I assume as car lovers, we’re all familiar with America’s favorite pony car. The car that coined the term and has ran the longest in it’s class when even it’s competitors at GM (better performing products that they were) could not remain profitable. This car, whether good or bad, was and is the Ford Mustang. Continue reading
When you hear the name “Shelby”, you probably think of either a Mustang or an AC Cobra (or a replica of one, anyways), but that’s because your brain is probably blocking out that bizarre time period in the 80’s when sporting a car with a Shelby logo on it meant driving a Chrysler product.
My friends and family often ask me why I go to the Scottsdale Pavilions car show so often. “Don’t you get tired of looking at the same cars all the time?” they inquire. While you do see a few of the same cars, it’s different enough to be interesting. You just never know what might roll its way into the Pavilions, and today’s post is a perfect example of what I am talking about.
This car is a 1947 Studebaker Commander Starlight Coupe. I’ve never seen one before and with only 13,299 ever produced (and far less than that surviving today), I doubt I’ll see very many more of these things around.
I spotted this unique 1967 Ford Mustang at the DuPont Registry booth at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2013. DuPont Registry is a magazine where people advertise high-end and exotic cars for sale – sort of like an AutoTrader for millionaires.
This black stallion comes all the way from Beautiful British Columbia in Canada, where it was built by 360 Fabrication. This car has a lot going on with it – it’s half show car and half pro-touring car. The grille, wheels, and air ride are all show, but the rest of the car is all “go!”
When you get right down to it, a car is a machine that does work. It transports people and cargo from one location to another. For most people, a car is just another appliance which is no different from an alarm clock or a garbage disposal. It is a purpose-built machine that makes our lives easier in some way. You use it when you need to, fix or replace it when it breaks, and feel no special attachment to it.
From the beginning of the automobile era, cars were designed with functionality in mind. Early automobiles were simply boxes on a ladder frame with some wheels. Today, cars have evolved into sophisticated, computer-controlled machines – but I would argue that the majority of cars on the road are still more functional than beautiful.
The appearance of a car hasn’t changed much because it hasn’t needed to: a car doesn’t need to be beautiful to get us where we are going. While I can certainly appreciate the intrinsic beauty of something that is purely functional, I can also appreciate when things are both functional and beautiful.
This car, a customized 1962 Corvette roadster “C1RS” is one of the most aesthetically beautiful cars I have ever seen. This vehicle transcends the definition of a car or even a hot rod, it is a work of art.
As any chef will tell you, making an award-winning dish starts with having the best ingredients. The same is true for custom cars: if you’re going to build an award winning show vehicle, why not start with the best? That’s exactly what Mike and Jim Ring did with their 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 “Dragon.”
Mike and Jim are the owners of Ringbrothers, a custom car shop from the sleepy little town of Spring Green, Wisconsin (population: 1,648). They’ve built some high-profile cars before, but the Dragon is quickly becoming one of their most popular creations. It was built for an Arizona customer and made its grand debut at SEMA 2010. The car spent the next few years scooping up awards on the show circuit. I caught up with the Dragon at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2013, where it was scheduled to go on the auction block.
