Saturday, December 21, 2013

Santa's Sleigh


Santa's Reindeer get a break, the Econoline is doing the work!

1961 Meteor


The '61 Meteor was not the final Meteor. The name was revived in '64, but based on the Mercury body. The unique Meteor trim returned and they also used many Ford parts, such as interiors and wheel covers. The Ford line-up of standard six and optional eight cylinder engines replaced the standard Mercury 390 V-8. Essentially, the Meteor was a combination of both Ford and Mercury. Production of the "second version" Meteor ended in 1976.

Canadian 1956 Meteor Rideau Sunliner


In Canada the Meteor was just a slightly different trimmed Ford and the Monarch was a slightly different trimmed Mercury, both the normal Ford and Mercury and Lincoln models were sold in Canada at the same time. Also personally I don't see many Meteors or Monarchs in Canada, you do see them, but not very often, as their numbers were small originally, let alone our harsh winters have destroyed many of them.

Australia has had some very unique and cool cars, especially in the 1970's and the present day Falcon, but in reality we have had more cool cars in a higher volume in Canada and the U.S. than Australia has had *no hard feelings Aussie friends*, we have had Mustang, Cougar, LTD, Torino, Cyclone, Falcon, Comet, Marauder, Fairlane, Galaxie, Monterey, Continental, Mark Series Coupes, F-Series, M-Series, Ford and Mercury Econoline vans, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Town Car, Cobra, and the list is even longer than that. So if anything the U.S. and even Canada has had more cool cars than the rest of the world has ever had, that is why they often import cars from here.

Ford really needs to sell the Aussie Falcon globally! and we can sell our Mustang globally as Ford has already announced that, maybe a even trade? we can send some Mustangs for some Falcons?

Mercury Cougar Fastback


What do you think? I've seen only a few rare photos of people who have built a Mercury Cougar fastback themselves, but have you ever seen any Cougar fastback project photos or in person?

1957 Monarch Richelieu


1957 Monarch Richelieu from Canada, basically a rebadged Montclair.

The Monarch was a Mercury in Canada, we had both Monarch and Mercury here at the time, the Monarch was sold at Ford dealers and the Meteor was a slightly design tweaked Ford sold at
Mercury-Lincoln dealerships in Canada. The Monarch Richelieu is basically the Mercury Montclair. They also sold Mercury M-Series trucks at Mercury-Lincoln dealerships, they did this because our dealers were often far apart in Canada back then, so a town or area might only have a single Ford or a single Mercury-Lincoln dealer, and they didn't wanna sell Fords beside higher end Mercury-Lincoln cars but they still wanted something priced under the Mercury, so they took the Ford and made it more upscale slightly in design and that was Meteor and they took a Mercury and slightly tweaked the design and that was a Monarch. The Monarch was sold along Fords at the Ford dealerships. So Monarch was based on the Mercury and the Meteor was based on a Ford.

1967 Mercury Cougar


1967 Mercury Cougar Dan Gurney Special! at the now torn down Beaman Lincoln Mercury dealer in Nashville, TN.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Merry Christmas

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The Wreath Is On The Door

The wreath is on the door
And the snow is on the tree
God has laid His holy hands
On all that we can see.

Be quick to raise your voice
And praise what He has brought.
Keep now His love in every choice
And Christmas in every thought.

Merry Christmas

Monday, December 2, 2013

Sunday, December 1, 2013

The Most Embarrassing Cars To Drive

In a recent CarInsurance.com survey, 1,500 licensed drivers were asked to look at photos of 12 vehicles made in the last decade and decide if they would be embarrassed to be seen in them. Then they were asked to rank the three most cringe-worthy.

The cars they singled out as the most embarrassing were, well, not that surprising. Almost all of the vehicles on this list employ some pretty strange exterior aesthetics or come with a well-known and negative stereotype -- some much more than others.

The company then gave the cars a "Cringe Score," which represents the relative weight of all votes cast for a particular vehicle, based on a 1 to 10 scale. A single vote meant the person would be embarrassed to drive the car.

 “All these cars are bold statements. You either love them or hate them,” said CarInsurance.com managing editor Des Toups.

Click through to see the cars that people actively avoid driving. Is yours on the list?

12. Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

Cringe Score: 0.3

The Murano CrossCabriolet is ambitious, but it doesn't work. It looks ridiculous, is far too expensive and just doesn't make any sense. We've only ever seen a couple on the road (and we think those were owned or at least driven by Nissan employees). It's not surprising that people found this undesirable.

11. Chevrolet HHR

Cringe Score: 0.7

With a similar body style to the Chrysler PT Cruiser (yes, that's on the list, too), the Chevrolet HHR was either loved or hated before it was discontinued after the 2011 model year. Its plasticky look coupled with round lines and cheap-looking paint made it look like more of a toy than a legitimate vehicle.

10. Honda Element

Cringe Score: 0.9

Boxy and covered in plastic, it's not too shocking that people said they'd be embarrassed to drive the Honda Element. Although it's a highly versatile vehicle, especially for pet owners, there's just no getting past the fact that it looks pretty goofy. The Element was discontinued after the 2011 model year.

9. Chrysler PT Cruiser

Cringe Score: 1.0

The Chrysler PT Cruiser achieved infamy through its ability to wedge even the closest of friends and families apart with its odd retro design. Although many said they'd be embarrassed to drive it, the hatchback enjoyed a surprisingly long life and Chrysler sold more than a million of them. The Cruiser was scrapped in 2010, replaced by the Fiat 500 when the Italian company took over.

8. Pontiac Aztek

Cringe Score: 1.4

This is one of the ugliest cars ever made, plain and simple. In fact, we're surprised this isn't up higher on the list of cars people would be embarrassed to drive. Just look at it: Its bizarre headlights, awkward rear end and gag-inducing paint job combine to create a Frankenstein's Monster of a vehicle.

Unsurprisingly, the Aztek only lasted from 2001 to 2005.

7. Lincoln Town Car

Cringe Score: 1.6

Although it's a classic luxury vehicle, the Lincoln Town Car just screams "senior citizen," which factors in greatly in its place on the list of cars people would be embarrassed to drive. The Town Car may be one of the most comfortable cars on the planet, but it's understandable that not many people want to be associated with its reputation.

The Town Car was discontinued after the 2011 model year.

6. Subaru Baja

Cringe Score: 1.6

The Subaru Baja is pretty weird. Half-pickup, half-car, it looks like someone took a chainsaw to the back of an Outback. There's no question that it's a useful piece of machinery, but Baja owners should prepare to be subject to some pointing and laughing.

5. Volkswagen New Beetle

Cringe Score: 1.9

Volkswagen reintroduced the iconic Beetle in 1997, and it had a pretty good run, winning some awards and becoming one of the most recognizable cars on the road. The main problem was, and continues to be, the fact that many see it as being feminine, even in darker and more neutral colors. The redesigned Volkswagen Beetle has addressed these concerns, employing a much more aggressive look.

4. Chevrolet SSR

Cringe Score: 2.1

The Chevrolet SSR, which was discontinued back in 2006, is an open-top, hot rod truck that employs a giant 6.0L V8 engine along with some truly bizarre aesthetics. Sure, it's fast, but with a front end that looks like the face of an offended robot, it's easy to see that people would be embarrassed to drive it.

3. Hummer H2

Cringe Score: 3.5

The Hummer H2 is likely unloved due to the fact that it portrays a couple of undesirable qualities: disregard for the environment and, um, overcompensation. According to the survey, the H2 scored especially bad with women, likely because of its ludicrously overblown masculine design.

2. Nissan Cube

Cringe Score: 3.6

The Nissan Cube is pretty weird, and it's not surprising to see it on this list. What is surprising, however, is that the older you are, the less likely you are to consider it embarrassing to drive one, according to the study. That's bad news for Nissan, as the Japanese automaker designed and marketed this car for a younger generation.

1. smart fortwo

Cringe Score: 7.6

The poor smart fortwo can't get any love. Although it's a pretty good car in the city, it's really not well-suited to much else, including looking cool on the road. Participants in the survey thought the fortwo made drivers look "like they couldn't afford a full-size car," also calling the car "dorky" and "ugly." Apparently, the smart fortwo is the most embarrassing car to drive.

Source:  autos.aol.com