# automotive history (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 1 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover automotive history. Page: Feed: --- ## [Not Much DNA in the LNA](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/26/not-much-dna-in-the-lna/) _2026-08-26 · bristowfuller · Driven to Write_ 50 Years On – Peugeot’s Payback Penance The Citroën LN and LNA hold a particular place among those of us who still mourn the passing of Citroën. Released in 1976, the LN was the first car produced under Peugeot’s ownership and it was a truly rude awakening to the reality of how far they had … Continue reading "Not Much DNA in the LNA" ## [Der Letzte Auto-Narr](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/25/piech/) _2026-08-25 · Lukas von Rantzau · Driven to Write_ Remembering Ferdinand Piëch seven years after his death. Twenty-four years ago, Ferdinand Piëch relinquished his post as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. Thirteen years later, he also stepped back from his role as head of the supervisory board. Four years thereafter, on August 25, 2019, he passed away, aged 82. He left a good dozen … Continue reading "Der Letzte Auto-Narr" ## [Book of the Dead — Autobianchi — Part One](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/24/book-of-the-dead-autobianchi-part-one/) _2026-08-24 · Bruno V · Driven to Write_ Giovanni Agnelli’s reconnaissance division. The existence of the Autobianchi nameplate may have spanned a mere forty years between 1955 and 1995, but its roots as a maker of cars and other vehicles such as motorcycles, trucks and bicycles go back a good deal further—to 1885, for that was the year Edoardo Bianchi founded the company … Continue reading "Book of the Dead — Autobianchi — Part One" ## [Carrying the Few to the Many](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/23/carrying-the-few-to-the-many/) _2026-08-23 · Andrew Miles · Driven to Write_ Hapsburg leanings. Europe towards the close of the nineteenth century must have been an exciting continent for many. The slow, agricultural ways of yore shattered by the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution. Once the bicycle took hold of capital cities, swiftly cascading to all walks of life, entrepreneurs wanted to cash in. And whilst Austria … Continue reading "Carrying the Few to the Many" ## [Postkarte Aus Hamburg 2](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/22/postkarte-aus-hamburg-2-f/) _2026-08-22 · Richard Herriott · Driven to Write_ Hamburg’s visitors and day-trippers predominantly spend their time around the central parts of the town. They miss the attractions of outlying districts such as Lattenkamp. This curiosity rested a short distance from the metro stop when I chanced upon it. I gave it a few moments of consideration, took some hasty photos and continued on … Continue reading "Postkarte Aus Hamburg 2" ## [Fizzy Logic](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/21/1996-2008-ford-ka-profile/) _2026-08-21 · Eóin Doyle · Driven to Write_ “Get into the Ka”. Britain 1996: England was gearing up for another year of pain at the European Football Championships, the Royal family seemed primarily to be divorcing one another, while the incumbent John Major government was imploding in slow-motion before our eyes. Change was in the air, not wholly confined to either politics, sport … Continue reading "Fizzy Logic" ## [The Changing Look of British Car Interior Design](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/20/british-interior-design-masters-with-alien-car/) _2026-08-20 · S.V. Robinson · Driven to Write_ Has JLR taken its redacted interior design language too far? The mental sparks for this article came from a number of different places, these being: Andrew’s sympathetic article on the Rover 800 and the small debate which broke out about its interior; a Harry’s Garage piece on YouTube about the Jaecoo7; and various articles covering … Continue reading "The Changing Look of British Car Interior… ## [Sherlock Holmes’s Smarter Brother](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/19/sherlock-holmess-smarter-brother/) _2026-08-19 · bristowfuller · Driven to Write_ The car that no-one remembered to forget. I am going to show you a series of similar looking letters and numbers. It may be confusing, but please pay attention. You might be tested at the end. There are many motoring myths, and one of the lesser ones is the fate of the Ferrari 365 GTC/4. … Continue reading "Sherlock Holmes’s Smarter Brother" ## [Taking the Plunge — Episode Eight](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/18/taking-the-plunge-episode-eight/) _2026-08-18 · Patrick le Quément · Driven to Write_ Faster than the wind. I wish I could have been there as a silent witness, when they chose to keep their copy of ‘My Good Management Handbook’ unopened, disregarding conventional rules which Albert Einstein, no less, had told us: “Even if logic enables you to go from point A to point B, only imagination allows … Continue reading "Taking the Plunge — Episode Eight" ## [Henry’s Bungle in the Jungle](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/17/henrys-bungle-in-the-jungle/) _2026-08-17 · Bruno V · Driven to Write_ In pursuit of achieving near 100% vertical integration, Henry Ford found out to great cost that running a rubber plantation like a factory does not work. In his day, Henry Ford was the master of vertical integration; concentrating all raw material sourcing and manufacturing operations under his own control. By the late nineteen twenties, Ford … Continue reading "Henry’s Bungle in the Jungle" ## [AI Summaries & Audio Briefings (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/7pDf5POGNjTm) _2026-08-17 · **Sponsored**_ Read AI summaries and listen to concise audio briefings for the latest stories. ## [\[Music\] \[Applause\]](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/16/music-applause/) _2026-08-16 · Andrew Miles · Driven to Write_ Classical names, unfussy camion.