Car Articles

Not among the powerhouse cars, but the Volkswagen Beetle is one of the car that enjoys immediate recognition, and it would not be inappropriate to say that it is one of the most famous vehicles ever produced. It was originally known as Volkswagen Type 1, but by 1967 the German car company resorted to nicknames such as the "Beetle" and "Bug" given by adoring public.

The 1967 Beetle featured a number of new improvements over its predecessors. The new version included a new name along with a new powertrain, a larger engine, and the electrical generator doubled its output as it was converted to a 12V system. Additionally changes were also introduced to the braking system, clutch disc, and various other features, making the '67 Beetle a totally different car than anything that had come before.

Porsche 911 has to be featured in any list of classic cars. It was originally designed to replace the smaller and less comfortable Porsche 356. When it was introduced in 1964, the 911 featured an air-cooled rear mounted engine and a five speed manual transmission. Though it contained four seats, it was not a true four seater as the rear seats were very small. Though the Porsche 911 has remained in production since its original introduction, many still value the older models for their classical styling and air-cooled engines.

The Maserati company manufactured the Maserati 3500 to tap into the growing Grand Tourismo market. And it resulted in a car that was not only powerful but also innovative. When the car was first introduced in 1957, a number of changes had been introduced to the initial prototype of the car. And by the end of 1962, a variety of other features were also introduced as standard features.

The '62 Maserati 3500 featured front and rear disc brakes, a limited slip differential, power windows, leather interior seating, and all of the power that one might expect from its six-cylinder engine and four-speed transmission. The 3500 also served as the basis for other Maserati products, such as the 3500 GTi.

Apart from the Model T and the Mustang, Ford had the GT40 that was mainly designed as a racing car (though according to race rules, at least a limited number of the cars had to be made available for sale to private owners). The GT40 had been made to compete with cars from Ferrari, after an attempt to buy the Ferrari company by Ford Motors fell through in 1963. The company made different versions of the car, labeled Mark I, Mark II, and Mark III, with the differences being largely the engine size and (in the case of the Mark III) the purpose for which the car was designed and built. These cars were made for limited use in Grand Turismo races, and hence anybody who owns this car considers himself extremely lucky.

The Aston Martin DB2 was developed with the sole intention to replace the previous Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports car. With a larger, dual overhead cam straight 6 engine, the Aston Martin was originally designed to serve as a closed coupe racing car. By 1953, we had a convertible version along with engine options that provided additional horsepower. Despite being in production for just about 3 years, it became a basis for many other Aston Martin cars, which proved to be popular on the racetrack as well as the roads.