About American Cars

The sixties brought about a revolution in auto design and performance. Of course if I live long enough, I think you will see 1/4 mile 12 second electric cars that may exceed the sixties cool car boom. There are many innovative things that were tried in the 60’s. The cars of the 1960’s had innovation, beauty, and speed.

The early 1960’s brought about the advent of the compact car. The Plymouth Valiant, Dodge Dart, Ford Falcon, Chevy Corvair (rear engine), Buick Skylark, Pontiac Tempest, Olds Cutlass, Chevy Nova, and American Motors Rambler, were some of the Auto makers attempts at a more efficient, easy to drive, less costly car. I had a 1961 Pontiac Tempest with 3 on the floor and what was actually a V8 cut in half. It was a good little bugger and candy apple red. My Aunt’s Corvair took the cake with its sports car feel and rear engine. Darts and other Mopars ran forever and were so easy to maintain.

One innovation from the 60’s was the introduction of every auto maker creating a series of large, medium, and small size cars to cover the needs of America. Fins, Bullet Lights, Push Button Transmissions, better radios with 8 track or cassette players, were anxiously awaited by the public every year. Some even had record players. The Air Conditioner evolved into efficiency too. Big and small block V8’s grew and grew.

The 1964, 389 three deuce GTO started the war of muscle cars. Some other favorites of mine were the 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 421, the pre-1967 Belvedere and Coronet with hemis, the 1962-64 Chevy Impalas were nice too. A 1962 Ford Galaxie with a 292 police interceptor was cool as was the 1966 Galaxie. You can’t ignore all the Corvettes of the 1960’s with the 1966 Stingray being my favorite. Of course the 1964 ˝ Mustang brought about the pony car revolution.

1967 was kind of a turnaround year. The 1967 Mustang GT with a 390 was a little slow but so sleek. The 1967 Camaro, the GM entry, was fast and very cool. 1968 brought about the Dodge Scat Pack with the Dart GT, Challenger, and of course Coronet Super Bee and R/T. That 1968 Charger R/T Hemi or 440 was one of my all-time favorites. It looked like a giant Sting Ray. What a sound that 440 made. The GTO Judge, Buick Grand Sport and Hurst Olds 4-4-2 were very very cool too.

I remember my best friend bought a Super Bee with a 383 and I got a 440 Coronet R/T. Then, trying to outdo me, he got a 1969 Mustang Mach One (only 335 hp rated). I found a rare 1969 Mustang Police Interceptor. It had a Super Cobra Jet 428 with about 410 hp. and complete with transmission cooler, gears, cam, air shocks and all from the factory. What a car! All black and no markings, hood scoops or anything.

Of course the 1970’s had it’s share of muscle cars but the 1960’s, in my opinion, had the coolest cars of all-time.

It’s black. It’s old. It’s vintage at its best.

The 1932 Rolls Royce is just an ancient beauty that can truly justify the wealth that could be given up for its purchase.

Adding up to it’s mystic is the fact that it was originally owned by the Prince of Nepal and had been built by Figoni et Falaschi himself.

It went through a complete restoration in 1986 and with the very fine work that was done on it, it garnered the Lucius Beebe trophy at Pebble Beach in 1992.

This is just the vinatage car of my dream. If it ever be up for sale one day, I am sure every rich man worth his while would want this black gold tucked in one of his garage.

To be seen in it is like being a royal from an ancient kingdom. And any guy who would have his hands on its driving wheel would surely look it.

(image from About.com)

When you are on the look out for a new (or even a new one) one of the most important things most people look for now are high MPG vehicles. With gas prices at an all time high and no sign of a drop anytime soon (if ever) cars with best gas mileage are at the top of the list of priorities.

I did some extensive research on the internet to find the top 7 cars with best gas mileage. The first thing that I noticed was that nearly every survey I found gave differing MPG readings, some of these differences where only 1 or 2 MPG but others where as much as 10 MPG. In the list of high MPG vehicles below I have used the most consistent of the research readings.

(Top 7 Cars with Best Gas Mileage)

7) Honda Fit. This is one of many mini sized cars now available on the American market. Although small it is well thought out and gives you some reasonable interior space. Driving around the city you should expect to get 30 MPG and this rises to 36 on the highway.

