Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Classic Bits

MOSS PAPER CAR MODELS PART 2

YESTERDAY IN PART 1, I began modeling the Moss Motors Ltd cut-out model of the Austin Mini. Today, I get downright serious with scissors and adhesive. I also recall the … Continue reading

April 30, 2020 · Leave a comment

MOSS PAPER CAR MODELS PART 1

I WAS RECENTLY emailed a selection of Moss Motors Ltd cutout paper car models. Three caught my eye, the original Austin Mini, the original Austin-Healey Sprite, and the MG TC. … Continue reading

April 29, 2020 · Leave a comment

MG A 1600 MK II—ABINGDON’S MULTITUDE OF A’S

OLD CAR ENTHUSIASTS (these first two words with or without a hyphen) associate the name MG with classic sports cars, its TC, TD, and TF variants, as well as the … Continue reading

April 25, 2020 · 8 Comments

LUCIEN BOSSOUTROT—A SORT OF FRENCH CHARLES LINDBERGH/STEVE MCQUEEN/BERNIE SANDERS/ NOAM CHOMSKY PART 2

FRENCHMAN EXCEPTIONAL LUCIEN Bossoutrot was more than a pioneer aviator. Today in Part 2, we’ll see why I can include Steve McQueen, Bernie Sanders, and Noam Chomsky in my Bossoutrot … Continue reading

April 24, 2020 · Leave a comment

TRAVELING IN STYLE—1935

SHELTERING IN PLACE encourages wanderlust, and what more beautifully vintage means of travel than a 1935 Bowlus Road Chief? This particular example, with direct ties to the Bowlus family, was … Continue reading

April 11, 2020 · 2 Comments

1952 BRM V-16—AN ADAGE VERIFIED PART 1

LAURENCE POMEROY HAD this to say about racing machinery: “The first instance of novel principle is invariably defeated by the developed example of established practice.” In his classic motor racing … Continue reading

April 7, 2020 · Leave a comment

RECALLING THE AUSTIN MINI MOKE

WHO CAN FORGET the Mini Moke? Certainly not me, because had it not been for this minimalist offspring of the Austin Mini, I would likely not be writing SimanaitisSays today. … Continue reading

March 30, 2020 · 1 Comment

LATTER-DAY RAZOR EDGES

WHEN THE MUSEUM of Modern Art in New York City celebrated the automobile in 1951, its catalog commended the razor-edge styling of one of MOMA’s eight cars by observing “the … Continue reading

March 12, 2020 · 2 Comments

JAGUAR XK-120—LEAPING BEYOND 120 MPH

THE 1948 EARLS COURT Automobile Show was Britain’s first after World War II. The country had yet to evolve from wartime austerity: Cars were fueled by 70-octane “Pool petrol.” Chocolate … Continue reading

March 7, 2020 · 4 Comments

THREE SUPERLATIVE DELIVERY VEHICLES

THE POINT OF April Fools Road Tests in R&T was to poke fun at the magazine’s testing procedures, not the vehicles being evaluated. This was particularly important when I approached … Continue reading

February 20, 2020 · 5 Comments