Articles that Ben 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 -
BlackHawk ParaKit
There aren’t many airborne hobbies you can get into for under 10 grand, in fact there’s only one that I can think of apart from bridge-based suicide attempts. It’s called Powered Paragliding and as the name suggests, it involves paragliding with power.
Messerschmitt Me 323 D
The Messerschmitt Me 323 D was the single largest fixed-wing aircraft of WWII, this behemoth had a maximum carrying capacity of 20 tonnes, was powered by…
Axle Foley
I don’t think that’s what he meant when he asked for independent front suspension.
Yamaha SR400 Custom by Motor Rock
Motor Rock is a fantastic, boutique custom motorcycle garage based in Japan, they opened their doors in 2004 and have produced a series of…
Fairway London Cab
It’s not common knowledge that London Cabs can be bought by non-cab drivers, the infamous British actor/writer Stephen Fry has one in London and uses it as his daily driver.
SR-71 Blackbird Cockpit
The SR-71 Blackbird was so incredibly quick, that when it detected a surface to air missile launch, the pilot simply hit the throttle and accelerated to out run the missile, using raw speed as it’s primary defence mechanism.
The Wilson Goggle
Every time I end up on Etsy I find things I never knew I needed. These goggles by Wilson are almost 100 years old, they’re in fantastic condition and feature amber lenses surrounded by an ultra-thin wire mesh.
Sunday Cinema: The Blonde Comet
The Blonde Comet is a 1941 film starring Virginia Vale and William Halligan, it follows the story of Beverly Blake (Virginia Vale), the daughter of a wealthy tire manufacturer.
DKW Hummel
This 1964 DKW Hummel is a masterclass in ’60s era, futuristic design. It’s powered by a 50cc 2-stroke engine, has drum brakes front and rear, an integrated fuel tank/head light, a very interesting front fork assembly and more style than Cary Grant holding a martini, standing on top of a moving train.
Airborne #8
On close inspection, it looks as though it’s raining in the picture above, making the airborne nature of the bike all the more impressive.
1967 Mustang Fastback
I have a deep and abiding love for the 1967 Mustang Fastback, I don’t know exactly what it is about the car, but it’s been on my top 10 list since I was wearing short pants and if I’m honest, it’s the only car on my top 10 list that falls within my affordability bracket. At least at the moment.
Black Smith Tool Case by Wheelman & Co.
Designed to fit on either a bicycle or motorcycle, the Black Smith Tool Case can hold tools, a 16oz beverage, a small handgun, a Barbie doll, or whatever else you may need while out on the road. It’s handmade in the USA from 100% top grade cowhide leather and