Tag Archives: American Cars

2015 Cadillac CTS Vsport Review

March 25, 2015 ndubs77 7 Comments

This is effectively an incognito BMW E39 M5, only even more well-rounded. It is the Cadillac CTS Vsport, not to be confused with the CTS-V, which is Cadillac’s full-throttle, “still hard as a rock after 4 hours” experience.

The CTS Vsport is very much its own thing, not just some “Diet CTS-V” with less calories. If the CTS-V is a big honking hamburger, then the CTS Vsport is grilled salmon filet. It is an entirely different flavor from the V, so get that comparison out of your head from the get-go.

Continue reading 2015 Cadillac CTS Vsport Review →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours

March 24, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

Elvis Presley might be one of America’s greatest icons–and he was a Cadillac man. So is Ralph Marano, the well-known and well-respected car collector based in Union County, NJ. He brought a few cars to the Boca Raton Concours this year–and while I’ve become familiar with his excellent collection of Packards (which were featured at Amelia Island last year), I wasn’t as aware of his taste in Cadillacs.

This 1956 Eldorado might be one of the best mid-Fifties Cadillacs I’ve ever laid eyes on, with a gorgeous, deep shine on all panels and an incredible reflection across the chrome. This pink Cadillac is 100% original–and has only 27K original miles. Thanks to the polish, it looks like it should share space on the showroom floor with any other new car, it’s just that stunning. Wayne Carini was more than happy to talk about it, and I found him doing a short feature on it just as I was taking my pictures. Enjoy the photos of this large and in-charge American classic. Continue reading 1956 Cadillac Eldorado at the 2015 Boca Raton Concours →

Cars We've Seen

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA

March 17, 2015 Albert S. Davis 4 Comments

When Nick and I start spotting in Carmel after a long day of chasing exotics and shooting ultra-rare machines in static settings all over the area at shows every day, we sort of drift around Ocean Avenue and side streets, often splitting the area. My preferred zone is a spot right in the middle of Ocean Avenue, near the top of the hill. While Nick was busy shooting exotics, I was focusing primarily on any offbeat car I could find, or whatever American classic happened to show up. Luckily, it wasn’t long before my patience was rewraded by this fetching blue Stingray.

The young adult driving this ’69 Stingray seemed affable–and he was rather proud of this machine. With clean lines and a classic soundtrack, the C3 Corvette was the last of the muscle car-esque Corvettes, and would be the last to offer a big-block V8 as an option. This one didn’t have a rat motor (it was powered by a 350 small block) but still grabbed everyone’s attention, including mine. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray spotted in Carmel, CA →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1968 Cadillac Eldorado at the Boca Raton Concours

March 12, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

I took extra time to take particular photos of some of the more interesting Cadillacs at the Boca Raton Concours this past winter, and the effort paid off. The first car I took a closer look at is sitting right here–it was in the back of the program, parked amongst its peers from the Fifties and Seventies. This ’68 Eldorado was the second year of the new-shaped model, an innovation machine on wheels of its time. Cadillac took their first stab at front-wheel-drive with these beasts, and laid on the swagger and chrome as if it was going out of style.

The late Sixties Eldorado is a snake charmer. It’s a massive car–the 120-inch wheelbase underpins a car that stretches out to 221 inches total–that’s less than 8 inches shorter than a new Rolls-Royce Phantom SWB. Despite being FWD, the engine is still laid out front-to-rear, a unique arrangement that Cadillac would use until 1985. Powering the beast is a 472 cubic-inch V8 hooked up to a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission–but the real jewel of the Eldorado, especially this one, was its condition. Shining paint, and gorgeous interior appointments, are the norm at a Concours–however, the real prize was inside the interior. This one happens to have an 8-track player, a novelty in the late Sixties, and a telephone. Bluetooth not required, nor needed. Enjoy the photos of this luxurious beast. Continue reading 1968 Cadillac Eldorado at the Boca Raton Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Highlights from the 2015 Boca Raton Concours

February 27, 2015 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

This past weekend, I found myself getting a small tan in sunny Florida, while my cohort in the Northeast froze like a Popsicle. 80 degrees, plenty of sun, and low wind make great bedfellows with classic cars on a golf course, and with palm trees abound, the 2015 Boca Raton Concours was a sure thing. This was the first time I’ve attended this show, and I was suitably impressed.

