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It Hertz Too Much

By Casey Annis on February 16, 2019 2019, Australia/New Zealand, February '19, From the Editor, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

One of the more interesting developments in the classic car hobby, over the past few years, has been the broader expansion of classic car rentals. Early on, there were a handful of companies that popped up in major markets that would offer to rent you a classic car, in the same way that you would go to Hertz and rent an ordinary car. Only rather than renting a mid-sized, generic, slush-bucket you might climb behind the wheel of a convertible Mustang or even a Ferrari 308 GTB. It was an interesting concept, but not particularly practical, unless you lived or…

Classic Fear & Loathing

By Casey Annis on November 2, 2018 2018, Australia/New Zealand, From the Editor, North America, October '18, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

I can think of few feelings worse than that moment of instant shock, when you turn the ignition key and are greeted with a…click. While at some level, I’m slightly less shocked when it happens in a classic car, when it happens in my daily driver, there’s not only shock, but a quick succession of emotions including panic, “What?!”; rage, “Damn it!”; and blame, i.e. this has to be someone’s fault! And so it was one recent morning, as I climbed behind the wheel of my daily driver Ford truck, only to hear the clicking of the solenoid. After much…

Shock the Cat

By Casey Annis on September 4, 2018 2018, August '18, Australia/New Zealand, From the Editor, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

You may have read the news piece we posted a week ago about Jaguar’s announcement that their Classic division will begin restoring and retrofitting E-Types with the same all-electric powertrain seen in their E-Type Zero prototype [“Jaguar to Sell & Retrofit Electric E-Types”]. You might be more familiar with the E-Type Zero than you realize, as this was the “getaway” car that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drove off in, after their recent wedding. As you might imagine, our news piece lit off a furious debate online about whether this was progress, blasphemy or just…well, ho-hum. Some, like reader Michael…

The World’s Most Expensive Steering Wheel?

By Casey Annis on July 30, 2018 2018, Australia/New Zealand, From the Editor, July '18, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

Over the past several years, I’ve waxed whimsical in this space about various historical, psychological and emotional aspects of the humble steering wheel. But a recent chain of events forced me to consider an aspect of the steering wheel I hadn’t contemplated before—the financial. A couple of months back, I was emailing back forth with a friend about some editorial, when he added at the end of an email, “…by the way [so-and-so], who bought your GT350 says hi…” Having not heard from this person since I sold the car more than a decade ago, I sat back at my…

The Tax Man Cometh

By Casey Annis on June 29, 2018 2018, From the Editor, June '18, North America, Region, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

Over the course of the past month, a surge of activism has swirled through the American car collecting community. What has triggered this rallying cry to action, you might ask? Preservation? Youth involvement? Nope…taxes. On May 23, the U.S. Department of Commerce posted a request for public comment on “Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Automobiles, Including Cars, SUVs, Vans and Light Trucks, and Automotive Parts.” While this may sound as dry as a Porsche’s radiator, what it proposes is an across the board 25% tax on all foreign cars and parts imported into the U.S., under the…

Revenge of the Propeller Heads

By Casey Annis, Editor on May 1, 2018 2018, All Access Paywall, From the Editor, March '18, North America, Region, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

One of the interesting things about getting older—at least as a car enthusiast—is looking back on all the cars that you either owned or let slip through your fingers…that are now worth a freaking fortune! Of course, there’s the obvious Shelby Cobra and Ferrari 250 GTO stories, but more recently I’ve become acutely aware of...

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BaTs in my Belfry

By Casey Annis, Editor on April 1, 2018 2018, April '18, Australia/New Zealand, From the Editor, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

If you’ve been reading this space for any period of time (yes, I’m talking to both of you), then you’ll know that I’ve been occasionally whinging about parting with my 1962 Triumph Spitfire racecar. With the car essentially finished, but not track tested, I found I was kind of trapped in an automotive no-man’s land. In order to get top dollar, I really needed to do the final fettling and get it out on track, but I also knew that the more I worked on the car, the more attached to it I became. And so it sat in my…

The Last Learner

By Casey Annis, Editor on March 1, 2018 2018, All Access Paywall, From the Editor, March '18, North America, Region, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

I recently crossed another one of those landmarks that make you pause and consider your age and life. My youngest daughter just got her learner’s permit. There’s something about seeing your youngest, behind the wheel, that is kind of bittersweet. After 15 and one-half years of me driving her around, she’s now eager to get...

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Nardi

By Casey Annis, Editor on February 1, 2018 2018, All Access Paywall, February '18, From the Editor, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

I’ve written in these pages before about my belief that the steering wheel holds a special place in our automotive lives. More than just the nexus between man and machine, the steering wheel is both the visual and tactile focus of our automotive experience. A never-ending circle—symbolically eternal like a wedding band—the steering wheel embodies...

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My Alcohol Problem

By Casey Annis, Editor on January 1, 2018 2018, All Access Paywall, From the Editor, January '18, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

It’s come to my recent attention that I have an alcohol problem. Truthfully, I had no idea, but apparently, I’ve had one for at least the past two years. It was insidiously gradual. At first, it was just occasional, but then as time progressed, it became pretty much every weekend. It seemed like I could...

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Coachbuilding Renaissance

By Casey Annis, Editor on December 1, 2017 2017, All Access Paywall, Australia/New Zealand, December '17, From the Editor, North America, Region, UK/Europe, Vintage Roadcar Archives, Vintage Roadcar Articles, Vintage Roadcar Columns

During the early days of the automobile (1890–1940), coachbuilding—the construction of bodywork for a vehicle—was as vital a part of the automobile industry as the manufacturers of the chassis and running gear themselves. Stand alone coachbuilding companies, not only fulfilled a vital need in the early manufacture supply chain, but they also provided the well-heeled...

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Browsing: From the Editor