Europe’s Most Secret Collection of Classic Cars
In an astonishing spectacle, this motley parade of over 230 four-wheeled marvels belongs to a single magnificent collection, lovingly curated by Mr. Palmen across the span of more than four decades. Continue reading »
Egg-citing Adventures on Wheels: The Hilarious Saga of L’Œuf électrique, the Egg-shaped Speedster!
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and feast your eyes on the incredible marvel of the past, the one and only L’Œuf électrique (The Electric Egg)! It’s not just a cyclecar; it’s an electric adventure on wheels designed way back in 1938, a time when the world was still trying to figure out what exactly a cyclecar should be. Continue reading »
Slot Car Racing: The Hobby that Took America by Storm and Then Vanished
In the annals of hobby history, slot car racing holds a significant spot. Originating in the early 1900s, this once-popular pastime experienced a renaissance in the 1950s, thanks to innovative British entrepreneurs. They initiated the creation of electrified tracks and miniature, controllable cars which inspired a new wave of enthusiasts. Continue reading »
A Visual Journey Through the History of the Bond Bug: The Three-Wheeled Microcar that Looks Like a Giant Orange Wedge
Designed by Tom Karen of Ogle Design for Reliant Motor Company, the Bond Bug is a three-wheeled microcar with two seats and a wedge shape. It has a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of doors. It was built from 1970 to 1974, first at Bond Cars Ltd factory, then at Reliant’s Tamworth factory. Continue reading »
Epic Photos of FAB 1, the Iconic Rolls-Royce from ‘Thunderbirds’ and The World’s Biggest and Most Expensive Car
If you’re a fan of Thunderbirds, the classic sci-fi series from the 1960s, you probably remember FAB 1, the sleek and stylish car owned by Lady Penelope and driven by Parker. But did you know that FAB 1 was actually a modified Rolls-Royce, with weapons and gadgets that would make James Bond jealous? Continue reading »
The DiDia 150: A 1.3Mil USD Masterpiece of Style and Innovation
Have you ever dreamed of owning a one-of-a-kind car that combines luxury, style and performance? If so, you might be interested in learning more about the 1960 DiDia 150, also known as the “Dream Car”. Continue reading »
Embarking on a Breathtaking Aerial Adventure of of German Zeppelin Airship, Flying Over Giza’s Pyramids in the 1930s
In the realm of aviation during the early 20th century, a magnificent creation emerged from German craftsmanship — LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. This majestic airship, filled with hydrogen and boasting a rigid structure, gracefully soared through the skies as a passenger carrier. Its operational tenure spanned from 1928 to 1937, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of aeronautics. Continue reading »
Sigvard Berggren’s ‘Future’: A Unique Blend of Art and Engineering in the Form of a Fast-Moving Car
Sigvard Berggren, a Swedish carrot juice manufacturer who lived from 1923 to 2009, created his own version of the future in the form of a car. He dubbed it “Future” and it resembled a plane without wings. Continue reading »
Exquisite Photos Showcasing the Ferrari 410 Superamerica Ghia
The year was 1955 when the extraordinary Ferrari 410 Superamerica made its grand entrance. Equipped with an upgraded engine derived from the potent single plug 410 S powerplant, its displacement had now reached an impressive 5.0 liters. Continue reading »
Antique Postcard Images Reveal Projected Visions of the US a Century Later
Massachusetts. Copley Square, Boston
A captivating assortment of odd yet fascinating postcards from Steven R. Shook offers visions conceived in the 1900s, hypothesizing how the cities, towns, and hamlets across the US might evolve over the next 100 years. Continue reading »
Riding on Steel Springs: Germany’s Innovative Response to a Rubber Shortage
Let’s delve into the fascinating history of the tire, which began to gather significant momentum with the invention and subsequent popularization of tires in 1895, thanks largely to Michelin L’Éclaire – the first vehicle to be outfitted with them. Continue reading »
The Pioneering Ford Aurora II: A Living Room on Wheels Unveiled in 1969
The Ford Aurora II didn’t make it to the marketplace, presumably due to non-compliance with safety regulations. However, its features, like the wrap-around sofa and the passenger seat with a full 180° rotation capacity, continue to stand as some of the most daring design innovations of the 1960s. Continue reading »
The Never Contented: The Pioneering Speed of La Jamais Contente
In the late 19th century, a remarkable vehicle named La Jamais Contente, meaning “The Never Contented” in English, made history as the first road vehicle to exceed 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). This groundbreaking achievement marked a significant milestone in automotive progress. Continue reading »
The Voisin C14: A Masterpiece of Art Deco Design and Innovative Engineering
During its production from late 1927 to 1932, the Voisin C14 chassis emerged as one of the brand’s most prolific models, with a total of 1,795 units manufactured. Renowned for their stunning aesthetics, many C14s boasted custom bodies inspired by the Art Deco movement, including the iconic Chartre Demi-Berline designed by Andre Lefèbvre for Voisin. Continue reading »
