Category Archives: Automotive Lifestyle

What does a car-enthused lifestyle look like?

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

The Price Game: $150K in Miami, FL. Go!

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The Price Game Miami Edition

Let’s start off using the example scenario from the series introduction. 

So you’ve just taken a new job in Miami that pays a whole lot more than your old job. Congratulations, you have finally made it! You’ve got yourself a really nice apartment with a view of the city, and it came with 3 parking spots in the building’s parking garage. You figure you can afford to spend $150,000 to get your car game up to par for your new job in this iconic town, where standing out can be quite a challenge. 

You see many nice cars around Miami, but its mostly just beach cruising since the land is quite flat and the urban sprawl extends quite far out. There are a few racing circuits around for track days, but public roads are mostly straight and cornering fun will be mostly limited to highway on/off ramps.

As for places to go, you have the Florida Keys to the south, and the west coast of Florida to the north with destinations like Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach. Miami is way down at the tip of the Florida Peninsula, so any drive out of state destination will be a long one.

Weather in Miami is nice for much of the year, but also can get quite hot, being in the tropics. A convertible is always a good idea, but remember that there may be some days when you’ll want frigid A/C to escape the heat. 

So with all this in mind, what vehicles would you have in your garage?

Let us know in the comments, and see our choices below.

Continue reading The Price Game: $150K in Miami, FL. Go! →

Automotive Lifestyle, Car Games

The Price Game Intro

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The Price Game

As car people, we’ve all played this at some point: You pick some amount of money, and maybe a scenario, and then you and your friends come up with what you’d buy within the given budget. You then  compare and criticize each other’s choices, and debate ensues.

It’s a lot of fun to imagine both realistic and fantastical situations to fill your garage in, so we figured we’d bring you the Mind Over Motor Price Game, our own version of the game that all car-lovers like to play. In addition to a given budget, we’re also going to set some situational context and some basic rules to consider when making your choices to keep things interesting.

Continue reading The Price Game Intro →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Highlights from the 2014 River Edge Car Show

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1965 Pontiac GTO Front Side

On Sunday, I attended the River Edge Classic Car Show in River Edge, NJ thanks to a tip from my aunt, who happens to live there.  I was expecting this show to be another small neighborhood car show in a small town in Bergen County.  To say the very least, I was completely and utterly wrong. Despite the rain all over New Jersey and the threatening, humid air hovering over the city park, the show went on and was a runaway success.  Admission was free, food was reasonably priced, and the atmosphere was friendly and full of good vibes.  All sorts of cars were welcome, from a gorgeous early 1930s Chevrolet sedan all the way up to a restored 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda, among many other fantastic cars.  There were muscle cars, hot rods, offbeat classics, Mustangs, and even a Lotus Esprit V8.  I was incredibly impressed at the variety and the caliber of cars on display out on the street on Sunday afternoon.  The weather held up, everyone had a great time, and I even saw a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 that I’d judged in 2007 (more on that car in a future post).  A great day was had.  Enjoy the photos, everyone!

Continue reading Highlights from the 2014 River Edge Car Show →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1963 Lincoln Continental Sedan at the Greenwich Concours

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Lincoln Continental Sedan Front

The Lincoln Continental was once a great marque.  Lincoln needed to sell more product and in 1960, the Mark V was outdated and outclassed by its more modern rivals, so Lincoln was the first to take the plunge and shear off the tail fins.  Lincoln told Elwood Engel, Ford’s design head at the time, to design something modern for their luxury product.  He worked wonders, creating a boxy shape that became an instant classic.  The suicide-doored sedan and corresponding convertible were chiseled and mature, and became the definitive Lincoln shape for a decade thereafter.  This is probably my favorite year of the postwar Continental–1963.  The angle of the grille and the ratio of chrome to paint up front are dead-on perfect and the upright top of the fenders shines through brilliantly.  My grandpa had a convertible one of these in the early 1960s and remembers it fondly, just as I caught a glimpse into the past thanks to this example.  The eggshell white paint may seem a bit plain to some but I think this is the consummate color for the Contiental of the Sixties.  In fact, to me, no other color really captures the shape and the inner lines.  The suicide doors, long since out of style by the time this body launched in 1961, have always looked perfect.  Values have been healthy for this car for some time, and I can see why–this is easily my favorite Lincoln of the postwar era, even more so than the ones from the late 1940s.  Enjoy the photos.

