Chris Birt Ford is essentially a truck company. That is why in spite of calling 2005 “The Year of the Car” they could not muster much more than a reskinning of the Volvo 80 platform to create the unpowered, boring as butter Five Hundred Series (which have sold poorly). Sadly, Ford of Europe manufactures cars that people … Read more
Yo, the namesake of this cinematic masterpiece has been resurrected. The “Fairlane” nameplate will return as a 2007 Ford SUV with sheet metal slicker than fistful of Alberto VO5. A word of caution to Ford, however, if the interior receives the typical tupperware treatment it will bomb like the Dice Man. (I’ll be sending you … Read more
As a literate bunch, I believe there are few Rake readers that appreciate the fine fiction of Mr. Vince Flynn. He is THE new Tom Clancy and lives in the Twin Cities. This statement raises some issues (the literature part, that is). Obviously the key question is whether Tom Clancy writes for the big screen … Read more
Alfred Krupp, the scion of the Krupp Arms Empire in the late 1800s (and Germany’s richest man) liked to sleep in the barn near a pile of fresh manure. He believed it was good for his health. Typical German eccentric. His story reminds me of the late 1980s Mercedes Benz. I recently drove a pristine … Read more
Gina seems a fine name for an Alfa Romeo. However, I drive a black Spider Veloce that goes by the name of “Fabio.” This car, like all my cars, was named for me. I am not sure that this name has ever hit the mark. I heard that Fabio was gay (after all these years!). … Read more
Little Big Car A journalist once asked Truman Capote after a hard days work just how many words he had committed to paper. “One,” said Capote. “After working all day, just one word?” asked the journalist. “Yes,” said Capote, “but it was the right word.” I may never be able to define a “Chick Car” … Read more
Sometimes a woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do. Particularly if that woman entered this world as a man. In the late 70s a certain doctor who was a nationally ranked tennis player changed his sex and continued to compete–as a woman. This raised all kinds of issues related to fair play. I am … Read more
The Peugeot looks good, and boy, will it back up! As a “Car Guy” ages it becomes important to maintain a certain dose of what Henri Bergsson called “elan vital.” This can be translated to mean a spirit for life. I could find a suitable substitute in English but this would betray my continental bias … Read more
Got it? Good. Thrust as a concept is covered frequently on the internet. Car guys struggle to define the automotive equivalent—or that sock in the lower back that occurs under hard acceleration. There are many modern day muscle car that deliver this g-force experience. Yet if it’s thrust you seek, it’s not how fast you … Read more
Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult feats in athletics. Engineering a car that is well-engineered at the right price is equally tricky. A lot of things have to come together at the right time and price. That is why getting a car that’s one-third right rarely happens. While rare, the Americans have … Read more