Baja Bug on the loose in Brooklyn

My dear friend Raphael, of Jalopnik fame, has recently acquired a rather unique vehicle for himself.  Despite the fact that we are located about 3,000 miles from the Baja Peninsula, my friend decided that a Baja bug was just what the doctor ordered to conquer the concrete jungle of NYC.When the car shattered the saturday afternoon tranquility of my otherwise sleepy street, sounding like an out of tune 70s motorcycle with no muffler, I was surprised how much I liked it. When we took it down to Red Hook's deserted streets, and I actually got behind the wheel, I was even more blown away by the bug's charms.  It was surprisingly easy to drive, despite having a roller ball instead of a gas pedal.  The 8 ball shift knob was a tad large for my dainty hand, but the synchros were really good, and the Bug pulled cleanly away in every gear with nary a crunch.  And despite probably having less than 75 hp, the car moves!  In the confined streets of NYC, it has more than enough power to get the job done, and the raucous exhaust note leaves no doubt that the Bug means business!

The upgraded suspension really soaks up the nastiest potholes making for a delightfully compliant ride that you really wouldn't expect from this Panzerwagen.The Baja bug is really like a big, deranged go kart. I was grinning from ear to ear.  It also has a real presence about it. People stop and stare and smile and wave. It's a fine line between menacing and absurd/cute.  Like an evil pokemon let loose on the street.  The '59 Caddy tail lights are really the coup de grace. Click HERE for the full gallery!

Bradley GT: Channeling your inner Burt Reynolds

Back when I was a kid, I thought the Bradley GT was a pretty neat-o ride.  But then again, since my first name is Bradley, the idea that a cool sports car shared my name was enough to catch my 6-year-old brain's fancy.  A Yellow and black one lived in the parking lot of a local gas station and whenever I'd pass by, I'd say to myself "that's my car."  But by the time I had reached that tender age of 6, the Bradley company had in fact already been shuttered for 5 years.  The idea was born in the late 60s, and was but one of many kit cars based on the stalwart VW beetle.  Perhaps another post is in order on all the various and sundry cars built on the Beetle platform, but this has got to be one of the cooler ones (as opposed to replicar Mercedes SSKs just to name one example that sends a shudder down the automobiliac's spine).  It was a swoopy fiberglass bodyshell with gullwing doors, a T-top and shag upholstery.  Basically, it looked like the love child that might have resulted from a one night stand between a Dune Buggy and an early 70's Vette at some party where the host might have had a sunken living room and a mirrored coffee table covered in blow.  Some more astute observers might compare it to a Matra 530, or even to Raymond Loewy's BMW 507 body, but let's not get carried away here: Liberace owned one in Gold with glitter metal flake.  Are we going to split hairs here? I think it's safe to say that along with Prince, the Bradley GT is one of the more outlandish things to come out of Minneapolis.

Be that as it may, the car stayed in production for about a decade (several thousand cars were made according to wikipedia) and went through two versions, the GT and the GT II.  There are still some well cared for examples about today, and many more decrepit ones.  You can pick one up for a song, compared to the price of other "desirable" fiberglass sports cars (in case a Lotus Elite is just out of your budget). I'd say go for it.

Click on the pic below to see the full page magazine ad.