Loading...
From race cars to luxury cars, from foreign elegance to domestic muscle, Great Cars offers an in-depth look at the world's fastest, most expensive, most exciting and most unusual automobiles, along with the people who loved and created them.
“From past to present, come hit the road with Great Cars!”
2004
One of the most desired and envied sports cars ever created, Porsche has set the worldwide benchmark for automotive performance and styling. With the addition of the new Cayenne SUV, Porsche is no longer just about sports cars, but it's still performance driven and stylish. Whether it's the 911 or the Cayenne, they're fun, powerful and precise machines designed for people with a passion for driving. All Porsches share a common legacy of automotive innovation, a legacy that began with the company's namesake, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, in the early days of the 20th Century.
Explorers have always sought out the extremes on earth. They seek that which has never been done, whether to climb the tallest mountain or to walk where no one has ever been before. This is Land Rover's territory and for over 50 years these rugged vehicles have helped to peel away the mysteries of our planet.
BMW started out as a builder of aircraft engines, before moving to motorcycles and finally, cars. Its aircraft engines set speed records in the '30s and its sports cars were stylish, elegant and fast. The horizontally-opposed engines on BMW's motorcycles caught the eye of the U.S. Government and this led to Harley Davidson being ordered to copy them for wartime use. After the war, BMW fought to reclaim its status as a producer of world-renowned sports cars and motorcycles. Today, it's clear that this company has carved out a place among the builders of unique and fast vehicles that many proclaim are the "ultimate driving machine."
This unique car company needed an exceptional name and Jaguar Cars Limited found one in the name of a wild breed of jungle cats. In 1961 they introduced a car that was as exotic as their name - the E-Type Jaguar. It became a vibrant symbol of the Swinging Sixties.
Returning from WWII, many soldiers told stories of the loves they'd left behind. For some, it was a mechanical sweetheart - the European sports car. So, the nation was primed for the debut of the 1953 Corvette, a fiberglass two-seater that was the first mass-produced American sports car. This first car was more show than go, but over the years Corvette has evolved from a cute looking roadster to the menacing Sting Ray, and now to one of the world's sleekest, sexiest and fastest high-tech sports cars.
Carl Benz - tinkering in his Mannheim, Germany, workshop - gave the world its finest automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. Over one-hundred years later, the company bearing his name is still one of the world's most innovative automakers. From that first single-cylinder motor-wagon, to elegant town cars for wealthy industrialists in the 1920s, and futuristic Grand Prix racers in the 1930s, Mercedes carved out a niche as the builder of the best cars possible. Its sport custom-bodied road cars from the 1930s command over 55 million dollars at auctions today. Find out how a company can maintain its status as one of the truly great cars for over 100 years.
It is an icon, a symbol of excellence, a symbol of empire. As we trace the storied development of the company founded by Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls, we'll see how Rolls-Royce Motorcars grew to represent the best in the world.
Long before Dustin Hoffman discovered it in the film "The Graduate," a promising Neapolitan entrepreneur named Nicola Romeo took over this fledgling auto company and turned it into a racing and sports car legend. In the 1920s and early '30s, Alfa's team boss, Enzo Ferrari, and his drivers dominated European sports car racing as their lightweight but powerful car tore up the tracks. Today, classic Alfas fetch millions of dollars from collectors who want to relive racing's greatest moments.
Enzo Ferrari's greatest desire was to become a racecar driver and he earned plenty of kudos during his apprenticeship at Alfa. Through sheer force of character he left to form a company of his own, creating one of the most formidable racing machines ever produced. Follow the incredible story of Enzo Ferrari and his company into the present and see his namesake car, the Ferrari Enzo. It has a top speed of 217.5 mph, and a price tag to tilt the radar gun: $500,000. Enzo would love it!
The Jeep was drafted in World War II and soon became the American soldier's best friend. The unusual looking vehicle was used as a combat car, postal carrier, snowplow and ambulance.
2003
The 1964 Mustang created a stampede in American showrooms similar to the frenzy created by the Beatles. Ford conducted a series of Gallup polls to see what baby boomers wanted in a car - the Mustang was it. Just three years after the Mustang's unveiling at the New York World's Fair, the one millionth Mustang trotted off the assembly line; clearly the Mustang was the inexpensive sporty car the world was waiting for.