Now in its 9th season, this show is very close in terms of timing to Amelia Island, but takes place much further south, just 60 miles north of Miami. The show is held on the grounds of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, one of the best establishments in South Florida. The show was on the golf course and featured Cadillac products, as well as anything related to the Ford Mustang, to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Best of Show was a familiar face and a familiar car–the same car that won Best of Show at Greenwich last summer, a stunning Minerva owned by Joseph Cassini, won the prize at Boca this weekend. Please enjoy this gallery of fine automobiles–features will be coming very soon of a stunning Ferrari 275 GTB NART Spyder, as well as a few gorgeous old Mopar muscle cars. Enjoy, all! Continue reading Highlights from the 2015 Boca Raton Concours →

Opinions

Let’s Discuss The Apple “iCar” Rumors

February 18, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to drive a Tesla Model S P85D. The whole time driving it I was thinking that if someone had told me this was really the iCar from Apple, I probably would’ve believed them. The Tesla feels so much like an Apple product in car form, and that’s because Tesla has pilfered quite a few employees from Apple over the last few years. But here we are, just a couple weeks later and all of these rumors have surfaced about Apple’s “Project Titan.” Supposedly it is a sort of “iCar”, aimed to actually compete against Tesla.

This of course has gotten me thinking about the idea of Apple making a car, and how they might go about doing it properly. The following is my take on Apple making a car, the struggles they will face, and some possible ways they could make a successful product.

Continue reading Let’s Discuss The Apple “iCar” Rumors →

Auto Idolatry

Petrolicious Looks At The Cadillac Ghia

February 11, 2015 ndubs77 1 Comment

This is one of the most beautiful Cadillacs ever made, and it’s one of just two produced. The styling was penned by Italian design firm, Ghia. I’ll let Petrolicious tell the rest of the story in the video. Enjoy this stunning automobile.

-Nick

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail

February 10, 2015 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

Just because we feature a car here on Mind Over Motor doesn’t mean its fifteen minutes of fame should end. A year and a half ago, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda with Chrysler badges was making its first-ever appearance at the Greenwich Concours, and took home the Chief Judge’s Award last year on its debut. Fast-forward a year, and the ‘Cuda was back in action, after spending a bit of time in France–the country where it made history.

This is not a normal Hemi ‘Cuda. Most of them are designed to look good and race along Main Street between Maple Avenue and Pine Street against a Chevelle SS-454 (and win). This one fought for space alongside Porsche 911 racers and BMW 3.0 CSLs all over France–one of just four E-body Chryslers to ever do so. Nowadays, it’s retired, but it spent time in France on some of its old tracks during the past year or so. I can only imagine the sound of that thundering big-block V8 ricocheting across the French countryside, both getting everyone’s attention and ticking off the locals, who probably would rather not see such a brash American messing around their French roads. I personally wish that it happen more often. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda at Hershey and the Quail →

Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars, Exotic Supercars

Tesla Model S P85D Review

February 6, 2015 ndubs77 9 Comments

Tesla has taken the industry by storm, shattering all expectations and continuing to surprise everyone. I remember about a year ago when Tesla shares were around $120 and many analysts were saying that was far too high. Well guess what, today shares are selling for $218.

Elon Musk’s can-do spirit permeates through the Tesla brand. That charisma associated with the brand seems to appeal to many customers as much the car itself does. Lately, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing Teslas everywhere in my area. For a high-end luxury car, they are selling like hotcakes.

The Model S P85D is surely the most multi-functional vehicle that I’ve ever experienced, and that is what surprised and impressed me the most about it. In fact, I’d say it’s like having four distinct cars in one…

Continue reading Tesla Model S P85D Review →

Cars We've Seen

1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA

February 5, 2015 Albert S. Davis 2 Comments

The day before the Concours at Monterey Car week is a busy day. Laguna Seca is running races all day, the Concorso Italiano is in full swing, and Nick and I are running around town covering as much as humanly possible before dropping on our faces at the hotel later in the evening. Luckily for the both of us, there’s plenty of great cars out there to satisfy even the most finicky car enthusiast.

Exotics are aplenty, but American classics are always out in full force–some, like this Skymist Blue ’57 T-Bird, are even for sale. This particular car is almost identical to a model of a ’57 that occupies some valuable real estate on my desk at my office. In fact, the only difference is that the toy I have has wide whites, while the car on the streets has skinny whitewalls. Either way, it looked rather handsome on the streets of Carmel in the evening hours. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1957 Ford Thunderbird spotted in Carmel, CA →

Opinions

The 2016 Ford Focus RS Done Right!

February 3, 2015 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Don’t you just love when automakers don’t drop the ball at the last minute and disappoint everyone?

All too often car companies release products that just aren’t as good as they should be. They either don’t listen to what customers are asking for, or they think they don’t need to improve upon a good product (cough, Subaru, cough).

Today, Ford has released the details on the new 2016 Ford Focus RS, a rally-style hatchback aimed directly at the Subaru WRX STI. All of the details we were praying for are thankfully present and accounted for, namely all-wheel-drive a manual gearbox.

Continue reading The 2016 Ford Focus RS Done Right! →

Auto Idolatry

Dodge Challenger Hellcat vs. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

January 30, 2015 ndubs77 2 Comments

An epic showdown between two of the top-tier muscle cars. The 580hp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was some tough stuff a few years ago, but can it match up to Dodge’s new 707hp Challenger Hellcat?

Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman finds out…

Enjoy

Nick