Q. I hear that Lincoln, long
just considered a rebadged Ford, is making a big comeback. True? — J.E.
(via Internet)
A. Lincoln is definitely making a comeback, but has a ways to go
to retain its lost top luxury vehicle reputation. Cadillac and Lincoln
were the top-selling luxury cars in America in the 1950s, but Lincoln
began losing ground in the 1960s. Cadillac gained momentum in that
decade. But Lincoln has changed everything from styling to naming
strategy and is on the rise, mainly with crossover vehicles. The
distinctively styled 2020 Lincoln Aviator large crossover is expected
to be especially popular.
Q. Is sounds strange, but is it true that fairly
small Porsche once tried to take over much larger Volkswagen? — J.H.
(via Internet)
A. Ferdinand Piech, who recently died at age 82, was Volkswagen’s
strong chairman when he thwarted an effort by his cousin, Wolfgang
Porsche, to use much smaller Porsche’s strong valuation at the time to
take over Volkswagen.
Q. What racy 1960s American car had styling so
distinctive that no other American car has ever looked like it? — M.W.
(via Internet)
A. It was the 1963-64 Studebaker Avanti. This two-door, four-seat “gran
turismo” (grand touring) car had a fiberglass body styled by a team
working under world-famous designer Raymond Loewy. The Avanti had coke
bottle fender contours, grille-less front end, asymmetrically placed
hood bulge, distinctive window shaping, large glass area and a short,
rounded rear end. Inside were aircraft-like instrumentation and some
controls mounted overhead, along with a built-in roll bar. You could
get it with a supercharged V-8. A modified Avanti broke 29 speed
records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Studebaker went out of business
in America in the early 1960s, causing the Avanti to be dropped. But
hand-built versions of the Avanti were successfully made on a limited
production basis for decades by private parties.
Q. The radically new 2020
mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette looks like exotic mid-engine foreign cars
that cost a fortune. What will be the list price of the new Corvette?
And will it be offered with a manual transmission?— J.J. (via Internet)
A. As of this writing, the list price is $59,995, which includes a
$1,095 shipping charge. Incidentally, most automakers give a list price
without that charge. The 0-60 m.p.h. time is said to be under 3
seconds. There will be three trim levels. The top 3LT will start at
$71,945. No manual transmission will be offered, but the car will have
an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Q. I hear that Dodge is celebrating 50 years of
its 1969 Charger Daytona with a new version for 2020 with 717
horsepower? — P.S. (via Internet)
A. Amazing and some might say “crazy” — but true. Dealer orders begin
this fall. Deliveries are scheduled to start early next year. It sounds
like a good weekend fun car in warm climates with dry roads.
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