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The Ardea, introduced in 1939, was a “luxury utility” model a size down from its big brother, the Aprillia. The car is similar in layout, but simpler in design, with a solid rear axle and no trunk opening. The name followed Lancia’s convention of models named after Roman Empire coastal towns and roads; Ardea, Aprillia, […]

Moretti Motors began building motorcycles in 1925, and introduced their first conventional production car, the Cita, in 1946. During the late 1950s, in an effort to maximize profits, Moretti ceased designing and creating their own vehicles. Instead, they switched to building special-bodied Fiats, using existing Fiat engines and chassis.During the 1960s and 70s, rugged utility

Michio Suzuki began producing weaving looms for Japan’s then-thriving silk industry in 1909. In an attempt to diversify the company, Suzuki began producing a small motorized bicycle, the 36cc “Power Free”, in June of 1952. In March of 1955, the company’s first motorcycle, the 125cc Colleda, was introduced. Suzuki’s first car came in October of

Conceived as a more practical car than its other offerings, Lotus introduced the Evora in 2009 as a competitor to the Porsche Cayman. The Evora is Lotus’s first all-new car since the introduction of the Elise in 1995, and keeps the Lotus tradition of naming models starting with the letter “E”. “Evora” is an acronym

The Honda S660 is the spiritual successor to the 1990’s Honda Beat, itself a descendent of Honda’s first sports car, the 1963 Honda S500 roadster. The result of a four year competition between 400 engineering graduates at Honda, the winning design was first seen as a prototype at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, entering production

The Panhard Dyna X series of autos was quite a departure for Panhard et Levassor, maker of large luxury cars prior to WWII. Under the post-war Pons Plan, a directive from senior civil servant Jean-Marie Pons of the Ministry of Industrial Production, France realized that there were too many vehicle manufacturers to survive the new

Max Walker began manufacturing golf carts in Fowler, Kansas, in 1957. Recognizing the company needed a product that could be produced year-round as well as for wider markets, Walker released the Power Truck in 1962.The Power Truck featured front wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, a mid-mounted engine, and the unusual ability for the truck to be

The Peugeot 202 was the smallest car made by Peugeot in the pre-WWII era. It had a very stylish and somewhat streamlined body, and sales were very good, with over 100,000 cars produced in its 7-year production life. Another unique feature is that the headlights are set behind the radiator grill to give the body