Image from the Past

Capturing a moment of 1966 America. Snapshot of Brian Wilson alongside his Sunfire Yellow ’66 Sting Ray with a ’66 Mustang and ’66 Lincoln Continental in the background. Just a few months after this photo was taken Brian’s Good Vibrations would be released and begin rising to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Beach Boys’ third number one hit and their first million-selling single.

 

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No, It Doesn’t Have Positraction

James Kraus

1964 Pontiac GTO Sports Coupe in Sunfire Red metallic. Equipped with optional triple dual-throat carburettors, four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox and Safe-T-Track.

Few things warm the hearts of Car Nutz like good punchy buzzwords. Favourites of American car fans include Muscle Car, Big Block, and today’s topic; Positraction.

The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado: General Motors’ FWD Debutant

James Kraus

1966 Toronado by Oldsmobile.

The 1960s were the final years of glory at General Motors. They had the lion’s share of the U.S. car sales, as well as a good portion of the European market via their Opel and Vauxhall brands. In the U.S, they built America’s only cars with four-wheel disc brakes, fuel injection, turbocharging and independent rear suspension. Before the decade was out, they would add another arrow to their quiver, the first American postwar car with front-wheel drive.

Is That a Big Block Under the Hood?

James Kraus

Plymouth 361 cubic inch (5.9 litre) SonoRamic Commando Big Block V8.

Pity the modern man. Increasingly put upon from seemingly every side, many seek solace in the days of yore when two adjectives in particular were highly prized; Muscular and Big. 

Image from the Past

1961 Chevrolet Impalas await new owners under a dusting of fresh snow.

Who Killed The Corvair?

James Kraus

1960 Chevrolet Corvair Deluxe 700 Series 4-Door Sedan.

It’s a standard misconception among the general public that Ralph Nader killed the Corvair, but the reality is that Ralph simply kicked a dead horse. Before examining who was actually responsible for the Corvair’s demise, let’s look at it’s gestation. 

American Muscle? Step Up To 1960s American Glamour.

James Kraus

Don Draper in his Starlight Silver 1965 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

One of the few value segments of the vintage car market is what Auto Universum calls American Glamour. A lack of enthusiasm for refinement and elegance has kept prices subdued, a welcome state of affairs waiting to be exploited by those who with a taste for the good life. 

1960-1964 Super Stock Drag Racing in Vintage Colour

James Kraus

1963 Plymouth Belvedere. Image: George Klass Collection

As colour film ages, a phenomena known as curve crossover frequently occurs as fidelity of the three colour dyes age at different rates. This often results in an evocatively ethereal colour palette. Such is the case with these photos from the heyday of Stock Car drag racing in the U.S.

In the 1950s when 1/4-mile drag racing was gaining legitimacy, there was little interest in racing the family sedan. No official records were kept, nor was elapsed time recorded; the winner was the car with the highest trap speed. 

The 1960s New Look

James Kraus

The New Look: 1960 Chevrolet Impala

In the early decades of motordom, front grills stood tall and proud, reflecting the proportions of early radiators. Headlamps, originally housed in separate housings, began being integrated into the cars design in the late 1930s. Nevertheless, grills and headlamps remained separate elements with the exception of Peugeot, which placed the headlamps near the centre of the car, behind the grill. 

Things Go Better With Coke

James Kraus

Vintage scale model Coca-Cola cab-over delivery truck

The Coca-Cola Company adopted Things Go Better With Coke as their new advertising tagline in 1963. It then became a jingle, performed by leading pop acts of the decade including Jan & Dean, Tom Jones, Petula Clark and The Supremes.

At the same time, automotive designers were thinking that maybe things went better with a Coke shape. 

Was Someone at GM Design a Mannix enthusiast?

James Kraus

Mannix opening title sequence

Oldsmobile’s Toronado debuted in autumn of 1966 as America’s first post-war front wheel drive automobile. Just a year later CBS Television introduced a new prime-time detective series; Mannix, featuring Mike Connors as Joe Mannix, an operative of the sophisticated Intertect Detective Agency in Los Angeles. 

Image from the Past

Arriving at the ski lodge in a 1960 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday Sport Sedan