The Rise and Fall of the Ford Thunderbird | The Bad Blonde Car History

Let's talk about the rise and fall of the Ford Thunderbird. Don't forget to subscribe to The Bad Blonde Car History for more car history! Let’s paint the picture, it’s the start of the 1950s the US is still on that post-WWII high! US auto execs were seeing an influx of European roadsters flooding their back yards and took note. I’ve said this in multiple videos, but the Post-WWII, many European governments were telling their manufacturers to export OR die.. One designer at Ford started a little side project of creating his dream roadster, that was Frank Hershey. Frank Hershey and I have something in common. He loved the XK120. The 120 was style and performance perfectly coupled and it was said he was influenced by the 120 but I don’t see any resemblance between the two. So Frank Hershey’s little side project wasn’t exactly condoned by his superior George Walker and Walker told him to put it on the back burner. Walker didn’t think there was enough of a market… Boy he was really wrong on that. Hershey was like nope and he continued working on the project secretly that would be come the Thunderbird. So also during this time Henry Ford the second.. the Duece was starting to take notice of the European roadster imports and was like why don’t we have any of these! Though side note they did have the Ford Vega concept in 1953 that sprouted from a design contest that looked really interesting… it actually had concealed pop up headlights.. I liked it. So back to business, the Deuce wanted a roadster… George Walker who had put the kibosh on Hershey’s roadster designs was like ummm can you bring those out again? The thunderbird was not a creation meant for high speed performance or catching bugs in your teeth.. The Thunderbird was a part of the market segment that would eventually be know as personal luxury cars.. An emphasis on comfort and convenience over high-speed performance. The thunderbird was not marketed as a sports car. Like the Karmann Ghia was not marketed as sports car either. You want comfort and style at a slow speed? We are your car! AND frankly, if they hadn’t beefed up the Corvette from the Blue Flame inline six to a V8.. It may have eventually been tossed into that segment too. Thank god for Zora Arkus-Duntov. Ford actually had a company wide name contest for the roadster… The prize was so 50s.. Whoever won the naming contest won a suit.. SO the guy that won was sitting at a café sipping a cup of coffee and on the side of his cup of joe was a thunderbird.. Which the roots are in north American indigenous mythology.. Anyways.. Thunderbird won! So within 20 months of Henry Ford 2nd asking they had the car ready… It was a two seater with a detachable hardtop or folding soft top… Powered by a 4.8 liter Y block V8 capable of 193 hp.. The first gen had the beloved porthole and continental tire. The second generation did a design leap, turning the two seater into a four seater and really squaring it up. Garnering the nickname of a square bird.. Now that increase in size meant they had to bump up the engine to a 5.1 liter V8.. they also had the option of a 7liter V8 that could hit 350 hp… That is a lot of horsepower for a car that did not yet have seatbelts.. The third generation sleaked up a bit and lost the square body and went more bullet earning the nickname of bullet bird. Good looking.. It was around 1964 that the T-bird suffered from a bit of lack of attention.. You can imagine that was likely due to the introduction of the famously popular and well selling Mustang. Kind of cannibalized itself within the market so Ford realized they needed to further distinguish the T-bird. With the next few gen they bumped up the size but this was bad timing… as a gas crisis popped up and to top it off this was around the time that safety regulations were popping up and every auto manufacturer thought that convertibles were going to be outlawed.. That fear of banned convertibles is how we got the Targa top. I digress, so Ford did away with the Tbird convertible.. So let’s jump to the Fox body… This one of of Lee Iaccocca’s last efforts before heading to Chrysler.. The fox body platform was super versatile you’d see if on the fox body mustang, the mercury cougar, the Lincoln Mark VII.. This is also where they put a turbo in the T-bird.. a 2.3 liter turbo four cylinder with ported fuel injection.. and it was only available in a 5 speed manual.. It really was intended to compete with the performance imports of the day. Sales boosted with the turbo coop, Ford was like hey… It was actually dubbed car of the year by motortrend in the year of my birth. It also won again in 1989 with the super coupe 3.8 liter V6 with an eaton m90 supercharger.. So in the 90s sales would drop and Ford would give up on the thunderbird line.. And you wouldn’t see a Thunderbird till 2002 when all the manufacturers were throwing it back.. and we would see the retrobird.. It threw back to the first generation..

