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1950's Fiat 600 - Cars & Coffee EDH 5/10/25

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Ferrari 330 GT Shooting Brake, 1965, by Vignale. A one-off built for Ferrari’s US importer Luigi Chinetti, Alfredo Vignale retained only the doors and windshield from the donor 330 GT Series II that was used as a base car. It was shown at the 1968 Turin Motor Show but alas Vignale died soon after the car was finished. More recently it was owned by Jay Kay who sold it in 2018 for $313,000

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1982 Mazda 929 Cosmo

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Chevy Beretta z26

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Psychiatrists across the country have been proposing a radical new treatment for depression. That treatment is called "Owning Several Miatas," and it's sweeping the nation.

Like all successful pop-psychology treatments, the power is in its simplicity. Don't worry about the feelings of your in-laws, your colleagues, or your children. Fret not about your job, your bank account, and the government coming to steal any non-compliant underwear you might have in your dresser. Exposure to a whole buncha Miatas will fix it.

You might be doubtful. Perhaps you work for a rival automaker, and the massive, enduring outpouring of public love for Mazda Miatas is cutting into your attempt to produce some dour, joyless shitbox that has a soft top for marketing purposes only. I ask you: go look at a Miata for a couple minutes and tell me you don't feel better. Even when they're not running (which happens sometimes, nobody's perfect, not pointing any fingers at the huge turbo or the exploded radiator fragments on my garage ceiling) they're still capable of hauling you out of the worst moods that our modern society can put you in.

Still, there are problems. Mazda, despite their best efforts, has so far failed to produce more than one Miata for every human being on Earth. Getting ahold of the sufficient volume of roadsters prescribed by even the most conservative doctors may prove difficult, so you should start today. Remember: it's hard to be depressed that you have nowhere to park when every square inch of your property is covered in smiley-face toy cars.

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THE SLATE TRUCK SELLS YOU NOTHING

Slate isn't notable for putting out a small utilitarian truck. Basically every major player in the automotive world has some sort of small lightweight truck, even if they don't sell them in the US. Toyota could beef up its small $10k utility truck to meet US safety standards, tack another $5k-$10k to the tag for its troubles, and put out a small truck for the US market.

How do I know this? Because ford did it, and is making a killing with the Maverick. And the Maverick is doing great with demographics previously pleading for another ranger. A 4cyl hybrid for the city is even more practical than a pure EV. Which is to say on paper the Slate truck is actually late to the party when it comes to selling customers a stripper spec fleet vehicle, your electric company is going to be auctioning off dozens of fleet Mavericks by the time you can order a Slate truck off amazon.

Slate is in fact notable because it understands we hate screens. Not that this is the first company to do so (or even market it that way), but the Bugatti Chiron classes a majority of people who want their buttons back out of ownership and therefore should not be counted. What Slate says is "Screens suck, so we gave you none" in a way that Ford cannot, because they also make trucks with screens and tons of options. Don't throw stones in glass dealerships.

The thing is, it's effective. I'm tired of screens. I want my buttons. Electric windows I can do away with-- I would also make this sacrifice in a GT3RS -- and though a lack of a radio is bad actually, the dedication to absolute stripper spec is exactly what customers want right now. Cheap, no frills, no tech.

The Ford Maverick is, in my opinion, the better car if we're purely bench racing prices and specs. Yes, you have a center screen in the dash and electric windows and a slight price increase (though note how the Slate's pricetag is only competitive when marketed with EV incentives) but if we're talking light trucks with affordable pricing and actual paint.

Instead of the current light truck discussion that doesn't matter, here are a few talking points about the Slate truck to focus on instead:

The longevity of its "dent proof" composite body panels meant to be wrapped

The benefits and drawbacks of charging controls and other vehicle functions solely run off user cellphones

The SUV conversion rear bedcaps

The return of the single cab pickup

I don't think I'd buy one new, but could be a fun used truck to abuse and rip around in for sure.

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Vector AWX3 Prototype, 1992. Planned as a replacement for the Vector W8, the WX3 was to be powered by a proprietary 7.0 litre DOHC V8 engine. Planned by Vector Motors founder and chief designer Gerald Wiegert, the model designation stood for Avtech Wiegert Experimental 3rd generation. The prototype used a modified version of the W8's twin turbo V8. After a hostile takeover by the primary shareholder, Megatech, production of the AWX3 was cancelled.

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2001 Honda Model X Concept

My tumblr blogs:

www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935 & www.tumblr.com/swedishcarssince1946

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2001 Honda Unibox Concept

My tumblr blogs:

www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935 & www.tumblr.com/swedishcarssince1946

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Porsche 356C Race Car 1965. - source Bring a Trailer.

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2002 AC Mamba Concept

My tumblr blogs:

www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935 & www.tumblr.com/swedishcarssince1946

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Fitch Phoenix 1966. - source Amazing Classic Cars.

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Fiat 1500 Coupe - 1970

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Fiat 130 Familiare, 1974. The third of the Agnelli cars to be offered at auction is one I have posted about before. The 130 was Fiat's flagship saloon of the late 60's and early 70's, it was powered by a 3.2 litre Ferrari-made Dino 60º V6. Gianni Agnelli commissioned coachbuilders Officina Introzzi to make a long-roof estate version for his family and kept the car for 11 years.

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