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 -
Imogene + Willie – Leather Head Football
This handmade Imogene + Willie leather head football is the sort of ball that’s perfect for casually tossing around in the yard whilst drinking a beer, it also makes a nice mantlepiece feature when it’s not breaking windows and going over the fence.
Harriet Quimby
The men flyers have given out the impression that aeroplaning is very perilous work, something that an ordinary mortal should not dream of attempting. But when I saw how easily the man flyers manipulated their machines I said I could fly.
California 1000 Air Race
The 1970 California 1000 Air Race was a remarkable spectacle, the race was listed as “unlimited” meaning you could fly anything you wanted and modify it in anyway you liked. In short, it was a proper air race.
The Hong Kong Dispatch Riders
In 1941 the threat of a Japanese invasion of Hong Kong was imminent, the small British colony has a garrison made up of just 11,000 British and Indian troops set to fight the 6,095,000 men of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Worn & Wound – NYC NATO
Worn & Wound is a New York based company that produces truly unique straps for classic watches. This is their NATO strap, it’s made of golden nubuck leather and is available in either 20mm or 22mm widths.
Flat Track Kid
There’s something wonderful about this old photograph, I think the most impressive part of it is the boy’s perfectly positioned left foot. He looks for all the world like a crusty flat track old timer.
1962 Porsche 356 B Coupe
The Porsche 356 B Coupe is quite easily one of the most beautiful cars ever made, it’s also one of the stand-out motor cars of the 20th century from an automotive design perspective…
Pearce Wrench Knives
Logan Pearce is a third generation knifemaker following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather, Perry Pearce. The family is famous for their railroad spike knives, each hand-forged in a coal fired blacksmithery, Logan has found a new muse in stainless steel wrenches and now individually hammers them out in his De Queen, Arkansas based workshop.
Leo Payne Heats a Tire
The look of pure nonchalance on the faces of Leo Payne and his frame-holding friend in this photograph still makes me smile.
1911 Indian Board Track Racer
This particular Indian board tracker was recently restored by award-winning car and motorcycle artisan Jim Prosper, the original bike was so complete that the only 2 non-factory parts on it are the fuel tank and handlebars.
The Art Of Fixing Things
The Art Of Fixing Things is the kind of book we all need sitting on our bookshelves, it covers everything from repairing cars, household appliances, garden machines, farm equipment and doing home improvements and it’s described as “a resource for smart people who have never had the opportunity to learn the basics of tool use, maintenance and repairs”.
BMW R100RS Scrambler “Sarge”
This 1980 BMW R100RS Scrambler nicknamed “Sarge” was built by the talented BMW motorcycle custom house Kevil’s Speed Shop. Kevil’s is run by a friendly Brit named Kevin Hill, he founded the shop and has been an avid lover of motorcycles since his father took him to the Bristol Motorcycle Show in the late-70s.