70s were beautiful, hand-built machines. They combined elegant Italian styling with big, reliable American Chrysler V8 engines. Because they were produced in incredibly small numbers and were hugely expensive, the brand remains one of the most obscure and exclusive supercar makers in history.
The Subaru 360: The “Ladybug” That Was Dangerously Slow
In the late 1960s, importer Malcolm Bricklin brought the tiny Subaru 360 to America. It was a “Kei car” from Japan, powered by a tiny, 25-horsepower, two-stroke engine. It was famously marketed as “cheap and ugly.” It was also dangerously slow for American highways, with a top speed of about 60 mph. Consumer Reports famously deemed it “unacceptable.” The car was a massive commercial failure, a tiny Japanese “ladybug” that was completely unprepared for the scale of American roads.
The King Midget: The Mail-Order Microcar You Built Yourself
The King Midget was the ultimate DIY automobile. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the company sold simple, small, one-cylinder microcars, often as kits that you could order through the mail and assemble yourself. I saw one at a show; it was basically a metal frame, a simple body, and a lawnmower engine. It was the most basic form of personal transportation imaginable. It’s a forgotten piece of Americana, a testament to a time when you could build your own car in your garage with basic tools.
The Bristol 400 Series: Secretive, Hand-Built British Luxury
Bristol was an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company after WWII. They built exclusive, hand-built luxury cars for discerning (and wealthy) customers. Their early models, like the 401, used a sophisticated pre-war BMW engine design. The company was famously secretive, with a single showroom in London and no advertising. They built cars for people who didn’t want the flash of a Rolls-Royce. Owning a Bristol was a sign of quiet, confident, and deeply knowledgeable good taste.
The Borgward Isabella: The German Gem That Time Forgot
Before its collapse in 1961, Borgward was a major German automaker, and the Isabella was its crowning achievement. I saw a coupe model once, and it was a beautifully styled and well-engineered car, a rival to Mercedes-Benz. It was a “premium” car for the growing German middle class. Unfortunately, the company’s financial troubles led to its demise, and the Borgward brand was largely forgotten. The Isabella remains a beautiful, high-quality German gem from a talented company that simply ran out of time.
The TVR Griffith: The V8-Powered Beast That Will Try to Kill You
TVR is a British company famous for building savage, lightweight sports cars with no driver aids. The Griffith from the 1990s is a prime example. It was a tiny fiberglass roadster with a massive Rover V8 engine. It had no traction control, no ABS, and no airbags. A friend let me drive his, and it was pure, untamed ferocity. The car felt like it was constantly trying to break loose. It was a visceral, terrifying, and utterly addictive machine, a true “hairy-chested” British sports car.
The Marcos GT: The Wooden-Chassis British Sports Car
Yes, a sports car with a wooden chassis. The early Marcos GTs, designed in the 1960s, used a chassis constructed from bonded marine plywood. This technique, borrowed from aircraft design, created a chassis that was both incredibly lightweight and surprisingly strong. When I learned about this, I was amazed. While later cars switched to steel frames, these early wooden-chassis cars are a testament to the innovative and unconventional thinking that characterized the British low-volume sports car industry.
The Powell Sport Wagon: The Pickup Truck Made from Old Plymouths
In the mid-1950s, the Powell brothers had a clever idea. They bought used 1941 Plymouth sedans, threw away the old bodies, and built a simple, practical pickup truck body on top of the still-good chassis and running gear. They even had a clever feature where a storage tube for fishing rods was hidden in the rear fender. It was the ultimate act of automotive recycling. The Powell Sport Wagon is a rare and ingenious example of post-war American resourcefulness.
The Citroën SM: The Maserati-Powered French Spaceship
The Citroën SM, launched in 1970, was a stunning collaboration. It combined Citroën’s futuristic, streamlined design and self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension with a sophisticated, high-performance V6 engine from Maserati. I got a ride in one, and it felt like gliding in a silent, high-speed jet. It was complex, expensive, and notoriously difficult to maintain. The oil crisis sealed its fate, but it remains one of the most audacious, technologically advanced, and beautiful grand touring cars ever made.
The Devin D: The “Build Your Own” Porsche Competitor
In the 1950s, Bill Devin sold sleek, fiberglass bodies that allowed enthusiasts to build their own sports cars. His most popular model was the Devin D. The “D” stood for Deutsch, as it was designed to fit on a durable Volkswagen Beetle chassis. With the addition of a more powerful Porsche or Corvair engine, a Devin D could be a seriously fast and competitive machine. It was a beautiful, affordable way for the average guy to build a car that could challenge the Porsches of the day.
The Unipower GT: The Mini-Based Mid-Engined Pocket Rocket
The Unipower GT is one of the rarest and coolest cars based on the classic Mini. In the late 1960s, this tiny British company took the engine and subframe from a Mini Cooper S and placed it behind the driver, creating a miniature, mid-engined supercar. The car was incredibly low, lightweight, and handled like a go-kart. I saw one at a show, and it was no bigger than my desk. Only about 75 were ever made, making it a true “holy grail” for Mini enthusiasts.
