I was out walking the other day, and tripped on a grate in the pavement and fell hard… down hill....
Dodge and Plymouth stylists hated them, Bill France hated them, but, the racers? Racers loved them, as long as they...
The Bugatti 57SC has long been coveted by automotive historians and enthusiasts as one of the ultimate expressions of pre-war automotive design and engineering, with a precious few chassis originally constructed and each example appreciated as exceptional and bespoke. Some versions of the 57SC have achieved stratospheric desirability and value...
I was down in New Zealand recently with my good friend, photographer Dave Gooley on a working vacation, searching out...
A 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe eight-passenger station wagon’s doors are big, so climbing in is easy. The bench seats are...
We had spent the previous evening at Justin Marshall and his wife Shirley’s spectacular hilltop home overlooking their winery in Paso Robles, California. It was a warm beautiful summer night. We sipped a bit of Marshall’s award-winning wine, took in the incomparable view with the Pacific Ocean in the distance,...
Years ago, a friend and I were in an old Dodge plumber’s van on our way to the Pebble Beach...
Throughout history, French manufacturers have created some of the most unusual automotive designs ever made. Most will agree that many...
Back in 1982, I bought a 1940 Packard coupe and spent the next couple of years restoring it. Once I had the engine extracted, I decided, upon sober reflection, to have a pro do the rebuild. The guys at the parts house referred me to classic car expert Paul Schinnerer...
More Cylinders: Jessie Vincent and the Packard Twin Six engine “The greatest piece of machinery that ever went upon the...
When I moved to Tennessee a few years ago, one of the first things I did was look for a...
Charles Kettering, one time head of research at General Motors, once said: “People are very open-minded about new things – so long as they are exactly like the old ones.” Studebaker tried to prove him wrong but lacked the capacity to make an impression. Then came the Mustang. Ford’s Pony...
We met up with Gary Humecke in Thousand Oaks, California to see and drive his remarkably preserved 1937 Mercedes 170V...
Sensational French shapes and racing pedigree are part of what make Talbot-Lago automobiles exotic, beautiful, rare and sought after. Few...
Why an auto manufacture would choose a motto, “Le Juste Milieu,” that means “The Happy Mean,” will remain unanswered despite the research done for this article or by the two museums who, together, own three of the very rare French cars – two sedans and a particularly rare coupe. It...
We spotted Don Murray’s gorgeous Iso Grifo coupe at his private collection in Irvine California, and wondered what it was....
Beverly Rae Kimes has been called the “First Lady of Automotive History” for good reason. She has written histories of...
In the 1940s, Chrysler Corporation’s Dodge division had a reputation for building solid, dependable, conservatively styled cars. That was fine, however, Chrysler wanted to add some glamour and excitement to their cars. The American public was fascinated with the new jet-age technology that had developed after the war and car...
Alex Bacon grew up a student of automobile design. He cut his teeth as a teenager with a ground up...
We open the smallish front doors, typical of open cars of the 1920s, and climb in. Chris Kidd pulls down...
Pontiac had built a well-deserved reputation as General Motors performance division by 1967. Innovative performance enhancing engineering, matched with attractive but aggressive styling, set the division apart from the pack. The legendary Wide-Track chassis introduced in 1959 captured the public’s imagination and the automotive media’s praise. Motor Trend magazine named Pontiac...
“Bella figura” is Italian for “beautiful figure.” Winston Goodfellow uses the phrase in the title of the section of his...
The Studebaker Corporation built some significant and beautiful vehicles during its more than a century in business. Their horse drawn...
China has contributed many great things to the world throughout the ages. Gunpowder, paper, printing, the umbrella and the compass are among their many contributions to society, however Chinese luxury automobile manufacturing is not on most historian’s lists. Most people, including many car enthusiasts, are unaware of the fact that...
Joe Ballengee was driving his ’65 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato through the Santa Fe Arts District, during the Santa Fe...
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, much of the world quietly celebrated the 100th anniversary...
Tony Valadez’ elegant 1939 Pontiac convertible is everything later Pontiac muscle cars are not. The later cars were brash, flashy and fast. Tony’s vintage Pontiac is none of these things. Instead it is handsome and understated. It is also roomy, comfortable, smooth, quiet, durable and dependable. And when I say...
There were many interesting and familiar cars parked at the 2018 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance. Ferraris, Packards, Jaguars and some vintage...
In May 1968, my former wife and I traveled by train, ferry and again by train from Pirmasens, Germany, to...
What is art? A shape, a form, an abstract collection of ideas, an image created by man to invoke thought, reflection, passion, pleasure or even shock? In automotive terms, art is defined by a car’s styling. Some have referred to a car’s advanced or elaborate engineering aspects as a mechanical...