Few have as detailed a knowledge about car-related arcana as Frankel, or are as generous in sharing it every Christmas. Here's this year's nuggets of wisdom.
Factual inaccuracies in Le Mans '66
1 Carroll Shelby didn’t catch fire at Le Mans in 1959.
2 Enzo Ferrari didn’t attend Le Mans in 1966.
3 There was no meaningful battle between Ford and Ferrari in the closing stage of the race.
4 There’s no evidence that Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles ever had a physical fight.
5 Fiat didn’t buy Ferrari in 1965.
6 Lee Iacocca had nothing to do with Ford’s attempted purchase of Ferrari.
7 Carroll Shelby wasn’t the first American to win Le Mans. Phil Hill won in 1958 and Luigi Chinetti had already applied for US citizenship when he won in 1949; it was granted the following year.
8 Ken Miles wasn’t left behind at Le Mans in 1965.
Cars that have also been planes
Ambassador (Austin and Airspeed)
Aztek (Pontiac and Piper)
Caravan (Dodge and Cessna)
Caravelle (Volkswagen and Sud Aviation)
Comet (Mercury and De Havilland)
Concorde (Chrysler and Aerospatiale/BAC)
Cutlass (Oldsmobile and Vought)
Electra (Buick and Lockheed)
Metro (Austin and Swearingen)
Mustang (Ford and North American)
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Another car (often overlooked) which can operate rear wheel, front wheel or four wheel drive; the Volvo S90 T8.
Some entertaining lists!
Slightly surprised that the Cars & Planes one didn't include the Bristol Beaufighter - surely the only case where the manufacturer's name and the model name were the same? (Apart from a few other Bristol cars, of course).