When it comes to old police cars, Chrysler had the market pretty much cornered for some time. In fact, up until 1989 or so, Dodge and Plymouth ruled the squad market to the point that they would usually dictate its direction. This 1966 Coronet, while I’m not sure is real, certainly looks like an old cop car that’s been dragged out of mothballs and driven out to Lead East. I’ll be honest, the shoe polish in the rear window scrawled out as “Lead East Or BUST” is quite a nice touch–as is the notebook and radio strung over the rear view mirror inside. A big whip antenna, period correct lightbar, and loudspeaker-style siren on top finish off the period correct look. Enjoy the photos, and stay safe out there on the roads (or you’ll end up in the back of this old Dodge). Continue reading 1966 Dodge Coronet Police Cruiser at Lead East→
I’ve held a fascination with land-speed records for as long as I can remember. When I saw two belly-tank racers sitting on the show field in the Concours of America this summer, I made a beeline for the section and started looking at what was on hand. Back in the early 1930s, salt flat racing in Bonneville became massively popular, having started in 1914–and people are still out there every year attempting to set new records in an ever-evolving form of motorsport. These cars all hail from the prewar era and looked fantastic in period-correct trimmings. From belly-tanker racers to a few old-school hot rods modified for salt, the history was all in plain sight. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Bonneville Salt Flats Record Cars at the 2015 Concours of America→
Fred Williams is absolutely nuts. First, he revives old Jeeps that have been sitting for more years than I’ve been in school. Then, he goes and gets a derelict, neglected old Road Runner, and goes crazy. He’s starting a build which will make Chrysler junkies like me want to pull my graying hair out. This will have a turbocharged Cummins V8, 4WD, and massive mud tires. I’m amused and intrigued.
When Carroll Shelby got his hands on the Ford Mustang for the very first time, amazing things happened, and history would be changed for good. From 1965 on, once the first GT-350 screamed to life and burned rubber off the assembly line, “Shelby” was associated with the phrase “fast Mustang”. Although little changed in his second year of selling the GT350, demand stayed white-hot. This slick Raven Black fastback is just a small sample of what these cars were capable of–and of those who bought them. Continue reading 1966 Shelby GT-350 at the Concours of America at St. Johns→
While running around Lead East a few weeks ago, I was on the lookout for anything with a Chrysler Corporation badge on it. Luckily, I found this yellow Dodge sitting out back, unloved. No one wanted to give it any attention. Thankfully I found it, and gave it some love. It’s bright yellow, it packs a 440 cubic-inch V8 bruiser of an engine under the hood, chrome rolling stock at all four corners, massive exhausts, and a mean stinkbug stance. It’s just about the perfect definition of what a Coronet R/T is all about–showing off, and making noise. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T at Lead East→
Roadkill is essentially two guys wrecking cars for our benefit. And thanks to the 24 Hours of LeMons, a rusty-crusty old Datsun named the Rotsun, a GM V6 with a turbo, and a lot of elbow grease, we have lunchtime entertainment. Roadkill was off the channel for a while due to Roadkill Nights in Michigan, but Finnegan and Freiburger are back and they’ve completely outdone themselves. Watch, and enjoy.
When it comes to advertising, no one knew how to advertise cars to women in the 1950s. It didn’t stop Dodge from trying, but they clearly weren’t so great at it either. Welcome to the 1955 Dodge La Femme–one of the most obscure 1950s Dodge products out there, regardless of engine or body type. Dodge attempted to make their car appeal to women, but they did it in such a way that would make most women blush with embarrassment for having to be in this car. Continue reading 1955 Dodge LaFemme at the 2015 Concours of America→
Jason Cammisa’s first video with MT is here, and he’s got a Porsche Cayman GT4, and lots of time on his hands. I’ll miss watching Carlos–but Jason’s really excellent, and his wheelman skills are prevalent. Watch this–the Cayman GT4 is an excellent car, and here it gets its due.
Armstrong-Siddeley is a brand that not a lot of people in America are familiar with. I can put myself in that category as well. The Star Sapphire was one of the last products the company made, a full 55 years ago. The conservative, held-back styling is a penchant of British tastes after the end of the Second World War, and it has aged rather well. This is the newest of all Armstrong-Siddeleys, and that is only because this was also the final Star Sapphire ever produced. Continue reading 1960 Armstrong-Siddeley Star Sapphire Saloon at the 2015 Elegance at Hershey→
Until last month, I’d never been to Detroit. Nick kept telling me as we got closer and closer to the Motor City that the cruise-in scene on weekend nights was absolutely my sort of thing, and I was stoked. Of course, Mother Nature had other ideas. After Nick, Shane, and I got drenched in a freak thunderstorm that gave us the best rainbow I’d seen in a decade, I looked around at the cars that did manage to show up–and I wasn’t disappointed. Continue reading Royal Oak Shell Cruise-In, July 25, 2015.→
When I say Kammback, the Pontiac Firebird is not a car anyone thinks of. People will think of it if I say phrases like “Screaming Chicken”, “Mullet”, “Eighties”, and my personal favorite, “Drunk Teenager Crashed It Into a Telephone Pole”. Well, this one lacks the drunken teenager and the Screaming Chicken, but it makes up for it with much added Kammback style. Nick and Shane took one look at this thing and said “Albert, this one’s all yours.” I gladly obliged. Continue reading 1985 Pontiac Trans Am Kammback at the 2015 Concours of America→
Miuras are gorgeous cars. When it launched, nothing else on the road could possibly hope to catch it on a top-speed run. This was a car capable of over 180MPH in 1968, which no other car came close to at the time. This 1969 model was here in all its Bertone-bodied glory at Hershey last month. Continue reading 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S at the Elegance at Hershey, 2015→
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Mind Over Motor 