Like a coiled snake, this car scared the world's racing elite and made its creator, Carroll Shelby, a household name. In 1959, Shelby was America's best competition driver but a heart condition forced him to give up racing. Instead of retiring from the circuit he decided to jump back in with his own cars - not an easy feat - and within four years, his dream car was born: the Cobra.
No one would have predicted that tractor manufacturer David Brown could transform a bankrupt Aston into a car line that was universally praised as being, "pleasing to the eye, beautifully finished and comfortable with all the performance anyone could want." His cars became racing legends - challenging Ferraris on the track in the 1950's and ferrying the upper crust around town.
Being enviro-friendly doesn't mean you can't have fun. We'll take a ride in an electric sports car that goes from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and tear up the track with legendary racecar builder, Carroll Shelby, as he puts his hydrogen powered Cobra through its paces. BMW, GM, Ford, Toyota and the US Government are all working to create cars that will drive us into the future. This show traverses the many divergent routes to global energy independence and a healthier environment while taking rides in clean vehicles that people will want to drive.
The stylish and fast 1963 Avanti was the last ditch hope for Studebaker. The automaker was on the verge of bankruptcy. It needed a hot seller to remain in business. Studebaker's president called in famed designer Raymond Loewy and within weeks the automaker had a car. Although the $5000 fiberglass Avanti was just too expensive for most car buyers and it didn't save Studebaker --- the Avanti would live on. Over the next three decades, Avanti lovers would try to keep the dream alive, buying the company and making changes here and there to the timeless design. But in 1991, it was the end of the line for the Avanti.
Just after World War II, Preston Tucker wanted to be the first automaker to introduce an entirely new car, not just a touched up pre-war model. Tucker set up shop in an old Dodge plant and got financial backing through stock and dealers. Despite his "futuristic" car models, the government thought Tucker was a swindler and began a lengthy investigation. Tucker and several of his employees were eventually charged but acquitted of mail fraud and conspiracy. By the time the trial was over, Tucker's hopes were shattered.
Almost everyone knows about Kaiser Permanente, the nationwide HMO, but very few have any idea that it sprang from the mind of one of America's most spectacular entrepreneurs - Henry J. Kaiser. In 1945, this legendary California industrialist partnered with automobile executive Joe Frazer to meet the post War demand for cars. The resulting Kaiser-Frazer autos were the last real challenge to the dominance of the Big Three. From 1948 to the mid '50's, Kaiser's incredible energy created a stir that's still being felt today. His passenger cars faded away but his transformation of the Jeep from the soldiers' buddy to an everyday SUV changed the world.
The 1955 Ford Thunderbird was meant to fulfill the desire for a sporty American car. Ford never had plans to make the T-Bird a true sports car, but it would possess the elements of a racer; two seats, sleek styling and high performance. In two years, about 40-thousand T-Birds were sold. Hoping to appeal to more people, Ford took the Thunderbird in another direction. It became bigger and gained a backseat.
The Morgan is a design that holds firmly to its ancestry - simple yet sporty, but no longer inexpensive. The Morgan got its start as the Morgan three-wheeler that was produced from the early 1900's to 1951. The Roadster is still handmade and only ten cars are built each week at the Morgan factory in Malvern Link, England. All Morgans are pre-sold and buyers are often put on a six year waiting list.
A long time ago, Bentleys were racing cars. In 1930, a Bentley won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race for the fifth time, roaring along at 130 miles an hour and overtaking a Mercedes to claim victory. The next year, Bentley was absorbed by Rolls-Royce, which eventually made the Bentley into a Rolls with a different grille. But the memory of those distant glory years never faded, and a few years ago Bentley began reaching for its own identity as a sort of Rolls sports sedan.
When Ferruccio Lamborghini finally returned to his hometown from the World War II, he brought with him scraps of leftover engines and began to convert them into much needed tractors for farming. From then on whatever Lamborghini touched turned to gold. He became a rich man and could indulge his love for fast cars. It wasn't long before he became the visionary manufacturer of one of the most avant-garde automobile in the world - Lamborghini.
