Car Connections: Spyker, Nash, And Toyota

I’ve been incredibly busy all week, but I made time to come up with another installment of Car Connections for you. I had the Random Word Generator do what it does best, then took the three words it gave me and found a way to relate them to cars somehow. This week’s words are expose, drawing, and breakdown.

Expose: Originally, I thought of exposed carbon fiber, but after I started looking for a car with the lightweight material, I began to drift toward Spyker. Remember that brand? It was founded as a carriage manufacturer by two Dutch brothers in 1880. Eighteen years later, the Spyker brothers produced their first automobile. Following decades of racing and setting endurance and speed records (as well as a merger with Dutch Aircraft Factory N.V.), Spyker shut down in 1925.

Three quarters of a century later, the Dutch automaker was resurrected as the creator of dramatic, flamboyant, mid-engine exotics with Audi power. One of its signature design elements is the exposed mechanical hardware for the available six-speed manual gearbox, as seen here in the supercharged Spyker C8 Preliator.

Drawing: Draw. Draw a bath. Bathtub. Nash! Specifically, the 1949-1951 era, which included models such as this 1949 Ambassador, aka “Tubby.” You can buy it on ClassicCars.com and make a splash at your local car show.

Breakdown: Believe it not, the first brand that came to mind was Toyota. But Toyotas are known for their reliability, right? Yes, but my first car, a 1992 Toyota Cressida that received a newer 3.0-liter I6 transplant installed by a series of shade-tree mechanics, broke down on me twice in a heavy rainstorm. Not long after that, it was replaced by a 1998 Acura Integra LS Sedan, which had its original engine and proved to be much more dependable.

How would you associate these words with cars? Tell us in the Comments section below. And be sure to share your ideas for random words to use in a future installment of Car Connections. Looking for your next Spyker, Nash, or Toyota? Check out ClassicCars.com and AutoHunter.com.