Excerpts taken from world famous ‘Hemmings Auto Blog’
Images courtesy Harold Osmer. It came to be known as the Lemon Capital of the World, but before citrus was a major industry in Corona, California, it had already become a landmark in the early days of motor racing. That happened because the civil engineer Hiram Clay Kellogg gave the Read more
Tatra 77 advertisement calls it “the elegant car.” Public domain image. Fans of the Dakar Rally (formerly the Paris-Dakar Rally) will likely recognize Tatra as a manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks, which posted an impressive six wins and five additional podium finishes in the grueling event from 1988 to 2001 at Read more
1970 Checker MediCar limousine. All photos courtesy Mecum Auctions. While Corvettes and other Chevrolets dominated the recent Mecum auction in Dallas, a trio of unusual automobiles built by the Checker Motors Corporation, including a rare 1970 Checker MediCar, also shared the stage but failed to meet their reserve prices. Built Read more
“Clusters of small businesses and artisan shops” is how C. William Brubaker described Harper Court on South Harper Avenue in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood when he took this photo of the court sometime in 1978. And while we’re sure there’s a fascinating subtext about urban development and redevelopment, retail shopping Read more
While the Caribbeans (and occasionally the Packardbakers) get the lion’s share of the hype when it comes to postwar Packards, that’s not to dismiss several other distinctive models, including the 400 two-door hardtop of 1955 and 1956, a model that shared the Caribbean’s 127-inch wheelbase and many of its luxury Read more
The record-breaking 1967 L88 convertible. Photos courtesy Mecum Auctions. Chevrolet built the Corvette L88 for one reason only: to come out on top in competition. While the 1967 Corvette L88 that crossed the block at this past weekend’s Mecum auction in Dallas long ago demonstrated its prowess on the race Read more
Photo courtesy the Worthington family. One of Southern California’s long-standing institutions was the endless series of rollicking, high-energy commercials starring the master car salesman, Cal Worthington, who died this past Sunday at the age of 92. It can truly be said that the world of retailing new cars was never Read more
[Editor’s Note: British author James Ruppert at Bangernomics doesn’t buy and sell old cars as investments. Instead, he lets them drive him mad, as he outlined in his latest book, My Mini Cooper: Its Part in my Breakdown. He elaborates below on why and how old cars make us nuts.] Read more
With the sale of Wet Nellie, James Bond’s Lotus submersible, making headlines this week, it’s time to see if we can figure out the current whereabouts of the vehicle Bond used in his most popular chase scene. By which we mean not his Aston Martins, not the open-top Toyota 2000GT, Read more
More highway openings in Vermont. I’ll never tire of them. This time, it’s the opening of Interstate 91 near Brattleboro, courtesy of the Vermont Landscape Change program. As you can see, the local television station showed up, and there’s a school bus for the dignitaries, and plenty of motorists anxious Read more