Top 5 Facts on The Dodge Brothers | The Bad Blonde Car History

Here are my top 5 favorite facts about the legendary Dodge Brothers, John and Horace Dodge. For more classic car content and car history keep following The Bad Blonde Car History. Old Dodge footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq2jY1trxqg&t=33s Relevant video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnS4Gqq1_Rc&t=4s #1 – They were rascals While they were extremely capable and talented, they were also a bit wild. The pair grew up nearly inseparable and learned how to use their hands at an early at in their father’s foundry shop. Neither of the talented duo was exactly welcomed into the Detroit high society. Though they did somewhat buy tolerance. Horace was the main benefactor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. But the pair were not scared of shenanigans and both brothers were heavy drinkers – the redheads had a bad reputation in the Detroit saloons – Some of the Dodge Brothers escapades were so frowned upon again that there money couldn’t buy them grace … One instance, John and one of his drinking buddy jumped a lawyer outside a bar in Detroit. #2 – They were the go-to supplier for quality parts for Detroit automakers. Founded in 1900, they started by manufacturing bikes but would quickly turn into the United States most quality parts supplier. You could consider them pretty much like the De Dion of the USA. One of their biggest breaks, was Horace’s first patent: the dirt-proof ball bearing. 1902 – Won a contract with Ransom Olds to build transmissions for the Old Motor Vehicle Company which would eventually be known as Oldsmobile – less of a mouth full. In fact, they were the largest parts manufacturer in Detroit before they split with Ford in 1914 in order to build their own car. #3 – They owned a fair chunk of Ford and Henry Ford hated them for it Now Henry Ford was not an instant success, he had many failures and bankruptcies under him before the success of the Ford Motor Company. In fact, one of his failed attempts turned into Cadillac. Henry Leland was sent to liquidate one of Ford’s failed manufacturers, but instead he proposed to turn it into Cadillac THUS sparking the vendetta of Ford vs. Leland.. The Dodge Brother’s decided to take a gamble on investing in Ford. The Dodge brothers worked out a sweet deal that included them owning 10% of Ford Motor Company. Ford hated the Dodge brothers. He hated their red hair. Thought they were evil. Henry Ford was a little cooky himself. Eventually, the Dodge Bros wanted OUT. They didn’t agree with Ford and didn’t see Ford moving ahead as a company. And in 1913 they made out like bandits. With their initial investment and dividends, they left Ford with close to $35 million dollars. That money would quite helpful in the Dodge Brothers creating their own automobile Best quote that came out of John Dodge’s mouth was “Someday people who own a Ford are going to want an automobile.” #4 - The Pancho Villa Expedition Though formally called by the US government, the Mexico Expedition, Dodge Brothers vehicles were used in the hunt for infamous bandit Pancho Villa! In 1916, the US government sent General ‘Blackjack’ Pershing on the Pancho Villa Expedition. Pershing requested 250 Dodges from the War Department, putting out an order that only dodges would be used by his staff in Mexico's rugged territory. If I can be techy enough I will have figured out how to inset video of Dodges raging in the countryside, if not, I will have a link down below. That you better click on. During this expedition, there was an epic firefight lead by George S Patton (Yes, Patton was also down in Mexio reeking havoc) against the hideout of one of Villa’s right hand men that left 3 men dead….. They strung them across the dodge hoods. Now that expedition was unsuccessful in its objective, but it did prove that Dodge Brother’s automobiles were some rugged and reliable vehicles. Random fact: Pancho Villa was also a Dodge man and was assassinated in his in 1923 #5 – They died to young… Yes, this is one of those early deaths in the automotive world that I am just like what would the automotive arena looked like if they hadn’t left the world so soon. Both brother’s died in 1920, John from the Spanish Influnza and Horace from either pneumonia or complications of cirrhosis of the liver. - Did any of those factoids surprise ya? Could you hold your weight in a fight with one of the Dodge brothers? Do you have a fear of red hair as Henry Ford was reported to have? Do you think jumping a lawyer outside a bar is a wise idea?

My Top 5 Facts @ Aston Martin DB7 | The Bad Blonde Car History

Let's dive into my top five favorite facts about the Aston Martin DB7.. You know me, I am going to do into the history of Aston Martin too because I can't help myself. Thanks for watching The Bad Blonde Car History channel and subscribe if cars are your jam too. #TheBadBlonde #AstonMartin #DB7 Let’s go all the way back to the turn of the century, in 1913 when Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford endeavored to sell Singer cars under the moniker Bamford & Martin. Yes, Singer of the motorcycle and sewing machine fame. The pair would quickly realize they wanted to sell automobiles of their own design and they would name their first car Aston Martin. A combination of Lionel Martin’s last name and the famed Aston Hill, a speed climb hill that Lionel did quite well at. There is actually an Aston Martin Monument at the hill. So the pair took a 1908 Isotta Frashini chassis and plunked a four cylinder Coventry simplex in it and called an Aston Martin. They had their first car rumbling off production in 1915.. but unfortunately so were the rumblings of the first world war and their production would cease. Martin would enroll in the admiralty and Bamford in the Army. Post WWI, Bamford would leave, but an extremely wealthy count with a love of racing would jump in. Count Louis Zborowski. Though his count status legitimacy is not 100% certain. Doesn’t matter to me, the guy loved racing and was the actual owner of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.. Yes, it was a real car. For the next 40 years, Aston Martin would hit financial despair, trade hands a few times, Lionel Martin would leave, and finally in 1947 we would see David Brown step on to the scene. The successful gear and machine tools manufacturer saw an add in the paper for a luxury car brand and went for it and thus started the famed and timeless David Brown cars Aston Martin. Side note, he had also acquired Lagonda at this time too. Quick to work, in 1950 Aston Martin announces the production of their Le Mans prototype, the DB2. Followed by the DB2/4, the DB2/4 MKII. The BK MK III, and then the Italian styled DB4. All of the cars shot Aston Martin forward in the racing scene, but it was the DB4 debuted in 1958 that with it’s styling that caught consumers eyes and would yield the famous DB5 in 1963. The luxury grand tourer, DB5 would rise in fame with it’s appearance in the James Bond Goldfinger. Fun fact, it was the DB MKII that was featured in the novel, but special effect expert, John Stears, talked Aston Martin into using one of their DB5 prototypes for the film. The engines in everything but the first DB2, were inline six cylinder engines designed by Tadek Marek. We would see the DB6 and DBS continue under David Brown before yet another moment of Aston Martin hitting financial troubles. Brown would sell and we would see Aston Martin trade hands four times before Ford Motor Company bought 75% of the company in 1987. In 1994 we would see the DB7 hit the market, available in coupe or convertible, powered by either the 3.2Liter AJ6 Supercharged inline 6 or the 5.9 L Aston Martin V12. #1 – DB – Standing for David Brown – The legend behind the David Brown series of cars from Aston Martin #2 – It started its life as a Jaguar Based on a Jaguar XJs platform. And carried over heavy influences from Jaguar. The inline 6 was based on a Jaguar engine, with the DB7 much of the car was configured with Jaguar resources. #3 – Had some very talented folks on their design team The DB7’s design was done by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet… Callum was also behind the Aston Martin Vanquish, and the Jaguar F type… And Helfet designed the XJ-220. #4 – It was the highest production The DB7 was the highest produced model in DB history with 7,000 rolling off production line until the DB9 would steal the title in 2004. #5 – The early DB7 side mirrors are shared with quite a few super cars Yes, the side mirrors from Citroen but this isn’t the only car that used them.. the XJ220 and Lotus Esprit