 

Continue reading 1963 Lincoln Continental Sedan at the Greenwich Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1969 AMC Javelin SST at the Greenwich Concours

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1969 AMC Javelin SST Front

The AMC Javelin, in my opinion, tends to be an unloved pony car among the early examples of the late 1960s. After American Motors realized the Rambler Marlin was too big and heavy to compete with the lithe Mustang, Camaro, and Barracuda, they launched the Javelin in the spirit of the muscle car era, with a catching profile, low front end, and a nicely extruded wide stance. This 1969 SST model, the top-of-the-line trim level available that year, is optioned exceedingly well, including AMC’s nasty 390 cubic inch V8, body-color bumpers, and spiffy side stripes. Apperntly, this car is still with its original owner, who bought it for his daughter to use in high school and has restored it back to factory condition quite recently. I think it’s fair to say this among the Javelins I have seen through the past couple of years or so, this one is easily my favorite and even has a classy, stylish Sixties vibe to it with the vinyl roof, whitewalls, and Magnum 500 rolling stock. Enjoy the photos of this independent classic. Continue reading 1969 AMC Javelin SST at the Greenwich Concours →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts.

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Nissan 240SX LS1 Burnout Side

Hello everyone, and welcome to Independence Day. On this day in 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia to mark the birth of our great nation, the United States of America. And on this day in 2014, I would like to feature some of the best burnout pictures we have from the CF Charities Supercar Show last month in Warminster, Pennsylvania–just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia. The burnout may not be distinctly American, but few other automotive gestures are quite as fitting in this great nation as stepping up to the plate and spinning the rear tires into a pulp of rubber, smoke, and mayhem. These great citizens, some of which brought a few foreign cars (this cementing this American smoking institution as a great melting pot), were more than happy to show off their tire-shredding skills. Everything from a slightly crunchy BMW E36 coupe to a hard-boiled Ford F-350 dually packing a 7.3L PowerStroke turbo diesel V8 (with copious amounts of added diesel soot) took part, and much fun was had by all. Enjoy the photos, and happy Fourth of July. Continue reading Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts. →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six Pack Convertible at the Greenwich Concours

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1970 Dodge Challenger R:T Convertible Front Angle

Right about now, the Dodge Challenger is playing third fiddle to the current Mustang and Camaro. It’s not selling as well as its competition, it’s not as fast, and it’s quite a lot heavier. However, there are a few things it does better than the other two pony cars on the market, and the same was true 44 years ago when the Challenger first launched in 1970. It looked more aggressive and had slick lines for its era, and offered style that the Camaro and Mustang couldn’t match. Today, the same is true–the Challenger, despite its oversized dimensions now, has strong lines, just like this sexy convertible. Retina-searing orange, black stripes, and a black interior never looked so strong in the sunshine.

Clad in Hemi Orange paint, this 1970 convertible looks like a high-class, high-speed machine of the early Seventies, and that’s exactly what it was for. The Challenger never sold as well as the Mustang or Camaro, and the convertible is quite a rare machine, especially in eye-catching R/T trim. This one in particular sports the same engine as the black Road Runner I featured here a few weeks ago–the rip-snorting, eardrum-liberating 440 Six Pack V8. Unlike that Road Runner, this Challenger is controlled by the timeless four-speed manual transmission topped with the Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter. This is quite a rare combination–according to the Standard Catalog of Chrysler, only 61 R/T convertibles were equipped with this engine and transmission combination out of 1,070 R/T convertibles. As a result, KBB lists the value of this particular car at close to six figures. I’m not at all surprised–although values of muscle cars have stabilized, Challengers, and especially ones of this pedigree, are still worth an absolute suitcase of money and I can see why. I haven’t seen too many Challengers, especially 1970 models–but this might be one of the best convertibles that’s not at an auction right now. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six Pack Convertible at the Greenwich Concours →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1930 Cadillac Series 353 Cabriolet at the Elegance at Hershey 2014

