Over on Hooniverse, Corvair racer UDMan has untangled the threads that make up the Sprinter's history, and it's well worth reading. I might just have to get a Sprinter for my next cross-country road trip!
[Hooniverse]

1955 was a helluva year for the American automotive industry, with prewar frumpery finally expunged from car designs and the economy bubbling over with optimism, plenty of dollars in the pockets of those millions of freshly minted GI Bill college grads, and Ike's promise of a vast new Interstate Highway System on the horizon. Car shoppers were ready to sign on the line that is dotted, and they did so in vast quantities. Naturally, most of us would feel pretty cool rolling in a '55 model year machine, but the price tags on most of the ones you can find nowadays make us think we're stuck in 1958. But if you're willing to plunge your soul into the hottest molten-sulfur-filled crater in Project Car Hell invest a little time and money into a project car, you can buy yourself a classic 1955 American car for 600 bucks or less. We've got one apiece from each of the Big Three, plus a car from one of the many doomed independents of the 1950s, so let's go shopping!

We might as start with the most expensive of the four: this 1955 Chevrolet sedan (go here if the listing disappears), for which the owner would like to receive 600 American dollars. Anyone who has been to a car show in North America during the last, oh, fifty years has seen several hundred thousand '55 Chevrolets, so there's no need to get into its storied history, the famous movie cars, or the inaugural year of the small-block Chevrolet V8. And speaking of V8s, this car comes with one! Is it the original 265, or (far more likely) a good ol' 350 yanked from Grandpa's wrecked Kingswood Estate wagon back in '82? Who can say? Who cares? You get a reasonably intact body and- maybe- a quasi-functioning suspension, plus every single interior and trim piece you could possibly need can be purchased from these guys.

The '55 Chevy is a great-looking car, no arguing with that (though I prefer the less "blocky" look of the '56), but you don't have many choices for the project that haven't already been done to death. 9-second drag racer, super-spotless show car, low rider, rat rod, whatever- 100,000 dudes got there before you. You might get a '55 Ford sedan, but even those are pretty common… but hold on a second, Henry- what about a '55 Ford wagon? What would you say if we told you we could put you in this 1955 Ford two-door wagon (go here if the listing disappears) for just $400? That's right, it's Ford's answer to the Nomad! The Ranch Wagon is just as cool as the Nomad and you can put a nice one together for about 1% of the cost of the Chevy. Check out this '57 Ranch Wagon to get a sense of just how good a mid-century Ford two-door wagon can look. This one has the standard PCH engine-sans-transmission setup, but that doesn't matter; you'll be dropping a supercharged 5.4 Modular out of an F-150 Lightning into it, anyway!

It's hard to argue with the appeal of a two-door wagon, but just imagine yourself behind the wheel of a two-door, Semi-Hemi-equipped '55 Dodge coupe, say for example this one for 500 bucks (go here if the listing disappears). It's in Michigan, which means there is might be extensive some rust, but so what? Two-tone paint job, tons of chrome, and a growling V8. Maybe you could go the rat rod route with this one, apply two shades of primer, and show those Ford and Chevy guys how it's done!

Do you really need to stay with the herd and run a V8, or do you want to go seriously old-school and pack a flathead six under your Kenosha cruiser's hood? Yes, you can buy a mostly complete proto-AMC for chicken feed, as proven by this 1955 Nash Statesman (go here if the listing disappears), which comes with a price tag of a mere 300 bucks. Three hundred dollars! The seller doesn't give us much useful information about this car, other than the extremely optimistic "super complete parts car not fixer upper" and the less encouraging "floor boards are rusted threw," but it should be a slog through Hades a walk in the park to get this classic sedan back on the road and looking good.

Of course, any one of these cars would make you an instant Legend Of LeMons, should you choose to race-ify it, though we'd prefer that you kept it street legal as well; that way you can drive it to and from the races, no trailer needed!

Accompanied by her wagon-sniffing poodles, she's found us this solid-looking Coronet station wagon in her neighborhood. While it was possible to get the '68 Coronet wagon with a Slant Six, most came from the factory with the good ol' 318 V8.

Alameda seems well-stocked with Darts; in this series, we've seen this '64 Dart coupe, this '64 Dart wagon, this '66 Dart GT (which I shot just down the block from today's car), this '69 Dart GT convertible, another '69 Dart GT convertible, this '70 Dart with Buick hubcaps, and this Malaisetastic '75 Dart Swinger.

This street boasts quite a few DOTS honoress; that's the '59 Ford F-100 a few spaces down from the Dart.