\[1\] Louis Renault’s eponymous work had risen him to the very peak of French industrialism. Rich beyond compare, his family’s wares could be found well beyond the country’s borders. Your author ranks amongst those harbouring sympathy for the man whose factories were then forced to manufacture for a racist, murderous dominion upon Continue reading "\[Music\] \[Applause\]" ## [Poskarte Aus Hamburg 1](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/15/poskarte-aus-hamburg-1-f/) _2026-08-15 · Richard Herriott · Driven to Write_ Hamburg s old town hall is located by the Trostbrücke. And near that is an office where you can try riding in a pater-noster lift. On the other side of the bridge I spotted an old favourite in an unusually high non-sporting trim level. Ford sold 2.5 million of these cars and there seem to be Continue reading "Poskarte Aus Hamburg 1" ## [The Arachnid’s Progress](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/14/alfa-romeo-spider-1970-1994-profile/) _2026-08-14 · Eóin Doyle · Driven to Write_ The Alfa Spider s second, third and fourth lives. Once the confusion over its name subsided (if indeed it ever fully did), Alfa Romeo s two-seater settled into both its role at the more glamourous end of the 105 Series spectrum, and into its identity—now known simply as the Alfa Spider. In freshly bob-tailed form it entered Continue reading "The Arachnid s Progress" ## [Design Briefs — Autumn 2026](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/13/design-briefs-autumn-2026/) _2026-08-13 · Christopher Butt · Driven to Write_ Feeling the heat: Christopher Butt takes the temperature of Europe s car design studios. With the summer holiday period in full swing, most design studios the world over, China Speed be damned, may be closed right now. But once they fully reopen for business, quite a few of them will need to deal with subjects other Continue reading "Design Briefs — Autumn 2026" ## [A Cluster of Spiders](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/12/a-glut-of-spiders/) _2026-08-12 · bristowfuller · Driven to Write_ A confluence of influences? Eóin’s recent pieces about the Alfa Romeo 105 Spider rightly point out that it is the successor to the Giulietta Spider that, for a confusing cross-over period, was also sold as the Giulia Spider. This is of course the case, yet was the Duetto design really Pininfarina’s reasoned successor to their Continue reading "A Cluster of Spiders" ## [Never A Dull Moment — Part 38](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/11/never-a-dull-moment-38/) _2026-08-11 · jm2 · Driven to Write_ Coda, PS, codicil, etc. . . Design education is its own unique form of training the future generation of designers for a career. Transportation Design education is a subset of that particular endeavor, and it is an important element of every designer’s thought process and mindset. Critical thinking is just as important as the ability Continue reading "Never A Dull Moment — Part 38" ## [Book of the Dead — Willys (Part 4)](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/10/book-of-the-dead-willys-part-4/) _2026-08-10 · Bruno V · Driven to Write_ Eight owners and counting. With its options severely limited, Willys-Overland was unable to make a fresh start by introducing a new passenger car to make hay in the postwar boom, which was what Ward Canaday really wanted. The only vehicle that Willys-Overland could realistically produce was a civilian version of the Jeep as used in Continue reading "Book of the Dead — Willys (Part 4)" ## [Cartolino da Milano 2](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/09/cartolino-da-milano-2-f/) _2026-08-09 · Richard Herriott · Driven to Write_ For work reasons I travelled to Milan. This postcard deals with the second day of the visit. The AX, at the time it was launched, looked utterly unremarkable. The Citroen character had been diluted to homeopathic levels. So, it s something of a turn-about that my eyes almost popped out of my sockets when I caught Continue reading "Cartolino da Milano 2" ## [Wedgie!](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/08/wedgie/) _2026-08-08 · Andrew Miles · Driven to Write_ Ambling along in the heat and no cheese in sight (until the end) As DTW’s Automobile Flâneur in-Chief, a role becoming more financially denuded by the day, the recent heatwaves really have caused havoc. With the UK basking in temperatures reaching 35° (with regional adjustments to plus or minus 3.3° recurring), pale Northern European skin Continue reading "Wedgie!" ## [Last of the Summer Wine](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/07/last-of-the-summer-wine/) _2026-08-07 · Jeff Mullins · Driven to Write_ Squeezing the last drops out of your platform. It used to be a routine occurrence where, either halfway or late into the product lifecycle of a motor vehicle, the manufacturer would decide to eek a bit more life out of an ageing platform by adding a new model variant such as an estate or a Continue reading "Last of the Summer Wine" ## [Crypto Payments, No Custody (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/fAr1qhGw7Wcm) _2026-08-07 · **Sponsored**_ Send