BMWs Run Deep in this Family of Fives

The E28 BMW 5-Series is a very restrained product of the sex-obsessed 80s. Its sober lines and monolithic appearance still make it an imposing machine today, although it’s much more than its look that have made this family get one for each member.

Ford Explains Why the 2015 Mustang Remains a True Mustang in Interactive Graphic

Six generations and 50 years since the first Ford Mustang was produced, the all-new 2015 Mustang still carries over the design themes launched by the original model. The challenge for designers was to make a modern Mustang without giving up on its traditional styling cues that make it instantly recognizable.

Original Bentley Turbo R with Rolls Royce Phantom Snout Pegs the Question Why?

You can have a field day with all the Rolls Royce Phantom replicas we've shown you through the years, ranging from the typical Chrysler 300 conversions to China clones and head-scratching BMW 7-Series, Nissan Patrol, Ford Excursion and Hummer-based cars, but this one has us stumped, as it's actually built on an original Bentley Turbo R.

Volvo's First Sports Car Turns 60 This Year [w/Videos]

Before the more famous P1800 coupe, Volvo built another sports car, called the Volvo Sport. Launched on June 2, 1954, the two-seater roadster was actually the company’s first sports car.

Classic Mercedes SL Gullwing Crashes and Burns

There’s a very good reason why those who participate in the Mille Miglia have been, from 1977 on, held back from driving it like an actual race. A total of 56 drivers died between 1927 and 1957, after which it was put on hold completely for two decades, before being reborn the way we know it today, as a slow-paced historic rally.

Barn Find 1992 BMW 525i E34 with Just 14,708 Miles

Built from 1988 through 1996, the E34 is a car that changed many perceptions about BMW's 5-Series in the executive sedan category with a more modern approach in styling as well as mechanical and technological solutions than the shark-faced E28. It's not easy to get a low-mileage sample these days, but it's not impossible either, as this eBay find proves.

This Polish Jaguar XJ Runs on a 1.8-liter Ford Diesel

I don't know how many of you agree, but I find Jaguar's XJ40 series (built from 1986 to 1994) as one of the brand's better styling moments in the segment. Of course, that has nothing to do with what the previous owner of this 1990 Jaguar XJ did to his/her car.

This Honda CR-X / Civic del Sol has Seen Better Days

Honda's 1990s Civic del Sol, also known as the CR-X del Sol in some parts of the world and the last generation CR-X in Europe, wasn't the Japanese brand's proudest styling moment – without the rear spoiler it looked like a cartoonish pickup truck, but this tune makes the original look gorgeous in comparison… 

Skoda Celebrates 50th Anniversary of its First Rear-Engined Car, the 1000 MB

For those of you who grew up in communist countries like I did, the Skoda 1000 MB is a familiar car. Now, at its 50th anniversary, the compact model is one of Skoda’s most iconic models, as it was the brand’s first vehicle that combined a rear-mounted engine with rear-wheel-drive, independent suspension and unibody construction.

Rare Bristol Brigand Type 603 with Chrysler V8 for Sale in Lancashire, UK

The Bristol Brigand (Type 603) has been in production pretty much unchanged since it was introduced in 1976 – it’s the only car in the world whose spare wheel also acts as part of a side crumple zone, in the event of a frontal crash. 

Buick Regal Celebrates 40th Birthday, We Look Back at All Five Generations

Four decades ago, Buick introduced the Regal nameplate as a mid-size luxury vehicle for North America. Since then, the Regal was produced without interruption across five generations - except for a five-year hiatus in the 2000s when the car was only available in China.

The nameplate was first used on the 1973 Buick Century Regal, which was an upmarket model in the Century line and one of GM’s first “personal luxury” cars.

Launched with a standard 350 cubic inch (5.7-liter) V8 engine, the Regal shortly started downsizing, as it had to face a major crisis during the 1970s Arab oil embargo.

The event forced manufacturers to use smaller engines and the Regal was the only mid-size vehicle in the U.S. to switch from a standard V8 engine to a V6 unit. The trend continued over the years, with Buick turning to turbocharging beginning with the 1978 Regal and continuing until today with the Opel Insignia-based model.

But let’s go back to 1973 and see what each of the Buick Regal’s five generations brought to the automobile world.

 

First generation: 1973-1977

The first Regal’s main styling cues were the large swooping bodylines and opera windows. Offered with many luxury features at the time, the ‘73 Regal coupe sold 91,557 units, helping Buick surpass its 1955 all-time sales record. The 1975 Regal was the only mid-size car in the United States to come standard with a V6 engine.

 

Second generation: 1978 - 1987

Downsized from the previous generation, the 1978 Regal came with a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6, making Buick the first mainstream brand to offer a turbocharged unit. This breakthrough would pave the way for the 1980s Grand National and GNX.

 

Third generation: 1988 - 1996

The trend of scaled down cars continued in the U.S. and the third-generation Regal was no exception. The Regal underwent a major technical change, switching from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive. Power came from an all six-cylinder engine lineup including the 3,800 V6.

 

Fourth generation: 1997 – 2004

Just like the 1973 model, the 1997 Regal became once again an upmarket version of the Buick Century. The 1997 Buick Regal GS debuted with the brand’s first supercharged V6 engine, rated at 240 hp and 280 lb-ft (379 Nm) of torque.

 

Fifth generation: 2009 - Present

After a five-year period during which Buick built the Regal only for China, the fifth-generation Regal debuted on the Chinese market for 2009 and a year later in the U.S. Based on the Opel Insignia, the Regal also saw the introduction of a high-output GS model for 2012. Introduced in 2013, the 2014 model is the first Regal to offer all-wheel-drive. Today’s Regal is equipped with its most-powerful standard engine in the car's history, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 259 horsepower and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of toque.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY