Jon Branch - Contributing Editor

Jon Branch has written countless official automobile Buying Guides for eBay Motors over the years, he’s also written for Hagerty, he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome and the official SSAA Magazine, and he’s the founder and senior editor of Revivaler.Jon has done radio, television, magazine, and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China, and Hong Kong. The fastest thing he’s ever driven was a Bolwell Nagari, the slowest was a Caterpillar D9, and the most challenging was a 1950’s MAN semi-trailer with unexpected brake failure.

A Brief History of the Volvo P1800 – Everything You Need To Know

Introduction: The Volvo “Chevvy Corvette” That Wasn’t The story of the creation of the Volvo P1800 begins back in 1953 when Volvo co-founder and Vice-President Assar Gabrielsson visited the USA and while there he had the opportunity to visit GM and see the new (C1) Chevrolet Corvette production line at Flint, Michigan. While in the…

Introduction: Porsche is Born Dr. Ferdinand Porsche had long dreamed of building high performance sports cars just as he had also dreamed of creating cars that ordinary people could afford to own and run prior to Hitler’s program that sought to create a system of high speed roads called Autobahns throughout Germany, and for affordable…

The story behind the design of the Volvo Amazon is quite complex and takes in influences from a number of sources. Volvo had recruited Jan Wilsgaard from the Handicraft Society School (which is nowadays called the HDK, School of Design and Crafts). The young Wilsgaard’s first design work for Volvo was a large V8 powered car called the Volvo Phillip made in 1950.

Introduction to the Toyota 2000GT: An Industry Seeking Credibility The Toyota 2000GT was one of the most significant sports cars to come out of Japan during the 1960s – the decade that started the country out on the path to the global domination of the automobile market that it enjoys today. By the end of…

The story of the Datsun 240Z begins on the race track, and it dates back to 1964 when the Prince Motoring Club was established by Dr. Sakuri of Prince Motors in the wake of defeat by a privately entered Porsche in the Japanese Grand Prix of that year.

The Austin 7 works team at Brooklands in 1937

The Austin 7 – An Introduction It was in an Austin 7 that I went on my very first ever road trip. It would have been in about 1961, I was still at primary school, and a member of the school “Scripture Union” club. Our teacher, Mr. Britain, decided to fit three or four of…

The day I went in to buy my new Datsun 1600 I was in all probability the most unhappy new car buyer on the face of the earth. That was not to do with the Datsun 1600 being in some way a misery causing car. The reason for the truckload of unhappiness was that I’d been negotiating to buy an Austin-Healey 3000 in a private sale, and the seller had bailed out of the sale at the last minute.

Background: The Beginnings of Ford Motor Company Henry Ford’s Model T was the visionary breakthrough that brought motor vehicle ownership to millions of ordinary middle class people and opened up a new era of mobility for people and goods. In an era when the horse and the railroad reigned supreme as the means of land…

*Editor’s Note: The authenticity of this car has been challenged since this article was published, any prospective buyers need to do comprehensive due diligence before bidding. We recommend contacting Alan Mann Racing as a starting point, it appears that some of the body panels and possibly the whole shell has been replaced. Introduction Let’s imagine that the year is…

Bruce F. Meyers, the inventor of the Meyers Manx, grew up in California deeply involved in the surfing scene, and driving a 1930’s vintage Ford to the beach. His interest in surfing and the ocean naturally led into sail boats and thus to a journey into the South Seas on a schooner shared with a few friends where he learned about sailing outrigger canoes, and learned a great deal about the sea and boats.

The First Generation Chevrolet K5 Blazer first appeared in 1969 as a competitor to the already established International Harvester Scout and the Ford Bronco, despite its status as the new kid on the block, it was outselling both of its competitors within a year.

The 1988 Honda Africa Twin XRV650 was the marque’s first major foray into the market for adventure motorcycles. The bike was officially launched on 20th May that year – painted in red, blue, and white it was intentionally made to look like the Paris-Dakar Rally winning bikes.

Jon Branch - Contributing Editor

A Brief History of the Volvo P1800 – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Porsche 912 – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Volvo Amazon – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Toyota 2000GT – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Datsun 240Z – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Austin 7 – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Datsun 510 – Everything You Need To Know

A Brief History of the Model T Ford

Mystery Solved*: Rediscovering The Lost Alan Mann Racing Lotus Cortina Mk1

The Meyers Manx – A Quick & Essential Brief History

A Brief History of the First Generation Chevrolet K5 Blazer

A 5 Minute History: The Mighty Honda Africa Twin