crypto to merchant wallets via API with real-time updates and automatic fees. ## [Call Me By My True Name](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/06/call-me-by-my-true-name/) _2026-08-06 · Eóin Doyle · Driven to Write_ Duetto? Cuttlefish? Let s just leave it at Spider. It is possible to discern the temperature of a nation s wellbeing by the quality of its culture, most innovative work tending to stem from times of privation and repression. Italy was world-renowned for its cinema—its Cinecittà studios attracting productions from both sides of the Atlantic—and judging by Continue reading "Call Me By My True Name" ## [Berlingo Berlingo (I’m in Love)](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/05/berlingo-berlingo-im-in-love/) _2026-08-05 · bristowfuller · Driven to Write_ \[1\] Well, a strong liking at least. And it’s turning 30 in October. There are three types of enthusiast. The first chooses the car that they can afford that will give them the best possible lap time round the Nurburgring. The second chooses the car that they can afford that will give them the best Continue reading "Berlingo Berlingo (I’m in Love)" ## [Taking the Plunge — Episode 7](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/04/taking-the-plunge-episode-7/) _2026-08-04 · Patrick le Quément · Driven to Write_ If there was one. . . Were I asked to select one amongst the many boats that I have had the stimulating pleasure to work upon, I would choose the Outremer 55. For this boat represents what I consider to be a design milestone; the first catamaran that was praised not only for its architectural Continue reading "Taking the Plunge — Episode 7" ## [Book of the Dead — Willys (Part 3)](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/03/book-of-the-dead-willys-part-3/) _2026-08-03 · Bruno V · Driven to Write_ Win a war, lose the battle. Two welcome additions to Willys-Overland s management were added through Ward Canaday s efforts in 1939: a seasoned sales executive with lots of previous experience at Chrysler Corporation, Joseph W. Frazer, and a talented engineer that came from Studebaker: Barney Roos. While Frazer s main concern was publicity and a reduction of Continue reading "Book of the Dead —… ## [The Rooster Has Arancio Grenada Legs — Part 4](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/02/the-rooster-has-arancio-grenada-legs-part-4/) _2026-08-02 · Fred G. Eger · Driven to Write_ Our Y travelogue concludes. All photos by the author. As we wound our way from Vannes to the Channel coast, we visited Mr Hommell’s empire in Lohéac. Michel Hommell, born in 1944, began collecting cars at the age of 17. At that time, he also took part in races for the Renault 8 Gordini Cup. Continue reading "The Rooster Has Arancio Grenada Legs — Part 4" ## [Cartolina da Milano 1](https://driventowrite.com/2026/08/01/cartolina-da-milano-1/) _2026-08-01 · Richard Herriott · Driven to Write_ For professional reasons I journeyed to Milan at the start of July. For those of you who have never visited Milan, I can exclusively reveal that they have a pretty good metro system, some impressive 19th century architecture and an incredible number of over-dressed people whose idea of fun is Instragramming in front of the Continue reading "Cartolina da Milano 1" ## [Sharky’s Machine](https://driventowrite.com/2026/07/31/1976-1989-bmw-6-series-profile/) _2026-07-31 · Eóin Doyle · Driven to Write_ Making a little go a long way. Presenting to the world a carefully curated impression of careful, managed evolution, the truth behind Bayerische Motoren Werke s cautious approach to new model development was a more prosaic one—impecuniosity. Having almost lost their shirt through misfiring forays upmarket in the 1950s, the carmaker—having come under the direct control Continue reading "Sharky s… ## [Collaborative Applause](https://driventowrite.com/2026/07/30/1986-1999-rover800-profile/) _2026-07-30 · Andrew Miles · Driven to Write_ Engineering in a finer form from the Viking Longship. Marking the Rover 800 s debut, 40 years ago this month, this 2021 retrospective by Andrew Miles receives a second airing. Pity the poor car designer forty years hence. A CAD drove a Jaguar. Engines powered cars, not searches, whilst rivals were (almost) willing to explain their Continue reading "Collaborative Applause" ## [The Peal of Twelve Bells – This Nation’s Saving Grace](https://driventowrite.com/2026/07/29/the-peal-of-twelve-bells-this-nations-saving-grace/) _2026-07-29 · Robertas Parazitas · Driven to Write_ Part 12 Post-HE Impressions The introduction of the Fireball-head engine in July 1981, for all V12-engined Jaguar Cars products, was a momentous occasion for the company and the engine itself. The arrival of the high efficiency revisions was marked by ‘HE’ designations with conspicuous badging for the XJS , XJ12 and Double-Six. An extensive Continue reading "The Peal of Twelve Bells This Nation s… ## [Install Manifest V3 Extension (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/jNPROaeKpyNu) _2026-07-29 · **Sponsored**_ Get this Manifest V3 extension from the official TronBrowser Store listing. ## [Downhill From Here](https://driventowrite.com/2026/07/28/downhill-from-here/) _2026-07-28 · bristowfuller · Driven to Write_ Bristowfuller provokes by claiming that the best ever production Lamborghini was released 60 years ago this year — and it s not the Miura. For me, the 350 GT and the 400 GT sit together at the top of the Lamborghini tree. If I tell you that, apart from a passing admiration for the Gallardo, the Continue reading "Downhill From Here"