I recently gave a talk to a collector car gathering in the Bay Area. The Q&A after these talks is...
Vintage Roadcar Columns
Italians do some great things with cars. Well, to be fair, they pretty much do everything with a great deal...
Every year the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance offers a spectacular showing of amazing cars. I am fortunate to get a front row seat to the event as a class judge. I could write an entire article on the judging experience, remarkable cars, dedicated people and history of this amazing event,...
Quintessential adjective quin·tes·sen·tial | \ ˌkwin-tə-ˈsen(t)-shəl :of the pure and essential essence of something :of or relating to the most perfect embodiment of something By the time the second world war came to an end, the...
Today, I’m going to confess two of my most deeply held, darkest secrets: 1) For the past two decades, I’ve...
Fair disclosure, I’m a multiple Lancia owner. I love everything about them. Their wonderful engine sounds, the brash audacity of their designs, the innovative engineering, and the daring risks the company founders took, year after year, with complete lack of regard for profits. Bold Italian passion oozes from every crevice of...
The first time I saw a photo of the Lamborghini Countach I knew it was something special. I was probably...
This is my 50th article for Vintage Road & Racecar. I didn’t realize it until my editor sent me a thank...
Car Design is a wicked beast. The purpose of design is to create both alluring and engaging combinations of mechanical and sculptural elements as a means to attracts buyers willing to pay money to possess such an object. But once the car is released, a whole new series of considerations...
One of the more interesting developments in the classic car hobby, over the past few years, has been the broader...
With so much new digital technology arriving daily in our lives, it’s hard to imagine that something as simple as...
I’ve had a fortunate car life. I’ve owned a wide range of cars, enjoying various shows, events and the pleasure of driving or restoring some special vehicles. But as the years have gone by, many of these rare and valued cars have become too expensive to drive. Even if you...
A few weeks ago McLaren released their new sports car to the public. It’s not fair to really call it...
I can think of few feelings worse than that moment of instant shock, when you turn the ignition key and...
When first introduced in 1959, the Mini Cooper was a revelation of automotive simplicity, economy, and delight. Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, primarily called upon to respond to the 1958 fuel crisis plaguing the UK and much of Europe, the diminutive Mini instantly won hearts, charming a wide range of...
You may have read the news piece we posted a week ago about Jaguar’s announcement that their Classic division will...
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...
Over the past several years, I’ve waxed whimsical in this space about various historical, psychological and emotional aspects of the...
Fair disclosure—I’ve wanted to write about this car for years. The Ford GT appeared, in 2005, as a production offering...
Over the course of the past month, a surge of activism has swirled through the American car collecting community. What has triggered this rallying cry to action, you might ask? Preservation? Youth involvement? Nope…taxes. On May 23, the U.S. Department of Commerce posted a request for public comment on “Section...
This is technically the first issue of Vintage Roadcar as an online-only periodical. While many of us will miss the...
One of the interesting things about getting older—at least as a car enthusiast—is looking back on all the cars that...
May 2018 The first major car show I attended was the 1971 L.A. Auto Expo. As a wide-eyed nine-year-old, everything seemed special. Bright colors, racy shapes, and a handful of pretty ladies (still a few years away from becoming a distraction from cars) the event was largely dominated by the...
If you’ve been reading this space for any period of time (yes, I’m talking to both of you), then you’ll...
The year 1962 was a big one. Not only was Seattle sporting its beautiful piercing tribute to the futuramic skyline...
I recently crossed another one of those landmarks that make you pause and consider your age and life. My youngest daughter just got her learner’s permit. There’s something about seeing your youngest, behind the wheel, that is kind of bittersweet. After 15 and one-half years of me driving her around,...
When I was a college student, some friends told me about a woman who ran a hair salon in her West Los Angeles apartment. She ran a steady business cutting hair for most of us attending UCLA. Perfectly positioned near campus and offering haircuts at student rates, short, perky Karen...
