50 posts, newest first.
Words by Linda Photos by Matt I like and understand hybrids. May last car was a Toyota Prius, so I was curious to test this new 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. What I liked about my Prius was the great gas mileage, super low emissions ratings, how quiet it ran and minimal maintenance and upkeep. Although…
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photos by Kirk Just another quick end-of-year shout out and some great photos, for my friends at the Automobile Driving Museum in California’s South Bay, right near LAX. This is a wonderful place, as accessible a car museum as you’ll ever find. And every weekend, they select and fire up three of the cars…
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Something new I thought you might find interesting: “Owners& Enthusiasts Can Buy and Sell Collector Cars on MCG Marketplace 24 Hours a Day for Free” MyClassicGarage.com has launched the MCG Marketplace. “Unlike most of the collector car classified sites, the MCG Marketplace is completely free and offers a robust environment that allows potential buyers to…
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At Autobooks in Burbank during the mid day: Autobooks Aerobooks 2900 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505 And at World Class Motoring in the afternoon:…
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It all began a little over 40 years ago, when local car collectors Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett put on a car show, and out of that first humble event was born Barrett-Jackson, which holds an annual collector car auction every January in Scottsdale Arizona. It was considered by many to be the beginning of…
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Not sure what you are up to tomorrow, but if you”re in or near LA, please make plans to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum, and enjoy its annual swap meet and car sale. Its open early through the mid day, and there’s no charge to enter the swap meet. (and while you’re there, pay the…
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Mike Lamm is one of my heros in the motojourno biz. When I was a kid in junior high, he was on staff at Motor Trend, and always did the greatest pieces about classics and used cars. I read anything Michael wrote, as it was always on point and well written. A few decades later…
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This is a great show for a wonderful cause. Its a run what you brung kind of show, featuring something for everyone. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2012 FROM 6:30AM UNTIL 12 NOON FEE: BRING TOYS FOR KIDS! The Anthem Building in the Warner Center 21555 Oxnard Street Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Your only admission charge is…
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Friends, I’ve joint ventured with the most awesome Preston Lerner again on a new automotive book. Its finally off the press, and available now — what a great holiday gift, opp, right? In it we share some great stories and photos you just won’t believe. We didn’t believe them all either, which is why we…
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Friends, As you know, I don’t make it a habit of simply posting unedited press releases here, but I wanted to share with you some quotes, information, and the first photos of the upcoming new Maserati Quattroporte sedan. I will be in Italy to drive this car in a few weeks, and will give you…
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Jacksonville, FL (October 22, 2012) – The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will honor the brilliance of American race car designer and builder Harry Miller on March 10, 2013. The 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Miller’s first win in the Indianapolis 500. Harry Miller’s brilliant and jewel-like “122”…
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Expert Panel Discussion to Offer Insider Information to Classic Car Enthusiasts Friends – Just passing along this event announcement on something you might find interesting. It’s my honor to be a part of this panel discussion , appearing with a trio of guys that I like and respect who really know their stuff. We’ll have…
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Photo by Mel My house’s attached garage is your pretty average 20 or so foot by 20 or so foot box. And I’m really happy to have it. Because I know so many car guys that make do with a carport, lean-to, subterranean parking spot, or a single car garage, or parking on the street.
