In January 1930, Cadillac introduced its mighty Sixteen, a bold and extravagant bid for supremacy in the luxury car field. Naturally, the Packard Motor Car Company, the reigning champion of the American luxury market, was not about to take that lying down, and launched its own 12-cylinder Twin Six in 1932.

It would be easy to assume the Twin Six was a hastily contrived response to the multicylinder Cadillacs, but that's only half true. The latter-day Twin Six was conceived for quite a different purpose, and therein hangs a tale.

This week, we look at the curious history of Packard's legendary V-12 cars, with sideways glances at Cord and...the Indianapolis 500? Read on...

Click here to read more about the Packard Twin Six and Twelve

When it was first announced in 1952, Hudson officials thought the compact Jet would be a renaissance for the venerable automaker. Today, many historians will tell you it was Hudson's fatal mistake. This week, we look at the history of the much-maligned Hudson Jet.

Click here to read more about the 1953-1954 Hudson Jet

Even drivers who don't consider themselves car nuts (or enthusiasts, if you will) often love the idea of owning a car that feels like a real race car, whether for the bragging rights or just to pretend that the freeway ramp is really a turn at the Nürburgring. Of course, real race cars are usually rough, noisy, temperamental, and fussy in a way few would care to tolerate on a day-to-day basis, but many buyers happily lay out serious money to indulge their Walter Mitty fantasies.

By those standards, there are few cars more desirable than this one. Not only does it look like a track car, it's a hardcore "homologation special" whose track-bound brothers dominated touring car racing throughout the late eighties and early nineties. It's not the fastest of its kind, but there are still those who will swear to you that it is the best.

Click here to read more about the original BMW M3