Rayton-Fissore Magnum: 1989 LaForza

Consumers are strange folks.  Particularly car buyers.  And major manufacturers are strange folks too...but they know a thing or two about selling junk to people.  Sometimes, it doesn't matter if what you are selling is horrible, as long as you give people the opportunity to accidentally stumble into your store -- just look at how many Chase Banks, CVS/Pharmacys, Burger King, and Starbucks that you've got to drive past to get a quality bank/pharmacy/burger/coffee.  There was a time when auto dealers used that same technique to keep long obsolete brands like Plymouth, Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Saturn alive and churning cash, but the 2007 carpocalypse murdered them and NOW the remaining auto brands are using a similar technique with the dreaded SUV. Fill enough Toyota showrooms with RAV4s and shockingly the little SUV beat the Camry in sales to everyday Joes in America least year, even though the Camry is a more usable/driveable car appliance for the masses, and presto "the SUV kills the car".  But there was a time when to drive an SUV you had to have good reason, like a long dirt road commute, a wealthy summer house in the Hamptons or, in the case of this next car, you were an Italian mobster on the move.  Find this 1989 LaForza here on eBay offered for $6999 buy-it-now or make-offer located in Chicago, IL.

The Laforza Zone: 1998 Laforza Prima

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to the average car guy. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as maintenance on an Italian car. It is in the middle ground between stock MX-5 and Donk'd F-350, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Laforza Zone. Find this 1998 Laforza Prima here on eBay bidding for $6,500 with 3 days to go (and buy-it-now of $8000) located in Scottsdale, AZ.

Gee Tee SUV: 1989 Laforza Magnum GT

Obscurity exists in many forms, and today I found out it can come in a SUV package.  A military bred, Italian penned, American powered beast hand built in small quantities.  Never heard of it?  Don't worry, hardly anyone else has either.  Find this 1989 Laforza Magnum GT for sale in Washington, DC for $10,900 via craigslist.

A Force to be Re-Con'd: 1989 LaForza

When you think Tom Tjaarda, Ford V8, Italian, the Pantera may come to mind. But add the words "Iveco chassis" and "4x4" and the allure turns to confusion. Why pay nearly $2,000 for just any SUV when you could have the Maserati Biturbo for the PTA crowd?  Find this 1989 LaForza for sale in Miami, FL for $1,800 via craigslist.

PB & Spaghetti Sandwich: 1989 LaForza

Few things are as American as the luxury SUV -- where else would manufacturers be able to sell a car that looks like it can off-road but really is purchased because it accommodates wide bottoms and gives an authoritative view of the road ahead.  Never mind that they change directions about as well as a hovercraft, or that folks behind you can't tell what kind of car you are tailgating, or that you need to stop every 30 minutes for fuel -- because style and comfort trumps all.  And the only thing better than an expensive luxury SUV is an ITALIAN luxury SUV offered for the price of a rusty Hyundai.  Find this 1989 LaForza offered for $4,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

10k: Italian Style, 'Merican Power: 1989 LaForza Magnum GT

 If you were a well-to-do stock broker in the late 1980s and wanted a car for picking up a few lady friends, a two-seat Lambo or Ferrari just won't do.  You need something with a back seat that offers safety from immobile objects during one of your weekly coke and Quaalude fueled benders.  You could have picked up a Land Rover or an SJ Wagoneer, but if you really wanted something with Italian styling there was only one option.  Find this 1989 LaForza Magnum GT offered for $12,500 in Washington, DC via craigslist.  Tip from _MNMLST_.

10k: Yellow Jacket: 1999 LaForza Magnum Especiale Supercharged

The LaForza was a luxury-performance 4X4 with an Italio-American background.  The chassis started out in Italy as an Iveco built military vehicle with a Tom Tjaarda (Ferrari 365, DeTomaso Pantera, etc) designed body and was then shipped to Hayward, CA for fitting of either a Ford 5.0 or GM's 6.0 Vortec V8.  The final vehicle sold for almost $90k in 1999 but received more befuddled looks than front row valet spots, so most buyers opted for a Land Rover or Escalade.  Find this 1999 LaForza Magnum Especiale for sale in Arizona for $10,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

10k: LaForza è Mobile: 1989 Laforza Italian 4X4 Luxury SUV

In act 3 of Guiseppe Verde's opera Rigeletto, the main character  sings a canzone that starts with the arguably sexist line: "La donna è mobile" which translates literally to "the woman is flighty."  We think that the adjective flighty is better applied to an Italian 4X4 SUV that isn't a Rambo/Lambo LM02.  This 1989 LaForza 4X4 is for sale in Chicago, IL for the basso price of $7995 via craigslist.