In 1914 just after World War I, Alfieri Maserati took his patented automotive spark plug and started building racecars in the heart of Bologna. Using war surplus parts and machinery, he began what would become the proud trident trademark of Maserati and a tradition of thoroughbred Italian sports cars.
2005
Come with us as we drive through mansion gates, discover secret auto collections, roam exclusive auto gatherings, race high dollar classics and hobnob with the owners of the world's most exclusive automobiles. Find out what it's like to drive the world's fastest, most expensive, desirable and exotic collector automobiles.
Starting in the 1990's Sport Utility Vehicles took over the streets of America. Women didn't want to be "soccer moms" and abandoned their minivans in droves. Men wanted a car that could go anywhere even if they only drove it to the office. Some people accused their owners of harming the planet but no car company could survive without an SUV in its lineup.
Edsel, Corvair, Hudson, Studebaker, Hupmobile, Crosley, Maxwell and more - these are the Orphan cars. Many of these "orphan cars" had unusual design and engineering features. They were created by people willing to go out on a limb. Unfortunately, the limb broke. But there are dedicated people who savor these marques and have turned these underdogs into show winners.
Lotus made its reputation on the world's racing circuits and built high performance sports cars that were favored by those who appreciated powerful engines, light cars, and very direct steering, that provided awe inspiring cornering at nearly any speed.
This fast paced program documents the ancient search for a better way to fight fires. A fire company in Historic Williamsburg, Virginia reenacts and brings to life the bucket brigades and the first fire pumper used in the colonies. The audience will see how difficult a task fire fighting was for the founders of the country. While everyone agreed that fire fighting was important we'll find out how political bosses, bent on preserving their jobs, tried to interfere with the purchase of better fire trucks.
New York City's finest. LA's new centurions. Even Mayberry's, Sheriff Andy have relied on one common tool, the Police Car. It is the most often used weapon in an officer's crime fighting arsenal. More than the gun. More than the billy club. The Police Car is the one tool that continually makes the difference in the struggle against crime. While it's taken for granted today, the development of the Police Car has been a constant race to stay ahead of the technology and hardware of the crooks.
The story of the development of the ambulance is intertwined with warfare. From the days of the Roman legions to today's far-flung military there has been a pressing need to quickly move the wounded from the battlefield. While most of us take for granted the EMS vans that patrol our streets, without the foresight of those driven by the horrors of war we would not have these modern ambulances racing to our doors.
The Meyers Manx sprang from the soul of a free spirited Californian who loved the beach and always wanted to have fun. It was an inexpensive, go anywhere car that immediately clicked with a generation of like-minded people. Bruce Meyers created a legend but has had to fight to keep his vision alive.
This fast paced, tire squealing, high octane program will race to discover the essence of the sports car as we take a look at the origins of the world's most beguiling examples. We'll travel back to the beginnings of the automotive adventure and see the cars that royalty raced. We'll encounter princes, kings, dukes and wealthy commoners whose auto tastes set the tone for the first sports cars and see how national differences created some of the world's most exciting autos. We'll take some of these fabulous machines out for a drive while we try to discover the essence of a sports car.
It was a time when the finest automobiles in the world were built - the era of the custom-bodied, luxury car. Some feel that this 20 year period from about 1920 to roughly 1940 was an Olympian Age of automotive design. We'll see how these wonderful machines were built; find out who bought them and why they stopped. Along the way we will see what it takes to return a classic car to its original glory.
Streaming availability information not available
In the 1960s a young Ford Motor Company executive named Lee Iaccoca decided that Ford needed to compete with the world's best companies in high performance motor racing. He convinced Ford that they should buy Ferrari. But after Enzo Ferrari sent them packing back to Detroit, Ford decided to beat Ferrari at LeMans, no matter what the cost. Their secret weapon would be the GT-40.
While many have forgotten that it ever existed, and many people weren't even born before the last Packard rolled off the assembly line, it is a car that still excites the passion of car lovers around the world. To them, it will always be enough to cite Packard's once famous ad, "Ask the man who owns one." We'll see how this company's autos became known as the "cars built by gentlemen for gentlemen." And learn how a quiet and confident disdain for typical marketing ballyhoo propelled Packard to the top of the luxury market before its demise in the 1950's.
