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Article by Raymond Spencer

The day of the tremendous sized gasoline guzzling SUV might not be about, but it can be absolutely in a state of alter. Thanks to modern power acutely aware surroundings, and a actual push from federal government, car makers are having difficulties to meet demands for much better gas performance. This is no modest job, as customers are overwhelmingly unwilling to sacrifice their eight passenger SUV. Customers want an vehicle with far better fuel mileage, as lengthy as it really is nonetheless an SUV.

SUV sales have dropped in the final two years, but that drop is measured towards an total decline in all car revenue. It is unclear no matter whether the drop is from an total dissatisfaction with the model, or simply a outcome of tighter purse strings. What at any time the trigger, the SUV of the future will provide a bit much better gasoline efficiency without having sacrificing something in the way of luxurious and dimension.

In 2009, Kelly’s Blue E-book named the eight passenger Tahoe Hybrid the finest new household automobile, and GMC is speeding up it can be hybrid development to be capable to deliver these SUVs quicker and with greater top quality. In spite of advancements, the Tahoe only boasts a 25% increase in gas effectiveness. That twenty five% improve is in fact very excellent compared to most hybrid SUVs, which only enhance their mileage by about 18%.

8 passenger hybrids are turning out to be far more and more typical. The Dodge Durango Hybrid and the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid are each good selections for an eight-passenger SUV. The two have boosted their fuel efficiency to roughly 22 mpg. The Durango will start at about $ forty,000, and the Chrysler Aspen comes in at all around $ 35,000.

There are a lot of eight passenger SUVs in present day market, the two hybrid and standard. With the a lot of options to pick from, spend some time purchasing the various sellers to make sure you get the best worth.

Write-up by classics

In 1914 Les Kelley, the son of a preacher from Arkansas, built his way to California at the age of 17. He had no income or job, but he owned an old vehicle which was in fine shape since he was a useful mechanic and had overhauled it himself.

His friends admired his automobile simply because it was so effectively looked after and supplied to acquire it.

He ultimately sold it to one particular of them. Les Kelley then started to purchase, fix and resell automobiles. The money which he made by buying and selling employed automobiles paid his way via higher education.

Kelley Vehicle Firm – Los Angeles – 1918.

Then in 1918, he parked three Model T Fords in an open good deal, and commenced the Kelley Auto Organization which was to turn into the largest dealership in the entire world. As buying and selling continued he discovered a need to have to maintain a listing of the latest values. This list of updated utilized car values sooner or later became identified as the “blue e-book”.

In the early 1920s, to help obtain new stock, Les Kelley distributed to other dealers and to financial institutions a listing of vehicles he wished to purchase and the costs he was willing to spend for them.Then in 1926 Les Kelley made the decision to broaden his checklist of automobile values/charges which he had been generating because 1918, generally simply because the automotive local community commenced to trust his judgement to create an exact reflection of current values.

When a client asked a seller what his employed vehicle may be really worth, the dealer usually referred to Les Kelley’s checklist. As the demand for his listing by dealers enhanced Les Kelley realized that he could supply an ongoing service to equally dealers and bankers.The Classic Vehicle Blue E-book – Les Kelley – Kelley Blue BookOnce the checklist was expanded he named it the “Blue Book” after the Social Register, simply because it meant that you would locate useful information inside it.

The Blue E-book offered a factory listing cost and the money appeal of 1000′s of cars from Cadillacs to Duesenbergs. As time went by and Les Kelley’s Blue Guide became properly acknowledged it was the norm for automobile buyers and sellers to refer to this book for info.

Consumers and sellers ended up searching for some sort of standard cost reference and the Blue E-book crammed this void really effectively. The classic vehicle blue e-book provides independent guidance for enthusiasts who are either in the acquiring or marketing marketplace.

A lot of traditional auto proprietors had no thought about wherever they could locate the present price of their vehicles. As a end result of this uncertainty many automobiles are offered well under their existing marketplace values.This final results in a bargain for the purchaser, and an unfamiliar loss for the vendor. These situations would be isolated, but if you are fortunate ample to find a classic being sold for effectively beneath it really is present market place value, it is your fortunate day.

