Hemmings Auto Blog

Virgil Exner with Chrysler’s 1957 lineup. Photo courtesy Chrysler, colorized by Judi Dell’Anno. Perhaps one of the most creative minds in Detroit during the 1950s and 1960s, Virgil Exner not only designed some of Chrysler’s most memorable show and production cars during the tailfin era, but also effected lasting changes Read more

Photo courtesy Silverstone Auctions. So, did the immortal Juan Manuel Fangio crawl from the cockpits of the Maserati 250F and Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to tool relaxingly along in a Rambler? Well, sort of. This 1970 IKA Torino 380S sedan, produced in Argentina, was certified as having been Fangio’s personal daily Read more

Chrysler’s 1934 Airflow looked like nothing else on the road. Photos courtesy Chrysler. As the 1920s gave way to the 1930s, the Art Deco movement influenced everything from industrial design through architecture, including automotive design. In 1934, the limited-production Stout Scarab tried to change the future of family transportation, while Read more

Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes-Benz W196. Photo courtesy Bonhams. A recent Hemmings Find of the Day spurred some reader objections to my comment that a car restored to “better than new” condition – with every nut, bolt and chalk mark existing precisely as the car rolled off the assembly line – Read more

A couple recent photos on Shorpy, both of what is today the Woodmore Shopping Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, offer plenty of carspotting opportunities. Above, we see the main section and parking lot, which appears much more built up today, and below, the Acme Super Market that faced University Boulevard. Read more

Run a shop that specializes in restorations, rebodies and recreations of high-end sports cars, and you’re bound to encounter some interesting customers. Such is the case with Ross Coleman and his shop, Alchemy Creation, in Hailey, Idaho, which is selling a pair of Ferrari 250 body-forming bucks for customers who Read more

Hemi-powered McKee Mk. V Sports Racer. Photos courtesy Russo and Steele. In 1965, Richard Petty found himself on the sidelines of NASCAR’s Grand National series, a victim of the sanctioning body’s (temporary) ban on Chrysler’s Hemi V-8 engines. Eager to explore other racing options, Petty struck up a conversation with Read more

Photo courtesy Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Thirty years ago, the seemingly impossible happened. Orange County International Raceway, a showplace drag strip in Irvine, California, closed its doors for good. Otherworldly amounts of money were sunk into building it – OCIR opened in 1967 – and operating it, but it Read more

Photo by the author. There are certain people you meet who actually are larger than life, and Hal Needham was one of them. A fearless stuntman who furthered his industry by starting Stunts Unlimited and developing new innovative equipment and safety items, Hal had a knack for inspiring those around Read more

We saw plenty of anniversaries in 2013, but one that slipped under our radar until now is the 40th anniversary of the World Rally Championship. Though plenty of international rallies had taken place prior to the Monte Carlo Rally in January 1973 – including the FIA’s International Championship of Manufacturers, Read more