SWINGING SIXTIES CONCEPT CARS

Posted on March 19, 2022March 19, 2022 by MartynL

Hagerty’s Richard Heseltine showcases 11 Concept Cars, many having a positive effect on future production cars. Other SWINGING SIXTIES CONCEPT CARS faded into obscurity. But, they all matter! Two iconic Concepts – one from Ford; the other from Chevrolet – created by teams led by Roy Lunn (Mustang 1, above, and Zora Arkus-Duntov (CERV 1) below. Concept cars tend to live ephemeral lives. They appear at an event or two, create headlines if they’re lucky, and then disappear into the ether once t...

SHOWTIME AT THE AMELIA

Posted on March 12, 2022March 12, 2022 by MartynL

Casual fan or gearhead, there was everything from Brass Era to Gurney Eagles; NASCAR’s greatest hits to Ferrari’s 75th anniversary; and almost anything in between at the 27th iteration of SHOWTIME AT THE AMELIA. Dan Scanlan brings us highlights. Under The Hagerty Group after it purchased Bill Warner’s Amelia Island Concours in June, an expanded family-themed Cars and Community Cruise-In, a Kid’s Zone, 1980s-1990s RADwood Sports Car Show, and even a Concours d’Lemons were added to the pr...

VW BEETLES, BUSSES, VARIANTS & THINGS

Posted on March 10, 2022March 11, 2022 by MartynL

Ventura Vintage Volkswagens’ Beach Day showcases BEETLES, BUSSES, VARIANTS & THINGS at the Ventura (CA) Pier. Our own Jim Palam rarely passes up a great day with cool cars at the beach! Its mission is clear and simple: Create VW Fun! Ventura Vintage Volkswagens (VVV) is a charter club of the Vintage Volkswagen Club of America. They meet wherever and whenever they can to not only show off the diverse collection of unique VWs in the member ranks, but to also go camping, help each othe...

MASERATI BOOMERANG CONCEPT TURNS 50.

Posted on March 9, 2022March 9, 2022 by MartynL

A dream car, an extreme, futuristic, almost irrational, definitely beautiful model capable of remaining imprinted on the memory of every single fan: MASERATI BOOMERANG CONCEPT TURNS 50. Half a century has passed since March 9th 1972, when the Maserati Boomerang Concept made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro and produced by Italdesign. A Maserati Boomerang mock-up made a fleeting appearance at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Only one model was ever made, which w...

VW NARDO W12 SUPERCAR.

Posted on February 24, 2022February 24, 2022 by MartynL

On the 20th anniversary of Volkswagen breaking seven world speed records on the famed Nardò circuit in Italy, we take a look back at the infamous VW NARDO W12 SUPERCAR. Few are aware the first Supercar to feature a functioning example of Volkswagen’s unique “W” engine was not the Bugatti Veyron with its quad-turbocharged W16 engine. Instead, the earliest progenitor bore a VW emblem on its hood. With aerodynamic styling penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign, the striking W12 Concept...

1960-1961 ROD & CUSTOM CAR SHOWS

Posted on February 23, 2022 by MartynL

Historian Pat Ganahl shares highlights of 1960-1961 ROD & CUSTOM CAR SHOWS from his extensive historical archives. I’ve got a lot of stuff in my “archive.” I mean a whole lotta stuff. Just in terms of photos–color, black-and-white, prints, negatives, slides, proof sheets, digital–there are 30,000-some images. No way I can count them. It’s just an estimate, and it’s probably way low. But besides those, there are magazines (most from Vol 1, No. 1), books, racing and show programs, audio tapes...

PORSCHE 911: RALLY FOR TUSK

Posted on February 15, 2022February 15, 2022 by MartynL

Win-Win campaign - PORSCHE 911: RALLY FOR TUSK - supports funding for wildlife organizations in Kenya and beyond. Tusk is a UK-based organization that supports existing wildlife programs in Africa which have proven successful. New Jersey-based Kim and Mitch McCullough, right, are currently running their ‘72 Porsche 911 in the legendary East African Safari Classic Rally, in an effort to raise funding for wildlife organizations in Kenya. Based on the collapse of tourism due to COVID-19, ...

HIROHATA: MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MERCILLAC

Posted on February 10, 2022 by MartynL

Truly iconic, Bob Hirohata’s Barris-customized ’51 Mercury sells for $2,145,000 at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida auction. Rod & Custom historian Pat Ganahl documents the history of the poster car of the 1950s, HIROHATA: MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MERCILLAC There’s no question the hot topic among rod and custom car enthusiasts this week–this year…ever…–is the sale at auction in Florida of the Hirohata Merc for 1.95 million dollars. I’m not here to analyze, debate, or even discuss the ramifica...

’22 FORD GT: ALAN MANN HERITAGE EDITION

Posted on February 10, 2022February 10, 2022 by MartynL

Latest limited-edition ’22 FORD GT: ALAN MANN HERITAGE EDITION features Alan Mann Racing’s signature red and gold exterior with touches of exposed carbon fiber and Frozen White accents. As a tribute to Alan Mann Racing’s 1966 Ford GT lightweight experimental prototypes, Ford is introducing the ’22 FORD GT: ALAN MANN HERITAGE EDITION. The limited-edition vehicle celebrates the role the prototypes played in the history of the development of the Ford GT. It will be on display at the 2022 C...

SALOON GROUP: 2022 ROLEX MONTEREY HISTORICS

Posted on February 8, 2022February 8, 2022 by MartynL

Among the many makes and models eligible for the SALOON GROUP: 2022 ROLEX MONTEREY HISTORICS is this ‘67 Alfa Romeo GTA, which Brandon Adrian drove at the 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Visitors to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 17-20 will see a decidedly European staple rev to life. The historic Saloon (or Touring) car race group is an exciting class that always produces an interesting variety of cars when they race at equally legendary tracks like Silverstone, Spa...