Basically the term classic auto blue e-book has grown from the authentic Blue book of vehicle values and highlights the unique techniques of searching for various types of car prices and values in the Kelley Blue Ebook.Traditional car proprietors and other individuals seeking for the latest price values for their vehicles use internet search conditions as “classic vehicle blue guide” and “Traditional automobile blue e-book value”.Right now the Kelley Blue E-book offers a extensive assortment of publications for the automotive industry. From traditional early designs and late product used cars to motorcycles and Rvs. Kelley Blue Guide is the range 1 source for the most thorough automotive price data.

The existing “Blue E-book” can be acquired for all around $ nine.95.It provides retail, non-public social gathering and trade-in values for utilized cars, trucks, and vans covering the last 15 a long time. There are further more specifics available at &lthttp://www.classic-vehicle-restorer-and-trader.com/blue-e-book.html&gt

Cheers, Bob Welcome

Many folks have dozens of questions that they inquire themselves when they are getting their first car. They are not confident what sort of auto they ought to get or if they need to purchase new, utilised, or if they really should get any auto at all. What are the 1st measures you should consider and questions that you really should consider about when you are considering about purchasing a new or new to you auto?

To start with, you must determine regardless of whether youd like to buy a new automobile or a used automobile. The response to this problem is dependent primarily on your revenue stage. If you have a continual full time work and a large income stage, it may be a clever concept to purchase a brand new auto rather of a employed one particular.

If you are a pupil or if you are struggling to make ends meet, it may well be smart to get a used car. If you are getting a used vehicle, try out to make positive you get your auto from a reliable dealership with great client satisfaction ratings. Often get a CarFax report before you acquire your utilised automobile. This will tell you how numerous earlier owners the vehicle has had and what issue it is in.

As soon as youve made a decision on whether to get a new auto or used vehicle, you need to then decide on what sort of vehicle you want. There are dozens of diverse auto businesses out there. If you are unsure, commit a tiny time searching the net and looking for what different varieties of cars that you like, but never feel limited by a particular firm.

Pick a auto based mostly on your requirements. If you are likely to be hauling a good deal of devices for your task, then it may possibly be wise to get a pickup truck. There are numerous various kinds of pickup trucks out there that meet the needs of dozens of different revenue levels. If you might be uncertain about what you want, spend some time studying diverse varieties. Feel about what kinds of materials or objects you’ll generally be hauling, and get a pickup truck that can meet that require.

If you have a large family members, it may be clever to get a minivan. A minivan can support you transport the kids back again and forth to college and their soccer games and their other essential occasions. When you have a family in which a lot more than one man or woman drives, it may be smart to get a minivan and a vehicle that seats a couple of added folks. This will assist make transportation easier and far more manageable.

If you are a student, you will probably want a car that is electricity effective and reputable that will previous for a long time. Deciding on a car that is great with fuel mileage will no question help with your gas bills!

There are hundreds of various vehicles out there, and what vehicle you will pick will determine on you and your passions. The only issue is: To get a new auto or to acquire a employed auto? The response is merely for you to make a decision.

At diverse times in daily life, the urge to use a traditional auto will emerge, this leaves one particular with the selection of possibly buying a traditional auto, which might flip out to be high-priced or renting one particular. A lot of people will take into account renting a classic auto especially if they will only use it on a single single event. Unlike buying, renting a traditional automobile is a lot more pocket helpful and offers a single the alternative of acquiring the greatest vehicle for the situation.

There could be distinct reasons to why 1 will need to have a traditional automobile. For case in point, a single may be getting an occasion to celebrate e.g. wedding, birthday, anniversaries. One may well also need to have a car to shock a person else, probably generating a grand entry to an event, delivering a unique present to a buddy and so on. just before a single considers renting 1, they should consider the quantity of money they are planning to devote on the vehicle, the magnitude of the event, the quantity of days the occasion is to take, the distance to be traveled and ones information of the automobile.

For the past decade, automobile rental has been regarded as one particular of the less complicated and classical methods to organize ones function and give it that stylish touch everyone aspires.

