Tag: 90s
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Torque steer and pickled fish
Named after a famous Saab fighter, the 9-3 Viggen was Saab’s short-lived performance entry, produced for the 1999 through 2002 model years (though some claim a small number of 1998s). Its 2.3L, turbocharged four cylinder put out 225 to 230 HP, depending on the year and the ECU limited first gear torque to cope with…
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Taillights Worth Applauding
We have to admit that we’re suckers for funky taillights, and not since the Nissan Pulsar have we seen such a wonderful example as this Fiat Brava, spotted on our recent trip to Florence, Italy. One could perhaps appreciate these rear lamps as a vintage 80’s styling trademark, however Fiat missed that fad by about…
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Acura’s (non-NSX) Holy Grail
Enthusiasts know the hot setup in the second generation Legend was the Type II engine with 6-speed manual. 230 HP was serious stuff at the time. Almost all with the winning combination are coupes, but the last two model years (1994 and 1995) brought a GS sedan with the same setup. This was pretty uncommon…
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Rare in US: BMW Z1
This car likely needs no introduction and we’ll bet most of you already know it was never sold in the US. Z1 + in US + very90s paint = win! Click for eBay ad Anaheim, CA $45,000 BIN or offer Update: SOLD for undisclosed offer! Ad text: 1990 BMW Z1 Roadster A short history of the BMW…
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Isuzu Freakshow
The Isuzu Vehicross was an oddity from the get-go, but followed an interesting formula. The good part involved using the “big” 3.5L V6 from the Trooper into a shortened version of the platform. The odd part involved freaky styling. That styling has aged surprisingly well in that it still looks strange today, but doesn’t look…
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Early CVT
We usually bitch about anything without a clutch pedal here at Oddimotive, but this is an exception. Long before Carlos Ghosn knew what a Nissan was, and even before he worked at Renault, Subaru offered its humble Justy with ECVT transaxle and AWD. Unfortunately, we doubt the 1.2 liter three cylinder provides much fun when…
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What could go wrong? Obscure EV for sale in Russia
We’re sure our readers don’t get enough Nigerian bank scam emails, so we offer up this ad. The Tropica seems to have been another failed EV venture, this one built in Florida. This claims to be the only Tropica outside the US, so we’re not sure why the seller decided it needed to go on…
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Frutto Proibito: 1997 Fiat Barchetta drenched in maple
Here we have the strange, much later follow-up to the classic Fiat Spyder. Unfortunately, these are FWD and based on the Punto platform of the day. Not only is the handling not stellar, the styling is odd and 0-60 took close to 9.0 seconds! Add in 90s Italian reliability and you have a winning package…
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Subtle and classy? 1990 Beretta Indy
Your humble host once knew someone who had a car just like this. Her father was a Chevy dealer, so she at least had an excuse. In truth, this car seemed to make sense in 1990 and to high school students; but it’s hard to imagine this being much of a collector’s item, at least…
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Amigoes like hell?
Here we have something we never expected to see. No, it’s not something original and rare. It’s an Isuzu Amigo with a Corvette LT-1 small block Chevy V8 installed. …did anyone ask WHY? Not too surprisingly, this is located in your humble host’s home state, which means I understand it more than most. The Amigo…