Robotic Renaissance: Polish Artist Agnieszka Pilat’s Innovative Canvas
Agnieszka Pilat, a modern artist, honed her skills at the Academy of Art University and initially focused on portraiture in San Francisco. Despite her technical skill, her work was overlooked in the abstraction-preferred local art scene. However, an encounter with Paul Stein, an art collector and the developer behind Airbnb’s headquarters, opened a new path. Stein requested a painting of a vintage fire alarm bell, which was the start of Pilat’s artistic breakthrough. Continue reading »
From Vintage Treasures to Cultural Artifacts: The Enchanting World of Petrol Station Pumps at Fisogni Museum
Bergomi Petrol Pump 1960
The Fisogni Museum, located near Milan, Italy, is dedicated to showcasing petrol station pumps and ephemera. Guido Fisogni, the museum’s founder, began collecting these pumps over thirty years ago. Continue reading »
From Boat-Tail to Muscle Flanks: The Revolutionary Design of the 1971 Riviera Muscle Car
The year 1971 marked a significant milestone in the history of the Buick Riviera, an iconic luxury car produced by General Motors (GM) since 1963. Under the direction of GM’s chief styling director, Bill Mitchell, the Riviera underwent a radical redesign that introduced flowing and dramatic “boat-tail” styling, which was penned by Jerry Hirshberg, the future head of design for Nissan. Continue reading »
The Timeless Beauty of the Talbot-Lago T150 CSS Series by Figoni
In 1935, Talbot-Lago emerged as a company following the dissolution of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq. Its founder, Anthony Lago, aimed to manufacture a collection of high-end and extravagant sports cars. Initially, these cars used six-cylinder engines, but later models incorporated eight-cylinder engines and occasionally more affordable options to boost sales. Continue reading »
The Dark Knight Rises in Vietnam: Architecture Student Creates Impressive Batpod Replica
Meet Nguyen Dac Chung, a Vietnamese architecture student who spent six months building his very own Batpod, with the help of a team of friends. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s iconic film, The Dark Knight, Chung spent over a year planning and researching the design, before embarking on his epic project. Continue reading »
Bella Hadid, DALL-E 2, and the Strange Beauty of Vogue Italia’s May 2023 Cover Story
Carlijn Jacobs/Vogue
AI art has been making waves in the art world for some time, but it’s not until it graces the cover of a major fashion magazine that it truly reaches the mainstream. That’s what happened with Vogue Italia’s May 2023 edition, which featured a cover story that blended real models, photographers, and stylists with AI-generated imagery from DALL-E 2. Continue reading »
Matra Sports Jet: The French Sports Car Gifted to Yuri Gagarin
The Matra Djet is a renowned French sports car that was originally designed and sold by René Bonnet. The car was first introduced in June 1962 under the name René Bonnet Djet, and it was the world’s first rear mid-engined production road car. Over the years, different versions of the car were produced and sold under various names that included Matra-Bonnet Djet, Matra Sports Djet, and finally, Matra Sports Jet. Continue reading »
Beautiful Photos and The Story of Edsel Ford’s Model 40 Special Speedster
In the early 1930s, Edsel B. Ford, the President of Ford Motor Company, commissioned his styling chief, Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie, to create a unique roadster with limited production potential. Gregorie sketched various alternatives before building a 1/25th scale model, which he tested in a small wind tunnel. The resulting car, based on the 1934 Ford (also known as Model 40), became known as the Model 40 Special Speedster. Continue reading »
The Fend Flitzer: The Invalid Carriage that Paved the Way for Messerschmitt Kabinenroller Microcars
The Fend Flitzer was a three-wheeled vehicle designed and built by Fritz Fend in Rosenheim, Germany in 1948. Fend, a former aeronautical engineer and technical officer in the Luftwaffe, initially produced a tricycle invalid carriage with a front wheel that was steered by handlebars and powered by a mechanism actuated by pushing back and forth on the handlebars. Soon after, the tricycle was offered with a 38 cc Victoria two-stroke proprietary engine normally used for motorizing bicycles. Continue reading »
The Rhino: An Inventor’s Visionary Solution for Off-Road and Highway Transportation From The 1950s
Rhino’s tilting hemispheroidal wheels adjust to variable heights on uneven terrain.
Back in 1954, inventor Elie Aghnides was struck by an idea that would revolutionize the way we think about off-road vehicles. As he watched a caterpillar tractor muscling dirt around in New York City’s Central Park, he couldn’t help but wonder why such a powerful machine was limited to a maximum speed of 25 mph and plagued by frequent tread breaks. Continue reading »
Customizing the 1940 Mercury: A Classic Car with Endless Possibilities
The 1940 Mercury is a classic car that has been widely appreciated for its unique design and customization potential. Introduced by Ford Motor Co. in 1939, the Mercury was positioned between the low-priced Ford V-8 and the luxurious Lincoln Zephyr V-12, filling the gap in the market for a mid-range vehicle. Continue reading »
