Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Malaise Era All-Stars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/17/malaise-era-all-stars-porsche-audi-corvette-/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/17/malaise-era-all-stars-porsche-audi-corvette-/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/17/malaise-era-all-stars-porsche-audi-corvette-/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

1976-1979 Porsche 930 - front three-quarter view, blue

A few weeks ago, we bid a fond happy 40th anniversary to the automotive dark ages of 1973-84 that have come to be known as "The Malaise Era" - the performance ice-age when 160 horsepower was a lot and a 0-60 time of under 10 seconds was remarkable. Like music in the 1980s, everything in automobiledom didn't suck, however. There were a few bright spots. Here are five of our favorites:

1976-79 Porsche 930, aka 911 Turbo Carrera (above)
Photo Credit: Dorotheum

While Chevrolet beat them by a decade with the turbocharged Corvair Corsa, the Germans more fully developed turbocharging through racing where General Motors couldn't. Early Porsche 930s (known technically as 911 Turbo Carreras) were a bit crude, with turbo lag that could be measured with an egg timer. They lacked an intercooler as well as brakes that were up to the task, but performance was sensational, with the buff books reporting 0-60 times of anywhere from 4.9 to 5.8 seconds and quarter-mile times of under 14 seconds. This was '60s muscle car performance at the height of the Malaise Era. Sadly, the 930 cost about six times as much as your average muscle car did.

Rob Sass is the Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars magazine. He is a regular contributor to the automotive section of the New York Times and is the author of "Ran When Parked, Advice and Adventures from the Affordable Underbelly of Car Collecting."

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Malaise Era All-Stars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiaudi quattroaudi ur-quattrocar collectorchevychevy corvettecollector carsdatsundatsun 280zxmalaise eramercedesporscheporsche 930Fri, 17 May 2013 16:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Happy 40th Anniversary to the Malaise Era]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/17/happy-40th-anniversary-to-the-malaise-era/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/17/happy-40th-anniversary-to-the-malaise-era/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/17/happy-40th-anniversary-to-the-malaise-era/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



2013 marks the 50th anniversary of icons like the Corvette Sting Ray and the Porsche 911. If Corvettes and Porsches aren't your thing, it's also the 50th of the Aston Martin DB5 and the 60th of the last great Packard, the Caribbean. Lost in the hoopla, however has been any mention of the fact that it's also the 40th anniversary of the Ford Mustang II, the de facto standard bearer for the automotive dark age that came to be known as "The Malaise Era."

Pollution regulations, safety standards and a fuel crisis that saw pump prices skyrocket created the perfect mediocrity storm that forced Americans - and most of the rest of the world - into cars that were as bland and gutless as the Carter administration. The start of the malaise era is roughly marked by the Arab oil embargo of 1973 and the resulting great muscle car extinction, and it lasted until the introduction of the 200 hp + Buick Regal Grand National and the Ford Mustang GT 5.0 in 1985. Here are some of the malaziest from the era.

1974 Ford Mustang II (above)

The Pinto-based Mustang II nearly killed the Mustang franchise. Its sole claim to fame being a bit of product placement on the original Charlie's Angels series. Plain chick Sabrina drove the notchback Ghia model, smoking hot Kelly (played by Farrah Fawcett) naturally got the Cobra. But the joke was on her - its smogged-choked V8 put out about 140 horsepower. In a rare moment of understatement, Road & Track simply called it "neither fast, nor particularly good-handling."

Rob Sass is the Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars magazine. He is a regular contributor to the automotive section of the New York Times and is the author of "Ran When Parked, Advice and Adventures from the Affordable Underbelly of Car Collecting."

Continue reading Happy 40th Anniversary to the Malaise Era

Happy 40th Anniversary to the Malaise Era originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1974 ford mustang ii1977 chevy camaro z281977 ferrari 308 gtb1978 ford fairmount1978 peugeot 504 diesel40th anniversarymalaise eraWed, 17 Apr 2013 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[The best of Amelia Island's "What Were They Thinking" class]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/12/the-best-of-amelia-islands-what-were-they-thinking-class/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/12/the-best-of-amelia-islands-what-were-they-thinking-class/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/12/the-best-of-amelia-islands-what-were-they-thinking-class/#commentsFiled under: ,



The Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance is a serious car show in the sense that it's run in a highly professional manner and features high-caliber cars and judges, but not in the sense that it takes itself more seriously than any car show should.

Proof of the latter was the "What Were They Thinking" class of automotive oddities at this year's event, which happened over the weekend. Our friend Rob Sass, Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars Magazine, was at the show and submits these five as his favorites:

1974 Fascination (above)

Looking like a prop from a bad sci-fi movie or a "cars of the future" illustration from a 1930s issue of Popular Mechanics, eccentric would-be auto tycoon Paul M. Lewis originally envisioned the car to be propeller-powered. Eventually, he abandoned the idea of a pedestrian Cuisinart and settled on this Renaut-powered creation. Five of these oddities were build in Sidney, Nebraska before Lewis' obviously saner board members ousted him and put an end to the madness. All five cars survive today in the hands of just two collectors.

Rob Sass is the Publisher of Hagerty Classic Cars magazine. He is a regular contributor to the automotive section of the New York Times and is the author of "Ran When Parked, Advice and Adventures from the Affordable Underbelly of Car Collecting."

Continue reading The best of Amelia Island's "What Were They Thinking" class

The best of Amelia Island's "What Were They Thinking" class originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amelia islandamelia island concours deleganceel tiburon roadsterfascinationfeaturedshorty mustangspohn convertibletg 500 tigrewhat where they thinking classTue, 12 Mar 2013 19:14:00 EST