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Rothschild Cadillac Left Front

Anyone who has read up on their European history over time has probably heard of the Rothschild family.  They’re known today as being much more low-profile than most would expect for being as wealthy as they are (the family is supposedly worth 500 billion dollars), but their control over the world’s wealth is known as a staggering truth.  However, I’m not here today to talk about the entire family’s history.  I just want to talk about this absolutely stunning car.  This is a Cadillac–but it’s not just any old pre-war Cadillac.  This particular French-market Cadillac 353 Cabriolet was owned by Baron Edmund James de Rothschild for a number of years.  This custom-bodied behemoth is a four-door cabriolet with a full-folding roof, in separate sections for the chauffeur or the passengers.  These versions are known as closed car (both sections closed), sedanca de villa (front section open), or an open tourer (all sections open).

Cadillac sold 14,995 cars in 1930, but less than one percent of them were bodied by custom coach builders (less than 150).  This car is an aluminum-bodied, long-wheelbase, three position double cabriolet, a truly unique body style.  The bodywork was performed by Georges Kellner et Filis and is the only known Cadillac he penned.  Unfortunately, the Baron passed away just four years after the car was ordered, and it was kept thereafter at one of the chateaus owned by the family and used just for special occasions.  In 1969, a noted collector named James C. Leake purchased it and had it restored ten years later. The current owner, the Richard Driehaus Collection, has not changed the car since acquiring it in 1998.  Despite being an older restoration, this Series 353 looks absolutely stunning on the field at Hershey and I would be overjoyed to see it again soon, whether that be this year or in the future.  Enjoy the photos of this legendary automobile. Continue reading 1930 Cadillac Series 353 Cabriolet at the Elegance at Hershey 2014 →

Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

The Ferrari that inspired the Ford Thunderbird

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Here’s some fascinating automobile trivia for you. The inspiration for the legendary Ford Thunderbird (or T-Bird) came from a 1952 Ferrari Barchetta that was given to Henry Ford II by Enzo Ferrari. Yes, the two automakers had a long relationship before their famous falling out in the mid-1960s, which resulted in the Ford GT40. Just look at the styling of this one-off Ferrari Barchetta, especially the rear, and you will see the T-Bird in the making.

This one-off Ferrari currently resides in the Peterson Automotive Museum, and they let Jay Leno take it for a spin with his cameras rolling. Enjoy the sights and sounds of this machine that helped shape automotive history, because without this Ferrari, her daddy would’ve had to take away whatever else she was having fun, fun, fun with.

-Nick

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1958 Chevrolet Impala at the 2014 Greenwich Concours

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1958 Chevrolet Impala Front

The Tri-Five Chevrolets of the 1950s are legendary, but I feel like the model produced just one year later is better than its three older brothers.  1958 marked the appearance of the top of the line Impala for the first time, and the name would stand as Chevrolet’s standard-bearer in the full-size market until 1985.  The name is still of course used today (despite being dragged through the mud since my pre-teen years) as Chevy’s full size car.  In ’58, the lineup got a redesign which brought quad round headlights across the board and marked the appearance of the three taillights per side that would stick to Chevy’s top of the tree models until 1966.  Six-cylinder and small-block V8 engines were available as they were for 1957, but the ’58 brought with it the debut of the big-block V8 option.  Although it only displaced 348 cubic inches at the time, this top V8 option was available with a set of three two-barrel carburetors and mechanical lifters, which increased output to 315 horsepower–32 more than the fuel-injected 283 that topped the lineup a year earlier.