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If you spend 25 or so years, as I have, doing car magazine road tests and feature stories, you’ll eventually end up pottering around dusty old desert mining towns. As I have. I love these places; by now most have seen better days — as you likely know, the Western United States’ mining rush was…
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With Carroll Shelby’s recent passing, plus this year being the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Shelby Cobra, I thought you might enjoy this: It was built by Shelby and a memorable gang of SoCal hot rodders in Dean Moon’s shop in early 1962, as a new Ford small block V-8 was lowered into…
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My friend and neighbor Leslie just bought a used but recent model Ford van, which reminded me of this story from my checkered automotive past… During one’s lifetime, we all own at least one vehicle with “personality.” The sort of heap that, if you were playing Car Monopoly, the little red card would read, “Go…
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If you’ve always bought Chevys because you’ve always bought Chevys, I suspect you’ll like what the Bowtie brand is serving up new or substantially remodeled for next year. And if you’ve always avoided them because you’ve always avoided them, I encourage you to suspend your disbelief and go drive them, because you might come away…
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Do you remember the old notion of ‘”Show and Tell” from Grammar School – especially in September, having to get up and tell the class “what I did on my Summer Vacation?” I certainly do. Even now, as a supposed adult, one of my favorite things to do when on vacation or travelling internationally on…
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I believe the KIA Optima and its corporate cousin, Hyundai’s current Sonata, to be among the most attractive currently available mid-sized sedans. They are handsomely designed, smartly sized, well built, nicely equipped, fine driving cars that offer good value. I’d not previously sampled Korean hybrid technology, and was interested to see how it compared to…
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photo by me I was recently invited to photograph a most fabulous trio of cars; I thought you might be interested in the photo and the story behind it. Acting icon and Hollywood macho guy and sex symbol Clark Cable needs little introduction here or anywhere else (“Frankly, Scarlett….” you know the rest) but not…
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photography by me If you are thinking about a compact/midsized crossover, lemmee tell you about a dandy one. I recently spent a week with, and put over 1000 miles on, Mazda’s new CX-5. It’s about the size of an X3, but costs a lot less. What an ideal rig; it’s right sized, and drives more…
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From our friends at Hagerty collector car insurance More than 90 oddball and lesser celebrated cars tour 17 Mile Drive during famed Monterey Classic Car week photos by Matt Stone and courtesy Hagerty MONTEREY, Calif., (August 18, 2012) – In contrast to the traditional high end events that take place during the internationally celebrated classic…
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Shelby American · Shelby will show the new 2013 GT350 and new 750 HP 2013 GT500 for the first time to the public at Laguna Seca raceway The Carroll Shelby Foundation · Possibly the most valuable American car in the world, the first Cobra (CSX2000), will be displayed at by CSF at the Pebble Beach…
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Special Advertising Feature The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles needed to know, and Covercraft and Kimberly-Clark had the answers By Matt Stone Photography by Evan Klein Petersen Automotive Museum Collection Manager Tom Kenney has an enviable job. He spends his days surrounded by hundreds of fabulous classic cars. He gets to fettle and fiddle…
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Growing up, I lived in what is now referred to as the Inland Empire area of Southern California, about an hour east of downtown Los Angeles. It was a great place to be a car guy; I was surrounded by legedary racetracks. Ontario Motor Speedway, Irwindale (the original, dedicated to drag racing) Pomona, and the…
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Truth or Myth? A rare 1925 Bugatti was tethered to chains and sunk into Italy’s Lake Maggiore as penalty for the non-payment of duty taxes. It was rescued from the bottom of the lake in 2009, to be sold for charity, and now sits unrestored in a museum in Southern California. By Matt Stone Current…
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Model: KatieJo. Photos with model by Mel Stone; non-model photos by Kirk Gerbracht The BMWs I first grew to love were cars like the 3.0CS, and numerous 5 Series machines (especially the second series first gen M5) were powered by great, smooth and lusty sounding inline sixes. Besides iconic sport sedan/coupes like the 2002, I…
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The LA area finally has a great concours it can call its own. photography by Tall Jeff and courtesy San Marino Motor Classic Southern California is one of the epicenters of classic car culture in America, yet has been casting about for a top notch concours for some years. I think it’s finally happened; a…
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I seldom post press releases just as they come, but this time, the info’s all there, and I thought you might enjoy reading it just from the horse’s mouth: SHELBY AMERICAN OFFERS NEW 2013 SHELBY GT350 IN ALL FACTORY COLORS • Shelby American facelifts its celebrated GT350 for 2013 MY • New exciting colors and…
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Every car guy needs a little place to call home, right? photo by Kiwi You no doubt have spent some time dreaming of the size, look, layout, and location of your Ultimate Garage. I know I have; two semi-distinct ideas have formed in my pea brain. One property already exists; all that remains is for…
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A fabulous, money-raising car show dedicated to the great McQueen and the movie Bullitt Photography by me, and Kirk Gerbracht In the eyes of many film fans (and countless Steve McQueen and Ford Mustang fanatics), the chase scene from the 1968 movie “Bullitt” was, is, and remains the best of its type ever filmed.
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Porsche’s seminal 911 is a car that has been in development, and in a state of constant evolution, since first introduced to the world in the early 1960s. Perhaps its most sweeping evolutional (revolutional?) change was when it was completely redesigned and sprouted radiators to become the first water-cooled 911 for the 1999 model year.