This has seen increment of vehicle rental businesses. Although the firms could be a lot of, discovering the appropriate organization has not been an simple process. Depending on ones location, it may be less difficult to get a traditional automobile if one lives in the vicinity of a significant state. For that reason, 1 really should research the internet to know which organizations near him/her provide rental solutions. If one particular lives far from the metropolis, it perhaps challenging to discover a rental classic but if one particular requires time most likely, he/she will uncover a auto.

One particular the other hand, 1 has to have a chain of close friends. Mostly, folks may have information of a traditional car rental company or know a person who they may well have witnessed them with a traditional.

Chatting to somebody who has when rented a classic vehicle will give 1 an insight of how significantly they will have to price range for. There are also distinct web sites that specify in car rental solutions. One ought to get up to date on each and every offered vehicle rental business in their achieve.

In renting the car, there is the choice of ‘onetime’ renting, this is exactly where 1 just walks into the rental firm and pays a particular sum for a specific auto. This choice has the limitation of 1 not obtaining the sought after vehicle accessible given that the vehicle may be rented to an individual else, it really is also an pricey way to rent a automobile as opposed to joining a auto rental club. Even though in vehicle rental club a single has to shell out a certain registration price, 1 will be able to get the sought after automobile at a significantly decrease volume and auto availability is guaranteed at any presented time. This also allows the registered members to have access to the new vehicles in the renting organization.

Automobile rental may be inexpensive but registering in a car rental club/firm is even cheaper!

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Welcome to Almost everything About Vehicles.

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Autos own been an obsession for human beings from the time of this conception in the late 19th century.

If vehicles had a heart, it would no doubt be the gasoline engine.

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A controversy in the 21st century, the gasoline motor has nonetheless withstood the test of time and is even now getting employed today in most modern automobiles.

Numerous folks, if their budget materials it, turning into collectors of automobiles. During the years, hundreds of designs have manufactured their entrance, had their time of glory, and produced these kinds of a exit. Gathering vintage automobiles is a passion sole available to individuals who can find the money for it, however, as it is expensive and demands a whole lot of garage area. The servicing of cars is totally essential to any collector it really should be of utmost value that the autos be shiny, mechanically functional, and predicted to be taken for any whimsical spin deemed required.

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For numerous, nevertheless, vehicles are little far more than a practical instrument of locomotion.

It is understandable then, which the controversy adjoining the gasoline engine has now reached drastic proportions. Vehicles can be driven by new-age hybrid motors which depend on an electrical again-up technique-only using gasoline combustion when definitely necessary. These motors can windfall autos minimize their emissions of carbon monoxide.

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There is a coming decades for automobiles – 1 that remains elegant nevertheless adapts to the contemporary world’s requirements. There ought to be nothing far more luxurious than adapting classic automobiles to new, hybridized technologies. This is why the long run for automobiles, vehicle collectors, and environment-pleasant functionalists is a vibrant a single.&#thirteen

people usually like to buy vintage because it boring, to think that such vehicles. However, I’ve seen a lot of people with a large collection of these old cars. They only collect as a hobby and not really about the cost. Some of these cars do not even work properly because they are very old. It is a healthy demand for cars in the market and regardless of the vehicles condition. I have some friends who are drooling at car magazines and they are willing to pay exorbitant sums for the purchase of these cars. You should know that these cars are a bit different from the current harvest. The mechanism is a bit different and so I would recommend you take the car for a test drive, can to see it pretty well under control. look

If you buy a place for those old-timers, I would recommend you keep your eyes open for any of the cars shows that might look like in your town. There are a few dealers with cars that are still under repair. These cars are expensive to the latest products in comparison, even if they are old. So you will not find a middle class man with a classic car in his collection. These cars are usually bought in the upscale audience. The cost of the cars also increase if it is older than the “classical” value increases and so, if you are buying vintage cars, the best time to do it right now to think rather than later.

