JANUARY 2012 STARS IN TRAFFIC: CARS OF CUBA 2012-A TIME MACHINE TO THE 1950S

JANUARY 2012 STARS IN TRAFFIC: CARS OF CUBA 2012-A TIME MACHINE TO THE 1950S

Imagine a place with a perpetual 1950s car show in a tropical climate that rarely dips below 70 F.

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DECEMBER 2011 STARS IN TRAFFIC-BREAKING THROUGH THE TIME BARRIER

DECEMBER 2011 STARS IN TRAFFIC-BREAKING THROUGH THE TIME BARRIER

There are two sure ways to travel back in time-the Starship Enterprise is one way. Simply loop around the sun and get up to Warp 10 in reverse orbit and watch the clock roll back.

The other, more realistic way to travel back in time is much simpler. Look for the old iron in traffic because one well placed 67 Cougar or 55 Chrysler is an instant step back in time. Old iron takes a whole row of new cars back in time through sheer presence so a 48 Cadillac can confer an antique aura on a brand new Hyundai.

That's a good thing so here are some mscc Stars in Traffic for December 2011.

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NOVEMBER 2011 STARS IN TRAFFIC-CLASSY OLD RIDES ON THE ROADS OF TODAY

Cars have always been a case of function over form for the owners. Any doubts are quashed by studying sales charts-4 door sedans have outnumbered convertibles every for almost 100 years.

That's why impractical old iron is so welcome in today's ultra practical car era. Anything without fins, excess chrome or neon colors generates just one conclusion – this is a catastrophic loss in style points but function does triumph over form.

Case in point...safety engineered crush zones in new iron just don't stimulate debate like a classic Boss 302 Mustang-Z28 Camaro debate.

Here are some classic old rides in new traffic.

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OCTOBER 2011 STARS IN TRAFFIC-CLASS AND HISTORY AND A KID'S IMAGINATION

There's a national campaign to "take a kid to a car show". It's a great concept, but it works even better when the car show comes to the kid.

That's what happens when a classic ride suddenly appears in the humdrum world known as modern traffic. Kids have an incredible imagination but even that doesn't give them the tools to conjure up anything like a 1951 Studebaker , 59 Buick or 70 Superbird.

Old iron like that evokes a very universal an instinctive reaction in every kid. It's the same 3 words every single time "Daddy, what's that?"

Do yourself a favor if you don't know-take your kid to a car show so you learn how to tell him or her what "that" is...

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