balthazar

The point is not whether the respective companies are issuing PRs but where they are found. toyota's piece came from the media, GM's from their website. A company can issue a PR a day but if it never gets picked up or published by the media, it never becomes 'news'.

1964: 330 V-8 - 26"W x 28"L x 27.5"H 394 V-8 - 30"W x 32"L x 29"H 330 weighed about 560 lbs, 394 weighed about 700 lbs. This is the first instance (the earlier 215 V-8 was Buick-built). In later years the 350 and 455 also were co-existing small & big blocks, and there are other times & engines that fit that criteria.

Conflict: >>"There were 27,720 Corvettes sold in 1966, and that was the highest number produced in any year?"<< >>"The largest ever production run of the Corvette, 53,807 units sold, was 1979?"<< It is a lot of info, but there is a bunch of 'overlap': ie: '1968 was the last year of the 327' and '1969 was the first year of the 350'. Good read anyway.

Aerodynamics is seldom visually evident.

whoops- math mistake: I was looking at 1843 and thinking 12 years to '65 instead of the correct 22. I had thought HML created Lincoln as an independant company and then sold it to Ford. What early Ford involvment I am overlooking? In fact I am considering SAH membership.

I am rather well versed in domestic automotive history, but not so well in vehicles never imported here. Frankly, most foreign makes in general fail to interest me. Leyland was too young for the Civil War (b; 1843), and it's interesting to note Lincoln was formed in order to build aircraft engines for WWI. That said, he indeed was a great man, & industrial pioneer. I am searching for a biography of his life- not sure one exists.

I know what it is...

Sixteen cylinders of Cadillac power, baby.

It's alright if you enjoy horrifically dangerous transportation. Too wide of a rim for a given tire puts a lot of strain on the bead & the sealing of the tire, esp in cornering. Real innovative of those europeans to reintroduce the blowout as a 'in thing' again.

Spoiler is actually nicely styled, but it is oversized and visually uneccesary. But so are the rocker moldings. The functional fender air extractors look great, however.

If you understand the nature of the terms 'small' & 'big', you know that the answer to your question is: they 'came out' the same year. Ford had a very small flathead V-8 that was called the "60" because it had 60 HP. It was only 136 CI and came out for '36. This was in addition to the 221 flathead that appeared for '32. I've seen the 60 out of a car and I know my own 239 flathead V-8 and the size difference is unmistakable. Not sure where the 221 fits in tho. The 239 came out in Mercs for '39, so at least as early as 1939 Ford had a small & big block, or it may be '36 if the 221 is notably bigger. However, I have not heard the terms 'small block' and 'big block' applied to Ford motors from this era ('30s and '40s). Post-war, Ford was running their 292 & 352 V-8s when they brought out the 430 for '58. I am certain that this is a bigger block than the 292/352. Across town, Plymouth did not get a big block offering until they gained the corporate 413 for 1961.

Rear overhang looks perfectly normal to me... in fact everything current looks too damned short.

Nope; that's not it.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive...rs/1267876.html

I saw an insight a few weeks ago driving by on U.S. Rt 1. Both the vanity plate and the banner stretched by strings across the door read "66 MPG". Was probably a lot more relevant when gas was over $3 gal instead of the $1.90-and-falling-daily rate it's at now. Whatever butters his buscuits, I guess.

I cannot see in the least how HUD would be considered 'gimmicky' in actuality. Oh I forgot; because it's in a GM vehicle. My bad.

God-awful: grille, slots, grille, askew logos, grille and rims. And grille. Not to mention the base car they started with. Grille remind anyone else of this?:

Gee, thought I'd get a bunch more guesses, tho I know I skew vintage too much for most here. Well, rather than repost the pics with their IDs and not wanting to just post a list, I have modified my opening post with the answers. Hope some were eye-openers for those that checked this thread (not many would expect a 160-MPH speedo in a Stude (tho Walt might!)).

Well, at least some of you guys are awake. Thanks Sixty8.

It's not so much the lower ("skeg") fins, it's the detailing. The taillight bezels are just pasted onto the rear fascia, not melded to the sheetmetal at all. There is no trim along the decklid and the unqiue rear grillwork is gone. I don't like the manner that the fins terminate at the deck either. Up front: in-line headlights & grille nearly always is the hallmark of a cheaper-priced make, ala Chevy or Plymouth. '62 fixed a lot of these gripes, but IMO the '61-62 aren't 'really' Cadillacs. There's a world of difference between '60 and '61. I would love to own a '60 (almost did once) but would never consider a '61-62. Skip forward to '64 and I'm back as a fan again. Just my opinion.

Chevy's small block in '58 was the 283 (an enlarged 265).

Typical move for a japanese make- increase displacement to increase HP.

I could not care less about oprah. She's ultra-annoying.

I have yet to encounter a "negative, trashy, cheap" image associated with Pontiac, so I cannot agree in the least that that is "reality". And I think the only people who think saab is "premium" are those employed in their marketing department. Their image may not be negative (again- I don't believe Pontiac's is either), but it's not all that great and it's not progressive, and that's at strict odds with the premium segment. >>"GME needs SAAB more than GMNA needs it"<< Fine, then pull saab stores from the U.S.. Or sell off saab to a european corporation. It'll never pay off.

Nothing; there was only 1 block in '55. There is no 'small block' in '55 because...... there's no 'big block'. It's merely popular reference that terms the '55 a "small block". After all, it was all by it's lonesome for only 3 years, then it's had a big block brother for the next what- 48 years?? The term sticks. First off, I would be surprised if the questionaire got the '1958' answer right- there is a surprisingly great deal of confusion over how the 'small block', 'big block' terms came about. I would just about guarantee you it'll say the answer is "1955 Bel Air. But in fact 1958 is factually correct. And as far as I can tell from my reference, the 348 could've been ordered in any '58 model, which would be the Del Ray, Biscayne, Bel Air or Impala.