6) Mini Cooper. This is a fun car to drive and is really catching on on the American market. It has achieved cult status in many European countries where it has long been a favourite. It will give you 32 around town and 36 on the open road.

5) Toyota Camry Hybrid. With its 2.4 liter engine you can still expect to get a good 36 MPG for city driving and a little better on longer trips. This is fast becoming a best seller in America.

4) Honda Civic. Very popular in the smaller car range. Surprisingly roomy interior, great handling and excellent safety ratings. This car will give you 36 MPG around the city and a great 44 MPG on the highway.

3) Honda Civic Hybrid. If you like the Civic then you will love the Hybrid. Same excellent build and safety qualities but with a fantastic 48 MPG rising to over 50 MPG on those highway drives, making this one of the most popular high MPG vehicles.

2) Toyota Prius. Very affordably priced mid-sized car. With its 1.5 liter engine and practical styling this is a nice roomy car. The Prius will give you a whopping 60 MPG around town but is actually less economic on the highway, giving about 51 MPG.

1) Honda Insight. One of the smaller high MPG vehicles but still one of the top cars with best gas mileage. The Insight delivers a great 60 MPG around the city and a fantastic 66 or over on the longer drives, keeping it on the top of the list of cars with best gas mileage.

These then are the top 7 cars with beat gas mileage according to the most popular and accurate surveys that I found. There are many more high MPG vehicles being produced now, but if you are not in the market for a new car you may want to think about how to get more MPG for your own car. Visit my website to find out how to get more MPG and make some real gas mileage improvements.

Reality check: due to the economic downfall, shortages, unemployment and other economic issues, we have seen a lot of “good men gone bad” incidents. Car theft is common and these thieves are getting more innovative and creative as technology lifts off to another height.

Do you wish you could put a tracker inside your car so that by the time this happens to you (I pray not!), then you would be able to track your car with the help of the authorities.

Introducing GM’s OnStar. OnStar is a company (under GM) that provides communications, GPS locator and the like. This service, however, is only available for GM manufactured cars.

Photo taken from http://www.sfgate.com

Many people wonder about the ethanol/gas mixture known as E85, named for the 85% ethanol that mixture contains, and whether or not their vehicles will run on it. You may be surprised to learn that there have already been some two million vehicles sold in America that can run on E85 with no modification at all. Check your vehicle’s owners manual or contact your dealer to find out if yours is a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV).

The key is fuel injection. When vehicles had carburetors, engines needed to be modified to run on E85. However, most modern vehicles are fuel injected, using an oxygen sensor to control the air/fuel mixture to run the engine most efficiently. That sensor is controlled by a computer chip, and even if your particular vehicle doesn’t currently have the chip necessary to allow it to run on E85, it can often be changed to the chip that will make that possible. Again, first check with your dealer to see if your own vehicle’s chip can be changed–if it isn’t already able to use E85.

If your vehicle can run on E85, you can thank the Brazilians, because way back in the early 1980s, the Brazilian government mandated that all new vehicles in that country be able to run on 180-proof alcohol. That legislation forced automakers like Ford and GM to begin making vehicles that would meet that criteria if they wanted to continue selling to consumers in Brazil.

Since then, worldwide consumer demand for vehicles that can run on E85 has continued to increase. For example, in 2005, the demand in Sweden for FFVs outstripped the demand for standard fuel vehicles by more than four to one, according to Ford statistics. As is the case in America, worldwide demand is driven by whatever is cheapest, and E85 is often as much as $1.00/gallon less at the pump, which is a significant savings–no matter what country you live in.

Since 1997, Swedish drivers have been able to choose the amount of ethanol they want to mix with their gasoline–right at the pump. They can choose the exact percentage of ethanol they want at the moment, depending upon their engine, and even upon the weather conditions, since E85 has some issues when it comes to extreme cold, which Sweden has plenty of during their long Scandinavian winters. They simply dial in whatever mixture they want at the moment, and then pump it into their vehicles. As more tax incentives are introduced in the rest of the European Economic Union (EU), such mixing options will become increasingly available in other countries, as well.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Are you an investor looking for ways to make your money make more money, have you considered investing in classic cars, the classic American and classic British cars are a good choice for you, if you spend some time, and do some research you could very well be pleasantly surprised at what you find, a lot of these cars are now worth ten or more times there original value, you’ve just got to think, how many investments you know of can do that.