Think it negotiate with the dealer when you buy classic cars. The value of this car is not fixed and the dealer to beat any price he wanted for the car. The asking price is the asking price and nothing else. It is easy to negotiate with the dealers and hard to bring it down. But do not try to pull cost too much because then the dealer may get turned off. Vintage cars are kept in private possession of the rich people and therefore they will be reluctant to sell it at a low price.

car can be used to invest money. You can buy a vintage car and then sell at a higher rate later on the market. Keep the vehicle as long as you can and see the price of the car go up gradually. You will make much profit by selling their old cars. You must also have patience as good sales of such cars. Do not be disappointed if people do not appear if you are the ad in the local newspaper first. There is a great interest in these cars and make it more buyer. You can also good money by selling old parts on the market. There is a good demand for it too.

If you hate to see a lot of money in the bank and when to mobilize them to invest in classic cars to keep. Do some research on the Internet and learn about the cars that are in good demand in the market.

Attention all fans of classic cars: Now the weather is gradually getting warmer and daylight hours longer lasting in the evening it’s time to delve into those dusty garages and get get your classic car. The Independent website has reported that “there is something about classic cars, which is interesting by itself as a new”, and each vehicle is unique with a subtle grace – “moves with the charm of a grand old lady instead of loitering teenagers” .

Such gracious traditional cars are common when the weather is nice enough to show them is made in its full glory. It has no sense to invest all the money in a vintage car, only to be poor weather, the beauty will stay away rust -. Keep it hidden in a garage over the winter means that there seems to be ready for action in the summer

took a Portuguese car owners’ keep it hidden “to a whole new level when 180 cars in a warehouse . Lisbon, Portugal found

After CarCarCompany.com, “the owner of the car was a car dealer in the 1970s and 1980s, and decided the more interesting cars that would save through his door” – but apparently they forgot the So that’s where she was gathering dust for over 15 years!

It was reported that the long-forgotten camp showed an impressive collection of European classics, including rare models from Jaguar, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Lotus, Mercedes and Austin Minis, the to save in a state appear to be -. the exterior could be a brush need you, but I bet the interior is immaculate and untouched by the dirt

overlooked dusty warehouse, with many classic gems, sounds like the to show a perfect opportunity for American Dirty Car Artist Scott Wade to turn his artistic skills covered in dirt cars in fascinating works of art achieve what dirtycarart.com described as “astonishingly detailed shaded drawings” – but for us to know classical enthusiasts, we want what the . future for this miracle saved

found is that it was bursting with classic cars –

into an empty farmhouse, which has been free for over 15 years welded shut just stumble on a barn that quite frankly like a thorn in the side looked Imagine

The phrase “curiosity killed the cat”, but in this case, curiosity was a rare collection of vintage vehicles, which are estimated at just over after CuriousType.com million -. maybe not so curious bad?