[via Edmunds Inside Line Twitter Feed]

Good Deal #1

What: Buy A 2010 Suzuki SX4 For Under $15,000
Where: Suzuki Dealers
Regular Price: $15,849
Black Friday Price: $14,599
Savings: $500 Holiday cash on top of current deals, for a total savings of $1,300.
Why Its A Good Deal: You won't find a better utilitarian vehicle in this price range. Better yet, it comes with an in-dash navigation system featuring Garmin software.

Good Deal #2

What: GM Dealer Closing Sale: $2,000 Off For Certain Customers
Where: Cadillac, Buick-GMC, Chevrolet Dealers
Regular Price: Already heavily discounted
Savings: $1,000-to-$2,000
Black Friday Price: Between $1,000 and $2,000 cheaper
Why It's A Good Deal: Nearly one-million customers living near a closing dealership will receive a letter in the mail this week offering them an additional $1,000-to-$2,000 to purchase a vehicle at a dealership staying open. Deal ends at the end of the month.

Good Deal #3

What: BMW Diesel Luxury Sedans — More Than 10% Off
Where: BMW Dealers
Regular Price: $43,900
Savings: $4,500
Black Friday Price: $39,400
Why It's A Good Deal: BMW is trying to get U.S. buyers to accept diesel vehicles as luxury vehicles and is putting $4,500 in cash where its mouth is. Powerful and efficient, BMW diesels at a discount is a great deal.

Good Deal #4

What: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V: $5,000 Savings
Where: Cadillac Dealers
Regular Price: $58,575
Black Friday Price: $53,575
Savings: $5,000
Why It's A Good Deal: The CTS-V is a world-beater and the few remaining 2009 vehicles on dealer lots qualify for a $5,000 cash back deal. It's the fastest stocking-stuffer on the block.

Good Deal #5

What: Remaining 2009 Dodge Rams Up To $5,500 Cash Back
Where: Dodge Dealerships
Regular Price: $21,510 - $39,935
Black Friday Price: Up To $5,500 Off
Savings: $5,500
Why It's A Good Deal: Dodge is hoping they'll have a few less 2009 Rams sitting under their tree and are offering up to $5,500 in cash back if you'll help rid them of a nicely-loaded one.

Bad Deal #1

What: Ford's Year-End Sales Event Unremarkable
Where: Ford Dealers
Regular Price: Fairly Cheap
Black Friday Price: $1,000 less plus 0% financing
Why It's A Bad Deal: Ford is not as poorly positioned as other American automakers so they're offering a measly $1,000 cash back and 0% financing. This is a good deal — on Black Friday 2006.

Bad Deal #2

What: Baja MotorSports Phoenix 250cc Street Motorcycle A Bad Deal Free
Where: PepBoys
Regular Price: $1,999.99
Black Friday Price: $1,499.00
Savings: $500.01
Why It's A Bad Deal: Even with a $500 discount you're still buying a cheap-for-a-reason Chinese bike that's going to require riding lessons, a license and possibly being abandoned two weeks later on the side of the road.

Bad Deal #3

What: Get Less Than 3% Off Of A BMW M3
Where: BMW Dealerships
Regular Price: $54,850
Black Friday Price: $53,350
Why It's A Bad Deal: BMW knows it has a great product in the M3 sports sedan and it's throwing its smallest cash back offer on them. For less than 3% off most buyers won't notice it.

Bad Deal #4

What: Get A "Free" Upgrade To An AWD Charger You Didn't Want
Where: Dodge Dealerships
Regular Price: $30,540
Black Friday Price: $25,700
Why It's A Bad Deal: Dodge has a slate of attractive incentives for those wanting to buy a new car from them, but the "free" upgrade to an AWD Charger is selling you an unpopular AWD upgrade instead of more cash off the car you actually wanted.

Bad Deal #5

What: Subaru Donates $250 To Charity For You
Where: Subaru Dealers
Regular Price: Regular Price
Black Friday Price: Still The Regular Price On Many Models
Why It's A Bad Deal: We think Subaru's "Share The Love " event is great for the five charities that get $250 when you buy their car, but it's not a great deal for consumers. Blame it on Subaru building cars people want.

Okay, let's all get together here and have a group hug over the '86 Eagle from yesterday. Rarely comes along a car, at such a price, that generates such unanimity among the Nice Pricians and Crack Piperarians, but this was such a car. Perhaps it was the surprise at seeing so nice an example of a piece of American automotive history at such a low price. Or, maybe it was just the warm glow the thought of a four-wheeling granny elicits in us all. Whatever the reason, grandma's Eagle received a nearly unprecedented 87% Nice Price vote. For the other 13% of you, you're still welcome here, but don't expect to get the first batch of Maw-maw's cookies- the special ingredient of which is love.

That Eagle was an AMC product with a transmission sourced from Chrysler, and was as comforting as an old sweater. Today, we've got a Mopar product with a transmission built by Tremec, and that is as comforting as an out of control freight train overrun with nut-sac chewing rabid chipmunks and with you, tied naked to the nose.

The Dodge Viper debuted as a limited-production car - and mind-blowing example of what Chrysler was capable of when somebody slips "E" in the drinking water - in 1992, five years after rocking the Motor City Auto Show as a concept. Powered by a Lamborghini-cast aluminum version of the then-new 490-cid pushrod V10 from the Ram pickup, the 400-bhp and 465 lb-ft of titty twist would provide eyeball-squeezing performance, and fuel economy only an OPEC minister could love. The acceleration of the Viper was so brutal that flabby men rocking the car would have their torsos re-shaped by the force - man-boobs flattened, beer bellies squeezed into six packs - exciting their 30-year younger female passengers until the next stop light when everything would return to its natural state of Dick Cheneyness.

Here's a '96 RT/10, the condition of which is, like all aspects of the Viper, a little rough. For that aura of hard use and patina of I'm not gonna' bother to blow all the dust out from under the hood, the car comes with an aggressive, Buy It Now of only $22,995. As the picture show some wear and tear that you might expect with an odometer rolling six, it's surprising that the seller claims only 50K on the clock. That's until you remember the stories of owners complaints about the build quality of the first generation Vipers. But it's not that bad, and a torn side bolster on the driver's seat isn't going to impede your tire-melting, full-throttle runs from gas station to gas station. And who wouldn't drop 23 large just for the RE DQLUS license plate?

So, check it out and and let's get down to bee's wax. It's a Viper; it's white with blue stripes, which isn't wood-causing, but could be worse; it's claimed to be rough but running, so barring any major mechanical issues, the Lambo-originated engine should be solid; and it costs less than your average V6 Camry. Now, comparing a used Viper to a new Camry is kind of stupid, I realize, but it's a handy point of reference, sort of like using Megan Fox to describe how attractive other women are- there's no comparison, but at least you get the idea.

But $22,995? What do you think, for that price, is this something you could sink your fangs into? Or, would spending that much mean you'd be taking it in the asp?

You decide!

eBay or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

According to AN, it's due to join the recently re-branded Ram brand of trucks for the 2012 model year, there's no official word on which engines will make it to this country. Production will remain in Turkey, indicating we won't get a 700 HP V8 version or even the Sebring's terrible 2.4-liter that manages to produce no power, yet freakishly poor fuel economy. Instead, we'll likely get Fiat's own 95 HP gasoline engine even though we'd really rather like to have the choice between one of Fiat's passable Multijet diesel engines, which will be offered in European Doblos in 90, 105 and 135 HP forms. Please Santa, make them bring it in with a manual transmission.

In Europe, small vans like this (the Doblo is based in the Focus-rivaling Fiat Grand Punto) are workhorses for small businesses, large families and urban delivery men, pushing interior space to the limits of the vehicle's footprint to deliver lots of space inside compact proportions. That combination of utility, fuel economy and the ability to fit into a parking space has to be experienced to be believed. After driving a diesel-equipped Transit Connect around London for six months, I'll never be able to settle for the poor size-to-capacity ratio of a pickup American-style minivan ever again.

Here's the press release:

World premiere New Fiat Doblò: meet the 'family space'

Meet the new Doblò, the Fiat car that is all about space.

A space to be shared with family and friends: a liveable space for people who travel and love to be in company; for people who choose the Doblò as a partner for leisure or work.

A vehicle designed to meet a need for functionality and comfort that makes the most of interior space and can accommodate up to seven people. An authentic 'family space' that can rely on top-class safety, economy and respect for the environment.

Compared to the previous version that sold approximately one million units, the new model has been completely revamped in terms of style, engines and technical specifications. These aspects make the new Fiat Doblò the "best in class" both in terms of space and in terms of reduced emissions.
All this has been achieved through the use of a new platform, more passenger space (with a wheelbase of 2755 mm, the biggest in its segment), a roomy 790 litre luggage compartment, reduced CO2 emissions (129 g/km with the 1.3 Multijet 90 HP engine, the lowest in its category), standard safety features and highly modular interiors with seats that can be folded and tilted.

