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D. Brian Smith

Recent Posts by D. Brian Smith:

OER Smart Battery Chargers Keep Your Muscle Machines Batteries Strong

Have you ever jumped in your 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang early on a Saturday morning to grab some caffeine and good vibes at the local Cars & Coffee gathering only to have the pony car not start? That slow cranking malaise sort of sound with no success sure is annoying. Or maybe your numbers matching 1970 Plymouth Superbird is only very sparingly driven and the battery has discharged. Perhaps that Trans Am 1969 Camaro Z28 had an outrageously successful vintage racing season, and it needs to be tucked away for a well-earned winter hibernation before next year’s campaign.

The 70th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

A 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier won Best of Show at the 70th edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, held Sunday, August 15, 2021. For the first time ever there were also 38 former Pebble Beach Concours Best of Show automobiles on display to welcome the 540K to this prestigious club of Best of Show winners at the pinnacle of vintage automobile events.

Living the Life of Riley - a 1977 Ford Bronco Ranger

Some collectible cars and trucks lead charmed lives. They have been driven, pampered, and renewed over the years by the people who have been and who currently are their caretaker. Such is the case with a very solid 1977 Ford Bronco Ranger, owned for the last 16 years by Mr. Dave Kunz of Glendale, California.

Fabulous Fords Forever - the 35th Edition

The Fabulous Fords Forever show made a triumphant return on Sunday, June 13, in Irwindale, California. Drawing more than 1,000 Ford cars, including Mustangs (Classic, Fox Body, SN95, New Edge, S197, S550), Falcons, Cougars, Thunderbirds, Broncos, and F100s, and thousands of Ford fans, the long-running So Cal show was a massive hit in it's first appearance at Irwindale Speedway!

1979-1986 Mercury Capri History - Mercury's Second Pony Car

Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.

The lead photo is of a 1983 Mercury Capri RS. A high-output 5.0L V8 that is backed by a five-speed manual transmission powers the low production Capri RS.

Ford Lincoln-Mercury's second pony car was the 2nd generation Mercury Capri. For the sake of clarity and brevity, its moniker was simply the Mercury Capri, as opposed to the Ford Lincoln-Mercury Capri. Like the Mercury Cougar from 1967-1974, the 2nd generation Mercury Capri (1979-1986) shared the Mustang chassis that Ford produced at the time. This go round though Ford manufactured an all new chassis for the Ford Mustang known as the Fox platform from 1979-1993, it's 3rd generation platform for the original pony car. In this article, we'll examine Mercury Capri history and how it changed from 1979 to 1986.

1960-1977 Mercury Comet History - A Midsize Innovator

Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.

The lead photo is of a third generation, 1966 Mercury Comet convertible that sports a 289 CI V8, a C6 three-speed automatic trans, power steering, power brakes, a dual exhaust, has black bench front and rear seat interior, and is shod with Anthracite hued Boss five-spoke wheels. Delightful!

The Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford introduced a big sister car to the Ford Falcon in March of 1960 called the Mercury Comet. Though still classified as a compact car, the Comet was a foot longer than the Ford Falcon. Back in the day it was called a “senior compact”. Having the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, many automotive historians now recognize the Comet as the first midsized car. Read on as we look back at Mercury Comet history across six generations, from 1960 through 1977.

1966-1996 Ford Bronco History: "Goes Over Any Terrain"

Before the professional sports acronym G.O.A.T. came to mean "Greatest Of All Time," it was the internal project name of the Ford Bronco and stood for “Goes Over Any Terrain.” With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, that project code name was very apropos. Thanks to the involvement of some pretty sharp individuals like Lee Iacocca and Donald Frey, there was a pretty strong chance that G.O.A.T. would be successful. History tells us that these are the very same two Ford employees who developed and created the magnificent Mustang behind Henry Ford II’s back. They also assisted Carroll Shelby with the Ford GT40 program that enabled Ford to outrun every automotive manufacturer, including Ferrari, at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. They repeated this astonishing feat in 1967, 1968, and 1969.

1960-1970.5 Ford Falcon History - It Flew High for a While

Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.

1955-1970 Ford Fairlane History

Photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc. 

The lead photo is of a fourth generation 1964 Ford Fairlane "Baby Bolt" hardtop that has just 9,200 original miles. The Baby Bolt has the same 289 CI small-block V8 with 271-horsepower that powers the K-code Mustangs. This Fairlane is ready for some drag racing, as it's equipped with a four-speed manual trans, Detroit Locker rear end, tow hooks, Sun Super Tach, and gauges. The car has all its original sheet metal and wears almost all its original Burgundy paint. 

What’s in a name? In the case of the Ford Fairlane, quite a bit. Ford Motor Company Founder Henry Ford and wife Clara lived in an estate on Fair Lane near Dearborn, Michigan. Ford produced the Fairlane from 1955-1970. In this article, we'll look back at Ford Fairlane history across six generations.

1957-1979 Ford Ranchero History - Rugged Utility with Classic Style

Ford introduced the Ranchero, a vehicle classified as a coupe utility, at the New York Auto Show on December 8, 1956. Though this was a new vehicle for the American market, some 22 years earlier Ford of Australia designer, Lew Bandt penned the first coupe utility in 1934. This was in response to Australian ranchers, who desired a vehicle that was rugged enough to haul livestock during the week and sufficiently elegant to go to church with the spouse on Sunday. This coupe utility became known as a ute in Australia. With a production run of 82 years (1934-2016), the ute was a smashing success down under. Read on as we take a look back at Ford Ranchero history from 1957 through 1979.