My 5 Favorite Facts About the Ferrari 308GT4 | The Bad Blonde Car History

Hello friends, check out my 5 favorite facts about the Ferrari 308GT4 on The Bad Blonde Car History channel! #Ferrari #Dino #308GT4 #1 – Where did the name Dino come from? Alfredo ‘Dino’ Ferrari Enzo Ferrari’s only legitimate son with his married wife.. Enzo did have another son born from an affair. We have Dino to thank for Ferrari cars… You see Enzo man reason for stop his racing driver career. Enzo had vowed to stop racing (he was racing for Alfa at the time) if he had a son. #2 – Why did Enzo decide to create the Dino marque? This is a good follow up to the naming.. You see Alfredo ‘dino’ Ferrari had persuaded his father that Ferrari needed to begin research on smaller engine cars. He talked his father, the king of v12s, into developing a 1.5 litre DOHC v6 engine for f2 racing, creating the first Ferrari engine with less than 12 cylinders. Sadly, it would be just as Dino was making his mark at Ferrari that he would be diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Even through his final days Dino still worked with fellow engineer and famed racer Vittorio Jano on Ferrari’s first V6 engine. Now Enzo was worried about putting the Ferrari name on anything that had less than 12 cylinders, but he wanted to get into the smaller engine and lower cost sports car game So he paid honor to his son Dino by creating this separate marque 10 years after his passing. The first Dino to roll out was powered by the same V6 engine that Dino worked on before his passing #3 – This was the first for Ferrari to dabble outside of Pininfarina Yes, this was the first time that Ferrari broke away from their long and successful relationship with Pininfarina and contracted Bertone to design the 308GT4. They had been partnering since 1951. The 308 was designed by automobile designer Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The guy that also did the Lancia Stratos. And you know clearly it was quite a design departure from the 206/246 Let’s take a quick spin around the car #4 – That both Dino and Ferrari badges were sometimes put on the same cars Car owners/purchasers were getting worried about owning a Ferrari that didn’t have the Ferrari name on it. The Dino marque came from Ferrari in 1967 and stopped three years before 1976 this 308gt4 was manufactured but yet you will still see a Dino badge on the back of there #5- Their popularity is sky rocketing right now Prices and notoriety are going up, Becoming increasingly sought after "record sale" of the Euro 308 GT4 on BAT for $141,000 What is your favorite Dino? Are there any paths that you think Ferrari would have taken differently if Dino had not passed away early? What is your favorite cantankerous Enzo story? If you are picking any Ferrari keys out of a box, which are you picking?

5 Things You Need Know about the MGA | The Bad Blonde Car History

MGA was produced from 1955 to 1962 it was the successor of the successful T-series and succeeded by the beloved MGB #MGA #TheBadBlonde #MG Full video link on MGA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0gs53Ts4iw&t=816s #1 The MGA almost wasn’t a thing The MGA was successor to the MG TF 1500 Midget.. Now that launch almost didn’t happen, as the prototype was shown to Leonard Lord who had just signed a deal with Donald Healey of Austin-Healey just a mere 2x weeks before. But that no wouldn’t last long and as MG sales dropped Lord decided to give the MGA the green light. Side note, Leonard Lord is a name you hear a lot in British Auto History.. Homeslice was a captain of the British motor industry and just a part of his legacy was the beloved and iconic Mini.. #2 Why the ‘A’? And WHY the MGA? Intended to be called the UA-series, was brought back. As it was so unlike from the older MG models it was called the MGA, the "first of a new line" to quote their advertising. The MGTD is why I am blessed to be an auto enthusiast You see it was quite design leap, a total styling break, from the preview T series.. as you can tell which leads us to the next fact you oughta know #3 Was MG Car’s first real attempt at aerodynamics Now the design of the MGA has an interesting history, in 1951 LeMans driver George Philips wanted a more streamlined design on his TD LeMans cars, that would be genesis and inspiration for MG designer Syd Enever when creating the MGA.. On the topic of Lemans, Three MGA prototypes were entered at Le Mans in 1955. Two of the cars finished the race placing 12th and 17th overall, proving the worth of the new car.., and the third crashed. This is an easy segue to the #4th #4 MGA was the last foreign automaker to race in NASCAR.. the participated from 1960- 1963.. Most of y’all might be surprised a foreign car was racing in NASCAR… Rightly so, it’s been some time since Fun fact, after the Jaguar XK120 is the only import that has won Nascar #5 Most of the MGA cars were exported to the states Now this is no shocker. You see the American market was the golden goose for automaker. A lot of that can be attributed to post WWII many government’s motto was export or die. total of 101,081 units were marketed through the end of production in July 1962, the vast majority of which were exported. 5869 cars were sold on the home market, That was the norm… Something like 80% of Austin Healey’s came to the states

5 Things You Should to Know About the Citroën 2CV | The Bad Blonde Car History

Here are 5 things you should to know about the Citroen 2CV! Do you really need to know them? Probably not but I am going to tell you anyway. If you like classic car history subscribe to The Bad Blonde youtube channel. #Citroen #2CV #deuxchevaux Full history Citreon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5w6em-KFq0 History of VW Beetle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pJyVYPOmt0 If you want the full history of the little car that put the people of France on wheels check out this video.. It also covers quite a bit about the Citroen Founder Andre Citroen who was a darn cool guy. The Citroen 2cv was produced from 1948-1990 with 8.8 million variants and here are the five things you should know about this precious car. #1 The team that created this was also the team that created the Citroen Traction Avant - Traction Avant is a car that pioneered the mass production of three revolutionary features that are still in use today in your car: a unitary body with no separate frame, four-wheel independent suspension and front-wheel drive. #2 When war broke out the prototype was hidden from the Nazis! - Why? Well the Nazis weren’t scared to steal ideas and equipment.. Much of the peoples cars, the Volkswagen Beetle was borrowed eyes.. Especially from the Czech company Tatra. - They destroyed them.. with only five known the existing - Not only did they hide the vehicles from the Nazi’s advantage.. Factory workers at the Citroen factory while France was occupied, they altered the dipstick location THUS Nazis were blowing engines left and right #3 This was the car that put France on wheels - France had a very rural population - Which meant many French citizens relied on horse and cart - You add that to the fact that France was still in post-war recovery, you didn’t have many at all owning a vehicle. - This was exactly why the 2cv was designed with extreme austerity. Literally this car was designed to carry 2 persons and a bag of potatoes. - Another of it’s design parameters was that customers be able to drive eggs across a freshly ploughed field without breakage. - The car became a bestseller, achieving the designer's aim of providing rural French people with a motorized alternative to the horse. #4 The 2cv was the first car designed with radial tires - Yes, with the 2CV Michelin introduced and first commercialized the radial tire - At the time, Citroen’s main shareholder was Michelin, once again long story, check it out here - Radial tires are what you have on your car today #5 Second hand 2CV were more expensive than brand new - Why on earth was that? - Well because there was an extensive waitlist to receive you 2cv.. within months of its introduction it had a three year waiting list - However, if you bought it second hand you did not have to wait - In fact, waitlist priority was given to those who have to travel by car because of their work, country vets, doctors, midwives, priests and small farmers.

