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D. Brian Smith

Recent Posts by D. Brian Smith:

1955-1970 Ford Fairlane History

 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.

1959-1974 Ford Galaxie History - Inspired By the Space Race

Ford’s marketing team named the full-size Ford the Galaxie. This was an effort to capture some interest in the car with an association to the Space Race that held the attention of the U.S. during the 1950s and 1960s. For the 1959 model of the full-size Fairlane 500, the top of the line Galaxie name was added. The Fairlane models moved to an intermediate platform in 1962. Galaxie now encompassed the full-sized Ford offerings. Read on as we examine Ford Galaxie history across four generations from 1959-1974.

The Mercury Cougar - 8 Generations Strong

 

The Lincoln-Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company produced the Mercury Cougar from 1967 through 1997 and from 1999 through 2002. Throughout the Cougar's 34-year production run there are eight distinct generations of the car.

1964-1972 Mercury Cyclone History: Great Looks & Racing Dominance

The great-looking and eventually race-dominating Mercury Cyclone was produced from 1964 through 1972. Formerly known as the Comet with the S-22 performance package, the Cyclone started off life as the performance version of the compact Comet, from 1964 through 1967. In this article, we'll take a look back at Mercury Cyclone history and some of the details that made this model a legend.

1968-1976 Ford Torino History - Performance & Panache

When Ford Motor Company introduced the Ford Torino in 1968 for the North American market, it was intended as an upscale variant of the intermediate-sized Ford Fairlane that Ford produced from 1962-70. The car was so well received by automotive journalists and consumers, it wound up replacing the Fairlane nameplate altogether for all trim, powerplant, option, and accessory levels after the 1970 model year. The car is named after the city of Turin (Torino in Italian), where famous automakers Alfa Romeo and Fiat are located. Turin is known as "the Italian Detroit".

The 71st Annual Grand National Roadster Show – Classic Industries Event Coverage!

 

Having been held 71 times, the Grand National Roadster Show is the world's longest-running indoor car show. Classic Industries has been a part of this venerable event on several occasions, most recently for the show that was held Friday, January 24 through Sunday, January 26. Over the three days, 50,000 fans witnessed first hand the more than 490 world-class muscle cars, roadsters, hot rods and customs inside the several buildings at the Pomona, California Fairplex. Especially on show-Saturday, there were also well over 700 cool cars and trucks that drove in carrying more muscle car mavens and hot rod heroes that graced the outdoor landscape of the L.A. County Fairgrounds. 

Scratch & Dent Sale -- 3rd Time Was Magic!

Shopping and searching for great bargains is a big thing during the Holidays. With the rousing success of the first two Classic Industries Scratch & Dent Sale blowouts, held in May and August of this year, we decided to have a Scratch & Dent Sale Holiday Bargain Bonanza. On Saturday, December 14, we sought the help of one of Santa's Helpers direct from the North Pole and extended an invitation to Classic Industries local customers to our Huntington Beach Retail Showroom for great deals on open-box, less than perfect and clearance restoration parts and accessories.