Simanaitis Says

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Category Archives: Classic Bits

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

FERRARI F2002—A HIGHPOINT IN F1 HISTORY PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN our celebration of the Ferrari F2002, the car that propelled Michael Schumacher to his fifth (of seven) World Drivers’ Championships. Today in Part 2, we see the … Continue reading →

February 17, 2020 · 2 Comments

FERRARI F2002—A HIGHPOINT IN F1 HISTORY PART 1

FERRARI AND MICHAEL SCHUMACHER absolutely dominated Formula 1 in 2002. In one sense, such dominance might have translated into boredom. But there are plenty of tidbits gleaned from recounts of … Continue reading →

February 16, 2020 · Leave a comment

CONTRASTING SPORTS CARS SIXTY YEARS AGO

IT’S DIFFICULT to define “What is a Sports Car?,” and all the more so when considering the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Super Sprint Speciale and Lotus Seven America, both tested in … Continue reading →

February 1, 2020 · 1 Comment

FERRARI 156 F1—SNARLING BEAUTY

TODAY’S FORMULA ONE cars are technically fascinating, but not especially esthetic. No. Make that downright ungainly. By contrast, the first Ferrari mid-engine GP cars of the early 1960s were things … Continue reading →

January 30, 2020 · 1 Comment