Arizona Collector Car Auction Week Rocks the Desert

Arizona Collector Car Auction Week Rocks the Desert

I thought you might enjoy this auction week summary from my friends at Hagerty collector car insurance. I have my special cars insured with them, and you should too. Visit www.hagerty.com. Overall from all auction companies; 2014 Total: $248.6M 2,321/2,815 lots sold:...
Who’s Next?

Who’s Next?

Please let me share with you a little story, that causes me modest concern. Two young dudes were hanging out in the driveway.  Dude One, leaning against his car, lamented to the other, “ Dude – I need your help.  I just can’t get it to run right.  I’ve downloaded...
Driven: 2013 Jaguar F-Type V8-S convertible

Driven: 2013 Jaguar F-Type V8-S convertible

My friend Jeff is a serious car guy, and a seasoned driver. He’s been interested in the new F-Type as a possible replacement for his Porsche Cayman S Sport, and has asked me a lot about this exciting new car from Jaguar. He’s also 6’7″, so...
2015 Ford Mustang revealed in worldwide celebration

2015 Ford Mustang revealed in worldwide celebration

Hooray for Hollywood! No more spy photos, no more close but not official or correct computer illustrations of what “the next” Mustang is going to look like. As part of a time honored Hollywood tradition, the new Mustang made its world debut in SoCal...
Review: Incredible Barnfinds book, by Wallace Wyss

Review: Incredible Barnfinds book, by Wallace Wyss

I’ve known Wallace Wyss for 30 years, and he was one of the first real magazine writers I ever got to know when we were both involved in in the whole DeTomaso and Pantera scene. Wally was always open and friendly to me, and gave me some good advice about the...
Barnfind Car Stories Wanted

Barnfind Car Stories Wanted

I, like so many other of my writer colleagues, am planning to do a “Barnfind” car book; hopefully packed full of stories and photos of great cars that were salted away, on purpose or otherwise, then discovered and rescued. I’ve become a little tired...
Mid America Motorworks Corvette FunFest 2013

Mid America Motorworks Corvette FunFest 2013

15,000 Corvettes, and nearly 50,000 Vettetistas, gather in Illinois to celebrate big anniversaries and the new C7 photography by me and Kirk! Automotively and socially, 2013 proved a year of varied and interesting milestones. The Chevrolet Corvette, born in 1953,...
Art Center Car Classic 2013 – a Don’t Miss Show

Art Center Car Classic 2013 – a Don’t Miss Show

Art Center (formerly referred to by its more formal name, the Art Center College of Design) is a world class institution dedicated to the pursuit of a wide variety of art and design pursuits, such as transportation design, photography, fashion, and so on. Over its...
FOR SALE 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350

FOR SALE 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350

Superb condition, most factory options, less than 36,000 miles, one year remaining on factory warranty. This immaculate GLK belongs to my niece, who has now moved away to school and could not take it with her. 3.5-liter V-6, 7-speed automatic transmission panorama...
Go See RUSH this weekend

Go See RUSH this weekend

I won’t spill any beans here so no spoiler alert needed. RUSH is a spectacular movie for racing fans and even for those who aren’t particularly. It’s a wonderfully (mid70s) period piece covering a particularly compelling period in Formula 1, and the...
There’s No Shine Like Mothers — or Mine

There’s No Shine Like Mothers — or Mine

I love detailing cars. Nothing like taking a car that’s nice, but suffering the woes of too much commuting, and cleaning it up, buffing it out, and really making it sparkle. Or taking an already nice clean car, and getting it ready for the nearest casual show’n’shine...
SPEED morphs into FOXSPORTS1, 2, etc.

SPEED morphs into FOXSPORTS1, 2, etc.

Some of you know that I do some broadcasting work on television for the FOX family of networks. My main gig for what used to be SPEED is as a color commentator for the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions that take place in Scottsdale, AZ, Palm Beach, FL, Reno, NV,...
Highlights from Monterey 2013

Highlights from Monterey 2013

PR News from my friends at RM Auctions · 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider sells for an astounding $27,500,000 making it the most valuable road-going car ever sold at public auction and the second most expensive car in auction history. During a weekend sale...
The San Marino Motor Classic 2013

The San Marino Motor Classic 2013

From our friends at the San Marino Motor Classic… With great photos by Kirk G…and many more at the end of this press release, so please scroll all the way to the bottom to see them all. SAN MARINO, Calif. (June 11, 2013) – The third annual San Marino Motor...

