Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more. Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Ben Branch -
Chicago’s Gangland Map – Circa 1927
The Chicago Gangland Map was created by Frederic M. Thrasher in 1927, it’s based on 3 years of research between 1923 and 1926 documenting 1,313 active gangs in the Chicago area for his book…
1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona “Harrah Hot Rod”
Meet William Harrah William Harrah was a casino magnate and car collector with a larger than life personality and a keen eye for a good wager. One of his more well-known bets was made with…
Essential Guide: The International Scout 80 + 800
International Harvester Scout – An Introduction The design brief that led to the creation of the International Harvester Scout sounded simple enough; “Create something to replace the horse”. That was the instruction given by…
Documentary: Clash Of The Titans – Lauda vs Hunt
The extraordinary battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula 1 World Championship has become motorsport legend. It was even made into a blockbuster film in 2013 by Ron Howard with…
An Original 1949 Indian Papoose
The Indian Papoose is a small folding motorcycle based on the Welbike, which had been developed during WWII for use by commandos who were parachuting behind enemy lines and needed a way to quickly…
1970 AMC Rebel Machine
A Short History of the AMC Rebel Machine The AMC Rebel Machine was introduced in 1970 and would only be available for a single model year, the basic concept of “The Machine” had been around…
You Earned It: Brass Beer Opener
These 1/2 pound solid brass bottle openers are made in the USA using traditional sand casting techniques, before being tumbled and hand polished. They’re designed to be a buy-it-for-life item that’ll open every bottle…
1947 Dodge Power Wagon 4×4
A Short History of the Dodge Power Wagon The Dodge Power Wagon was introduced in 1946 shortly after the end of WWII as the more refined civilian version of their tough-as-nails Dodge WC series 4×4 military…
Ray-Ban Blaze Shooter Sunglasses
The new Ray-Ban Blaze Shooter sunglasses are based on the original design, which itself was a new take on the legendary Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. The most obvious difference between the two models are the…
Revival of the Machine BMW R100RS
The Revival of the Machine BMW R100RS is a collaborative motorcycle project between Spanish magazine Revival of the Machine and iconic Spanish custom motorcycle garage XTR Pepo. A Short History of the BMW R100RS The…
Heimplanet Nias 6-Person Tent
The Heimplanet Nias is a 4 to 6 person tent that weighs in at just 6.8 kilograms (14.9 lbs) thanks to its inflatable geodesic design (that means it needs no tent poles) and it’s…
1974 Porsche Carrera 3.0 RS – Ex-Lord Mexborough
The 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0 is an exceedingly rare car, just 55 were made and today they’re considered amongst the finest naturally aspirated 911s money can buy. The “RS” designator in the…