The automotive dark ages of the late 70s and early 80s are long gone, but there's still an uncomfortable notion in the United States that the rest of the world laughs at our cars.  Many look back on those gas-sucking leviathans with contempt, assuming that if we don't respect the cars we made, why would anybody else?

As I found out, there are quite a few people abroad who love American cars—and not just obvious ones like Mustangs and Corvettes.  There are DeSotos in Sweden,  AMCs in New Zealand, and Cadillacs in Austria.  But what is it about these automobiles that attracts people to them?  The answer seems simple enough; they have big engines, big interiors, and even bigger personalities.  If you grew up in a world where a VW Passat was considered "big," imagine how crazy an Eldorado would seem!  American cars are truly unique in that sense.

Recently, I had the chance to talk with Tom Bringewatt, the owner of a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV in Germany.  I asked him a few questions about what it's like to own an American car in Europe.

Lincoln built the Continental Mark IV from 1972 to 1976.  Earlier ones can be more desirable, as horsepower ratings continued to plunge as emissions laws became stricter.  The Continental Mark IV is notable for re-introducing the rear opera window, which starting a styling fad that would continue throughout the 70s.

Even though we may look down on our automotive past, it's exciting that there are people around the world like Tom, who recognize what makes these American cars so special.  Hopefully he will continue to drive and enjoy his Mark IV for years to come.  I'd like to thank him for sharing his story with us!

Then in 1985, Back to the Future came out and basically immortalized the car.  People forgot about its negative baggage and the DMC-12 became astronomically more popular than it ever was during production.  Even people who didn't know and didn't care about cars loved the DeLorean.  But with this fame comes a problem.  It's pretty much impossible to talk about the car without mentioning the films. 

If you're a DeLorean DMC-12 owner, every parking lot has the possibility of turning into a miniature car show where you're subjected to misquoted movie lines and cheesy jokes about time travel.  While this can be fun, you can only reply "no it's not a real time machine..." so many times before you start to feel beleaguered.

After personally driving a DeLorean for an upcoming episode of AutoMoments, something struck me.  In a way, the car really is a time machine.  Few cars are as stereotypically 80s as the DMC-12.  The lights, the interior, the styling all scream 1980s.  Driving one fills up your senses with the way cars used to be 30 years ago.

In fact, pretty much every well preserved car is a time machine of sorts.  When you sit on the same seats and hold the same steering wheel and start the same engine that somebody 20, 40, or 60 years ago did, it really does transport you back in time.  Even the "old car smell"  I mentioned in our Ford Mustang video had commenters saying they had experienced exactly what I was talking about.  It's those smells, noises, looks, and feels that transport us back every time we drive.

That's why our series is called Time Warp Test Drive.  Like many, I was born too late to have experienced all these cars when they were new, but now I've had the opportunity to figuratively drive back in time.  What's more, I love when I can share this experience with others through our videos, because I hear from people who actually did live through these times, and I also hear from young people who just want to know more.  It really is a special thing.

So even if you can't get your hands on a DeLorean DMC-12, remember that every old car is a time machine, and remember all the history you're experiencing the next time you drive one.  Also remember that where you're going you actually do need roads, because it probably doesn't fly...