43 — Norifi Shore News — Friday, Dece:nber 24, 1989 YAaAa ODITEE rg ir @ @ S a ee - s . LAST week I covered the first 50 years of the automotive century and this week it’s time for the period from 1950 to the present. The last dive decades have seen automotive technciogy -accelerate at an alarming, pace and it would take many columns to even touch on the highlights in depth. Pll just make a few highly subjective choices of vehicles that I believe will be remembered ~ well into the next century for " one reazon or anther. Cars of the carly 50s were Hot that much diffrent from cir counerparis of pre- : Second World War years, but ~ by the middle of the decade, . things were to change dramati- ‘cally. It was an age when. North American streets were prowled by huge be-winged monsters with acres of chrome ey lous Fit ae wwrw.mercedes-benz.co.nz THE Mercedes-Benz CLS00 coupe, says Tory Véhiiney, sume up all the eutomative advencements of the iast 5C years. and thirsty, potent V-8s. Safery and the environment took a back scat to style and straight- line performance. Even so, there were classics — ioc: of them, in faci. One of the most enduring wes the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Many thousands are lov- ingly presesved today by classic car buffs and enthusiasts tell me that you can still get every single ci ent for a °S7 Bel Air right off the shelf. There were more outrageous models in the mid to late °50s, but the 0 § if The: fae tia « Heya? Gide aipped from $43.995 PR Ne °57 Chev characterizes the era better chan inost. I dreve one once and thought it was a pret- ty decent car for its time. The °50s also saw the birth of one of the mast enduring model names in the business — Corvetie. The original 1953 model was radical for its time and few people invelved with its development could have guessed that there’d be a "Vette in the showrooms when the Next century came around. By the 1960s, auto buyers in some parts of the world wt *§_S% intacest rate applies to 36 month lasse from Toyota Credit Cansds inc. c:s approved credit for nev 2000 Leas ES, ‘300. Arp’es to dear in-stock inventory only. This may not be combined with any other offer. SAMPLc PAYMENT. ES 300 (A-Suffix) Interest Rats §.5%-—Term: 36 months-—MSHP: $43,995—Down Payment: $10,700—isase Payment $399/monty—Secuity Deposit $500—Ksomeire Limit: 24,000 per year Additizmal km at 1S¢/km. {10¢/km if arranjed af outsot of jease agreement). Freight, POLL, license and ali applicable taxes are extra. For complete aetails, please | . consuit your nearust Lexus dealer, Offes expires January 3, 2000. were beginning to “think snuall” and in Brizain, the leg- endary Mini was unleashed on an eager public. The tiny, yet roomy, car set new standards in all kinds of ways with its trrans- verse engine driving the front wheels. It was raced and rallied with huge success and lives on today, although a repiacement is finally looming at Rover which now owns the brand. Another early ’60s debut was the timeless Porsche 911.. You only haw: to look at a 2000 mode! year 911 to realize just how sound the original design was. The late "60s saw the “muscie car” boom get under way and some of the most powerful production cars ever produced took to the ‘streets. My favourite has always been the Ford Mustang in its ‘farious forms, thougi, if had to pick one model it would be the 1969 Boss 302 version. The 1970s saw increasing emphasis on safety and ooliu- tion coatrol and m- ny enthus:- asts thought the days when cars were fin wers gone for good. At one stage, convert- ibles almost disappeared as antomakers anticipates. tough rollover regulations. if one car from this ers. can be singled out as a ground breaker it would have to be the Honda Accord. ‘fhe Accord, more than avy other import automo- bile, convinced North Amevican buyers that it was possible for a smail car to fea- ture the high evels of quality and durability at an affordable rice. The Accord was the nchmark for rival automakers for years and remains one of this continent’s most popular mid-size sedans although it started life a5 a smail hatch- back. The Grwellian year of 1984 saw two automotive landmarks which changed the face of the business completely. Chryster’s minivan jump-staried a market slot that now boass: more than 20 models and the populari of these “garageable” family The Relentless Pursu REGENCY LEXUS © ‘4778 Burrard St. (at 2nd Ave. Vancomver 3 www.regencvatio.com ) 739-1212 © es ic the pr haulers shows no sign of abat- iny,. Similarly, the Jeep Cherokee fired up the SUV. craze that looks Itkely to con- tinue well into the nexe centu- ry. The last 10 years of the century have seen automotive advancements and refinements on a grand scale, with even modestly priced vehicles buast- ing unheard of levels of com- fert, safety, economy and per- formance. Highlights for me have been the BMW M5, the ultimate “executive express;” Jaguar's new S-Type, the won- derful Audi TT coupe, the iat- est Chevrolet Corvette, Ford’s new Focus and Nissan’s versa- tile Frontier Crew Cab. One vehicle, though, sums up all the advancements of the past 50 years for me. That's the superb new Mercedes-Benz CL500 coupe : Mercedes fas been working up to this one since it got started with the Benz automo- bile of 1886. If I were asked - for a predictiun, I'd say that the first 10 years of dic new century might see more changes in the world of auto- mobiles than the last four decades cf this one. One thing’s for sure —- cars, vans and trucks are certainly fun again and that’s something all _ drivers can be grateful for: ~ Teny Whitney's appears courtesy 9 stomobile Dei (BCADA). colsumes the. B.C. Association