We’ve seen visions of the future before. Cars that can fly, jet-powered cars, atomic-powered cars, robotics within cars, and a...
Vintage Roadcar Columns
There may be a cold wind a-coming… There’s nothing worse than a pundit, bragging, “I told you so.” So, I...
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...
Just how far are you prepared to go for exclusivity? In January, Bentley announced that its famed Mulliner coachbuilding team...
Could the passing of a new law breed an entirely new segment of “classics”? The terms “Kit Car” and “Replica” are perhaps two of the most controversial—and misunderstood—concepts in the collector car community. For many, many years, these were considered derogatory terms, an affront to any right-minded enthusiast, as how...
While you might think this article is going to address the Chrysler Norsman, we are instead going deep sea diving,...
The 1953 Turin Auto Show must have been quite a sight. It presented cars of what would become a landmark...
Can a fictional spy save the world…and a car company? I write this column on the eve of Halloween. While my youngest daughter is busting at the seams for what is one of her favorite holidays, I have to say it no longer holds much allure for me. The holiday...
Throughout the 1950s, American automobile manufacturers developed some of the most extravagant concept cars. While many of these efforts were...
For some in the automotive world, apparently cheating is a core value From the first day we start kindergarten, we...
It’s hard to imagine any scene from “Americana” that does not include a wood-bodied station wagon. Not only were wood cars a critical part of the growing suburban American lifestyle, the woody wagon would become collectible and highly sought after, long after the useful purpose for which they were originally...
…I was jumping up and down on the hood, like a chimpanzee in heat I think, like a number of...
Among car collectors, enthusiasts, even kids who’ve yet to master driving, the Chevrolet Corvette needs no introduction. Introduced in 1953,...
Being ejected from the car…that’s half the appeal! As I’ve mentioned off and on, I’ve found that my automotive tastes have morphed over the years. Certain cars that used to hold no fascination for me whatsoever, have for some reason started to pop onto my radar. Call it exposure, call...
In 1962 the worlds of fashion, design and cultural norms were changing faster than we were sending a man to...
Apparently, you can only dodge so many bullets… I’m cruising down the road, nestled in a big, comfortable leather seat....
The Ghia 450 SS challenge arrived at Ghia studios as one of the first assignments offered to their newest employee, Giorgetto Giugiaro, at the dawn of his brief but productive two-year position at Ghia. Hollywood producer and media mogul Burt Sugarman had seen the1965 Ghia Fiat on the cover of...
Fighting a virus can be a lifetime affair… Viruses can be insidious things. They initially infect you, you’re sick with...
We’re all creatures of water. Millions of years ago we emerged from a boiling primordial stew as multi-cell organisms, evolved...
…or why America lacks an international show One of the things I really enjoy, each month, is poring over all the submitted photos to select the images for that issue’s photo galleries. With so many contributors around the world, it’s like taking a short, round the world survey of every...
The Earth is round. These days we say this with reasonable certainty (thanks in part to space travel) and considerably...
Conundrums of nomenclature in the automotive world Each month, I end up reading every word—on both sides of the magazine—at...
My Top Ten list changes every year. I know what I like, but once in a while new cars creep in. I love a great new design, but old designs often make a “comeback” on my list after a hiatus from the visual mainstream. A great car design hits me...
Is the world really hankering for a return of the Borgward? I see a lot of automotive press releases, every...
Every car guy, collector and car designer knows the two major categories that separate car designs—Pre-war and Post-war. Pre-war cars...
Has history caught up with the electric car? I mention in my column on the other side of the magazine this month that Ford made a big impression at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, with the latest iteration of its iconic GT (nee GT40). However, Ford was not the only...
When people hear I am a car designer, questions come up: “What is your favorite car?” “What car do you...
Do these bellbottoms make my car look fat? Show of hands…how many of you sported a pair of bellbottoms in...
Car design has been a key part of automotive history since the very first series of carriages was built for royalty. Though not a car per se, these first carriages offered visual delight to onlookers. Painted and gold-leafed, often with family crests and other pageantry, the carriage evolved from buggy...
