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The V70 replaced the Volvo 850 wagon in the 1996 model year (the S70 replaced the 850 sedan). Compared to its predecessor it was much more rounded at the edges, with the company's traditionally staid boxiness bowing to aerodynamic realities. That first generation ran for four years before getting replaced in the North American market by the even more rounded second generation of V70, which in turn…
The Malaise Era was well and truly underway by the 1975 model year. At least initially, the 455 V-8 disappeared from the Firebird option list, leaving the 400 cubic inch L78 V-8 as the sole motive source for the Trans Am. Compression had been reduced to 7.6:1 which slashed output to a dismal 185 SAE net horsepower. Standard transmission was a wide-ratio four-speed manual, with optional close ratio…
Mopar fans will gleefully point out that Ford's "original pony car" was actually beaten to the showroom floor by Plymouth's offering in the youthful sporty coupe category, the Barracuda. (Maybe the category should be called fishy cars?) This was possible because the Mustang was one of the most poorly-kept secrets in Detroit and, while it relied heavily on shared mechanicals with the compact…
Ford's Maverick debuted for the 1970 model year as a compact intended to compete against the likes of Chevy's Nova and the Dodge Dart. It was initially only available as a base two- or four-door sedan, but for the 1971 model year, a sportily-styled version was introduced, known as the Maverick Grabber. While it came with snarly-looking scoops on the hood and a ducktail spoiler on the decklid, it…
With Oldsmobile getting shuttered in 2004, Buick's portfolio had a bit of room to expand into sportier territory, but this happened at a time when the US auto market was careening SUV-ward at an increasing pace. In response, Buick shrank their sedan selection by half. The midsize Century and Regal were replaced with the W-body LaCrosse, while the full-size LeSabre and Park Avenue nameplates were…
The TR3 succeeded the TR2 in late 1955 as Triumph's flagship sports roadster. In late '57 several new features were added and the resulting car is called the TR3A (although the badges still just say TR3). The features included such luxuries as exterior door handles, a locking latch on the trunk, as well as a wider grille which makes it distinguishable from earlier models at a distance. Under the…
The Duster was the fastback coupe version of Plymouth's Valiant compact car, the platform mate of the Dodge Dart Sport, and had been soldiering on since 1969, when it had been introduced as a 1970 model. By the middle of the decade its days were numbered and after the 1976 model year it would be replaced in the lineup by the Plymouth Volaré coupe. (The two cars shared space on dealer lots for…
After its launch as a 1991 model, the Mitsubishi 3000GT received a serious makeover for '94. Gone were the popup headlights and separate caps over the strut towers that distinguished the previous version , giving a smoother, more up-to-date appearance to the coupe's snout. Likewise gone were the quadruple strakes that sliced up the scoops on the original's flanks. In the US market the car could be…
The Cimarron faceplanted and the Catera stumbled so this car could fly. With the ATS, especially in its ATS-V coupe configuration, General Motors' most bougie division finally produced a genuinely desirable sporty car in a size comparable with the more compact offerings from the high-end Euro manufacturers. Built on a shortened version of the GM Alpha platform, the ATS had a wheelbase something…
The M4 designation was new in the US for the 2015 model year at BMW. No longer would there be two- and four-door 3-series cars. Now the 4-series would be the name for the two-doors and their four-door siblings would retain the 3-series moniker... unless they had fastback hatches in which case they were "Gran Coupes" and badged as a 4-series. BMW's naming was getting a little incoherent if you ask…
