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 -
The 2714cc North London Garage Record Breaker
The early days of the motorcycle were characterised by rapid and often extraordinary engineering, engines were made with eye-wateringly large swept volumes and then often mounted in chassis that were little more than re-purposed…
Triumph Waxed Cotton Jacket
The new Triumph Waxed Cotton Jacket is made in England to a design ethos that’s been in use since the 1800s, it’s lined with 100% cotton twill and has an outer shell made from…
Leather Shop Apron by Niyona
Thick leather was once the de facto uniform of the working man (and woman), everyone from blacksmiths to butchers would wear them from dawn to dusk and they were prized for their blade and…
Men Bet Their Lives on It – Packard Merlin Engines
Men Bet Their Lives on It is a 20 minute Packard-produced documentary from the post-WWII era about their version of the Merlin engine – almost certainly the most famous engine of the Second World…
Coventry-Eagle Flying Eight Project Motorcycle
Taking on a restoration project like this Coventry-Eagle Flying Eight is a dream held by many – myself included. It would likely take years to get right, and there’d be a lot of emailing,…
Lamborghini Miura P400 S
The story of the founding of Lamborghini is almost as famous as the cars produced by the exotic Italian automaker. A significantly condensed version would go something like this: Ferruccio Lamborghini was an extraordinarily wealthy…
Ferrari Duostop Rally Timer
Rally timers were (and still are) absolutely essential for competitors in events like the Mille Miglia, this pair of timers was built by Hanhart for Ferrari and it was used actively in competition throughout…
Apollo 12 Moon Flag
This American flag was onboard Apollo 12 for the entirety of its mission to the Moon in November of 1969, it’s made of silk and has the signature of Alan L. Bean in the…
BMW R100R by Urban Motor
The BMW R100R was released in 1991 and targeted at the North American market, it was designed with looks inspired by the BMW airheads of the ’70s and it proved a very popular model….
Rolls-Royce Merlin Owner’s Workshop Manual
The Rolls-Royce Merlin Owner’s Workshop Manual is a detailed look into the development, engineering and evolution of the legendary aero-engine that powered the both the British Spitfire and American P-51 Mustang. Rolls-Royce built over…
Barry Sheene’s Bell Helmet
Barry Sheene is a legendary British-born motorcycle racer with almost inhuman levels of talent and a larger-than-life personality that won him fans both on and off the track. He was close personal friends with…
Buick Nailhead V8 Dragster
Buick’s “Nailhead” V8 was released in 1953 as an option for the Roadmaster, Century, and Super road-going models, but it quickly found favour on the race tracks and drag strips of North America competing…