Long before books were sold online, before you could shop for anything and have it delivered to your door, or...
The 1953 Turin Auto Show must have been quite a sight. It presented cars of what would become a landmark...
Among car collectors, enthusiasts, even kids who’ve yet to master driving, the Chevrolet Corvette needs no introduction. Introduced in 1953, the fiberglass convertible (at that time, the only body style) was a surprising, but welcomed departure for the conservative Chevrolet division. GMs VP of Styling, Harley Earl, eagerly promoted the...
In the 1980s, the idea of a Japanese Luxury Sedan was a radical concept. Most North American perceptions around Japanese...
Every car guy, collector and car designer knows the two major categories that separate car designs—Pre-war and Post-war. Pre-war cars...
I’ve been revisiting a series of cars recently from the period of my youth. There’s something to be said about...
The Earth is round. These days we say this with reasonable certainty (thanks in part to space travel) and considerably...
Throughout the 1950s, American automobile manufacturers developed some of the most extravagant concept cars. While many of these efforts were styling exercises and prototypes, a great many were visionary, featuring futuristic (if not dream-like) scenarios including self-driving cars, flying and nuclear-powered cars. With enormous resources behind them, car designers had...
After suffering what must be called the worst five years of American car design 1974-1979, the 1980s ushered in the...
Aston Martin. The name alone conjures up images of spies, well-dressed Europeans at fine gatherings, record-setting race wins and a...
In 1962 the worlds of fashion, design and cultural norms were changing faster than we were sending a man to the moon. Television was in more than 90 percent of all American homes. We welcomed the dashing and hatless John F. Kennedy and the European-influenced First Lady Jackie into the...
Every year the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance offers a spectacular showing of amazing cars. I am fortunate to get a...
I graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1987. MTV was in full swing, Compact Disc players were the...
Credit – BarnFinds.com I saw my first Bricklin in 1974. Lit up under the Southern California sun, a local specialty dealership was featuring this gleaming Safety Orange plasticized wedge of sharp cheddar cheese. I was immediately drawn to it. I’d already spent months daydreaming in math class about becoming a...
Few motoring experiences can compare to the exhilaration of driving a convertible sports car. The open road before you, the...
If you’ve never seen a Lancia Stratos in person, you owe it to yourself to seek one out. The Stratos is one of those cars that must be experienced in person to fully understand its design audacity, stance, and visceral presence. Initially conceived as a concept car of dramatic proportions,...
It’s tough being British. The lackluster cuisine and stoic monarchy don’t help. Though they did give us the Beatles, Fish...
In an age of cell phones, disposable appliances, laptops thinner and smaller than LIFE magazine, it’s hard to remember that...
Studebaker was an innovative company. In the pre-war years, it built some of the finest and most elegant art deco cars of the period. Unlike many other independent brands, Studebaker emerged from the Second World War competing head to head with the big three in design and engineering. By the...
Automotive history is riddled with innovators and entrepreneurs seeking the very best, most powerful, and dynamic sports cars bearing their...
I pedaled my bike past the edge of our main street and down the Santa Monica canyon road toward the...
While you might think this article is going to address the Chrysler Norsman, we are instead going deep sea diving, but not for the wreckage of the Andria Doria…at least not this month. Nearly every show and production car is designed with a main theme. Sketched and rendered by the...
This is technically the first issue of Vintage Roadcar as an online-only periodical. While many of us will miss the...
The BMW 507 is frequently cited as one of the most beautifully designed cars regardless of era, origin or classification. Designer...
Quintessential designs of the 20th century are all around us. These items are so familiar we often take their shape, color and ease of use for granted. Some of the best examples of design quintessence include the Coke bottle, the Monte Blanc fat black pen, the VW Beetle and the GE...
With so much new digital technology arriving daily in our lives, it’s hard to imagine that something as simple as...
Designed by the legendary Leonardo Fioravanti, the same man responsible for some of the greatest Pininfarina/Ferrari designs, the original 206...
Both Ferrari and Pininfarina had quite a surprise in store when they debuted the 308 at the 1975 Paris Auto Show. Consider the times. The world was still reeling from the fuel crisis and car design was struggling with rapidly changing standards. The 308 launched into what has to be...