Photo galleries from places we’ve been and events we’ve attended
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Last year, Buick launched a concept car that my buddy Chris and I spent a long time staring at. Its name was the Avenir, and we were convinced that we’d never see the company ever put its design language on the street. Luckily for us, Buick put its money where its mouth is, and gave us the new LaCrosse this year. Continue reading 2017 Buick Lacrosse at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show
These are the only three Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyders built, the entire production run by Stile Italia, and they all belong to the same family. Now that’s fun, ain’t it?
They decided to bring them all out together for the Concours of America this year, and my, what a spectacle they were. Stunning, curvaceous Italian metal draped over what is essentially a racing chassis with a built 350ci Chevy V8 that makes 420hp. Yes, back in the mid-late 1960s, these Bizzarrini supercars were about as serious as a road car could be. American muscle powering Italian handling, and beauty, it is a perfect combination!
Giotto Bizzarrini was an ex-Ferrari engineer, one of the heads of the 250 GTO program. One day, Enzo Ferrari pissed him, and a bunch of other engineers off, and they all left the Ferrari in spite. Giotto Bizzarrini went on to design the V12 used by Lamborghini from the 1960s until just recently. He then founded a company under his own name, and started building the gorgeous cars you see here.
Obviously, Bizzarrini’s company didn’t last; they went bankrupt in 1969. But that left their machines a rarity among sports and racing cars, and they are highly treasured today.
I had seen the silver prototype and the blue Spyder before on different occasions, but never the red one. What a treat to see all three 5300 Spyders together! They are a beautiful and impressive nook in the lineage of Italian Sports Cars.
Enjoy the gallery!
Continue reading The Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyder Trio at the Concours of America
Gotta love a Hot Rodded Herbie!
-Nick
The Tucker 48 was a car that would’ve stuck it to the Big Three in the years following WWII, so much so that they had to essentially sabotage and filibuster Preston Tucker to ruin his company before he could get too far off the ground. It was a great example of American anti-capitalism, and a shameful moment in the auto industry on the part of the Big Three.
Preston Tucker did manage to produce a few production Tucker 48s, or “Tucker Torpedos” as they were known. 50 cars were completed in total, and it’s always a wonderful occasion when you get to see one up close. We saw this beautifully kept example at the Concours of America, near Detroit, Michigan.
Just look at the car with its fantastic details, and consider what a shame it is that Tucker was never able to really get off the ground. In 1948 the Tucker was nothing short of revolutionary. It was fast, it was safe, and it was stylish. There was nothing even remotely like it, and that’s what scared the shit out of the Big Three so much that they felt the need to play dirty… if I sound vindictive, it’s because I am. The Tucker was a true masterpiece, and it would have shown them up big time.
The remaining Tuckers are heavily sought after today. At auction, they’ll easily fetch seven figures. For more info on the Tucker 48, check out the video at the bottom of this post.
Enjoy the gallery of this icon of the American Auto Industry, and for more info on the Tucker 48, check out the video at the bottom of this post.
Continue reading 1948 Tucker 48 “Torpedo” at The Concours of America
This slammed BMW M6 V10 Convertible was the first car that caught my eye this year at First Class Fitment. Even before I was inside the show, I shot it through the fence.
It was an immaculately done car, with a beautiful color combo, and some fine detail work.
Enjoy!
-Nick Walker
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Six months back, Nick, Shane, and I were all in attendance at the 2015 Concours of America, over in Plymouth MI. Nick’s shown us all the highlights and I’ve done a few features on one or two muscle cars and a set of dry-lake race cars, as well as a very unique Corvette. However, nothing gets in front of Best of Show, and at this show, one award is given to the best American car, and one is given to the best imported car. The winners this year genuinely embody the best of what the pre-war world of cars had to offer 80 years ago. Continue reading Best Of Show Winners from the 2015 Concours of America at St. John’s
Some more shots from the Paddock of Laguna Seca during Monterey Car Week, here is a gallery of awesome racing cars, old and new.
I always love seeing the old pre-war racecars sitting right next to more modern racecars, like Group C, because it really puts in perspective how far the automobile has come in just a few decades. That said, the drivers of those older racing cars were men among men. Those cars were not especially slow at all, reaching over 100mph, but with very primitive technology.
Enjoy the spectacle!
Continue reading Various Racing Machines in the Laguna Seca Paddock
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Feast your eyes on the king of Plymouth stock cars. Back in 1970, Plymouth was racing in NASCAR, and the Dodge Charger Daytona was winning big the previous season. Of course, they wanted in on all the fun, and the top brass was only more than happy to oblige, gifting them the Superbird. The nose cone, massive rear wing, and flush rear window all contributed to a massive aerodynamic advantage at the time–allowing these cars to break to nearly 200 MPH on the oval tracks of the day when equipped with the 426 Hemi. They were so dominant that NASCAR got sick of seeing Mother Mopar basically destroy everybody every Sunday afternoon, so 1971 brought in a rule change that forced Plymouth and Dodge to either ditch the aero body or ditch the Hemi–effectively dumping cold water on the party. Continue reading 1970 Plymouth Superbird at the 2015 Concours of America at St John’s
This JDM gem was lurking in the paddock at Laguna Seca. It is a 1971 Nissan Hakosuka Skyline 2000 GT-R, the great, great, great grand daddy of today’s R35 Nissan GTR.
These things are worth a pretty penny now, too. In fact, that same weekend another Hakosuka GT-R sold for $242,000 at auction in Monterey.
The Skyline 2000 GT-R is now a godfather figure amongst Japanese cars, and rightfully so given the lineage of groundbreaking cars it produced.
Enjoy the pics!
Continue reading Nissan Hakosuka Skyline 2000 GT-R at Laguna Seca
This striking yellow Ferrari F355 Spider caught my eye in the car corral at Radnor Hunt. Still one of the best sounding V8 Ferraris around.
-Nick
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The new Giulia is probably Alfa Romeo’s most important product launch of the past decade. Twenty years ago, Alfa left the American market, and for the first time, there’s hope that the brand is back and can compete on a mass-market level with this product. The Giulia shown at L.A. was the top of the line Quadrifoglio series, complete with a snarling V6 (they wouldn’t start it up for me, but we’ve heard it before on spy videos and it does sound great), six-speed manual, and stunning styling. I can’t wait to see this at dealerships, and I can give a full guarantee that I’ll do whatever is necessary to get behind the wheel of one when the chance arises. Until then, enjoy the photos–Alfa is back and they mean it. Continue reading Alfa Giulia at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show
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Being at Lead East for the first time in 3 years was a great experience, even if I eventually ran out of steam and had a few issues getting good pictures thanks to the glare around the show. Luckily, that didn’t affect my chances of shooting this 1968 Plymouth Road Runner. Continue reading Sox and Martin 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Replica at Lead East, 2015
Mind Over Motor 