Car Design is a wicked beast. The purpose of design is to create both alluring and engaging combinations of mechanical...
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...
When first introduced in 1959, the Mini Cooper was a revelation of automotive simplicity, economy, and delight. Designed by Sir...
As a car designer and vintage car enthusiast, I get a lot of questions about cars, the interest behind certain brands, why some cars look better than others, and what makes a car collectible. For the most part, cars are reflections of general tastes, cultural interests, and very often convey...
Quintessential designs of the 20th century are all around us. These items are so familiar we often take their shape, color...
Fair disclosure—I’ve wanted to write about this car for years. The Ford GT appeared, in 2005, as a production offering...
This is technically the first issue of Vintage Roadcar as an online-only periodical. While many of us will miss the paper magazine, I felt it was important to take a moment to recognize the significance of this transition both in how cars are talked about, perceived by the public, and...
May 2018 The first major car show I attended was the 1971 L.A. Auto Expo. As a wide-eyed nine-year-old, everything...
The year 1962 was a big one. Not only was Seattle sporting its beautiful piercing tribute to the futuramic skyline...
When I was a college student, some friends told me about a woman who ran a hair salon in her...
I pedaled my bike past the edge of our main street and down the Santa Monica canyon road toward the...
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...
Stunning looks, capable performance and, today, an undisputed fixture in the automotive lexicon of excellence, the Jaguar D-Type has become...
I had dinner with Carroll Shelby in 1997. Among the dozens of things I remember him telling me, the most poignant...
In an age of cell phones, disposable appliances, laptops thinner and smaller than LIFE magazine, it’s hard to remember that we once drove large, slow, hand-crafted automobiles built with beauty in mind, excellence in every leather stitch and pride in final assembly. And while every one of the major manufacturers...
Both Ferrari and Pininfarina had quite a surprise in store when they debuted the 308 at the 1975 Paris Auto...
How one car changed the culture of Japan and the mindset of America, one sports car at a time With...
Aston Martin. The name alone conjures up images of spies, well-dressed Europeans at fine gatherings, record-setting race wins and a company history nearly as dynamic as the cars themselves. Competing against highly established British stalwarts, Aston Martin had to deliver not only performance and elegance, they had to offer a...
Designed by the legendary Leonardo Fioravanti, the same man responsible for some of the greatest Pininfarina/Ferrari designs, the original 206...
Le Mans, 1960. You can imagine the scene. The coming decade was cresting the ’50s into oblivion. The vast high-speed straights of the new decade revealed technology and design that was radically different from the previous era. No one was slowing down, even in the corners. Materials and processes were...
Since first offering its wares to the automotive public, Lancia has excelled at engineering some of the most technically advanced...
America’s Sport Custom Production Car I had no idea who Howard “Dutch” Darrin was, as I pedaled my Schwinn Sting Ray...
The BMW 507 is frequently cited as one of the most beautifully designed cars regardless of era, origin or classification. Designer Albrecht Goertz penned a lithe sports car with near perfect proportions, taut surfacing and brilliant branding signature, resulting in a timeless expression of BMW’s heritage. At age 24, Goertz arrived in...
Cleverly Proportioned & Intuitively Perfect Let’s be clear about one thing. The Shelby Cobra is one of the most iconic...
We’ve seen visions of the future before. Cars that can fly, jet-powered cars, atomic-powered cars, robotics within cars, and a...
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...