Back in the day a HEMI 1970 CUDA sold for around $3164 and today you could not touch one of these cars for less then $150,000, and that would be an extremely good buy, I recently seen one sell for $1,500,000 at auction, and this is not uncommon for this type of muscle car, not to long ago I was out reading up on pricing of these car, and I ran in to a 1969 ZL1 camaro that had just sold for $880,000 at auction, this car from the factory went for around $7,000 when it was new.

While these were very special cars that the factories didn’t build a lot of, if you do some research you’ll find that there are still some good investments to be found in the automotive world, if you have some money to start with, you can do very well with these cars; I could go on for about a hundred years with a list of American and British cars to invest in, but I’ll just keep things short and to the point.

If you haven’t looked in to this; you may think that I’m just up in the night, or you might even want some of what I’ve been smoking; I have done a lot of research on these old cars, and I’m here to tell you, I am not up in the night, I have spent most of my life studying these cars, and during my studying I learn certain things, and in a lot of cases things even make me go HHHMM what is going on around here, how could this be.

I haven’t only seen this type of thing one or maybe two times, I have seen it over and over again, if your an investor and you have an interest in cars, it just might be the right time to start throwing some of your cash at the classic car industry, or at least look in to it a bit more, if you have a favorite car, or favorite manufacture; do some research on the car or manufacture that you love, chances are that there was some special version of you favorite car built, and that would peak your interest HUH?
Classic Car Restoration

Used cars for sale by owner can provide a fabulous avenue for you to find your dream car for less. And with recent financial woes of the automobile industry and the general economy, this car buying method is becoming more popular than ever. Folks are taking more time to research particular makes and models to compare features, fuel economy and rigidity. Consumers are becoming more aware of a car’s ability to outlast its competition while also saving dollars on gas and maintenance. Armed with this information, they can browse car classifieds and use online resources to narrow their search for used cars being offered by individual sellers.

With this in mind, finding used cars for sale by owner has become a top priority for many used car buyers. Used cars are selling for much less than usual right now, and many sellers just want to move their car quickly instead of wait around for the best offer. Think about it. Owners who are selling their used car might be trying to collect money for an urgent need. There are many foreclosures going on and many individuals who are unemployed. Families often need to generate cash quickly. Selling their used car provides immediate cash to take care of other more pressing needs.

Families often sell off their second car if the mother starts staying home with her children, or if one or both spouses begin working full time from home. A second car becomes merely a luxury in these situations, and may suddenly become dispensable when a financial crisis arises. It’s times like these that are beneficial for you if you’re looking to buy a cheap used car.

Tremendous Money Savers

Buying a used car for sale by owner can save you money on the initial price as well as your car insurance and payments if financing the car. Banks often charge lower interest on new cars; however, the overall price and interest will be much less on a cheap used car. You might even finance through a loan company that specializes in used car loans to get a better interest rate. In some cases, the owner may finance a portion of the price for you if you can offer a large down payment. Car insurance is based on the value and type of car, as well as other factors such as your driving record, age, etc. If you pay for the car “in full” you will not be required to buy collision coverage unless you simply want to protect your investment for a while.

Crucial Tips

As you search for used cars, consider how long the owner has had the car. Is it a one-owner vehicle or has it changed hands several times? Has the car been driven by a teenager for any length of time? Has it ever been used as a rental vehicle? Also, consider if the car has ever been wrecked or not. You should always check the vehicle history before buying a used car, whether from a car lot or a used car for sale by owner. You can check the vehicle history using AutoCheck by Experian (credit reporting agency). If borrowing money to purchase your used car, the lender will likely check the history for you. Have the car checked out by someone with mechanical knowledge if possible. The motor, transmission and other major parts should be in fine working condition. Also, ask when the tires were last replaced and inquire about oil changes, the age of the battery, and tune-ups.

