Author Archives: Trevor Freeman

About Trevor Freeman

Trevor is a real gearhead who loves everything from classic American muscle cars to high-performance exotics. When he's not reading about cars or taking photos at a car show, he's probably out cruising around. He is currently working on restoring a 1980 Chevrolet Monza hatchback.

2011 Rolls Royce Ghost EWB – A Rolls by Any Other Name

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“Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it.” – Sir Henry Royce

For over a century, Rolls-Royce has manufactured the finest luxury motorcars in the world. In the year 2010, Rolls-Royce introduced a new model to their lineup called the Ghost. Because it was smaller and less expensive than the Phantom, many in the automotive world referred to the Ghost as the “baby Phantom.”

After running across this 2011 Ghost Extended Wheelbase at Cars and Coffee, I am going to paraphrase Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing and declare that “nobody puts [this] baby in a corner!” The Rolls Royce Ghost belongs in the spotlight. Continue reading →

Salem Kroger 4×4 Camper Van

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As you might have guessed from the name of this website, we are focused on writing about cars from the “high output” generation. The funny thing is, we seem to have an eye for spotting weird-ass recreational vehicles.

Mike brought you the Flat Black RV and the BMW Vixen and Cameron brought you the riced-out motorhome that uses Acura headlamps and Dodge truck tail lamps. Well on today’s issue of Recreation: High Output, I’ve got an unusual RV to feature as well. Meet the Salem Kroger 4×4 Camper Van. Continue reading →

1966 Mercury Monterey Sedan: Ford’s Middle Child

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Back in the 1900s, an Austrian psychotherapist by the name of Alfred Adler came up with an interesting idea. Adler believe that one’s birth order was a major influence on the personality of a person.

For example, Adler believed that in a family with three children, the oldest and youngest children received the most attention from the parents with the middle child often being “forgotten.” Although Adler didn’t have any scientific research to support his theory, the idea of birth order is still well-known today.

So what does all this have to do with cars? Well for a long time, the Ford Motor Company was a family of 3 brands: Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury. Ford was the original and the oldest brand with the largest offering of cars, including entry-level vehicles. Lincoln was positioned as the luxury brand, maker of the finest vehicles that Ford had to offer. Then there was Mercury, the brand caught in the middle. Continue reading →

Copper Queen: 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport Custom

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When the Ford Motor Company introduced the Thunderbird in 1955, they created a market for a brand new type of vehicle: the personal luxury car. From the very beginning, the Thunderbird was a big hit that broke sales records and earned high praise from customers.

Over at General Motors, VP of Styling Bill Mitchell wasn’t about to let Ford hog the spotlight. He decided that General Motors needed a personal luxury car of their own. Mitchell asked designer Ned Nickles to come up with a rival to Ford’s 2-door, 4-seater Thunderbird. Continue reading →

2012 Fisker Karma EcoSport EVer

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“Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you will still be among the stars.” – Les Brown

At the time of this writing, California-based Fisker Automotive is in bad shape and if they don’t get a miracle, they are going to go under.

In case you haven’t been following the Fisker saga, let me fill you in. Fisker Automotive was founded in 2007 by Henrik Fisker, a Danish-born designer who also penned the Aston Martin DB9, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and the BMW Z8. The new company was to launch a luxury plug-in hybrid car in 2009. After multiple setbacks and delays, customers  finally began taking deliveries of the Karma sedan in late 2011. Continue reading →

1967-1971 DeTomaso Mangusta

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When I was a kid, there was a show on TV called “Before They Were Stars.” The show looked at popular celebrities to see what they were like before they became famous. Some of them had humble careers working in menial jobs for low wages – and of course, they would always dig up an embarrassing high school yearbook photo.

In the same way, most car enthusiasts have heard of the DeTomaso Pantera, the Ford-powered, Italian-styled, mid-engine sports car from the 1970s. Before DeTomaso hit it big with the Pantera, they tested the waters with a car that is relatively unknown today: the Mangusta.

The Mangusta was the Pantera before it got its teeth fixed, its hair combed, and changed its name. Like an up-and-coming celebrity, the Mangusta was a little rough around the edges before it became a big shot.

Continue reading →