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I’ve been watching the progress, and sometimes the lack of same, as a group of dedicated, diehard enthusiasts and business folk in the Tacoma area have worked tirelessly to transform the late Harold Le May’s massive car collection into an attractive, manageable museum. It is my honor to sit on the America’s Car Museum steering…
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May 18, Chino Hills, CA – In June, approximately 250,000 fans will converge on the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 80th Grand Prix of Endurance, des 24 Heures du Mans 2012, but on June 2, 2012 at Boy’s Republic, 1907 Boys Republic Drive in Chino Hills, California, fans of the actor who made…
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Wow. The guy that was too tough, too lucky, and too stuborn to die, finally has. It pains me to know that never again will my cellphone ring, with that unmistakable gravelly Texas-laced voice on the other side, which always said “Matt Stone, this is Carroll Hall Shelby calling, and I think we need to have lunch.”…
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Greetings readers, I recently attended a couple great Porsche events, the first on the day that we learned that Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche passed away, he who designed the Porsche 911/912 then went on to launch Porsche Design. These two events were the PCA Porsche Festival at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA, which…
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To Benefit The Boys Republic of Chino Hills, CA Attend just to spectate, and the organizers are still looking for great cars for the show. So register and bring your car. Most any cool old car, truck or bike is eligible. www.stevemcqueencarshow.com May…
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I totally understand the appeal of finding a great car languishing in a barn. You look at the poor dusty beast through somewhat rose colored glasses, imagining what it could be if given your tender loving care. I know, I’ve done it. But I’m also careful about saddling up to too big a horse,…
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My Friends at Lamborghini recently asked me if I’d like to sample their latest Gallardo Spyder, this one the pretty groovy LP550-2, with full time all-wheel drive and one rompin stompin 5.2-liter V-10 engine. My response, was of course: Duh! So I did, while down in Amelia Island, while there to judge the Amelia Island…
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The Shelby 1000 is the most powerful Shelby Mustang ever, comes 50 years after original Cobra launch at NYIAS. By now you know that the 2013 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 will deliver 650 horsepower courtesy of a specially designed and purpose built 5.8-liter supercharged V-8 engine. That’s right, 650 horse, and a 200mph top speed,…
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It was my recent good fortunte to serve as an emcee for the Rancho Mirage Desert Classic concours, and in case you weren’t there, here’s a copy of the official press release along with some great photos by my pal Kirk Gerbracht. If you plan to be in or around SoCal next February, put this…
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The annual Amelia Island Concours is one of my favorite happenings in the world. It was my honor to again serve as a judge; there’s almost too much to say about this amazing gathering of cars, heroes, legends, and friends, but here’s the official press release and a bunch of photos for you to chew…
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The Chrysler Sebring is dead – long live the 200. By now you likely know that the old Platypus-looking Chrysler Sebring sedan and convertible have been substantially remodeled and reborn as the Chrysler 200. For my recent weekend in Palm Springs for the Desert Classic Concours, I copped a top line 200S hardtop convertible from…
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Every car guy has two fantasy lists of cars/trucks/racers/bikes we want to own if we had unlimited space and an even more unlimited budget. The first is the conventional roster, containing the usual suspects: perhaps a Ferrari 250 GTO, the world’s rarest Corvette, this or that Duesenberg, some Cobras,…
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Everyone dreams of finding an unmolested, unrestored, unloved, and unwanted classic car in some abandoned barn. Here’s my version of that story from a time long ago and what seems like a galaxy far far away…. Most young people acquire their first car via normal channels, such as…
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The most recent Barrett-Jackson auction I worked for SPEED television took place in Scottsdale, Arizona. I live near LA, so needed something fast and comfy for the long, straight, semi-boring 400 mile run along the 10 Freeway East. When it comes to high-speed stability and long-legged comfort, it’s…
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Another highlight of my working the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale Arizona a few weeks ago was the chance to interview consummate car guy Jay Leno live on SPEED television, one on one. Jay was there primarily to sell a tractor, for charity, that he used to use around his Big Dog Garage. Jay is always animated…
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I apologize if this sounds like name dropping, but I was so jazzed to connect with so many special peeps and friends while working the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsale for SPEED television. Looking at this photo, I’m the fat guy on the right. At far left is fabulous Maxim spokemodel April Rose, who…
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On my way to Scottsdale tomorrow to work for SPEED television covering the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction live. Its always a hoot, and this year there are some extra special cars. Get the TV schedule from SPEED.com or Barrett-Jackson.com. Among them are a fabulous 1948 Tucker Torpedo, not sure how familiar you are…
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One of the coolest things I do all year is my work as an auction analyst for SPEED. I work all four of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company’s collector car auctions; Scottsdale, the original and largest of B-J’s sales, plus Palm Beach Florida, Orange County, California, and we end each year’s auction season with a Vegas Baby…
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