Vietnamese government has measures to restrict the development of motorcycles already introduced as the end of 2004 the Vietnamese government issued a restriction on motorcycle licensing requirements as a number of reasons why the rule does not effectively implemented may be 2006 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference APEC, the success of the Vietnamese government decided to correct the motorcycle to improve its investment and attract foreign investment the country people are looking for new travel tool looks to Vietnam 39 s quot quot Investment Report January 12 2009 will report recently in Ho Chi Minh City held quot to accelerate the development of public transport for the gradual reduction in car quot workshop in the investigation report shows that each city to through traffic from the irrational HU 10 billion dollars in losses quot quot culprit causing the motorcycle Currently Hu motorcycle ownership in the city of 3 7000000 grows an average daily growth rate in 1000, the direct losses caused by traffic accidents is about $ 74,000,000 annually, such as integrated assessment, including fuel waste, and clearly the cost of Transport land-use waste etc will achieve annual losses reported 10000000000 $ , facing the bike is down effects on the environment 30 times higher than the bus Vietnam 39 s motorcycle design with serious challenges br br motorcycle motorcycle market, the turnover of the end of 2008 survey is that motorcycle testified in favor of the brand awareness of motorcycle sales in a poor state known the motorcycle market in a downturn Pakistan Siu-road a Honda motorcycle proxy store sales in previous years, this time to 300 motorcycles a month and are now selling less than 100 Yamaha SYM and Suzzuki and imported motorcycle sales agent in the event of a similar number of customers patronizing Significant price reductions in many brands motorcycles and some prices for sale were among the producers on ThanhT announced sales staff that the import of motorcycles such as HondaPS SH Spacy and other marketing problems five sold one days sometimes has difficulties in marketing Piaggio motorcycle demand in Vietnam, the company vice president said agents spring Piaggio motorcycle sales in 2008 by about 50 Taiwan CPI motorcycle dealers Kangling manager was in the past said period of its monthly sales of only about 30 motorcycles br br Phenomenon motorcycle market decline continued in 2009, the financial crisis, some Vietnamese began to seek low prices, the costs for small environmentally friendly can jam in the state of transportation in this form, the electric bike to facilitate transporting the birth of some motorcycle manufacturers have started to make a transition to electric Bicycles and even some motorcycle companies began to assemble electric bike Vietnam currently has three electric car assembly plants, the main components from China equipped production of small bad bad quality process backwards, some motorcycle manufacturers active in the preparations for production assembly and electric vehicles are imported electrical bicycle because of its convenience, economy flexible fashion, and now pressure on the global oil power electric bicycles are more and more as people of all age groups is the Vietnamese market is full of all types of machinery and electronic products from China electronic products Fashion Children imported 39 s products and all kinds of daily use, etc. a variety of prices compared to the Japanese and Korean products cheaper in countries such as Europe and the United States, Vietnam to the public 39 s Favorite Now, China has Vietnam 39 s fifth largest trading partner br br Vietnam 39 s electric car popular motorcycle market is gradually narrowing the traffic jams in Vietnam and the development of electric cars will inevitably strengthen Vietnam 39 s co-relations will be eased

A Mustang Boss 302 is another car that has been advertised on the classic cars for sale classifieds old ride trader website. This nineteen seventy classic car has a four speed manual gearbox and has been finished with a medium blue metallic exterior and a black interior colour. The mileage on the clock at the time of writing is seventy seven thousand seven hundred and thirteen miles. This is a two door restored nineteen seventy Mustang Boss 302. Buyers or collectors of classic cars interested in buying this classic car can find the details of the seller on the old ride trader website. The seller of this old car has the vehicle available for viewing and inspection in the city of Charlotte in the state of North Carolina in the United States of America.

The old ride trader describes this nineteen seventy Mustang Boss 302 classic car as follows, quote ‘The Ford Boss 302 is an outstanding case of a market adjustment. For years these cars, like their Boss 429 brothers, were living in the shadow of their GM counterparts. Z/28 Camaros were bringing big dollars but the equally potent Mustang lived in its shadow. Recently, however, the Boss 302 is getting its due with market values escalating putting the Mustang on par with its Camaro competition. If you want a Boss 302 now is the time to buy because they will not be getting any cheaper. This 1970 Boss 302 is one of the nicer ones that you will see anywhere. With the newfound appreciation for these cars there is a greater push to restore the best ones properly’.

The description of this Mustang Boss 302 is continued by the old ride trader website, quote ‘For years a lot of them were hobbled with sub-standard work but with collector interest growing by the day, it is getting harder to find one that is not jaw dropping gorgeous like this Grabber Blue one. The bodywork is stunning. If there is a better muscle car shape than the fastback 1969-1970 Mustangs, I do not know what it might be and this one looks better than they ever did rolling off the assembly line. Panel gaps are excellent and there is a character crease running from the nose to the rear wheel well lines up from panel to panel and is laser-straight. Poor craftsmen will often end up sanding it into more of a suggestion than a line trying to get it perfect but on this classic car the sanding job has been performed with excellent skill’.

People who have classic cars for sale and want to publicize that they have street rods for sale, muscle cars for sale, old cars for sale, hot rods for sale, trucks for sale, motorcycles for sale, antique cars for sale, vintage cars for sale or sports cars for sale, can do so by accessing http://www.oldridetrader.com to place their classic car classifieds for free.

Visit Classic Cars For Sale Classifieds to place your classic car classifieds for free.

To learn more about Classic Cars For Sale Classifieds and how to place your free classic car classifieds offered by Old Ride Trader visit this link Classic Cars For Sale Sports Muscle Old Street Hot Rods Trucks Motorcycles Auto Trader Classifieds.

