Q. I recall the American Motors Pacer -- immortalized in the movie "Wayne"s Word" -- to be innovative. Or is my mind playing tricks? --E.N., Chicago

A. The 1975-80 Pacer two-door hatchback, made by defunct American Motors Corp. (AMC), was billed as the "first wide small car" and helped define the 1970s, along with the leisure suit, "Farrah" hairstyle and Bee Gees 8-track. It was designed to provide a large car's width but a compact's agility and could have been more innovative if cash-short AMC had given it the small, light, potent Wankel engine from General Motors, for which is was designed. But AMC had to use its larger, heavier, terribly dated six-cylinder engines because GM canceled rotary development when it couldn't make that engine sufficiently fuel-efficient for the early 1970s, during which time there was an energy crisis. While short, the Pacer's width gave it a spacious interior. It looked innovative, with an unusual "fishbowl" shape, short overhangs, doors wrapped into the roof and huge glass area. The passenger door was inches longer than the driver's for easier backseat entry. Introduced in the middle of the 1975 model year, sales got off to a good start, with 96,769 built -- and 117,244 Pacers were made the following year. But then sales slowed a lot, partly because of mediocre fuel economy for the rather heavy car's size. Additions later of a two-door wagon and V-8 didn't help. Only 1,769 Pacers were built in 1980, and the car was dropped. Good ones are valued at $3,250-$7,300. The rotary engine? Mazda has successfully used it in its sports cars for decades.

Q. I hear Honda is introducing a totally new 2009 hybrid gas/electric compact car that will deliver sensational fuel economy and have a body shared with no other Honda, besides innovative features. My Honda dealer will tell me nothing about it. --J.E., Des Plaines

A. I drove this relatively fast, roomy four-door compact sedan at Honda's recent sneak preview of the car in Phoenix, Ariz. But I can't reveal details because there's an embargo on information about the car until January. Called the Insight, it goes on sale in April and promises to give the top-selling hybrid auto -- the Toyota Prius -- strong competition. A professional Honda driver got about 70 mpg with the Insight at the preview, coasting down hills and such, although estimated EPA mpg is lower. Honda introduced the first gas/electric hybrid car in America in 1999. Also called the Insight, it was a small, two-passenger model, which gave it limited appeal. (Honda currently sells a hybrid gas/electric version of its compact Civic sedan, which shares its body with regular Civics.)

Q. The windshield wipers of my car, which is parked outside, were so frozen in place during a recent snowstorm and frigid weather that I was afraid I would damage them without first chopping away ice and snow so they could move freely before activating them from inside the car. Good move? --J.A., Chicago

A. You did the right thing. It's also advisable to clear deep snow from the roof near the windshield so that sudden stops won't cause a bunch of it to fall atop the windshield and temporarily blind you, besides making the wipers work harder. Also, clear the rear roof of snow so it doesn't fall atop the rear window, blocking visibility.

Q. What's the value of my 1975 Dodge Dart Special Edition two-door? It has a 318-cubic-inch V-8 and only 26,000 original miles. --R.L., Harwood Heights

A. Your car would have been worth chump change not long ago. But many old cars have become valuable in recent years. The fact that your Dart model is a rather sporty two-door coupe with extremely low mileage for its age and the then-optional 145-horsepower V-8 -- one of Chrysler's best-ever engines -- helps give it a value of $13,325 if in excellent shape and $6,350 if in very good condition. Also helping is that it's a low-production model, with only 5,680 built. Too bad it's not the "Dart 360" model with a 360-cubic-inch, 230-horsepower V-8 because only 1,043 Dart 360 coupes were built, and that version is valued at $9,525-$20,000.

Q. What are the four oldest post-World War II mass-produced sports cars sold in America? I have a bet that the 1955-57 two-seat Ford Thunderbird was among them. I also bet that they all have been front-engine cars. --E.H., Evanston

A. That luxurious Thunderbird wasn't a sports car, just a snappy looking boulevard cruiser. Ford Motor even emphasized that it was a "personal car" because it correctly judged that the two-seat sports car market was limited. That's why the "T-Bird" was made a four-seater in 1958, when its sales soared. As for the first four sports cars, the front-engine Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953, the rear-engine Porsche 911 was unveiled in 1963 (but didn't go on sale in America until 1965), the front-engine Datsun (now Nissan) 240Z debuted for 1970 and the front-engine Mazda Miata arrived for the 1990 model year. All are still with us, although in modern form, and the latest "Z" car is called the 370Z. Mazda refers to the Miata as the "MX-5" in keeping with its letters/numbers vehicle designations. Contrary to many media reports, the Ford Mustang never has been a sports car, either.

Car question? Send it to Dan Jedlicka, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654, or e-mail dan@danjedlicka.com. Include name and hometown.