History of the Porsche 944 | The Bad Blonde Cars

Join me for a brief history of the Porsche 944 on the Bad Blonde Cars History channel! Related videos: Porsche 928 history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjO7yjRudaA&t=186s Porsche and Speedster history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h3ME37xE1o&t=3s #Porsche #944 #TheBadBlonde The 944 was produced from 1982 -1991 as a front engine rear-wheel drive mid level model based on the 924 platform. At this point, it is necessary to mention that the 924 initially hit with much criticism among the diehards of Porsche… Looks and Audi engine.. And the 924 was also considered one of the poor man’s Porsches like the 912, 914, and the 912e… The 944 was lower, fatter, and had much more of the temperament a sports car needs due to improvements like wider ties, sharper steering, and firmer chassis. I did say front-engine, now by this time, all the Porsche diehards had already blew their steam regarding a front-engine lay out with the 928 (1978) and the 924 (1976)… Such contention.. If you want to know more about the 928, one of Porsche’s most bold and innovative design decisions, I have the link below, along with a link on the 356 Porsche Speedster we had for over 30 years. Now the 944 was supposed to replace the 924, however production of the 924 continued and overlapped till 1985. That being said, much of the innovation and improvements of the 944, were carried over from it’s race sibling the 924 GTP The engine of the 944 at release was sort of like a sliced-in-half engine of the 928 v8 with a single overhead camshaft.. Now with large capacity four-cylinder engines, you can come across uneven running issues… Porsche started research to overcome this issue BUT then realized Mitsubishi was doing a great job already with this and actually licenses their plans from them.. The 944 has a near-perfect weight distribution, 50.7 front vs 49.3 back… In the nine years of production, models included the 944 2.5, 944S turbo, 944s 2.7, 944S2, 944 S2 cabriolet, and the 944 turbo cabriolet.. The car behind me is the 944S2 Cabriolet, only produced for three years 89-91.. 3 liter inline 4 it was the largest production 4-cylinder engine of its time. … the first of the line to let the top down.. The 944 was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 1983 through 1985, and the Turbo made the list for 1986. In 1984, Car and Driver named the 944 the Best Handling Production Car in America. Let’s talk a bit about the 944 racing successes, the Porsche factory team and a few private teams did well at Le Mans.. and carried that success to the SCCA production class. the Carlsen Racing 944 won the SCCA Escort Endurance Series Championship The 1988 and 1989 SCCA GT2 titles were claimed the 944S driven by David Finch for the years 1988 and 1989. The 944 was the most successful car in Porsche’s history producing 163k until the Boxter shot out and the 997 Carrera. Now… Porsche decided to essentially turn the 944 into the 968 but buyers and fans weren’t elated with that.. Not much had changed except for the nameplate except larger bodywork and the addition of the 928 pop-up headlights. You couple that with the waning sports car market of the time.. they dropped the 968 in 1995 with only 2 years of production.. What’s do you think of the 944? What is your favorite Porsche? What is your favorite poor man’s Porsche?

The Most Beautiful Volvo Ever Made - History of the Volvo P1800 | The Bad Blonde Car History

Most people do not think of the Volvo p1800 when they think of Volvo! It is hands down the most beautiful Volvo ever produced (or fight me). Join me, The Bad Blonde, for an informal history trip talking all about the Volvo 1800 series! #Volvo #Volvop1800 #ThebadBlonde The Volvo p1800 genesis was like many other sports cars… The company wanted a taste of the US and European sports car market. Most of that was US, you see the US was being flooded by foreign sports cars. Now, they had already made a failed attempt with the p1900.. That only sold 68 cars.. It was a cute little fiberglass roadster that was inspired when the Volvo’s president, Assar Gabrielsson, saw the Corvette. Why did the p1900 fail? Well it was poorly constructed and not reliable… The Volvo president successor, Gunnar Engellau, took is for a test drive on a weekend, came back to the office on Monday and cancelled it’s production.. He is quoted to have said “I thought it would fall apart” Alright, so they failed but decided to try again. The man heading the project was Helmer Petterson the man behind the Volvo PV44. Which was a car that helped assure Volvo’s future during and post WWII. So here is a funny thing, Helmer Petterson’s is in charge of this… BUT it is said that unbeknownst to him his son Pelle Petterson who is under the tutelage of famed Pietro Frua.. Side note, Pelle Petterson would also go on to become a prolific yacht designer. Now get this.. Volvo refused to recognize Pelle’s authorship till 2009. Why you might ask? They wanted to it to be known as an Italian design… That is a little silly. Okay so Carrozeria Frua builds the first three prototypes in 1957 and 1958.. And Helmer Petterson picked up one of the prototypes and drove it straight to the manufacturer Karmann in West Germany. You see Karmann’s engineers had already been preparing and they were ready build! BUT you know what happened? Karmann’s most important customer said Nah AHHH.. Yes, Volkswagen forbade Karmann to build the p1800 out of fear it would compete with the Karmann Ghia that had started production in 1957. And good lord this ALMOST caused the p1800 to be entirely abandoned by Volvo.. Well it did seem like Volvo had decided to nix it.. BUT there is a twist Helmer Petterson brought in two investors and tried to buy the p1800 components directly, to sell and market himself! Volvo had not mentioned the car at all in the press and kept quite about it.. Unitl a photo of the car was released to the press with a press release… Which made Volvo have to acknowledge it.. And then they what they hey, let’s do it. And in 1960 the p1800 made it’s public debut at the Brussels Motor Show.. Volvo worked up a deal with Jensen Motors and we had car getting built! The p1800 was powered by the b18 straight 4 engine.. B= bensin, Swedish word for gasoline and the 18 of rhte 1800 cc displacement. The p1800 gained popularity from being in featured in The Saint tv series, driven by Roger Moore.. Interestingly, the XKE was actually offered the opportunity first but they declined! Now important to note, Jensen is located in the UK.. Which means the Volvo p1800 was a car mostly made in the UK… Until 1963 when Jensen lost the contract and production went back to Sweden and with that the name of the car changed to 1800s.. the s standing for the Sweden. Then in 1970 we would see the 1800e hit the scene with quite a few changes.. The E standing for Einspritzung… Which means fuel injection! The 1800e was powered with the b20e engine with Bosche D-Jetronic fuel injection. Side note, that is also why the Porsche 912e has the e on the end 😊 Top speed was 118mph and this was the first of the 1800 series to feature four-wheel disk brakes. In 1972 we would see the final p1800 variant from Volvo… the 1800es a two door station wagon aka shooting brake that featured an all glass tailgate. Only a smidge over 8k were produced in it’s two model years though it did have a lasting influence.. The all-glass rear hatch of the ES-modeal proved quite popular and was used in future Volvo designs. Due to that all-glass rear hatch.. it was Sweden the P1800ES was nicknamed Fiskbilen (The Fish van); in Germany and Switzerland it was nicknamed Schneewittchensarg (Snow White's coffin), because of the all-glass rear hatch. And in 1973 we would see the final production year of the 1800 line.. Having produced 47,492 units since 1961. An absolutely beautiful car.. What do you think? What’s your favorite Volvo? Anything I should make a video on you see behind me? Be sure to subscribe