Sureterm Direct is the UK’s largest classic car insurer and we know instantly when a car has appeared in a popular TV or film as enquiries for classic car insurance for that particular model shoot through the roof.

So here’s the first installment of our guide to the most famous TV and film cars on the planet. We’ve even included a van – see if you can guess which programme that’s from!

TV Programme: Ashes to Ashes

Car: Audi UR quattro:

While the star of the show is Gene Hunt, a fictional police detective in a TV series set in 1980’s Britain, his bright red Audi UR quattro plays more than just a supporting role.

The car sprang into real life in 1980 and with 4WD and a whole raft of amazing other German car-making wizardry packed into it, the car became an instant cult classic.

Brilliant on the road, brilliant on the rally scene. And now in much demand thanks to Gene Hunt. If you can lay your hands on one – do it. Easy and cost-effective to insure.

Our star rating: 4 stars

TV Programme: Kingdom

Car: Alvis TE21

Fruity old thespian Stephen Fry plays an East of England lawyer in this gentle comedy drama and he scoots around Norfolk in a fabulous Alvis TE21 drophead – sparking an interest in classic cars from a whole new generation.

Alvis is a weird marque. In the best part of 50 years from 1920 onwards, the Coventry-based firm produced cars that were noted for top quality, great handling and a nifty, sporty character. The TE21 model arrived at the end of 1963 – and with a stiff suspension it could shift a bit.

The TE21 was pretty heavy yet managed a very respectable top speed of over 120mph and was available with automatic transmission or a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a very, very stylish classic – and a restored version could easily set you back ?100,000.

Our star rating: 2 stars

TV Programme: The Sweeney

Car: Mk1 Ford Consul GT

When ITV in the UK screened The Sweeney for the first time, the programme marked a whole new concept in cop shows. Previously fed a diet of boring old ‘bobbies’ like Z-cars and Dixon of Dock Green, The Sweeney had fast cars, swearing, sex scenes, drinking and extreme violence.

And it made household names of main characters Reagan and Carter. In series 1 and 2 the mainstay of the CID crew was a copper brown Mk1 Ford Consul GT, reg NHK 295M – although in later series, Ford Granadas were the norm.

The Consul had front bucket seats as standard, a central floor-mounted remote control gear shift and the speedometer, fuel and temperature gauges all had black non- reflecting dials.

The Consul ‘L pack offered special seats, loop pile carpet colour keyed to the interior, vanity mirror, heated rear screen, clock and trip mileage recorder (not that the Sweeney ever bothered with anything within the law!). No surprises then, that they went for the GT pack option, which included the larger 3.0 V6 engine – capable of 0-60mph in 9 seconds.

Our star rating: 2 stars

TV Programme: Inspector Morse

Car: 1960 Mk II Jaguar

In Colin Dexter’s novels, grouchy copper Inspector Morse’s car was a classic Lancia, but ITV used a Jaguar MK II 2.4 from the start of the television series. In fact, the Carmen red Jag became so iconic that new editions of the earlier novels have been changed so that Morse’s car is a Jaguar!

The Jaguar Mark II ‘a compact four-door saloon’ was introduced in October 1959, at a price of just ?1,534.00 and was made until 1967. Morse’s Jaguar is a 2.4 litre model with a twin overhead-cam 6-cylinder 2,483-cc engine giving 120 bhp.

It’s a bit slow for TV coppers, only capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 17.3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 96.3 mph, but Morse didn’t exactly need to burn around the university city of Oxford. Jaguar made almost 84,000 Mk11s, 25,070 of Morse’s 2.4 variation.

Our star rating: 3 stars

TV programme: James Bond films

Car: Aston Martin DB5

Spy 007’s love of fast cars is evident all the way through the original Ian Fleming novels and when they eventually made the silver screen, car lovers everywhere drooled over his gorgeous DB5.

The 1963 DB5 is famous for being the first and most recognised Bond car, featuring notably in: Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale, while it also made background appearances in The World Is Not Enough and Diamonds Are Forever.

