In 1978, amid a recession and Chrysler’s financial troubles in the US, the UK’s Labour government provided a £162.5m bailout (£1.2bn today) to save 25,000 jobs. This move angered the Tories.

However, Chrysler’s global losses compelled Lee Iacocca, the newly appointed CEO, to sell the European division.

Meanwhile, Peugeot, which had successfully turned Citroën around in 1974, saw an opportunity to expand by acquiring Chrysler Europe. This strategic move made PSA the world’s third-largest automaker. Unfortunately, the transformation of Chryslers into Talbots under PSA’s ownership didn’t last long, and the UK factories are no longer in operation. Today, both PSA and Chrysler are part of Stellantis.

The Ford Execubus shows up limousine luxury

Why spend £20,000 on a limousine when you can have a luxurious mobile office for £7,500? This was the concept behind the Execubus, a prototype created by Ford in collaboration with Star Vans of Bedford. The Execubus was designed to revolutionize executive travel with features such as shag-pile carpeting, reclining and swiveling velour armchairs around a conference table, reading lamps, a radio, tape player, dictating machine, and even a TV (although not in color). It also included a wardrobe at the rear for storing suits. While it may have seemed like a novelty at the time, such vans are now commonplace, offering the added benefit of a comfortable ride.

Ferrari’s unbeatable Daytona

If we were disappointed by Ferrari’s 365 GT4 in 1975, we didn’t voice our opinion. However, when it evolved into the 512 BB, we could no longer stay silent. Despite significant performance improvements, the flat-12 “Boxer” engine still fell short compared to the old 365 GTB/4 “Daytona.” Former F1 racer John Miles stated that the V12-powered Daytona had to be regarded as the greatest GT car of all time. To support his claim, he borrowed Nick Mason’s car and concluded, “Even today, no road car can match its combination of looks, performance, stability, and practicality.”