All posts by Albert S. Davis

Opinions

The New Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spider – Disco Inferno, in a good way.

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Alfa_Romeo-Disco_Volante_Spyder_Touring_2016_800x600_wallpaper_05

Back in the 1970s, disco music ruled America, until “Disco Demoliton Night” at Comiskey Park in Chicago IL put an end to that form of musical impression, in the form of some plastic explosives, a certifably insane radio DJ, and a bunch of drunk, crazed White Sox fans.  Alfa Romeo, however, has seen fit to revive the name “Disco” but with a certifiably better product.  Last year, the Disco Volante gave us all a good long look at what the company is capable of when Touring gets their hands on the 8C. Continue reading The New Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spider – Disco Inferno, in a good way. →

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Shows

February 27, 2015 Cars and Coffee at the Morris Plains Dunkin’ Donuts

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Plymouth Duster

Cars and Coffee might be relatively new to New Jersey, but it’s not a new thing at all. Having gotten its start when I was in high school out in Irvine over on the West Coast, it took some time, but it eventually made its way to the East Coast. The one I went to is just ten minutes away from my childhood home in Randolph NJ–and it was genuinely amazing to see this parking lot, which I always associated with a cheap Chinese-Italian buffet joint, a sketchy (back then) Bottle King, and an abandoned (at the time) gas station, completely filled to capacity and then some with all sorts of enticing machinery. Continue reading February 27, 2015 Cars and Coffee at the Morris Plains Dunkin’ Donuts →

Car Shows

New Fiat 124 Spider at the L.A. Auto Show, 2015

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Fiat 124 Rear White//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

When Fiat launched the new 124 in Los Angeles last fall, I was excited. In fact, I can say I was more excited for this launch than the new Miata. Though I own an old NA, when I was a little kid, one of my good friends growing up had a little silver roadster under a tarp at the end of his driveway. Under the tarp was his dad’s little Fiat Spider. I never saw the car run and I never really knew a lot about the car but I always felt a bit of a connection to it. To this day I have a soft spot for old Italian roadsters, and I think it started with Mr. Gunnell’s old Spider sitting behind his old van. Continue reading New Fiat 124 Spider at the L.A. Auto Show, 2015 →

Car Shows

1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396 at Lead East 2015

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1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 Front//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

When it comes to the second-generation Chevrolet Chevelle, I feel that the ’68 is overlooked. Despite being the launch year, it’s not known for any dealership-modified specials (such as the Yenko in 1969) or the Hemi-eating LS-6 engine (such as the 1970), or even being the last of the era (the ’71-72). These were handsome intermediates for the era, and certainly looked a bit more upscale than the offerings from Plymouth and Ford during the same era. The fastback roofline looks very crisp, even though it blunts rear 3/4 visibility somewhat. Continue reading 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396 at Lead East 2015 →

Cars We've Seen

Rice-ified Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible spotted in Hollywood Beach, FL

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Riced Out Camaro//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

My family, thanks to my tutelage and insistent urging, send me pictures of cars all the time. For some reason, all of them notice Camaros, both the good ones, the bad ones, and ones like this–uglies. Someone did a nice job painting this Camaro convertible candy apple red–then they messed up, and messed up big time. It’s got Lambo doors, which are only good on where they came from (and only can be excellent on a Countach). It’s got wheels on it that scream early-2000s rap video, and a roll bar that looks like it came out of a JC Whitney catalog. It’s a fantastic example of why parents need to keep their children in school and off the streets, because they might run into a car like this and flush their life down the crapper. Oy vey.

Spotted by: Susan Lazar

-Albert S. Davis

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Tony Angelo and Lucky show us all how to make a fast Camaro on the cheap!

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When it comes to cheap speed, I’m all ears. I may not have the right tools or all of the necessary mechanical know-how (and I know in that regard I’m not alone), but I find myself to be a fast learner. Hot Rod Garage is now in a new season, and host Tony Angelo and new co-host Lucky take thsi episode to show us all what you need to look for and what some of the good ideas are to pick up a cheap car and make it fast on the dragstrip. All it took was a very straight late-Seventies Camaro coupe, an iron-block LS engine out of an Avalanche, and plenty of hop-up parts. Take the time to watch this video–it’s quite a good little crash course.

