Nostalgia Highway

 (April 29, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.  — Coker Tire has brought on a new line of tires to provide an option for vintage European sports cars from the 1960s and 1970s. With a design that draws on Dunlop’s racing expertise, SP Sport Aquajet tires are speed rated and ready for action.

(April 26, 2020) — The explosion of Patina Volkswagens on social media has inspired those car fanatics who realize that you don’t have to restore a car to end up with a good-looking ride. At last, you can stand out from the crowd, even on a tight budget. The look of the cars that result from patina builds is honest, unspoiled, and characterful; it has also inspired the media, movie stars and celebrities.

(April 20, 2020) In 1997, on the “Shinkansen” express train between Tokyo and Nagoya, a sketch was created that would change the automotive world. Following a discussion with the then head of Powertrain Development at VW, Karl-Heinz Neumann, he drew on an envelope — he had had the idea for a long time — an engine with 18 cylinders. Powerful, strong and better than anything else. The man was Ferdinand Karl Piëch, a gifted engineer and long-time CEO and Chairman of the Volkswagen Group – and the driving force behind the development of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

(April 15, 2020) Paul Ireland has compiled a collection of popular articles previously published by the author in assorted car magazines based on in-depth research carried out at Manchester University. The articles investigate how classic engines respond to modern gasoline, and the results are presented in a new book "Classic Engines, Modern Fuel," in a way that any enthusiast can understand.

Bugatti Royale Roadster

(April 10, 2020) MOLSHEIM, France — With the Type 41 Royale, in 1926, Bugatti presented the strongest, largest and most luxurious automobile in the world, characterized by unimaginable power and opulent equipment. For Ettore Bugatti, the Royale was the culmination of his creation. A vehicle that knew no competitors in terms of performance, quality and image. A vehicle for emperors, kings and queens. Simply put, “Royale” — the royal.

U.S. troops at Wolsburg railway station in April 1945 with Volkswagen power plant in background

(April 6, 2020) WOLFSBURG, Germany  — 75 years ago, on April 11, 1945, US troops liberated the Volkswagen plant and the city then known as “Stadt des KdF-Wagens” which was later named Wolfsburg to the south of Mittellandkanal. At the Volkswagen plant, about 7,700 forced laborers were freed. Over the eight weeks that followed, the Americans made groundbreaking decisions for the future of the people, the city and the plant. The brief but marked intermezzo of US military rule laid the foundations for democracy, freedom and reconstruction in the region.

(April 3, 2020) 120 years ago, the name of an 11-year-old girl became the epitome of cars and the first luxury car brand in the world. On April 2, 1900, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft decided to call its automobiles Mercédès, after the daughter of Emil Jellinek. The Austrian businessman, who lived in Nice, traded in Daimler vehicles and registered them for racing events.

Lynn Pfenning and his father, Marvin Pfenning, in front of the 1967 Type 3 Fastback in 2018

(March 20, 2020) Lynn Pfenning spent 38 years chasing down his father’s beloved 1967 Volkswagen Type 3 fastback and four years restoring it to its original glory. The cousin of the Volkswagen Beetle was a major touchstone of Pfenning’s childhood. His father purchased the Brunswick Blue Type 3 fastback for $2,200 in 1967 after totaling his 1965 Volkswagen Beetle.

(March 16, 2020) When Chevrolet introduced the rear-engine Corvair for the 1960 model year, General Motors also began a campaign to convince skeptical new car buyers that it was a safe vehicle. This film was produced to demonstrate the economy car’s handling, braking, reliability, structural strength. Chevrolet tagged it “the compact car that people could count on.”

Ken Miles' Shelby Mustang 5R002

(March 12, 2020) WALWORTH, Wis. — The awe-inspiring collection of John Atzbach — highlighted most notably by the first 1965 Shelby GT350R Competition Model built, known as the “Flying Mustang” — was announced today by Mecum Auctions as an offering that will serve as the headlining main attraction of Dana Mecum’s 33rd Original Spring Classic, to be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis this May 12-17.