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During World War II, American soldiers assigned overseas were introduced to the thrill of spritely open roadsters. It wasn’t long before American automotive manufacturers turned their attention to the growing demand for open, two-seaters. Powel Crosley, Jr. of the Crosley Radio Corp, and Crosley Motor Inc. (and owner of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team!), took […]

In the late 1890s, Joseph Martin set up bicycle manufacturing in Lyon, France, and sub-contracting wheels for automobiles and aircraft landing gear during the first war. Joseph’s son, Paul, had become an aircraft engineer during the war and afterward ventured into the world of motorcycling. He created New•Map (a combination of Martin and Paul) in

The Elite, or Lotus Type 14, was the first purpose-designed road coupe from the innovative mind of Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars (1952). This endeavor followed his open Six and Seven roadsters and a series of very successful sports racers, starting with his first fully enclosed aerodynamic 1954 Lotus Mk VIII. Chapman’s approach was

Mark Brinker is an automotive enthusiast, collector, historian, and racer. His interests are wide and varied and for many years he has been particularly fascinated by the machines built by Deutsch-Bonnet (DB). Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet were French motorsports devotees who established their automobile manufacturing company in 1938. Following WWII, the company focused on

Unmistakably, the Fiat 500, or Cinquecento in Italian, is linked with Italy’s culture. Derived from the original Fiat 500 Topolino, meaning little mouse, the 500 was produced to be an affordable, small car for everyone. The Lusso came out in September 1968 with a higher trim package than the standard 500 F. It featured tubular