Q. What do you think of auto buff magazine road tests, particularly of sports cars and often on race tracks. When I was much younger, in the 1950s and 1960s, those magazines didn’t mainly concentrate on high-powered, very costly cars. Now, they seem to be mostly in love with exotic autos relatively few can afford.— J.O. (via Internet) 

A. When was the last time you drove on a race track to work in a 180 m.p.h. car? Right. Well, most car buff magazines seem to think you do just that. Or dream about doing it. I always enjoyed the acceleration (mainly 0-60 m.p.h.) times that car buff magazines in the 1950s and 1960s emphasized. Sure, they featured some exotics, but occasionally tested only a few such autos because there weren’t many available in America. 



Q. Ever drive the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing” model with the flip-up doors? It’s now going for about $1.4 million at auctions. — C.B. (via Internet)

A. A friend let me drive his Gullwing a few years ago on a blistering hot day on deserted two-lane country roads south of Chicago. I nearly fried to death (no Gullwing had air conditioning) because it was too much of a hassle to manually remove the side windows for an approximately 2-hour drive. But most of all, I was disappointed at how relatively slow the car accelerated. After all, it only had a modified 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine shared with the Mercedes flagship Type 300 sedan models. Horsepower has been variously listed at 225-250, and top speed depended a lot on the rear axle ratio. One ratio reportedly allowed 165 m.p.h., but the Gullwing’s owner was sitting next to me and only took the car out once a year, so I didn’t exceed 90 m.p.h. The roads were arrow-straight, so I didn’t notice any sign of the tricky rear suspension the car was said to have. 



Q. I love 1950s Cadillacs. They were the most prestigious American cars in the 1950s. Which is your favorite Cadillac model from that decade? — H.R. (via Internet)

A. The general answer would be the limited-production 1957-58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, but it cost as much as a small house. So I’ll go with the 1957 Cadillac, which is the best-looking standard Cadillac of the 1950s. My uncle, an award-winning printing press technician, had just bought the 300-horsepower Caddy. It was pink (I’m sure his wife picked the color)1957 Cadillac Coupe de Ville that looked fantastic and drove wonderfully. My father drove a 1949 Ford 100-horsepower V-8 stick shift two-door coupe, so the Cadillac opened new American auto worlds for me. 

Q. I’m thinking of buying a 1997 Acura Integra Type R. I’m told it’s fast and rather rare, with a 200-horsepower four-cylinder and special factory performance items. The miles are fairly low and the condition is great, with no modifications. The asking price is around $60,000. — GJ. (via Internet)

A. If I were you, I’d buy it, after having a mechanic check it out. It’s a blue-chip Japanese collector car that’s a ball to drive. There aren’t many around . Only 320 were made for the American market.



Q. Do you like hot rods? — C.F. (via Internet)

A. I like them a lot, especially those made from 1930s Fords. Many are works of art.



Q. What do you think of the new Acura NSX?  I can afford a new one but am thinking fondly of one of the first NSX models I drove years ago in America. — P.S. (via Internet)

A. The new gas-electric NSX is very complicated. I haven’t driven one, but it’s very expensive and seems built more for going fast on race tracks or deserted winding roads than regular street driving. On the other hand, the first NSX model of the early 1990s looked great and was a joy to drive. The median value of 1991-99 models is only $48,400, says the Sports Car Market value guide.Find a good one with fairly low miles and you should have lots of reliable fun with it.



Q. What do you think the new Porsche 911? — E.H. (via Internet)

A. It looks bloated, although it has amazing performance. There’s no beating Porsche’s original 1965-73 body style. At least the automaker has essentially retained the original body shape.




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