Clik here to view.
It's Time To Learn About The Biggest Unsung Hero In Motoring
One of my personal missions as an automotive writer is to bring more attention to the very early history of cars, that very important and often overlooked century of development from the late 1700s to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Weird Reasons Why Different Countries Drive On Different Sides Of The Road
Visiting a country that drives on the opposite side of the road from your own tends to bring a bit of an inherent confusion. In all honesty, it’s just plain weird. But, as weird as it can be, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Are Chauffeurs Called Chauffeurs?
Today, if you have a moment to pause in slapping your valet, you should take a moment to think about the names you call your help. Not the horrible ones you make up– the actual titles. Like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Flying Cars Were Around Nearly 100 Years Ago
As you probably notice each day in rush-hour traffic, most cars still travel on the ground. Despite innovations in both the automotive and aviation industries, the concept of a flying car remains a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Front Bench Seats Went Away
There are plenty of car features that went out the window at some point or another, including ones that were once the only option for drivers. One such feature that fell into obscurity was the classic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How This Early Form Of Motorcycle Racing Died A Fast Death
Racing is inherently dangerous, and that danger presents itself each time a vehicle rolls onto a track. Racing communities, in turn, continually make calls for safer conditions . But motorsport was far...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Indiana Pacers Got Their Name From The Indianapolis 500
The Indiana Pacers—it’s a sporty enough name, and it fits well for a basketball team. Without outside knowledge or a strange knack for putting two and two together, there wouldn’t be any reason to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Motorsports Learned To Fight Fire With Fire (Suits)
At the race track, it doesn’t take much to tell competitors apart in the crowds. Just look for the sponsor-laden—hopefully, in the driver’s case—fire suit, and you’ve found your person. But, back in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Happy 25th Birthday To The Volvo 850!
When you picture the boxy-yet-oddly-sleek Volvo 850, usually a wagon, it’s easy to forget just how radical it was 25 years ago. Volvo was actually quite specific about how radical it was at the time,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Fascination With Self-Driving Cars Started Nearly 100 Years Ago
Last week, I spent a few days driving the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class . Its semi-autonomous capabilities led to some discomfort—not due to their functioning, but due to the fact that I was behind the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
America Had A Miata Before The Miata Was A Miata
I decided to take a little break from my annual Fourth of July marathon lovemaking session with a very special and majestic bald eagle to talk to you about an American car that I think deserves more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Inventor And First Man To Die On A Motorcycle Is An American Hero
It’s almost Independence Day here in the U.S., and I’d like to ask you to take a moment from giving those Redcoats the finger and chugging Pabst to reflect on a true American hero, Sylvester Roper,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Glove Compartments Became About More Than Just Gloves
For those with the slightest knowledge of cars, it isn’t hard to guess where glove compartments came from—the original function is even in the name. The glove compartment was one of several strange...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Did The Guy Who Invented The Scooter Also Build A Crazy Jumping Car?
I want to believe this story for many reasons: first, it’s a jumping car. A French jumping car from before WWI. Second, this was sent to me by Jeff Lane, the man behind my favorite motor museum . And...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How A Woman Kidnapped In Her Own Car Fought To Prevent It From Happening To...
On an unfortunate day in 1995, kidnappers forced a couple into the trunk of a car at gunpoint. Unable to get out and without knowledge of where their infant son was, the couple was robbed and left them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What It Was Like To Buy And Own A Car In The USSR
When you think of Soviet vehicles, what word comes to mind? Probably “shoddy.” Or “terrible.” Or “unreliable.” Maybe “garbage.”Read more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
So much Opel in this handout from the company for a 1995 exhibit on the...
So much Opel in this handout from the company for a 1995 exhibit on the German-American automaker. Which would you take? (via AP Images)Read more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
GM Strapped Rockets To Cars For Testing And Probably Fun
A while back, I had a delightfully terrible idea to use spacecraft-type maneuvering rockets to make a better-handling race car . I thought I was pretty clever, but then I saw this picture of a Corvair...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How The Lamborghini Miura Changed The Supercar Game Forever
As Lamborghini celebrates 50 years of motoring insanity this week, now seems like an appropriate time to look back on what may have been their most important car. It's the Lamborghini that redefined...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Boston Was The First To Deliver Mail By Car
Boston isn't known as a center of automotive history, but here's something they should be known for: Boston was home to the first mail truck.Read more...
View Article