Car FYI

1956 Ford Thunderbird at the 2009 Canadian International AutoShow (Photo taken by Chris Nagy) Recognized as being one of the most prolific auto brands, Ford Motor Company has produced well over 400 million automobiles entering 2025. Among one of their much-revered models celebrating 70 years since its debut, Ford’s Thunderbird launched as a near-perfect counter to the Chevrolet Corvette. With standard V8 power and added luxuries inside its two-seat 1950s interior, the Thunderbird enjoyed greater sales than its Chevrolet rival with 16,155 cars sold in 1955 making it an instant classic .  Produced between 1955 and 1957, the first generation Ford Thunderbird remains admired for how simply it combines elegance and performance. An attentive fan of the early T-birds will be further captivated by the year-to-year differences of the car. The glorious debut in 1955 was followed by improvements in 1956 and a significant exterior and interior update for 1957. By observing a few key details of...

The preservation of classic and collector cars is a matter many people take seriously. The adoption of ethanol and other alternative fuels has exposed some well-placed worry. (Photo taken by Chris Nagy) Gasoline is regarded as an essential ingredient energizing the classic or collector car world thanks to its popular appearance in over 130 years of vehicles. The 20-horsepower four-cylinder engine of the Ford Model T, the first small block V8s installed in 1955 Chevrolets, a 426 cubic-inch Hemi in a 1968 Dodge Charger and a 710-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 engine powering an ultra-exotic Ferrari F8 Tributo are all united by the use of a precious, flammable fluid.  Generations of automobiles have been able to depend upon a reliable supply of gasoline providing assurance that older vehicles can become beloved classics. This doesn’t mean there haven't been challenges for vintage engines when the formulation of gasoline would be changed. Up until the last decade, the biggest concer...

Defined for its distinctive design trait, the 1901 Oldsmobile Model R is commonly referred to as a Curved Dash Oldsmobile. (Photo taken by Chris Nagy) Throughout our daily interactions, there may likely be one or two words/phrases which may be relics from the past. One example is when someone says to “dial” a phone number derived from the existence of rotary dials that were found on older telephones. Despite rotary telephones being obsolete for decades, many of us are still comfortable using the word to describe when making a phone call.  For automobiles, a number of basic, longstanding design features and components have survived more than a century. Amusingly, in spite of massive advancements in styling and automotive behaviour, these parts of automotive anatomy have kept their names from the past. Even as attempts are made by auto companies to attach different and perhaps more suitable names to these features, the general motoring public and even die hard car enthusiasts prefer ...

  The 1968 Beaumont SD-396 (Photo Credit:  Elise240SX at Wikimedia Commons ) A time where immense horsepower could first be realized from relatively simple mechanics, the muscle car era is a wondrous occurrence in automotive history. An event billed on many vehicles that were produced in the United States, Canada also participated in the marriage of finely-formed sheetmetal meeting powerful V8 engines. Alongside the Chevrolet Chevelle being produced in General Motors of Canada long-time home of Oshawa, Ontario during the 1960s, a uniquely Canadian muscle car also rolled off the assembly line. From the 1950s into the late 1960s, the Canadian automobile market was furnished a large amount of vehicles built in the country. Due to import taxes between Canada and the United States at the time, there was a demand by some vehicle brands to create exclusive models for the domestic market. With Canadian Pontiac dealerships, their need for added models resulted in the creation of Acadia...