Style and comfort

The look is very cutting-edge. With a central shield and side bumpers that are perfectly integrated with the body, the front end blends protection and sophistication while the pronounced wheel arch and sloping shoulder contribute to the vehicle's strong and agile look. The tailgate's essential lines emphasise the accessibility and size of the generous load compartment; clear, sparkling light clusters and expanses of glass give the new Doblò a touch of elegance.
The interiors have also been designed to offer functionality and create attractive, welcoming environments through combination of colours, materials and trims.
Smart solutions for the best use of on-board space, such as a range of storage compartments and flexible interiors, offering up to 7 places, will satisfy the needs of those who make the Doblò a car to be enjoyed with family or friends.

Environment and economy

The Fiat Doblò will offer 4 power units at its launch: a 95 HP petrol engine and three diesel Multijet engines, 90, 105 and 135 HP, which will later be joined by a Natural Power engine with dual fuel system (petrol and methane) and an additional diesel engine with Dualogic robotized gearbox.
All units are lively and offer smooth torque delivery. They are remarkable for driving satisfaction, excellent performance, low noise levels, low operating costs (fuel consumption and maintenance) and also for their reliability and eco-friendliness.
The range is available with Euro 4 and Euro 5 versions and offers a Start&Stop device as standard, which cuts off the engine temporarily when the car is stopped to guarantee reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

Safety

To ensure optimum dynamic behaviour, comfort and active safety in all road surface and load conditions, the vehicle has been equipped with innovative mechanical features including a bi-link rear suspension system available with various component calibrations depending on vehicle application. The Doblò's consistent and predictable road-holding is also guaranteed by the use of state-of-the-art electronic devices for stability control, namely ABS with electronic brake force distribution EBD and, above all, ESP complemented by a hill-holder system that helps the driver during Hill starts and comes as standard on this model.

The vehicle has been designed and built to achieve the highest levels of passive safety, due to a body with crumple zones, front air bags and innovative front side bags. The latter offer protection for both head and chest.
The vehicle also offers technical solutions and equipment that create optimum comfort conditions and help keep attention on the road: these include an automatic climate control system with distribution to rear seats, cruise control, parking sensors, a built-in Blue&Me hands-free system and a "Blue&Me TomTom" navigator.

The Doblò Cargo, also new, is at the top of the professional vehicle category

The new Fiat Doblò is joined by the new Doblò Cargo which has been designed to take its place at the top of its category in terms of performance and functional characteristics. It offers a more roomy load compartment than the previous model: square, regular, fully exploitable and equipped with sliding side doors and generously-sized rear doors to make light work of loading and unloading operations. Record-breaking statistics (interior length up to 2.2 metres, width between wheel arches of 1.23 metres, volume from 3.4 to 4.2 cubic metres, payload from 750 to 1000 Kg, combined fuel consumption of 4.8 litres/100 km and range of 1250 Km with the 1.3 Multijet engine) ensure that the new vehicle can offer substantial benefits in terms of optimisation and reduction of running costs.
The range finds expression in 7 different body types: short and long wheelbase van, high top van, short and long wheelbase 5-seater combi; a particularly appealing and brand-new short and long drop-framed version can be easily and cheaply converted for specific trades (refrigeration chambers, fixed and tilting flatbed trucks).

The new models are due to be launched from mid-January 2010, but it will be possible to order the vehicles from the end of November in Italy and from December in other European markets.

Turin, 16 November 2009

Though BMW and Toyota aren't the only major automaker to not make the list of 27 vehicles, they're the most notable considering Chrysler managed to get four vehicles on the list and Volvo managed the same despite having belts on their XC60 disengage in a side-crash.

Click on the thumbs in this gallery and you can see the full list of IIHS-ordained cars in each category. For the most part, it's a sign of the cars you're least likely to want to drive. For instance, they explicitly exclude the WRX and SI versions of the Impreza and Civic.