The DB5′s engine had been enlarged from the previous DB4’s 3.7L to 4.0L, while the addition of a five-speed transmission and three SU carburetors enabled the car to pull 282hp and propel it to 141 mph (238 km/h).

Standard equipment on the DB5 included reclining seats, pile carpets, electric windows and a fire extinguisher. All models had 4 seats and 2 doors. The UK recommended list price of the sports saloon (coupe) in December 1963 was ?4,248 including Purchase Tax, the convertible was ?4,562.

Our star rating: 5 stars

TV Programme: Dukes of Hazzard

Car: 1969 Dodge Charger

Testosterone-filled teenage boys remember a couple things about the Dukes of Hazzard – Catherine Bach’s never-ending legs (and pert bum in spray-on denim shorts) and the General Lee car.

The General Lee was a 1969 Dodge Charger with a 426 Hemi in every season of the hit programme (except season two, where it had a 440 Magnum engine). It was also said to be the Road/Track model.

Bright orange with a Confederate battle flag painted on the roof, and the words ‘General Lee’ and number ‘01’ on each door, the car’s name refers to the American Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The show also used 1968 Chargers since the start (which shared mostly the same sheet metal) by changing the grill and tail lights to the 1969 model year style, and smoothing over the round ’68 side marker lights, which were rectangular on the ’69 model year.

Our star rating: 3 stars

TV Programme: Starsky and Hutch

Car: Ford Torino

We loved the 1970’s. Big hair, disco music, chunky sweaters – and all of this in just one TV series. Los Angeles cops Starsky and Hutch fought villains in a two-door Ford Torino, which was red with a large white vector stripe.

It was nicknamed the Striped Tomato by Hutch but the term didn’t come from the series’ writers – it came from a real-life comment that actor Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) made. The standard Torino was pretty dull, so producers jazzed it up with a large white vector stripe, 5-slot alloys and larger rear tires. Air shocks were added to give the car an aggressive rake and it worked – especially for Ford, who built 1,000 replicas of the “Starsky and Hutch” car in the spring of 1976.

The ‘Starsky and Hutch’ replica was available with all Torino engines, and the limited production package was essentially a special paint option with the deluxe bumper group and dual colour-keyed sport mirrors as mandatory options. Seat colours were restricted to white or black and were available with all cloths and seating options.

Our star rating: 2 stars

TV Programme: Knight Rider

Car: 1982 Pontiac Trans Am

Forget Baywatch – bubble haired David ‘The Hof’ Hasselhoff first shot to fame in Knight Rider – a bonkers TV series that ran from 1982 to 1986 which featured KITT, a talking car equipped with mind-blowing gadgetry.

Unsurprisingly, given its low-budget cast, KITT became the star of the show, but then it was a gleaming black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am. The car oozed sex appeal and sparked a massive interest in American Classics, which exists still to this day.

By the way, KITT stands for ‘Knight Industries Two Thousand’ an eponymous doff of the cap to its weird technology-cum-crime fighting creators.

Our star rating: 3 stars

TV programme: The A-team

Car: The GMC van

Da-da-da, dada, da. Da, dada, da, da, dadada, da. It’s hard to believe any TV programmes, especially from Hollywood, could make vans sexy – but the A-team did it in bucket loads.

The black and metallic grey GMC van used by the A-Team – a crackpot collection of crime-fighting misfits – had a characteristic red stripe, black and red wheels, rooftop spoiler, and became an instant icon.

The van is a 1983 G-series which was heavily customised by the Universal Studios prop department. The engine is a 350 cid with minor modifications (mainly the carb and exhaust system), while the wheels are turbine style 15″ painted black with red accents.

Other modifications include – quad headlight conversion, full front brushbar, fog/driving lights, exterior sun visor, quad square exhaust tips (each side in front of rear wheels), and custom made rear wing. Interior was custom-white bucket seats, shag carpet, and custom gun case in the back.

It also had beefy air shocks in the rear to improve handling, which was poor and underpowered. In fact, scenes where it burns out were done by spraying bleach in front of and onto the rear tyres which creates billowing grey smoke.

Our star rating: 2 stars.

TV Programme: Back To The Future