History of the Lincoln Continental | The Bad Blonde Cars

Let’s dive into the history of the Lincoln Continental! If you love classic car content, be sure to subscribe to The Bad Blonde YouTube. Thank you to George Finley who is the owner of this fine car! Now, I will digress deeply if allowed to but today I will skim like a light rock on the deep majestic pond that is Henry Leland, the gentleman behind Lincoln. Henry Leland. The man the myth the legend. The man that created BOTH of American most competitive luxury vehicle lines, Cadillac and Lincoln.. He started his career in firearms manufacturing at Colt, engineering supplier for manufacturer that would become Oldsmobile, AND a fact I love to share he created the electric barber clippers. So it is 1917, Leland has already left Cadillac (and will talk about bit more about that in a bit), he and his son get a loan to start the Lincoln motor company.. and with that they also landed a 10 million dollar contract to create the liberty aircraft engine.. Now where did the name Lincoln arise? AFTER THE PRESIDENT! Abraham Lincoln was the first president Leland got to vote for. I do want to make a shout out to Leland being one of the first to introduce interchangeable parts within auto manufacturing – all of our lives automotive sector have been easier for that.. Sadly, in 1922 Lincoln becomes insolvent, and you know who was waiting in the murky waters to chomp? FORD! Old henry “dandelion on the side of the road eating” ford.. Okay so let’s paint the picture, it is 1902 and the Henry Ford Company is going bust. Ford has gotten into a tiff with his investors and he is out. One of Ford’s financial backers is like SHITT, damn it Ford, to be honest Ford’s later success with the Model T and Model A were inspite of himself, his backers call in Henry Leland to appraise the plant and equipment for liquidation. However, the clever Leland said, hold up! And he persuaded the finance dudes to let Leland start up manufacturing using his reliable single-cylinder engine. They said why not, and thus Cadillac Automobile Company was born. Cadillac would then be sold to GM… and you see where this is going. So that is why Ford of course HATED Henry Leland because he had created Cadillac out of his defunct company and thus lowballed him significantly for Lincoln. What is the Continental? It is NOT the hotel Christopher Walken made unwanted advances in… it is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The prototype continental design was created by E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, and inspired by Edsel Fords European travels – This was heavily based on the Lincoln Zephyr that was introduced in 1935 – which if you are starting off with this as your base point, it would hard to make something not aesthetically pleasing. It is said the initial sketch for the design was completed in an hour Why? Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers – He needed it done by March of 1939 so he could show it off on his vacation - Alright, so like I said, Edsel was inspired and wanted this European car quickly, and quickly her got it, the turn around on this continental prototype was but 6 months! Introduced in 1940, and let’s paint a little picture of life in the 1940s.. Cause you know I like to do that… War, Nazi Germany would begin the Blitzkrieg which actually took out quit a few beloved European car manufacturing plants, so lots of war stuff, the first Captain America comic book was published, Hattie McDaniel is the first African American woman to win an academy award for her performance in Gone with the Wind, also Franklin D. Roosevelt wins the election and becomes he first third-term president.. and MOST importantly, Chuck Norris was born. There 404 of these elite cars built in the first year, -Also, this was the year built examples were built with hand-hammered body panels and after that dies for machine-pressing would be constructed With that advance and success spurred Lincoln forward with over 1,200 built the following year. This was the car of the elite… Hollywood icons, the business elite, Frank Lloyd Wright owned one.. Now there wasn’t room within the trunk to store a spare tire, and that is how we arrived at this signature rear mounted “Continental” spare- tire feature --- And it’s what we’ve deemed classy ever since. Side note, while disappearing on American cars, the externally mounted, covered spare tire remained a feature on European-produced cars. Fun fact – In 1951 the NY Museum of Modern Art recognized the Lincoln Continental as an example of excellence as works of art… On that note, let’s take a another look.. -Of the 850 made for the 1941 model year, only 200 are still in existence.. What is powering this first generation beauty, is a 292 cid L head v12 – capable of 120hp – three speed manual transmission

The Birth of The Chevrolet Camaro | The Bad Blonde Cars

How did the beloved Chevrolet Camaro come to be? The birth of the Chevrolet Camaro had a lot to do with the birth of the Ford Mustang. The Mustang came out in 1964.5, the newly driving age boomers are geared to purchase, and Chevy sure as heck isn’t going to miss out on that market for long. It is absolutely necessary for us to discuss the crazy antics of the Chevy press team during the launch of the Camaro. They started hyping up the code named panther project in 1965. Before the Camaro was the Camaro, it was the Panther.. In June of 1966 around 200 automotive journalist received a bizarre telegram stating "...please save noon of June 28 for important SEPAW meeting. Hope you can be on hand to help scratch a cat. Details will follow...(signed) John L. Cutter – Chevrolet public relations – SEPAW secretary." Now some of you might pondering, what in the Bojangles is SEPAW? The journalists were too and could nothing on it.. Til the next day when each of them received a telegram from GM stating “Society for the Eradication of Panthers from the Automotive World will hold first and last meeting on June 28...(signed) John L. Cutter – Chevrolet public relations SEPAW secretary." Alright now finally this enigma of a press conference rolls around in it is a live 14 city teleconference.. Which was pretty cutting edge technology for the time. Let’s get to the juice of the conference, general manager Pete Estes starts off the new conference with stating that all press conference attendees were charter members of SEPAW, Society for the Eradication of Panthers from the Automotive World… and that this was its first and last meeting. After that Estes announced that Chevy would be debuting a new car line… the Camaro.. At this point let’s talk about the origins of the Camaro, clearly there was a ‘C’ pattern going Corvair, Corvette, Chevelle. Estes quoted regarding the name He claimed the name, "suggests the comradeship of good friends as a personal car should be to its owner" and that "to us, the name means just what we think the car will do... go." Side note, it has been said that Chevy/GM execs found the word ‘Camaro’ in a French book but really the closest word in French is camarade which the english’s comrade is derived from.. So it feels like the execs just sort of made their own word up. When the press asked what exactly is a Camaro? Chevy replied that is was a “small vicious animal that eats Mustangs” Then in September of 1966 the Camaro hit dealerships for the 1967 model year. First Generation 1967-1969: GM F-body platform with either base inline 6 or V8 options.. If one wanted high performance, they could choose from the Super Sport, Rally Sport, or Z/28.. The z/28 package was not put in and of the first gen sales literature so it was kind of like a secret menu option. Just like the Mustang borrowed off the Ford Falcon, the Camaro borrowed off the Chevy Nova. Second Generation 1970-1981: with a heavy restyle Chevy introduced the second generation just a few years later. Still based on the F-body platform, the Camaro grew longer, lower, and wider with the 2nd gen style but notably no convertible option which was a sign of the times. With the 2nd gen, engine options included a V6, Straight 6, and V8.. GM called this gen more of a “driver’s car” than the first gen.. Third Generation 1982-1992: These were the first generation to offer fuel injection turbo hydramatic 700R4 4speed automatic transmisions and 5 speed manual. The 3rd Camaros were nearly 500lbs lighter than the previous generation. We would see a return of the convertible camaro in 1987. Fourth generation 1993-2002: Debuting on an updated F-body platform, anti lock brakes were standard, with options of V6 or V8. During the fourth generation you would see a drop in sales and dwindling sports car market with that in 2002 Chevy decided to discontinue production. Fifth generation 2010-2015: Camaro was back with a complete redesign and new platform. Along a handful of other car manufacturers you say a retro nod in styling. That same year of debut, the Camaro was named World Car Design of the Year at the World Car of the year Awards. A year after Chevy would start rolling out the 2011 Camaro Convertibles. Interesting fact, Due to the 2011 Fukushima earthquake, certain pigments were not available to make certain colors. Sixth generation 2016-Present: The 6th gen has over 70% of purely unique to it’s self architectural components that are not shared with any other GM vehicle.

