Not much represented gaudy performance cars American muscle in the 1990s better than the Pontiac Firebird. This convertible 'Bird is decked out like he just did 120 down Findlay, Ohio's main street. [Cars Photos]

"Son, you know how fast you were goin'?" If we saw this red, white and blue P71 Crown Vic in our rear-view mirror, we'd hope to hell it was five under. [ZipperHead's MySpace Page]

When the 2009 Corvette ZR1 recorded a world-beating lap time of the Nurburgring, it sure made us proud to be Americans. But, let us not forget the monster 'Vettes that went before it, like this 700+ HP Le Mans racer from 1976 that was good for over 216 MPH down the old Mulsanne straight.
[greenwoodcorvettes]

Political statements weren't exactly the goal here, but this crusty-looking Cougar lovingly painted in Old Glory, sitting in the front yard of a semi-abandoned house certainly is a study in contrasts. [SideSalad.net]

It wouldn't be a Jalopnik Automotive Amerigasm without a nod to the places that make American automotive history so great. Eddie Izzard may joke that he's from "Europe, where the history comes from," but the relative young age of the auto industry means our automotive history is as old and rich as anyone's...and of…

After yesterday's top ten silver screen police car chases, we're continuing our week-long Amerigasm with the top ten real police car chases. Because whether you're rooting for the baddies to make a clean getaway, or for the long arm to catch 'em, there's nothing quite like a good ol' real-life American police chase.…

Mr. Siler just dropped a load of seeming anti-American sentiment in the midst of our week-long Amerigasm, commenting on the lack of desire to buy American cars. Though the piece was reasoned, it's time for those of us who believe the U.S. of A. is the greatest and the best to explain why we're going to overcome this…

We just read Car & Driver's recent salute to five vehicles demonstrating all that's right and good with American car companies. Although they're right to be pointing out five great products, the Amerigasmic rah-rah fest left a bad taste in our mouths. Not because it's slightly sycophantic, but merely because it's…

In hindsight, we needn't have bothered with a poll in yesterday's Top Ten Best Car Ads Of The 1970s, because Ricardo Montalban's Corinthian Leather tour de force obliterated the other nine competitors with a 56% share of the total vote (the Top Ten Best Car Ads Of The 1960s vote was much closer, with the winner…

Police car chases are as much a part of American cinema as the sappy love story and the life-like animated robot movie. With so many directors having tackled the police chase it has become a bountiful field from which to pluck perfectly formed flowers of destruction and tire smoke. As we continue our Jalopnik…

We saw the 'I like it going up and down' Mini run away with the vote in the Top Ten Car Ads Of The 60s poll yesterday, and today we continue the Fourth Of July Celebration Of Vehicular Consumption Series with- you guessed it- the 1970s. The decade of Watergate, the Fall of Saigon, oil embargoes, 5 MPH crash…

We're celebrating Independence Day with a week-long automotive Amerigasm heading down two diametrically opposite roads. The first, started yesterday, is a salute to the best car commercials — a celebration of the conspicuous over-consumption that made this nation great. The second road is one we'll be traveling at…