To begin your search, check in your local car classifieds or with pre-owned car classified websites that offer used cars in and around your area. You can often find great bargains by researching used cars online, and then drive to see the car in person if you feel it might be the one for you. Ask lots of questions before driving a long distance. If you find a good match, then driving a hundred miles or more will definitely be worth it to save potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Use these tips and browse online car classifieds to find great deals on used cars to fit your transportation needs and budget!

Car owners, motorists and even car fans out there, brace yourselves as the price of gasoline continues to spiral alongside the price of crude. This is what CNNMoney.com shares following the reports of motorist organization AAA and some experts.

Causes for the price hike include the surging price of oil, low refinery output for maintenance, high-demand for gasoline during the summer season and refiners’ attempt to grow their profit margins, among others. Given that, expect to pay nearly $4 a gallon for your mileage in the next few weeks, and even higher in some states.

When things like this suddenly comes up, we are left with no choice but to continue with our lives, with or without cars. I guess it is best if we start practicing now the energy-saving tips we learned from way back.

How can you determine the character and personality of your favorite presidential candidate, or favorite politician? What better way to see how their comments measure up to their lifestyle by looking at the vehicle that they drive? Just for fun, lets look at the primary cars (or SUVs) of a few politicians that have currently been in the limelight. The first thing to notice about all of them, unlike many of the rest of us, are that they are all American Company cars. Not a Toyota, Mercedes, or Honda among them. (Of course, since Mercedes is now owned by Daimler Chrysler, the whole situation gets a bit confusing, but we will forge ahead.)

Let’s start off with the Democratic party, and look at some of the nationally known figures here, as well as the two remaining candidates for the presidential race. John Edwards drives a Ford Escape hybrid, as does Al Gore. This American-made car gets 35 miles to the gallon highway, 30 miles to the gallon ends the city. It is a middle-class vehicle that would blend these men in with much of their constituency. The first full SUV that is also a true hybrid, which means that it runs on electricity at lower speeds (typically 25 mph and below), and gas fuel at higher speeds. The switchover point is determined automatically by the vehicle. This won a Truck of the Year award in 2005.

Barack Obama drives a Chrysler 300. This car is a lovely car, but only gets about 21 miles to the gallon. Looking at the average miles per gallon for the American industry as a whole, this car certainly does not help in the average fuel economy for its owner Daimler Chrysler. On the other hand, the comfort and ride of this car is a good bid for Chrysler to start on a “return to glory” road, as it is one of the more popular current choices for a sedan. Since Daimler Chrysler also runs Mercedes-Benz, a number of the mechanicals are derived from Mercedes technology, and the ride and performance make this evident.

Hillary Clinton and her campaign did not specify what vehicle she drives, but the family vehicle is a Mercury Mariner hybrid. The interesting option in this vehicle was an extended back seat for more leg room, and a mini fridge also installed in the car. The choice of this car is an interesting reflection on Mrs. Clinton’s views of fuel efficiency. She is calling for a minimum of 40 miles per gallon for cars by the year 2020, and 55 miles per gallon by the year 2030. The Mariner claims to get the same fuel efficiency that the Fort Escape hybrid does, which is again 34 miles per gallon highway.

On the Republican side, John McCain drives the Cadillac CTS, and has chosen the V-6 model. As anyone that drives the Cadillac knows, this is a powerful, responsive car. It gets 27 miles to the gallon highway, and about 18 miles to a gallon in the city. A suitable choice for a moderate politician, agreeable to both the successful businessmen that support him, and a compromise between the gas guzzler and the green cars.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, drives a Chevrolet Tahoe flex fuel automobile. The ratings for the flex fuel, in terms of gasoline miles per gallon, is about 33 highway, about the same performance as the Escape hybrid.

This summary of candidates, politicians, and their vehicles hopefully make an interesting light political discussion over the work water cooler.

There had been reports of massive lay offs and downsizing last year. This 2008, the trend has changed. Buyouts are fast becoming a response of companies to a weakening US economy. Take for example the case of General Motors that has recently offered buyouts to its 74,000 strong employees.

NYTImes.com reports that what prompted the popular US automaker to launch its latest “special attrition program” was its fourth quarter losses and the gloomy outlook for the United States market.

Am I smelling bankruptcy here? Or is this just another cost-cutting measure? Or better yet, there is basis on the reports that the American auto industry is in a shamble. We’ll definitely see in the next few months.