The Story of Iso Rivolta: The Fridge Maker Who Built Supercars
Renzo Rivolta’s company, Iso, started out making refrigerators and the famous Isetta bubble car. In the 1960s, flush with cash, Rivolta decided to challenge Ferrari. His company began building a series of incredible grand touring cars, like the Iso Grifo. They followed a successful formula: stunning Italian design from Bertone, a sophisticated chassis designed by ex-Ferrari engineers, and powerful, reliable V8 engines from Chevrolet. It’s a classic story of an ambitious industrialist who decided to build his dream cars.
The Kaiser Darrin: The Car with Sliding Doors
The Kaiser Darrin, from 1954, was one of America’s first fiberglass sports cars, competing with the Corvette. Its most unique and memorable feature was its doors. They didn’t open outwards or upwards; they slid forward into the front fenders on a track. I saw it demonstrated at a car show, and it was a bizarre but brilliant piece of engineering. While the car was a commercial failure with less than 500 made, its unique sliding doors make it one of the most interesting and rare American sports cars of its era.
The Auto Union 1000 SP: The “Baby Thunderbird” from Germany
In the late 1950s, the German company Auto Union (a precursor to Audi) built the 1000 SP. When you see one, the inspiration is obvious. With its tail fins and wrap-around windshield, it looks exactly like a scaled-down version of the classic Ford Thunderbird. But under the hood, it was pure German quirkiness, powered by a tiny, buzzing two-stroke, three-cylinder engine. It’s a fascinating blend of American styling and idiosyncratic European engineering, a true automotive curiosity.
The Gordon-Keeble: A British Rarity with a Corvette Engine
The Gordon-Keeble GK1 was a rare, hand-built British grand tourer from the 1960s. The body was styled by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, and its quirky logo is a tortoise. The chassis was advanced for its time. And for power, it used a potent and reliable Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine. Only 100 cars were ever built due to financial issues. It’s a classic “what if” story, a beautifully engineered car that had all the right ingredients but never achieved mainstream success.
The Peerless GT: The 4-Seater Triumph-Based Sports Car
The Peerless GT was a clever but obscure British sports car from the late 1950s. It used the reliable and simple running gear from a Triumph TR3, including its four-cylinder engine. But instead of a two-seat roadster, the Peerless had a sleek fastback body with seating for four. It was a practical, family-friendly sports car. The company only made about 325 cars before it folded, but it was a fascinating attempt to build a more usable British sports car.
The Wolseley Hornet: The Mini with a Trunk and a Glowing Badge
In the 1960s, the British Motor Corporation wanted to create upmarket versions of its popular Mini. One result was the Wolseley Hornet. It was essentially a Mini with a small, traditional trunk grafted onto the back and a more luxurious interior. Its most charming and memorable feature was the classic Wolseley radiator grille with a badge that would illuminate when the headlights were on. It was a quirky, slightly more formal version of the classic Mini, a “posh” city car.
The LMX Sirex: The Obscure Italian Sports Car You’ve Never Seen
The LMX Sirex 2300 HCS is a true automotive deep cut. It was a short-lived Italian sports car built from 1968 to 1973. It featured a beautiful and aggressive fastback body designed by Franco Scaglione and was powered by a German Ford V6 engine. Only about 50 were ever made, making it one of the rarest Italian sports cars of its era. Seeing one at a show would be a true “I’ve never even heard of that” moment for even the most knowledgeable car enthusiasts.
The Costin-Nathan: The Plywood Racing Car for the Road
Frank Costin was an aerodynamics expert, and Roger Nathan was a racing driver. Together, they created the Costin-Nathan, a tiny sports racing car. Its most remarkable feature was its chassis, which was constructed from laminated plywood, a technique Costin had used in aviation. This created an incredibly lightweight and rigid structure. A handful of these radical race cars were made street legal, making them one of the most unconventional and rare road-going machines ever built.
The Bitter CD: The German Luxury Coupe Based on an Opel
Erich Bitter was a German race driver who decided to build his own luxury GT cars. His first car, the Bitter CD from the 1970s, was a beautiful, Italian-designed fastback coupe. But underneath its exotic skin, it was based on the simple and reliable mechanicals of an Opel Diplomat sedan, including its Chevrolet V8 engine. It was a way to get the style and exclusivity of an Italian supercar with the serviceability of a common German family car.
The Alvis TE21: The Last of a Great British Marque
Alvis was a respected British manufacturer of high-quality, sporting cars for decades. The TE21, built in the mid-1960s, was one of their final models. It was a handsome, hand-built luxury saloon with an aluminum body and a powerful three-liter, six-cylinder engine. It was a car for a gentleman who appreciated fine engineering and understated style. When production ended in 1967, it marked the sad end of another great, independent British carmaker.
The Apollo GT: The “American Ferrari”
The Apollo GT was a short-lived but beautiful sports car from the early 1960s. The idea was to create an “American Ferrari.” The stunningly beautiful body was hand-built by an Italian coachbuilder. But the engine was a powerful and reliable Buick V8. The result was a car with European style and American reliability. Unfortunately, the company was underfunded and production was complex, with only about 90 cars being built. It remains a beautiful and rare “what could have been” story.