If you know me at all you know that I love and support the Petersen Automotive Museum here in Los Angeles to the very highest level. If you’ve never been, you simply must go; it’s a fabulous place housing countless great cars, bikes, and other great automotive...
Fabulous Fords Forever 2013

Fabulous Fords Forever 2013

The largest single day Ford gathering in the world really is – Fabulous! By Matt Stone Photos by Jim Smart, courtesy Ford, and Kirk Gerbracht 28 years ago, Ford Motor Company and the Ford Car Club Council decided to put together an all Ford show in a massive parking...
I’m on my way to Amelia Island

I’m on my way to Amelia Island

News from the show… The 18th annual Amelia Concours d’Elegance announced today that the unique 1964 ½ “Shorty” Mustang will be headlining the event’s “What Were They Thinking?” class, a category that will consist of eight unique cars that would not find a home...
Driven: 2013 Cadillac ATS 2.5L Luxury Collection

Driven: 2013 Cadillac ATS 2.5L Luxury Collection

A lot of people are labeling the new Cadillac ATS as a “BMW 3 Series fighter” which I was not at all convinced about, so it was time to get into one for a week and see what the all new semi-compact Caddy is all about. The BMW 3 Series is of course an icon, and a huge...
Phil Remington, 1921-2013

Phil Remington, 1921-2013

If wood could somehow be welded, Phil Remington could weld wood. He was the most innovative, hard working, and tenacious hands-on automotive technician and fabricator that ever picked up a wrench or a torch. This from our friends Evi and Dan Gurney, and...
Driven: 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang

Driven: 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang

The Lowest Mileage ’67 GT500 There Is? With the odometer not yet reading 9600 miles we crack the dual quads open and grab some gears in this amazing survivor GT500, hours before its date with the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction block Photography by Kirk, me,...
Like Car Books?

Like Car Books?

I know the 2012 holiday gift shopping season is technically past, but I have a new book out and wanted to realert you to some of the other titles I have available. So check out the ad just above. I don’t sell them on line, but you can buy any of them...
Driven: 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Driven: 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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...
MYCLASSICGARAGE.COM LAUNCHES MARKETPLACE FOR CLASSIC CARS

MYCLASSICGARAGE.COM LAUNCHES MARKETPLACE FOR CLASSIC CARS

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...
Be It Ever So Humble, There’s No Garage Like Home

Be It Ever So Humble, There’s No Garage Like Home

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...
Welcome to Goldfield; Everywhere I Look There Are Cars

Welcome to Goldfield; Everywhere I Look There Are Cars

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...
The Van

The Van

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...
Driven: Five new 2013 Chevrolets

Driven: Five new 2013 Chevrolets

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...
What I Do On My Summer Vacations

What I Do On My Summer Vacations

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...
Driven: 2012 KIA Optima Hybrid

Driven: 2012 KIA Optima Hybrid

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....
HAGERTY TOUR OF LEMONS SHAKES UP MONTEREY PENINSULA

HAGERTY TOUR OF LEMONS SHAKES UP MONTEREY PENINSULA

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...
So what about car covers?

So what about car covers?

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...
RIAM: A worthy tribute to Riverside International Raceway

RIAM: A worthy tribute to Riverside International Raceway

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,...
The Lady in the Lake

The Lady in the Lake

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...
Driven: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan

Driven: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan

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...
San Marino Motor Classic Car Show

San Marino Motor Classic Car Show

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...
This Just In: Shelby American Updates GT350 for 2013

This Just In: Shelby American Updates GT350 for 2013

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...
My Garajmahal

My Garajmahal

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...
Driven: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (991)

Driven: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (991)

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...
They Did It!  Le May, America’s Car Museum Opens!

They Did It! Le May, America’s Car Museum Opens!

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...
Got Porsche?  So do we

Got Porsche? So do we

  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...
The Magic of the “Barnfind” car

The Magic of the “Barnfind” car

    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...
LAMBORGHINI: STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

LAMBORGHINI: STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

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...
Another Amazing Amelia Island

Another Amazing Amelia Island

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...
The “Other” List

The “Other” List

            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...
My Automotive “Barn Find” Story

My Automotive “Barn Find” Story

              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...
Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

              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...
Hangin with cool peeps at Barrett-Jackson

Hangin with cool peeps at Barrett-Jackson

    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. ...

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, here I come.

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,...

New Blog

Welcome! This is my new blog. I’ll be updating posts regularly, so be sure to check in for new updates.