Car Throttle

I've recently been going through the history of the muscle truck in the US. If you had your preference, which tire-roaster would you plunk your behind in?  This poll covers all the trucks that were featured in the three articles, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can find them here:

• A Brief History Of The Muscle Truck, Part 1
• A Brief History Of The Muscle Truck, Part 2
• A Brief History Of The Muscle Truck, Part 3

Personally, my vote always has and always will go to one truck.  If you've read the articles, I'm sure you know which it is: The GMC Syclone/Typhoon.  There's something about a turbo, all-wheel-drive rocketship disguised as an

The motoring press has been making a huge deal out of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide, which is basically a DB9 with extra doors and a longer wheelbase.  I'll admit, it is a big deal - finally, there's an ultra-luxury sedan that's actually attractive.  (I'm looking at you, Panamera.  And Quattroporte.  And new XJ.  And Merc CLS.  And BMW 7-series.  and...)  But people act like this is strange foreign territory for the tiny British brand, when in fact it hasn't been that long since there was a four-door automobile wearing the illustrious Aston Martin badge. While the Rapide is (and I think will be) considered a classical beauty, the previous Aston sedan was a bit more... divisive.  Polemic.  Opinion-splitting.  Some people might say ugly. But it's something

Today, Maserati is a purveyor of what I like to call automotive pornography. They produce two products - the almost criminally good-looking Gran Turismo and the equally seductive Quattroporte.  Both sell for north of $100k, are chock full of Ferrari bits, and are absolutely wonderful, top-notch modern supercars.  This hasn't always been the case. Maserati returned to the US market in 2002, after leaving without saying goodbye in 1991.  They, like Alfa Romeo, were basically chased out of the US thanks to persistent rumors of suspect reliability as well as a less than favorable exchange rate which artificially inflated prices.  Many say that the reason for Maserati's failure in the US was the Biturbo.  Let's take a look at that car (and it's derivatives) and return to

In Honor of the pending merger between Chrysler and Fiat, I though it was time to showcase other Italianate Chrysler’s that have been built and sold.. The Chrysler TC came about as the result of collaboration between Chrysler and Maserati, an arrangement rooted in the friendship of the charismatic men in charge of the two companies, Lee Iacocca and his friend Alejandro de Tomaso. Lee Iacocca started a friendship with Alejandro de Tomaso while at Ford, which led to the successful De Tomaso Pantera. The collaboration was perhaps ahead of its time, with the low-volume Maserati providing its image and tuning expertise, and the high-volume Chrysler providing its engineering and sales capabilities. The basic idea was to add some glamor to Chrysler, and some profit

In Honor of the pending merger between Chrysler and Fiat, I though it was time to showcase other Italianate Chrysler's that have been built and sold. The brainchild of Eugene Casaroll, the Italian-American hybrid known as the Dual-Ghia was largely based on the Ghia-designed Chrysler Firearrow, a concept car for which he acquired the production rights. Luxurious and extravagant, it had the longest production line in the world—from Detroit to Milan and back—as it utilized an American drivetrain and Italian coachwork. The health of Casaroll, the Dual-Ghia's originator, began to fail and he wanted to concentrate on his shipping business. So Dual Motors Chief Engineer, Paul Farago, teamed up with Ghia to produce the second-generation Dual-Ghia. The car continued to use a Chrysler V8 engine but

In Honor of the pending merger between Chrysler and Fiat, I though it was time to showcase other Italianate Chrysler's that have been built and sold. The idea of having Italian Craftsmen merge with Yankee engineering is really nothing new. Many of the American Automakers sought out Italian Design houses to produce stunning prototypes, and produce them at far lower costs than they could have been here in the states. While Nash utilized Pinninfarina to design their production vehicles, Chrysler commissioned Carrozzeria Ghia. The Dual-Ghia was a favorite car of entertainment personalities during the 1950s. The A-list of owners included popular celebrities such as Debbie Reynolds, Lucille Ball, and Frank Sinatra. Each owned one of these cars at one time or another, and so

At the Geneva Auto Salon, Aston Martin decided to dust off their Lagonda nameplate with This Concept. Because the concept really is just another luxury crossover, arguably one with a historic name, I thought it was time to re-introduce you to the last vehicle that wore this prestigious badge. Introducing The Aston Martin Lagonda Saloon. Aston Martin was about to go under in the mid-1970s and desperate times called for desperate measures. Traditionally, Aston Martin produced 2+2 Grand Touring cars. However, the Lagonda was to be a four-door saloon with a brand new V8 engine. As soon as it was introduced, it drew in hundreds of deposits from potential customers, helping Aston Martin to stave off receivership. The car was designed by William Towns