This one on display at the Greenwich Concours at the end of May was a very straight example, sporting a rear antenna with the correct rearward slant, flashy chrome, and a clean set of knock-off style hubcaps.  The Tropic Turquoise paint finish shined brightly against the cloudy but still bright daylight sky, and the white roof set everything off nicely.  The ’58 chassis was a one-hit wonder and for 1959, the lineup got revised again, making this car a bit more unique than it would be.  It stands to reason that the 1958 Impala and its lesser models of the year are becoming more and more collectible as time goes on–prices are beginning to rival what the 1957 models have been going at lately.  I’m a sucker for the ’58 Impala, as it was a classier and more filled-out car than the 55-57 series, but not as over-the-top as the 1959 and 1960 cars.  The earliest Impala strikes a great balance between the outlandish style of the late Fifties and the reserved taste of the early part of the decade.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1958 Chevrolet Impala at the 2014 Greenwich Concours →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1930 Minerva 80138 AL: Best of Show Concours International at the Greenwich Concours, 2014

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Minerva 80138 AL Front Left Awards

This year, the second day of proceedings at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance was an example of great weather, good vibes, and gorgeous European and Asian automobiles from Great Britain to Belgium to the former Soviet Union. The Best Of Show winner was a car that captivated everyone who came near it with beauty, style, and above all, cold hard substance. The winner of Best of Show was this stunning Belgian-crafted 1930 Minerva 80138 AL, with coachwork by Vanden Plas. The owner is Judge Joseph Cassini III and his wife Margie Cassini of West Orange, NJ. Cassini is a recently retired judge with an excellent car collection that has won multiple awards. For instance, his 1934 Packard won Best of Show at Pebble Beach last summer, and his Horch 853 Special Roadster won Best Of Show at Greenwich just two years ago. He’s also shown a beautiful 1933 Duesenberg SJ at Hershey, which I had the pleasure of seeing last summer (it won Most Elegant American Closed Pre-War).

The Minerva, however, was the star of this show two Sundays ago. Finished in a pearl earth paint color, the bodywork is paired with a 6.6L straight eight sleeve-valved engine. Cassini claims that this is one of 8 surviving “AL” models with that engine left. Cassini’s opinion on winning the award with the Minerva was, “It’s pretty humbling to see it recognized for the work of art that it is.” He purchased the car at the Gooding auction at Amelia Island only a few months ago (fully restored) and is showing it for the first time at Greenwich. According to the auction house website (goodingco.com), this is a Pebble Beach and Amelia Island class winner and has won Best Of Show at other Concours events previously. After receiving his award, Mr. Cassini mentioned that he will be bringing another Minerva to the Elegance at Hershey this coming Sunday–specifically, a Rollston-bodied 1931 cabriolet sedan which I am eager to see up close. Many congratulations to Joseph and Margie Cassini for winning Best Of Show in the Concours International. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1930 Minerva 80138 AL: Best of Show Concours International at the Greenwich Concours, 2014 →

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, SHOWCASE

1969 Plymouth Road Runner M-Code at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

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Plymouth Road Runner 440+6 Front Left

The Plymouth Road Runner was a legendary car in its own right. It launched in 1968 as a stripped out Belvedere with plenty of performance extras as standard equipment, an optional 426 Hemi V8, and a price low enough for a teenager to enjoy. In 1969, Plymouth improved the breed with a new front end, new taillights, new trunk trim, and new side marker lights.

However, halfway through the year, Plymouth decided to stop toying with the competition and dumped the 440-cubic inch V8 into the Road Runner coupe and hardtop. The M-Code package, as it was known for the VIN code, or the A12 package (on the fender tag), included the 440 V8 with a trio of two-barrel Holley carburetors and a bunch of go-faster goodies attached to the chassis. A Super Track Pack could be optioned alongside the 440 Six Pack to make this Mopar even more formidable on the street.

This engine also came with a sinister appearance package that added a flat black lift-off fiberglass hood with integrated scoop, hood pins, a set of black steel wheels with chrome lug nuts, and most of the brightwork deleted. This is probably one of the meanest looking muscled cars that Plymouth ever made and it happens to be a huge favorite of mine. Only 1,432 440 six barrel Road Runners left the factory in 1969, and this automatic-equipped one is a one-owner car that appeared at the Greenwich Concours earlier this month. So far, this is the first real 440+6 Road Runner I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in person. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1969 Plymouth Road Runner M-Code at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance →