The Thinker's Garage Pondering Automotive History, Design and Culture
A tale of woe – The Toyota curse at Le Mans
The Le Mans 24 Hour race is undoubtedly one of the greatest spectacles in motorsport, and every edition produces as many stories of disappointment as triumph. Indeed some of the sport’s most pivotal moments have occurred at the Circuit de la Sarthe, from Motorsport’s Darkest Day in 1955 which saw 83 lives lost and started […]
Pegaso – Remembering the ‘Spanish Ferrari’
In comparison with its near neighbours Germany, France and Italy, Spain’s list of car manufacturers has always been relatively short, with luxury and sports car offerings particularly uncommon. So perhaps it’s by default that Pegaso arguably remains Spain’s most famous and influential sports car maker to date. But to assert that this status was gained […]
Beyond Premium – The Resurgence of the Automotive Atelier
In the early days of the automobile, when car ownership was still preserve of the very wealthy, the car purchasing process was very different from today. With the ‘body on frame’ construction technique being the accepted car manufacturing method at the time, buyers had two major decisions – who should build the chassis and mechanical […]
Meet the world’s most intrepid Renault Twingo
The Twingo I was a very successful car for Renault, offering a popular combination of usefulness, affordability, and above all, character, which ensured it enjoyed a long and successful production run. Indeed with almost 2.5 million made in Europe over a 14 year period, alongside additional sales and production in South America, they are still […]
Citroën C4 Cactus – Bold Focus
When Citroën pulled the covers off the C-Cactus show car at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, it seemed that, while interesting, it was destined to eventually become another forgotten concept. Instead, it was the catalyst that led to arguably one of the most interesting (and polarising) production cars of recent times. It was this concept […]
Where to for smart?
It started with such feather-ruffling promise: when the smart City Coupe broke cover in 1998 it changed Europe’s streetscape with its tiny footprint, clever design, innovative engineering and cheeky attitude. It hit its target market and by 2001, with the cars only officially available in some Western European markets, smart sales were well over 100,000 […]
Tatra – a forgotten influence on motoring
Which car features a rear mounted air cooled engine with overhead camshafts and a dry sump, in a chassis featuring rear swing axles and bodywork with an exceptionally low drag coefficient? The obvious answer to this question would wear a Porsche badge, but as early as 1933 there was a car available that combined these […]
Why Volvo is a brand to watch
It may have a reputation for conservatism and safety, but Volvo’s past catalogue of cars shows a company that has always had a strong culture for innovation. Despite some struggles in the late 2000s thanks to then owner Ford’s financial difficulties, since Geely Automotive Holdings’ 2010 purchase of the Swedish brand, there have been some […]
Searching for Alfa Romeo in Milano
We were supposed to go shoe shopping but since we were in Milano, the spiritual home of Alfa Romeo, I thought it would be interesting to visit one of the local concessionari to check out the updated range of Giuliettas and have a closer look at the 4C, as well as browsing all the cool […]
Review: Fiat 500L
From the 500 Topolino to the Nuova 500 that succeeded it in the 1950s, and the boxy and eager Cinquecento Sporting of the 1990s, the Fiat 500 name has been attached to a great variety of robust, practical and characterful city cars over the years. The current Panda based 500 has been a massive success […]
Celebrating 25 years of the Citroën XM
May 23rd 2014 marks 25 years to the day since Citroën first unveiled the XM. With the DS and CX as its predecessors, the XM had the great legacy of Citroën large cars to live up to, as well as the hopes of a cash strapped parent company resting on its shoulders. And although outright […]
An overview of the top Chinese brands
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at the ranges of the ten biggest domestic manufacturers in China’s rapidly growing car industry. Be sure to check back every day this week as new sections are added. Click the links below to access the stories. Part 1 – SAIC Current owners of MG and LDV Maxus, as well as manufacturer of […]