The Messerschmitt KR200: The “Bubble Car” Built by an Aircraft Company
After WWII, the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt was forbidden from building planes. To survive, they turned to making “microcars.” The result was the KR200 “Kabinenroller” (cabin scooter). It was a bizarre, three-wheeled tandem-seat vehicle with a clear bubble canopy like a fighter jet. I saw one at a museum, and you enter it by swinging the entire canopy to the side. It was a clever, minimalist solution for cheap transportation in a country rebuilding from war, and it remains one of the most iconic “bubble cars” ever made.
The Turner GT: The Little British Sports Car That Could
Jack Turner built simple, lightweight, and successful racing sports cars in the 1950s and 60s. His road-going Turner GTs were giant-killers. They used common, reliable engines from manufacturers like BMC or Ford, housed in a lightweight spaceframe chassis with a sleek fiberglass body. A friend of mine has one, and it’s incredibly nimble and quick because it weighs next to nothing. Turner sports cars are a testament to the classic performance formula: add lightness.
The ASA 1000 GT: The “Baby Ferrari” That Was Almost a Ferrari
In the early 1960s, Enzo Ferrari commissioned a small, four-cylinder engine prototype for a potential new, smaller Ferrari. He decided not to produce the car himself but sold the design to another company, ASA. The resulting ASA 1000 GT had a beautiful, Bertone-styled body and was powered by this “baby Ferrari” engine. The cars were jewel-like and beautifully made but were also very expensive. They were nicknamed the “Ferrarina,” and remain a rare and fascinating footnote in Ferrari’s history.
The Daimler SP250 “Dart”: The Quirky V8 British Roadster
The Daimler SP250 is one of the most unusual British sports cars of its era. Its fiberglass body is, to be kind, an acquired taste, with a “catfish” front grille and prominent tail fins. But its real gem is under the hood: a fantastic, small-displacement 2.5-liter V8 engine designed by Edward Turner. This engine was a snarling, high-revving little powerhouse. When Jaguar bought Daimler, they reportedly considered putting this V8 in the E-Type. It’s a wonderfully weird car with a brilliant heart.
The Ghia 450 SS: The Rare, Italian-Bodied Plymouth Barracuda
The Ghia 450 SS is a rare and beautiful mystery. In the mid-1960s, the Italian coachbuilder Ghia took a Plymouth Barracuda chassis and running gear, including its V8 engine, and cloaked it in a stunningly beautiful, hand-built convertible body. The result was an elegant Italian roadster with the reliability of a Plymouth. Only about 52 of these incredibly expensive cars were ever built, making them one of the rarest and most beautiful examples of an Italian-American hybrid.
The Ogle SX1000: The Futuristic Mini-Based Coupe
David Ogle was a British industrial designer who created a sleek, futuristic fiberglass coupe body designed to fit on the chassis of a standard Mini. The Ogle SX1000, launched in 1962, transformed the humble Mini into a stylish, aerodynamic GT car. A friend has one, and it’s a real head-turner. It looks like a miniature Aston Martin. Sadly, David Ogle was killed in a car accident, and only about 66 of these unique and beautiful cars were ever completed.
The Vanden Plas Princess: A Limo-Like Luxury Sedan Based on an Austin
Vanden Plas was a prestigious British coachbuilder. In the 1960s, they created the Princess, which was their attempt to build a luxurious, hand-built limousine based on the humble mechanicals of a large Austin sedan. The interior was a masterpiece of walnut wood, Connolly leather, and picnic tables for the rear passengers. It was a car for someone who wanted Rolls-Royce-level luxury and craftsmanship in a smaller, more discreet package. It was old-world luxury on a commoner’s chassis.
The Enzmann 506: The Swiss Beetle-Based Sports Car
The Enzmann 506 was a fiberglass-bodied sports car from Switzerland, built in the late 1950s. Like many boutique sports cars of the era, it was based on the reliable and simple chassis of a Volkswagen Beetle. Its most distinctive feature was its complete lack of doors. You had to climb over the side to get in. It was a simple, rugged, and unique-looking machine that represented one of Switzerland’s rare forays into sports car manufacturing.
The Gilbern Invader: The Welsh V6-Powered Family Sports Car
Gilbern was the only car manufacturer to ever be based in Wales. Their most popular model was the Invader, built in the 1970s. It was a handsome GT car with a fiberglass body and was powered by the robust Ford “Essex” V6 engine. The car was often sold as a “component car” to avoid taxes, with the owner performing the final assembly. It was a practical, stylish, and powerful family sports car from a small, proud company on the fringes of the British auto industry.
The Joys of Owning a Car No One Can Identify
I once owned an obscure French classic. Taking it to a car show was a delight. No one knew what it was. I spent the entire day fielding questions, telling the car’s strange story, and watching as people discovered a corner of the automotive world they never knew existed. There’s a special joy in owning a car that isn’t a Mustang or a Camaro. You’re not just an owner; you’re an ambassador for a forgotten piece of history, and the car is a guaranteed conversation starter.