How Did Land Rover Become a Brand? | The Bad Blonde CARS PT#1

How did the Land Rover become a brand of the Rover Company? Now let’s start way back, let’s discuss the Rover Company who would go on to offshoot both Land Rover and Range Rover. The Rover Company was founded in 1878 by John Kemp Starley and William Sutton.. Starley is considered the inventor of the modern bicycle with the Rover Safety Bike.. The Rover company started off doing what many other early manufacturers did, producing bicycles. Side note, at the time many bicycles were the penny-farthing or high-wheel tricycles.. The safety bike changed the landscape of bicycles by being rear-wheel drive, chain drive cycle with two same-sized wheels. A pivotable moment for the Rover company would be when John Starley imported a Peugeot motorcycle in 1899 and used it for experimental development. Clearly this shows a turning point from bicycles to motorcycles. And unfortunately at of 46 Starley died suddenly and the Rover company would be taken over by the motor industry pioneer, bicycle designer and purported fraudster, Harry John Lawson. I did a little research on that “fraudster” title. I am not sure if he was that or just a dreamer… Under Lawson in Rover began producing automobiles in 1901 and motorcycles in 1902, usually those go the other way around.. During WWI rover did just fine producing motorcycles and lorries, it was after the way that they did not hit the ground running… But luckly for them but not so much the rest of the world, WWII would happen. Many automotive manufacturers did well and some were even saved by war procurement contracts, Austin Motor Company for example.. Let’s paint a picture of the times, it’s post WWII and you know what the UK had a lot of skirting around? Jeeps! American made jeeps! And this did not please the British government or monarchy. Every European government was telling their manufacturers to export or die. This utilitarian 4wd off roader design was created by Maurice Wilks chief designer of Rover working along with his brother Spencer who was director of Rover. And it was, the Land Rover was heavily influenced by the jeeps of the era.. the prototype was even built on a jeep chassis. One fun fact that I like to point out is that the first Land Rovers came in various shades of green… This was due to what was available from military surplus supplies of aircraft cockpit paint. Like I like to do, let’s paint a picture of the times… it’s three years after the end of WWII the queen of England is seeing an ungodly number of jeeps skirting about and she isn’t having it… So she says we need an british version of these. The series I, as mentioned before this was designed for light industrial use with a steel box-section chassis and aluminum body-powered with a 1.6 liter petrol engine with a four-speed gearbox. “This incorporated an unusual four-wheel-drive system, with a freewheel unit (as used on several Rover cars of the time). This disengaged the front axle from the manual transmission on the overrun, allowing a form of non-permanent 4WD. A ring-pull mechanism in the driver's footwell allowed the freewheel to be locked to provide more traditional 4WD.” In 1952 increased engine size to 2 liter, they would switch to a more conventional 4WD system. An important thing to note, this was also the time that the Land Rover went from a commercial vehicle classification to a multi purpose vehicle… this changed the tax status and allowed it to go beyond a speed of 30mph.. All that because an owner appealed to the Law Lords after getting charged with exceeding the limit. Now originally Land Rover was intended to be just a single model offering available for only 2 or 3 years, you know to clear those Jeeps post WWII, get some export orders, cuase you remember “export or die” was a common mantra from European governments to their automotive manufacturers… However, The Rover Company saw some future in creating a brand and the series I would only become that after they decided to create a series II.. Ten years later in 1958 the series II launched and was the first vehicle to use the well-known 2.25 liter petrol engine.. This would be the standard engine unit till the 1980s when diesel became more popular. The series II was available in a 2dr off road vehicle, 4 door offroad, and a 2dr pick up. Just a few years later in 1961 we would see the Series IIA, by the eye there is not much difference between the series II and the IIA.. A few cosmetic changes.. Powered by the 2.25 liter and the 2.6 liter six cylinder engine available for the long-wheelbase models in 1967. “811 of these were NADA (or North American Dollar Area) trucks, which were the only long-wheelbase models made for the American and Canadian markets.” In 1969 the headlamps would move from their center grill location to the wings on all models. Now what is behind me is the 1969 Series IIA powered by a 2,286CC four cylinder capable of 72hp, four speed manual gear box. This is one of 1,200 imported to the states that year.

1956 Messerschmitt Kabinenroller 200 | The Bad Blonde Car History

To say I love this 1956 Messerschmitt KR 200 is an understatement... This was an old Bad Blonde video that I re-edited a bit and I hope you enjoy! These post-WWII German bubble cars just make me soo happy, I can't even help it. Enjoy! Fritz Fend, an aeronautical engineer for famed Messerschmitt came up with the idea for the Messerschmitt Kabinenrollers after the company was sanctioned to not create any aircraft post-WWII. Thus he created something that many German citizens could use, a mode of transportation that only required a motorcycle license. #Messerschmitt #KR200 #TheBadBlonde If you enjoy car and automotive history, then you should stay tuned! This channel is all about cars! Classic cars, sports cars, antique cars, from American muscle cars to vintage European sports cars. We have a good time diving into automotive history and hope you enjoy our videos. Be sure to subscribe to The Bad Blonde CARS YouTube channel for more car videos and coverage on the latest car events, shows, and auctions www.TheBadBlonde.com

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2019 Houston Lamborghini Festival

A true running of the bulls happened in the shopping mecca City Centre of Houston, Texas.

A wide assortment of expensive Italian metal showed up shining on a Sunday afternoon. From every paint scheme, custom wrap, and added feature, you could see it all at the Houston Lamborghini Festival.

I was keen to eye a few Countachs myself, however, I didn’t spot one. I believe I left before it showed up, so that was a mighty bummer. However, the Lambos were lined up endlessly along the cross streets and the central area of the shopping center for the packed annual Lamborghini Festival.

Of course, I was eyeing a few Lamborghini Diablo’s clad in the expected spectacularly vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. The Diablo model was run from 1990-2001 and with only 2,884 total produced.

This rainbow psychedelic Jackson Pollack-esque wrap around the Lamborghini Huracan was definitely a crowd favorite. The Huracan debuted at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. As usual, in the spirit of the Lamborghini tradition, it is named after a famous fighting bull. The Huracan shares the Gallardo engine, a naturally aspirated V10.

The whole pink and Louie V wrap isn’t for this tomboy, but undoubtedly I find the Aventador a sexy beast. The striking Aventador popped onto the scene at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and has clear lineage with the limited-edition Reventon.

Want to do the running of the bulls Texan style? Well, be sure to attend next year’s Houston Lamborghini Festival!