Volvo launched the PV544 in 1958, but it wasn’t an entirely new design. The PV544 was a development of the earlier PV444, which was originally launched in the 1940′s. Differences included a one piece windscreen, bigger windows all round, a new interior with a padded dashboard and a collapsible steering wheel, and new lights. The engine was a four cylinder unit, which produced up to 95bhp in it’s sportiest tune. Seatbelts were standard on all Volvo’s (which was unusual for cars in the 1950′s) Many were exported to the United States, where the car was seen as a Swedish alternative to the Volkswagen Beetle. Volvo ended production of the PV544 in 1965, after producing over 200,000 cars.

(photo ©2003 Samvado Gunnar Kossatz) The Bhagwan bought his first Rolls Royce, a Corniche, in 1980 and had it plated with armor. After establishing his commune in Oregon, followers of the Bhagwan said their leader wanted a new Rolls Royce for each day of the year, and began ordering two a month from dealers. The commune even had its own service center, and a Rolls engineer periodically traveled there to trouble-shoot. Rajneesh would get into a Rolls each day and be driven slowly down the commune’s roads. On each side, disciples clad in red clothing would sing, chant and toss flowers on the hood. A number of the cars were painted “psychedelic colors” that seriously disturbed the aesthetic values of Rolls dealers and officials enough to put senior Rolls Royce executives in Britain into virtual cardiac arrest.

what is the best all-around car ? the bmw 5 series touring. why ? easy: it is fast, it is sporting, the quality is uncanny, it has all wheel drive to safely transport you over-the-river-and-through-the-woods, it hauls stuff, it looks great, it is german made, it is available with a manual transmission. and guess what ? you can’t have one. why? because the muckety-mucks over at bavarian motor works have decided that americans are doltish enough to be satisfied with the new horrible bmw 550i gran turismo. thats right….. no new generation 5 series touring for the u.s.a. the truly civilized of us will eschew suv’s and new bmw’s in favor of hunting down and gobbling up used e61′s. good thing i saw the writing on the wall and ordered a 2010 535i touring last summer… black on black with 6 speed manual. i am set! though my only beef is that BMW wouldn’t let me order a M5 Touring, i would have sold all my other cars as an M5 touring satisfies every need.

i spied this 1968 volkswagen campmobile careening down the highway and noticed someone took pains to paint “penny lane” on the back of it as well as lower the front end….. Vroooom! “In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass. And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen. He likes to keep his fire engine clean. It’s a clean machine”

a sheep in wolve’s clothing, the porsche 914 is actually a volkswagen in disguise. don’t believe me ? the 914′s birth certificate belly-button plate clearly reads “manufactured by volkswagen”. i have always referred to these as the “ice cream sandwich car” due to the horizontal, rectangular flat nature of the design. Volkswagen: There Is No Substitute.