If you had to pick the most challenging era of sports cars development, it would have to be the late...
Le Mans, 1960. You can imagine the scene. The coming decade was cresting the ’50s into oblivion. The vast high-speed...
“Simplify, then add Lightness.” Whether fully attributed to Colin Chapman, or simply the lore that surrounds his engineering genius and design prowess, this philosophy is certainly embodied in the cars that have made Lotus a legendary performance company for more than half a century. And nowhere else is this more...
I graduated from Art Center College of Design in 1987. MTV was in full swing, Compact Disc players were the...
Italy and France each have beautiful and robust cultures with diverse offerings and unique perspectives. And while each is unique...
I had dinner with Carroll Shelby in 1997. Among the dozens of things I remember him telling me, the most poignant was when he talked about making great chili. “The secret,” he said, leaning in as though he was about to share the nuclear launch codes, “Don’t mix in too many...
It’s hard to imagine any scene from “Americana” that does not include a wood-bodied station wagon. Not only were wood...
The BMW 507 is frequently cited as one of the most beautifully designed cars regardless of era, origin or classification. Designer...
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...
By the 1950s it was clear that Americans were in the mood for sporty cars with the right balance of...
Car Design is a wicked beast. The purpose of design is to create both alluring and engaging combinations of mechanical...
A few weeks ago McLaren released their new sports car to the public. It’s not fair to really call it a sports car anymore. Sports cars have radically changed since the term first classified these vehicles as lightweight steeds with agile road handling capabilities and spirited performance, more than 60...
The genius of Colin Chapman is evident in every one of his cars. Each of his creations were uniquely endowed,...
It’s tough being British. The lackluster cuisine and stoic monarchy don’t help. Though they did give us the Beatles, Fish...
Very few machines are more engaging than an Italian automobile built during the post war era. Literally every Italian manufacturer from this booming period was raising the bar on exceptional design, engineering, and braving new marketing territory – unafraid to risk, leading with passion and vigor. And it wasn’t just...
Every car guy, collector and car designer knows the two major categories that separate car designs—Pre-war and Post-war. Pre-war cars...
Ferrari has always been a leader in high-performance engineering and design. Although many of their most innovative ideas were often...
If you had to pick one of the most misunderstood European automotive brands imported to the United States, chances are Fiat would rise to the top. Though much of their brand name and recognition has improved in North American markets since their introduction of the new Fiat 500 (2007), back...
While you might think this article is going to address the Chrysler Norsman, we are instead going deep sea diving,...
I’ve had a fortunate car life. I’ve owned a wide range of cars, enjoying various shows, events and the pleasure...
The end of the century was a big deal. Now that more than two decades have passed, it’s quaint to look back on that pending doom where predictions of digital Armageddon would plague the world as computer clocks poised on the millennium. Of course, nothing catastrophic happened in the digital...
If you’ve never seen a Lancia Stratos in person, you owe it to yourself to seek one out. The Stratos...
For such a clean and beautiful design, the 1963-1977 Alfa Romeo GT is confusingly burdened with many different names. Officially,...
December 2017 Comb through the history of 20th century car designs, and one name continually appears over and over again. Tom Tjaarda. Though Tjaarda never penned his name as a brand or touted his individual accomplishments, he quietly assembled an astonishing career of automotive achievements. Indeed, Tjaarda (a U.S.-born, Detroit...
It’s that time of year. When we celebrate that hallmark of Americana, Father’s Day. Get out the smoker, grill some...
Developed first as a show car to celebrate the Ford Centennial, the Ford GT40 concept car came as a big...
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...
In the 1980s, the idea of a Japanese Luxury Sedan was a radical concept. Most North American perceptions around Japanese...
Toyota has been around a long time. They know what they are doing, and they make more cars than any...
When car companies build futuristic concepts for tomorrow, they are usually exotic cars with sporty, low-profile bodies, and technologically advanced interiors. Show cars are often built around improbable dreams of tomorrow, and are decidedly impractical. Even if they are dreamy notions of what the future might be, it’s still fun...