Large Cars:
Buick LaCrosse
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80

Midsize Cars:
Audi A3
Chevrolet Malibu built after October 2009
Chrysler Sebring 4-door with optional electronic stability control
Dodge Avenger with optional electronic stability control
Mercedes C class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Passat sedan
Volvo C30

Small Cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Kia Soul
Nissan Cube
Subaru Impreza except WRX
Volkswagen Golf 4-door

Midsize SUVs
Dodge Journey
Subaru Tribeca
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Honda Element
Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan

The HPP Daytona, first unveiled at SEMA earlier this month, is little more than a dolled-up Challenger R/T with the 5.7-liter HEMI. Nothing's been tweaked beneath the hood, but somehow they've managed to add styling cues of the classic Charger atop the new Challenger and make the whole thing work pretty well. The new nose cone fits perfectly with the new Challenger's lines and while we'd quickly toss the faux side details, we're liking pretty much everything about this monster-winged creation. Of course, we never really outgrew our love of Hot Wheels cars. Now if only Chrysler could make an interior worth working with. [Source: HPP]

Like the AK-47 assault rifle and the RPG–7 bazooka, the Toyota pickup truck has become an icon of irregular armies worldwide. When mounted with an anti-aircraft cannon or a rocket laucher on its bed, it is called a technical and technicals have helped militas wage and win war against armies equipped with mechanized divisions. There was even a conflict in 1987 called the Toyota War, in which Chad’s Toyota-equipped troops defeated Muammar al-Gaddafi’s Libyan army.

The practice is not local to Africa. In Afghanistan, it was an influx of Toyota pickups from Pakistan’s ISI spy agency which transformed the Taliban from a Kandahar militia to a force which took over most of Afghanistan with remarkable speed, defeating established mujahideen commanders with decades of experience.

This has nothing to do with good guys, bad guys or tribal affiliations and all to do with the Toyota pickup’s extreme reliability on hostile terrain. You have no doubt seen the famous Top Gear episode where a Toyota Hilux is subjected to every manner of destructive testing short of a thermonuclear explosion yet it keeps on ticking—but you may not have seen this image from 2002, where US Special Forces soldiers ride in a quad cab Toyota identical to the ones used by their Taliban foes:

But all that may be about to change.

The only clue is a few pixels of an illustration which accompanies Seymour Hersh’s latest piece for The New Yorker, where he reports on the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal—or its lack thereof. It was created by the acclaimed French illustrator Guy Billout and if you lean in close, the truck you see the Taliban soldiers riding in is rather striking:

It’s not a Toyota. It’s a quad cab Dodge—a Dakota to my untrained eye, but it could be a Ram as well. This might be an inconsequential detail if the magazine in question was not The New Yorker, famous for their fact checking team. And the truck is definitely not some sort of generic placeholder pickup: it has a Dodge grille.

Cooperation between American companies and the Taliban would not be without historical precedent. Back in 1995 before they conquered Kabul and became host to Al-Qaeda, Unocal executive Marty Miller was involved in negotiations with the Taliban leadership for a natural gas pipeline which was to run from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, straight through Taliban territory. While the deal eventually fell through, Miller visited Kandahar several times and at one point even had Taliban leaders flown to Houston for Christmas, of all holidays.

Perhaps Toyota, with its humbling losses and its exit from Formula One, has gone over the hill—while Chrysler has found itself a particularly lucrative market for trucks, where demand for new vehicles is guaranteed not by rebates but by American firepower. And nobody likes to stick with a loser. Least of all the Taliban.

Photo Credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images, TERENCE WHITE/AFP/Getty Images, Paula Bronstein/Getty Images, Guy Billout, EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images, U.S. Air Force

The ad was put together by the Richards Group of Dallas (who does all those great Bridgestone ads) and, according to AdAge, may be voiced by company founder Stan Richards himself.

We think the commercial is a bit much, trying to capture the Whitman-esque charm of the new Levi's commercials but, you know, while talking about a truck and not the American spirit. Either way, people who don't know who Walt Whitman is will probably be equally as moved. [AdAge]

• Ralph Giles told the crowd today that, unlike other companies, Dodge will continue to race and put more money into the Nationwide Series/NASCAR as well as more grassroots motorsports. The SRT team enjoys events like LeMons and it's a little investment that could build a lot of good will for the automaker.
• A new unibody pickup could replace the unloved Dakota.
• Yes, this does feel like DaimlerChrysler
• Yes, Ray Wert is a serial over-sharer
• The website CarBuyersBeware.com flew planes with banners around the headquarters of Chrysler today. It's affiliated with the Teamsters and their issue seems to be bad (i.e. non-union) car transport companies.

This image reveals a sloping belt line and strong curve building from the front to the shoulders, reminiscent of the 1999 Dodge RT Charger Concept (below) it seems to borrow heavily from. We're also told the new Charger initially had rear door handles in the roof line rather than the door panel — giving it a two-door look — but this was eventually dropped. Any other details stick out?

Sorry, we had to pull the video down. We didn't realize we weren't supposed to be taking video or photos in the session. — Ed. And it's back up!