Backfire

I was in the interior of beautiful British Columbia last week and viewed a 1963 Mercury Meteor S33 that was in a shopping mall lot.

I talked to the owner a bit, but he wasn’t very engaging — it was a four-speed car with a 260, two barrel. What did the S33 bring to the car that other Mercs didn’t have?

Perhaps you could run a story on these cars?

Dan Martin

Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

The S-33 package added some sporty touches to the Meteor: spiffier wheel covers and exterior trim as well as bucket seats and a floor console on the inside. They made less than 5,000 so they can be an unusual sight on the ground today. You’re right, we should shine a spotlight on them.

1950 Studebaker Champion. I was 15 at the time and I hoped he). I don’t know who did that design, but they turned a weird design into a fine one. Underneath, it was still a Studebaker with a reputation for being an oil burner with an anemic, easily overheating six. My father had regretted buying it within a year, and rebuilt the engine at 40,000 miles. Having no oil filter was the culprit — my uncle’s Chevys had no such issues.