-Albert S. Davis

Car Shows

1951 Packard Patrician 400 at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours

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1951 Packard Patrician Front 1//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Due to the phrase “Fabulous Fifties”, everyone seems to think that all cars sold in America during the first full decade after World War II had loud paint, snarling V8 engines, towering tail fins, and lashings of insane chrome. The opposite, in fact, was true, especially in the years preceding 1955. In fact, most cars were notably understated, and still used muted colors and drab interior schemes as the cost was lower. Of course, a Packard could be drab in color and muted in trim, but the cost would most certainly not be low. This Patrician 400, looking quite stately in black, has a custom interior designed by Dorothy Draper, so the interior was not “drab”. Packard offered this series as its flagship in 1951, and 9,001 orders were taken–mostly in black. It’s not as flashy or as obvious as the equivalent Cadillac or Lincoln of the period, but it does not need to be. Continue reading 1951 Packard Patrician 400 at the 2015 Radnor Hunt Concours →

Cars We've Seen

1967 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible spotted in Los Angeles, CA

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1967 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Having a sibling that lives in Los Angeles has been good for car spotting.  That said, it’s rather unusual that the cars that he and my other brother usually send to me which work end up being Camaros.  I’m not going to complain when it’s a blue ’67 convertible like this one. Matt sends me stuff like this all the time, and I always feel terrible turning him down–but this time, the photos were absolutely usable and of what I could work with, they did a good job at least getting the photos. It’s not a Stickercity Viper or a spy-shot Camaro, but this’ll do. Nice spot, Matt!

-Albert S. Davis

Cars We've Driven, Cheap Fun Cars

2015 Ford Focus ST Review, Al’s Take (Grade: A)

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Ford Focus ST Front 1

The Ford Focus has been on my radar for longer than we’ve been running this website.  Back in 2011, the first car I drove to review for the website was a 2011 Focus SE sedan and I thought it was a massive step in the right direction for Ford’s compact entry.  A few short years later, the ST launched–and we all rejoiced that Ford had thrown its hat into the hot-hatch ring, creating yet another choice for less than 30 grand. It’s taken some time for me to get around to it, but a few weeks ago, I took this 2015 model for a spin around Old Bridge–and learned a lot about what Ford’s doing to stay relevant in this super-competitive market. Continue reading 2015 Ford Focus ST Review, Al’s Take (Grade: A) →

Cars We've Seen

1966 Chevrolet Biscayne spotted in Royal Oak, MI

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1966 Chevy Biscayne Front 1//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

While Shane, Nick, and I were illegally crossing Woodward Avenue (note to anyone in the area: Find a crosswalk, Woodward’s one of the busiest streets I’ve ever seen, more so even than Route 4 in Bergen County), I saw this 1966 Chevrolet rumbling up the road, only to pull into the car meet we were attending. I’m a sucker for 1966 full size Chevrolets, as this was the last year before GM went to a “fuselage” look wiht a smoother set of fenders and a much wider stance. The bulldog stance of the ’66, especially this one finished in Tuxedo Black with dog-dish hubcaps and little to no chrome garnish to be found, looks absolutely mean. The wide tires out back and evil exhaust note did little to keep me from thinking only “If I end up in Hell, this car will be my chariot.” Enjoy.

Cars We've Seen

Lotus Esprit S3 Turbo spotted in Malvern, PA

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Lotus Esprit Turbo//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

In the parking lot, Nick and I spotted a clean example of one of the more obscure sports cars from the early 1980s–the Lotus Esprit Turbo S3. This car looked like it had been taken right out of the Bond film For Your Eyes Only, except not blown to pieces. Any Esprit from before the 1990s is a rare sight in the Northeast today, so this was quite a cool little cap-off to our coverage at Radnor Hunt, until we tried to get Nick’s Volkswagen to slide down the hill (which failed hilariously). Enjoy the image of this svelte, old-school British wedge.

-Albert S. Davis

Car Shows

1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Nomad at the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s

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1955 Chevrolet Nomad Front//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Two-door station wagons are among the black sheep of the automotive world here in America. Europe has produced them on and off for decades, but our region of the industry really never produced this unique body style. Luckily, the most famous one we ever pushed out of the factory gates happens to be quite a striking piece. Most people remember the first-generation of the Chevrolet Nomad as the 1957 model, complete with tri-tone paint, spinner hubcaps, a 283-cubic inch Small Block Chevy, and chrome almost everywhere. While it’s a fantastic-looking piece of American history, the ’55 “Box Chevy” probably works best of all the Tri-Fives in the Nomad’s two-door-wagon configuration. Continue reading 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air Nomad at the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s →